October 2022 General PTA Meeting Minutes

The meeting was held virtually on Oct. 19, 2022. A recording is available on Konstella.

PS 372 PTA MEETING

October 19, 2022

Virtual
Attendees: 41

KATHLEEN CONNER, PTA President

Opens meeting, gives floor to Ms. Rosa, who has child’s track meet and must leave early

ROSA AMATO, Principal

Thanks parents for joining meeting, Responsive Classroom, reading partners. First Friday of every month will be Parents as Partners—check Konstella. 

Phones have been a real problem this school year, so Rosa, Christine, and Yvette have posted Google numbers to reach them (https://inclusions.org/additional-phone-contact-numbers/). 

Follow us on Twitter! 

@PrincipalRosa1 @ps372pta Instagram, too.

Please participate in office hours—2:30-3:00pm every Monday 

Attendance concerns: not so much absences but lateness is a real problem. Rosa encourages everyone to be on time every day, as lateness creates a domino effect of problems—admin having to walk kids to class, kids missing class, etc.

YVETTE AGAS-BAUTZ, Parent Coordinator

Morning arrivals: 8:10 please be on time, 8:20 is hard lockdown and you have to wait outside, check in, get late pass, etc. (Late busses do not count as late students!) 

Middle school news: MySchools activation codes will be mailed out next week and will come from the enrollment office. If by next week you do not see it, let Yvette know and the school will be able to get activation codes. 

-Yvette & Co. will be hosting a guidance course for applying, please check your mail about it

-Please be patient with the process, and please complete the survey.

Picture Day: October 24 at Carroll Street; November 3 at Adelphi

-We will be able to have group class pictures again this year! 

-December 16 is makeup day for absent kids only

Character Day is Friday, October 28. Characters should be from books. It is not a Halloween celebration. Please do not bring any weapons with the costumes.

KATHLEEN CONNER

Reads chat Q from Candida Aguilar-Salim: 

Have budget cuts affected the school? Are any more expected to occur after enrollment numbers? 

Rosa answers: We have not been cut on the District 75 side, and we do expect funding for afterschool. Typically in November or December, DOE begins to release some funds, particularly for the arts. In short, yes & no.

Votes in Cherise Gibbs as Parent rep from Adelphi site. 

-The YEAS have it! Thank you, Cherise!

Turns to Stephanie Shaw re Playground.

STEPHANIE SHAW

Describes Participatory Budgeting process and how we have been awarded some funds in the past but been trapped in COVID/bureaucratic issues in the past. There is hope, though: a $1.5 million pot of discretionary funds and we would like some of it! 

We have put forward a proposal for the Big Yard (repaving, climbing wall, with a climate-resilience focus). We need parents who live in District 39 (https://council.nyc.gov/district-39/) to join citizen-assembly, members of the school community, to help advocate for the proposal. (Shaw is not personally not a resident.) 

Email: info@ps372pta.org

Link to PB proposal: http://ideas.pbnyc.org/place/654486

KATHLEEN CONNER

Pizza Fridays are back! And have been a huge success. If your kid would like an additional slice, please either pay, or explain to your child that you have only given permission for one slice. Signup is on Konstella for parents who want to help out. 

Lice Day: 10/21 at ICT site (Thanks, Michelle!) 

Next Movie Night: 10/28, Hocus Pocus, 6:15pm

Chairs or blankets are welcome; running around, however, is not! 

Bike to School: 11/9

-Adding new route

-Committee is growing

-scooters & walking count! 

Roots & Community: 11/19, 5:30-8pm, in the gym

MELISSA MELKUMOV, Roots & Community co-chair

This entails people volunteering to host a table that represents their culture—could mean food, history, heritage. It’s an opportunity to come together and learn about one another’s cultures.

-Special request for musicians and/or dancers in particular.  

-This year means the return of the food component: people can have food, including non-hosts who simply want to bring in something to eat.


Mr. Frank and Melissa are the go-tos for questions and sign-ups. 

Adult attendees will need to show proof of vaccination

KATHLEEN CONNER

Next month begins fundraising

-Some companies have November as contribution deadlines, so please double-check if your employer has a cutoff and can match or donate

-Some companies require a form to be approved for matching gift; parent Callie Siegel can help you get one. 

Amazon Smile, Goodsearch, Shutterfly: all of these are e-commerce outlets that give back to the school if you register. Please register for Amazon Smile especially—put PS 372 for your charity. Shutterfly has code (use for holiday cards, for example!). We will send out a code for Farm to People soon as well (https://farmtopeople.com/) All programs listed here: https://inclusions.org/shopping-for-372/

Gives thank-you to the many committee chairs helping this year

Gear! Buy it! Love it! 

Next meeting: NOVEMBER 16.