December 2020 PTA Meeting Minutes

12/2/2020 2:16 pm

Board Meeting

Wednesday, December 9, 2020 – 6:30 EDT

Present:  Sam Lewis (President), Lee Rushton (Vice-President), Ed Greenaway (Treasurer), Katie Hazelton (Secretary) Katie Tunney (Lower School Director), Andre Ward (Upper School Director), Karen McLaughlin (SAR Teacher Representative), Amy Browne (Teacher Representative)

Other attendees: Lora Estey, Trish Tierney, Chrissy Conley, Steve Lewis, Vickie Spiess, Emily Cusimano, Joy Mello, Julie Ma, Leila Samara.

Sponsored By: Grade 5

Agenda

Welcome, Meeting Overview, Introductions, Meet and Greet Breakouts

• Board and directors introduced themselves.
• Encouragement to join PTA if not already a member. This year, membership dues ($12/family) have a particularly big impact where other fundraising activities are limited.

November 2020 Minutes Approval, Accomplishments

• MOTION to approve November 2020 minutes, seconded and passed. Minutes are posted to PTA Facebook and website.
• Square One Art: Square 1 Art usually raises over $2000 for our school. Typically, art is completed in the classroom and the teachers coordinate the return of the pieces. This year, the process was a bit more challenging as parents coordinated and uploaded finished work. There were 100 student uploads; sales were about 35% of a typical year.
• Family Photo Shoot: Great success, thanks to our three volunteer photographers (Michelle Bylsma, Eric Gehring, and Steve Lewis)! There was incredible interest and we couldn’t accommodate everyone that wanted to participate. This event may be worth revisiting again in the spring.
• Reflections (Arts Competition Program): Reflections is a National PTA initiative encouraging all schools to submit student work. Students should submit original artwork in the following categories: dance choreography, literature, photography, film production, music composition, visual arts.  Work is submitted to the local PTA for judging, we then pass our chosen submissions along to the National PTA for the larger competition. Reflections kick off is 11/16 and deadline to submit is 1/8/21.  Note that we are still looking for a leader for the Dance Category.  Information sessions on each category are available on the PTA website for students interested in participating. 
• Scholastic Book Fair: Runs through Monday, December 13^th.  The Lyndon receives 25% of total sales in Scholastic dollars. 
• Lyndon Gear Store: Lots of new items this year!  PTA main page will have a link to items available and ordering information. 
• Passing Thanks Around Program: Every Thursday, for 6 Thursdays in a row, PTA Facebook page reminder to thank a segment of the school population.  We are currently in week 4:  thanking a past teacher.
• There are four programs that raise money for our school with little-to-no-effort on our part:
• Box Tops – cut from purchase or download the app and scan receipts post-shopping trip
• Amazon Smile – signup through your Amazon account or app
• Coca-Cola Give – create an account and scan codes under caps or in cartons
• Stop & Shop – register your S&S card for up to two schools

Updates Across the Lyndon

• School Site Council:
  • Katie Tunney update Hiring/Staff changes: There are new custodians in the building.  A teacher going on personal leave this spring, so interviews conducted and an offer is out for a teacher to fill that role for a few months.
  • Teachers conducted MAP and Math assessments with the students.
  • Three virtual school previews for prospective families: one preview was held, 2 more coming in January. 
  • Community meetings held for families to learn about exam school criteria process this year.
• Citywide Parent Council (CPC) update:
  • Update on Meeting with Superintendent on December 7: City looking at a lot of metrics to determine whether and when schools should be reopened. 28 schools are reopening on Monday, December 14 (Level 3 and up).
  • Every school that has an HVAC system is getting the top of the line filter for the system. Other schools with no HVAC are getting air purifiers for every classroom (10,000 will be purchased).  District also replacing 7000 windows throughout the district schools.  District in the planning stages of onsite staff testing, also beginning to look at pilot programs for student testing.  District lobbying for teachers to be priority vaccine recipients.  District also will be increasing air quality testing throughout all schools.
  • Chief Technology Officer stated that teacher trainings have decreased zoom class interruptions.
  • Exam Schools: Superintendent is putting together another working group to consider options going forward. The Superintendent is not a fan of any testing for exam school admission but she is looking for a fair and equitable testing option. 
  • School Fundraising moratorium is over.
  • Timeline for reopening: a moving target, no date set at this time, but return to school will be in stages as was proposed in the Fall (youngest students first).
  • Everyone is welcome at CPC meetings and encouraged to attend. There are various small working groups so if you are passionate about an issue, you can get involved.  Link will be posted on Facebook PTA page.
• Friends of the Lyndon (FOTL): purchasing 3 NEC screens for 2^nd and third grade loop and 23 monitors for the upper school. Additional NEC screens have been requested for other grades but purchasing will be done in stages.
• Room Parents: Coordinating holiday appreciation gifts for teachers.
• Wellness Committee: Recent meeting to work on wellness plan (as required by BPS). Initiatives discussed include: staff step challenge, discussion of health/nutrition during gym period, implementation of a Health Class for grades 6-8, discussion of social/emotional support for students, discussion of COVID safety procedures with students. 
• Caring Committee: Collecting coats/winter clothing for middle school students.
• Lyndon Equity Roundtable: Coordinated Donation of games from organization in NH (w/ help from Ms. Sallen) and Lyndon community donated many items from Amazon wishlist for families in need. Gift cards for grocery stores are still needed.
• Library Update: Library committee working with teachers and students to coordinate return of outstanding books.

Treasurer’s Report

• Expenses slightly outpacing revenue for first half of the year. Balances remain similar to the end of last year due to missed fundraising events/targets and not much need for spending. Silver lining to this year: spending remains very low. 
• If anyone has new fundraising ideas, please share them with the board.

Upcoming and Current Events List

• Reflections is a National PTA initiative encouraging all schools to submit student work. Students should submit original artwork in the following categories: dance choreography, literature, photography, film production, music composition, visual arts. Work is submitted to the local PTA for judging, we then pass our chosen submissions along to the National PTA for the larger competition.  The Lyndon PTA is looking for volunteers to help with coordinating and judging this competition. Reflections kick off is 11/16 and deadline to submit is 1/8/21.
• Upcoming Events:
  • Now Through December 13^th: Fall Book Fair.
  • December 10^th-December 16^th: Thankful Thursday Week 5
  • December 16^th @7-8pm – MA PTA Wellness Wednesday
  • December 17^th @5:30pm – School Site Council Meeting
  • December 17^th-23^rd – Thankful Thursday Week 6
  • December 18^th @8am – Equity Roundtable Meeting
  • TBD December – Virtual Parent Holiday Event
  • December 20^th – Lyndon Gear Order Deadline #2
  • December 22^nd @6pm = Citywide Parent Council Meeting
  • January 8^th: Deadline for Reflections submissions
  • January 13^th @6:30pm – PTA Meeting
  • January 25^th: Deadline for Reflections Judging
  • February 1^st: Submit Reflections winners to MA PTA
• Lyndon Day at Fenway: We chose a Fall game, date is September 22^nd (Wednesday). Prices will be $35/ticket.  Order forms will be out within the next week. Order deadline will be January 25^th. A block of tickets will be reserved for new incoming Lyndon families.
• The next PTA meeting will be held on January 13, 2021 at 6:30.

Meeting adjourned. 

Minutes submitted by Secretary, Katie Hazelton