First JOINT TPES/PBES PTA Meeting of the Year: October 1

/in /by

Parents and staff from both Takoma Park ES and Piney Branch ES will begin our year of joint meetings starting next Tuesday. More information and agenda below!

 

Tuesday, October 1, 2019, 6:45-8:00pm

Location: All Purpose Room @ TPES

 

Coat Drive and Halloween Costume Swap

Pick up some new fall coats and costumes! Please bring gently used items to the meeting, or drop in the office on Monday or Tuesday. 

6:45 FREE pizza and drop off kids (ages 3 and up)  in gym for FREE babysitting

 

7:00 Welcome – WHAT does the PTA do & WHO are we?

 

7:05 Upcoming Events and Announcements

Wed, Oct 2: Walk To School Day

Fri, Oct 4: Early Release for all students; dismissal @ 1:20pm

Wed, Oct 9: No School

Mon, Oct 14: TPES Open House, 9:30 – 11:00, 2:30 – 3:50

Wed, Oct 16: ESOL Night @ PBES

Sat, Oct 19: PBES Takoma Prom @ Kaldi’s Social House 6-9pm

Thurs, Oct 24: PBES Fall School Photos

Nov 1-26: PBES Read-a-thon & Book Fair (Nov. 4-8)

Tues, Nov 5: PTA Meeting  – Power Tools for Power Struggles by PEP

Thurs, Nov 7: TPES Fall Book Fair (3:50pm to 8pm)  + Kindergarten Literacy Night, 7pm

Mon, Nov 11 & Tuesday Nov 12: Early Release & Parent-Teacher Conferences

Wed,  Nov 27: Early Release for all students; dismissal @ 1:20pm 

Thurs & Fri, Nov 28 & 29: No School

Tues,  Dec 3: PTA Meeting/TPES International Night

 

7:10 Treasurer’s Report (& PBES Budget Vote) 

Kelley Skelton, Treasurer TPES and Amy Gibson-Grant, PBES

7:20 Dolphin Drive
Sasha Johnson, Fundraising Chair TPES

Panther Appeal
Angela Riemer, VP of Fundraising PBES

 

7:25 Reading Update: How is the teacher training changing what’s happening in classrooms?

Dr. Gadsden

 

7:40 Social-emotional curriculum updates at PBES

Mrs. Oberdorf

8:00 Coat and Costume Swap & Adjourn

Get ready for SOCKTOBER

/in /by

SOCKTOBER: A Month Long Community Sock Drive

This October Takoma Park ES wants to prove that even the smallest act of caring, like donating a pair of new socks, can help make a huge difference in the lives of our neighbors who are less fortunate!

SOCKTOBER is a national sole warming movement that gives everyone an easy and fun way to help those in need within their very own community.

So why should you participate in SOCKTOBER?

Because every night in the United States hundreds of thousands of people sleep on the streets or in shelters and are in need of simple things, like socks.

So please donate a new pair of socks for men, women or children. Just send your child to school with the donated socks to bring to the classroom.

First TPES PTA Meeting of the 2019-2020 School Year

/in /by

Welcome to the 2019-20 School Year!

This will be a meeting to approve the budget and let you know about open PTA volunteer opportunities and after school enrichment sign ups.

Location: TPES Cafeteria/All-Purpose Room

Time: Pizza and childcare available starting at 6:45; meeting begins at 7:00

 

7:00 Welcome

Introduce Small Things Matter

Upcoming Dates and Announcements:

Mon, Sept 30: No School 

Tues, Oct 1: PTA Meeting + Coat Drive and Halloween Costume Swap, 7-8pm

Wed, Oct 2: Walk To  School Day

Fri, Oct 4: Early Release for all students; TPES dismissal @ 1:20pm

Wed, Oct 9: No School

Tues, Nov 5: PTA Meeting  – Power Tools for Power Struggles by PEP

              Thurs, Nov 7: Literacy Night

 

7:10 Present and vote on the 2019-20 budget  – Kelley Skelton, Treasurer

 

7:20 Before and After School Enrichment  – Virginia Davis, After School Enrichment committee chair

 

7:30 Keeping up with PTA news and opportunities  – Lauren Greenberg, VP Communications

 

7:40 Lunchroom expectations – Dr. Gadsden

 

7:50 Get Involved!

Open volunteer opportunities, big and small:

Health & Wellness committee Lunch & Recess volunteers

Cultural Arts Assembly coordinators Social Services committee

Teacher Appreciation committee Equity committee

Readathon committee Room parent coordinator

After-school enrichment committee

 

Supply lists for the 2019-2020 school year

/in /by

The school has prepared these lists of requested supplies for each grade level. If you ordered a supply kit through the PTA at the end of the last school year, this is what will be waiting for your child in their classroom when they start/return to school.

Key Dates for Back-to-School, 2019

/in /by

While some details of back-to-school activities are still being finalized (and will be updated here as they are available), please keep in mind the following dates for back-to-school, fall 2019:

July 28 & August 11: Summer playdates for TPES families (new and old!)

August 29 (7 PM): Back-to-school night for KINDERGARTEN only (this event is designed for adults- come meet your child’s teacher and hear about what to expect from their year in kindergarten!)

August 30 (3-4 PM): Open House, all grades. Bring your child to meet their teacher and classmates!

September 3: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

September 5 (7 PM): Back-to-school night for FIRST and SECOND GRADES (this event is designed for adults)

TPES PTA Meeting Minutes: June 2019

/in /by

Takoma Park Elementary School (TPES)

PTA Meeting

Tuesday, June 4, 2019. 6:45pm-8:05pm

7pm: Welcome/Events and Announcements, Lia Salza Goldstein (President)

Lia previewed the following upcoming events for everyone’s calendars.

  • Wednesday, June 12, 10am: 2nd Grade Promotion and Picnic – Takoma Middle School
  • Friday, June 14: Last Day of School/Early Dismissal (1:20pm)
  • Thursday, August 29, 5pm-7pm: Back to School Celebration (class lists are posted by the front door, come play on the playground)
  • Thursday, August 29, 7pm-8pm: Kindergarten Back to School Night (adults only), TPES All Purpose Room
  • Friday, August 30, 3pm-4pm: Open House (children invited to come meet their teachers/see their classrooms; parents welcome)
  • Tuesday, September 3: First Day of School
  • Thursday, September 5, 7pm-8pm: Back to School Night for 1st and 2nd Grade
  • **To Be Scheduled** Playdates for incoming kindergarteners – will be announced on the listserve.

 

7:10pm: Treasurer’s Report/Summer Budget, Erin Kelley (Treasurer)

Erin walked through the end-of-year budget report. Overall, a very good year; we exceeded fundraising goals and have about $20k to roll-over into the new year.

Summer budget presented: proposal included increasing the teacher classroom set-up budget to $125 per teacher, working in the NEA foundation grant for kindergarten and 2nd grade classroom robotics, a few building and facilities maintenance items, and funds for the atrium mural.

  • Motion to approve the summer budget was seconded and passed unanimously

 

7:20pm: Supply Kits, Sasha Johnson (Coordinator)

The school has contracted with a third party to get school supplies, which can be ordered online and will be available in classrooms at the beginning of the new year.

Here is how you order:

  1. Go towww.educationalproducts.com/shoppacks
  2. Enter the school ID, TAK008 (3 letters/3 numbers) (for Piney Branch families, the code is PIN226)
    3. Follow the directions to complete your order.
    4. Keep your online confirmation as your receipt.

 

When ordering you can also add a “classroom donation” kit which includes hand sanitizer, kleenex and other staples for teachers. If you would like to order a donation kit of school supplies please indicate “star student” as the child’s name and we will give those to the lead teachers by grade for distribution.

 

7:25pm: Mural, Lia Salza Goldstein

As part of Dr. Gadsden’s birthday celebration, about $2,000 has been raised toward a mural in the TPES Atrium, on the slanted hallway up to the Media Center. Rose Jaffe will be creating the piece, with input from parents and Dr. Gadsden. Contact Lia and Meg if you are interested in donating or participating in the process.

7:30pm: Committee Recruitment

Are you looking for a way to get more involved in the TPES PTA? Are there particular activities, initiatives, or concerns that you want to help with? Be part of a committee! Committees include:

 

  • Advocacy
  • Equity
  • Fundraising and Development
  • Health and Wellness
  • Basketball Game
  • Gardening and Landscape
  • Scholastic Book Fair
  • Staff Appreciation
  • Cultural Arts
  • Playground and Field
  • Social Services
  • Read-a-Thon

 

 

Contact Meg or the Committee Chair if you’re interested, and look for more volunteer opportunities in the fall.

7:35pm: 2019-2020 Elections

The proposed slate of candidates for TPES PTA Executive Committee is:

President: Meg McDonald
Executive VP: Caleb Gibson/Malawi Welles
Treasurer: Kelley Skelton
VP Communications: Lauren Greenberg
VP Membership: Samer Sadek
VP Fundraising: Sasha Johnson
VP Equity: Shana Sabbath/Viky Sosa
Membership Secretary: Becca Jones Albertus
Executive Secretary: Allison Belemvire
MCCPTA Delegate: Hilary Stevens

Each candidate was asked to introduce themselves.

In response to a question, Shana discussed efforts of the Equity Committee, including: supporting teacher efforts, working to align efforts with PBES to provide continuity of services for children and families served, scholarships for afterschool clubs, development and support of the Young Scholars program, coordination with the Lunch and Learn program, which will provide continued meal and academic support to local families over the summer (this year at TPES for the first time), and summer efforts to build on MCPS/PTA diversity and inclusion initiatives.

No additional individuals expressed interest in running.

A motion was made to approve the slate, motion seconded, and slate approved by unanimous vote.

7:50pm: Principal Notes, Dr. Gadsden

Dr. Gadsden is exploring new methods of relaying information home. She would appreciate input about:

  • The Dolphin Newsletter (is it effective, can it be shortened, what information is critical to include)
    • Generally, people present agreed that there are families in our community best served by printed materials, and the Dolphin Newsletter should be continued.
  • Robocalls – similar to Piney Branch, where a robocall is followed by an email transcript
    • Would this be beneficial on a weekly basis? Only as needed?

7:55pm: STEM at PBES, Tracey Matthias

The STEM program is at risk of being cut by MCPS. Tracey and others testified before the MCPS BOE, and a number of families have submitted written comments in opposition to the cut. The proposed budget would cut ½ FTE special programs, and 0.5FTE focus programs. Resources would not be reallocated to PBES, but would go to additional “focus programs” being implemented at other schools. Parents received no notice about the cuts, which represent a very small portion of the budget, but would have a significant impact on PBES. Encourage kids to write to the BOE.

8:00pm: PTA Collaboration, Jared Hughes

There is going to be a summer effort to connect the TPES, PBES, and Takoma Middle PTAs, including an effort to create a centralized directory. Conversations are ongoing about how to improve coordination between TPES and PBES PTAs, and whether a single organization might benefit both schools. Contact Meg if you’re interested in helping or have an opinion.

 

8:05pm                          [ADJOURN]

TPES PTA Meeting Minutes: April 2019

/in /by

Takoma Park Elementary School (TPES)

PTA Meeting

Tuesday, April 2, 2019. 6.45pm-8.30pm

 

7pm: Welcome/Upcoming Events & Announcements, Lia Salza Goldstein (President)

Lia previewed the following upcoming events for everyone’s calendars.

Wednesday April 3: Early Release Day

Wednesday 17 April – Monday 22 April: Spring Break – No school

Tuesday April 23: Spring Student and Class Pictures

Thursday April 25: Take Your Child to Work Day (submit form by 4/23 to be excused)

Thursday May 2 – Friday May 3: Kindergarten Orientation (No school for current K)

Sunday May 5: TkPk5k family friendly road race

Tuesday May 7: TPES PTA Meeting

Wednesday May 8: Bike to School Day

Thursday May 16: TPES/PBES Basketball Game

Monday May 27: Memorial Day – No school

Tuesday May 28 – Wednesday May 29: 2nd grade Poetry Slam at TPMS

Wednesday May 29: K-1st Grade Field Day

Thursday May 30: 2nd Grade Field Day

Tuesday June 4: TPES PTA Meeting – Elections

Wednesday June 12: 2nd Grade Promotion

Friday June 14: Last day of school, early release day.

 

7.05pm: TPES PTA Treasurer’s Report, Erin Kelley (Treasurer)

  • $10,000 check from STEM grant arrived today (the robots grant!) so balance will increase significantly next month with this and the Readathon funds coming in.
  • Book fair surpassed its goal but it is paid in books so not a cash fundraiser for the PTA (hence reflected in Income and Expenses)
  • Dolphin Drive funds increased again and we have significantly exceeded our goal
  • We have not yet met our goal for membership dues– it’s not too late to join
  • Some expenses expected to come in this month from the Readathon and from the field trip support allocation ($6 allocated per child, requests are coming in from teachers and we expect to spend the entire allocation)
  • Equity inclusion item is for the Young Scholars program. PTA funds compensate teachers for their after-school participation which is critical to the program’s success
  • Staff appreciation week (first week May) will generate some expenses.

 

 

7.10pm: Readathon Report, Sara Lewis (Readathon Co-Chair)

  • The Readathon is over and the children significantly surpassed the goal set (200,000 minutes) – almost 370,000 minutes were read!
  • 69% of students across the school participated and 9 classes had over 75% participation from their students (teachers of those classes get Scholastic vouchers)
  • Lots of fun activities throughout the Readathon, we gave away lots of certificates and prizes, held celebration events and recognized readers on the hallway reading tree
  • Two final events this week. On Wednesday Dr Gadsen will draw one lucky name to win a playdate with her and on Friday there will be an all-school popcorn party
  • Sponsored donations are being collected through April 12. Donations / sponsorships can be paid online (https://tpespta.net), via check or cash.

 

7.15pm: Spring Fitness Fun, Sasha Johnson (Health & Wellness Committee)

TkPk5K (https://www.tkpk5k.com) is on Sunday May 5 and includes a 5k, 1 mile fun run and ¼ mile youth fun run. TPES has the most registrations from participating schools so far.

TPES receives funds from the event ($5000 for our health & wellness budget). Eligibility for the funds requires us to hold pre-events to get movement into our children’s days so we are starting a Run Club! The Run Club will be held on Thursdays at 8.30am at TPES. Participants are welcome to join to one, some or all sessions. Please fill in the permission slip that came home in Dolphin folders if your child wants to participate.

 

7.20pm: Children’s Business Fair, Tracy Stuger Scott & Holly Chang (Coordinators)

The inaugural Takoma Park Children’s Business Fair will be held on May 19. It is a one-day event, inspired by the DC Children’s Business Fair, that gives children aged 6-14 the opportunity to showcase their own businesses. There is space for 24 businesses to participate, each business can be represented by up to 3 children. Prizes will be awarded in 4 categories: 6-7, 8-10, 11-12 and 13-14.

The entire fair is sponsored by local business and invited local entrepreneurs will act as judges. The event is not related to the PTA but it’s a great opportunity for Takoma Park kids. Please work with your children to submit applications by 12 April.

 

7.25pm: Dr Gadsen’s Birthday Gift, Lia Goldstein & Meg McDonald

Last week the school celebrated Dr Gadsen’s 50th Birthday. Lia and Meg presented Dr Gadsen with two birthday gifts from the school community: a gift towards her family trip this summer and the commissioning of a mural celebrating strong female leaders (planned for the ramp up from the atrium to the media center).  As of this week the community has raised $1200 towards the mural, thanks to everyone who has contributed.

 

7.30pm: Parent Encouragement Program workshop, (Paige Trevor, PEP Presenter)
Understanding Friendship and Bullying

This PEP session aimed to help any parent looking to navigate the complex world of elementary friendships and social challenges. As friendships become more important, understanding this topic can make a huge difference in the well-being of our kids. This PTA provided workshop offered a unique opportunity to gain some practical parenting tips.

 

8.30pm: Adjourn.

TPES PTA Meeting Minutes: March 2019

/in /by

Takoma Park Elementary School (TPES)

PTA Meeting

Tuesday, March 5, 2019. 7-8pm

 

7pm: Welcome: Upcoming Events and Announcements, Lia Salza Goldstein)

 

Lia previewed the following upcoming events for everyone’s calendars.

March 22: Kids Adventures Summer Camp Kick Off @PBES 6.30-8.30pm
Parents vs Kids soccer game, crafts, face painting, food.

March 28: STEM night, 6.30-8pm. A great family night out, please attend.

April 2: PTA meeting featuring another great PEP workshop – Understanding Friendship and Bullying that has been designed for the TPES age group

April 17-22: Spring break, no school (enjoy!)

May 2-3: Kindergarten orientation – no school for current Kindergarteners.
(Note: Kids Adventures will only be open for current KA attendees on these days).

May 5: TkPk5k – family friendly road race that benefits your health and our school. More details below and www.tkpk5k.com .

June 5: Due to snow days this will no longer a professional development day but will now be a regular school day.

June 12: 2nd grade promotion ceremony (more details to follow)

June 14: Due to snow days this is now the last day of the current school year.

 

Treasurer’s Report, Erin Kelley

Fairly quiet month for the accounts, Erin noted:

  • Cash flow looks to be down $10,000. We are waiting for reimbursement for the STEM grant (which funded robotics materials and recent assemblies). Reimbursement from the State can take up to 6 weeks, paperwork has been submitted.
  • Membership dues are a little lower than expected due to lower than expected membership rates this year.
  • The book fair was extremely successful and raised over $12,000 of materials that will be going back to our classrooms and Media Center. On the accounts, book fair figures are represented as an expense and an income because the school is reimbursed in books rather than money. Thanks to Shivani Sutton and Kate Ivcevich for leading the fair, to all the volunteers and to everyone who participated – a great event and fundraiser for the school.

 

 

Readathon Update, Sara Lewis

The readathon is now underway and will run through March 28.

Please remind your child to record their minutes and to keep the calendar in the folder – crucial it is there on Friday mornings.

Each Friday will be a dress-up day to make it fun along with prizes and certificates for participating kids. More details and reminders will be in dolphin folders.

Some questions already raised:

  • If my child doesn’t have a sponsor should they still participate?
    Yes! It’s not just about fundraising, it’s most importantly about encouraging kids to read – focus is on the minutes and not the money. Kids are earning leaves, certificates etc for minutes and not for money!
  • Do you need more volunteers?
    Yes, especially for Fridays. Mornings (10am-11.30am) and Afternoon (2.30pm – 3.45pm). If you have flexibility and would be willing to volunteer then please get in touch (serowe@gmail.com)
  • When do you need sponsorship pledges to come in?
    The deadline for submitting pledges is 12 April.

 

After School Clubs (Lia, for Virginia Davis)

The next session opened at 7pm on March 5. You can now sign up online for the next session of enrichment clubs after school.

Following a successful campaign to get the word out about our scholarship program, we now have a big need for more. If you are signing up your child please consider adding a donation for a scholarship too.

 

Run Club (Sasha Johnson and Sarah VanWye, TPES reps for TKPK5K)

The Takoma Park 5k  will be held on May 5. Registration is now open! Scholarships are available for the race, if you know anyone who would benefit please reach out to Sasha or Sarah.

A 4 week training programme for TPES kids will begin next month on Thursday mornings at 8.30am (from April 4). The run club is free for kids and the PTA’s wellnesss committee will be providing free healthy snacks. The club’s goal is to help TPES students prepare for the race, work on movement goals and have some fun! The run club could use a few more volunteers, even if just for 1 or 2 sessions.

March 19 – please eat at Mark’s Kitchen that day, a portion of proceeds will go to TkPk5K funds that night and those funds come back to Takoma Park schools.

 

 

 

Safe Routes to School and the TKPK5K
(Lucy Neher, Special Projects Coordinator, City of Takoma Park)

Lucy briefed the meeting on Safe Routes to School, TKPK5k and special projects.

Infrastructure

We are committed to making Takoma Park a walkable and bike-able city. Recent / upcoming initiatives include:

  • A pop-up bike lane on Maple Ave later this year
  • The old wooden stairs behind TPES down to the community center have been removed and will be replaced by trees/shrubs
  • Additional bike racks and sidewalk building
  • Redoing school zone signage for consistent and fresh look.

In May we will be applying for a grant to put a sidewalk on Chestnut and Hodges and a raised crosswalk at Hodges / Holly. There is strong neighbourhood support.

Programming

Safe Routes to School has a range of regular programming:

  • Walk to school day (will be October 9 this year). 5 Takoma Park schools participate, builds enthusiasm and safety knowledge about walking to school.
  • Pedestrian safety exercise with Kindergarten classes
  • Bike rodeo at PBES with 4th Bikes and an obstacle course, focus is on learning to ride safely (not how to ride!)
  • TKPK5K (5 May). Started in 2009 with 350 people, grown to 1500 runners. Nearly every year it has given $5000 to the PTAs of each of the 5 schools – city keeps none of the money – schools spend funds on wellbeing activities run by the PTA wellbeing committees. Lots of local business support, so please say thank you to those businesses!
  • Bike to school day (May 8)
  • Camp (I Can Shine) – teaches bike riding to 30 students (aged 8-13) with disabilities. The camp runs over a week with a host of volunteers.

More details https://takomaparkmd.gov/initiatives/safe-routes-to-school/ .

Additional Business: Health and Wellness Committee, TPES PTA

The two people Chairs of this successful, well-funded committee are stepping down. The committee has had a significant positive effect on TPES. If you are interested for next year please get in touch with Lia.

Additional Business: Grants, Tracey Mathias

Tracey, one of primary authors of the STEM grant, briefed the meeting about the grant purchases (robots for 1st and 2nd graders; 2 special assemblies for Kindergarteners facilitated by the Blair robotics team). There will be an exhibition at STEM night.

The meeting agreed TPES/PTA will maintain the robotics purchases/replace broken pieces. TPES will also maintain our relationship with the Blair robotics team next year. Dr Gadsen suggested Tracey work with PBES on the grant this year instead. This will bring the same benefits to PBES students and enable TPES students to continue their robotics journey when they move to PBES. Thank you to Tracey for her hard work in obtaining the grant!

TPES PTA Meeting Minutes: February 2019

/in /by

Takoma Park Elementary School (TPES)

PTA Meeting

Tuesday, February 5, 2019. 6.45-8pm

 

7pm: Welcome: Upcoming Events and Announcements, Lia Salza Goldstein)

Lia previewed the following upcoming events for everyone’s calendars.

Friday Feb 1 – Friday Feb 8: Scholastic Book Fair

Monday Feb 18: Presidents Day – no school

Tuesday March 5: PTA Meeting, Healthy Kids

Tuesday April 2: PTA Meeting, PEP: Understanding Friendship and Bullying

 

7.05pm: TPES PTA Treasurer’s Report, Erin Kelley (Treasurer)

No significant highlights for this month but Erin noted:

  • Dolphin Drive income was higher than forecast – thanks to all who donated
  • We’ve had 236 members join the PTA this year which is lower than expected – there is still time to join!
  • After-school club scholarships were all covered for the Winter period but it looks likely we will need more for the Spring session.
  • We are still waiting for reimbursement of the $10,000 grant for STEM – Erin is chasing this and expects it shortly. Thanks again to Tracey Mathias for her work!

 

TPES/PBES Basketball Game, Mark Ivcevich (Basketball Game, Chair)

This year’s game will be on Thursday May 16 from 6 – 8pm and will be held at Takoma Academy (8120 Carroll Ave).

There are lots of opportunities to volunteer, get involved and sign-up to play. Please keep an eye out on the PTA listserv and look out for information coming home in dolphin folders.

Readathon Update, Sara Lewis (Readathon Co-Chair)

This will be our 6th year of the readathon. Not only does it get our kids inspired and excited to read, it is our biggest fundraiser of the year with $17,000 raised last year. We hope to raise a similar amount this year but we encourage all children to participate even if they aren’t collecting sponsorships.

The readathon runs March 4–29 with special events including a kick-off assembly.

We are still looking for volunteers in 3 main areas:

  • Work that can be done at home – includes creating achievement certificates, creating leaves / trees with kids names on them and inooutting minutes read into a database
  • Friday mornings at school – tallying up minutes from the children’s readathon sheets
  • Friday afternoons at school – handing out prizes to all our readers.

Clubs and Enrichment, Shana Sabbath (Equity Committee Chair)

Following a successful campaign to get the word out about our scholarship program, we now have a big need for more. The PTA provides a number of scholarships and the vendor provides one scholarship per filled club too, but we usually have more need than that. In the past the PTA has been able to meet all requests but having expanded our outreach this year, demand is up so we need to find more funding.

Additional donations would be very welcome. You will also be able to add a scholarship donation when you sign your child up for a club, please consider doing so if you are able.

 

A to Z Connect School Directory, Tim Gronniger (Parent Volunteer)

In response to many parents requests for a school directory Tim has been working on creating a TPES Directory in the A to Z Connect app. The app contains 520 TPES student records. If you asked not to be included in the school directory then your information will not be there. You can download the app from the iOSapp store or Google Play (search for ‘AtoZ Connect’, when you first log in you will be asked to validate your information. Once you’ve done that you will be able to look up contact information for children in your child’s class(es). Tim would welcome any feedback. Lia passed on the PTA’s thanks to Tim for picking up such a big and important piece of work.

 

Volunteer Update: Exec Team 2019-2020, Sarah Corcoran (Volunteer Coordinator)

Lucy briefed the meeting on Safe Routes to School, TKPK5k and special projects.

We are committed to making Takoma Park a walkable and bike-able city. Recent / upcoming initiatives include:

  • A pop-up bike lane on Maple Ave later this year
  • The old wooden stairs behind TPES down to the community center have been removed and will be replaced by trees/shrubs

 

7.30pm: Literacy Presentation, Ms Ard-Gales (TPES Assistant Principal)

Ms Ard-Gales delivered a comprehensive presentation covering literacy and an overview of the reading program at TPES, before answering questions from PTA meeting attendees. A copy of the presentation is attached.

TPES PTA Meeting Minutes: January 2019

/in /by

Takoma Park Elementary School PTA

Meeting Minutes, January 8, 2019, 7-8 pm, APR

Attendance: 36

 

Welcome and Upcoming Events: Lia Salza, President

  • Saturday, January 12: MCPS/MCCPTA Mental Health and Wellness Forum, 1-5pm, Wood Middle School, Rockville. There will be programs on bullying, mental health first aid, etc.
  • Monday, January 21: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – no school
  • Friday, January 25: early release
  • Monday, January 28: Professional Day – no school
  • February 1-8: Scholastic Book Fair
  • Tuesday, February 5: PTA Meeting – Literacy
  • Monday, February 18: President’s Day – no school
  • March – Read-a-Thon!

 

Updates:

TPES Treasurer’s Report: Erin Kelley, Treasurer

  • Everything is on track with fundraisers and expenditures; we’re looking forward to the Read-a-Thon, which is the largest fundraiser of the year.
  • Announcement of grants:
    • Shana Sabbath wrote an application for the PTA and received a grant from the Takoma Foundation. The grant will support equity initiatives at TPES and the Young Scholars program.
    • Tracee Matthias wrote an application for a STEM grant that secured $10k for a variety of STEM programs at TPES, including a new fleet of Lego robots.
    • Both of these grants were identified and spearheaded by parents committed to these important areas of school support and improvement. Have ideas? Let’s talk!
  • Question regarding Politics&Prose fundraiser: we currently don’t have a parent volunteer to run this (and other similar) fundraisers – if you’re interested, please contact Sarah Corcoran (volunteer coordinator).

 

TPES Clubs/Enrichment Update: Virginia Davis, Clubs Coordinator, and Shana Sabbath, Equity Chair

  • Enrollment is now closed for the winter TPES club session. Ten scholarships were provided (an increase in the number being requested, which is great).
  • If you have ideas for clubs, please email them to tpesclubs@gmail.com

 

Book Fair Update: Kate Ivcevich and Shivani Sutton, Book Fair Chairs

  • The TPES Scholastic Book Fair will take place from February 1-8, both during the day and in the evenings (late hours on Tuesday and Thursday). Dave Burbank from the TP Library and authors will be leading activities in the evenings.
  • Kids will get to visit the fair early in the week and make wish lists; it’s also possible to send money (cash, credit cards, checks, e-wallet) with them, so they can purchase while at school
  • Teachers will have wish lists available for those interested to make donations.
  • This “fundraiser” doesn’t bring cash into the school, it provides the media center and classrooms with new books, and is a significant source of classroom materials for the school.
  • 90-minute sign-up opportunities will be available on the TPES PTA website soon; more information about the book fair, opportunities to assist, and ways of sending money with your kids will come home soon.

 

Read-a-Thon:

  • The Read-a-Thon is the PTA’s largest fundraiser of the year, and is a lot of fun.
  • Begins in early March (Dr. Seuss’ birthday) and lasts for the entire month.
  • It encourages kids to read or be read to by tracking and sponsoring minutes read. Have kids ask grandparents/aunts/uncles to sponsor them.
  • We need a chair (ideally 2 people) to coordinate the effort – which includes helping with a school assembly,  overseeing the weekly gathering of charts and data, making there is a binder of materials, and you will receive lots of support from the school and other parents. Are you interested? Even a little? Please contact Lia Salza (President) or Sarah Corcoran (volunteer coordinator).

 

Announcements from Dr. Gadsden

  • Snow is coming! Be sure to check all available resources to make sure you get accurate updates on school closures, delays, and early closures.
  • The playground is up and running, and the kids all approve! Thanks to all of the parent volunteers who helped to make that happen.

Adjourn

Summer Camp Fair

Participating programs: Nature Lab, Lowell School, Takoma Rec Center, Little Loft, Glen Echo Park, Barrie School, The Y Silver Spring, Girl Scouts, Roda Movement, Flag Star Football, Montgomery Parks: Totally Tennis, Takoma Sports, Takoma Park Child Development Center, The Evergreen School