Great, okay, yeah, and so, I think it was, they did pretty well. I was impressed, although Jim was humorous, Yeah, mine kept both had gym at the same time. Like i Our house is 100 years old. I don't know that it's gonna withstand both of them doing whatever they were doing, jumping jacks or whatever. Oh, it was hilarious. That was like a stampede. And our neighbors had music which I didn't hear how that went, but I was very curious how music went to so Hi everyone. Okay, I am going to get us started for folks who are joining virtually, if you don't have it already, if it didn't get emailed to you, the agenda should be available on the Facebook post we made yesterday, so feel free to access that. For folks who are here, there's a copy here and then a copy of the updated schedule as well. I did it wasn't ready when you did the Facebook post, and so I just did it later, because I was globally, okay, all right.
Well, welcome, thanks, y'all it's good to be back after a couple months hiatus. I think we're going to start with our school updates.
I was going to just start by sharing. Virtual Learning went really well. Yesterday. We had over 98% attendance, which is amazing. So we were really proud all the students were online, engaged and really committed to their learning, and they all came in excited today. They had such a fun time. So thank you all to the families for all of your help in making sure that that ran smoothly as well. You never know with next week's weather, we might have another virtual learning day so we're prepared to school to make sure that instruction continues, regardless of whether we're here or virtual. And then the only other thing just a couple calendar updates. I did send with the grade level newsletters last evening, a revised school calendar with three meet changes. The first one was we did have to postpone the grade five vocal and instrumental music concert that was scheduled for last month, so we scheduled it for this coming Tuesday, the 18th at Dumbarton Middle School at 6:30pm Additionally, the reading fair that was scheduled for March has been adjusted. It's now April 8, from six to 7pm I know Mr. Ahearn shared that there is a book fair still in March, so we are going to work to get an evening on the calendar for parents to come and shop at that book fair, even though the reading Fair has been new, and then, in collaboration with PTA, the art show has been events in the Derby, so that back till May 23 Yes,
thank you especially to Mrs Ahearn. I know those dates were set really early, and may is still a really long calendar, but there's at least maybe only like two things each week, as opposed to five in the first week. I appreciate that. Yeah.
But other than that, no need, no updates. A lot with MAP testing, they did extend the window another week since we've had some weather closures. So Ms, Henry is working on makeup. All the students that have been here have taken the assessment and will complete makeup.
Awesome. Thank you.
A couple of general PTA announcements before we move to our budget and then committee updates. So the first is cafeteria volunteers, so a special thanks to Kylie and Melissa for working on that. There was some formal communication that went out via Facebook regarding our need for volunteers for the cafeteria, and some just general guidelines about can everybody else hear me? Okay, okay, great. So the there was some information that went out via Facebook. We will also send something out via email to PTA members early next week as well. So there was a sign up genius that's available for anybody to sign up or encouraging folks to think about that, since we've been low on volunteers, and really appreciate her stepping up to help coordinate some of those efforts for this year as well.
I also wanted to share that there was a member of our Stoneleigh community, Nathan Coffey, who reached out about some measures that are going on around traffic calming on Stevenson, similar to register. There's a lot of traffic that comes across that road, and it's particularly busy and particularly fast traffic, and so they're looking to enact similar measures as we are. I'm going to learn more about that, but they have some upcoming meetings with the county executives on how they could get those enacted, and are looking for support for that. And so we'll continue to share more information about that, for folks who want to get involved and show their support for those efforts as well. But I know we have a lot of families who live across that way in Wiltondale, and it'll be really relevant for a lot of our kids, especially walkers coming from that direction.
I wanted to share that we received a request for our fourth and fifth grade dance PE program. One was dancing through the decades, and I'm gonna forget what the other one was ballroom dance. Thank you. So the PTA has committed to funding that again. So I will let Yes, Miss Maynard and Mr. Berkey know later on tonight that we will be moving forward with that there'll be a think they said there's a opportunity for families to come in and see their students perform, which will be probably fun and hilarious at the same time. And so we're really excited. We have kind of an ongoing fund for SES support, and so that will come from that line item.
And then I wanted to share with folks. I emailed this out to our chairs. We have a physical copy here, and then we will share via email with a broader community. There are just have been some moving dates on our winter, late winter and early spring schedule, specifically, the dates that were moved on the school calendar. A special thanks to Kara, who caught those before I printed these for today. So we did adjust the dates that for the school events, the reading fair, the concert and the art show. And then we had some other dates that have moved as well. So we moved our May PTA meeting will be a little bit later, not the second, but the third. Thursday, it'll be on the 15th, and that's just so we don't overlap with teacher appreciation week and the week of Derby. We will have the art show, as was mentioned, will be on the 23rd and then may fair will officially be on May 30. We will share this school wide, so that everyone has these dates, we'll share it on Facebook and via email, but just wanted to bring that to folks attention. I think the only other updated date was that a date was selected for Stoneleigh at Camden yard, so that will be June 1. I believe that's a Sunday game, if I'm not mistaken, and so that'll be an opportunity for us to have Stoneleigh representation at cabinet yards there. So those will be again, more information will be made available about all of those. We'll share the updated schedule, but just wanted to bring folks attention to that, since that is a bit of a change from what was shared at the start of the school year.
Last but not least, for PTA announcements, we did want to make folks aware that there will be many open board positions for this coming year. So most of our board members are reaching the end of their term at the end of this school year, I think pretty much everyone except for myself, and so we will have a number of board positions that will be open. Do you want to talk just really quickly about you know, I know we're going to start talking about that next month, but if you folks have questions,
So we will have a nominating committee, which is pretty much set. I think I may need like, one more person, and we will be looking for a VP of programs, a VP of volunteers, VP of Communications, Treasurer, and a membership coordinator. So if you are interested in joining the board, you can feel free to reach out to me, and I can talk to you a little bit more about what that entails. But again, we do need a lot of people, so I think this is probably the most that I've seen in the last, you know, eight years that I've been here. Yeah? So we, if you have any interest at all, just reach out to me.
Yeah, thank you. And we're always in in that kind of similar vein or spirit, always looking for folks who will take on chair positions, other leadership positions. Within the PTA, we have small opportunities and large opportunities, and so if you or someone you know has been thinking about that opportunity, I'd encourage you to reach out again for board opportunities. Melissa is going to take the lead on that, but I'll be involved. But if you have questions about general opportunities, I'm happy to answer questions about those too. I know we'll probably have some chairs who are graduating out with their students, or folks who would just love an extra set of hands too.
Any questions about the PTA,
okay, Joe isn't here, so I'm going to pretend I know something about our finances, and I will read so our balance, beginning balance at the start of this month was $37,767 our deposits, which again, are usually a combination of sponsorships from Derby restaurant nights and other commitments, was $3,402 and then our checks and deductions was $6,353 for an ending balance of $34,816. Last time I checked our ledger, we're pretty, I think, consistently on track with the things we budgeted for at the start of the year. Again, some of the pools of money are starting to close out, like the SES support. We gave a big commitment at the start of the year for the morning announcements, so we kind of expected that to happen, but looks like we're pretty well on track.
Alright, we're going to move to committee update, and didn't think Kara was going to be on. So we start with the book fair. The Book Fair will be hosted March 3 through seventh, as was mentioned, the reading fair will happen at a separate time. So those will will be separate events, which is a little bit of a schedule change. Students will have the opportunity to visit the fair during their library class, and then there will be a night that week where families can come and shop with their students. We have been working with Ms Ahearn and Ms. Anderson to ensure that books are still available to students to check out as they normally would during library class, and that activities are available for students to participate in when they're done shopping or if they're not going to participate in shopping at the fair, there will be a sign up genius going out for volunteers. As you all probably know, it takes village to run this event as one of the primary fundraisers for the library for the year. And so family members can sign up for, set up, clean up, full days, half days, or specific time slots when your child's classes attending, there'll be posters hung up in the school shortly, flyer sent home, and then room buddy and library teacher emails sent to classes the students have more information about what to expect.
Okay, moving along to Charm City Players. For those who don't know, the show was supposed to be on Saturday and facilities were closed, so Charm City has re scheduled their show for tomorrow evening at 7pm at West Towson elementary school. So our students got one more practice in today, which was probably a good thing, and then we will be there tomorrow. I do want to make a note, because it was asked of us why we didn't more broadly advertise the show and past shows, we have made a note of sending something out to the school community about attendance. The West house and space can only hold 400 people, 400 guests. And when we surveyed our cast, which I think is somewhere between 50 and 60 students, we hit 386 guests, and not every person responded. So we anticipate that the guests of those in the performance will fill our entire audience, and hopefully not, but maybe then some. And so because of fire code limitations, we weren't able or didn't think it was wise to advertise it, because we're afraid we would have to turn large numbers of people away. So a little bit of a bummer to not have that kind of larger space. I think it's underscored for us, the importance of looking at a space that has a larger capacity for future shows that we do, because we know that students, friends, other members of the community, teachers, educators, like to come out to those shows, and we want to be able to encourage that, as we have in the past. So Kerri, are you able to give an update about DEI? I can read it for you too, if that's easier. But since you're here,
yep, service, because
that helps. I am scheduled that now that we have presentations on the calendar, I'll take a look at that and work with our contacts there. She's very excited to have people come in.
So actually, cultural celebration. We've done the first round of kind of advertising, marketing, asking for families, one of people share part of their culture. We've had people sign up. We reach out eventually, program, and we even had a teacher reach out who asked how she can like help with students and the teachers, they come up more and just amazing. And those are all great. I love it.
I do want to say that we had a joke on our issues. Because think we're
now, yeah, Kerri, I appreciate you bringing that up, and I think as we continue to hear concerns around particular political climate or decisions that are made by new administration, if the school is hearing those, and we can be of support in any way and helping students feel safe, our families feel safe and confident, happy to do that, I know that is happening in different ways, in different spaces. And so Kerri, I appreciate you all thinking about that, even in just and still being here to support those, those folks and celebrate the those things that make our school communities unique and important. So thank you. I will also send out Kerri mentioned the sign up for representing your culture during the cultural celebration. If folks want to find it, it's tiny url.com, backslash SES, cultural. But I will also include that in the minutes as well for folks if they want to sign up and haven't had the chance to yet. Yeah, no problem. Any updates you want to share on enrichment? I know we've had a couple of events.
So we did have an assembly in January. It was a space explorers laser show that the kids really seem to enjoy. And then we have another assembly scheduled for May, and we also funded an enriched activity for first grade with the science guys.
Awesome. Thank you. Looking ahead to family socials, as we mentioned, we worked with MS Hernandez. We appreciate her flexibility on the art show, so we'll continue to support the art show. At the end of May, we will be hosting our May fair again, which was really fun last year at the end of May, on May 30. So we'll continue to have food and beverages, kona ice games for folks to participate in. So that seemed to be a popular event last year, and will continue in a similar vein this year, and then again, we'll be advertising shortly the opportunity to attend a game at Camden Yards with other Stoneleigh students at the start of June. So we'd encourage folks as much as you're able to come to those things. We'd love to have you there
Restaurant night. Just wanted to kind of a quick recap. We did Chipotle in January, that was $277 that we took home from that Shake Shack. Similarly, in February was 258 the start of the month. And the next restaurant night will likely be chick, the new Chick fil A at Towson place. That's at 1265, East Joppa road. I think the date is March 11, but when we confirm that is that right, then we'll get something out to folks about that opportunity.
I'll share a couple of updates about derby. So as folks know, Derby is typically held in the fall, but we had to postpone it because of space and the all the complications that come with sod that none of us understand, but we're excited to be hosting that in the start of May. The derby is set for May 4, 2025 registration is going to begin on March 31 because of the timing of spring break, the registration will start a little bit earlier than we typically do, to ensure we have time to close it out before the end of spring break, and that we have enough time to order and receive our T shirts. We are still looking for sponsors, so if you know of a business or someone individual that will be interested in sponsoring, they can contact stoneleighderbe@gmail.com and then we will need volunteers for race day, and interested parties will be able to sign up and volunteer through The registration process.
May I will say, is a really heavy time of need or for volunteers we are looking at, I mean, just to go over, Derby, Teacher Appreciation, multiple events that will be happening at the school, our class field days, class picnics, the art show and Mayfair and so as much time as you're able to contribute to that is really helpful. We know it's possible to burn out quickly than that month, which is why we tried to spread it out a little bit. But Any help would be really appreciated.
Actually moving to Teacher Appreciation, we were able to host a crumble cookie treat trolley earlier this year, which is always really popular. So we're really excited to be able to bring that back again this year, and then we are in the beginning stages of logistics and planning for Teacher Appreciation for 2025 so again, please be on the lookout for opportunities to support those efforts, including volunteering and contributing to that financially.
Looking at the yearbook, we are in need of pictures. I think that's the same thing we say every meeting. So if folks have pictures that they would like to submit for the yearbook, if they could send them to Jen Jobson and I will again, put the email in our minute for folks to take a look at if you're able to include the students grade or grades. That helps tremendously as they're organizing the yearbook.
Other than that, I don't think we have many other updates, I know things are starting to move forward with fifth grade events and farewell the gold, blue and creative two will start to get rolling next month, and I know morning mile is looking at St Patrick's Day charm for their early March. Other questions or topics, things folks wanted to bring up.
Kerri, I have only one for you. I saved it because I wasn't sure if I was going to see you in person. We do have some cards that got dropped off, so I'll text you about a way to make sure you get those for folks who I think made them at home for MLK day of service. Yeah. Okay, cool. We'll connect. Okay,
I think that's it all right. Thanks, everybody. Appreciate your time. We'll see you next month.
