Attendees:
Live: Ashley, Angie, Jen, Mairead, Amity, Terri, Allen
Online: Laura, Elizabeth W, Liana, Gomathi, Hong, Elisa, Elizabeth R
Action Items:
All council members to respond if they would like to help out in other ways for the council
Ashley to send out the slides from Spring 2025 survey for everyone to review and discuss at next meeting
Amity to coordinate with Skyview team to come to a HiCap Parents Council Meeting to talk about science/social studies integration
Allen to Put together an interest form for the parent night with Emily Kircher Morris to go out in the next newsletter
Discussion Topic:
Neurodiversity Podcast Ep 129: Our Bright and Complex, Twice Exceptional Kids
Emily Kircher Morris Coming Jan 5th for a parent meeting
Can move from the board room if there’s more people would attend
Appreciates having questions ahead of time
Definitely want HiCap parents there
Action Item: Council to put together an interest form for the parent night
Interest Form - Google Form
Need someone else
Jan 6th PD with Emily Kircher Morris
Schools will be the first year of integration grades/elementary
Amity’s Updates
Middle School Task Force Update
Finished 10/7/25
Recommending having social studies and science become integrated
Why integration?
Scheduling is more difficult to have separate AAP
Helps balance those with needs to cluster and have their needs met
Math acceleration has been an issue (whether it’s too accelerated or not). But no changes to the math track are planned or recommended.
ELA
Recommendation is to keep it AAP
Writing is the biggest concern from teachers
Need to pilot a new ELA curriculum in the next couple of years
Data science is a new math option
Family communication
Any ideas from the council to better communicate with families
Update regarding grade level meetings
Talked about how to engage kids with math (explaining thought and not just an answer)
Strategies for writing and small group instruction
Possibility of having Skyview teachers talk with Council?
To discuss integrated social studies and science classes service model
Council agreed it would be good to have them come.
Action Item: Amity to coordinate and schedule a time for them to come.
General Questions
Question on Class Size
Arrowhead = Integrated classes very large (45 students)
Some schools can be flipped where the HiCap math classes are much smaller.
Depends on the school decision and staffing
Staffing will continue to be an issue for class sizes
Can teacher recommendations be used for HiCap?
Not all teachers understand HiCap
Not all teachers like the HiCap program
Would not give accurate or good recommendations
Also impractical to read through thousands of recommendations
Appeal process can be used for exceptions
What happens if students max out iReady
iReady does not allow students to move to the next tier (i.e. 5th grade students who max iReady cannot have access to the 6th grade/middle school)
iReady Pro was launched this year for middle school (more flexibility and autonomy)
Council Business
HiCap Parents Council board positions
Skander has been unresponsive to email
Motion to remove Skander as VP passed
Motion to put Mairead as the new VP passed
Motion to appoint Nikhat as Ruby Bridges rep passed
Deep dive into spring survey
1400 responses
Parents indicted poorer understanding and satisfaction with ELA services in the integrated model.
Action Item: Ashley to send out the slides
Budget update - Jen
$2168.75 is our current balance
Next Meeting: November 4 from 10-12
