PTA Meeting Minutes May 18, 2016

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Welcome from PTA President

  • Welcome all!

PTA By Law Vote/ Open positions for the Executive Board for 2016/2017

  • Want to have mandated 2 year terms for continuity
  • Want to pair an incoming officer with an outgoing officer for handover
  • Want to have a smaller, leaner, tighter EB that has just the officers
  • Will have committees, such as the communications committee, but not all will be on the EB
  • Are proposing that the EB will consist of:
    • 2 co-presidents
    • 2 co-vice presidents
    • 2 co secretaries
    • 2 co treasurers
    • Ex officio
    • New parent rep
    • Teacher liaison
  • We will have a call for committee member through Sign-up Genius ASAP and again in the fall
  • Concern expressed that committee members would no longer have a vote on The EB. Assured that anyone can bring an issue/a vote to the EB and all parents are members of the PTA and have a vote on that.
  • The PTA and the SLT are separate bodies.
    • Each has elections. PTA is the leadership body for the parents and the job for the EB is to fund the administrative part of the PTA, fund raise and liaise with the teachers.
    • SLT is a mandated group that develops school-based educational policies and ensure that resources are aligned to implement those policies.
  • For the EB, we nominate all candidates in the general PTA meeting, all nominations announced, someone seconds them. Then there is a vote for any contested positions. Nominations will happen at the June meeting.
  • The SLT will have a separate process. They will have 4 openings this year.
  • Vote – all in favor, vote has passed
  • The EB will divide up responsibilities.
  • Need Pizza Friday committee! Need committees for Valentine’s Dance, Roots and Community, Arts and Science Day
  • Be a class parent next year!
  • Gala will come earlier next year, likely in March
  • Descriptions of parents, what the expectations are, what the time commitment is, how parents who don’t come to the school (uses buses) can be active on the PTA
  • Action item: Nicole to speak with Communications Committee to see if they can pull together a FAQ that EB board members can use to drum up interest for the EB and committees at the class transition meetings 

Updates from Ms. Rosa, Yvette and Michael

Yvette

  • Grade to grade transition meetings – will get a snapshot of classes next year. There will be more comprehensive meetings in the Fall, especially for 5th grade student who will be applying for Middle School.
  • Philly trip on Friday
  • Yvette moving to room 101 this weekend.

Ms. Rosa

  • Good morning!
  • Mascot now out. The Children’s School Cheetahs! Working on baseball caps and t-shirts. Kids will vote on a design and school colors.
  • Team sports tournaments to learn to be good team members. Will try to have some team sports for older children. Fred has started with whiffle ball tournament.
  • Responsive Classroom Institute in July.
  • Started Thinking Maps with Mr. Artie. We are now full on with them. Visualizing their thinking.   Thinking Maps are very good for kids with poor executive function.
  • Bought in to social studies core curriculum
  • Learning to use the Pfeiffer Assessment for Math, looking at a more visual math program for kids who struggle with Go Math
  • Also using the Pfeiffer Assessment for Reading to help identify where kids are having trouble with reading
  • For the summer will focus more on STEAM and engineering, chancellor has a curriculum that Ms. Rosa has bought into to start in the summer. Want to get more girls involved.

Budget report from the PTA Treasurer

  • Approximately net 30 from the auction. Additional breakdown in slides.
  • Year to date revenue is $151,000
  • Total expenses for the year to date is $121,000
  • Have a profit (operating income) of $30,000, expect some additional expenses and do not have additional profit making events this year
  • Very fiscally healthy!

Request for mini-grants for 2016-2017

  • Requesting from teachers and parents and proposals for expenditures
  • Want current parents/student to benefit from the money they have raised

Request for the Annual Appeal

  • We will send out one addition request.
  • We are doing well with it.
  • Doing better in terms of revenue this year, though participation down a bit.
  • We are at solid levels. Getting towards 40% participation and about 39,000 dollars

Debrief on The Spring Auction, a David Bowie Glam Gala

  • Was a really super fun party!
  • Thanks to all who came.
  • Made around 30,000 dollars net.
  • Got more breadth of donations for the auction. More variety. Did especially well with art.
  • Will try to have the auction in March next year.
  • 140 tickets sold before the event, others sold at the event
  • Meredith and Rai have already volunteered for next year!

Upcoming Events and Initiatives

  • Morning Drop Off Changes Q&A session – May 26th evening
    • Nicole recommended to use this session to give a more general update of plans and goings on for the school in general
  • Staff Appreciation Lunch (day off from school) – June 9th
  • End of year Carnival – Wednesday, June 22nd