Hackett Middle School∘ PTA Meeting∘2/5/25
Welcome and Introductions
Announcements- Laura
New website: https://sites.google.com/view/hackettpta/ for those not on Facebook. Will post important information to both.
Winter Staff Appreciation - K Cup Coffee/Tea and cookie tray - admin will talk and let us know a good date.
Teen Night- March 7, 6-8pm. Sign up link coming in the middle of February.
Unit Bylaws- we need to vote at the next meeting to update if we want to increase dues. (NYS PTA dues are increasing to $6). Thank you to Melissa and Shanta’ for reviewing current bylaws.
Change in dates for upcoming meetings: March 12 (not the 5th), April 9 (not the 2nd) due to All-City concerts
Booster Club-
Update on EOY Celebration for middle school student athletes- Laura and reps from NAMS and MMS meeting with Ms. Pilla (Athletic Director) on 2/11 to create a plan.
Thank you for generous donation from Booster Club
Susann Wheeler from Booster Club- Two informational handouts will be shared on the PTA website and FB group. Booster Club is a great way to meet new people, and for kids to get volunteer hours. It’s not just for athletes.
Treasurer’s Report- Karen Not much to report this month. Dues are paid to NYS PTA.
Questions from HMS Community-
When is the 8th Grade Dance? June 20
When is the 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony? June 27
Principal’s Report-
Field trips will happen for each grade. Last year there was COVID money, this year there is not. Discussion about making all middle schools go to the same places. More info coming in March.
NYS Tests will happen before and after Spring Break. Last year HMS met all accountability goals.
Emergency procedures continue- need to do more Lockdown and Fire Evacuation drills still.
Hackett is getting 90, 3-way cameras. Will be strategically placed inside and outside.
There are coats, hats and mittens available if needed. Please see Officer Reddix.
A certified Spanish teacher has been hired for grade 8.
8th Grade students will get a rough draft schedule for 9th grade.
Upcoming Dates:
Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place this Thursday, Feb. 6, from 4-7 p.m., and Friday, Feb. 7, from noon-3 p.m.
There is no school Friday 2/7 to accommodate these conferences and professional development for teachers and staff.
Winter Recess will take place from Monday, Feb. 17 through Friday, Feb. 21, with classes resuming Monday, Feb, 24.
The Honor Roll Ceremony for the second quarter will be held Wednesday, March 5 at 8:30 a.m
Teen Night is March 7th from 6-8:30. Look out for a volunteer sign up in late February.
∘Hackett Middle School∘ PTA Meeting Minutes∘1/8/25
Introductions and connections- Laura
Announcements- Laura
-Winter Staff Appreciation - K Cup Coffee/Tea and cookie tray
-Teen Night- confirm the date and time? (March 7)
Date for upcoming Teen Night confirmed for March 7th, allowing for discussion/planning at February meeting.
A recent North Albany event modeled after Hackett’s was successful!
Does Myers have a teen night?
The PTA is currently well-stocked with snacks and candy due to previous donations.
Albany High Booster Club has offered up a $750 donation for Teen nights, perhaps we use this to purchase pizza and if there is excess, bank it for future Teen Nights.
Last Teen Night, held after Halloween, had lower attendance, leading to speculation that timing around holidays is a key factor for turnout. The next one in March will probably have higher numbers.
-Booster Club donation- a rep coming to present at the next meeting
PTA will receive a $750 donation from the Booster Club, with the condition that the PTA promote the Booster Club to 8th-grade families to increase participation. PTA is leaning towards accepting the $750 donation.
The Booster Club will send a representative to a future meeting to provide more information.
Some discussion on alternative uses of the donation, such as a potential end-of-year middle school athletic celebration, from a previous push that was unsuccessful possibly due to issues of equity across all middle schools.
The PTA will contact the Athletic Director to gauge support and discuss potential logistics for such a celebration.
-Date changes for upcoming meetings- please check email and FB page
the day of for changes.
Ski Club Update- Denise
The first ski club trip of the season is Friday, with bus departure at 3:30 pm and return around 9:30 pm.
There are still eight spots open on the bus, for any last-minute sign-ups, contact Sarah at sarahvdief@gmail.com.
Treasurer’s Report- Karen
The PTA's current balance is $6,491.15, excluding the Venmo balance. The bake sale earned $243. Our Trustco balance is $5,598.66. Petty Cash is $200.
Need to transition away from Venmo due to it not being supported by New York State PTA guidelines. PayPal may be considered as new online donation option, as Square may incur more fees.
PTA is working to update banking access to enable online access and transparency for officers. Treasurer will further investigate options for a new online banking system.
District's ARPA funding, which was used for field trips, is no longer available, potentially leading to increased PTA spending in this area.
Need to budget for end-of-year expenses, including eighth-grade celebrations.
Ski Club funds need to be routed through the school, not the PTA, due to NYS PTA guidelines.
Principal’s Report (N/A)
Other
Inclusivity and Equity Concerns:
A parent voiced the need for more intramural sports options for students who cannot commit to daily practices – framed as an equity issue: all students need physical activity.
Parent highlighted a rise in homophobic slurs and memes among students, emphasizing the need to address issues of inclusion. Students were overheard in the hall/gym saying "whoever talks first is gay." The idea of a school-wide “Hackett Pledge” promoting inclusivity, similar to the “No Place for Hate” campaign at the high school, was mentioned. However, concerns were raised about this particular organization, and suggested it may be best to steer clear of that organization specifically.
The student equity committee and hall monitors could be involved in creating a more inclusive environment. Is there an adult who leads the group?UPDATE: Ms. Greenaway and Ms Howard. PTA will explore ways to support the school's existing student equity committee, and work towards promoting inclusivity and addressing these issues.
Communication & Access Issues:
It was mentioned that it was not easy to find the link to the meeting from the newsletter.
Several people were unable to join the online meeting, highlighting access issues and the limitations of the current system. Mr. Paolino had to leave due to an emergency, preventing more members from joining the meeting.
The possibility of the PTA Gmail administrator allowing members in, or the use of a PTA Google account, was suggested as potential solutions.
PTA should highlight recommendation to use child's school login to gain direct access to the meeting through an easily accessible source other than FaceBook.
Discussion on a need for an easy-to-find place for the meeting minutes and that Facebook is not inclusive of all community members. It was suggested that a Google Website for the PTA be made. The PTA will explore solutions for improving online meeting accessibility, including using students' accounts to log in and general directions on how to get into the meeting online, and establishing an independent Google Website where meeting minutes will be shared publicly in addition to Facebook.
Calendar Reminders:
1/15- Early Dismissal (12:30)
1/21 Music Teacher Concert
1/29 Chinese Lunar New Year- No School
2/5 PTA Meeting
* parent teacher conferences coming up in February