What is SSC? No, it is not the Secret Society for Chaparral.  The School Site Council is one of the hidden gems of Chaparral Elementary School!   We are a committee of interested parents, teachers, and administrators who review and discuss policies and plans that are designed to improve Chaparral.

Specifically, our mission is to

• Establish better communication among the school, parents, and community
• Provide support for programs that enhance the learning programs
• Act as a hearing board for individuals or groups who want to propose changes in the educational programs
• Involve parents in the decision-making process
• Establish an annual school improvement budget from discretionary funds (which aren’t very great).

Contrary to what may be popularly perceived, this is NOT a closed membership!  We invite parents to attend our meetings, held for one hour (3 pm) on the second Thursday of each month (with some monthly exceptions due to vacations and parent-teacher conferences).  In fact, we are seeking nominations for members for next year, so please consider yourself invited!

Here are some highlights of our discussions this year:

• Single Plan for Student Achievement.   This is a state wide document lead each school into improvement.  One of Chaparral’s goals is to improve the performance of those students who have not reached grade level expectations according to state standards.  Another goal is to increase the proportion of students who test at or above the state expectations for grade level.  This is an important goal because it is tied to the national “No child Left Behind” act and so it is connected to government funding.
• Earmarked some budget dollars so teachers could attend “in service” professional development conferences and seminars.  This relieves some financial pressure felt by teachers who wish to improve their craft, but teachers still pay for travel and accommodations out of their own pockets.
• Have you heard about the partnership with Cal Poly Pomona to develop web pages for the classes at Chaparral.  This is a really exciting development!
• Reviewed results of last year’s STAR assessments.  This is connected to our Single Plan for Student Achievement (above).
• Investigated ways to develop an after-school tutoring program.  Issues of personnel, pay, room availability, and district/state regulations required us to re-think this idea, but we believe it has tremendous merit.
• Talked about ways to start a homework club or co-operative on site in the multi-purpose room a few afternoons each week. An article about this was placed in the school newsletter, but few parents have responded about this idea.  We think this could make a great difference in helping more students thrive in the classroom – but we need more parents to champion the cause.
• If you’re interested in finding out more information on any of the above issues, please come to our next SSC Mtg. on the second Thursday of each month @ 3:00 pm in the music room.