General Meeting Minutes- October 22, 2007

Sabin Community Association
General Meeting

Monday, October 22, 2007 7:00

Board Members Attending

Sandy Bacharach, Betty Walker, Denise Jarrett-Weeks, Amy Hunter, Judy Harrison, Rachel Studer. Ric Alexander, Chris Ritter

Agenda

• Report from Sabin School Principal Richard Schafer
• Proposed Bicycle Boulevards by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance
• Neighborhood Emergency Training, Part 2
• Resolutions Northwest volunteers sought
• SCA board nominations announced

Summary

Report from Sabin School (Principal Richard Schafer) About nine years ago, the Sabin school was identified as a “crisis school” by the United Coalition of Minorities. Four years ago, it received an “exceptional” rating from the State of Oregon, an honor shared by only 14 percent of schools statewide and one that Sabin School has received every year since then.

The Sabin School’s community extends beyond its students and teachers, it includes parents, residents, and business owners. The Sabin PTA is vibrant and active; there are 150 members and the group’s budget has grown to $50,000, largely through successful fundraising. It is progressing on the project to improve the north and south playgrounds. It is instrumental in helping the school to meet its goal of having one volunteer helping out in the classroom each day. Volunteers have background checks done every two years. Parents are encouraged to get involved in many ways, including an annual Doughnuts with Dad and a Muffins with Mom social before school in the gymnasium.

The SMART program (Start Making a Reader Today) matches 50 volunteers with children in kindergarten and first and second grades. Volunteers read with the children once or twice a week, encouraging a love of books and boosting youngsters reading skills. Spanish language is offered twice a week to children in grades 4 through 7. The school now has a fulltime PE teacher and a fulltime librarian/media specialist with a computer lab of 30 computers.

This year the school has transitioned to a K-7 school with 360 students, still a relatively small school. While many other public schools in Portland are losing students, Sabin School’s enrollment continues to grow. Next year it will add Grade 8. The K-8 model won’t offer the upper grade students the same programs as were available at middle schools—such as band and intramural sports—but the model fosters responsibility and loyalty to the school. Schafer said minority boys especially get lost when they move from an elementary school to a middle school, so that he expects the new model to be especially beneficial to them. That said, Sabin does not suffer the same performance gap that often occurs between minority and nonminority students, he said.

Though the Access program for gifted kids will be moved from Sabin to another school site, Sabin School is applying to add an IB (International Baccalaureate) program of study.

Bicycle Transportation Alliance (Emily Gardner) The BTA proposes miles of new bicycle boulevards in Northeast Portland. Bicycle Boulevards are low-traffic neighborhood streets that have been optimized for bicycling through signage and other “traffic calming” installations. The BTA’s proposals largely dovetail with Commissioner Sam Adams’ proposals to add 100 new miles of bicycle lanes in the city—including 30 miles in Northeast Portland. (The BTA proposes bicycle boulevards every 5 to 6 blocks, while Adams proposes them for about every 15 blocks.) Residents are encouraged to comment on the proposals. Contact the BTA at 503.226.0676 or go to their Web site, www.bta4bikes.org . She also encouraged the public to comment on the Columbia River Crossing pedestrian and bicycle improvements proposed for Interstate 5. Learn more by going to the Web site www.ColumbiaRiverCrossing.org and email your comments to feedback@columbiarivercrossing.org, or call 503.256.2726.

Neighborhood Emergency Training (Bruce Harris) Bruce is a NET Sabin neighborhood liaison along with two SCA board members, Rachel Studer and Judy Harrison. All three have taken NET training provided by the Portland Fire Department. Anyone 14 years and older can take the training. Bruce brought an example of a 72-hour kit for home and business that includes a First Aid Kit, water, canned milk, canned foods, blankets, radio, tools and other supplies necessary to cope and survive a city-wide emergency. Some helpful Web sites for more information are:

http://theepicenter.com

www.pdxprepared.net

www.citizencorps.gov

www.portlandonline.com/fire/

www.portlandonline.com/oem/

www.redcross.org

www.redcross-pdx.org

www.govlink.org/3days3ways/

Resolutions Northwest volunteers sought (Sandy Bacharach) The RNW is a nonprofit organization that seeks to strengthen the community by providing conflict resolution services and education. It offers free mediation training to those interested, though applications are competitive. To apply for the January 2008 training, go to www.ResolutionsNorthwest.org or call 503.595.4890.

2008 SCA board member nominations announcement (Sandy Bacharach) Nominations are open for all positions for the 2008 SCA board and can be submitted now through election night at the November 26 general meeting at Sabin School auditorium. The 2008 board members will be installed at the January general meeting.

Nominations to date are:

Amy Hunter and Rachel Studer, Co-Presidents

Mikele Schappell, 1^st Vice President

Ric Alexander, 2nd Vice President

George Karlson, Treasurer

Vacant, Publicity Officer/Newsletter Editor

Judy Harrison, Corresponding Secretary

Vacant, Recording Secretary

Elise Scholnick, Member at Large 2007-2009

Gabrielle Josephson, Member at Large 2007-2009

Vacant, Member at Large 2007-2009

Vacant, Member at Large 2007-2009

Jason Orth, Member at Large 2008-2010

Betty Walker, Member at Large 2008-2010

Chris Ritter, Member at Large 2008-2010

Vacant, Member at Large 2008-2010

Nominations are open for all board positions and should be submitted to Amy Hunter at amywhunter@gmail.com.

The next SCA general meeting was set for Monday, November 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Sabin Elementary School auditorium.

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.