PTA Meeting Minutes – September 13, 2017

Welcome & Introduction of Executive Board Members – Jessica and Merideth

    • Looking for a New Parent Representative for the Exec Board – so if you know of anyone who you think would be a great advocate for new families talk with them and nominate them for the position. Voting will occur at the October 11th PTA Meeting.

What the PTA does

    • Two main roles are 1) Community Building and 2) Fundraising.
    • How do we raise money?
      • Annual Appeal
      • Pizza Friday
      • Readathon
      • Silent Auction/Spring Gala
      • various smaller events throughout the year
    • Where does the money go?
      • New Classroom Libraries
      • Mini-Grants for Teachers/Therapists
      • Opera Projects, Architecture, Chess, Jazz at Lincoln Center, etc.
      • Lunch Clubs
      • Schoolwide Enrichment – i.e. Book Fair, Carnival, “One School, One Book”, Visiting Authors

Introduce Principal – Ms. Rosa

    • Introduces the Administration of the School
    • Appreciates the PTA and everything it does for the School
    • Take a look around as you visit the School, many postcards the kids sent in of their Summer adventures
    • Upcoming Events:
      • New Family Orientation Session – 9/18 at 8:30am in the Cafeteria
      • Welcome Breakfast for Related Services – 9/26 at 8:30am in the Cafeteria
    • Our school is a full inclusion program, all our classrooms at Carroll St. are inclusion classrooms. School is multi-sited, other location is ASD site in Ft. Greene.
    • We want parents to feel part of the school. One day per week we will be opening up the classrooms to parents for our Responsive Classroom/Morning Meetings.
    • Curriculum Conferences will be coming up – please watch for announcements – all conferences should be completed by 9/29.

Introduce Parent Coordinator – Yvette

    • 4 kids of my own and been a school parent for 18 years
    • 5 years ago became the Parent Coordinator
    • Splits time between the two sites – spends Thursday at ASD site
    • Office in Room 101
    • Starting Soon for 5th Grade Parents – Middle School Process
      • will be a workshop in October
      • 4th Grade parents are welcome to attend
    • Brand new program – Free Lunch for all kids – but still need to fill in the paperwork, so we know how many lunches we need each day.
    • Longer day means lunches start slightly later and kids get 1/2 hour for lunchtime and 1/2 hour for recess every day.

AfterSchool Programs

    • Cara – KING – runs after-school programs on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
        • Youth Development with Sports & Fitness Focus
        • working with 35 schools in NYC
        • Structured, Organized Fun
        • Homework Help – first hour – if need extra help or quiet time pick this option
        • Different activities and themes for each weekday and each month
    • Janine – PTA Afterschool Registrar and also runs the after school enrichment programs
        • Everyday is $25 – can sign up for whole semester
        • KING started last year when teachers were busy Mondays and Tuesdays, expanded to include Wednesdays this year
        • Drop-in is available – but call school to arrange to make sure teachers and Janine get the info about the change of plans for dismissal and after-school.
        • 4th and 5th Grades can participate in new program of instrumental instruction via Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Teachers who will be coming here to give lessons.
        • Enrichment Programs – Three seasons – Fall/Winter/Spring
          • new Fall Brochure should be available in 2 weeks

Upcoming Events

    • 9/16 New Family Picnic – Potluck – 12pm – 4pm – Outdoors in Yards, enter at Whitwell gate
    • 9/18 Orientation Breakfast – in Cafeteria 8:30am
    • 10/6 First Lice Check Day
    • 10/11 October PTA Meeting – 8:30am in Cafeteria
    • 10/13 Pizza Friday Starts
    • 10/14 Children’s School Night at Cosmos Soccer Game – 7pm – MCU Park, Coney Island
    • 10/21 Roots and Community Party – Gymnasium

Cosmos Game Details – Nina Crews

    • Cosmos is the Brooklyn-based NASL team
    • Community building outing – Fun night out – block of seats for The Children’s School
    • Saturday October 14th 7pm – at MCU Park at Coney Island – $15 tickets
    • A flyer will be distributed with details – return it with money and tickets will be delivered to classroom and sent home via backpacks.

PTA Committees – Get involved!

  • Communication – website/social media
  • Social – events & community
  • Fundraising/Grants
  • Garden
  • Gear – t-shirts, tote bags, etc.
  • Lice Day
  • Pizza Friday

Konstella

  • In-house school communication
  • Update your profiles with your childrens’ new classes
  • Volunteer signups, Events, class communications
  • Go to konstella.com and Find Your School to start signup process.

Class Parents – Michelle Dobson

  • meeting at end of the month for all Class Parents
  • Class Parents act as liaisons between classroom, teachers and PTA
  • involved in classroom
  • organize parent involvement for class and teachers

Get Involved – Do your Share! – Rafael

  • Every Children’s School Parent is automatically part of the PTA
  • Participate
  • Help out
  • Get involved

9-13-17 Agenda