January P.T.A. Meeting Minutes

The P.T.A. held its regular meeting on Jan. 9th in the cafeteria.

Welcome – Jessica & Merideth – PTA Co-Presidents

Review/Recent Events – Jessica & Merideth

Nets Game in December was a fun school outing.
- Thanks to Joe Peng for all his help
- Also thanks to Ian and Liza for coordinating all the details for the P.T.A.

Principal’s Update – Ms. Rosa A.

Report on the Soil Testing
- Based on samples taken in June when trench was dug across the Big Yard for the PA system project.
- All soil has since been recovered with asphalt, as planned.
- No soil is exposed, so there is no current danger.
- Report will be taken into account whenever new construction is planned to handle the high metal levels appropriately.
New counselor has been hired – Jennifer – returning us to full staffing levels
- Banana Splits and Social Groups will be restarting soon
Evacuation
- We have been looking into ways that we can contact parents in case of an emergency, like the evacuation.
- We are not permitted by the city to contact parents as the situation is developing, must wait for official communication from city coordinator
  - Because early information without detail or incorrect detail isn’t helpful
- Looking into additional system that could send text messages to parents who are not on email.
Filling General Education seats in upper grades
- We are so well known for Special Education students, that we can be overlooked for General Education students. Working with District on this.

Parent Coordinator Announcements – Yvette

PreK transitioning to Kindergarten – Parents need to sign up on D.O.E. site by Mon. 1/14
If there are siblings of current students who will be starting in PreK or K next Fall, please make sure you let us know by completing the Sibling Application, check our office.
Lost and Found – last call before the large pile of clothing, boots and lunch gear gets donated to a local charity. Please come check for any items your family may be missing.

Technology Program – Mr. Doug

Money for Tech – three sources help fund the technology we use in school
- School Budget – very variable
- Reso A – Capital Grants from City Council/Borough President
- P.T.A. sets aside money each year that gets saved up for major purchase every three to four years.
- P.T.A. funds needed for ChromeBooks and iPads, can’t use city money for them.
Each Classroom has basic setup
- Two desktops
- One laptop
- Smartboard – multimedia increases engagement
- Two to four iPads
  - Classroom camera/video
  - Intervention programs: Lexia, Fast Math, etc.
Problems With Tech
- Engagement vs. Distractions
- Another layer of Cognitive Effort
- More screens means less tactile, hands-on
- Burden of Typing
Intro to internet/email
- - Filters
  - Supervision in Class
  - Supervision of Writing/Email
  - Idea is to make mistakes in a controlled, protected environment with email/internet before getting exposed to entire internet.
- Lower Grade – Focus on Engagement and Intervention
  - Photos & videos
  - Presentations
- Upper Grades
  - 3rd Grade – cart of Chromebooks shared by all three classes
  - 4th & 5th Grades – each kid has own ChromeBook
  - Technology pushes into Social Studies
  - Not focus on coding, but on aiding curriculum
If you primarily use iPads at home, best to download Google apps: Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc. rather than using web version.
No homework assigned, but can continue work on project at home

Street Safety – Transportation Alternatives – Families for Safe Streets

Worked hard to get city speed limit lowered – successful 2 year fight
Statistics about motor vehicle crash dangers to pedestrians and bicyclists
Driver error is cause of 90 percent of crashes
- Speeding
- Failure to Yield
Vision Zero – data driven approach to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2024
3 ways to make streets safer – 3 E’s
- Engineering
- Education
- Enforcement
Speed Safety Cameras in School Zones
- Program reimplemented recently
- $50 ticket, but no points on Driver’s License

Foley Firs – Mr. Foley

Treasurer’s Report – Shashin

Revenue Sources
- $24K donated to Annual Appeal so far
- $35K from Pizza Friday
  - Session 1 ends Feb 1st, second session starts soon, watch for forms
  - Some people have already signed up for full year

Arts & Science Day – Peter Kerlin & Liza Gouger

Scheduled for January 26th from noon – 4pm — free admission
Soliciting ideas for table projects – some returning, but room for new ideas!
- Currently ideas include: Slime, Paper Airplanes, Brush Calligraphy, Printmaking, Open Mic Performers
We need volunteers to assist at tables, as well as setup and cleanup
Great way to get to know other kids and families
Older teens/alums make great volunteers (some High Schools require volunteer hours)
Food sales by Undoing Racism Committee

Book Swap/Movie Night – Kathleen Connor & Katy Crile

Valentine’s Day Dance – Michelle Dobson & Scotte Hardin

Attendees: 26 signed in