Design Phase for Scotts Valley Middle School is Underway

By Penny Weaver, Superintendent Scotts Valley Unified School District

Parents, SVMS staff members, and community stakeholders, who were selected through an application process, worked together during a daylong design workshop kicking off the next phase in rebuilding SVMS. District staff and Board Members Art Bubb and Michael Shulman are also working with the committee. Brent McClure, Principal Architect, and Monique Wood, Project Manager with Cody, Anderson, Wasney Architects, facilitated the work with the 18-member group. A full agenda, including a great deal of programming discussion, kept the committee members engaged. The day concluded with McClure, surrounded by committee members, drawing a general site layout based on the visioning input of the future SVMS campus developed throughout the day.

Three more sessions are planned in February and March. The next session will focus on finalizing the program spaces. Committee members will also provide comment on diagrams provided by McClure. During the next two sessions, the preferred site concept will be identified and refined.

More information will be posted on the SVMS and District websites as well as the District’s community Facebook page. Anyone can visit the page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scotts-Valley-Unified-School-District/383818915116717 and “like” or “follow” the page to continue to receive updates when posted. Public input is encouraged through committee members, Board Members, and district staff. Comments and questions may be sent to Superintendent Penny Weaver at pweaver@scottsvalleyusd.org.

There will be a special Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, February 5 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 1 Civic Center Drive. The Board will hear a presentation by McClure regarding phasing as a means of housing middle school students during the rebuilding of the school. The Board Members will have an opportunity to discuss together the different options under study for alternative housing. This session is planned for study and discussion. On February 10, the Board will convene for a regularly scheduled meeting and further consider alternative housing scenarios which include renting a school facility in a neighboring school district, or creating a school of portables on an open piece of property within the district boundaries. All three scenarios are feasible. Each scenario will have a different cost as well as differing advantages and disadvantages. The special study session and regular Board meetings are public meetings.

Common Core Math Parent Night

Guest speaker Dave Foster, Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Math Initiative, presented information about changes in math curriculum and teaching methodology to parents last week. Changes in the program and teaching strategies are the result of the transition to Common Core State Standards. About 50 parents from schools in the district attended. Curriculum Coach for math, Rhonda McEntee, also presented examples of math problems from a 5th grade class and discussed ways that parents can support their students with homework. Parents articulated concerns about the change in the math program and requested further information and resources on how to help their students at home. Michelle Stewart, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, assured parents that their concerns are being heard and that there will be further sessions and resource materials for Common Core math. Some new materials to assist teachers with bridging from the prior program to implementation of the new standards have been purchased with one-time state funding. Ongoing professional development for teachers and principals is provided through the district’s partnership with SVMI and supported by the district’s math coach.

This year, 3rd – 11th grade students will be taking new online assessments aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Mobile devices such as Chromebooks have been purchased and improvements to the technology infrastructure at each site are underway to prepare for new assessment requirements. Staff looks forward to receiving assessment results during the summer and analyzing the progress of students on the new standards. Parents will receive information and staff will present reports in the fall.

February Calendar Reminders

All schools and the District office will be closed February 13 and February 16, 2015 in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday, a public holiday, and President’s Day, a federal holiday. Students will resume classes on Tuesday, February 17.

Scotts Valley High School Expo and Open House will be held on Wednesday, February 25 beginning in the Student Union Building at 6 p.m.