February 2022

PTA Executive Board Meeting Minutes

February 11, 2022 / 8:30 AM / Zoom

Attendees 

Juliana Aloia, Leanne Bloom, Julia K., Jess Lake, Lauren McBride, Sarah McMaster, Nina Pajak, Christina Papadopoulos, Beth Provencher, Sophia Rana, Brenda Rodriguez, Fay Serafica, Elissa Smith, Brianna Staudt, Mecthild Steinert, Dana Tavano, Daphne Uviller, Andrea Williamson, Elizabeth Zammit

Agenda

1. Executive Session: NYS PTA Community Service Award (5 mins) 
2. General Greetings and hellos (2 min) 
3. February Treasurer’s Report/Budget Amendment Vote #4 (QuickBooks, MS DC Trip Budget?) (Bri, 5-7min) 
4. Nominating Committee Volunteers/Vote (Sophia, 3 min) 
5. DEI Update – ABAR Training Feedback (Amanda,10 min) 
6. Mini Grants Update (Mechtild, 5-7 min) 
7. Calendar Committee Update (Elissa/Daphne, 2 min) 
8. JP Scholastic Book Fair (Annie/Nina 3min) 
9. Committee & School Updates
10. Questions and Comments

Notes

1. Executive Session: NYS PTA Community Service Award
   Voting for Nominees –
   –  Mr. Eric Andrus (MS staff)
   –  Life Center
   –  The Foundation
   –  Community Wardrobe – Received the most votes
   
2. General Greetings and hellos
   
3. February  Treasurer’s Report/Budget Amendment Vote #4 (QuickBooks, MS DC Trip Budget? (Bri)
   –  Amendment – Quickbooks needs to be purchased – $75 – Vote – Yes
   –  Risks – no chair for MS book fair or food trucks
   –  2k budgeted for it
   
4. Nominating Committee Volunteers/Vote (Sophia)
   –  Volunteers for Nominating Committee – Andrea Willamson, Lauren McBride, Sarah McMaster, Leanne Bloom
   –  Vote – yes to move forward
   
5. DEI Update – ABAR Training Feedback (Fay)
   –  Community building important
   –  Training – 90-minute session more should have been achieved, not long enough time for in depth discussion
   –  Trainings should happen every year
   
6. Mini Grants Update (Mechtild)
   –  Mechtild – review of elementary school mini-grant winners –
   –  Can deadline for grants be moved to 3 weeks before of BOE meeting?
   –  Dates have been moved with deadlines in the past based on best timing from teachers, – ask principles when the best time would be for next year
   
7. Calendar Committee Update (Elissa/Daphne)
   –  Calendar should be solidified soon
   –  For days off and half days
   
8. JP Scholastic Book Fair (Annie/Nina)
   –  Going to move forward with family shopping event in gym and fully staffed Sunday, 3/6 – 10am-2pm
   –  Tuesday night – 6-8 – milk and cookies
   –  Wednesday & Thursday – Breakfast & Books – with food to go so everyone can stay in masks
   –  1st parent communication next week with sign up genius for volunteering
   –  Theme – Books Bring Us Together
   –  All For Books scholarship
   
9.  Committee & School Updates:
   
   JP (Anna, Nina)
   –  Ms. Barnett would ideas for the the school bulletin board
   
   Morse (Christina P.)
   –  Trip around the community, line item for backpacks
   –  Mr. Walley mentioned having trouble finding lunch room monitors – can Life Center help with connecting with more parents?
   
   WI
   –  What supplies they would like with school supply money they received
   –  Communication issues – inconsistent communications between classrooms
   –  How can they make communication more consistent
   
   MS (Daphne, Mechtild)
   –  School supplies – need Kleenex (soft!)
   –  Brainstorm 8th grade celebrations
   –  What ideas do the kids have? Ask student council so they can decide
   –  Trip to Statue of Liberty?
   –  Date for movie night confirmed – 4/22
   
   HS (Mechtild)
   –  Getting ready to get parents and teachers on board to join PTA
   –  Can PTA do staff appreciation in HS? Do not have the funds in our budget
   –  PTA can help with volunteers, but cannot provide funds
   –  Find out from Ms. Brand if parents can donate food items for a lunch for staff appreciation
   
   Community Wardrobe (Elissa, Daphne)
   –  Might have a space! Great lead right now
   –  Back at bathhouse for storage, still have capacity to help with emergencies
   –  Can’t take donations right now
   –  Meeting about prom dresses & suits for students in need
   
   Heads Up (Leanne)
   –  great talk on digital safety for parents, very well done, practical presentation
   –  Overall takeaway – encouraging parents to continued to be involved in their child’s digital lives
   –  some information on digital safety – Trend Micro
   –  Heads Up has been purchasing cell phone organizers for schools, only need 25-26 more
   –  Concerns from parents in WI and Morse about indoor recess screen time
   –  As a rule, Chromebooks were never allowed for use during indoor recess in
   WI
   –  Parents should contact principals and teachers directly with their concerns
   
   Rivertown Parents (Brenda)
   –  Rivertown Labs (workshop)- college prep for about 13 students, free of charge for workshop
   –  Start this Sunday, 2/13, 3-4:30pm in Dobbs
   –  Can our PTA sponsor an event for college prep with the college consultant from Rivertown Labs?
   –  Open Mic in Dobbs Ferry – 7th grade-12th grade open mic for students, freedom for students to express, produced by students/teens
   –  Hosting Multi-Cultural book fair
   –  Brenda finding out to see how we can get involved

DEI (Fay, Brenda)
–  FLES – update, budget issue
–  (Liz) – Dr. Gonzalez was going to speak to principles for input, other options about FLES
were not proposed yet
–  Ron Gonzalez to attend next meeting in March
–  Next PTA en Espanol tonight
–  How can we celebrate different cultures
– put together calendar of holidays from multiple cultures so we can
acknowledge these holidays
–  Send Brenda and Fay holidays!