PS 87 PA Board Meeting Minutes, October 2021

11/1/2021 10:30 am

PS 87 Parents’ Association 

General Board Meeting Minutes

10/27/2021 

7:00pm ET

Attendance: Rita Kakati-Shah, Kim Hausmann, Peter Battin, Lora Martinez, Marissa Curry, Sarah Emley, Swati Vauthrin, Jill Rackmill, Megan Hoffmann, Lauren Sachs, Eliz Battin, Marguerite Boonzaier, Shira Hudson, Ross Goldstein, Meredith Thompson, Angie Arlia, Caitlin Kluger, Monica Berry, Anni Kluger, Barbara Kissane, Boris, Jen Lee 

Quorum was met

Called to order by Swati 7:05pm ET

Introduction

Swati made a motion to vote to approve the minutes from the PS 87 Parents Association Board Meeting held on Sept 29. Sarah and Angie seconded the motion. The motion was then approved.

III. Board of Elections – Lora Martinez (5min)

• Voting on Communications VPs, Fundraising Chair, K Rep, 5th grade Rep (Bios) 
  • VP communications approved unopposed
  • Fundraising chair, K rep, 5th grade rep approved

IV. Standard Updates

a) Presidents’ Update – Angie (5 minutes)

• PA Board Open Position – Auction
  • No one volunteered 
• Volunteer to serve on:
  • monthly Safety briefings – no one volunteered
• DEI Task Force
  • Meet today 10/27 and put together verbage on strategy – lookout for more info in the next BFN 

b) Administration Update – Monica (10 minutes)

• Getting ready for assessments 
  • Math completed 
  • Reading this week 
• Parent/Teacher conferences week of 11/01 
• Report cards will be given out in January 2022
• Some updates – Clusters will be moved inside 11/08
  • STEAM program 
    • 2nd grade will be focused on Art
    • 3rd-5th grade will be coding 
  • Dance program back as well once there is a teacher
    • Looking for a substitute 
  • Music is in the classroom
  • Science is in the classroom but eventually move to lab 
• Rules around quarantine 
  • As of 10/20 there will be no full classroom closures
  • If child tests positive, whoever is within 3ft more than 10mins would be considered a close contact and would need to quarantine
  • If adult tests positive, anyone fewer than 6ft and not masked will have to quarantine 
  • For children who have to quarantine, they will learn async
    • No access to a live person 
    • After 5 days, if no symptoms then they can come back 8 days after the last day of exposure 
• If vaccinated and you get exposed to some, you do not have to quarantine
• Opening up volunteering to 1-2 in the classroom 
  • Ex: secret reader 
• Closing down street again and will require volunteers 
• Can start having indoor events in schools 
  • Need to figure out logistics 
• Financials (Galaxy)

c) Treasurers’ Update – Kim/Peter/Lora (10 minutes)

• Waiting to get more info from Galaxy on our budget
• See appendix for treasurers report 

V. Open issues/Updates 

• Administration – Marissa Curry
  • Letter for audit is signed
  • Update our by-laws
• Community Affairs – Jill Rackmill
  • CEC – resolution for G&T voted yesterday
    • Lucas Lou will be our new PS87 liaison 
  • No info on middle school admissions 
  • EBT cards – pre-loaded card to cover costs of meals – can be used at farmer’s markets/amazon – more info be to sent 
• Enrichment & Programming – Megan Hoffman
  • Jazz at Lincoln Center performed for 5th graders in Big Yard
  • Thunderbird tribe – 4th graders
  • NDI has started for 1st graders – in auditorium 
  • Looking to hire a chess teacher 
  • Center for architecture working to get back into classroom
  • Symphony Space coming in for 3rd graders
  • Dancing in classroom – ballroom – 4th/and maybe 5th graders
  • Nature’s classroom – 5th graders 
  • Silver music – 1st/2nd or 2nd/3rd assemblies 
• Afterschool – Meredith Thompson
  • Evaluating school offerings to see what’s successful/non-popular 
  • After school survey sent out 
• School Events & Membership – Eliz Battin & Marguerite Boonzaier
  • Harvest Festival 
    • Great success!! 
    • 160 volunteers day of! 
  • Will be doing more friday coffees 
  • Liaison with Class Reps
• Family Giving – Shira Hudson & Ross Goldstein
• Fundraising – Sarah Hansen
  • Just ramping up 
• Wellness – Lauren Sachs
  • Trying to figure out some time to work with the students once a month – to start outside 
    • First unit would be breakfast 
    • Younger grades will be a little different than older grades 
• Secretaries – Sarah Emley & Swati Vauthrin
• Communications – Angie Arlia & Jami DeAngelis
  • Post-mortem on DEI Task Force survey glitch
  • Communications policy on emails to community 
  • Parent Handbook update
    • Currently WIP 
  • Website Exec Board update (Boris)
    • Send suggestions to Boris for info that should be on the website 
    • Currently in 10 different languages
• K – Jennifer Lee
  • Will be sending an intro email to all K parents 
• 5th –  Anni Kluger
  • Panel – went really well – lots of positive feedback 
  • Shared tons of information from the panelists 
  • PS87 turkey drive will be coming up soon 11/01 

VI. New business

• Organogram of Board / Committee contacts – Rita / Angie
  • Needed to update by-laws based on what’s current in 2021 
• SLT Reps
  • We should have a election for the parent rep – meetings are open to all parents 

VII. Adjournment

Meeting ended at 8:38pm