Beacon PTA meeting minutes – Jan. 2022

Beacon PTA General Membership Meeting 

January 10, 2022 (6pm, Zoom) 

Note: This meeting was recorded and the minutes approved at the Feb. PTA meeting on 2/14/22.

Zoom link: Click here.

Video recording: Click here.

MINUTES:

1. WELCOME 

Shirley Brady, Robin Broshi & Nancy Molesworth, PTA Co-Presidents 

2. PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Brady Smith

• 140 active COVID cases in the school currently in quarantine (students and staff)
• Rapid COVID at home tests were available in school at pick up (new shipment from the DOE today)
• Fewer teachers out this week then last
• NX resolution is underway. NX from last spring must be completed by 1/31.  
• Admissions – this week, Beacon is hosting an information session with middle school guidance counselors borough by borough; and IEP open house and information session was held last week. Other open houses are coming up.
• Brady is attending a DOE meeting on Fall Admissions tomorrow
• Fall high school application window opens on 1/24
• Community Service – Kevin Jacobs met with 10th grade parents and guardians last week; 10th graders are starting CS in spring term.

3. SPECIAL REPORT

AP Sarah Shams on Performance-Based Assessments & PBA Week

• PBA planning was well underway when DOE told Beacon that Regents were being cancelled.   
• DOE is now mandating that traditional instruction and attendance be mandated during Regents/PBA week.  Difficult to balance PBA schedule with DOE mandates. No real PBA’s have been given since 1/2020 so many students are not familiar with PBA’s which are central to Beacon and the Consortium schools educational philosophy. 
• Mr. Harry Feder – teacher perspective on PBA’s – PBA’s are part of the core curriculum of Beacon.  Important for students to be able to present their work and to build up their oral and presentation skills as kids advance in grades.  Blocks of time necessary for PBA’s which are the core mission of school.  Suggests that parents complain to DOE to fix this issue ASAP, good to bring in all advocacy networks.  Part of the issue is there is a new Administration.  Lack of PBA’s is a threat to the very being of Consortium schools.  Philosophy seems to be currently challenged.  PBA is the authentic assessment of a teacher designed curriculum.  
• Parent voices can be powerful in this process of attempting to influence the DOE.
• Concern if getting rid of PBA’s is a political direction instead of merely being due to COVID accommodations and cancellation of Regents week.  This will affect Beacon’s influence of admissions.  Centralization and standardization are troubling to Beacon’s core philosophy.
• Imperative to get an exception to instructional days mandate in order to conduct PBA’s this month.  

4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Anju Gupta, Recording Secretary

• Dec. 13, 2021 regular membership meeting minutes (click here) – Minutes approved.

5. TREASURERS’ REPORT

Spencer Green, Katherine Bruck (Katherine presented)

• Budget update

• New funding requests for review and vote:

• Film analysis club – $140 to see movie and analyze the film – 12 kids – passed
• African American culture club – $1000 – 2 different restaurants to celebrate food of African culture – 27 kids – passed
• COVID safety support by parents (testing van; N95 masks for students) will be discussed under Other Business

6. COMMITTEE REPORTS

• Fundraising: Karen Jolicoeur, Alison Overholser
  • Farm to Table – fundraiser for school.  Even if families make only one order, the PTA will benefit 
  • Magic of Coby – February 2nd on Zoom
• Communications: Justine Keil – no report
• Community Building: Karen Stonely, Natasha Zaretsky
  • 10th graders had Zoom with Mr. Jacobs re community service
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Gary Anthony Ramsay, Windell Williams
  • DEI subcommittees are meeting this and next week.
  • Admissions – concern that Beacon could lose control over admissions criteria.  
  • Budget – heated discussion regarding funding for clubs etc, disagreement as to whether or not there should be more accountability for moneys given to clubs
  • Book Club meeting on 1/18 will be led by Tyler Brewster from Peer Connect 
  • Next DEI Committee monthly meeting is on 2/2 
• Hospitality: Jennifer Weisbord
  • Suggest to provide snacks or lunch for teachers to mark the end of this semester
• Merchandise: Diana Mahiques, Julie Harding
  • Next merch sale will be 2/11
  • winter hats and some new t-shirts will be sold 

7. OTHER BUSINESS

• COVID-19 testing (Shirley, Natasha)
  • Testing – PTA’s are organizing lab Q testing, put down a $500 deposit and lab Q will come to school for free testing for beacon community
  • KN 95 masks – trying to get for all kids so that teachers feel safe and to mitigate spread of COVID in school
  • Anju Gupta makes a motion, 2nd by Nancy Molesworth –  to approve $2000 for masks as approved by school nurse or other Beacon professional and other COVID-related health care items, including possible rapid testing at Beacon.  
• Upcoming admissions open houses on Zoom (more info is here):
  • Jan. 18 (6-7pm)
  • Jan. 18 (7-8pm) including Student Admissions Board info session
  • Jan. 20 (6-7pm)
  • Jan. 20 (7-8pm)
• Next PTA Monthly Meeting: Feb. 14 at 6pm (more dates below)
• Beacon PTA Bylaws will be revised – committee led by Robin Broshi
• Budget equity committee (EB + DEI subcommittee + any other interested members of the Beacon community) will meet this month to set up new practices and procedures.  

8. MEETING ADJOURNED

---

UPCOMING DATES:

• Jan. 12: SLT meeting (6pm, Zoom)
• Jan. 17: No school (MLK Day)
• Jan. 18: DEI Book Club (6pm, Zoom)  
• Jan. 21: End of academic quarter
• Jan. 24: High school admissions open
• Jan. 24-28: PBA Week (note: students in attendance all week)
• Jan. 31: No school (Staff Professional Development day)
• Feb. 1: No school (Lunar New Year)
• Feb. 2-5: Black Lives Matter at School week
• Feb. 2: Spring term begins; DEI monthly meeting (6pm, Zoom); The Magic of Coby virtual fundraiser (7pm, Zoom)
• Feb. 7: PTA Executive Board meeting (6pm, Zoom)
• Feb. 8: DEI Book Club meeting (6pm, Zoom)
• Feb. 11: Beacon merch sale (during lunch bands; in school)
• Feb. 14: PTA general meeting (6pm, Zoom)
• Feb. 14-18: Respect For All week
• Feb. 18: Black Excellence Show (2:30pm, Auditorium)
• Feb. 21-25: No school (Midwinter recess)

More upcoming PTA meetings are here.

Questions? Please contact us at beaconpta@beaconschool.org

---