Chesnut Parent Teacher Council Minutes
August 20th, 2014 Called to order 7:05pm
(prepared by Lee Ann Brunson)
Members In Attendance: Devin Ramo, Maggie Eckard, Lori Hummel, Denise Daisy, Veronica Williams, Lee Ann Brunson, Julie Borenstein, Terri Young, Angela Renals, Lauren O’Brien, Lloyd Mc Farlane, Michelle Quintans,
Visitors in Attendance: Prabhu Maruthachalam, Adrienne Duncan, John Heneghan, Chrysanthia Reid, Carlton Reid, Srayan Sistla, Tavis Roach, Bonnie Clompton, Lanedra Clompton, Eva Hatch, Santresa Daniel, William Daniel, Mike Iconis, Denise Harris, Cindy Waasdorp, Sara Orrell, Michael Paul, Maria Fornier Bernal
No summer meeting minutes to approve
Principal’s Report
· New Faculty/Staff: Mrs. Wessels (Spec. Ed) Mr. Grissom (Custodian), Mrs. Givens (5th), Mrs. Kegler (Bookkeeper), Mrs. Curl (Spec. Ed), Mrs. Fastiggi (Speech)
· Current Student Enrollment is 441
· Will be adding 2 more pre-K students to be at max enrollment
· New DeKalb Initiatives:
My Math – instructional resource for literacy in math
Infinite Campus – new data mgmt system for parents and teachers
CRCT test being replaced with Georgia Milestones in Spring 2015
· Pedestrian Safety Plan meeting will review best use of cross guards and crosswalk placement. More info to come
Action Team Summaries
Curriculum: Did not meet this month. Will meet the last Monday of each month
Chesnut Community
· See attached minutes from first meeting
Communications/PR
· Most reliable calendar is on chesnutcharter.com
· There will be a printed directory this fall
· Website will be cleaned up to reflect our 2014-15 Spirit Night Partners and to delete organizations that have not sponsored us in the last several years.
Facilities
§ Priority is the STEM Lab
§ Other focuses are playground equipment, more soap dispensers in the restrooms, some exterior painting, sports equipment
§ Clean and Beautiful Day is Sat. Sept. 6th 9:00am – 1:00pm
§ Working on a process for businesses/owners to help out financially or by providing a service to our school
Finance/Fundraising
· Chris Miranda is the new Friends of Chesnut (F.O.C) treasurer
· Check request form being updated
· Chesnut Challenge (formally Fun Run) main fundraiser this year a pep rally for the challenge will be 9/18 the actual run will be 10/2
· Main Focus is to support the STEM Lab
· Fundraising 101 information will be on the website
· Monies raised will be tiered
· Seeking corporate sponsors – support will also be tiered ( Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels) working on a brochure for this
Wellness:
· See attached minutes
· Focus on arms (Exercise, Nutrition and Healthy School Environment)
Votes in this Meeting:
2014 – 2015 budget - approved
School Charter 1 year extension - approved
Email Votes prior to this Meeting:
None
Standing Business:_ ______
· Action Team assignments. All PTC council members have signed up
· Pedestrian Safety Plan meeting will review best use of cross guards and crosswalk placement. More info to come
· Big thank you to the committee working on the charter renewal. Current one expires May 15, 2015. DeKalb is becoming a Charter School System
New Business
· Charter District Public Hearing set for Aug. 8/28 at Dunwoody High
3 charter options: a) let expire b) 2nd yr extension c) full autonomy charter – which is very expensive and would require more manpower than we have. (handling all employee salaries/benefits, bus routes/drivers, cafeteria food, etc like starting a school from scratch)
· PTC document storage – working on a site (Google Drive, etc) to store working documents so new volunteers have access to forms, procedures, etc. All info in one place for everyone. Action Teams report to Devin Ramo what/how many documents used in order to give an idea of how much space is needed
· Need new chairpersons for Silent Auction
· Need many volunteers for Chesnut Challenge on 10/2
· Be careful not to misguide parents saying there is only 1 fundraiser this year
· Parents are encouraged to join an Action Team (AT) Curriculum/Instruction Action Team needs parents. They meet the last Monday of each month at 3pm
Upcoming Calendar Events:
· Curriculum Night Wed 8/27 at 6:00pm
· Walk to School Wed. 9/3
· Clean & Beautiful Day Sat. 9/6 9:00am – 1:00pm
· Pastries for Parents 9/12 7:15 – 7:40am
Next Meeting: 9/16/14 3:00pm
Adjourned
Meeting Adjourned 8:06 p.m.
Devin Ramo, Chair
Minutes attached
Finance AT
1. Corporate Sponsorships: The brochure to solicit corporate sponsorship is in it's final rewrite phase before sign off by Ms. Williams. The goal is to have to document printed by 8/28 (one week) so that Carol McCloskey and Deidre Joe can begin generating interest in donations to Chesnut as soon as possible. Once a corporate sponsorship is received, we will need to ensure that we hold up our promises, which will take a coordinated effort by all action teams.
2. Chesnut Challenge Fun Run: Kelly Hixon is heading the committee responsible for executing the Fun Run for Chesnut. The committee is managing to the dates set in the calendar. This week is a big detail planning week for them and they should know about any potential roadblocks or concerns by the PTC meeting. Kelly will be available at the PTC meeting to answer any questions regarding the event. One thing to note, they are uncomfortable with the amount projected to raise. It breaks down to about $65/child. If we do not raise this, we need to look seriously at cutting expenses from the budget.
3. School Store: Sales at Registration were brisk, final numbers not yet assembled, but we ran out of small size hoodies and some XS/S shirst. An $1500 order is being placed for hoodies and an assortment of t-shirts. The current budget allows for $5000 order of spirit wear, so we are well within our budget at this point.
4. Treasurer: We are in the process of switching the Friends of Chesnut Treasurer from Bob Cottle to Chris Miranda. The change has been effected at the bank. Chris and I will work together to determine the process for check request submission and check issue. We plan to upgrade the current process through the use of Quicken this year which should cut down on some of the manual steps.
5. Faculty Room Water: a service technician will be at the school on Friday, August 22 to repair the unit and change the filters.
PTC Wellness Team Meeting Minutes, August 14, 2014
Attendees: Sherry Paul, Tamika Pichardo, Lisa Roebuck, Meaghan Rohletter, Jessica Falk-Spencer, Angela Renals (Chair), Zoe Franciscus, Christen Ramo
Future meetings will occur on the Tuesday preceding a PTC meeting, at7:30 pmat my house (2596 Briers North Drive). I will send an email to the calendar person accordingly, but our next meeting isSept. 7:30.
2014-2015 Wellness Team Members and Programs
A. Increased Movement - Laura McEwen, Denise Daisy, Kelly Shea-Miller, Ann Laffoon, Lonny Dykema, Christen Ramo, Meaghan Rohletter
1. Brain Breaks - Angela Renals to request a reintroduction for teachers, check thatadventuretofitness.comlogin works (ties movement to standards for indoor recess)
2. Fire Up Your Feet - The more we have all Increased Movement groups/programs using the Kaiser online Fire Up Your Feet tracker, the more awareness for families and individuals about how much or little movement they get each day. Won $450 from spring Fire Up Your Feet award, to use for pedometers - for students and/or faculty? Kelly Shea-Miller has developed monthly plan, will set-up program in September and Wellness volunteers will log-in activity by grade level; possibly encourage competition between classrooms to increase participation especially in October when Chesnut can win another award; possibly tie in faculty/staff activity with online tracking and use to run competition between them - Meaghan Rohletter; Ann Laffoon launching new running club with Ms. Onorato and Ms. Williams.
3. Walk to School - Christen Ramo developed monthly themes and secured Ms. Williams’ approval for kids to be able to wear alternate clothing on certain dates. Has budget for rewards, Safe Routes to School will donate giveaways and Christen is looking for donations or other ideas to draw prizes for a couple kids each month; Seeking a Broadstone captain
B. Nutrition- Zoe Franciscus, Jo Chin, Lisa Roebuck, Stacy Martin, Susana Tanyi
1. Healthy Cafeteria Choices - Zoe Franciscus to work with Ms. Martin to implement Fuel Up to Play 60 ($1,792 budget) initiatives agreed upon last year including: new shelving for healthy a la carte items and additional cut fresh fruit offered at lunch (lemon solution). Check with Ms. Williams about Wellness Team doing an intro to "what we get on our lunch plate" w/ Ms Martin for all students. Use previous Farm to School bulletin board to depict guide to createing a balanced plate.
2. Farm to School Nutrition Lessons and Lunch Promotions - Discussed turning flyers over to Pawprints or a classroom teacher. Because fruits are not locally grown, possibly alter/lessen lunch promotions. Angela Renals to meet with Coach Dykema to plan fall F2S Nutrition Lessons during P.E. and possibly having Kaiser’s Theater group to do puppet show.
3. Healthy Field Day Snack
4. Healthy Celebrations - Tamika Pichardo to meet with Nurse Wilson and create new classroom allergy signs, then send list to Angela Renals, who will create healthy/celebration/birthday/nut policy letters by class that include that class’ allergies, to go home this month to parents.
5. Parent Nutrition Night becomes Family Dinner with Dietitian - Lisa Roebuck, Jessica Falk-Spencer and Sherry Paul to work on this team ($1,500 budget). Reach out to prior PTA members to discover how it was typically done; determine healthy menu provider and how many people to expect. Angela Renals to connect team with Amanda Wooden at CHOA to book her for the event.
C. Outdoor Classrooms and Curriculum- Carissa Malone, Laura McEwen, Jamee McMillan, Ginna Hobgood and Master School Gardeners -MOVING THIS TEAM TO FACILITIES (per conversation with Chair Lori Hummel)
1. Chesnut Garden, Pizza Garden - Andrew Hirst awesomely built five pizza slice beds, and we will complete installation of other geometric elements over this school year ($1,628 in Captain Planet and Whole Kids funds). Master Gardeners completed their certification.
2. Birds and Bees Natural Wildlife Habitat - Laura McEwen doing an amazing job; Laura and Angela toured all gardens with STEM planning team teachers; Ms. Brown to provide unit parcels to Angela Renals and Christen Ramo to match gardening lessons with grade-level standards (possibly take this work to Curriculum and Instruction Action Team)
3. Native Plant/Sunflower Garden - just began amending soil, in progress over this school year, will utilize Captain Planet milkweed seeds
D. Healthy School Environment- Jessica Falk-Spencer, Tamika Pichardo, Mark Chicoine, Kristin Dabney, Ginna Hobgood, Betty Sule, Leah Little, Angela Renals, Sherry Wilson
1. Ecology Club - $300 budget, will meet third Thursday of the month, Angela Renals to coordinate launch with Ms. Hobgood
2. Recycling/TerraCycling - Tamika Pichardo getting acquainted w program specifics and working with Mr. C about all portions of it. Will work on getting with recycling team once we determine who will be taking on this role on the staff/ faculty (was Ms. Howard). Could also be a STEM project that students lead (which TerraCycle brigades we run at Chesnut). Have amassed $70 in TerraCycle dollars. Tamika will research options and possibly bring choices to Ecology Club students about how to spend the money.
3. Hygienic Bathrooms - Facilities to install new soap dispensers to prevent soap running out after high-use periods (like lunch). Angela Renals to work with Nurse Wilson to do refresher on proper hand-washing for all students. Christen Ramo to look for promethean video on hand washing she used with her class. Hoping to either make signs or work on education initiative in the school. Use our Northside Hospital relationship to help?
PTC Communications Action Team Meeting Minutes, August 14, 2014
Attendees: Julie Borenstein, Svjetlana Jannett, Erica Kuniansky, Melissa Marion-Landais, Erin Miranda, Long Tran, Terri Young
A.WebMaster- Melissa Marion-Landais()
1. E-Mail Databases: Registration process went well. Able to capture new families to add their information for eBlasts and onto our Volts. 638 e-mail addresses received the first eBlast after registration; list is now down to 612 and we are hoping parents that left the school will continue to opt out.
2. Website: Three parents have volunteered to take over Webmaster. One has experience using the program we are using. Melissa is meeting with them to discuss next steps, including dividing up responsibilities. Melissa to also ask Ms. Wood if there is a more obvious way to direct parents tocc.comfrom the county Chesnut site.
B.EBlast – Erica Kuniansky ()
Melissa is doing the eBlast until Erica is fully trained. People should continue to , which will go to both Erica and Melissa. Information for the eBlast should be provided to that e-mail address bymidnighton Thursdays. Goal is for eBlast to go out Sundays, especially since some events are early in the week. We will continue to include events from the middle school that affect Chesnut families (i.e.: fifth graders). Redesign has received positive feedback.
C.Marquee – Long Tran()
For the short-term, Terri will continue to guide Long on what to put on marquee, then he will use judgment based on online calendar. Long will be taking “Northside Hospital” off the marquee. If there is objection, it is easily reinstalled.
D. Teacher Communications – Julie Borenstein
Ms. Borenstein will be communicating with the teachers on communications-related information. For instance, how to get a calendar event they “own” to the various sources (website, Facebook, eBlast, marquee, calendar) using thecc.comaddresses. She will encourage them to share “cool” things they are doing with their classes or “Good News Chesnut” tohelp our Chesnut community recognize the unique, creative, motivating things that happen throughout the school. Just the basic information (Terri will draft the full story). Teachers will be encouraged to sign up to receive the eBlast to their personal emails if they are not receiving them (we are still having technical difficulties in having the county allow this eBlast to come to school addresses). Will also remind teachers that online calendar will always be the “latest and greatest.”