BNS PTA

PTA Meeting Minutes (UNAPPROVED): Sept. 14th at 8:40 AM (Brooklyn New School PTA Meeting)
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Meeting started: 8:30 AM

Introduction of PTA Officers
Briam Thomas Moser – President
Adam Rabiner – Treasurer
Amy Plattsmier – Secretary

Chef Sung – Healthy Snacks Cooking Demo

Parent chef Sung Uni Lee demonstrated 3 different healthy snacks for parents: kale chips, rice balls, and smoothies.

Principal’s Report – Anna Allanbrook
Anna encouraged parents or consider Wednesday mornings as parent mornings, devoted to PTA meetings, grade breakfasts, and Parents as Learning Partner Workshops.

Building Scaffolding Update – School Construction Authority (SCA) claims they’ll finish by January, 2012, Anna thinks some time in 2012 is accurate. The DOE has made major cuts to its SCA funding, and that means that not all the windows were fixed or replaced. It is really up to parents to demand more public support for supporting old public buildings that need maintenance. Ask you teacher what needs to be fixed and make some noise about it.

In general, Parent involvement / letters/ and noise do make things happen, and when it comes to the most recent severe budget cuts, this is very important. The PTA funds not just extra things, but basic things now, like copier toner, furniture, and some support staff. We would lose staff if not for the PTA’s fundraising.

This year we lost a librarian, Soraya Laboy, whose family moved. Susan Westover, the longtime librarian who built the library single-handedly will now serve 1300 students, since both schools use the library. She will most likely need help, so go ask her if you want to volunteer.

PTA funds help us in other ways too, to keep the programming that makes BNS what it is:
• BAX (Brooklyn Arts Exchange) with José and Donna teaches our kids how to speak in front of a group, it creates the 4th grade musical, it teaches Creative Dramatics and Movement in al the grades
• Trips
• Sustainability education: Matt Sheehan is an invaluable coordinator, woodworker, gardener, everything doer. He makes things happen and supports the school in inexplicable ways
• Spanish – José also supplements Taura’s Spanish program with music and dance and rhythms
• Subs – No budget for them; they cost $150/day or kids’ classes are split amongst the other rooms

QUESTIONS

1. Alexis Quy asked if the school had been checked for PCB contamination from old light fixtures. Anna and Regina said the school was on a list to be checked; they did not know any more details but would report on the issue
2. Reasons for schedule change – This was voted on by the staff as part of the School-Based Option plan. In the past Monday staff meetings took place after school, often started late, and staff were not compensated for this time. Chancellor Wolcott passed a new rule that professional development can be allowed as part of the mandated extended day, so the staff chose to allot it for their meetings. UFT representative Regina Gori can explain in more detail.
PreK ends at 2:40 EVERY DAY.
3. What does Anna think the long-term outlook is on the DOE’s budget? That Title 1 schools (which BNS is not) will do ok because they get federal funding, but in all other schools parents will be expected to supplement the schools’ needs.

Next PTA meeting:
Wed, Oct 12 at 8:30am in the Art Room

Recorded this 14th day of September, 2011.

____________________________

Secretary

The Brooklyn New School PTA is a collaboration of parents, teachers, administrators and support staff within our school community. Our mission is to reach out to our diverse community and welcome all, to provide resources that support an excellent, well-rounded education, and to continue to build an involved parent body.

2011-2012 PTA OFFICERS

BNS PTA

2011-2012 PTA OFFICERS

BNS PTA President

PTA Treasurer

PTA Secretary

PTA Members at Large