2007-2008+Minutes

= Newark Student Government Meeting Minutes=

Most recent message from the NSG Secretary Jessica Ermak:

 * __Notes from Officer Meeting with Mr. Bedford (July 17, 2007):__
 * Electronics/Cell Phone Policy- This is a district decision, and while Mr. Bedford might look the other way when he sees kids listening to ipods at lunch, he will begin the year with a strict cell phone policy, collecting cell phones to be returned at the end of the day. He hopes that towards the middle of the year he will be able to just ask students to put them away. But he has to show consistancy, so while ipods and CD players don't disrupt others during free time, he has an obligation to instruct teachers to inform the rules.
 * Computer Labs- Someone from District office is currently finishing up cleaning the computers in the labs from the virus they were attacked from last year. He should be done by the end of the week.
 * A.P. Issues- He understands how a lack of funding discourages students from taking A.P. tests, but because hundreds of tests issued each year, that's a really huge amount of money- probably tens of thousands. We didn't get into specifics on fundraising, but he hopes to be able to reduce the costs of tests in the future. We also brought up finals in A.P. classes, as well as whether students should be expected to finish out the day after testing, both issues he said he would bring up with the board.
 * Bathrooms- He has promised that each morning he will personally walk the school at 5:45, making sure bathrooms are accessible and fully functioning. He says he has already sat down the custodial department and told him his expectations.
 * Hall Sweeps- Are no longer an issue!! There won't be any more hall sweeps. Instead, administrators will be strategically placed throughout the school, nudging students towards their classes. There will still be a late policy, but no locking of doors. In addition, no passes should be written for the first 10-15 minutes of class.
 * Detention- Detention will now take place on Saturdays, 8:00-10:00 A.M. While extreme, we all agreed that this will probably reduce the number of detentions issued.
 * Cafeteria food- There are big plans for the cafeteria! Because of the success of the salad line, there will be fresh food this year that students can "customize," such as burgers, salads, wraps, tacos, sandwiches, etc. Students will see the food being prepared with fresh ingredients. A cafe theme might even be integrated!
 * Funding- This was a pretty vague issue. Of course he wants adequate funding for not only A.P.s but sports as well. But probably the most pressing issue is the football field lights, which he is very concerned about. He wants them replaced, rather than repaired. The board and he and meeting regularly with the booster club to make sure they're up by our first game.