: Campbell PTA Minutes 9.9.14

Following are the minutes of the PTA meeting last Tuesday, September 9th (excerpted and attached below).  A Spanish version is forthcoming.  Apologies for formatting issues (formatting does not always transfer when text is cut and pasted from a Word document).  If you have questions or problems opening the attachments at the bottom of the email, please contact secretary@campbellschool.org.  

Campbell PTA Meeting
Notes

September 9, 2014

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Attendees:  approximately 35 individuals

I.     Welcome
and Introductions

       PTA
President, Beth Cavey, welcomed everyone to the first Parent Teacher
Association (PTA) meeting of the year. 

II.    Overview
of Campbell School Outdoor Classroom

Presenters: Jessica Haney and Christy
Przytawik

• The former Garden
  Committee has been renamed the Outdoor Classroom Committee.  Jessica Haney and Christy Przytawik are
  the co-chairs. 




• The Outdoor Classroom Committee
  is seeking volunteers.  If you are
  interested, please email haneyjessica@yahoo.com
  or Christy at coachchristymarie@gmail.com
  or call the school.

• The co-chairs provided a brief history of recent
  efforts for the Campbell schoolyard, the vegetable and flower gardens, and the
  Wetlands Learning.  There was also an
  extensive discussion of next year’s plans which in general focus on increasing
  utilization of the Outdoor Classroom by teachers and students.  Some of next year’s goals include:

  • Maintaining the garden beds and assisting the
    teachers and students in using the gardens

  • Assisting in the management of small groups of
    students doing outdoor lessons

  • Assisting with farm-to-table lessons that can be
    replicated

  • Developing expedition-related outdoor lessons in
    conjunction with teachers and the Expeditionary Learning Specialist, Pam Clark

  • Fostering connections with local nature centers
    and other community based organizations

  • Helping to plan and recruit for Garden Work Days

  • Learning more about native and invasive plants
    in the Wetlands

  • Helping engage children in outdoor exploration
    outside of school hours

     

• In order to create a sustainable solution for
  the entire school yard and grounds so that it can be better utilized by
  teachers and students, the PTA is recommending the creation of a paid Garden
  Docent position.  The Garden Docent
  would, among other responsibilities, conduct 2-4 classes per week.  

  • This position would be filled by Christy
    Przystawik, who has extensive experience in this type of work.  She is a garden teacher at a public school in
    Washington, DC, where the school grows, harvests, and cooks all of its food
    from their own garden.  She is also a
    trained chef.  This position is not part
    of the Arlington Public School System. 
    The cost to pay for the position has been included in the PTA Budget
    Proposal. 

• The first garden day is September 20^th.
  We hope you can join us.

• There is interest in researching other possible
  items for the grounds, including a beehive and chicken coup. 

   

• For questions or more information, please see
  the attached document, “Campbell Outdoor Classroom Committee, Maintaining Our
  Schoolyard, supporting outdoor learning” or contact Jessica or Christy at the
  emails noted above.

III.   PTA
Priorities, Review of Calendar, and Budget Discussion and Approval

• PTA Meeting days and times:  A survey sent out last year to PTA membership
  and the broader Campbell community identified concerns with the PTA meeting
  time.  Unfortunately, there was no
  consensus about preferred days and times. 
  Because Tuesdays have been identified as a day that does not conflict
  with other Arlington Public School System meetings, Campbell PTA meetings will
  remain on Tuesdays.  However, the PTA
  Executive Board is proposing to alternate the times to try to accommodate
  different work and family schedules.  To
  that end, the meeting in December will begin at a later time (7:30 or 8 p.m.
  TBD), rather than at 6 p.m.  We look
  forward to your feedback on how this alternate schedule is working. 

• PTA Priorities for the 2014/2015 School Year:  The PTA Executive Committee, taking into
  account survey responses, identified the following four priorities (not in any
  order) for PTA activities this school year: 
  (1) the outdoor classroom; (2) field trips; (3) reading support; and,
  (4) teacher appreciation. 

• Thursday Folders (Teachers Need Our Help):  Every Thursday, a folder comes home with
  important information in it from the school, the county, the PTA, and outside
  vendors.  Our teachers could really use
  help in stuffing the folders on Thursday mornings.  If you are able to help out, please contact
  Elizabeth Cavey, PTA President, at president@campbellschool.org.

     

• Calendar:  Principal Nesselrode will be sending out the
  calendar for the year soon.  In the
  meantime, here are the events scheduled for September: 

  • Wednesday, September 17^th (6:30-8):
    Back-to-School Night

  • Saturday, September 20^th (9-1
    p.m.):  Garden Work Day

  • Monday, September 22^nd (2:45):
    Outdoor Classroom Committee Meeting

  • Friday, September 26^th (8:30
    a.m.):  Garden Work Day

  • Friday, September 26^th (5:30-8
    p.m.):  School Picnic 

• Classroom Parents:  Each classroom will have a “Room Parent” who
  will serve as an advocate for the parents and kids in the classroom.  Parents can reach out to the designated room
  parent if they have questions or concerns or to get more information.  Teachers can utilize the room parents as well.  If you are interested in being a room parent,
  you can sign up during the Back-to-School Night or contact Rachel Schroeder at vicepresident2@campbellschool.org. 

• PTA newsletter:  The PTA will publish a monthly
  newsletter.  It will include meeting
  notices, recipes, and other interesting items for parents.  If you have ideas for the newsletter, please
  contact Beth Cavey at president@campbellschool.org.  

• Fundraising
  Committee report: 

  • Ideas to raise money include:  a fall fundraiser – some kind of pledge drive
    TBD; Read-a-thon; Barnes & Noble wrapping presents on Black Friday;
    restaurant nights; Wetlands Festival

  • Don’t forget to link all cards to Campbell
    School. Some places like Target and Amazon give Campbell 5% of all
    purchases.  This is one of the easiest
    ways to raise money for the school. Participating vendors include: Amazon,
    escripts, Giant, Safeway.  For more
    information or to sign up your cards online, go to Campbellschool.org. For
    questions, contact vicepresident2@campbellschool.org.

  • Please also be sure to “friend” Campbell on
    Facebook. 

  • If you are interested in helping out with the
    Fundraising Committee, please contact vicepresident2@campbellschool.org.

• Budget for School Year 2014/2015: 

  • Copies of the proposed budget were passed out  

  • Eva Clark, the Treasurer, reviewed some of the
    key projects funded last year (e.g., Chrome books, bikes for the pre-K
    classroom etc.) 

  • Last year, the Wetlands Festival raised about
    $10,000 – some of these funds are carried over the following year

  • Campbell Outdoor Classroom Fund: $5,363.40 has
    been put into savings

  • The proposed budget includes up to $6,000 to pay
    for the Garden Docent position

  • Other priorities included in budget: School dances,
    School picnic; Project Discovery

  • To get reimbursed for approved expenses, go to
    the Campbell website and print off a reimbursement request form and submit it
    to Eva Clark (you can drop it off in the front office or email it to her at treasurer@campbellschool.org).  Expenses under $300 in general do not need
    general PTA membership approval, but our practice is to bring all such requests
    to the general PTA.

  • The proposed budget includes carrying over funds
    for next year’s budget.   

  • MOTION
    TO APPROVE THE BUDGET:  Nathan Zane
    made the motion; Chandi Krohl seconded it. 
    The motion was approved.  A copy
    of the budget is available on the Campbell website.  The website will also include the Treasurer’s
    monthly report. 

• Project Discovery:  Project Discovery is an after school
  enrichment program run by the PTA.  The
  classes are after school on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.  Classes have included such things as zumba,
  martial arts, chess, art etc.  There is a
  fee, but scholarships are available.  It
  is important to note that this is not a fundraiser – money raised by the
  program is put back into program operations. 
  Another way to save $25 on program expenses is to volunteer to check-in
  kids after school.

• Funding request:

  • MOTION
    TO FUND AERATOR APPROVED:  Motion
    to fund an aerator for the turtle ponds up to $100 was approved.  Patty Healy made the motion; Nathan Zane
    seconded. 

• School Picnic:  The picnic is scheduled for Friday, September
  25^th (5:30-8 p.m.) on the Campbell School Grounds.  There will lots of great food offered by a
  variety of food trucks.  10% of all
  proceeds from the food truck will be given back to the PTA.  Campbell wear will be available.  Bring your blankets and be ready to have fun!

   

• Parent/Teacher Conferences:

  • Conferences
    are scheduled for Thursday, October 9^th and Friday, October 10^th. 

  • Everwonder
    will be offering a camp on both days.  
    Moley Evans, who runs Everwonder, will donate a percent of the proceeds
    to Campbell.  Everwonder camps will be
    available to all APS parents/students. Look out for more information in your
    Thursday folders.

     

    IV.  Principal
    State of the School Address and Questions

    Presenter:  Principal Maureen Nesselrode

• Enrollment
  for each grade:






• Prek = 65 students (5
  classes)




• K -= 71 students (3 classes)




• 1^st = 59 students (3
  classes)




• 2^nd = 64 students (3
  classes)




• 3^rd = 54 students (3
  classes)




• 4^th = 58 students (3
  classes)




• 5^th = 47 students (2
  classes)




• Largest class is 24 kids;
  smallest 17 kids







• Standards of Learning (SOLs):
   






• Very strong PALS scores
  school wide K-2




• Significant gains in Reading
  SOL pass rates in grades 3 and 4




• Strong math SOL results in
  grades 3-5




• Progress among ESOL/HILT
  students




• Met state targets in all
  areas 2 years in a row

 

• Areas to focus on for
  2014-15






• Consistency in Expeditionary
  Learning (EL) practices




• Coordination school wide
  (vertical alignment of Expeditions)




• The Workshop Model




• Student Led Conferences –
  expanding in Grades 2/3 (students will do it at March and June
  conferences)




• Learning outside when
  appropriate

• Refreshing the building:
   






• Soccer field has been seeded




• Murals hung in cafeteria




• New stage curtains




• New art furniture coming




• De-cluttering




• New gym floor




• New bulletin boards




• Some new chairs/desks




• Requests have been put in for
  bike track and new carpeting







• Changes in testing in VA
  – these are state decisions, not Arlington County






• 3^rd grade Science
  SOL eliminated




• 3^rd grade Social
  Studies SOL eliminated




• 5^th grade writing
  SOL eliminated

 

• The Workshop Model:  This model of learning is considered a
  “best practice” for Expeditionary Learning and is endorsed by other
  experts, such as Teacher’s College. 
  Principle Nesselrode provided an example.  In music class, there may be a workshop
  on playing the keyboard.  It might
  run something like this:  the
  teacher shows the students how to do it; the students go to keyboards with
  headphones and when they have mastered a particular skill, they demonstrate
  the skill for the teacher.  The
  teacher checks off the skill and the child moves on to another skill.  This model can be used for all subjects.  Because it involves a level of
  independent work, a child’s progress may vary from his or her peers.




•  Ipad Countywide Initiative  






• Campbell has 3 pilot
  classrooms.  Liz Seitz, a K/1
  teacher and trained reading specialist, researched and identified
  appropriate applications (“apps”) for the kids to use on the Ipads.  These have all been vetted with the Instructional
  Technology Coordinator (ITC).  The
  “apps” are directed by the teacher and used to support classroom
  instruction.  Principal Nesselrode
  will share the list of approved “apps” with parents.  More information on the pilot projects
  will be made available later in the fall/winter.







• Forms of communication with
  parents:  Thursday folders;
  School Talk; Twitter Account; Campbell Website; Turtle Tales Newsletter;
  PTA listserve; Call the main office for logistical questions




• Safety and Security:






• Please always enter the
  school through Door 1 and sign the visitor log in the front office.  If you need to walk through the school,
  wear a visitor’s badge sticker.




• We have three additional
  elementary school resource officers (SROs) – these are police officers who
  work for the county and they are divided among the schools




• All schools have lock
  down drills in September and January and monthly fire drills; there is an
  annual earthquake drill







• Opportunities for 4^th
  and 5^th graders: 
  Safety patrols (5^th grade); chorus (4^th/5^th
  grade); band/orchestra (4/5); Weatherbugs/Community Meeting (4/5); Yes
  club – 4/5 by invitation; Book clubs – 4/5 by invitation; Encourage
  students to stay committed to activities.




• Principal Chats:
  Principal chats are scheduled once a month; however, because of
  parent/teacher conferences in October there will be no Principal Chat that
  month.  The next one is scheduled
  for Thursday, November 13^th at 8:00 a.m.  Contact Principal Nesselrode if you have
  ideas for topics of discussion.