Home and School Meeting Minutes 10/8/15

  • Doug’s Principal Report:
  • PSSAs changed for this year
  • Test was much harder than in previous years
  • Doug went through each of the scores that Oak Park received in each subject and explained the color chart behind each score
  • Questions asked in response to the PSSA Score Review
  • Question # 1
  • Are school goals based off of this or were they already factored in?
  • Answer # 1
  • They were already started but we actually just finished them up today and they were tweaked based on this data
  • Other items discussed included:
  • Class Size
  • We have about 470 this year
  • We usually have around the 500 mark so size is down just a bit
  • School performance profile (SPP)
  • They are not doing that this year primarily because of the PSSA scores
  • Co-Teaching
  • You may have heard from your child that we have 2 teachers in the classrooms this year
  • Some of the students that have an IEP may be in a regular classroom instead of being pulled out
  • It’s not just one teacher one day and then the other day the other one walks around
  • They teach together and have a strategy, with that we can really maximize learning for everyone
  • In putting them in the classroom they have access to the regular classroom just like anyone else. They have the 2 teachers working together and planning together. Everyone is treated equally. Everyone’s needs are met and the teachers know exactly what everyone in the classroom’s needs are. They both teach the students.
  • Questions asked in response to the update about Co-teaching:
  • Question # 1
  • Do the teachers like the co-teaching?
  • Answer # 1
  • Yes, they do.The planning time is the hardest part but you’re working with a team every single day
  • Question # 2
  • Do the kids give any feedback?
  • Answer # 2
  • Not yet, don’t think they really noticed a difference
  • Intruder Drill
  • Hatfield school district is planned to go through all of the different drills that they have :
  • Fire Drill
  • Evacuation Drill
  • Intruder drill is coming and we’re ready to go
  • The teachers don’t know the date and time
  • Questions asked in response to the Intruder Drill:
  • Question # 1
  • What if the practice is in the class but when it happens they are at lunch or in drill?
  • Answer # 1
  • It’s really hard to do an intruder drill at lunch because you’d have to extend the lunch and the food is sitting there
  • In the past we’ve mocked lunch time (3rd grade) went into and sat in the lunch room and then we had the drill
  • The cafeteria staff had to practice with the students
  • MISC Other Questions:
  • Question # 1
  • How is the new ELA program going?
  • Answer # 1
  • It’s going and it takes time like anything else but we’re working together on everything. It’s a lot but it’s going well and there are a lot of resources available.
  • Treasurer Information
  • Treasurer’s report:
  • Meghan explained the ‘square deposit' line item under ‘deposits’ on the report
  • This is the company that we use to take credit card donations
  • Anything under that, we received online
  • We’ve decided to come up with the credit card donations because we know sometimes it’s easier
  • There is a small cost (either 3 ½ or 3 ¼%)
  • Small price to pay (convenience of being able to visit website and having it deposited right into the bank account)
  • We’ve gotten larger donations via credit card
  • From a business side (you can go through a bank but you have to go through a whole merchant system)
  • Cheaper for us to use the square rather than going through all of the other fees
  • This only goes up to the end of 09/15
  • Our donations that we’ve collected so far:
  • $7,362
  • Thank you to the teachers, you guys have been doing an awesome job getting the donations out there
  • $302 donation from the coin wars
  • On Saturday we will have the square (cube)
  • If you swipe your card, we get a better percentage
  • We have to pay a portion of that when we have to enter the information into the square
  • Ericka motioned to approve the treasurers report
  • It was seconded
  • Approved
  • Mr. Huebner spoke about the Renaissance Faire
  • He mentioned that they were at the renaissance faire earlier in the day and wanted to stop in and say hello, introduce himself and say Thank You, without the HS Team we couldn’t do this
  • It would not be able to happen without the generous support of oak park family and H & S
  • He also mentioned that someone at a shop within the faire complimented on the students and how well behaved and well mannered our group of students were
  • Kelly Rice – H & S Correlate
  • Mrs. Rice gave a teacher’s report of what each grade is working on
  • MISC Items discussed:
  • If you didn’t know your children have their pictures taken yesterday
  • You can go online and place the order
  • The picture retake day is the 12th of November, so the pictures will come in about a week, before then
  • It went really smooth yesterday and we can do about a class in 10 minutes
  • Sent out information about the Giant A+ program
  • That program doesn’t take away from your gas points but helps us in the school to get that money back, this officially starts tomorrow
  • They changed everybody’s number, you’ll be getting it next week
  • The change is that instead of starting with a 0 it starts with a 2
  • There will be a quick flyer explaining that
  • Anyone that sent in their papers we entered so they don’t have to worry
  • If you purchase or buy anything at Target and you can mark your school, we get money back
  • You can split % for more than one school if you have children at other schools
  • Kids Stuff Coupon Books
  • Finished up multiple orders, out by Monday
  • Updates were given about upcoming Color Me Awesome event
  • Cannoneers provided us the support to get it done for everyone
  • Our way of saying thank you back to them
  • We created a canvas with Sharkey on it and every student will put their thumbprint on it
  • Close to a $3,000 donation for what they did for us
  • Please come, we will have hot dogs, walking tacos, pretzels, water ice,
  • Volunteers:
  • JR ROTC, they are sending 14 over
  • 5 stations of power so you need 2 people there and the 2 filling bottles
  • 15 in just one area for an hour at a shot
  • 12 games
  • Food
  • Registration
  • 60 – 65 people
  • April said Thank you to everyone who is helping including JR ROTC and the Key Club
  • MISC updates about the Color Me Awesome Run:
  • Children were so excited about coloring their shirts
  • They’ll get full of the color on Saturday
  • 52 kids that fundraised and brought in 52 dollars or more
  • We will continue to take donations even after the event so if you weren’t able to ask somebody you can ask them after the event
  • We’re also going to have a donation drop the day of, and a loose change drop or maybe lose dollar bills hopefully
  • 350 – 380 people (People that donated but didn’t register)
  • Please let other people know it’s going to get messy
  • You can either wear sunglasses or have the kids wear or goggles or bandanas
  • Baking Soda and water will help to get the color out. That makes it really thick and can wash right off
  • Material Safety Data Sheet
  • Comes with the powder
  • Parent wanted to make sure there was no dairy products used in the color powder
  • We will have that available
  • We have EMTs, Nurses staffed
  • Updates on The Mommy Market
  • Spearheaded by Meghan and Ericka and follows up with the clothing drive
  • If you want to participate, you can rent a space with a table for $12 and make some money
  • Updates on The Buddy Bench
  • On the FB page we put a post about the buddy bench so that everyone was aware that it’s back there
  • Within just a few hours, it was so well received with liking and sharing
  • That post has reached 8300 people
  • Maddy handed out minutes for everyone to review:
  • Motion was made to approve minutes
  • Motion seconded and
  • Approved
  • MISC Items Discussed:
  • 11/5/15 is the next Home & School Meeting
  • Next week early dismissal Wednesday 14th
  • Halloween dance is on 10/30/15
  • Everyone can wear costumes, there will be food in the cafeteria
  • Adults have to come with the children
  • There may be Prizes for the 3 top costumes
  • Possibly 1 for the adults too?
  • A parent mentioned that they weren’t notified that their 5th graderwas going on a trip.
  • Nothing was mentioned about sprit week either.
  • Everything should be on the calendar and on the website.
  • Doug mentioned that he’ll make sure that the Calendars are going out moving forward
  • A parent suggested getting an E-mail blast sent as a reminder that the next calendar is out. Make sure it goes on the site and that you get e-alerts.
  • Update Home Access Center if you haven’t already
  • Emergency Info. and Contact Info.
  • If you need help you can call over to the ESC building.
  • Nancy closed out since we don’t have any more questions.