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8 PTA Meeting changes (you gave feedback, we listened)

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You gave us honest feedback – the good, the bad and the ugly.

And we took action on it!

Here are some changes to PTA Meetings moving forward.

1. “Any time there were multiple people unmuted there was echo.” “The echos were frustrating” “Lots of echos. It would be nice if the host could mute everyone.”

Yeah, this was totally my bad.

Long story short, I figured out the issue ~10 minutes into the meeting and it shouldn’t have been an issue the last ~50 minutes.

And now that I got that figured out once, I should be able to avoid that entirely in future meetings.

2. “Lack of clarity between slides on what pertained to TPES and what pertained to PBES.”

We’ve had some space in the bottom-left corner of slides so we added a little area so you know if a slide is for TPES, PBES or Everyone.

3. “The lack of PTA presence (from both schools) on screen: this should be a place where we are seeing and recognizing our PTA leadership, not looking at a sea of blank squares like every other impersonal meeting.”

Go off!

If the experience you want is to see more faces, that’s totally cool. We generally recommend the Sidebar view because it allows you to see the shared slides well as well as faces on the left side of the screen but there are other options.

One nice part about platforms like Google Meet is that you can select the view that works best for you.

  • Go with Auto, Tiled or Spotlight views if they better fit your needs
  • At the bottom of these settings, you can also click the toggle next to “Hide tiles without video” to only see those with their cameras on

And yes, everyone is welcome to join with their camera via video but that’s a personal choice we leave to each individual.

4. “Was there simultaneous translation in Spanish and Amharic? If so, I missed that.”

We had some initial slides going rolling through every ~15 seconds before the meeting got started, one of which gave clear instructions on how to turn on translated captions.

I was sorting out some audio issues before the call and wasn’t flipping to this slide as much as I should have.

I also didn’t highlight this slide at all once the meeting started, which I should have!

I’ve moved these slides to all be after the Welcome slide to make sure they’re reviewed explicitly but briefly for everyone.

5. “Harder to find camera and microphone controls on phone version”

They should be in the same place whether you’re joining from a computer, laptop, tablet, mobile browser or mobile app.

Both the camera and microphone controls are always at the bottom of the window!

6. “Doesn’t work with all browsers (Firefox)”

Often when Google Meet doesn’t work with Firefox, it’s because you have an active browser extension that’s causing a conflict.

Try disabling some of your old or unused extensions and/or opening the meet link in an Incognito Window and see if that helps!

How to Fix Google Forms "Internal Error"

And if all else fails, some good options for joining right on your phone are the Google Meet iOS app or Android app.

7. “Wouldn’t let me access with primary Gmail account, had to use another.”

This is often an account indexing issue. This sounds complicated but it’s usually a simple fix.

  • Look at the top-right corner of the pre-meeting green room. Confirm the displayed profile photo and email address match your primary account.
  • Click Switch account on that pre-join screen to explicitly select your primary email before clicking “Join.”
  • Instead of multiple logins in one browser window, create separate Chrome Profiles (click your browser avatar at the top menu bar > Add Profile) for each Google account to isolate credentials and cookies completely.

And if all else fails, some good options for joining right on your phone are the Google Meet iOS app or Android app.

8. “I hate Google meet. Can’t do emojis for comments in the chat.”

Not sure if this was sent in jest or not but it gave me a good chuckle lol.

And you sure can! Just click inside the chat field and press Win + . (on PC) or Cmd + Ctrl + Space (on Mac).

Everyone is also welcome to spam emoji react in our next TPA Meeting.

But on a more serious note, I understand everyone has their preference of virtual meeting apps. PBES, TPES & both PTAs have come to a consensus that we’ll be trying out Google Meet this year. We’ll be sticking with that decision for the time being.

Thanks for reading this far. See you at the next PTA Meeting!

P.S. Psssst… if you’ve read this far, react in WhatsApp with the ‘Ear’ emoji 👂

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How to drive around the school (and everywhere really)

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tl;dr – in our neighborhood, drive extra slowly, make a full stop at all stop signs and be super attentive for pedestrians & bikers. Safety is our #1 priority!

Last year, the PTA received multiple reports of reckless driving and unnecessary congestion during pick up and drop off.

Let’s all do our part to make sure every all TPES families can navigate the neighborhood safely and complete pick up and drop off without too much of a hassle.


Please click the floating button at the bottom of this page to translate this article | Por favor, haga clic en el botón flotante en la parte inferior de esta página para traducir este artículo | ይህንን ጽሑፍ ለመተርጎም እባክዎ በዚህ ገጽ ግርጌ ላይ ያለውን ተንሳፋፊ አዝራር ጠቅ ያድርጉ።



1. Don’t stop here during drop off, pick up or anytime!

If you do, it makes it super hard for other cars to make this turn and you’ll cause a huge backup.

REMEMBER: please pull up as far as possible.


Traffic jam!No traffic jam!


2. Don’t turn left when exiting the school (8:15AM – 4:30PM)

I know, this is an annoying one as it makes most of us go the long way around.

But with buses and the majority of traffic coming the other direction, turning left here creates all sorts of congestion on Holly Ave and at the intersection of Holly Ave & Philadelphia Ave.

REMEMBER: Please turn right.




3. Don’t miss this hard-to-see crosswalk

Last year we had reports of people speeding down Holly Ave outside the school.

There’s a crosswalk here that’s honestly difficult to see with the small hill just before it.

REMEMBER: Please don’t speed up Holly Ave (or anywhere around the school).




4. Full stops at this intersection. Always.

Students, parents and caregivers are crossing these intersections constantly during drop off and pick up times.

We can all agree we’ve seen too many rolling stops and people rushing through this intersection.

REMEMBER: Please come to full stops and be extra vigilant about pedestrians at Holly Ave & Philadelphia Ave.




5. Watch out for flashing crosser lights

This intersection at Philadelphia Ave & Old Philadelphia Ave has flashing lights that activate when cross walkers hit the button to cross.

As someone who often bikes through this intersection with his family on our way to school, I see too many drivers who don’t stop when these lights are blinking.

REMEMBER: Please be extra vigilant about flashing lights and pedestrians at Holly Ave & Philadelphia Ave and give families space to cross.


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School supply lists for K, 1st and 2nd are live

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Every year, the school sends out a small list of supplies every TPES student needs.

Don’t wait until the last minute and have to fight the crowds!

If you see a sale on some of these items from previous years, why not buy them when they’re discounted and save a few bucks?

Below are B2S supply lists for kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade.

Please click the floating button at the bottom of this page to translate this article | Por favor, haga clic en el botón flotante en la parte inferior de esta página para traducir este artículo | ይህንን ጽሑፍ ለመተርጎም እባክዎ በዚህ ገጽ ግርጌ ላይ ያለውን ተንሳፋፊ አዝራር ጠቅ ያድርጉ።

NOTE: “blue tip” is supposed to say “blunt tip”!

NOTE: Composition Book was added to the 1st Grade list since this list was first released!

TPES 26:27 School Supply Lists Final

You can find a full list of local businesses who have signed a pledge to support a Free DC here: https://freedcproject.org/local-businesses

P.S. The PTA will be giving every TPES teacher $125 to spend on their classrooms before school starts, including extra school supplies that some students may not be able to afford! If you want to chip in, donate to the PTA here and your contribution will go directly towards classroom supplies.

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TPES PTA launches Enrollment Assistant for 24/7 support

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To help Takoma Park Elementary School’s meet our enrollment goals ASAP, we’ve built an AI Chatbot to help guide anybody who needs it through the enrollment process.

  • The chatbot is trained on all TPES/MCPS enrollment information available online.
  • It’s available to speak with in any language, including Español, አማርኛ and English.
  • The chatbot may make mistakes. It’s not perfect!

You can access the chat here 24/7 (or by clicking the chat icon in the bottom right corner of every page of this website).

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TPES risks large class sizes if we don’t get enrollment up

This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill!

Are you an incoming kindergarten family?

Or maybe your child is new to TPES in the 1st or 2nd grade?

If any of this applies to you, I have some summer homework for you that needs to be completed ASAP.

Please click the floating button at the bottom of this page to translate this article | Por favor, haga clic en el botón flotante en la parte inferior de esta página para traducir este artículo | ይህንን ጽሑፍ ለመተርጎም እባክዎ በዚህ ገጽ ግርጌ ላይ ያለውን ተንሳፋፊ አዝራር ጠቅ ያድርጉ።

1. Register for kindergarten, 1st grade or 2nd grade at TPES TODAY

MCPS is staffing schools this year based 100% on how many students are enrolled in the school RIGHT NOW (not based on history-based projections like in previous years). That means we truly might not have enough teachers or staff to start the school year if some of us don’t register right now.

Enrollment is only needed if this is your child’s FIRST year at TPES (all incoming kindergarteners, new 1st graders & new 2nd graders). If your child attended TPES last year, they do NOT need to be re-enrolled.

2. If you’ve started but not yet completed registration, do so TODAY

Enrollment is only officially completed after you’ve provided all the right documentation. That means either:

  1. an updated lease, or
  2. a copy of your most recent property taxes
  3. Examples of acceptable verification documentation

If your child’s registration isn’t complete, you should have received an email or call directly from the school.

3. Already registered for this upcoming year at TPES?

That’s great! You can still help by:

  1. reaching out to new TPES families in your neighborhood to make sure they’re enrolled
  2. sharing this post with some of your local friends
  3. bringing this up at your next school hangout (there are a couple kindergarten group playdates coming up on the calendar).

Teamwork makes the dream work. Let’s do this!

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MCPS Board of Education unanimously passes screen time audit resolution 

On July 16, the board unanimously passed a screen time audit resolution introduced by Board Member Julie Yang. The resolution was drafted with the help of the MCCPTA Tech Committee and supported by almost 600 MCPS parents and educators who signed a Community Letter of Support!

Please click the floating button at the bottom of this page to translate this article | Por favor, haga clic en el botón flotante en la parte inferior de esta página para traducir este artículo | ይህንን ጽሑፍ ለመተርጎም እባክዎ በዚህ ገጽ ግርጌ ላይ ያለውን ተንሳፋፊ አዝራር ጠቅ ያድርጉ።

The resolution calls on MCPS to conduct a comprehensive tech audit for grades K-8 to assess the amount and type of student screen time used on school devices, due March 2027. Dr. Taylor indicated that MCPS would be relying on data usage information from devices as well as perceptions of the stakeholder community (likely via survey data). MCPS plans to create a work plan for the audit which it will present to the board at a later date. A number of supporters, including members of the MCCPTA Technology Committee, testified in support, and include resources in their testimony. You can also watch the public comments here.
  • Testimony of Betsy Tao (Written) (includes testimonials from those who signed the letter of support)
  • Testimony of Katharina Matro (Written) (from an MCPS high school teacher)
  • Testimony of Erin Hofmann (Written) (includes results of a survey of 175 MCPS educators on screen use)
  • Testimony of Ashley Bowers (Written) (includes a presentation of what an elementary student can access)
  • Testimony of Marissa Walker (Written) (speaks to the ineffectiveness of MCPS filters)
If you support intentional and safe technology use in schools and would like to stay in the loop on advocacy efforts, Schools Beyond Screens MCPS has a Google Group (join here!) and a WhatsApp Community (join here!).
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14 to-dos for incoming 26/27 kindergarten families

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Welcome to TPES, newbies!

Here’s a quick list of things you can do to get ready for next school year today.

Some steps listed here you can do right now and some might not be available until late summer.

Please click the floating button at the bottom of this page to translate this article | Por favor, haga clic en el botón flotante en la parte inferior de esta página para traducir este artículo | ይህንን ጽሑፍ ለመተርጎም እባክዎ በዚህ ገጽ ግርጌ ላይ ያለውን ተንሳፋፊ አዝራር ጠቅ ያድርጉ።

1. Register your kindergartener for the 26/27 school year

The sooner the school gets registration numbers, the earlier they can hire the appropriate number of teachers and other staff to support the class.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/enroll/

Feel free to use the PTA’s Enrollment Assistant! It’s available 24/7 in Spanish & Amharic.

2. Get signed up to ParentSquare & ParentVUE

ParentSquare is a messaging platform used by MCPS schools, teachers, students and parents. Most TPES-specific communications are sent out here.

Note: You can find your child’s Student ID in ParentSquare: Just click your student’s name in the top left corner after you log in and it should be listed.

ParentVUE is the parent portal for MCPS. It’s your secure window into important information about your child’s education – attendance, class schedules, grades, report cards, enrollment, athletic registration and more. It also links to MyMCPSClassroom where you can see class materials.

If you need any help with either of these platforms, MCPS has very responsive email support for this: ASKMCPS@mcpsmd.org

3. Prepare child’s cafeteria account and review free and reduced-priced meal options

Unless you qualify for free and reduced-priced meals, there’s a small cost for breakfast and lunch at school. You can make those payments here.

Note: to load money into the account, you’ll need to enter your child’s Student ID (found in ParentSquare, detailed above). It also needs to be close enough to the beginning of the school year. If you’re unable to load money, don’t sweat it! Just wait until it’s closer to the first day of school.

4. Activate SchoolCash Online account

Students sometimes go on field trips that come with an additional cost. You can make those payments here.

https://identity.schoolcashonline.com/Account/Login

5. Review MCPS resources

6. Sign up for MCPS emergency alerts

The Alert Montgomery System provides accurate and immediate emergency notifications from Montgomery County to your cell, work, or home phones via text, email, or voice message. Receive notifications about emergencies that may affect your home, workplace, child’s school, or any other locations within Montgomery County, Maryland.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/office-emergency-management-homeland-security/get-emergency-alerts

7. Join the PTA’s TPES WhatsApp Community

We’ve created a chat group there just for you to plan meetups, share upcoming events and just get to know each other before school starts. We haven’t made the invitation link public to avoid spam but ask around and it shouldn’t be hard to find.

TPES Incoming Kindergarten Families WhatsApp

Incoming kindergarten parents are already scheduling group play dates at the TPES playground this summer so don’t miss the chance for your little to meet fellow future friends and for you to meet fellow incoming K parents!

TPES WhatsApp Kindergarten Playdates

We also have all-Spanish and all-Amharic chat groups available as well. Please contact Joy Paz via WhatsApp or email the school for details: sheila_e_dutch@mcpsmd.org.

8. Join the PTA’s email list

We send out the Dolphin Digest newsletter every week and there’s a lot of other great school information shared there as well.

https://groups.io/g/tpespta

9. Subscribe to the TPES calendar for:

  • MCPS Non-Instructional Days
  • MCPS Early Release Days
  • TPES Special Events
  • PBES Special Events
  • All TPES & PBES PTA Events (Back to School Social, Parents Night Out, etc)

10. Join an upcoming PTA meeting

They’re all scheduled on the school calendar mentioned above. Come see what it’s all about!

TPES PTA Meeting Calendar Invite

11. Block your calendar for late-summer school events

See details for events in the calendar above! You don’t want to miss out on events like:

  • Incoming Kindergartener Popsicle Party
  • Kindergarten Information Session
  • TPES Sneak Peek
  • Back to School Night
  • The first PTA Meeting of the year
  • Back to School Social

TPES Back to School Social

12. Keep an eye out for back-to-school supply sales

Every year, the school sends out a small list of supplies every incoming kindergartener needs.

Don’t wait until the last minute and have to fight the crowds!

If you see a sale on some of these items from previous years, why not buy them when they’re discounted and save a few bucks?

Below are B2S supply lists for kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade.

NOTE: “blue tip” is supposed to say “blunt tip”!

TPES 26:27 School Supply Lists Final

You can find a full list of local businesses who have signed a pledge to support a Free DC here: https://freedcproject.org/local-businesses

13. Become a PTA member

Anyone can be a member of the PTA! You can be a grandparent, a concerned neighbor or citizen, a student, a parent, etc.

The Takoma Park Elementary PTA is the nonprofit that will directly benefit the students that you care about the most!

Your purchase of a membership helps us deliver these services to the school: teacher training, online resources (such as BrainPop), after-school programs, classroom supplies, library books, cultural arts assemblies, field trips, sports equipment, instruments, special events, teacher and staff appreciation, and much more!

https://tpespta.net/join/

14. Consider joining the PTA Executive Team or as a Committee Chair

There’s no better way to support your new kindergarteners education and the public school system than to be an active participant in making your local school better.

We have a few open positions for this upcoming year so please take a look and think about putting your hat in the ring.

Most positions require only minimal volunteer hours and make a world of difference for our students, teachers, families and entire school communities.

Teamwork makes the dream work!

Learn more about our open positions here

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Winter 2026 After-School Programs

The Winter After-School Program schedule is set! Scholarships are available – please see the bottom of this post for more information.

Please remember: the PTA helps organize these offerings, but if you have specific questions about a program, reach out directly to that program once you receive the flyers in your student’s packet.

Weekly Schedule at TPES

Tuesdays

Science and Engineering Incredible Forces with Big Learning ($160)

Thursdays

Spanish, Intro and Early Beginner with Big Learning Learning ($160)

Soccer with Avanti Athletics ($205)

Scholarships: All programs offer their own scholarships, and the PTA provides additional support for families who may need it. If you’d like to request a scholarship for after-school programming, please email: president@tpespta.net.

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October 2025 Monthly PTA Meeting Minutes

October 2025 Monthly PTA Meeting Minutes

Takoma Park Elementary School (TPES)

Piney Branch Elementary School (PBES)

Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Meeting

Tuesday, October 7, 2025: 6:30-8p 

In person (at TPES) and virtual

 

Spanish Translator: 

Amharic Translator: 

Meeting was recorded

Slides

Welcome and Introductions

Delianny Brammer, President, TPES PTA & 

Mari Quenemoen, President, PBES PTA

  • This is our first in person meeting since 2020
  • We welcome feedback about the hybrid meeting format

Partner Spotlight

Delianny Brammer, President, TPES PTA

  • Childcare for families attending in person tonight is being sponsored by WP Buffs
  • WP Buffs provides 24/7 maintenance and support for WordPress websites — offering reliable service for serious site owners and white-label management for agencies and freelancers.
  • We’re proud to share that this business is owned by one of our very own TPES parents, Joe Howard. Thank you for supporting our community!

PTA Meetings

Delianny Brammer, President, TPES PTA

  • PTA meetings take place the first Tuesday of the month 
  • We are aiming for two in-person PTA meetings this year (tonight and Feb 3, 2026)
  • When not in person, meetings are virtual starting at 8p

Accomplishments this month

Delianny Brammer, President, TPES PTA

In the past month, the TPES/PBES PTA has:

  • Organized & offered a wide range of afterschool enrichment options
  • Launched Working Groups to support specific needs around immigration issues
  • Arranged for childcare at Back-to-School Nights and this event, so as many families as possible can attend
  • Reimbursed teachers for classroom supplies
  • Hosted Teacher Appreciation Lunch 

Coming up next month

Delianny Brammer, President, TPES PTA

In the next month, the TPES/PBES PTA will:

  • Coordinate Hispanic Heritage Month Events
  • Organize the annual book fair to raise money for the Media Center (PBES)
  • Collect basic items for health room
  • Continue to connect parents/families with helpful resources
  • StoryShip Assembly @ TPES, interactive dinosaur adventure

Upcoming School Closures

Delianny Brammer, President, TPES PTA

  • Oct 17: Professional Development Day, no school for students
  • Oct 20: Non-Instructional Day, no school for students/teachers
  • Nov 3: Grading/Planning Day, no school for students
  • Nov 24-25: Early Release (school ends at 1:20p)
  • Nov 26-28: Schools closed

TPES Announcements 

Ken Scudder, TPES PTA VP of Communications

  • Big Read for Hispanic Heritage Month (Wed 10/14)
  • Dolphin Drive (Nov)
  • Can access google cal on TPES PTA website (https://tpespta.net/)
  • Join your student’s class WhatsApp for caregivers

TPES Treasurer’s Report 

Germaine Dunn, TPES Treasurer

  • As of June 30, wrapped up SY with 22k
    • For month of June, brought in $900 in income, spent $4900 paying for school programs, staff support and appreciation
  • We had a strong year financially: brought in $31,200
    • Top fundraisers were Readathon, Dolphin Drive, Book Fair
  • On spending side: invested $36k back in community
  • Currently for FY25-26:
    • Oct. 3 balance: $15,700 
    • Jul-Oct: brought in $4000 in revenue
      • Membership dues
      • Dolphin gear
      • Donations
    • Spending so far this year:
      • Spent $10,700 for classroom supplies for 28 teachers
      • Paid for back to school picnic
      • Purchased Dolphin gear for upcoming fundraisers
    • Dolphin Drive + Readathon will give big boost in income
    • Anticipate future spending on:
      • Funds on staff support, programming, community events
      • Ended last year in a solid position
  • Overall, off to a good start this year

TPES PTA Volunteer Needs

Delianny Brammer, TPES President

  • Interpretation coordinator
    • A lot of work to coordinate with her and set up translation
  • Event coordinator 
    • Movie night: AV, popcorn, RSVPs
    • If you know someone willing, please let us know

TPES Communication Channels

Delianny Brammer, TPES President

PBES Announcements

Mari Quenemoen, PBES PTA President

  • Monday Oct 13 is open house
    • Can go to one of two sessions or both
    • 9:45-10:45
    • 2:30-3:30
    • Fun way to sit in back of your student’s classroom and observe
  • Scholastic Book Fair: Oct 21-27
    • Sign up to volunteer
    • See PTA emails for links to e-wallets

PBES PTA Announcements

Cara Tallo, PBES PTA Executive VP 

  • PBES PTA Volunteers needed
    • Readathon (Jan-Mar)
    • GeoBowl planning team (Jan-Mar)
    • Black History Night (Feb)
    • Volunteer to establish a WhatsApp group in Amharic

PBES Treasurer’s Report 

Dan Proudfoot, PBES PTA Treasurer

  • $30k is generally expected in both income and expenses
    • We carried a balance into this year so we are in good shape
  • So far, $2,800 brought in this year
    • Mainly through PBES PTA website
    • Readathon and other fundraising events coming up
  • Expenses
    • Reimbursed teachers for supplies
    • Paid for childcare at back to school night
    • Staff appreciation and purchasing gear

Slide 16: Communication Channels

Cara Tallo, PBES PTA Executive VP 

  • This year, concerns about sharing contact info broadly
    • Having folks opt in to share contact info with class parent
    • Amie will put that link in the chat but will send out so all families can sign up
    • She’ll work with class parents to make sure they have contact info for their class only
  • PBES PTA Communications Channels
  • School Communications Channels
    • ParentSquare: newsletters and other important communications from PBES and MCPS. This replaces Remind.

Immigration Awareness: Connecting with Resources
Mr. Weertz and Dr. Gadsden

    • The elephant in the room/nation is immigration enforcement and everything that comes with that; every day hearing stories in the news that are alarming for all of us.
    • Want to summarize how we got to where we are, the work we’re doing with school safety around this, and connect families with resources so you know what we’re trying to do
      • We value and prioritize talking to families. It’s more important than ever to start talking and asking questions. Let’s make phone calls, ask questions, see what we can find out
      • Families we talked to had really raw, authentic experiences that sprung us into action
      • Our values are showing through
      • Food insecurity: families not going to grocery store
      • Having real, raw experiences
      • We started a working group: how can we take the knowledge we have and leverage that into supporting families?
    • What would we do if there’s something going on around the school and we’re not sure what it is?
      • Our school has been working closely with some community members who are very knowledgeable about immigration enforcement activities in TKPK. “Tell me what I need to know as a school leader – what do we need to know, look out for?”
      • They’ve had very honest and open conversations with us about what we should be looking for, see in the community
      • Push us to think about what we would do
      • Erin Martin called me (TPES MS) – something’s going on up the street, want to make you aware. We stay in touch as school leaders – we know if it impacts MS children, it will impact ES children.
      • If we see something that looks off, and we’re unsure of a situation, if it’s setting off red flags, law enforcement activity, immediately secure the building, get school affiliated persons into the building
      • Just as if local grocery store had a robbery, how do we secure the building, make sure everyone is accounted for, go from there.
    • If in a situation where some sort of law enforcement came to the building, very specific MCPS protocols we would follow
      • If law enforcement comes, they ask for administrator, we collect a warrant, submit warrant to OGC, ask law enforcement to step out of the building and wait outside, then follow guidance of OGC about our next steps
      • We’re keeping an eye out at arrival, dismissal, in communication with community groups who are much more knowledgeable, provide us with necessary information so we can make intentional decisions that keep kids and families safe
      • Being vague but we want to communicate we’re aware of the situation, are in touch with those who are knowledgeable, being intentional 
      • If an officer comes, before we can talk about anything, present us with a warrant, legal paperwork. We would send that immediately to OGC and follow their guidance.
    • Main thing I want to convey: we are being intentional, we are in communication, we are taking it seriously.
      • Wish we weren’t here, wish staff weren’t scanning the neighborhood as letting your child out of the car
      • We’re always trying to keep one eye here, make sure kids are safe
  • Q: Can you clarify what happens if officers approach a school bus?
      • School buses are the same as MCPS property
      • Officers cannot board school buses
      • Must not only have a warrant, must be a judicial warrant to enter the premises
      • Expectation is that they not come to the school or board buses
      • Don’t have the right to board school buses
  • Q: Are you sharing any of this with students?
      • Dr. G: TPES is not sharing this with students
      • Mr. Weertz: At PBES it’s situational, not happening broadly with students but having specific convos w/ specific students about their situation fairly regularly, as needed by the child. 
        • A lot of what I’m hearing from kids/families is that the school is perceived as the safest place. I have kids who have come to me: Mr Weertz, I love to come to school, play soccer, I don’t get to do that on the weekends anymore.
        • If you have a curious kid at PBES, tell them to come to Mr. Weertz.
  • Q: What is the emotional support for staff?
      • PBES: Open and honest communication is the first thing
        • These are the convos we have to have
        • Biggest support for staff: open and private convos as necessary
        • There are staff members who are personally impacted as well
        • What do you need? How can we help?
        • Sometimes tangible things we can do, sometimes not sure but we’re here to help 
      • TPES: Trainings on what to do when a situation arises
        • For those directly impacted, we are supportive
  • Q: If we as parents/community members see something we want to communicate, how should we do that?
    • Timing matters. If immediate (e.g., during arrival/dismissal), call the school. They’ll notify an administrator.
    • If there’s something that does not pose an immediate threat to school safety, but you hear something (e.g., a kid in my child’s class needs a supportive adult), start with the principal or counselor.

PTA Support Efforts 

April Cockerham, PBES PTA VP of Communications

  • PBES/TPES Immigration Working Group – work in progress
    • Help staff, teachers, counselors on front lines
    • They’re hearing heartbreaking stories
    • It’s not in their job description and no one is really trained for this
  • Important to know that TPES through Ms. Paz has Spanish language WhatsApp group; just started getting that rolled out through counselor at PBES
  • Raising awareness of the many available resources in this community
    • Pro bono legal services and legal funds
    • ELD department supporting guardianship and passport assistance
  • We are connecting families to aid 
    • Right now we have 10 families in an acute situation, doing grocery deliveries to home
    • Connecting families to a local nonprofit, Educare
      • Ongoing convos w/ them about using PBES as a dropoff spot where families could come pick up food items as opposed to a large food bank
    • To help with acute financial hardship situations, please donate to MoCoIRC’s GoFundMe database
  • Volunteer opportunities

 

Q+A

  • Q: Book Fair – TPES or PBES?
      • That one is for PBES (TPES will be at a later date)
      • Community Night (when book fair is open to the whole community, not just PBES families) is Thursday 10/23, 4:30-7:30p 
  • Q: Any updates with PBES renovation?
      • Mr. Weertz: My understanding – allegedly Oct 13 Superintendent Taylor will make his recommendation. We’re all sitting and waiting eagerly. 
  • Q: Can you clarify the new MCPS fingerprinting policy?
      • Dr. G: Parents chaperoning field trips are expected to be fingerprinted at their own cost ($65 in Rockville)
        • This creates an equity issue, especially in light of shutdowns and layoffs
        • Some people may not have resources to get to Rockville or pay $65
        • I’m raising that issue and moving it forward
        • Often community pressure and voice is louder than mine
        • I agree w/ having people fingerprinted and background checked, but don’t want barriers 
      • Can probably take it up with MCCPTA
  • Q: What will happen to zoo field trips if gov remains shut down?
      • Dr. G: We can’t go to zoo if zoo is closed
        • Will talk to kindergarten team about a different field trip
  • Q: What is the school’s stance on mandated reporting (e.g., to CPS) when kids are experiencing things like food insecurity as a result of what’s happening in gov?
    • Dr. G: We protect our kids. We give out food on a regular basis. We make resources available. We know which families are impacted and we work to support them. During COVID, you didn’t have to go to the grocery store if you lived in TKPK. You could feed your family – all those things available in this three block radius. Our schools were distribution sites, Tommy’s Pantry on Sligo.
  • If any other questions related to immigration supports, please email April at aprilacockerham@gmail.com
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