2.Motion to Approve Minutes from June 2013 PTA Meeting
PTA Minutes
September 17, 2013
PS 32 Auditorium
Attendance: 82
1.Call To Order
Matt Johnson, Sergeant at Arms
2.Motion to Approve Minutes from June 2013 PTA Meeting
Matt Johnson made a motion to approve the minutes from June 11, 2013 PTA meeting.
Motion was seconded, motion carried and minutes were approved by PTA membership.
3.PTA President’s Welcome - Rosemary Gomez
PTA President Rosemary Gomez introduced herself and the new PTA exec board: Camille Casaretti (Vice President), Julie Veto (Treasurer) and David Caplan (Secretary).
4.PTA Treasurer’s Report - Julie Veto
The approved PTA budget from last year was circulated to the membership for review.
Our current bank balance is $40, 660. If any members would like to request PTA funding, our current budget can be amended.
i.Approved Expenditures Since Last PTA Meeting
PTA wrote check for $17, 275 that we wrote to NY Historical Society for an enrichment program.
ii.Requests for Approval of Expenditures Since Last PTA meeting (June 11, 2013):
a.$182 for Carroll Park concert and bake sale
Motion carried
b.$400 for IRS filing fee
Motion carried
c.$700 to add Apple TV and extend wi-fi to the portables
Exec board approved $200 expenditure in June.
Requesting approval of an additional $500.
Motion carried
d.$2000 for replacement tents for school events
(Originally slated for $1100, Camille Casaretti suggested to raise the amount $2000)
Motion carried
e.$2000 to hire an accountant to do the school’s taxes
There was some discussion of the motion.
PTA Vice-President Camille Casaretti informed the membership that we have lost our tax exempt status and that we should be reinstated within the next 90 days. However, this will not be a retroactive reinstatement and for those previous years where we did not have tax exempt status, we will need to file as a corporation. We will need to pay back taxes, filing fees, etc. As of June 2013 Vice President Camille Casaretti has been conducting an internal audit of the PTA records that date back to 2007. This information is being compiled in order to make a plea to the IRS for retroactive reinstatement. Any help in preparing this package will be appreciated.
The discussion of the motion was tabled. Motion was voted on and carried.
Treasurer Julie Veto is looking for parents to help with the audit committee and parents with tax backgrounds who may be able to help out with the school’s taxes.
5. Principal Deborah Florio’s Welcome Message
Ms. Florio welcomed the new PTA executive board: Rosemary Gomez, Camille Casaretti, Julie Veto, David Caplan. Ms. Florio also gave special recognition to Sean Marquet for his work with PS 32 Library Technology and Systems Administration.
Ms. Florio addressed the issue of Title 1 Funding for PS 32. This year PS 32 received $184,000 in Title 1 funding, however the next school year we will be losing our Title 1 Funding. The school is currently at 57% of students receiving free lunches, and 60% is the cutoff for Title 1. We received our funding this year, because we were grandfathered in.
What does Title 1 Fund at PS 32?
Arts Connection: $18,000/year
AIS Intervention, Saturday School: $45,000/year
Professional Development for Teachers: $30,000/year
Supplies for Art Program, Music, Library, Science: $25,000/year
We need to start thinking about ways we can raise money to continue our enrichment programs at PS 32. Ms. Florio does not want to cut the arts programs, but stressed the fact that it is important for all students to be at grade level academically.
Our partnership with the NY Historical Society starts in October thanks to PTA Funding ($17,000/year).
In October we will be offering after school enrichment programs through the PTA. Imma Giocoli is the head of the after school enrichment programs.
6.Assistant Principal, Erica Steinberg
PS 32 After School Programs
We plan to offer the following after school programs:
Music Programs: 2 Days a week w/ Mr. Noel
Lego Programs: 2 Days a week
Art Programs: 2 Days a week w/ Mr. Dave
Arts Connection: Possibly will have after school program.
Throughout the school year, Arts Connection will be offering the following programs to students:
PreK – 2: will be having dramatic theater with JoJo
Grades 3-5: Musical Theater w/ Robbie and Nicole
7.Business Manager, Francine Coumo
Ms. Coumo advised parents to please send in their school lunch forms. As of October 1, reduced lunch is free, non-reduced lunch costs $1.75. You will get billed depending on how much your child eats lunch.
8.SLT Committee - Bess Hauser
The SLT Committee meets once a month on Tuesdays from 5-6PM, on the same day as the PTA meetings. Three positions are currently open and elections for open positions will take place at the next PTA meeting, on October 8. If you are interested, please talk to Bess.
9.Old Business - Camille Casaretti
The PTA Run/Walk in May 2013 raised $600
The Carroll Park Concert in June 2013 raised $670
Mayoral Primary Election Day Bake Sale raised $780
10.New Business - Rosemary Gomez
i.Expedited elections for co-positions will be held at the next PTA meeting (Oct 8).
We will be electing co-president, co-vice president, co-treasurer, and co-secretary.
Parent Francisca Andino explained the duties of the nominating committee. A call for volunteers was made to be on the nominating committee. Larissa Bailiff, Francisca Andino, Claire McCormack, Edna Lugo, Cindy Switzer volunteered to be on the committee.
ii.Box Tops Contest: Sept 23 - Dec 6
If you are collecting Box Tops, you can bring them in at any time of year, not just during contests.
iii.Communications Committee
The Communications Committee was introduced. The current issue of PS 32 Bulletin is available online at ps32.org/bulletin, an email will also be sent out. The deadline for submissions to the next issue of the bulletin is Oct 1.
11.Committees
i.Membership - Christine Harper
We are currently having a PTA membership drive where we are asking parents to make a donation to the PTA. We are looking for 100% participation per class. It costs around $150 per student to run the PTA, that is the suggested donation the PTA is looking for. You’ll see a form in backpacks next week, please give what you can. The PTA is also looking for people to volunteer their time.
ii.Fundraising Committee - Jackie Johnson
The fundraising committee is looking for volunteers.
Our ongoing fundraisers are: Oliver’s Labels, Target REDCard, Give With Target, Amazon, and Mini Max Gives Back.
We have two fundraisers coming up: A disco party at Carroll Park on Sunday, September 22 and our Annual Garden Party Celebration on October 19.
For the Garden Party, we need volunteers to bring food, raffle items and man tables (crafts, activities, food, face painting).
iii.Class Parents - Naidre Miller
Class Parent Program: Every class has a parent or two that will help communicate with the teachers by maintaining a contact list for the class. If you’re interested in being a class parent, there will be a form in backpacks and there will also be information at the curriculum meetings.
Adam Marcus is also looking for library volunteers. If you’d like to volunteer, you can email .
iv.Garden Committee - Bess Hauser
Parent Bess Hauser thanked the volunteers who helped water the garden over the summer. Unfortunately, we have lost members due to attrition and we need more volunteers. We have more requests for classroom participation in the garden this year than ever before. The garden committee plans to spend this year getting things organized and creating a year long calendar documenting class involvement, so we can have some institutional knowledge for the future. Parents were encouraged to volunteer for any class that may need help, not just your own child’s class.
v.Wellness Committee - Rachel Kline Brown
The Wellness Committee needs volunteers to help promote the wellness of all the kids in the school and the staff. Some of the initiatives of the Wellness Committee included a Parent Survey to help adjust the menu in the cafeteria (we added water to the cafeteria, removed chocolate milk every day, got water in the portables).
The Wellness Committee has a lot of ideas that they would like to implement:
- Monday Mile for parents after dropoff, hope to expand to students
- Serving healthier meals at PTA meetings
- Collaborated with garden committee where kids got to try food from the garden.
- Fall Garden Cafe Day is Oct 23, they will need 10 volunteers
- Cooking classes for parents
“Food Fight” is an organization which does professional development for teachers
vi.Adam Marcus - Library
The library needs volunteers to make up for the retirement of Adam’s assistant.
October 18 is library 101 for parents.
There was a 300% increase in summer reading program (from 11 to 33 students).
The library has early hours on mon, tue and wed and could use volunteers in the mornings. Adam can’t stay late and would like volunteers so we can have late library hours.
vii.David Caplan/Sean Marquet - Tech Committee
Website - David Caplan
System Admin and Infrastructure - Sean Marquet
Please sign up for the mailing list on the website.
Please use the banners and short URLs on the website to contribute to our ongoing fundraisers.
viii.Adrian Straker - Guidance Counselor Report
Attendance is key to success at school. There has been a change in policy, and late slips must now be obtained from the main office. Coming in late on the bus is not counted as late. Children won’t be let in the building before 8:25.
Late passes will be issued at 8:35. The school is now keeping a lateness log in the main office. Please try not to pick up your child early or late. Make sure you call the office, if you know you’re going to be late.
If you have a travel circumstance, please let Ms. Straker know. If you have a doctor’s note, please give it to the school, but we don’t need to know what the illness is.
If your child has medical accommodations based on a 504, please let us know. If your child is in need of medical or non-medical accommodations, see Ms. Straker.
Within the next two weeks, PS 32 will address the issue of the drop in test scores.
You can look on ARIS to see the school’s test scores. ARIS user id and password are available through the parent coordinator.
ix.Parent Coordinator Report - Adrian Straker for Angela Bowie
The Parent Walking Club (Monday Mile) has spots available
There are no more spots left for Energy Workshop
Nutrition Workshops begin on October 2, 20 spots left
October 16 is Hispanic Heritage Night with Community Potluck
x.Anthony Rowe - Good Shepherd Services
Good Shepherd plans on the doing the following activities this year:
- Breast Cancer Walk in Prospect Park - 4th year doing it
They will be making their own t-shirts using iron-ons
- Parent Peace Committee - Funding has been reinstated for this. This is a chance for parents to voice their opinions in a formal setting.
- Track Club on Fridays - Basic Calisthenics, laps around the track
- DYDCD Soccer Program with Anthony James - After school soccer group, which hopefully could be turned into a team. They will be teaching basic soccer fundamentals, juggling, dribbling, goal shooting.
- Basketball Team in collaboration with PS 32.
- Language Program - Spanish classes with k-2 grades.
- Oyster Project in collaboration with Harbor School on Governors Island
They will be planting Oysters on Gowanus Canal and doing underwater exploration to see if their oysters spread.
The application process has started for GSS. You can feel free not to fill out questions that are too intrusive, make sure you include your child’s grade.
Staffing – There has been a large staff turnaround. This year’s staff is much more mature and developed.
They have hired an education specialist to help with Common Core State Standards in the after school program. There will be 10-15 minutes of independent learning and lesson plan geared to Common Core State Standards.
GSS has applied for and received a hot food permit. This is the first year that GSS will have hot food.
2013 – 2014 PTA Executive Board:
President – Rosemary Gomez
Vice President – Camille Casaretti
Secretary – Dave Caplan
Treasurer – Julie Veto
Contact us at with any questions or suggestions that you may have.