Beacon PTA meeting minutes – September 2022
BEACON PTA MONTHLY GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
September 19, 2022 (6PM, Zoom)
ZOOM DETAILS
Registration was required for this Zoom meeting.
AGENDA (click here)
The following minutes were presented and approved by vote at the Oct. 11, 2022 Beacon PTA monthly meeting.
1. WELCOME – Welcomes from Gary Ramsay (PTA Co-President);
Robin Broshi, Albert Conteh, & Gary Ramsay, co-presidents
Note that Shirley Brady had to step down for personal reasons. Much gratitude to Shirley for her service.
Welcome from Gary, who reads PTA meeting norms and expectations & introduces co-chairs and Brady
2. PRINCIPAL’S REPORT – Brady Smith
· Safety concerns
o Graffiti found in boys room (protocols initiated by school; Brady & school aides working with 2 neighboring NYPD precincts)
o Surveillance cameras being upgraded/repositioned this week
· DOE messaging system (attendance, messaging & grading) – issues being resolved
o System should become visible to parents shortly if not now (check on NYSA account)
· Sept 23rd and 30th) – summer reading share occurs (9,10,11 graders) in advisory Transcript readiness. Seniors will receive transcripts – time to fix errors prior to being sent out to colleges.
· Sports:
o PSL waivers will be issued shortly for PE credit.
o Forms to approve ‘Outside physical activity’ to serve as PE requirement being sent out shortly.
o Seeking JV basketball coach. Fencing coach position filled.
o Question: Why was there no JV soccer? Answer: Maybe because varsity team was larger + difficulty finding coaches and space (Will ask Simmons and give update).
· Clubs
o Sept 30, Club fair after school
o Oct 3 – Clubs start
· First bake sale held (Sept 19) today for girls volleyball.
· Sept 29 – Supporting materials will be sent home
· Program meeting held today – managing scheduling challenges.
o AP environmental science section added.
o Space in PE classes opening as PE waivers come in
o Shifts occurring in skills classes (for students with IEPs)
o Many more teachers will be available for tutoring periods throughout the week soon
· Admissions – we’re on target this year with incoming first-years (target # 360)
o Hopes PTA has an admissions subcommittee.
· Funding
o Now have guidance counselor for students with IEP (Valerie Mitchell)
· 30th anniversary of Beacon occurring this year. Ruth Lacey will participate in the celebration.
· Peer health educators program “S-Heal” available at school (9th grade advisories for 9 sessions) (free program)
o Brady submitting a funding request to PTA to cover background checks.
· Is there a budget cut this year? Not exactly. Last year, we had access to a 1-year ARPA bump. We do not have access to it this year; therefore, we have $320,000 drop compared to last year (when we had the extra funds)
· Secure Storage: If items don’t fit in lockers, school has extra storage space (e.g., instruments, skateboards).
3. PARENT COORDINATOR’S REPORT – Erdene Greene
· NYC school accounts: On curriculum night, Erdene will be there to help parents with all the letters OR Erdene will give letter to student at school to bring home. (Note Erdene can reset the students’ passwords).
4. TREASURERS’ REPORT – James O’Neill & Caterina Barth
· $266,000 revenue
· $395,350 expenses approved
· (We’ve made a choice to run on a deficit).
· $360,000 accumulated surplus.
· 25 Funding requests have come in
o They are fairly consistent with the existing line items.
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES –
June 2021 monthly meeting minutes presented for approval (click here ).
Kelly Henry made move to approve. Gary seconded motion. Approved.
6. COMMITTEE REPORTS
• Fundraising (Rosemary Wagner & Kirsten Marino)
· Plea for more volunteers re: fundraising.
· Farm-to-people – we have everything ready now.
o $981 raised (10 families participated)
o Hoping to raise $2500 or more if we start in the next few weeks.
· New revenue generating events (click here) to be voted on (we don’t need to vote on items that are already in budget). (Reminder that any changes to budget have to be approved by general public)
o VOTE: (Kathleen made a motion to bundle. Anna Z made a motion to second it. Vote passed to bundle all revenue generating plans.)
o VOTE: (Mary Chan made motion to approve the bundle of revenue generating sources for the budget. Alexia White seconded. Vote passed to approve revenue generating sources).
· Special Education (Isabel Santiago-Gordon & Kristen Keil)
o Google Group established
o Oct 13th, 6PM on zoom First Spec Ed meeting
o Asst Principal Cruz creating Spec Ed guide. (available Sept 28th)
· Diversity Equity & Inclusion (Jeff Marshall & Alisa McGowan)
o Oct 13 – first DEI meeting.
o Book club continues (process to be discussed on Oct 13 meeting)
· Community Building/Relations (Cathy Lang Ho & Judy Olsen)
· We have more than 20 neighborhood representatives – aiming to get more so all neighborhoods are represented
· Family survey sent out last week to learn more info about families to ensure that we have neighborhoods representatives.
· Oct 2 at 2PM first family meet up (Riverbank State Park).
o Note that all families can attend all meet ups
o Save the date – Oct 13 for another family meet up (time/place TBD)
· Goal to increase membership of class google groups
· Communications (Kendall Gastelu & Kelli Henry)
· Newsletters due 10PM Mondays; Published on Wednesdays
· Dedicated google account beaconPTAnewsletter@gmail.com
· Considering the name of the newsletter
· Merchandising (Lisa Starr & Toby Williams)
· Sept 23 – 10:30AM-1:00PM first Merch Lobby sale
· Will occur 1X/month
· Appeal for volunteers at table (email via PTA).
· Hospitality (Jennifer Weisbord)
· Co-VP had to step out for position, so appeal for volunteer.
9. SLT UPDATE (Robin Broshi)
· NYS sanctioned bodies – therefore, has to be open to the entire public (see explanation here)
· Sept 21, 5:30PM on zoom – first SLT meeting.
10. NEW BUSINESS
· Rotating order of committee reports (Gary Ramsay makes motion to approve rotation; Robin Broshi seconded). Motion passes. (but will keep financial report at the top of the meeting so more people will be present)
· Member at large elections (‘expedited election’): By-laws call for up to 3 9th grade parents/guardians to be elected as members at large to serve on exec board. Now seeking these individuals. Oct 11 is the expedited election. Those present at this meeting will vote. (if 3 or fewer volunteer, no need to vote).
11. ADJOURNMENT
Questions? Please contact beaconpta@beaconschool.org
