Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council  33 middle and high school students meet with the superintendent monthly.  8 Desert View students – 2 from each class  8 Sunnyside students – 2 from each class  2 S.T.A.R. Academic Center students  3 students from each middle school  33 middle and high school students meet with the superintendent monthly.  8 Desert View students – 2 from each class  8 Sunnyside students – 2 from each class  2 S.T.A.R. Academic Center students  3 students from each middle school

Superintendent’s High School Student Advisory Council

ThinkTank Session November 18, 2008 University of Arizona – McClelland Hall – Hoffman E-Commerce Lab  The visit was hosted by Mr. Jaime Gutierrez, UA Assistant Vice President for Community Relations.  The lab uses GroupSystems software to facilitate brainstorming. Each of the students worked at a computer; all ideas are anonymous and are viewed simultaneously by the group.  Questions were based on the Five Promises from the America’s Promise Alliance, as presented at a summit held at Sunnyside High School:  Caring Adults  Safe Places  A Healthy Start  Effective Education  Opportunities to Help Others  The visit was hosted by Mr. Jaime Gutierrez, UA Assistant Vice President for Community Relations.  The lab uses GroupSystems software to facilitate brainstorming. Each of the students worked at a computer; all ideas are anonymous and are viewed simultaneously by the group.  Questions were based on the Five Promises from the America’s Promise Alliance, as presented at a summit held at Sunnyside High School:  Caring Adults  Safe Places  A Healthy Start  Effective Education  Opportunities to Help Others

 The Superintendent’s High School Student Advisory Council summarized the main points of the report in four areas:  What students like best about their schools and what needs improvement  Safety  Caring Adults  Effective Education  The Superintendent’s High School Student Advisory Council summarized the main points of the report in four areas:  What students like best about their schools and what needs improvement  Safety  Caring Adults  Effective Education ThinkTank Session November 18, 2008 University of Arizona – McClelland Hall – Hoffman E-Commerce Lab

What students like best about their schools  School spirit  Free tutoring  Extracurricular activities  Opportunity for self-expression – art and music, culinary arts (also ways that students earn scholarships)  Concern about culinary arts being cut from Sunnyside High  Concern about budget cuts  High school orchestra concert for fifth-graders to expose them to opportunities – a valuable experience  Athletics – keeps students in positive activities and away from negative influences  School spirit  Free tutoring  Extracurricular activities  Opportunity for self-expression – art and music, culinary arts (also ways that students earn scholarships)  Concern about culinary arts being cut from Sunnyside High  Concern about budget cuts  High school orchestra concert for fifth-graders to expose them to opportunities – a valuable experience  Athletics – keeps students in positive activities and away from negative influences

 Snack bar  College-based classes, AVID, Advanced Placement classes, Honors classes  Teen-age Parent Program (TAPP)  Lunch-time activities  Clubs – a safe environment, positive influence  Feel safe at school  Snack bar  College-based classes, AVID, Advanced Placement classes, Honors classes  Teen-age Parent Program (TAPP)  Lunch-time activities  Clubs – a safe environment, positive influence  Feel safe at school What students like best about their schools

What needs improvement?  Cleanliness  Costs of summer school  Teacher–student relationship – teachers need to get to know students’ names  Number of students at lunches and in hallways  Facilities – renovations needed  Cleanliness  Costs of summer school  Teacher–student relationship – teachers need to get to know students’ names  Number of students at lunches and in hallways  Facilities – renovations needed

Safety  Some students feel safe, some don’t, some feel safe sometimes  Feel safe at school, but have concerns in the community. School is a safe place.  Basketball gyms, soccer fields – school-related activities are safe places.  (Need for traffic safety (Campbell and Bilby)  Cameras needed in school parking lots  Intense violence in community – what is the balance between school and community? How does community violence affect schools?  Some students feel safe, some don’t, some feel safe sometimes  Feel safe at school, but have concerns in the community. School is a safe place.  Basketball gyms, soccer fields – school-related activities are safe places.  (Need for traffic safety (Campbell and Bilby)  Cameras needed in school parking lots  Intense violence in community – what is the balance between school and community? How does community violence affect schools?

Caring adults  Students feel that some adults care for them. Some, though, did feel that adults are there for the paycheck.  Discussion on: Is there a difference between teachers in Honors/AP courses and regular classes? – depends on the teacher individually  Teachers’ treatment of students is a reflection of how students treat teachers.  Electives teachers, coaches care.  Relationship between teacher and student if teacher cares  Difference between being a friend and being friendly (professional) – students don’t want teacher to be a friend  Students feel that some adults care for them. Some, though, did feel that adults are there for the paycheck.  Discussion on: Is there a difference between teachers in Honors/AP courses and regular classes? – depends on the teacher individually  Teachers’ treatment of students is a reflection of how students treat teachers.  Electives teachers, coaches care.  Relationship between teacher and student if teacher cares  Difference between being a friend and being friendly (professional) – students don’t want teacher to be a friend

What does it mean, what does it look like, feel like, sound like, to have a caring teacher?  Teacher says student can stay after school for help  Don’t be my friend, just be friendly  Someone who remembers your name, talks to you and motivates you  Open, interested in you  Knows about your extracurricular activities, asks about sports, games  Interested in your activities outside of school  Notices when you’re absent  Notices when you’re having a bad day, asks you what’s wrong  Shares their own life experiences (within boundaries)  Gives advice, to a point  Cares about your safety  Teacher says student can stay after school for help  Don’t be my friend, just be friendly  Someone who remembers your name, talks to you and motivates you  Open, interested in you  Knows about your extracurricular activities, asks about sports, games  Interested in your activities outside of school  Notices when you’re absent  Notices when you’re having a bad day, asks you what’s wrong  Shares their own life experiences (within boundaries)  Gives advice, to a point  Cares about your safety

Effective education  Students want more experiences outside of the classroom – field trips, workshops, something done with the class but not in the classroom  Take education to where you really need it in life – relevancy  More student-teacher relationships – students taking responsibility for their learning  More career-based classes – more vocational  Students want more short-term rewards – student of the month, attendance  Students want more experiences outside of the classroom – field trips, workshops, something done with the class but not in the classroom  Take education to where you really need it in life – relevancy  More student-teacher relationships – students taking responsibility for their learning  More career-based classes – more vocational  Students want more short-term rewards – student of the month, attendance