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PTA Meeting Minutes: 2/11/25

PTA Meeting Minutes: 2/11/25

BOARD MEMBERS / CHAIRS IN ATTENDANCE

  • Kate Lindsay Scher – Co-President 
  • Allie DeLong Thomas – Co-President 
  • Renee Hartnett – Vice President / Spirit Gear 
  • Melissa Ivancevich – Co-Secretary 
  • Emily Robertson – Co-Secretary 
  • Michelle Nemeth – Treasurer 
  • Meg Herscher – Communications Chair 
  • Ashley Schiavone – Fundraising Co-Chair 
  • Jess Templeton – Fundraising Co-Chair 
  • Kathleen Donahoe – Hospitality Co-Chair 
  • Jess Twardzik – Hospitality Co-Chair 
  • Meg Pietz – Events Chair 
  • Emily Schweiger – Family and Community Engagement – Outreach Chair
  • Laura Zingg – Programs Co-Chair; Student Directory 
  • Jen Foreman – Programs Co-Chair 
  • Jon Overman – Legislative Representative 
  • Anjean Vanden Bosch – Membership Chair 
  • Kristin Laughlin – Volunteer Coordinator 
  • Kiana Swearingen – Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Co-Chair 
  • Jill Muscatel – Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Co-Chair 
  • Megan Wildenradt – Website Editor 
  • John Shaw – Tech Support 
  • Brie Gardner – Back To Business Co-Chair 
  • Leah Lansberry – Back To Business Co-Chair; Yearbook Co-Chair Anika Anand – Yearbook Co-Chair 
  • Jared Cortese – Fall Festival Chair 
  • Anika Anand – Yearbook Co-Chair
  • David Peabody – Move-a-thon 
  • Elan Simonson – Spring Fling Chair 
  • Rena Giannoulakis – Spring Fling Co-Chair
  • Sara Lukas – Room Parent Coordinator 
  • Nicole Kaczmarek – Member at Large 
  • Lana Sturmer – Member at Large 
  • Courtney Sievers – Member at Large



COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE

  • Principal Watters 
  • Hanni Pichel 
  • Aisling McCarron (PTA member) 
  • Rachel Wold (PTA member) 
  • Haydee Wali 
  • Katie Stiver (PTA member)

Meeting Called to Order at 7:08 PM 

WELCOME

Agenda 

  • Link to Agenda 
  • Link to Meeting Presentation

Welcome

Table & Zoom Chat Informal Introductions

PRESIDENT UPDATES

  • Dashboard Review 
  • Budget updates 
  • Investment Work Session update

PRINCIPAL WATTERS UPDATE

  • Enrollment numbers for next year forecasted 
  • Teacher allocation will be announced 2/25
  • Massive Monkeys coming in March

TEAM AND CHAIR UPDATES

Nom-Com 

  • Lots of openings for next year, particularly executive committee
  • Nominating Committee will reach out to those who regularly attend to see if interested 
  • If you have any recommendations, please share with Nominating Committee (Renee, Sara, Kathleen)

EDI 

  • 2/25 EDI Committee Meeting 
  • 3/4 Parenting at the intersections 
  • 4/3 Drag Queen Bingo & Stories 6 – 7 
  • Recruiting for a co-chair

Move-a-thon 

  • 4/4 Move-a-thon 30 minutes 
  • Donations likely moving from 99 Pledges to Givebacks 
  • Swag ideas/leads 
  • Each grade level will design a logo for a logo competition for the bandanas
  • Run location 

Spring Fling: 

  • Saturday, May 31st 
  • Volunteer needs – core committee roles: Online Auction Coordinator; Marketing & Communication Coordinator; Live Event (Day of) Coordinator, class-art project volunteers, class buckets 
  • Theme/Logo/Website update – Cruise for a Cause 
  • Hosted Parties plan – Sara Lukas happy to help with ideas if someone wants to host but doesn’t know what to do 
  • Teacher and staff experiences will open online auctioning on May 1st 
  • Requests for help from other teams

Programs 

  • Winter Program update: Off to a great start! Most clubs had strong enrollment. We had low enrollment in CraftLab and Bricks4Kids. We added Hip Hop dance for K-2.
  • Spring Program update: 
  • Registration opens: 3/17 – 3/28 
  • Programs start: 3/31 
  • Programs end: 6/2 
  • Skip dates:
  • 4/14 – 4/18 (spring break) 
  • 5/26 (Memorial day) 
    • Note: No break between winter and spring sessions 
    • Coordinator help update: HUGE SHOUTOUT to our new volunteer Aisling McCarron who has been crushing it on Tuesday afternoons. 

Events: 

  • Wildcats Ice Skate Report (Bonnie) 
  • Whittier Mariners game update (Fri April 25th) – Promo is a captain’s hat ○ Co-Chairs needed for Family Dance & Game Night (Thurs, March 20th) 

VP: 

  • Nominating Committee
  • Reflections 

Hospitality 

Treasurer Report 

■ Income: 

  • Events, Programs, Interest: $2,016.46 
  • Annual Give Donations: $2,116.30 
  • Annual Give corporate match: $8,519 

○ Budget Committee needs volunteers 

Volunteers (all open positions): 

  • Winter After School Programs Assistant (1/27 – 3/28) 
  • Family Dance & Game Night Co-Chairs (last call!) 
  • Budget Committee members 
  • Spring Fling committee positions 
  • Nominate yourself for next year’s PTA board! 

Advocacy – WSPTA Advocacy Week

  • Advocacy Day Monday 2/17 
  • Sign up for WSPTA Action Alert 

Communications:

  • Thank you for submitting with notice through the Submission Form! Lots of quality messages getting out to families without a lot of churn – thank you!

Community: Funding Proposal

  • Proposal to “Bring Whittier Spirit to the Cafeteria” – an art installation with a photo collage 
  • $1,800 + $30 for plastic smoothing tools 

Belonging Practice 

  • Embrace Race Color-Brave Caregiver Framework – embracerace.org/caregiver-framework
  • Consider how to engage your kids on these topics at home. Ideas? Obstacles? 

 VOTING FOR PTA MEMBERS

  • January Meeting Minutes 
    • Motion: Hanni Pichel 
    • Second: Emily Schweiger 
    • Approved

Exec: Spirit Gear funding – $200 

  • Motion: Kate Scher 
  • Second: Allie DeLong Thomas 
  • Approved

Kudos & Thank Yous 

Open Floor for Community

Meeting Adjourned 8:34 pm