GreatNeckSouthHighSchool

SharedDecisionMakingCommittees
YearEndReport20152016

CommitteeMembers:
Faculty&Administration:

SharonAppelbaum,ChrisBeaujon,Sheryl

Demetres,JaneCallaghan,KarenCantor,AeneasCarravetta,LoriCresci,Karen
Cuchel,JohnDuggan,SusanElliott,ChristopherErickson,GerryFinazzo,Linda
Haase,BradKrauz(CoChair),DonnaNystrom,MichelleSorise(CoChair),Vicki
Solomon,JennieYi

Students:

AramBagdassarian,AndersenGu,CarolineHong,AzimKeshwani,

MacyMeng,TinaPavlovich,JacobRaphael,HaleyRaphael,MeghaReddy,Lynne
Xie&MirandaZhang,JosephineZheng

Parents:
LisaCarbone(CoChair),LilyCheng,LisaGoodwin,AlinaHendler,
MichelleHungBalkcom,DebbieSossman,BarbaraSperling(CoChair),Debbie
Volk

Meetings:
TheCommitteemeetsonamonthlybasisat2:45pmandgenerallyendsby4:00pm.
921,1005,1102,1207,01014,0201,0314,044,0502&0606


SCHEDULECHANGEPOLICYRECOMMENDATION

Aftermuchdiscussionandcollaboration,itwasagreedthatconsistencyisnecessaryinthe
proceduresinvolvedinschedulechangestheweekprecedingthestartofschool.Theattached
letteristheagreeduponrecommendationonthepartofthecommitteetohelpensuremore
consistentpracticeswithregardtoschedulechangeweek.

UNIFYINGEVENT

Asacontinuationfromthepreviousyear,agoaltodevelopaunifyingeventhasbeen
undertaken.
Ourobjectiveistoinvolvestudentswithvariedinterestsandfriendshipcirclesina
schoolwideeventinanefforttounifythestudentbodyandincreaseoverallschoolspirit.
Asa
committee,weagreedtoexpanduponanexistingeventratherthandevelopsomethingnew.
Afterreviewofthevariouseventsthattakeplaceduringtheyear,thecommitteedecidedto
enhanceSouthHighsHomecomingweekendwiththehopeofintegratingthevarioussocialand
culturalgroups,alongwithhighlightingthevariousclubs,sports,andotherextracurricular
activitiesthroughamoreinclusiveeventatthestartofnextschoolyear.Friday,September
30thandSaturday,October1stwillbedesignatedasSouthHighsHomecomingweekend.In
coordinationwiththeathleticdepartment,asmanyathleticcontestsaspossiblewillbe
scheduledatSouthHigh.TheBoysAthleticAssociationcoordinatesapeprallytorecognize
ourstudentathletes.ThiswilltakeplaceattheendoftheschooldayonFriday,September
30th.Ourgoalistocoordinatewithotherextracurriculargroupstoprovidetheman
opportunity,immediatelyafterthepeprally,tohelppromoteschoolspiritwhilepromotingtheir
ownsuccess.Inaddition,thecommitteewillbecoordinatingafacultyeventimmediatelyafter
schoolonFriday(possiblyafacultyvolleyballgame)forstudentstoenjoypriortothestartof
anyathleticcompetitions.AthleticcontestswillcontinuethroughSaturday,andafter
coordinatingwiththeKeyClubtheywillscheduletheirdancefortheeveningofSaturday,
October1st.Ourcommitteewillbefocusingonpublicity,entertainment,clubcoordination,
sportsteamcoordination,andfacultyeventcoordinationaswelooktohavethisreadyforthe
startofnextschoolyear.

WilliamA.Shine
GREATNECKSOUTHHIGHSCHOOL
SHAREDDECISIONMAKINGCOMMITTEE

ToWhomitMayConcern:

Aftercarefulconsideration,activediscussion,andreflectiononthecurrentschedulechange
procedures,theSharedDecisionMakingCommitteewouldliketomakethefollowing
recommendationstoensureamoreconsistentpracticeinschedulechangesforallstudents.

1. Wheninformingstudentsandfamiliesaboutschedulechangeweek,pleaseincludethe
followingasacceptablereasonstorequestaschedulechangemeetingwithguidance:
a. Requestingachangeduetoastudentsdirectpriorexperiencewithateacher.
b. Requestingachangetoaddalunchperiod,schedulelunchatanappropriate
timeorarrangealunchperiodwithfriends.
c. Issuesorerrorsintheschedule,includingbutnotlimitedto:
i.
Severalmajorcorecoursesinarow
ii.
Course/electivechange(ExampleAPPhysicstoAPEnvironmental,
CeramicstoArchitecture,etc.)
iii.
Courselevelchange(ExampleAPEnglishtoRegentsEnglish)
iv.
Toomanystudyhalls
v.
IndividualizedEducationProgram(IEP)changes
d. Anyextenuatingcircumstanceaboutastudentsschedulethatiscriticalto
discusswithguidancepriortothestartofschool.

2. Thefollowingissuesshouldbeaddressedduringthestudentspringschedulingmeeting
withguidance:
a. Requestingaparticularsubjecttobeinthemorningorafternoon.
b. Havingfallbackoptionsavailablethatwouldlimitmajorchangestoastudents
scheduleshouldacourseneedtobedroppedoralevelchanged.

Anancillarypointfromthisdiscussionwastheimportanceofparitybetweengradingpractices
andcourseworkloadforstudentsthattakethesamecoursebuthavedifferentteachers.While
itisunderstoodthatstudentsshouldnotuseteacherselectionasabasisforaschedulechange
request,itisourrecommendationthateffortsbemadetocreateamoreconsistenteducational
experienceforstudents.