October 2022 PTA Meeting Notes

10/12/2022 8:45 am

Branch Elementary School (PBES) 

Parent & Teacher (PTA) Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, October 11, 2022 from 7-8pm on Zoom 

 

  1. Key upcoming dates and announcements were shared, including,
    • 10/12: Walk to School Day
    • 10/13, 7-8:30pm Board of Education Virtual Candidates Forum
  1. PTA Activities 

             PBES PTA: 

  • Piney Branch Garden, Robin Hernandez, Crossroads Community Food Network, 

(Qs: rhernandez@crossroadscommunityfoodnetwork.org)

  1. Treasurer’s Reports and Budget Votes
    • Kate Bauer, PBES PTA Treasurer, presented an update on financials. Not collecting membership dues is still a successful effort. The finances are in a very solid position in regards to income and expenses. The most sizable amount expended has been on teacher supplies, translation services, and administrative costs for the PTA (i.e., copies for PTA materials to distribute).
    • Stephen Tippet, TPES PTA Treasurer, then presented financials for TPES.
  2. PBES Presentation in Main Room: PBES Social Emotional Learning and Leader In Me Curriculum (Ms. Karen Johnson, PBES Counselor and Mrs. Christine Oberdorf, PBES Principal)
  • Services provided by school counselors include: 
    • monthly lessons (35-40 min) i.e., personal body safety, common sense, responsibility, cyber bullying, unsafe touch, internet safety, etc.;
    • Individual counseling;
    • Consultation with teachers;
    • 504 case loads; and
    • Liaison for student and caregiver needs. Works with Pupil Personnel Worker to coordinate and provide access for supports. Serves basic needs, access to services (i.e., insurance, therapy), attendance (monitor and outreach)
  • Mental Health Awareness Week October 17-21. Different events planned each day of the week. 
    • Monday: MCPS message and Community circle
    • morning announcements
    • morning announcement & school-guided meditation activity
    • care cards – self care or care for others.
    • – Hats Off to Mental Health Day
  • MCPS provides additional staff support for social emotional and behavioral needs, such as the Parent Community Coordinator (every Tuesday, Barnabas Knemleke), social worker (Alan Tipton), instructional specialist from student engagement (Tariq Harris).
  • PBES Schoolwide Programming - promoting sense of community (i.e., start with hello week, kindness pledge, PB Jelly Mailbox - share acts of kindness among peers), Unity Day
  • School’s Four Core Values: Learn, Embrace, Care, Thrive
  • Leader In Me at PBES - 1st year of implementation. Two full days of MCPS training in summer. First quarter focused on implementing lessons and classroom roles, next step to expand classroom roles to school community roles.
    • Leader In Me daily lessons and habits follow Stephen Covey’s “The Leader In Me” approach and include:

1: Be proactive

2: Begin with the end in mind

3: Put first things first

4: Think win-win

5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

6: Synergize.

7: Sharpen the Saw. 

  • So far, students have given very positive feedback on the lessons. School is implementing feedback as they implement the new program.

Presentation Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rjuHsY9Om9WaPby0P01PXV37QjZeEyfmPafXU7Ydy_8/edit?usp=sharing

 

Link to additional SEL resources:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RqN9NXnwxDKrK7_fpJz--F0Lh_JXG0YSCXVDl7oRJ3E/edit

 

Questions and Answers:

  • Could the school share the topics by week/day, so families could discuss at dinner with their families? Yes, she will look into that.
  • They are doing a slow, and intentional roll-out
  • They are looking for a long-term substitute for 4th graders: Ms. Coco-Content who just had her baby.
  • Unity Day will be November 4 – encourage everyone to wear orange for unity.They offer everyone a chance to get together as an entire school community.
  • Does the Leader in Me include any units/focus on encouraging students to advocate for their needs to be (better) met by the school/MCPS?
    • Yes – it talks about identifying what you need personally.The goal is to build leaders and encourage students to speak up and help make things better.
  • Context for School Store
    • Concern: Social emotional stressful thing for parents. It’s at more than one school.Her child feels pressure to do this.
    • Context from Mrs. Oberdorf:
      • It has gone on for a few years – since before Mrs. Oberdorf was here.
      • This is the first year she has heard any concern about this.
      • She appreciates the feedback.
      • The school gets a check in the spring – and they usually use this for eyeglasses and hearing aids.
      • The first year they raised about $400 – last year it was about $800.
      • It’s not a significant fundraiser and that discretionary fund could be funded in other ways.

 

Upcoming Events

  • Hispanic Heritage Month: Careers and Stories of Latino Community Members
  • Thanks to Mercedes Castelo and Desiree Hernandez for organizing our celebration and for putting together a wonderful collection of videos (click here to view them) of Latino community members sharing their careers and stories. Winners of the art and writing contest will be announced at tomorrow’s Fiesta.
  • , October 12th from 7-8 PM, at Piney Branch Elementary School, there will be a joint TPES/PBES Fiesta with games, crafts and food, as well as an announcement of the writing and art contest winners. 
  • , October 12th is Walk to School Day. We encourage students and families to walk to school that day - more info including safe routes, here.
  • Oct. 13th, 7-8:30pm, Attend the Board of Education Virtual Candidates Forum: On Thursday, October 13th (7:00-8:30 PM), Dr. Wong (American Studies at University of MD) will moderate a Board of Education Virtual Candidates Forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters and MCCPTA. Everyone votes for at-large and district candidates, even if they don't live in the district, which means your vote really matters! Register for the event here.
  • October 20, 2022: Financial Literacy is Fun Night at PBES - more details soon from school.
  • October 21, 2022, 10 AM: Word Parade at TPES. Choose a vocabulary word and become the word in costume! Students will parade around the school in their word costumes. 
  • October 25, 2022: First English Language Development Night at PBES - more details soon from school.
  • October 31 - November 4, 2022: Book Fair at PBES. Please sign up to volunteer and watch your email for more information from the coordinators. For more info contact:  Ryan Galvin Wise (ryangwise@gmail.com), Rachael Pierotti (rspierotti@gmail.com), and Orly Keiner (orlykeiner@gmail.com). 
  • Nov. 1st, Joint TPES & PBES PTA Meeting (7pm, Zoom) - Topics will include MAP test results and Learning Recovery at both TPES and PBES.  If you have questions, topics or speakers you would like to see at future PTA meetings, please contact our PTA Presidents at: pbes.pta@gmail.com and president@tpespta.net. 
  • School Meals Applications due ASAP - free federal meals have ended. All families must either complete the application for Free or Reduced School meals from MCPS or deposit funds to pay for your child’s meals at school.

                        Deposit funds in your child’s “MySchoolBucks” account - link 

                        Apply for Free and Reduced Meals at School - link

No child will be turned away - PBES and TPES will ensure every child who 

requests food receives it, but applications are needed so no debt is accrued. The PTA equity teams are also seeking to support families during this time - please donate to the PBES PTA and TPES PTA and to Tommy’s Pantry to help fill gaps and ensure food access for all in our community. 

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