October 2024 PTA Monthly Meeting Notes

10/3/2024 8:45 am

 

Takoma Park Elementary School (TPES)

Piney Branch Elementary School (PBES) 

Parent & Teacher Meeting (PTA)

Tuesday, October 1, 2024: 7 - 8pm on Zoom 

 

Agenda will include: 

(1) Upcoming TPES and PBES Dates and Announcements

(2) Vanessa Leon, Local Therapist (Safely Navigating Digital Access) 

(3) Kaysi-Ann Webley (Bike to School Day) 

(4) Kaitlin Caruso and Claire Dean (Support Needed at TPES for Students with Special Needs and Disabilities) 

(5) Treasurer’s Reports 

 

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 

Passcode: 

 

Spanish Translator: TBD

Amharic Translator: 

 

7:00 PM: Meeting Kick-off 

Kaitlin Caruso, TPES PTA President

  • Intro to topics to be discussed

 

7:05 PM: Upcoming Dates & Announcements

Ken Scudder,  TPES VP Communications

Chris Campbell, PBES VP Communications 

 

TPES Upcoming Dates & Announcements:

 

  • There is no school this coming Thursday, October 3rd. 

 

    • On October 9th, Dr. Gadsden will host a town hall for parents of kindergarten students. 
    • On October 10th from 7 PM to 8:30 PM, join us for a Hispanic Heritage Night Celebration at PBES! There will be dinner, music, and dancing. Calling for volunteers: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F49A5A823A4FA7-51863459-pbes 

 

  • Renew Your Annual PTA Membership:  If you are able, please go to the TPES PTA website and become a member for the 2024-2025 year.  Paying the annual dues helps the PTA fund programs for TPES throughout the year and allows us to meet the school’s needs.  https://tpespta.net/join/

 

  • As a reminder, here are the different ways you can stay informed about what’s happening at TPES! 
    • Ways to Stay Informed: 
  • Join the PTA listserve! https://groups.io/g/tpespta (Must subscribe - you are not automatically signed up when you become a member!) 
  • Weekly TPES newsletter from Dr. Gadsden
  • Weekly PTA newsletter Dolphin Digest sent on Mondays
  • Monthly PTA meetings first Tuesday of every month at 7pmWays to Stay Informed: 

Big Learning after school classes: links will be sent out by PTA very soon.

 

PBES Upcoming Dates & Announcements

 

  • Hispanic Heritage Celebration:
  • We are excited about the joint PBES & TPES Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration on October 10th at 7pm in the PBES cafeteria. 
  • The event will feature performances from Lilo Gonzalez and the Einstein HS Titanes Salseros Lasu dance team. 
  • This is a free community event with dinner included. We’d like to thank the event’s sponsor, local business Arias Home Improvement. (https://ariashomeimprovement.com/)

 

      • We are looking for volunteers to help with the event, if you are interested please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F49A5A823A4FA7-51863459-pbes
      • People’s Book has a box by their register if you are interested in donating a book for students to take home at the event! You can also order a book here: https://bookshop.org/shop/pineybranch

 

  • Registration is open for after school enrichment programs with Big Learning. Classes start next week!

 

 

  • There are still a handful of spots open in the 2-5th grade chess club, which meets at PBES on Tuesdays.

 

 

7:15 PM: Vanessa Leon, Local Therapist (LICSW) 

  • Vanessa will speak about how caregivers of elementary school students can navigate digital access (smartphones and social media use). 
  • Promoting Safe Social Media Use (link to presentation)
    • Stages of Psychosocial Development: focusing on Pre-school (3-5 years) and School Age (6-11 years)
      • Play and School settings: sense of initiative could be affected by self esteem, fear, need for more direction, etc
      • Play is an important social interaction for children; caregivers there to model prosocial behavior. School is the first experience for children to learn planning, multi-tasking, etc
      • Children need caregivers’ interactions to develop
    • Smartphones & Social media become distracting and can take away from ability to be fully present in their social environment. Changing how children are relating to family time, boredom, outside play
    • Research showing that overuse of screens contributes to high levels of cortisol. Consequences are different on a child than on an adult. Can affect sleep and social interactions
    • Depression and Anxiety: can be caused by many situations and environments. High levels of cortisol can contribute to depression and anxiety.
    • Tips to promote safe smartphone use
      • Consider purpose and readiness of introducing smartphone
      • Establish rules & follow through on natural consequences
      • Talk about feelings & questions that arise from exposure to pornography, sexting, violence & cyberbullying
      • Provide access to non screen activities
      • Ask for help!
    • Will be presenting again for an hour-long presentation on October 23.
    • Q&A: Any suggestions on how to prepare a younger child to peer pressure? A: use fact-based language to describe what peer pressure is; use examples; 

 

7: 35 PM: Kaysi-Ann Webley, Transit Planner, City of Takoma Park

 

7:40 PM:  Kaitlin Caruso and Claire Dean

  • Kaitlin and Claire will speak about support that is needed at TPES for students with special needs and disabilities and how parents can help reach out to MCPS
  • TPES teachers sent a letter to superintendent to request more classroom assistance for TPES.
  • District has not provided additional staff despite multiple requests.
  • PTA needs help contacting the District.
  • Script will be sent by PTA to the listserv for caregivers to reach out to the District.
  • We want to ensure that all children have the resources they need to succeed.
  • Kindergarten classes have the most challenges currently.

 

7:50 PM:  PTA Business

  • Treasurer’s Reports and Budget Votes
    • Amy Swift, TPES PTA Treasurer
      • Finally have PayPal nonprofit rate!
    • Rachael Pierotti, PBES PTA Treasurer
      • Aphra presenting
      • Income from last year came in this year; expenses for staff support
      • Can send the written update to anyone interested.

 

8:00 PM: THANK YOU & Next Steps (Kaitlin Caruso, TPES PTA President) 

  • Reminder that next meeting will be on November 12th at 7 PM 




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