Hastings PTA Planning Meetings (aka Committee Chair meetings)
3/31/14

Directory- Aimee Movsessian – Discussed having online membership and did demo of what the system will look like. Families will receive email with link to enter their information. New families can access this through the PTA website. Dues will also be payable online via PayPal, with the option to pay by check if families wish. Similar functionality as paper, can update info, update Stop and Shop program and make additional donations. Will continue to provide printed directory. Discussed having online directory.

Engineering is Elementary (EiE) – Sumeit Aggarwal: This program for 3rd grade is gearing up. Sumeit will contact the teachers to see when a good time to do it will be. She will also contact 3rd grade parents to solicit volunteers, as well as a number of parents who have done it before (Dan Greenberg, Mike Sortor, Jay Burkholder).

Stop & Shop A+, Janel Showalter: This year we signed up 217 people and raised just shy of $2000. Important to get as many people to sign up as possible. She plans to do an all-school effort next year across Lexington. The plan is to have families sign up for multiple years at a time, as well as to sign up across multiple schools. She is planning to have a banner. Recommends that we load all numbers from previous years and then ask families to opt out of being part of the A+ program. Encourage other relatives/friends who shop at Stop & Shop to sign up for Hastings as well.

Field Day, Janel Showalter: Field Day will take place on June 5.

Book Fair, Becky Barrentine: Will take place next week from 4/7-4/11. Raises half the library’s budget. Free babysitting on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons for anyone who works at the Book Fair.

Volunteer Coordination, Stacie Bracken: Looking for someone new to take this role. Fairly simple role – collect sheets and enter them into a database and then send the info out to committees. May be a good idea to send a sheet out midway through the year to gather more volunteer names for remaining activities.

Beautification, Miranda Clarke: Donna Baron will co-chair. Plan for the rest of the year is to start seed owing with 10 classes. They will grow flowers inside the classroom to be planted in early June during a school wide planting drive. Miranda also plans to ask families to send in plants, as well as will bring leftover plants from the Lexington Field and Garden Club after their May sale. April 12 from 2-5 PM will be the Spring Cleanup. Little Green Fingers will start after the April vacation – this is the program where children go out to help tidy the grounds during recess. The fact that the school budget would ideally include money for landscaping maintenance was raised.

Site Council, Miranda Clarke: They are looking for two parent representatives for next year. Anyone interested is encourage to go to their next meeting on Monday 5/5 at 7:45 AM. If more than two people step up, the PTA will run an election with ballots going out on May 9. Voting will go through May 23. New representatives will attend their first meeting in early June.

Talent Show, Sally Suen: The event will take place on May 9, with auditions on April 17 and dress rehearsal on May 8. Discussion that we need a different term for the auditions – suggestions included “screening” or “preview.” There is also a need to have a second audition date if children are unable to attend the first.

Flatbread Pizza, Priscilla Fainelli: Will need someone to take this on as Priscilla is moving to Bridge. It is fairly simple – need to submit an application, find a date. The banner is already made. The restaurant asks you to have a table – this year we had PTA information and did a spiritwear contest.

School Committee, Jenn Yaar/Katie Wipke: Will be important to have more people take the notes given the prominence of Hastings in SC discussions. Jenn will continue as chair.

Red Sox outing, Michaela Barnes: Received orders for 187 tickets in two days. Definitely a hit with the school. Recommend that we go for 200 tickets next time. Could mark up the price a bit and make this a fundraiser. Would need someone to coordinate this.

Star Newsletter, Kim-Anh Nguyen: The budget is fine for this. Both Kerrie and Kim-Anh will step down. Already have someone to coordinate the articles but are looking for someone to do the layout.

Website, Kim-Anh Nguyen: Budget is fine. Kim-Anh will continue. Has one additional volunteer that she alternates with. The committee has a forms program that can be used for detailed sign ups like the Talent Show or Science Fair. This program can also be used for surveys. Is looking into how to handle multiple events using paypal. Need a way to easily reconcile payments from multiple events.

ACT, Jayshree Rajamani and Kris Wise: ACT modified the program this year, moving from doing grade/class level arts performances to performances for the entire school at All School Meeting. Very well received by staff. Arts Fest exhibition night will be April 8. Still need volunteers to help. Will advertise for HS volunteers via LexParents.

Safe Routes to School, Jenn Yaar: Jenn will stay on. Runs Walking Wednesday, part of the town-wide Safe Routes committee. 2nd grade pedestrian training is gearing up. Will approach 2nd grade classes for volunteers.

Go Green, Kristin Parker: Have 12-15 volunteers. Are in the cafeteria fully staffed on Wed and Fri. But also do Monday and Tuesday. A budget of $100 would suffice.

Room Parents, Meredith Applegate: Encouraged committees to use all forms of communication, not just relying on room parents. Kathy Cunningham will continue to co-chair next year. Meredith will step down to join the PTA Executive Committee as a VP.

Staff Welcome Back Luncheon – Grace Lee and Dawna Celucci: Discussed a bonus discrepancy and are going to check with Ranjit. Agreed that $600 is acceptable budget amount for next year. Will need volunteers as event gets closer.

Big Backyard – Carolyn Conte: The possibility of online training is being discussed at the district level by the science coordinator. This video training is being considered district-wide. Someone brought up the possibility of site/school specific videos. Carolyn thinks that Doodle Polls are the most effective way to get volunteers right now. Carolyn will begin to look for another chair starting next year.

Family Friends- Cheryl Sullivan: Planning to have end of year party this year, did not last year. Feels $500 budget amount is fine. Cheryl will be looking for a co-chair next year as her current co-chair Kim Murray has a 5th grader and will be leaving Hastings.

Staff Appreciation Luncheon- Cheryl Sullivan: Everything good here, has Co-Chair, Lisa Mazzerall. Budget amount OK.

Nominating Committee – Aimee Movessian: Discussed what the committee does. They identify persons willing to serve and primarily concentrate their search to executive board positions. Next year the EC will be expanding. Bettina explained the concept of the strategic scope of the VPs. Have created one more new role, VP Staff Relations – we are looking for someone to fill that position.

Science Fair- Amena Malik: Their budget went over this year so they would like their budget amount increased for next year. Next year they would like to have trophies for the 4th and 5th graders that are individualized for each participant. This needs to be discussed with Mrs. Lipsitz before any plan to do that goes forward.

Math Night – Bill Kormos: Over 90 families participated in this year’s math nights. The committee spent $71.00 of their $100.00 budget. Bill also stated he has 2 people that may be interested in taking this over when he leaves.

Boxtops, Bill Kormos: The boxtop program has raised $116.00 so far this year.

Bettina McGimsey reported on the following committees:

• Multi- Cultural Potluck (Amy Kormos and Robin White): Volunteers still needed for the night of the event. It is a very popular evening at Hastings. They will be looking for new co-chairs for next year.

• Spirit Wear (Ayla Kavanagh and Amy Kormos): Will continue as co-chairs. Have brought in more money than budgeted.

• Harvest Run (Ayla Kavanagh): Looking for post-race co-chairs to organize food donations/vendors and the post race party. The event raised over $5,000.00 this year.

• End of Year BBQ (Ayla Kavanagh): Blue Ribbon BBQ will be catering. Looking for a new chair for next year.

• Hastings FUNraiser (Dan Strollo, Dennis Kois): With a goal of $10,000.00 projected to net approximately $19,000.00 from this biennial event.

Hastings PTA Meeting Minutes – March 17, 2014
Co-Sponsored by the Hastings School Site Council

7:00pm Welcome Introductions – Louise Lipsitz

7:05pm A discussion with Superintendent Dr. Paul Ash and School Committee Members Jessie Steigerwald and Judy Crocker

Topic to be covered:

• Enrollment Issues -Dr. Ash wanted to address numbers for this year and next 4 years.  Enrollment numbers from 2003-2008 were flat and looking to decline in 2009.  Instead starting in 2010 the numbers began to increase.  An outside ad-hoc committee of Lexington citizens was formed to develop a new methodology to analyze these trends, as the previous method did not account for the changes that were occurring.  They found that 105% increase was from 9 apartment and condo developments along with a slight increase in density.  Phase 2 of the work for the  ad-hoc committee will be to define what the upside capacity will be, given a 2% increase in enrollment each year on average.

The district will hire an architect to help develop various ways of responding to these increases in enrollment.  Potential responses include increasing class sizes, using art/music rooms as classrooms, building modulars, redistricting, or building permanent space.  Based on what actually happens each year, the district will assess where it is and revise the plan of what to do.

Another finding was that last year there was a net change of 1000 students in and out of the district.  One cannot assume that the children who are living in Lexington have the same knowledge base as if they had started in Lexington from kindergarten, which speaks to how teachers will need to work with students.

Hastings Rebuild/Renovation
In January of 2014 Hastings School filed a Statement of Interest (SOI) with the state, the Massachusetts School Building Association (MSBA).  There are 7 criteria that a school may use to apply.  Hastings filed under the following two criteria:

1. Overcrowding.  Mrs. Lipsitz made a note that if the modular buildings did not exist (and they are at the end of their useful lifespan), Hastings would be severely overcrowded.  The state only looks at permanent space when assessing how appropriate a building is for the number of students.
2. Special Education Program – As with every elementary school in Lexington, Hastings houses a particular special education program.

We will not hear back from the state regarding our application until possibly the fall of 2014.  Would most likely receive funding under the class 2 need of extreme overcrowding.  If approved by the state, the town of Lexington would be able to accept their invitation to be a partner in the rebuilding of Hastings School.

Given the situation with enrollment increases in Lexington and if it is determined that there is enough land to build a new building, the recommendation would be for a school with 28 classrooms.  The plan for Hastings needs to take into account the needs of the entire Lexington school system.

In addition to Hastings, the Town of Lexington’s Master Plan also includes the need for new fire and police stations.  It will be critical for the Hastings community to advocate for the funding of the Hastings project.  Funding will come through a debt exclusion vote by Town residents.  It will be critical that Hastings has a core group of people who know how the debt exclusion process works and can encourage our community to advocate for a positive town-wide vote.

A question was posed regarding increases to the cost of the Estabrook school project.  Jessie Steigerwald noted that all changes to budgets have to go before Town Meeting (and prior to that through numerous committees include the School Committee, Planning Board, and Board of Selectmen) prior to being implemented.

Dr. Ash was also asked about classroom space and size guidelines.  If the state is a partner on a school, the size of a classroom should be 900 square feet.  In terms of number of students per class, the Lexington teacher contract stipulates:  kindergarten (18-20), grade 1 (20-22), grades 2-5 (22-26).

Additional questions were posed by parents that were unable to be discussed due to a lack of time.  Jessie Steigerwald noted that everyone should feel free to forward questions to the School Committee and/or raise them at a School Committee meeting.  They welcome your input.

8:15pm School Site Council Announcement – Miranda Clarke – The purpose of the site council is to assist principal in the monitoring of the school improvement program.  They are looking for 2 new members next year.

Becky Barrentine spoke and encouraged all families especially new ones to go to the Hastings PTA website and to become a part of the Hastings Google group to receive pertinent news and information.

Bettina McGimsey thanked everyone for coming and for the success of the recent Hastings FUNdraiser.  PTA vacancies are: Staff Liaison VP and Co-President.

Below please find a list of upcoming events at Hastings:

Thursday, March 27 – Executive Function Workshop:  “Promoting independence for your child at home: organization, time management, and perseverance”

 Monday, March 31 – PTA Committee Planning Meetings, 8:30 AM and 6:30 PM

 April 7-11 – Book Fair

 Tuesday, April 8 – ArtsFest Exhibition Night

 Wednesday April 9 – Walking Wednesday

 Saturday, April 12 – Spring Clean Up

 Thursday, April 17 – Talent Show Tryouts (note this is the day before the start of April vacation so plan accordingly if you want your children in the Talent Show)

 Thursday, May 1 – Multicultural Potluck

 Monday, May 5 – Site Council Meeting, 7:45 AM

 Wednesday, May 7 – Walking Wednesday

 Friday, May 9 – Talent Show

 Tuesday, May 27 – PTA Volunteer Appreciation Night, Elections

 Thursday, June 5 – End-of-the-year Barbeque

 Thursday, June 5 – Field Day (raindate Monday June 9)

 Monday, June 9 – Site Council Meeting, 7:45 AM