Hunter College Campus Schools Director Randy Collins is pleased to announce the representatives who have volunteered their time to serve on the Middle States Accreditation Committees, including members of the administration, faculty and parents and students from both Hunter College Elementary School and Hunter College High School.  We are in the process of identifying student participants.

The Middle States Accreditation process is designed to certify that our K-12 school meets the prescribed qualitative standards of the Middle States Association according to our own stated philosophy and objectives. The chief purpose of the process is the “improvement of education for youth by evaluating the degree to which the school has attained worthwhile outcomes set by its own staff and community.”

Middle States forms and documents are available on the high school website (http://www.hchs.hunter.cuny.edu) for your perusal.  On the home page, simply click on “Middles States” at right and enter the Username and Password that will be sent to you in a separate e-mail message. Updates will be posted periodically as we continue through this process. For more information on our accrediting agency, the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges visit: http://www.css-msa.org/about/index.html.

Presently, we are formulating surveys on a variety of topics that will be sent via surveymonkey.com to all members of our school community, i.e., parents, staff and students. Translated versions will also be made available.

We encourage input from all HCCS constituencies, and as the process advances the Planning Team and Committees will be setting up internet groups to facilitate communication and input. We appreciate the commitment of everyone involved.

We look forward to reviewing the information generated as a result of this self-study, and we anticipate that it will identify priorities for the growth and improvement or our school.

Introducing the Committees:

The Planning Team
Oversees and supports the school’s Middle States process, by helping to set in motion the work of the committees, acting as a liaison with and between committees, determining a timetable for important steps in the process, and arranging for all services required for fulfilling the needs of the different phases of the process, including the school’s self-study, determination of goals, development of an action plan, and visit by an accreditation team.

Co-Chairs
Eileen Coppola (HS Principal)
Dawn Roy (ES Assistant Principal and liaison to “Community Culture and Health”)

Faculty
Giovanna Termini (HS Social Studies and liaison to “Admissions, Retention and Student         Support”)
Joanne Roque (HS Physics and liaison to “Curriculum, Pedagogy and Professional Culture”)
Lois Refkin (HS English/CT Dept. Chair and liaison to “Purpose and Vision”)
Kate Macaulay (ES Science and liaison to “Governance and Organizational Development”)

Parents
Andrea Kretchmer (HS)
Julie Golin (HS and ES)
Felicia Lipson (ES)

Hunter College
Nicole Vartanian (Senior Advisor Academic Planning, Office of the Provost)

Purpose & Vision
Defines what we do and whom we serve. Topics include, but are not limited to core values and mission. Among the issues to consider: How is giftedness defined and how do we define it here? How would we describe the population of students we serve? What qualities do students have when they enter 7th grade? What qualities do we wish they would have when they leave? What are the core values of our school? What “value” do we hope to add to their education and lives?

Co-Chairs
Kip Zegers (HS English)
Karen Kilbane (ES Kindergarten)

Faculty
Melissa Chapnick (HS Social Studies)
Tom Keenan (HS Science)
Pamela Stearns (ES 1st Grade)
Inna Kofman (ES 1st Grade)
Razel Solow (HC Gifted Center/Resource)
Linda Aboody (HS Math)
Daniel Mozes (HS English/CT)

Parents
Diana Loria (HS)
Betsy Graver (HS)
Lisa Stern (ES)
Francesca Bacon (ES)

Students
TBD

Admissions, Retention, and Student Support
Addressing a variety of admissions and retention related questions including: How do we attract, honor, and serve a diverse population of students, families, faculty, and staff? How do we/should we define diversity? Topics include but are not limited to: admissions, academic and emotional support for students to help them remain at Hunter, attracting and retaining diverse faculty and staff.

Co-Chairs
Eugene Lim (HS Library)
Alvin Shields (ES Math)

Faculty
Sam Washington (HS PE)
David Joffe (HS Social Studies)
Hillary Hartmann (HS Counseling)
Lindsey Rossler (HS Social Studies)

Sylvia Schaindlin (HS Math)
Ayana Lowe (ES Cultural Arts)
Judith Dolgins (ES Learning Specialist)
Barbara Shostal (ES Library)
Sylvia Schaindlin (HS Math)

Parents
Robin Aronow (HS)
Jennifer Vermont-Davis (HS)
Andy McCord (ES)
Sondra Mansfield (ES)

Students
TBD

Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Professional Culture
How do we understand ourselves as a K-12 school? What does our curriculum look like when considered school-wide, across all grades, and between subjects? How would we characterize our pedagogical approach? What norms and values define our professional culture? What do we see as possibilities for growth in these areas? Topics including but not limited to: vertical articulation, cross-departmental coordination, pedagogical theories and approaches, and professional culture.

Co-Chairs
Tudy Jawanda (HS Social Studies)
Sarah Fogelman (HS Science)
Jennifer Guss (ES Kindergarten)

Faculty
Sheila Krilov (HS Math)
Micheline Beaudry (HS Art)
Richard Roundy (HS English)
Roni Mistriel (HS PE)
Tony Natelli (HS Counseling)
Tony Fisher (HS Administration)
Chris Unruh (HS Foreign Language)
Mei Koon (ES 1st Grade)
Jean Rincon (ES Foreign Language)
Priya Voleti, (ES 4th Grade)
Priscilla Melo (ES Kindergarten)

Parents
Geraldine Murphy (HS)
Devi Ramchandram (HS)
Margaret Mathews (ES)

Students
TBD
Community Culture & Health
How healthy (psychologically and/or physically) are our students? How do we know? Does our school culture promote healthy behavior and wellbeing? How might we improve the health of individuals in our community, and promote healthy interactions between the members of our community? Topics include but are not limited to: student stress and pressure, focusing on unhealthy behaviors, e.g., sleep deprivation, bullying, substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, and the development of healthy and respectful cultural norms and behaviors throughout our community.

Co-Chairs
Kim Airoldi (HS English)
Carey Socol (HS Guidance)

Faculty
Dan SanGermano (HS Art)
Liz Fox (HS PE)
Gilana Reiss (HS Science)
Eliza Kuberska (HS Math)
Elba Marrero (ES 3rd Grade)
Gilda Sall (ES Learning Specialist)
Howard Fuchs (ES 6th Grade)
Robert Sherman (ES Studio Arts)

Parents
Kate Levin (HS)
Ahna Bogyo (HS)
Lauren Lipton (ES)

Students
TBD

Governance and Organizational Development
How robust and sustainable are we as an organization? As an organization, what could we do to plan and follow through better? How could we work to serve the needs of students, faculty, and families? How can we develop the health of our organization? Topics include but are not limited to: policy and management systems, school improvement planning, governance, funding, facilities, human resource development, including leadership development.

Co-Chairs
Clare Kudera (HS Social Studies)
Barbara Ghnassia (ES Counseling)

Faculty
Sue Monroe (HS Science)
Ray Kaniatyn (HS PE)
Lisa Siegmann (HS Administration)
Sonya Glasser (ES 2nd Grade)
Joe Kubat (ES PE)

Parents
Howard Friedman (HS)
John Foy (ES)

Students
TBD