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PTA Meeting Minutes: 2/13/24

Whittier PTA Board Meeting

February 13, 2024

7:00pm In Person & Zoom
Meeting ID: 817 3911 8250
Passcode: wildcats

Meeting link

BOARD MEMBERS / CHAIRS IN ATTENDANCE

  • Renee Hartnett – Co-President
  • Courtney Sievers – Co-President
  • Jess Templeton – Vice President (running reflections contest) 
  • Michelle Nemeth – Treasurer 
  • Melissa Ivancevich – Co-Secretary
  • Emily Robertson – Co-Secretary
  • Meg Herscher – Communications chair (zoom)
  • Kate Scher – Communications (Website/Wildchat)
  • Kiana Swearingen – Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Chair
  • Ashley Schiavone – Fundraising Co-Chair
  • Emily Schweiger – Family and Community Engagement – Outreach Chair
  • Jen Foreman – Programs Co-Chair
  • Laura Zingg – Programs Co-Chair; Student Directory (zoom)
  • Kathleen Donahoe – Hospitality Co-Chair 
  • Emily Grosse – Hospitality Co-Chair 
  • Nicole Kaczmarek – Director at Large
  • David Peabody – Move-a-thon Chair
  • Sara Lukas – Room Parent Coordinator

COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE

  • Kellie Pecoraro
  • Anika Anand
  • Maureen Nothum
  • Katie Stiver (zoom)
  • Bonnie (zoom)
  • Rachel Wold (zoom) 

Meeting Called to Order at 7:02 PM

WELCOME

  • Ice Breaker
  • Core Values and goals

APPRECIATIONS

  • David Peabody – Move-a-Thon
  • Brie Gardner – Spring Fling kicked off
  • Laura Zingg & Jennifer Foreman – Programs for Winter
  • Kate Scher – Gaga Ball
  • Kathleen & Emily – ongoing Staff Appreciation!

PRESIDENT’S UPDATES

  • PTA Roles & Descriptions
    • Done by 2/16 if possible
    • Goal of having smooth transitions
  • Survey to community on budget

BUSINESS

  • Yearbook
    • Annika Anand looking for a partner to help
  • PTA Table at Family Dance & Game Night
    • Need volunteers to be involved at PTA table 
  • Potential Shift with Move-A-Thon to 13th Ave NW
    • Location shift because of bike week
    • Need stanchions, flags, cones
    • Freezer pops Town & Country 
    • Frankie and Joe’s for volunteers 
  • Wildcats Wonder (instead of career day)
    • What problems do you want to solve? 
    • Crowdsourcing / engaging community / parents on what problems they’re working on 
    • April / May 
    • Moments of failure along the way / perseverance 

TIMELY CHAIR UPDATES

  • VP – Jess Templeton –
    • Reflections Updates
    • Nom Com
      • Survey Assistant Treasurer – Stacy not returning 
      • EDI co-chair, ideally someone representing communities not currently 
      • Volunteer co-chair recently vacated – going into a busy time 
      • Fundraiser co-chair 
      • More to come 
  • Kiana Swearingen EDI
    • Supporting & Raising Mixed-Race Children – think of someone that can go with you
      • Childcare will be provided
      • Neighborhood schools have been contacted

TREASURER’S REPORT (MICHELLE NEMETH)

  • January 2024 Financial Report
    • $7,277 income from annual give
    • $3,936 gaga ball expense
    • -$372 for month 
    • $265,276 overall balance
  • Budget Committee
    • Need 5 volunteers

KATE SCHER 

  • Gaga Ball – Lots of volunteers 
  • STEAM lab – grant opportunity with WA Arts
    • $5000 materials equip, $5000 training etc
    • Must be non-profit, so funneled through the PTA 
    • Grant submission due by Feb 23
      • If instated, would be housed in a pre-identified room in the building, staffed by volunteers, and potentially rolled out and
        • Need a state wide vendor number
        • Unique entity ID – may be washington state UBI 

ASHLEY SCHIAVONE

  • School Party scheduled March 29th
    • Activities, dance party in the cafeteria 
    • Unicycling in the gym with Mr. Pule 
    • Gaga ball, 4-square
    • Popcorn for all
    • Will need volunteers

PRINCIPAL WATTERS UPDATE 

  • Entering budget time and it’s terrible
    • $10,000 – $12,000 for this year for supplies (vs. $20,000 – $22,000 last year)
    • Enrollment projections within 6-8 of what office staff thinks
    • Next year we will likely have (2) 5th grades, (2) 4th grades, (3) 3rd grades next year (most covid impacted cohort – current 2nd graders), (2) 2nd grades, (3) 1st grades, (3) kindergarten classes
    • Won’t know about staffing until August 
    • Split-level grade level classes aren’t good generally
  • Partnership with the Math Agency in grades 3 and 4 going well
    • On track for kids to grow 1.5 grade levels
    • Scaling back intervention from 4 days a week to 3 days a week
    • Pilot with 3rd graders 1 day x week to focus on task complexity 
    • High numbers of HC kids in 3rd grade 
  • 5th Grade trip next year might be Island Wood
    • Should be in the Fall for bonding
  • Prides of March
    • Food Pantry 
    • Hygiene kits for high schoolers
  • Pints with the Principal / Coffee – to talk budget 
  • Looking for new school board member for our area 
  • Highly Capable Services / Advanced Learning Program (unfunded mandate)
    • Got rid of HC / Advanced learning opportunities for 5th graders going into 6th grade (everybody still gets to same place at the same time) 

FINAL WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

  • NA

Meeting Adjourned 8:14  pm

Note for March meeting agenda: Mariner’s Game update