Archive for January 2017

PTA Meeting Minutes 12.20.16

Campbell PTA Meeting

December 20, 2016

6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Approximate # of
Attendees
:  
20

I.     Welcome and
Introductions: Nathan Zee, President 

  • Nathan welcomed
    everyone to the meeting and turned things over to Ms. Nesselrode

 

II.    Diversity:
Maureen Nesselrode, Principal

  • Ms. Nesselrode
    introduced the topic and explained that this topic was selected from last
    year’s survey questions. Campbell incorporates diversity subtly into
    content, as well as celebrating diversity in the following ways:

o  
Morning Meetings during “Share” students share events, input
ideas, and experiences that reflect who they are as individuals and often give
a window into the diversity in each classroom.

o  
Career Café-families from
different cultures, gender, and backgrounds present about their career and
specifically-chosen to help break stereotypes and show students the many
possibilities for all.

o  
Community Meeting-Students from
different cultures are highlighted and present about their work.

o  
Story of My Plate (K-1 expedition)
focuses on how the food we eat reflects our culture and where we come
from. 

o  
Culture Posters-sending home
flyers about culture (2nd Grade)

o  
Founding Fathers Lead the Way (3rd
grade expedition) has an end project requires students to reflect on the
freedoms we have in America, many of which focus on our ability to honor
diversity. 

o  
Cultures Collide (the 4th
Grade Jamestown expedition) focuses on comparing the three cultures (Powhatan,
English, and African) and how although conflicts arise, we try to adapt and help
each other.  The initial kickoff is a
family survey which requires families to talk about times they’re moved,
hardships they’ve faced, and how they have benefitted from neighbors living
nearby.

o  
Interest Surveys conducted by
teachers early in the year, help teachers understand student likes and dislikes
and what makes them different.

o  
Home visits to gain an
appreciation for the diversity of families (VPI and some others)

o  
Thursday Mom Group

o  
Multicultural Night

o  
School counseling program-
teachable moments and explicit lessons

o  
Home interviews between students
and families

o  
FACE Team – Family and Community
Engagement, new project: Turtle Tube!

o  
Inviting families or staff to
field trips considering family comfort levels

o  
Cultural foods at PTA and other
events

o  
The personal narrative unit allows
students to share their stories about their life in writing to foster
appreciation of their experiences with their peers. 

o  
Books in the library and classroom
library books intentionally feature diverse characters/themes

o  
Students learn about Hispanic
culture in FLES

o  
Students learn about artists and
art from around the world

o  
Musical selections  and instruments- in music class from around
the world

o  
Courageous Conversations training
for staff – countywide; book clubs and other opportunities

o  
Hire diverse staff

·        
Areas for continued improvement:

o  
We are always looking to increase authenticity when we use
multi-cultural resources

  • Ms. Nesselrode
    handed out a copy of a passage from “Educating for Diversity” for the PTA
    to read and discuss. Main themes were:
    • Beliefs about
      students matter (teacher’s own biases can affect classroom behavior and
      expectations)
    • Content and
      materials matter (diversity should be woven into content and stories told
      from different perspectives)
    • Instructional
      approaches matter (for ex.: teachers learning what apps students are
      using so that they can better connect)
    • Educational
      settings matter (Campbell’s lottery system serves the goal of diversity)
    • Teacher
      education matters (self-fulfilling prophecies)
    • Does the race
      and ethnicity of teacher matter? If there are two equal candidates, opt
      for diverse staff; hire teachers who are culturally competent
    • Ms. Nesselrode
      opened the floor to questions and comments:
      • Q: Do students
        notice whether staff is diverse? A: Not really in the lower grades;
        older students seek out allies who are culturally competent (even if not
        same race)
      • Q: How do we
        handle linguistic diversity? What’s the approach to valuing home
        language? A: Translations of all printed materials, interpreter at all
        events, conferences offered for parents in their language w/translator
        for the English speaking teacher; FLES pull-outs for native speakers,
        teachers stress to parents that language matters, but not which language
        because speaking and reading in ANY language is what is most important.
      • Comment: Could
        the term “Founding Fathers” be changed to “Founders” to be more gender
        inclusive? Response: We can take some feedback on the term.
      • Q: How do we
        talk about Native Americans? How do we handle the Thanksgiving Day
        holiday or Columbus Day, particularly in the younger grades? A: Because
        of Virginia’s history, Native Americans feature prominently in the 2nd
        and 4th grade curriculums. With older students, we can give
        more context; it’s a fine line to walk with younger students (for
        instance, it would not be developmentally appropriate to discuss Thomas
        Jefferson and Sally Hemmings with Kindergarten students). We avoid
        celebrating some individuals, like Columbus, as heroes, and avoid
        appropriating native dress. There is room for improvement in being
        culturally authentic (to use materials that are culturally responsible
        and appropriate)
      • Q: How do we
        talk about nontraditional families? A: Library books and stories with
        representations of nontraditional families, through Morning Meeting and
        other times where students share about their lives.
      • Q: Religious
        diversity? A: Not really part of the K-5 curriculum, but students share
        about it, and it becomes part of the conversation in that way; it is not
        a taboo subject and children are free to share.
      • Comment: The recent
        HS Boundary process demonstrates that the students “get it” and
        understand the value of diversity
      • Comment: The
        coat drive demonstrated that many are willing to give generously to
        support and celebrate Campbell’s diverse population; Campbell is
        purposely diverse and those who seek it out are seeking out a diverse
        learning environment and we are committed to the process of continually
        improving the process of learning about different cultures and
        experiences

 

III.   Treasurer’s
Report: Jenny Morris , Treasurer

  • As of November
    30, we’re at ~$32,000 of income and ~$26,000 of expenses.  Specific details discussed were:

o   During
the month, we were paid for the Zumba class that meets at Campbell on
Saturdays, $256 of income; Amazon payment for $184, two payments from Silver
Diner for $584, and $284 of that was from their “Eat Well Do Well” cards,
remember to sign up for that if you haven’t already; Election Day Bake Sale
made $488 after expenses

o   Have first sponsorship for Fun Run this spring

o   Wrapped up Project Discovery income, came close to breaking
even. The remaining amount will go towards Odyssey of the Mind, which has some
ongoing expenses.

o   We had our final amounts for the Pledge Drive come in; we did
well.

o   There were no questions from attendees on the budget status

·        
Funding request
from Wellness Committee to do provide an hour of wellness and mindfulness
experiences for the teachers as part of a teacher appreciation/benefit event,
to help them feel grounded and appreciated, as well as give them tools to
promote wellness in their classrooms. There will be several different
activities, but total expenses expected to be $120. 

o  
Questions from floor:

o   Q:
Is this an event that teachers want? A: Yes, very much so. It was requested by
staff when Wellness Committee asked them how they’d like to be supported

o   Motion to approve funding $120 toward Wellness
Event. Motion seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

 

  • Q: Are there any
    major funding requests expected this year? A: We don’t have any
    large-scale project (like the Pond redo) that we’re aware of, but we will
    discuss at an upcoming PTA meeting so that there aren’t any surprises at
    the end of the year

 

IV.  New Business:
Nathan Zee, President

  • Nathan opened
    floor to questions, comments:
    • Q: Would a new
      PA system for Community Meetings be something for us to consider funding?
      A: Ms. Nesselrode will look in to the history of the current system (who
      paid for it, how old it is, etc.)
    • Q: Have we ever
      done a “Donor’s Choose” event? A: Yes, for smaller ticket items;
      individual teachers have done this in the past; we have used EdBacker to
      fund the greenhouse
    • Thank you to Jenny
      Ozawa for all her hard work on the coat drive, and to the over 50
      families who donated; thank you to all the families who donated to the
      staff baskets (aiming to give out two baskets, wound up being able to
      give out six!!), and the staff appreciation breakfast
      •  Q: Is it too late to bring in items for
        the coat drive? A: No, it’s not too late. Donations of new items
        welcomed still
      • Q: is there
        not Parent Center that has donated clothes for a child who get a rip in
        their pants, or if someone needs a few extra items of clothing? A: Our school
        social worker can help families get new clothing if needed; there is a
        limited supply of “extra” clothing for accident situations due to
        storage space constraints

 

VII. Closing: Nathan
Zee, President

  • Next meeting is
    Tuesday, January 17th

PTA Meeting Minutes 11.15.16

Campbell PTA Meeting

November 15, 2016

6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Approximate # of
Attendees
:  
30

I.     Welcome and Introductions:
Nathan Zee, President 

  • Nathan welcomed
    everyone to the meeting and turned things over to Ms. Nesselrode
  • Ms. Nesselrode
    presented Campbell wear from the PTA to the custodial staff as a ‘thank
    you’ for their hard work

 

II.    Family Life:
Dina Berhan, Counselor

  • Ms. Nesselrode introduced the
    topic and provided examples of learning objectives at the K-3 level.  Campbell does not necessarily teach
    specific lessons at the younger grades, but rather meeting the objectives
    is woven throughout the kids’ learning (e.g., “I respect” supports the
    respect learning objective)
  • Ms. Berhan provided an overview
    and specific examples of how she teaches to the 4th and 5th
    graders.  She draws from APS
    guidelines, Virginia guidelines, and has produced a power point she uses
    as a baseline.  Some specific
    discussion points included:

o   Discussions
with kids are targeted depending on specific areas of focus

o   She
ensures parents are aware of when the learning is scheduled to occur and takes
feedback from parents

o   Boys
and Girls may be taught separately (depending on the topic) although the
content is the same

o   There
is a “too smart to start” program that introduces refusal skills (e.g., drugs,
alcohol, smoking) – this is taught towards the end of the year and is expanded
on in middle school

o   Gender
stereotyping may be a future topic that Ms. Berhan can integrate into her
material

 

III.   Outdoor
Learning: Kevan Miller, Parent

  • Kevan provided
    an overview of her outdoor learning experience at a nearby preschool where
    she spends the entire morning teaching kids in the outdoors multiple times
    per month
  • Each class of 3,
    4, and 5 year olds spends two days per month outdoors for the school day
    regardless of the weather/temperature
  • Kevan summarized
    recent research on the importance of kids getting outside including
    articles in the NY Times, Washington Post, National Geographic and
    others.  Some key benefits include:
    • Improved motor
      fitness
    • Improved
      concentration and self-discipline
    • Improved
      distance vision
    • Improved
      cognitive abilities
    • Improved
      critical thinking
    • Lower stress,
      anxiety, and depression
    • Improved social
      skills including empathy and connections
    • Increased
      resilience
    • Increased
      creativity and sense of wonder
    • Increased
      independence and autonomy
    • Increased
      ability to recognize and assess risk
    • Increased
      appreciation for the natural world around us

  • Kevan has seen
    all these benefits first hand over the last three years including happier
    kids overall who participate in the program
  • Kevan discussed
    some of the barriers to more time outside including time constraints,
    proximity to parks/forests, safety concerns, and adverse weather
    conditions – she noted that “bad weather always looks worse through a
    window” and that once outside it’s usually not as bad as you thought
    (especially from a child’s perspective)
  • Kevan encouraged
    parents to try and see things through their child’s eyes and motivate them
    to get outside more – you don’t need a specific goal (e.g., a science
    lesson) – just get outside and do things (including reading outside)
  • Kevan provided a
    list of resources (will be provided electronically separately)
  • Ms. Nesselrode
    provided an update about how Campbell approaches outdoor learning to
    include:
    • Kids are
      reading outdoors during their library time
    • Miss Christy
      takes classes outside rain or shine
    • Community
      Meeting was held outdoors and it was a huge success – we plan to do
      another meeting outside in the Spring
    • 5th
      grade just returned from two days at the Outdoor Lab (canoeing, sleeping
      in tents, etc.) and it was a fabulous experience

 

IV.  Title I – What is
It: Maureen Nesselrode, Principal and Wendy Pilch, Title I Representative

  • Wendy provided
    an overview of the Title I Program to include background, statistics,
    requirements, and benefits
  • At the Federal
    level, at least 40% of the students must qualify for Free and Reduced
    Meals (FARM) for a school to be eligible for Title I status
  • In Arlington
    County, the threshold is 55% of students in the FARM program – Campbell
    consistently runs at 58-60% FARM students
  • 98% of Title I
    funding at Campbell is used for salaries – increases the number of
    teachers
  • At least 1% of
    the funding must be used for parent/family involvement
  • 8 schools in Arlington
    exceed the 55% FARM threshold: Abingdon, Barcroft, Barrett, Carlin
    Springs, Campbell, Drew, Hoffman Boston, Randolph – Patrick Henry recently
    left the Title I program
  • Benefits of
    Title I resources include teacher training, supplemental materials, summer
    programs, additional reading and math support
  • At Campbell, we
    receive the following specific benefits:
    • Anne Oliveira
      (math coach) is funded ½ time from Title I
    • 2 extra reading
      specialists are funded from Title I
    • Test
      Coordinator ½ time position is funded from Title I
    • Translation
      equipment was purchased with Title I funds
    • Professional
      development
    • Math tutoring
      in 3rd and 4th grade
    • Note that we
      cannot purchase furniture with Title I funds
    • Ms. Nesselrode
      coordinates with the PTA to optimize how funds are applied
    • Bottom line:
      Title I funds are key to Campbell’s resourcing plan

 

V.    Treasurer’s
Report: Jenny Morris , Treasurer

  • As of 10/31,
    we’ve had ~$19,000 of income and ~$19,000 of expenses.  Specific details discussed were:

o   October
income included pledge drive donations, amazon, movie night, Project Discovery
and Odyssey of the Mind

o   October expenses included movie night, Project Discovery, Outdoor Classroom Coordinator,
K/1 chairs, PTA meeting expenses

o   Project Discovery enrollment was higher than projected so
both income and expenses are higher than budgeted.  The budget is based on making a small profit,
so there will not be a new vote on increasing income/expenses for project
discovery in the budget as long as income and expenses are generally equal –
same for Odyssey of the Mind (4 teams instead of 2 teams, so we are doubling
the projected income and expenses)

o   We have a similar budget situation with Campbell wear – we
have sold much more Campbell wear than projected, so our income and expenses are
higher than budgeted, but they are still canceling each other out as expected

o   Our VA PTA dues payment was mailed in November (due December
1st)

o   There were no questions from attendees on the budget status

 

VI.  New Business:
Nathan Zee, President

o   The
second half of tonight’s meeting was successfully streamed live on Facebook –
all in person attendees acknowledged they were being displayed on Facebook

o   Project
Discovery ends this week for Thursday classes and the week after Thanksgiving
for Wednesday/Friday classes

o   Principal’s
Chat this Thursday at 8am – interactive activities are planned

o   The
Wellness Committee will meet on Friday, December 9th after Community
Meeting at 8:30am

o   Apple
Tasting was a huge success

o   Socktober
sock donations were well received

o   Cyberbullying
discussion will be held on December 15th at 8am – led by Ms. Berhan
and Ms. Decker

o   The
Latina Moms group has been officially renamed to “Parents Building Commitment”

o   Heads
up that we will be collecting used sports items at the end of winter

o   Reminder
to write your child’s name on Campbell wear

o   Be
on the lookout for information regarding Tiny Prints / Shutterfly for holiday
card orders

o   Picture
retakes are tomorrow (11/16) – bring your old pictures

o   Conversations
are ongoing regarding concerns about potential impacts from the Presidential
election (immigration, LBGT, etc.)

 

VII. Closing: Nathan
Zee, President

  • Next meeting is
    Tuesday, December 20th
  • Reminders:

o   Please
review Barbara Martinez’s fundraising email

o   A
big ‘thank you’ to those who have contributed towards the pledge drive – it
closes at the end of this week (11/18)

o   Please
make sure you use the Campbell Amazon link (affiliate) when you do your holiday
shopping

 

PTA Meeting Minutes 10.18.16

Campbell PTA Meeting

October 18, 2016

6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Approximate # of
Attendees
:  
25

I.     Welcome and Vote:
Nathan Zee, President 

  • Nathan
    introduced himself and then asked for nominations from the floor for the
    open PTA Executive Board position VP of Communications; no nominations
    offered from the floor
  • Ms. Nesselrode
    presented the candidate, Barbara Martinez, for a vote to the group; motion
    seconded; motion to elect Barbara Martinez as new VP Communications passed
    unanimously.  

 

II.    Updates on behalf
of Kelly Krug (VP of Programming): Nathan Zee, President 

  • Activities coming up this month:

o   Crazy
Sock Spirit Day (Socktober); kids wear “crazy” socks to school on Friday,
10/28, combined with a month-long sock drive for new socks to donate to a
shelter; sock collection bin located in cafeteria; donations will be taken
through November 1st

o   Outdoor
Movie Night: scheduled for Friday, 10/21, but rain is forecasted; alternate
rain date is Friday, 10/28, and the decision whether to postpone will be made
Wednesday, so stay tuned for an update on potential weather-related
postponement; please note the differences from last years’ Movie Night: this
year it will be held outside, no pre-orders of food (food served will be:
pizza, popcorn, snacks, and drinks; family special is $13 for a whole pizza,
four drinks, and a popcorn); remember to bring blankets, chairs, etc.;
playground will be closed after dark for safety; movie will be “Hotel
Transylvania II”  

 

III.   Turtle Tube: Ms.
Nicole Johnson, 5th Grade Teacher

  • Last year
    several Campbell teachers attended a training about how to increase
    participation and get more families involved in school by expanding ways
    in which families can see what is happening in the community without
    having to be physically present at the school, initiative is called FACE: www.apsva.us/face/; website can be translated in to multiple languages to
    increase outreach
  • Campbell’s FACE
    initiative is called “Turtle Tube” https://campbell.apsva.us/campbell-turtletube/
  • First video has
    already been posted; it’s called “Growth Mindset”
  • Future videos
    will be translated into Spanish so that they will be more accessible to
    the community
  • Ms. Johnson will
    “tweet” about her videos, too
  • Ms. Johnsons presented
    a survey to the PTA members present asking what we’d be most interested in
    seeing in the Turtle Tube videos
  • Ms. Nesslerode
    highlighted that out of all APS schools, Campbell sent the largest
    delegation of teachers and staff to the training on community engagement
    (teachers from each looping grade, counselor, and specialist from both
    reading and math teams were present)

 

III.   Fundraising Updates:
Kathy Cordon, VP Fundraising

  • Fill-the-Pond Pledge
    Drive: a reminder flyer will go home again tomorrow, 10/19; remember that
    to receive incentives, you must make your pledge by 10/31
  • Not yet at our
    goal of raising $5,000

o   What
do we do with this money? Author visits, Turtle Pond renovation, Turtle Tank
rebuild, fund Field Trips, etc.

o   This
is our second largest fundraiser (largest is Wetlands Festival)

o   Pledges
can be made by cash, check, PayPal

  • Questions from
    floor

o   Q:
Can you give individual targets, such as “if every family gave X amount, we’d
reach our goal?” A: Yes, great suggestion, we will do that.

 

IV.  Treasurer’s Report:
Jenny Morris, Treasurer

  • As of 9/30,
    we’ve had $11,000 of income and $13,000 of expenses

o   Included
in income was about $1,060 of payments from Amazon so make sure to keep using that link!
We've also been collecting for spirit wear which will be paid for soon. And
we've had lots of membership dues paid.

o   Included in expenses were the pond ($9,800) and turtle tank ($1,400). Other expenses included
supplies for garden work day, fixing the bridge in the courtyard, the bunny
cage, the upcoming author visit, and other various expenses.

  • Open floor to Q
    & A:

o   Q:
Did we lose money on Yearbook last year? A: (Nathan Zee) PTA does not fund
this; it’s a school expense. (Maureen Nesselrode) Not a concern, we break even.

  • Motion to
    approve funding request $135 for reading chairs made by Ms. Drabyk and Ms.
    Ammons (18 chairs total, 9 for each class), Seconded, and Approved
    Unanimously

 

V.    Latino Moms
Report: Claudia Cuellar Ramirez, Representative

o   Over
500 families, staff, and community members attended event on 10/14

o   Group
represented Campbell ES with a handmade banner and matching t-shirts

  • During future
    Thursday morning meetings, the group would like to meet with staff to
    discuss specific topics, such as tips on how to help children improve SOL
    scores
  • Nathan Zee: we
    hope to expand this group beyond the Latino community, so that we’re
    working as one Campbell team to support our school and students
  • Maureen
    Nesselrode: Latina Mothers group volunteered on school picture day, will
    assist with apple-tasting, assembling Thursday folders, etc.
  • Meetings are
    held on Thursday mornings 7:45-8:45 am, meeting conducted in Spanish but
    Monica Castillo Burgos will be in attendance providing English
    translation; fathers are welcome

 

 

VI.  Writer’s Workshop:
Maureen Nesselrode, Principal

  • APS adopted the
    Teacher’s College Writer’s workshop as part of curriculum
  • Goal of writer’s
    workshop is to increase stamina, choice & volume
  • Structure of
    writing curriculum:

o   Mini
lessons (8-10 minutes), contains specific point on strategy

o   Students
have work in their folders

o   Students
break off to work on their writing individually

o   Adults
conference with individual students to coach them on their writing

o   Reconvene
at the end of the session and teacher debriefs the class

  • Lessons from
    Teacher’s College are scripted, but Campbell teachers deviate from scripts
    based on their students
  • Maureen
    Nesselrode walked through two examples of a workshop lesson, one from
    Kindergarten and one from the 5th Grade curriculum

o   Kindergarten:
Maureen Nesselrode read attendees a passage as if she were the teacher and we
the students; prompted us to break off into pairs to discuss what we’d write
about based on prompt, then break to work independently on writing. Stamina:
how does this lesson encourage it? Through choice; the students select topics
that are of interest to them or that they have expertise in; volume is
addressed because the students are working on creating a book rather than a
short passage. In Kindergarten, the students differentiate for themselves:
those who are at the level where they are not writing independently can draw
pictures, and those who come in to K already writing are encouraged to write at
their level.

o   5th
Grade: Maureen Nesselrode read an example of a prompt where students are asked
to make a list of two or three locations that are special to them; teacher
models her list (teacher sharing personal stories encourages students to
share)l; the next day the teacher says they should to go back to their lists,
teacher adds more things to her list and asks students to do the same; then
prompts that today they will spend time sketching a map of their special places;
teacher makes her sketch and shares a story about it; teacher asks students to
mark and “X” on their maps and to pretend that there are buried stories hidden
there, like treasure; students will refer back to their list and map as they
develop their stories; 5th graders may write multiple short stories
a day, they will select the best ones and enter them into Google Docs

  • Ms. Hill shared
    that her students are so excited to write, they shared their stories with
    another class through a mini-showcase
  • Maureen
    Nesselrode: along the way, teachers are coaching their students to improve
    by persevering and taking pride in their work; younger students have two
    adults in class during this time (reading specialist and classroom
    teacher)
  • Opened floor to
    Q & A: 

o   Q:
How long is the writer’s workshop block? A: Grades K-3= 2 hours (1 hour
reading, 1 hour writing); Grades 4-5=1.5 hours (45 mins. reading, 45 mins.
writing)

o   Q:
Does this encompass different types of writing? A: Yes. Include poetry,
informational, fiction, how-to, etc. units

 

VII. Reminders/Notices/New
Business

  • Nathan Zee:
    reminders

o   Movie
Night this Friday, 10/21 (weather permitting, rain date 10/28)

o   “Socktober”
crazy sock day and sock drive, 10/28

o   Fill-the-Pond
Pledge Drive incentives end 10/31

o   Silver
Diner Restaurant Night, 11/3

o   Bake
Sale on Election Day, 11/8

  • New Business:

o   Jessica
Haney: looking for volunteers for apple tasting during lunchtime on 11/3, look
for sign-up genius and sign up if you can help

o   Maureen
Nesselrode: If you have something thing that you want announced or promoted at
Community Meeting, the team needs lead time; they meet on Mondays, so you need
to let them know prior to their meeting when set the agenda for that week’s
Community Meeting (Community Meeting is a schoolwide meeting held on Friday
mornings at 8:05 am that celebrate learning; typically 3-4 items are showcased,
such as music demonstrations, dance performances, by groups and individual
students; all parents are welcome to attend)

 

VIII.        Closing,
Nathan Zee, President

  • Dial-In for
    meetings is not working; we’re looking to find a solution, but you must attend
    meetings in person to cast a vote (required by our bylaws)
  • We will likely
    be serving less pizza at future meetings since we routinely have too much
    left over
  • Topic to be
    discussed at next meeting: Title 1- What is it?

 

PTA Meeting Minutes 9.20.16

Campbell PTA Meeting

September 20, 2016

6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Approximate # of
Attendees
:  
30

I.     Introductions
and Recap of Summer Activities; Nathan Zee, President 

  • Nathan
    introduced himself and then opened the floor to all 30 members present for
    introductions
  • Over 80 families
    have joined PTA so far for the 2016-2017 school year (433 students
    enrolled this year); if you haven’t joined, please do so by 9/30 ($8
    individual/$15 per family).  The
    link to join is: Join PTA
    Online – Campbell Elementary
    ; you will receive a PTA membership
    card that will entitle you to discounts at affiliated retailers

  • What kinds of things does the
    PTA do/support?

o   We
purchase items such as the Sheila Gale reading Bench that has been placed in
the courtyard, a tribute to recently retired Campbell reading teacher Sheila
Gale; Nathan read a Thank You note from Sheila Gale

o   We
support teacher requests (e.g. class umbrellas, class rain boots, standing
desks), outdoor learning (e.g. new pond and outdoor learning coordinator position),
field trips, and more

o   We
support activities such as the Wetlands Festival, Back-to-School Picnic, Fun
Run, Movie Night, School Dance, and many, many more

o   Thanks
to those who have already signed up for volunteer events (such as the Teacher Appreciation
breakfast, and the Election Day Bake Sale); there is no cut-off to sign-up for
events, so please sign up at any time if you are able

  • PTA Officers have two-year term
    limits, so both Kathy Cordon (VP of Fundraising) and Kelly Krug’s (VP of
    Programming) positions will need to be filled by someone else for the next
    school year; keep this in mind if you are interested in becoming a part of
    the PTA’s executive board
  • How does the PTA communicate?

o   Listserv

o   Campbell
PTA Facebook Group (closed group for privacy reason; it is moderated and you
must agree to the terms in order to join)

o   Friends
of Campbell Facebook Group is not affiliated with the PTA

o   Twitter:
Maureen Nesselrode has an account and she frequently posts pictures (her
Twitter feed can also be viewed from the Campbell APS page)

o   PTA
also has a webpage with information and links: https://campbellschool.org/

  • Summer Updates

o   Pond
was redone (came in about $200 under budget)

o   Turtle
Tank was rebuilt

o   Updated
and adopted new bylaws (good for 5 years)

o   Completed
audit, filed taxes, and did other administrative work to ensure we remain in
good standing with VAPTA

o   Nathan
thanked Sean Doyle and Ric Cordon for rebuilding the pond bridge last Saturday

 

II.    Nomination for
Executive Board vacant position (new position)

  • Kelly Krug,
    member of nominating committee to fill new executive board position of VP
    of Communications and Outreach nominated Barbara Martinez to fill open
    position; there were no other interested parties
  • Motion to
    approve nomination, Seconded, Motion Approved unanimously by 30 members
  • Formal vote will
    take place at next meeting (October 18) to elect Barbara Martinez to
    position of VP of Communications and Outreach (note: nominations from the
    floor will be accepted on October 18th if anyone else is
    interested in the position)

 

III.   Review of
Fundraising Activities for 2016-2017

  • Kathy Cordon, VP
    of Fundraising—Five Main Fundraisers held throughout the year

o   Pledge
Drive: starts 10/3 and lasts for six weeks; no-fuss, just donate money and
receive incentives

o   Penny
Wars: will be held in February; grade levels will be competing against one
another, will coincide w/President’s Day (Lincoln/Penny educational tie-in)

o   Fun
Run: will replace the Read-a-thon, will take place on 3/24 and there will be a
DJ; online pledging and outreach prior to date; will be held at school during
school hours

o   Square
One Art: merchandise created from your own child’s artwork will be available in
April, in time for Spring holidays (such as Mother’s Day)

o   Wetlands
Festival: will be held 4/29; largest fundraiser of the year; silent auction and
fun-filled day with food and bands for community to enjoy while raising money
for Campbell

o   Other
fundraisers throughout the year include: Amazon affiliate link, Box Tops,
Benefit (new), Restaurant Nights (California pizza Kitchen next week), Pizza
Nights

o   We’d
like to focus on grants this year, so if anyone has ideas (specific grants we
should pursue) or expertise in this area please let us know

IV.  Review of
Programming Activities for 2016-2017

  • Kelly Krug, VP
    of Programming

o   Back-to-School
Picnic this Friday; there will be Food trucks, please bring blankets/chairs

o   Bike/Walk-to-School
Day on 10/5

o   First
Ever Outdoor Movie Night on 10/21; will have pizza, popcorn, drinks available
for purchase

o   “Socktober”
spirit day also in October

o   Calendar
of Events went home last week in Thursday Folders

o   School
Dance in February

o   DC
United game in the spring (with tailgate)

 

V.    Treasurer’s
Report

  • Jenny Morris,
    Treasurer—For the 2016-2017 budget year we had more expenses than
    projected income due to two large projects (Pond and Turtle Tank), for
    which we have reserves

o   Increased
classroom resources budget for the 2016-2017 year

o   $50,000
projected income

  • Open floor to Q
    & A:

o   Q:
Do we make money from Spirit Wear? A: Not budgeted as a fundraiser, it’s a wash
(we make a tiny amount, but it’s not intended to make us money). We want
children to have the opportunity to have Spirit Wear to feel like part of the
community, so we don’t consider this a way to fundraise.

o   Q:
Does the PTA support Field Trips? A: Yes, for big trips that require a charter
bus (like to Jamestown and Baltimore Zoo), the PTA helps to offset the cost.

  • Motion was made
    to approve 2016-2017 budget, Seconded, and Approved Unanimously

 

VI.  Testing and the
SOL’s, Maureen Nesselrode, Principal

  • Over past four
    years, goal has been to get students reading and doing math on grade
    level, with no gaps between demographic sub-groups
  • Campbell does
    not do much test prep; there is nothing unusual about the format of the
    SOL’s that lends itself to test prep (not like the SAT’s)
  • VA is not a
    Common Core state; many of the concerns and information about testing and
    curriculum (on the national level) does not apply to VA or the SOL’s
  • VA is moving
    towards focusing on the accreditation model rather than the NCLB ESEA
    requirements; for accreditation we need 75% of all students passing (we
    are in the 80’s)
  • School-wide
    efforts to improve performance, such as a strong Library program, Workshop
    Model, excellent staff, and strategic grouping of students, have led to great
    successes over last 4 years
  • How to measure
    Outdoor Learning? Ms. Christy is collecting data; has done 25 lessons
    already between orientations and other lessons; making an effort to
    reflect this in Turtle Tales Newsletter, Class Newsletters, and other
    communications
  • Revised Homework
    Policy was discussed at Back-to-School Night
  • Electronic
    Policy: for now, devices remain at school unless and until there is a
    compelling reason to send them home
  • 4th
    and 5th graders will be doing Word Study in school; will allow
    for more differentiation (intervention/acceleration both possible) so that
    all student needs are met
  • Open floor to Q
    & A:

o   Q:
Do the Interlude program students count towards Campbell’s SOL scores?

o    A: No, their scores are counted with their
home schools’ scores

 

VII. Reminders and
Notices

  • Jessica Haney:
    SHAB meeting next month, 10/19; more info here: http://apsshab.weebly.com/
  • Tammy Bewitz:
    Looking for volunteers for check-in and snack donations for Project
    Discovery (Project Discovery is Campbell’s enrichment course programs; we
    offer two sessions per year, one in the fall and one in the spring. The first
    six-week session begins in October; register by 9/30 online here: http://www.regonline.com/Campbell); also, if anyone has ideas for classes or expertise
    to teach/lead a class, please let her know: campbellprojectdiscovery@gmail.com
  • Maureen
    Nesselrode, Principal: Latina Moms group has been formed, modeled after
    the Kenmore Middle School Parent Group; first meeting will be held on
    Thursday, 9/22 at 7:45 am at Campbell; hope to support the PTA’s efforts
    and foster greater inclusion of all voices

 

VIII.        Closing, Nathan
Zee, President

  • Outlined general
    flow of PTA meetings
  • Topics to be
    discussed are taken from the Parent Survey (four most popular topics will
    be discussed at upcoming meetings)
  • Funding request
    from Beth Decker for reimbursement for the bunny cage and bedding for the
    new Campbell bunny, $144.38
  • Motion was made
    to approve funding request, Seconded, and Approved Unanimously
  • Remember to buy
    your Campbell Spirit Wear!