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

Minutes from 4/1/25 Meeting

HiCap Parents Council

April Meeting

04/01/2025 - 10 AM - 12 PM

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

In Person Late: None

Zoom Meeting Attendance: Jen C, Mairead, Terra, Hong Zu, Nikita

Zoom Late: Sean Q

Secretary: Liz P.

Zoom Liaison: Allen

Next meeting date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 - 10 AM

Discussion: 

• Inglemoor 

• Math Pathway Explanation - Amity has a chart spelling out potential HiCap math paths at IHS. They do not line up directly with similar AP classes due to IHS following IB guidelines, but there are path available with plenty of rigor, and a couple of off-ramp options for students that want them. 

• Off-Ramp: Yes, there are options including AP Stats. 

• North Creek

• People have been posting a petition about an upper level math course; Calculus 4 is possibly going to be pulled

• 4 years of math are important; Amity feels there is a commitment from the district to supply a course

• An alternative for these kids would be Running Start; however, not all kids are ready for Running Start even if they are ready for high level math

• NSD is worried about being able to afford classes that are under 25 kids (some classes are 35-40 kids, especially with the upper level math course)

• Counselor/Guidance 

• Within the math discussion, we are noticing and bringing up the issue with gifted students that are receiving conflicting guidance. 

• Additionally, teachers and counselors often put off HiCap students

• Procedural changes for students who want to opt out of HiCap services

• Kids who have typically tried the coursework and then want to stop receiving services. This is mainly elementary-aged kids. 

• There is an existing exit policy that is required by state law

• If a kid has opted out for two years, NSD will have them test in again

• Every parent who choose to opt their kid out, they will be required to sign a form that outlines this information

• Add a voluntary field about WHY so office can be informed about reasons and can connect with the family 

• High School Senior Survey

• It is going out very soon, likely right after Spring Break

• We may want to continue with the parents survey 

Council Questions/Updates

• Skyview - night for discussion of Social Studies and Science. How did it go?

• They did not communicate that 6th grade was mixed classes; they did not disclose that they are field testing curriculum

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) - it can be different levels and modalities

• Kids like to work in groups and they enjoy working in groups although can cause frustrations at times. 

• Amity has been interviewing kids about their experience in these integrated science and social studies and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from the kids. Many though want to be able to pick their own groups. Unclear: is this because hicap kids want to work with hicap kids? Or kids want to work with their friends? Or could be a lot of overlap since often their friends are the ones they were in EAP classes with in elementary school. These dynamics should shake up at least a little as the integrated model phases upward. 

• Math middle school

• How do we handle the 6th grade math students being clustered with 8th graders; leave them more open/vulnerable to bullying

• Are there schools that are managing this better

• There seems to be one school that was attempting to put 6/7 and 7/8 classes together

• A real limiting factor is the master schedule and these are very independent for each school

• Leota 5th grade math misinformation

• Sent out inaccurate information to the parents

• They communicated that 8th grade math would be eliminated; that’s not the case. It’s just that most 8th grade students will be prepared for Algebra.

• This misinformation has not been corrected yet

• Election timing 

• In the election information, we need to put date and time of mandatory transitional meeting (Liz is doing a doodle for this)

• Open voting on Monday, May 12. Voting closes on Wednesday, May 21 at 8 pm.

• Email reminder for voting on Tuesday May 20th,

• Election Results need to be in by Thursday, May 22

• Fundraising Event

• May 8 at Woodinville HS

• Grit and Growth topic  - particularly helpful for parents 

• Eventbrite will automatically suggest donation

• By April 11, we want this info to be on all our discussion boards

• Superintendent Selection

• Do we want to do a statement to the board or something else?

• Can we reach out to the school board and ask if we can be part of the interviewing process? We are aware that in the last superintendent search, different community groups were able to be part of the interview process. We want the HiCap Parents Council to be part of this.

• Statement at April 28th meeting.

Action Items

• ALL: We need someone to help Holly with election. (Allen will respond within the week.)

• ALL except those listed below: We need to know if you are continuing. Here’s what we know so far: 

• Staying in - Mairead, Ashley, Carson, Sean Q

• In first year - Allen, Jenn C, Mairead

• Leaving/Not running - Liz P, Holly 

• Unsure - Terra

• Liz: Will create a poll for Transition meeting for week of May 27.

• ALL: Reps need to block their own calendars for May 8th event; you need to promote to community week of April 14 

• Liz to connect with Mairead to discuss sliding scale/donation language, and supplies/collateral needed for event night

• Carson will reach out to the school board 

Next month Agenda/Meeting

• Amity to provide update on North Creek math course selection

• Superintendent Search Discussion/Updates

• Coffee meeting

• What needs to happen at transition meeting and June meeting so new reps are ready and feel good

• November meeting work groups discussion