April 2023 Meeting Minutes

Global Arts PTA Meeting Minutes

04/10/23 at 6:00 pm

Meeting Participants: Principal Jones, Dawn Puroway, Stephanie Stegeman, Maureen Mullaney Vu, Danielle Beck, Michelle Klemmer, Mr. Sam, Lynn Bourgyne, Abby Kimlinger, Emily Harer, Maureen Nystrom, Jason Johnson, Cassie Harp, Sarah Norby, Michelle O’Brien, Lee Anne Garhofer, Ericka Dennis, Kaylan Pundsack, Elizabeth 

Meeting called to order at 6:07 pm by Dawn Puroway 

Introduction  - Dawn Puroway

Secretary’s Report - Maureen Mullaney Vu (Absent) Stephanie Stegeman (Sub)

1. Approval of February Minutes. Motioned by Dawn Puroway  , seconded by Jason Johnson

Treasurer’s Report - Stephanie Stegeman

1. March Report

   1. Income for March was $18,597.84.00 (Direct Ask and Coffee Sales)

   2. Expenses for the month: Teacher Reimbursement, School Dance, Teacher Conference Meals

   3. Ending balance in checking is $30,562.81

Principal’s Report - Chreese Jones

1. It is budget season. The budget is a different timeline and system this year. Principal Jones doesn’t see any impending cuts. Budget focuses on mission statement, arts integration, maintaining staffing and continuing to grow.

2. We have been very successful with residencies this year. 

3. Wrapping up the year we are going back to both campuses coming together for an end of the year celebration at Palace Recreation Center. 4th Graders will go under the balloons to recognize their moving into 5th grade.

4. Shout out to the PTA for the School Dance. Many adults were thrilled with the idea of a school dance at an elementary school. 

5. Questioning how do we get families involved at the school. Hoping to have family meetings around affinity groups. Asking questions about what we are missing, what to celebrate and what we can learn from.

6. Principal Jones opened the meeting up for questions.

7. Question from Michelle Klemmer about Kindergarten celebration. Principal Jones said that she doesn’t know of any history of that happening at Global Arts.

Family Liaison Report - Ms. Dennis

1. Summer Program Registration is open. Priority deadline is April 15th. Week of April 24th is when families hear about what they are registered for. 

2. April 15th 11-1:30 Oxford Community Center - Resource Fair. Text will go out through Blackboard Connect.

3. April 21st - Global Arts will have Staff Professional Development. Discussing with staff how to improve family and staff communication

4. Upper Campus School Dance with be April 28th

5. Budget Meeting on family engagement- TBD 

SCIP Update - Ms. Beck

1. 3 Goals are for school climate, math proficiency 3rd and 4th grades, and Kindergarten focus is on reading. 

2. Walk throughs were done, teachers observed new phonics program in K-2, and math instructions were observed. Fast assessments were done and results are good for phonics curriculum.

3. Positive School Wide System. 2nd round will begin soon. Will be taken again in the Spring. 

SCIP Update - Lynn Bourgouyne 

1. Fast testing for Winter is completed. Data was pulled to look at from cultural and equity prospectives. MCA are running now. Spring Fast Testing will begin May 8th. Walk throughs at Upper Campus. Staff could observe teachers in other classroom and grade levels. Teachers enjoyed having that time to reflect on what they see in the school. PBIS team has completed the school survey. Chance to see what is important to kids. Find better ways to track data about kids who are spending time in the hallways and not at school.

2. Social Civic learning is scored high at Global Arts. School is a place where they have an adult there to help them when they need it. This is a new survey for us. Looking at the data for the first time to improve support at the building. Cultural acceptance and students treating each other well was on the lower end.

3. Principal Jones - 10 parents who joined are white. What is shared in your home with regards to students or families who don’t look like you. What messages are our children getting at home?

4. Dawn - executive team wants to move forward on Asian American. AAPI Clubs.

Union Steward Update - Cassie Carp, Leean Garhoffer, Mr. Sam, Maureen Nystrom. 

1. Union Stewards at Global Arts Campuses. Bringing concerns and wish to partner with Administration. The sense that we want a strong sense of community in our school.

2. Want to make sure that sense of community includes all the voices and all the players. Parents, wanting to expand and have more people who reflect the students we teach to be a part of the conversation.

3. A big concern is safety. Student safety and staff safety. How do we change and improve things so there is a sense of safety at school for kids. Something that was popular is a big push to bring back the School Climate Improvement Team (SCIP). Teachers, Students and Parents coming together to improve the climate. How do we get the people that aren’t a part of these groups to know what is happening? Additional way to to serve the community we work in.SCIT is a team that would include teachers, students and community members. An additional way to have folks come together.

4. Ms. Dennis mentioned establishing Affinity Groups - have one person from the affinity groups be a part of the SCIT. If we don’t already establish some subset groups it becomes another group that doesn’t have all groups represented. When the affinity groups get going. They will be more willing to be honest about how they are feeling when they are in that space.

5. Ms. Cark Mentioned creating a sense of welcome within affinity groups first.

6. Ms. Nystrom stated that SCIT team brings student voices into the conversation

7. Ms. Dennis mentioned the idea of Student Leadership team/Student Government

8. Ms. Nystrom provided the link for the SCIT https://www.spfe28.org/resources/school-climate-improvement-team-pilot-implementation/

9. Ms. Karp asked if the option makes sense before further planning.

PTA Budget for next year -

Conversations over the next 2 months. Budget put together and voted on in June. 

1. Small group discussion - priorities for 2023 - 2024

   1. This school year, the PTA prioritized supplementing funding for artists in residence, teacher reimbursements, and a Family Dance (and still to come this year - support for a middle school dance, an all-school carnival, 8th grade end of year field trip, and teacher appreciation week). 

   2. As we are looking to the next school year any suggestion on changes to our priorities or feedback.

   3. Ms. Dennis - cultural nights and funding as a priority. Funding behind cultural nights to bring affinity groups together that would be great.

   4. Ms. Harer - Field Trips - every grade level to go to one field trip.

   5. Mr. Sam - after school theater

   6. Michelle - for cultural nights maybe ann opportunity for affinity families to highlight businesses or cultural performances.

   7. Principal Jones - business owners in the school. Ads can be part of a fundraiser.

   8. Mr. Sam - Ms. Rasheed - after school theater 85-100 students participate. How much she might ask for from PTA to help sponsor this.

   9. Dawn Puroway - put together a survey asking teachers about priorities and reimbursements. Link will be put in the chart.

   10. Mr. Sam - Upper Campus has staff meeting and he can bring it up.

   11. Principal Jones - school pays for play rights and the printing of the postcards for marketing. She will talk to Ms. Rasheed to find out what out of pocket expenses there are.

Carnival Planning - Maureen mentioned we are looking for volunteers

Stephanie Stegeman - “Any meeting worth having is worth evaluating”. 

1. Encouraged meeting participants to include one word in the chat to indicate how they  felt about the meeting. 

Words included: Thoughtful, reflective, inspiring, informative, forward movement, things to do, action, warm

Meeting adjourned at 7:20 pm