Pasadena PTA Meeting
May 2, 2017
Welcome and Thank You by Marisa Mitnick & Leslie Heichman
Welcome to our May PTA meeting for the 2016-2017 school year. Please make sure that you review our minutes from our last meeting in March and sign the attendance circulating during the meeting. All class parents must check in with Tracy Miniman at the end of the meeting. If you have any questions relating to school operations procedures or policies other than those sponsored by the PTA, kindly address them to Mrs. Heitner after her report.
Approval of April PTA Minutes
1st Motion –Michael Rosenstein
2nd Motion – Leslie Heichman
Budget Presentation by Rich Cunningham and Dr. Lorna Lewis
Budget vote will be on May 16, 2017 from 6am – 9pm. There are two board seats up this year – Ginger Lieberman and Debbie Bernstein. This year’s budget will focus on enhanced academic, social, and emotional opportunities. We hope to expand technologyin K-12. There are some Capital fund projects planned for the upcoming school year in all schools throughout the district. We also hope to enhance the safety and security measures in all schools. Our budget increase is 1.98% and our tax levy increase is 0.86% which is one of the lowest district increases.
Vote to support budget
1st motion – Sharon Levine
2nd motion – Leslie Heichman
All unanimously in favor
Membership Report by Heather McDonough – status quo
Treasurers Report by Lori Borenstein - $46,000 in account as of end of April
Principals Report by Mrs. Heitner
Field Day is coming up on May 18th for grades K-4. T-shirts and water will be provided by the PTA. Our Spring Concert is May 15th. Our third graders will present a recorder concert for parents at 2:15. Fourth grade will perform in the evening. Math assessments begin to take place today, may 2nd. Work is continuing our new extension and coming along nicely. We are beginning to prepare our fourth graders for transition to middle school. In April, there will be transition meetings between teachers. On May 10th, there will be a meet and greet at POB<S for students and parents as well as an incoming transition meeting. On May 22nd in the library fourth grade will meet principal and assistant principal from POBMS. On June 9th fourth graders will go to POBMS with Stratford for an assembly and a tour of the school. On June 14th, student ambassadors from the middle school will come to the fourth-grade classrooms.
Presidents Report by Marisa Mitnick and Leslie Heichman
There are class size concerns about next year’s 1st grade (average 23-max 24) and 4th grade (average 24.5 – max 28). E-STEAM program is expanding to third grade. Brochure and info to follow. Kindergarten entry date has been discussed as we are one of only 4 districts that uses 12/31. It gives parents more power to hold their child back or push them forward. It was looked at to move date to 12/1 and it will not be happening for severalreasons. There will be elementary clubs starting for fourth graders next year – one in each building. Exact nature of club and meeting dates TBD. We will be doing Field Day all together – part of the reason why K is in the building is to be include – other schools have it split but we will not be splitting it. Lunch will be on a delayed opening schedule.
Teachers Report by Mrs. Hacker
Mrs. Hacker discussed what each grade level is working on in all academic areas.
Fundraiser/PTA Event Reminders/Updates and Recaps
Mixed Bag Designs – we took in $1,200
School Supplies – We received 58 paper orders and 110 on line orders. We made $180 in paper orders. Boxes will be distributed at June PTA meeting and will have other dates to pick up as well.
Ducks Game – last call Friday May 5th
Parents Night Out – 98 people attending – May 5th
Little doctors – blood drive taking place on May 9th at POBMS
Plant Sale – May 11th and May 12th
Field Day – May 18th
Family Night Picnic – June 2nd 6pm orrain date June 9th. It will be a Hawaiian theme.
4th grade party – June 8th 6-9pm at The Holiday Inn in Plainview
Relay for Life – Friday May 5th please wear purple in support
Yearbook – submitted and currently looking for pictures for the slideshow
Pretzel Sale – ongoing; 2 more left for the year.
Spirit Wear – ongoing
Birthday Box – 10 requests since last meeting
Committee Reports
Community/School Service – Dunk Your Kicks is our next school service project – we will be collecting used sneakers.
Cultural Arts – May 16th Harlem Wizards will be visiting K-4. On 6/15 4th grade will see the unique game show.
Curriculum–Contingent on the budget we are looking to bring in a guidance counselor to be split between the 4 elementary buildings. Counselor will help with parent communication, a monthly parent chat around different topics, support for teachers, school wide initiative, and building college and career readiness. Also, contingent on the budget, the board is looking to hire a full time social worker as we only have part time now. If the budget passes, we are looking to bring more of a variety of books into the classrooms as well as updating benchmarking material and replenishing math resources. There will be a STEAM night in the elementary schools at the beginning of the school year. PTA will be asked to set up a committee and choose a chair. This will be interactive between parent and child. The school will supply prepackaged kits and high school kids will be there to assist. This year there has been a world language revision. We are focusing more on communication. Classroom time is spent on communicative activities such as partner activities. It is also more language focused with the inclusion of songs and music. Our Chinese language program is continuing to grow in the middle schools. Our next meeting is May 24th.
Health – 4th grade students will be receiving lessons on puberty
POBMS – 8th graders went to Boston
New Business – Slate for the 2017 -2018 PTA Executive Board
Co-President: Marisa Mitnick, Alison Carey
First Vice President: Daniella Blackman
VP Cultural Arts: Gena Tesoriero
VP Communications: Tracy Miniman
VP Finance: Sharon Sakhichand
VP Membership: Kim Berkowitz
VP Fundraising: Jaime Vine
VP Programming: Lori Bornstein
VP Community/School Service: Sharon Levine
Treasurer: Michael Rosenstein
Recording Secretary: Danielle Schwartzberg
Corresponding Secretary: Steve Lindenfeld
Past President: Leslie Heichman
Approval
1st motion – Michelle Melville
2nd Motion – Liz Goldklang
Announcements
We hope to see everyone at our Pasadena family picnic on Friday, June 2nd at 6: 00. Our last PTA meeting is Wednesday, June 14th at 9:30am. PTA Council meeting is Tuesday, My 23rd at 7:30pm.
Adjournment
1st motion – Michelle Melville
2nd motion – Liz Goldklang