January 2023 General PTA Meeting Minutes

PS 372 PTA MEETING

January 18, 2023
Virtual
Attendees:  39

ROSA AMATO, Principal

Welcomes families, thanks parents for coming, especially parents from Adelphi. 

Uptick in Covid cases at Carroll Street. A reminder for families that the school is still recording cases and reporting to the city. Parents should let administrators know when their child tests positive (in addition to/instead of just emailing the teachers). Typically positive child stays home for six days, then wears a mask when returning through Day 10.  School will send home kits – if you need more, they are available. 

Note we’ve had cases of flu, Covid, RSV and other things; please keep sick kids home, teachers can provide work if you would like it. 

Carroll street is approved for video cameras that will be installed over the next six to seven months on weekends.  All NYC schools supposed to have video cameras. 

Lion King performance will be in February at Carroll street. Families from both sites welcome.  Parents as partners at both sites will continue. We’ve tried not to cancel, although some families feel a little bit nervous about being in the building, If you do by all means stay home and and touch base with the teaching staff and see if they can live stream you into those events sometimes. That is difficult, but some of the teachers are able to accommodate.

Lateness at  Carroll continues to be a concern of ours. A reminder if you’re coming late that really does mean that your kiddo is missing out on morning meetings, sometimes related services. It is your responsibility to have your student in the building no later than 8:20 

Children joining the school from a sanctuary shelter on Union Street. 11 children have started in the last couple of days. Admin will reach out about needed supplies  The children only speak Spanish, coming from places such as Ecuador and Venezuela and Chile.

For the first time this year we have given away our very last seat at Adelphi Street so that building is capped out at 74

A new school Instagram account has been started. After talking with some folks and our Pta President we made a separate school account from the PTA in order to post some really positive things happening in our buildings. (@the_childrens_school_brooklyn) We took a huge enrollment hit, as did many schools, after Covid so we are really trying to boost up our enrollment in all grades. if you are happy at the school, please by all means spread the word, because that is how we get new kiddos.

A last bit of sad news from Adelphi street, which suffered a tremendous loss this week.A young teacher, who we were just bringing on and had been with us for about a year and a half, passed away this past weekend. So Adelphi She has been a little bit hard hit, counselors on site all week and we will continue to have counselors through Friday. The funeral is on Thursday.

Yvette Agas-Bautz, Parent Coordinator

Current Pre- K parents, please remember to submit your kindergarten applications. The deadline is Friday, January 20th

If you have a child who is turning 4 this year, and will be entering PreK in September, the PreK applications will open up in late January. Once I get a a concrete date I will email that out to our families who have any children who will be turning 4 this year. 

We do have outdoor recess as much as we can, and some kids are not prepared for the cold weather. So please, even if your child is on the bus to and from school, we ask that they have a warm jacket, gloves and hats, because we do go outside for recess. For the most part, if the days are looking really nice and it’s not below 0, we will be outside for recess so please make sure that your children are dressed appropriately for recess outside.

Please label all your children’s water bottles, lunch boxes, and clothing. 

Kathleen Conner, PTA President 

Pizza Friday:  There is no break between session one and session 2 every Friday there will be pizza session one ends February 3 and session. 2 starts Feb. 10. Forms are due February 3. Volunteer sign up for parents is on Konstella. Please make sure that you’re signed up to volunteer, and please make sure you come for your shift time only; we really want parents to be there the start of the shift, and then please leave afterwards. Please send your kids with water bottles. If you have any questions about your payment or adding a slice: pizza@ps372pta.org

We are not having Arts and Science Day, which we haven’t had for the past 3 years, and we’re not having it again this year, as we try to bring back some events, we’re just not able to bring back all of them.

One more School Spirit Day on Monday, January 30th so please encourage your kids to wear gear, whether it’s their new winter hat, field day T-shirts, or just school colors. New sweatshirts have not been ordered yet. 

Big fundraising event coming in February:The readathon

Raquel Cunha, PTA Vice President

Readathon lasts the whole month of February.  School community event and fundraiser.  Prizes are based on participation, NOT money raised.   Younger students can take part by logging the number of minutes they are read to.  

Detailed information about how to log and register online at inclusions.org will go home before Feb. 1.  

It will work the same as last year: Parents make an account and add their children. Each child gets a dashboard where minutes are logged and they can send automated sponsor emails asking for support.  Funds go to the PTA, with 10% going to libraries at both sites. And classes eligible for prizes based on participationa and children entered into drawings based on their minutes read. 

Kathleen Conner: 

Brad Eichmann deserves a huge round of applause every single day for the entire month of February, because without him we would not be able to run it so smoothly and successfully. The website is a huge undertaking, and he has really done it superbly.

Another Bike to School Day will be on Feb. 8 Thank you to everyone, including Emily Stutts, who rode in January. We’re going to continue to have those into the spring, too.  .

And back by popular demand coming up on Saturday, February 11th is the Valentine’s Day dance. It cannot happen without volunteers. So if you’re planning to come and you’d be able to volunteer, please sign up on Konstella for a shift, The Valentine’s Day dance is a family event for preK-5th families, it is NOT a drop off event. 

The 5th grade is working very hard on their musical this year, which is Lion King, The children will see it during the day at school, and then there will be 2 evening performances, the 15thh, which is a Wednesday and the 16th, which is a Thursday, at Carroll Street for parents. Those will start at 7 and the show runs about 30 min. Tickets will go on sale closer to the event. 

The February PTA meeting is going to be Tuesday, February 7, at 6:45.

Callie Seigal

The auction and party this year is going to be on June 2nd. But we’re starting to work on it starting next week.  Great way to meet other parents and help the school so please join the committee. There will be a mini online camps auction around March 6 so we can sell camps that can be used this summer.  Email auction@ps372pta.org to get involved. 

Sarah Graham

Virtual BookFair: Starting Monday if you buy books from the Community bookstore, which has 2 locations conveniently, one close to Caroll Street, and one close to Adelphi. through their website, andput in our code they will tally how many books we bought from Jan 23 to the end of February and then they will donate 20% of that amount back to us.  Details will be sent out next week. 

Kathleen Conner:

We had a new record this year, 30 or 30 raised $33,370 in 36 days. 

Pizza Friday has raised $25,000, and climbing so thank you to everyone who is supporting Pizza Friday.  We can sponsor kids who need it as well.

Small fundraisers, gear, amazon, etc. 

Stephanie Devito and Jacqueline the Rosa are phenomenal running pizza Friday. Stephanie de Vito is a fifth grade parent so we’re going to need someone to help run pizza Friday next year 

Thank you so much to the Adelphi site parents for being on the call tonight, as Miss Rosa said, and also they put a lot of work into becoming a community partner with Chick Fil A, and they have a wonderful lunch coming to them this Friday and 8 volunteer parents who are going to help run that.  

Next meeting is Feb. 7 at 6:45.   Have a great night.