Lexington (MA) High School Senate

LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-FACULTY SENATE

2005-2006

Moderator Peter Lubershane, Assistant Moderator Sam Kafrissen, Secretary Peter Kim

DATE: 1-4-06

Today's Agenda: Announcements

Open Comments

Committee Reports

New Business

Minutes from Meeting: 12-21-05

I. Call to Order: Meeting is called to order at 7:56 by Moderator Lubershane

II. Approval of Minutes: Senator "Slane" is misspelled.

Carlisle is misspelled.

Minutes approved.

III. Approval of Agenda: Vote to putting voting of resolution in New Business.

IV. Announcements: No announcements.

V. Open Comments: 1) Senator Earle wishes everyone a Happy Holidays and shared the legend of the candy cane.

2) Senator Eid-Reiner followed suit and shared the legend of the Maccabeans.

VI. Committee Reports: 1) Oversight met and drafted a paper of the Honor Code that will be distributed in homerooms after vacation.

2) Climate met and is planning to meet again on Wednesday, at 2:30pm in the black box theater.

3) Two senators cannot attend the meetings for the Community Service Committee and two new senators are asked to volunteer to serve on the committee.

4) Elections hear an appeal from Senator Miake-Lye and approved of his appeal. The process revealed huge problems concerning Z block and whether the block actually exists. The committee has yet to hear an appeal from Senator Kalsow-Ramos and would ask that all the senators on Elections committee attend the appeal sessions. Senators Fiveash, Girondel, Jeon, Gao, and Schuster were the only senators to listen to Senator Miake-Lye's appeal. The next appeal will take place on Friday, January 6, 2006 at 3:00pm in rm. 520.

5) Community Service meets after school on Thursdays at 3:00pm (Senators Slane and Colarusso have volunteered to serve on the committee).

6) Senator Kafrissen has been receiving horror stories concerning substitute teachers and hopes to compile the information he obtains.

VII. New Business 1) Suggested that the faculty who have not appeal be replaced.

2) Is senator Bogart on leave? Or formally resigned?

3) He is on leave for the rest of the year but will continue to advise the Climate Committee.

4) We've received e-mails from Concord-Carlisle who were impressed with our Student-Faculty Senate. They tried to get their own senate going but they are finding a serious lack of commitment from their faculty. We are also seeing a deterioration of the faculty members of our senate.

*(out of order)

Senator Eid-Reiner's amendment

1) On the past resolution that was passed, was there a record of who voted or who abstained? If we did not get a hand count then we do not know who abstained. Revote?

2) Senator Slane appreciates Senator Eid-Reiner's policy but counting a revote would be frivolous.

3) Ask Dr. Jones to ask about cancelled classes and to explicitly clarify the policy on cancelled classes.

4) Everyone here today "approved of motion," unanimous and no one abstained.

(back in new business)

5) The senate had a bill, The Gingrande Senior Final Exam Bill, 2 years ago that passed but was vetoed by Dr. Seasholes. With the new principal we want to bring the bill back onto the table.

6) Bring back to the table? Yay? (22) Nay? (10)

7) The bill has been discussed already over a 2-year period, probably the most lengthily discussed bill in the history of Senate. The senate should consider having the "bill" be a resolution because the senate would be interfering with the teaching policy.

8) The bill had no teeth. If we are going to bring this bill into discussion we should make sure it has teeth. And if we are going to have a resolution it should be really strong.

9) What is the bill about?

10) Any student who basically has a grade average above a B and doesn't cut class, does not have to take final exams with the discretion of their teacher.

11) Senator Collins disagrees and thinks that the bill does not have a shot,. If we remind teachers that this concept is an option and we're not trying to implement a policy. We want to make a "friendly reminder."

12) This bill would provide some legislation for teachers to fall back on.

13) This may put teachers against teachers, especially in the Math Department. Although the AP Calc classes have an AP exam the teachers still give a final exam.

14) Move bill to be tables, make a committee to evaluate whether a B is an average grade in a course. Want to see some accurate information pertaining to whether students doing their work in class are performing at an 'average level' or 'above average level.'

15) If such a bill passed, we might see an abuse of basis of students' achievement and work.

List of Senators Absent from Senate meeting: *Denotes excused/notified absence.

Ghazarian* Kim Weiser Douglas Burnett Metzger-Traber

Chaulet Pathan Wilson Katz Ludlow Jhe

Bogart Bonnet Buttaro* Stein Richardson Sher Serrano

Sherburne Tall