Forest Avenue Home & School

September Meeting Minutes – 09/10/14

FAS Multipurpose Room

Officers in Attendance: Duval Graham, Pam Linden, Tara Arnett, Cheryl Bendel, Jenn Loeb and Alexandra Spritzer

Principal: Matthew Murphy

Board of Ed: Paul Romano

Teachers: Mrs. Russoniello, Mrs. Bendin, and Mrs. Reilly (school nurse)

H & S meeting started at 7:23pm

Principal’s Report

Staff members are here (Mrs. Russoniello, Mrs. Bendin, and Mrs. Reilly) if they can answer any questions for you let us know.

  • Opening week went well.
  • Very hot. Busy week next week. Book fair, books being dropped on Monday.
  • BTS night will be different this year. We will start downstairs in the gym.
  • Book Fair will take place in the MPR. September 18.
  • Drop off zone: went poorly, but found a strategy if I stand in the street it works.
  • Made flyers to leave on windshields if parents are parking in drop off zone. Thanks to the police help as well.
  • Lock down drills: first drill today. Police assist.
  • Children start to wonder why the police are here. Sometimes the children might have questions or strong feelings, wanted to reinforce if any issues arise.
  • Building security: asking more strictly for parents to show IDs, not just parents, any visitor if asked at the door.
  • Not allowed into the building if we don’t have clear explanation of what you are doing.
  • Mascot: serious discussions. There is action, trying to find a way to release the information
  • Playground update: in a state of transition.
  • The basketball court has started installation. Waiting for the oils to settle before they can paint the lines. Basketball hoops are on order.
  • Repairs will be made to the smaller playground including a new swing to replace the missing swing.
  • Technology: With the new PARCC testing, there is discussion about technology infusion into the curriculum. If you have any questions about Common Core feel free to ask
  • Our wireless installation is almost complete. We will see an increase in bandwidth starting tomorrow.
  • We have a new laptop cart thanks to H&S. Currently working with H&S to supplement skill development for testing via PARCC
  • HIB (Harassment Intimidation Bullying) The state issues a number of requirements to reduce bullying in schools. We implement practices to heighten our scores.
  • Mrs. Chiapperini is our anti-bullying specialist and runs a committee on how to make kids safe and comfortable
  • Character Education – currently under review by an active committee, may be altered a bit
  • Young Learners – internal enrichment for gifted and talented. Letters will be released next week
  • Enrichment Assemblies and Discovery Series – most developed programs I’ve seen
  • Very excited about collaborations with the H&S

BOE Report (Paul Romano)

H&S members have done tremendous work working long, hard hours. For the benefit of the new parents, I am the parent of one child, am an architect by trade and an educator. I am your representative on the board and hope you will bring any concerns about the board or the school to me. I encourage more attendance at the Board of Education meetings. The BOE recruits the best administrators and teachers; what makes us uniquely special is our parent involvement. There are tremendous skills and knowledge in the community – if we engage them, we will be an even better district.

Vision 2020 – Dr. Mucciolo’s initiative to develop a comprehensive strategic plan over the next 6 years to realign PARCC and STEM. He has engaged outside consultants on how to develop mathematics from places such as NASA and Columbia University to prepare your children for job opportunities of the future.

Two initiatives led by Paul: Facilities – we are well aware of capacity issues. The initiative was derailed by security issues. The community has supported a tax increase to support this and we will study how to make the best use of existing space. Technology – working to integrate technology into the curriculum seamlessly.

Faculty Report

(Mrs. Bendin) Welcome back to FAS. We are here to answer your questions and BTS night will be a good time to answer a lot of your questions. We feel it is important to always keep lines of communication open. We love H&S for all they do.

(Mrs. Reilly) My door is always open. You can always email me, but please call in case of an emergency or come in and see me if you have any concerns about your child.

(Mrs. Russoniello) – It’s great to see so many new Pre-K parents here.

President’s Report(Duval Graham)

  • New Projects: Spirit Wear and new Mascot for FAS
  • We would like to create a line of Spirit Wear to raise funds for FASHA. The items we would like to sell are still TBD.
  • We are looking for volunteers to sign up and join this committee.
  • Looking for volunteers familiar with sourcing merchandise and a graphic designer or anyone who is interested.
  • Social/Welcome Committee
  • We are looking to start a committee of socially minded folk to organize welcoming new families to FAS throughout the year as well as to come up with fun, social events for our community, not necessarily fund-raisers.

Committee updates and current openings:

Thank you to our class parent volunteers.

  • Enrichment – we have a whole calendar of programs, the first of which is a workshop with Yoga Montclair on 9/29. All children will participate.
  • Box Tops – A program run by General Mills. Start clipping and save your Box Tops. Collection dates to be announced
  • Where we need help:
  • Mum Sale – a fundraiser FASHA does with Brookside Garden Center. It is very turn-key, but we need a volunteer to spearhead otherwise we will not do it this year
  • Festival of Jack O’ Lanterns – one of the favorite events of the year. Looking for volunteers who are creative, fun and into Halloween. Last year we had 120 pumpkins
  • SCRIP Liaison - $60K was raised district wide last year. This service provides families with prepaid shopping cards to various retailers. Looking for a replacement for Cheryl Bendel from last year
  • Publicity – liaison to post photos/caption to various local newspapers and media outlets for coverage on what’s happening at FAS
  • Food Days Coordinator – Nicole Quinn is looking for assistance. This is FAS biggest fundraiser – it runs on volunteers. This person would coordinate all those volunteers and monitors where/when the program needs help to deliver lunches in during school

Treasurer’s Report (Cheryl Bendel and Jenn Loeb)

  • Current Balance is $16,577. 76.
  • Adjusting for reserves, we are $6k in the red due to last minute purchases such as the laptop cart and a donation to RAS Science Lab renovation
  • The good news is we don’t owe any money and revenue will be coming in shortly from Food Days and our Discovery Series programs.
  • This year the Treasurer position will be split between Cheryl Bendel and Jenn Loeb.
  • A check requisition form can be found online on the webpage. Select Forest Avenue School/Home and School/Meetings/Treasurer Forms.

Discovery Series (Pam Linden)

  • We have brochures in the back of the room listing the 20 class offerings for the Fall Series. There are lots of new classes and registration ends next Tuesday and programs start on 9/22.
  • Proposing new Keyboarding Class for all 2nd graders free of charge with funding from H&S.
  • With the State moving from NJASK to PARCC, from pencil and paper testing to computerized testing, we are hoping to better prepare our 2nd graders.
  • Parents still have to register for the 6 session class. The amount requested is $3,900

Q. Can a child take the class 2x?

A. No. One session per child. Will offer the class for all 3 Discovery sessions, but we need to have the enrollment to ensure we can run the class through the entire year

Q. Are the funds to support the keyboarding class coming out of the earmarked special enrichment dollars?

A. Yes. (Principal Murphy) I brought the idea up to the staff and we are in full support of this idea. All agree it would benefit the students as they move into 3rd grade. Our philosophy is to attack what’s coming at us and keyboarding is an essential piece to our students’ success.

Q. Can it be incorporated into the school day?

A. It would be difficult. There are space concerns and difficult to fit into the current curriculum

Q. How do you extend the keyboarding skills beyond the class?

A. The program is web-based, so it can be extended into the home

(Principal Murphy) The more opportunities to learn keyboarding, the better. There is some typing in the actual curriculum, but the focus is more on infusion of technology. This would offer more direct assistance which would make the students more equipped to present learnings using technology. The keyboarding course offers a great extra tool we would be giving to our kids.

Q. Can you offer all 2nd graders the class in the fall so they all are getting the same start?

Q. Can you focus on Winter and Spring courses to give more advanced notice?

A. In order to do that the class size would need to increase to 24 vs. 12-15 if we spread it out over the 3 sessions. We are hoping for an 80% response rate, fall could be the lowest enrollment and we can still reach all of our 2nd graders

An alternative is that we offer the class at a fee, like our other Discovery Series courses, if we do not approve the funding from H&S.

Q. Can we split the cost? ½ from parents, ½ from H&S?

A. It is possible.

Q. My daughter is in Aftercare. Can she still take the class?

A. Yes, they will take the kids in Aftercare to the Discovery classes and then back again.

(Nicole Quinn) I just want to remind everyone that our job (of H&S) is to listen to what our teachers are asking for.

Q. If there are any open spots in the Fall offering, can we open it up to 1st graders?

A. Yes

Vote: Request is for $3,900 for the 3 sessions (Fall, Winter, and Spring)

Anne Brown makes motion to approve; Alex Spritzer 2nds the motion. All in favor? Yes

Book Fair(Nancy Di Cicco)

  • Class moms will email for help during the class shopping times. Please volunteer.
  • Book fair starts next week (week of 9/15) and will be open during BTS night in the hopes of a better parent turnout and more sales.

Food Days (Nicole Quinn)

  • Sixth year managing Food Days. Starts 9/22. The ordering system is up and running.
  • We try to offer fresh food from local restaurants 3 days/week. Alternating schedule of choices: Mon. Deli/Quesadilla day; Wed. pizza/chicken strips day; Fri. penne pasta/mac+cheese/Asian noodle day (catered by Naunas).Orders are due next Monday. This is a fundraiser and a service. Please bear with us as we work out orders at the beginning of each session.
  • We are conscious of allergy issues. Kindergarten eats in their classrooms.
  • Looking for a coordinator to help organize the volunteer schedule. It is a computer based job requiring 2-3 hours per week using Volunteer Spot. May be able to add a 4th day if she gets more help from parents. There are 3 sessions (Fall, Winter, and Spring – much like Discovery Series).

Approve June Meeting Minutes

Nancy Di Cicco makes a motion; Julia Javier seconds; all in favor: yes

Anne Brown requests meeting minutes be sent out a bit earlier than the day before the next meeting.

(Mrs. Russoniello) There is a bench in front of the school that has plaques in honor of the school crossing guard and his wife. The plaques are worn. The guard passed this August. Is there any way to clean up or replace them? In his obituary it said his job was the “joy of his life”.

Meeting adjourned at 8:24pm

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