The James Logan Courier

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer

The Board of Education on Tuesday night received a presentation on campus safety from James Logan High School Principal Amy McNamara and School Site Council President John Shockley.

Ms. McNamara and Mr. Shockley told the Board that the Logan staff has been working on the four priorities outlined during a September safety meeting with the Board:

1) Student activities: ensuring the future of co-curricular activities in uncertain budget times; providing more places for students to gather and eat; a clean campus initiative; improving flow of information to students.

2) Security: addressing gang activity on campus; implementation of video surveillance system; clarifying consequences for negative behavior; increased monitoring of bathrooms.
3) Adult-to-student relationships: implementation of an advisory period; continuing work on small learning communities; increase in interventions; new counseling roundtable involving both inside and outside service providers.

4) Student-to-student relationships: increasing peer mentoring; increasing opportunities to discuss diversity; student leadership.

Ms. McNamara told the Board that there were reductions this fall in both the number of gang-related fights on campus and in the number of ninth-grade suspensions.

Also on Tuesday night, the Board:

- Approved the revised Single Plan for Student Achievement at Hillview Crest Elementary School, which despite significant and sustained improvement in student performance during the past two years is in “Program Improvement.” Principal Beth Davies told the Board about the introduction of Critical Literacy into the school’s curriculum, and first- and fifth-grade teachers Julie Francisco and Kelly McIntosh showed examples of how “story arc” is used to help grow student understanding and vocabulary of texts.

- Nominated Board President Gwen Estes as a candidate for reelection to the California School Boards Association Delegate Assembly for 2010.

Agendas of regular Board of Education meetings and minutes of past meetings are available on the District website.