Middle School PTA
Minutes
September 12, 2007
Call to Order: 6:34 P.M.
The MS is beginning a
new program, Discover,
designed to help at-risk eighth grade students. Teachers are being trained in this intervention program
designed to provide students with appropriate skills.
The Check for
Success program, now in its
second year, is once again a positive force in the school. Last year the Middle School saw an
improvement in student behavior, including increased motivation.
The 6th
grade orientation, held in August, was also a success. Many parents felt that the evening
program - the Welcome Back Picnic - was helpful to incoming sixth grade
students, although some were disappointed that no teachers were present despite
being invited. Parents asked if
the evening program could immediately follow the daytime orientation or,
alternately, have the two events split into two separate days. Shari Keller
will look into this for next year.
¥ MSBC
MSBC, the Middle
School Broadcast Center, is now a reality. Students will run the station in
various capacities. MSBC will be unveiled at Meet the Teacher Night in October;
Mr. Purtorti , MSBCÕs faculty advisor, will introduce the TV studio to parents
at the October PTA meeting.
¥ Motivational
Media Assembly
An assembly,
ÒMotivational MediaÓ will be held on September 21. This is the kick-off assembly for the year. There was concern two years ago with a
similar presentation from the same group, but this time the students will be
shown the middle school version. Eighth grade students will see one video while
sixth and seventh grade students will watch another. If parents are interested
in finding out more about the assembly there will be information in ThursdayÕs
Update.
¥ New Wellness
Policy Guidelines
Scotia-Glenville
adopted a new Wellness Policy with guidelines that take effect this school
year. It was created partly in
response to a proposed, and defeated, bill in the NYS Legislature and in
response to a growing obesity epidemic.
Each school will look into the guidelines and implement them according
to its needs. At the Middle School,
SDM will perform this task on an on-going basis. The Middle School will look at providing non-food
motivations for students, although the Check for Success rewards program, which
offers food, is okay because monthly celebrations fall within the new
guidelines. Teen Town will also
still be allowed to sell pizza.
Parents expressed concern
with this new policy. Parents felt
that food made at home with nutritious ingredients was far superior to
commercially prepackaged items.
They also expressed concern that the policy was Òtoo controllingÓ and
took away parental control.
Shared Decision Making Committee has not met yet. Any parents who wish to serve can
attend the next meeting held October 10 at 3 P.M. in the MS Library. John Haher, Interim Assistant
Principal, chairs the committee.
The minutes for last
JuneÕs PTA meeting will be voted on next month at OctoberÕs meeting.
Jen Pietrow
introduced this yearÕs budget; much of it has stayed the same from last year
with a few exceptions. The cost of
framing has gone up, so that line in the budget was also increased. A line item from Teen Town was removed
since PTA no longer underwrites the cost of the final Teen Town. An additional
line item was created for the Discover Program, for eighth grade students and a
separate line for the SAIL program for 6th and 7th grade
pupils.
Motion to accept the
budget: Mary Militano/ Chris
DeCarlo
Mary Militano is
currently seeking ideas for programs.
She is looking for programs similar to last yearÕs History of Rock and
Roll. Teachers have mentioned Rudy
the Movie Guy and she is looking into this for sometime in March. Debbie Collins, Library Media
Specialist, mentioned a program for the fall and Mary is also inquiring into
this, too. She needs input from
the faculty re: the programs they would like to see at the school.
Noontime programs
will once again be held this year and Mary is looking for ideas/people who can
present brief mini-courses to students during their lunch times.
There are
discretionary funds for teachers; it was suggested that Therese or Lorraine
attend a faculty meeting to speak with teachers about programs and funds.
Jane Hanley reported
that fundraisers are out. Volunteers
for picture Day, set for the 25th, are still needed, as are
volunteers for re-take day on November 8.
Volunteers are needed
to staff the HS Meet the Teacher Night.
They will staff our membership recruitment table during our Meet the
Teacher Night in October.
Peggy Smith agreed to
be our Council Rep, in addition to Jen Pietrow, and was formally elected to
this position.
Motion to nominate
Peggy: Mary Creamo/ Chris DeCarlo
An Event Chairperson,
formerly called a Homeroom Coordinator, is needed to oversee the smooth running
of events that require food, including the TeachersÕ Breakfast and Luncheon,
Meet the Teacher Night and the 6th Grade March Orientation. Class Representatives are also
needed. Ann Cardany agreed to be a
6th grade rep. Info on
this will be in the Thursday Update.
Stephanie Rousseau,
Teen Town Coordinator, needs a list of parents so that she can call them before
the Teen Town at the end of the month.
This year the first Teen Town is happening before parents have signed up
at Meet the Teacher Night and there is a concern about finding enough parents
willing to chaperone without a new list.
This will be StephanieÕs last year as coordinator and she is willing to
train new people interested in taking on this role next year. Moira Tashjian has expressed an
interest in handling sixth grade and will begin taking on this grade level
responsibility.
Ticket sales are a
concern Ð specifically not allowing tickets to be purchased at the door. This has cut back on the number of
parent volunteers willing to chaperone in addition to the number of students
attending the event.
Motion to adjourn meeting
at 7:55 P.M.: Jane Hanley/Mary Militano.
Next meeting: Wednesday, October 10 at 6:30 P.M. in
the Middle School LMC.