February 2023 Meeting Minutes

Global Arts PTA Meeting Minutes 

02/13/23 at 6:00 pm

Meeting Participants: Principal Jones, Dawn Puroway, Stephanie Stegeman, Lynne Bourgoyne, Michelle Klemmer, Emily Harer, Danielle Beck, Kaylan Pundsack, Saul Salgado, Laku Wha, Tony Whittmann, Sarah Norby, Erick Dennis, Cara Weston, Jon and Paula

Meeting called to order at 6:05  pm by Dawn Puroway 

Introduction Discussion - Dawn Puroway

1. Introductions - Name and where you grew up and went to elementary school

2. Expectations - mute when not talking, put your name in the chat for attendance

3. Explanation of why we use Robert’s Rules of Order

4. Questions - share in the chat or ask and we will answer now, at the end of the meeting, or get back to you, or at the next meeting

5. Recognize the diversity in your community, openly discuss intentions to be inclusive, and encourage people to voice their concerns.

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

1. Approval of December Minutes. Motioned by Daniell Beck  , seconded by  julie Manthe

Treasurer’s Report - Stephanie Stegeman

1. January Report

   1. Income for January was $1,398.00 (Direct Ask and Coffee Sales)

   2. Expenses for the month: $1,555.85 (8th Grade T-shirts and Teacher Reimbursement).

   3. Ending balance in checking is $16,540.37, $4,779.34 in savings account. Total funds are $21,319,571. 

   4. An unexpected and outstanding bill for $1,259.20 from Imprint Engine for 8th grade t-shirts from the spring of 2022 was received by 8th grade staff and paid.  No late fees were incurred.

   5. $10,000 to Principal Jones for Arts Residencies was cashed in the month of February and will be shown on the next treasures report.

Principal’s Report - Chreese Jones

1. Principal Jones publicly thanked the PTA for the $10,000 donation the school uses to support all the artists in residence at upper and lower campuses.

2. Invited Families: Thursday Evening and Friday Morning - 4th Grade Opera: Climate Change. All are welcome!

3. 101 Dalmation Kids Production - Invite Families: A donation is appreciated: 2/23 @ 6:30 pm  and 2/24 Friday Gathering.

4. Artists are in the buildings!: The 7th grade mural is staring. The Opera! Very exciting.

5. Learning walks are occuring: an opportunity to celebrate and share the great  learning in our classrooms.

6. Spring testing: please watch dates: 3-8th grade, asking for great support, great rest and meals at home.  Bedtime is very important!  Set scholars for success!

7. Acknowledged the sad events at Harding High School: We are keeping them in our thoughts.  We never want to hear of that in any of our schools.  Our superintendent has made some decisions at the High Schools in light of this unfortunate event.

8. Black History: National African American Parent Involvement.  All families are welcome. Last Friday’s  Meeting: No families showed up at upper campus.  11 families showed up at lower.  One family of color was in attendance.  It looks different in different communities but we would like to get more representation into formal or informal meetings and conversations.  This is where needs get met.  This is a personal goal of Principal Jones to reach the parents who haven’t been at the table.

Family Liaison Report - Ms. Dennis

1. Principal Cafe - thanks to families for coming.  Principal Jones had a great message.  What do families want our staff to understand?  Ms, Dennis prepares professional development material for the teachers.  What do they want staff to get extra work on?  Please share feedback with ms. Dennis.

2. The Smore deadline is this Wednesday for the newsletter.

3. Multi Language Learners (MLN) Night - would like to partner with the PTA.

4. Ms. Dennis shared her email in the chat for families to share information with her that would be helpful to professional development of the staff. Ericka.dennis@spps.org

Committees Update

1. Fundraising - Kaylan Pundsack

   1. Square One Art was distributed to the teachers last week. The Month of February the teachers will be working on designing their projects.  The parents can order the artwork in April on the website. Personal artwork can be uploaded to Square One and can be ordered and will go towards the PTA fundraising.

   2. Plant Sale is getting started.

   3. New Grants and Restaurant Partnerships are in the works.

   4. Kaylan put her email in the chat for those who want to connect on Fundraising kaylanotte@gmail.com. 

2. Community Building Committee - Dawn Puroway

   1. Dance at lower campus.  Upper campus students are invited with a parent chaperon.

   2. Another sledding date might occur on a Saturday.  The last event was successful even though it was last minute.

3. Carnival - Kira Weston

   1. Kira shared she is just getting started.  They plan to meet with Jason and Amy with former Carnival Planners to go over big picture planning.

   2. Is brainstorming a survey for parent and student feedback as to what they would like to see at the event.

   3. Staff suggested the survey could be shared via Smore and translated.

   4. Kira shared her email as more people helping to plan the carnival are requested. cara.c.weston@gmail.com

4. Spiritwear - Stephanie Stegeman

1. Rolling out order forms this week: Cash, Check or Online Payments Accepted.

2. Due date is 3/17/23

3. Highlighted new offerings this year: Hijabs and Give a Shirt - Very exciting!

4. Discussed: “Give a Shirt” can be any donation amount.  People can give $1, or $3 dollars extra or $10 etc towards purchasing shirts for all scholars.

5. The PTA was unable to meet the goal of raising $25,000 dollars from the Direct Ask to buy spiritwear for everyone as was the goal.  The PTA is trying to balance the desire for staff and others to have spiritwear with the fact that this isn’t equitable.  A band aid solution - “Give -A-Shirt” so we can hopefully provide free shirts to those students who would like a shirt but couldn’t purchase one.  Ms. Becker-Peterson will be coordinating a meaningful delivery of these donated shirts with staff.  We ask for patience and collaboration with this new effort.

5. Small Group Discussion (Three Break Out Rooms)

1. What makes you and your family feel like part of a community?  

Could be a school, faith, neighborhood, etc.  Does this give us ideas about how to build a stronger Global Arts community?

Notes recorded by break out rooms: (To be shared with Ms. Dennis as requested for Teacher Professional Development Feedback)

• Being invited into the school (volunteering or general events)

• Carnival coming back - it’s great to hear it’s coming back.  It’s starting to feel back to normal and we are starting to get back to what it was like here 24 years ago.

• Classroom connector is a great idea suggested by the PTA!  That seems great for all of these informal events. 

• Staff still feel disconnected.  Staff feel like they don’t know what’s going on with all the events. 

• Small group gatherings at age levels.  A showcase for a grade or two at a time - more intimate.

• Gatherings during the day: Band Concert - more Thursday night events so parents can come would be great.  There were more activities in the evenings in the past - can we have more evening events?

• Affinity Groups

• The Newsletter can be a tool to help inform people of events so they can be invited into the community.  Currently, the newsletter has a lot of information.  An overwhelming amount. Suggested organizing it so that the newest information is at the top and old info repeated is at the bottom. If possible, divide into Upper Campus and Lower Campus information. 

• Clear messaging with families what a Gathering is all about.  A few times a year we need to inform families they are invited and welcome to come to school to be part of our community.  It’s on the teachers' newsletters but families don’t know it’s a time they are invited to. Encourage families to connect and make sure everyone knows they are welcome to Gatherings.  Word of mouth is huge.  Parents still wait outside afterschool on Fridays not knowing why so many parents are at the school on Fridays.  “Oh, there is a Gathering..I didn’t know…that’s why there are so many parents here.”  A parent picked up a student early from school on a Friday.  The parent inquired about what was going on in the gym while families were signing in.  The mom said, “Goodness, my son must be sad that I never come to these.  I never knew about them”.   

• A master Gathering schedule would be helpful.  Parents can plan ahead to take work off early to come if they know their student will be performing.  Communication has been improving on this but historically we could plan ahead more prior to Covid. (Hopefully this will get better…already seems to be).

• Gathering Schedule: a spreadsheet so staff know and can prep more than two weeks in advance for a gathering.  We used to have this a year in advance (according to staff).  Staff don’t have time to prepare for their gatherings without notice..

• A parent asked what GAP could do to show support for Harding High School. Brainstormed ideas that could be done at upper campus (too sensitive of material for lower campus) around a card and flowers to Harding High School.  Ask the kids what they want to do. Write a message.

• Authenticity, Genuine connection, People who look like you, Showing up for each other, Making sure we have positive racial mirrors, Welcoming vibes, Activities that bring in families with similar interests, Food - bringing it to others, receiving it when needed, eating together, sharing food and culture

• Sports, girl scouts, shared goals/values, relationships.

6. Volunteer opportunities

   1. 7th grade History Day Showcase and Mural project https://forms.gle/BRCyMAX1MJGnyZPHA

   2. Volunteering at school during the school day 

https://forms.gle/ijgRdDG1hfJB554f7

7. Future events

   1. GAP PTA meeting - March 13, 6 - 7 pm on Zoom

   2. Family Dance - March 9, 6 - 7:30 pm at lower campus

Upper Campus Students and Families are invited.  All students must be accompanied by an adult.

8. Adjourn meeting

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:

Reflective, interesting, hopeful, informative, and  collaborative

Meeting adjourned at 7:20 pm