Minutes from 6/3/25 Meeting

 6/3/25

Attendees: Jen, Maireed, Terri, Ashley, Allen, Amity, Angie, Elizabeth, Hong, Amity, Carson, Gomathi (Zoom), Laisha (Zoom)

• Discussion Topics

• James and Susie

• Amity Updates

• Senior Survey Updates (~100 respondents)

• Considering asking 8th grade survey additionally since that's the formal end of HiCap services

• Gomathi: some seniors pursuing MarketSquare outside classes because they have to take a particular class to be a part of clubs

• Parent survey handled in Alchemer (hosted by HiCap Parents Council but sent out by District via ParentSquare)

• World Language (4th year) and Calc 4 Updates

• Meeting with department heads, students, and teachers from 4 schools

• Discussed different methods (hybrid, bussing, online)

• No love for any option

• Not a credit issue. Students wanting to be in cohort with each other.

• Issue for the next couple of years due to funding.

• Send out the survey this week

• No new CBA until next year

• Single subject math kids at 3 elems do not get offered to be transported to a school with walk-to-math model. Wellington is offered an online option at 4th grade

• Action Item: Ashley to send Elizabth the Parent Survey Link

• Appointment of Liana Stein (Arrowhead) - voted and approved

• Superintendent session with Ashley and Carson

• Useful to ask questions and understand the HiCap issues/concerns

• In session with SPED PTA and PTA

• Playdates

• Smaller attendance last year

• Also costs $35/school to reserve the school playground

• Other Ideas to Engage families?

• Westhill having HiCap infomeeting next week with Champions childcare

• Attend PTA meetings and introduce ourselves

• Westhill: two teachers came to Carson bringing up concerns about kids having low self esteem about not being a part of the walk-to-math and not being able to switch classes if they were ready, but not having a designation.

• Action Item: Hong to connect with Carson about Westill Teacher concerns.

• Training for new walk-to-math teachers is coming for Summer Institute (Core Focus) in mid August 

• Email this week about new council and upcoming student survey

• Updates to webpage with council members with email and images

• Action Item: New Council Members to send headshots and confirm email address

• Action Item: Council Members to post an intro post in August on FB post

• Budget

• Jen meeting with Lynn to discuss the transition and handing things over.

• Negative by September at current spend rate

• Domain is on GoDaddy

• Migration to Kit (ConvertKit) to save money

• Action Item: Ashley to get the GoDaddy login info and send to Allen

• Terri looking into Menchie's Fundraiser

• 2025-2026 Goals

• More parent talks

• SAT testing

• Push for more SAT availability

• Money and logistics (disrupting school day)

• Possible goal for a high school committee

• Elementary grade bands

• Monthly Emails

• Communicate resources

• Maireed offered to run and Jen offered to help

• ELA vision and goals

• Curriculum is nuanced and difficult to tell whether students are being accelerated.

Action Items

• Action Item: Ashley to send Elizabth the Parent Survey Link

• Action Item: Hong to connect with Carson about Westill Teacher concerns.

• Action Item: Ashley to get the GoDaddy login info and send to Allen

• Action Item: New Council Members to send headshots and confirm email address

• Action Item: Council Members to post an intro post in August on FB post

• Action Item: Maireed to look into putting together a monthly newsletter

Minutes from 5/6/25 Meeting

HiCap Parents Council

May Meeting

05/06/2025 - 10 AM - 12 PM

In Person Attendance: Liz P, Amity, Angie, Elizabeth, Carson, Ashley, Holly, Allen, Jen, Mairead, Elisa

In Person Late: None

Zoom Meeting Attendance: Sean, Beth, Terri, Nikhat, Terra, Imen

Zoom Late: Hong Zhu, Aishwarya, Terri, Jenine Fisher

Secretary: Liz P.

Zoom Liaison: Mairead

Next meeting dates: Tuesday, May 27th 6 - 8 pm Bothell Library; June 3 10 am - 12 PM at District Office

Discussion: 

• Podcast - Executive Function Delays and How to Work Through Them : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/neurodiversity-podcast/id1338562905?i=1000671820376

• Parents provide the gates/brakes/boundaries for the kids who need it (ex. Screen time limits)

• De-stigmatizing the needs of neurotypical learners and the strategies/hacks they need

• There is a link between the discussion of this population and the discussion around the education needs for HiCap learners

• If we don’t meet these needs, students begin to dislike learning

• School avoidance podcast from the same program: https://neurodiversitypodcast.com/home/2025/4/23/episode-268-why-school-refusal-may-not-be-what-it-seems-and-what-to-do-instead

• Terra’s resource: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/

• Senior Survey Results

• 103 responders out of 500

• Universal screening started in 2018; these students would have been universally screened in 5th grade

• Many kids first year of EAP/AAP was 6th grade for this cohort

• Survey PDF will be coming from Amity

• Westhill math assessment make up was not until February. Some of those qualifying student family’s would like to access New Family zoom. 

• Elizabeth will send info to Hong; it is also on the website

• If the families have additional questions, they can email the council.

• North Creek update: meetings are scheduled

• Building Thinking Classrooms

• Facebook group discussion, including Austina DeBonte, where feedback was solicited.

• Issues seem related to math classes. Particular complaints were 9th grade PreCalc at Woodinville HS

• WHS math department has adopted this on the whole.

• Teacher success is variable.

• There are other policies that vary that also affect success (ex. Ability to correct work for a grade boost)

• We want to bolster kids’ confidence in math

• As we move toward more of these style of classrooms, where kids are in small groups all day long, we are layering on social group dynamics. 

• We may be leaning into this way too much; does this add an additional challenge for kids, especially those that are neurodiverse?

Note: Cottage Lake, Woodin, and Wellington will not have HiCap services in 25-26 year

Council Questions/Updates

• Election

• See time line and responsible folks in Action items below

• Fundraising Event - May 8th

• Going well

• Elisa & Carson will be at 6 PM; Jen and Beth will help us at closing 8:15 PM

• Questions for superintendent 

• Question needs to be very HiCap specific 

Action Items

• Amity will bring comments from Senior Survey to next meeting

• Amity will send Senior Survey PDF slides

• ALL, please update election info on this table

• if you are concluding your two year term, put your name on the Nomination sheet

• If you are in only the first year of your term and are not returning, please alert immediately

• ALL anything that you found helpful when joining council put in this Google Doc; Carson will compile for the May 27th transition/new Rep meeting 

• Allen looking into new mailing list programs/websites

• Election dates and to dos

• 5/7 - Ashley to send Nomination Form Email; she will mention mandatory Bothell library meeting on 5/27; Holly to facilitate by creating Nomination form and opening form

• 5/12 AM - Ashley email reminder for end of day

• 5/12 at 8 PM - Holly closes nomination 

• 5/16 - Ashley to send voting email; Holly to facilitate by creating election form and opening form

• 5/21 AM - Ashley email reminder for end of day

• 5/21 at 8 PM - Holly closes voting

• 5/24 - By this date, Holly notifies winners/new reps

• 5/27 - New reps meeting at Bothell Library 

• After 5/27 - Email to community with new reps and new board
  
  

Next month Agenda/Meeting

• Amity to provide update on North Creek math course selection

• Superintendent Search Discussion/Updates

• November meeting work groups discussion