Over. Let me email her real quick. I'll make sure she gets that. I
maybe both of them at SES and starting Right,
yeah, yep, I added, just added her on. I
Okay, I think we are a go great, and I'm gonna just keep this window open, because I think I have to let people in as we are meeting, I'm going to make sure we're recording great. We are okay. Thank you, everyone for I should never be in charge of technology, but we had a little bit of a scheduling overlap today with the BCPS event and so that put me in charge of the Google meet, which is not usually my forte. What I'm going to do right now is I'm going to drop in the chat. Our agenda for today, you'll see that we are actually doing this a little bit differently than we typically do a meeting. We are doing our committee updates first, and then we will be doing our other updates, PTA updates and school updates. Last we have, oh, Miss Larson is on here now. Great, awesome. They miss Larson and Miss Henry had a commitment for BCPS today, so we weren't sure what time they would join us. So I'm super glad that y'all got on but we I'm just going to keep the agenda as is, and we'll have them go last, which is a little different than usual. So thank you all so much for joining. We have a good bit to go over, so I'm just going to get us started. We are actually going to begin, Joe, if you don't mind, with a budget update for everybody on where we sit currently.
Sounds good. Thank you. This is the budget update for February 1 to February 28 we had a beginning balance of 38 $34,816 we had $3,800 at deposits. Most of that is coming from the derby sponsorship checks that are coming in. The big one was from GBMC for $2,500 and lots of other checks that are coming in. Deductions. The biggest we had $1,004.31 of deductions. The biggest expense there was the science guys for the enrichment program, about $800 there, and the some other little checks as well. So our ending balance at the end of the day as of February 28 is 34,800 sorry, $37,612 in the bank. That is in the checking. There's still about 5000 or so in the savings as well.
Awesome. Thanks, Joe. And one
more thing for all the all the chairs, the online budget is updated with these numbers so everyone can go in on the second tab and see the balance on your line item as we get to the end of school year. Thank
you. Thank you. Thanks, Joe. Okay, we're going to jump into committee updates. Um, Kara, could you? Are you okay? Now to give us an update on Book Fair, sure,
a ton of information, because they did just pick up the book fair today, which actually includes the registers, and we won't get our final financials from them until the registers get back to their warehouse. But I did have a call with our scholastic rep while the Book Fair was going on, and she couldn't see everything exactly, but she did say that we were trending towards basically doing a bigger fair than we have in the past. So it was very successful. We had amazing volunteers. A lot of people really stepped up and came and helped out. Unfortunately, I was supposed to be there all week, and then I had a kid with the flu and another kid with a fever. So I really appreciate everyone who kind of stepped in and took over. And I had someone, you know, break everything down, like leave that for me. So just really appreciate everyone volunteering and helping out with that, and I will be able to report on exact financials, you know, once I get the report from them. But overall, very successful questions. Feel free to reach out. Thanks
so much, Carrie, really, I just want to, in addition to a thank you to family members and community members that helped out in volunteering, a huge thanks to you. I know that's a lot of work, but it's really an important fundraiser for our library each year, and I know my own kids had a fun time, and it was fun to watch, especially the kindergarten classes, figure out how to navigate buying books and what they wanted and whatnot. So yeah,
I think everyone did great. I think yeah, everyone was super helpful. So I appreciate it. And anytime looking,
thanks, everybody. Yay, awesome. Okay, so I am going to move on to updates on Charm City players and our theater program. We made a decision as a board not to move forward with the SES equal show for the spring, we have a number of issues to work through with term city players and sort of lower level of interest in that particular show. We're also hoping to really focus in on the work that is happening at the school level. There is a theater club that's planning to be started this coming school year that we put some funding into, and so looking at that as an opportunity to invest back in our educators and our school community, while also still continuing to look at turn city players as a potential option for next year. So we're really glad our students got to engage and enjoy that show, but wanted to let folks know, since there was some discussion about whether or not we will be doing two circle in the late spring, just to let folks know that we won't be moving forward with that for this coming couple of months, I don't think I see okay. Just want to make sure I don't see Carrie on here, so I will give the she passed along for Dei. So we want to encourage folks to join us for the cultural celebration that I believe that during its third year now that will take place on April 6, which is a Sunday, and we hope you all can be there for anyone who is interested in sharing a bit about their own culture, of their family or family of origin. I'm going to drop a link in here. This is a space to sign up to be a presenter, and we've had some really creative and really fun and engaging presentations over the last two years. And so we're really excited to see what our families bring forward for this year as well. So encourage everyone to come out for that event, and for those who are interested to sign up to be to host a table at that as well. And we'll talk a little bit more about some other dei topics that came up at a at a more global level towards the end of the call, and the BCPS response to those too. But we're going to save that towards the end, as the family socials committee is looking ahead to the spring, we have three remaining events. The first is our art show, which will take place on the 23rd of May, that is spearheaded by our wonderful Arts team and MS Hernandez for students to showcase their art. So a major thank you to her for her leadership in that effort and also her flexibility and adjusting the date we have such a packed calendar in May, between teacher educator Appreciation Week and field trips and field days and concerts photos, Mayfair, you name it, happening in May. And so really appreciate her flexibility and being willing to look at some different dates to make sure that event gets well attended and folks don't feel too bogged down by too many events happening at one time. Mayfair will be the following Friday. That'll be Friday May 30, and it'll be in the evening. And that event, we are hoping to get some high school volunteers. So if you have a high schooler, or know a local high schooler who is interested in getting some service hours, please have them email me at the president email I would love to give them the opportunity to volunteer, and that also takes a major burden off of our family members to have to be the ones to volunteer while they're also trying to be there to take care of their student and enjoy the event and time with friends and community members themselves. We did a version of this for trunk or treat, and had a lot of success, and so we're excited to see how we can introduce kind of a high school student or student based volunteer program into our field so that we can make the most of that, while still getting the help we need to run our larger events. We'll also have our more information will be coming out soon about the Orioles night the stone lay elementary night at Camden Yards, and I am just going to double check the date. I'm sure that that is June, Sunday, June 1. So more information about how to buy tickets will be coming out soon for folks that's limited. There are limited seats that we have. So if you're entering out for that communication, it'll folks via communications at home, as well as email and social media. Be on the lookout for that popular event that, and we're going to be doing some fun Stoney buttons. Kudos to Katie for fun little memento for that. Okay, moving. Sarah's here or Hi Sarah, give the gold blue and creative. Sure. Happy to say
we are starting to promote gold, new blue and creative to this week and going into next week, with the goal of having the musicians in by like did to late April to give me some time to put the weather for now. Yeah,
there'll be virtual right? There'll be a box of folks,
and then, yes, scanning it and sending it in is preferred in years past, some of the ones from the office Get, get lost, get into the book, but yeah, well, have both options.
Awesome. Thank you all so much. Okay, I am, I think, yes, Justin said he wasn't. He was traveling. So an update for morning mile. Morning Maya will be starting back up on Monday, March 17. So very, very soon, and they're going to actually start with a shamrock charm day for St Patrick's Day. So be on the lookout for that. And if you have a student who enjoys morning mile, we'd love to see them out once again, starting this coming Monday again, weather permitting, we always encourage folks look at the forecast, look at the our Facebook. We try and update that as quickly as we can in the morning if there is some kind of cancelation due to the weather, making sure I see here. Okay, I don't I think that's a different I don't think that's Meg Harding on here. So I'm going to give the stone the derby update, unless there's somebody else here to give that. No, right? Okay, so stoneley Derby similar updates, if you were at our meeting or saw the minutes from last month, the derby is set for May 4, so it's adding to a bit of the chaos that comes in the month of May, but we're excited for it, and it'll be in some nice warm weather. We do want to let folks know that registration is going live at the end of this month because of spring break, they'll be starting registration just a little bit earlier than they typically do, to ensure that it's complete by spring break and we have enough time to order and receive our T shirts. Once again, we'll need volunteers for race day. So if you're available to volunteer, please do we will have a volunteer sign up opportunity within the registration process, and we would love to have as many volunteers as possible to make that event a success. Christy, I know you had a quick update about treat trolley, and then just kind of in the early planning for Teacher Appreciation, if you want to share any of that.
Yep. So we did a treat trolley December. It was the first one of the school year, and it went over really well. We have another one coming up soon, and then we are in the planning stages for the big Teacher Appreciation Week, which is also the first week of May. Ms Larson and I are going to meet when I scheduled her to email to actually get it on the books, and just so we're all on the same page with school wide stuff. If anybody's interested in participating in the planning. You can use a few more people, because it's a big undertaking to do the whole
week. Yeah, huge. It's a lot of coordination over a lot of days. So yeah, if you're available, we would love to have the time and help. And I'm sure there will be plenty of other opportunities to help for Teacher Appreciation Week. Do Thanks. Okay, update for the yearbook. The yearbook deadline during the 2024 2025 yearbook is coming up soon. That's April 4. I will put here. Maybe I can't put that in there. No, I can't. Students should have gotten sent home a yearbook order form. If you need a copy of that, I was hoping I'd be able to put a link in here, but or put a attachment in here, but I don't see a way to do that. So if folks need a order form, I have a digital copy of that, please feel free to email us at the president email, and I will be more than happy to get that to you, but I know they also went home with students as well, and so encourage you to take advantage of that ordering opportunity if you haven't already and are interested in getting a yearbook. And then we gave some updates at our last meeting about fifth grade events and farewell enrichment and restaurant nights. No major changes in those areas. We did have a restaurant night, I believe that was last week, if I'm remembering, or maybe it was actually earlier this week at Chick fil A, and so we don't quite have numbers from that event yet, but thank you to anybody who participated and came to that opportunity. And then we'll look ahead to some maybe one or two more for the remainder of the spring. Any committee questions or anything else, any other committee updates or things that we missed along the way.
Okay, great. So I will do two PTA announcements or updates, and then we will kick it over to Ms Larson again. We're going a little bit out of our normal order this this month, just to make sure we have everybody here in the room, I did want to share that there are several open PTA board positions we are actually replacing, or have sort of terms ending for pretty much all of our executive board members, with the exception of the president role. We do open up every board position every year per governance and so if you were interested in taking on a board opportunity with the PTA, we would love your help. In particular, I know one of the areas that we don't have anyone identified as potentially an info is our VP of programs, and so that's the person that's going to deal in supporting our enrichment programming, so our assemblies that will happen throughout the Year, and those other educational opportunities after school opportunities that happen outside of Boston Rec and so would just ask that if you or anyone you know are interested in any of the board positions, but especially the VP of programs, since we know we have a continued vacancy in that please, please reach out to Melissa Hayes or myself, and we'd be happy to get you more information. I think the board opportunities, while certainly a time commitment or kind of what you make them, they can be really big opportunities. They can be really effective and efficient opportunities. And so if you again, know of anybody who might be interested that'll be really important for this coming school year to have some renewed leadership as some of our long time members take a step back. Well deserved. Anything else anybody here want to make sure I didn't miss anything in the recruitment process. Okay? And we will do elections. So this is sort of the nomination and recruitment part of for open board positions to make sure we can answer questions and fill them. We will do a voting process at the end of the school year so folks have an opportunity to vote on that those positions for the folks who are nominated for them. But again, trying to get ahead of making sure those are filled for the coming school year, I wanted to provide an update on a topic that came out around the Department of Education and schools and the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion, specifically, you may have seen is a little over a week ago now, maybe almost two weeks at this point, the Department of Education created a port, what they were Calling a portal for reporting diversity or ending dei reporting issues of folks not being equally represented in educational spaces. What is being So this raises a number of questions with myself and some other members of the PTA, especially our dei team around what's happening in that space, what's being done with these reports? How, if reports are made about our school or our school community, what does that mean for our educators, for our students? And so I, myself, and Carrie Cullen are our VP of dei reached out to miss Larson, just to kind of get a sense of what the county and really just wanting to kind of offer our support for continuing to make students. And I also in that communication to her, wanted to recognize that often these communications or roll outs of decisions at a federal and executive level are are being announced to our educators and to the county and the schools at the exact same time that we as community members are hearing about them. And so wanted to recognize that the school probably and the county probably needed a minute to wrap their heads around what was going on and what that meant. I really want to thank Miss Larson for your quick response. I got a call back, I think I emailed on later on at some point, on a Friday, and got a call back by Monday, and then we miss each other and connect on Wednesday, but actually worked well there CPS meeting, and the guidance from the count at the county level was that we are continuing our inclusivity business as usual. We don't have what will happen, even if there are reports that come through that poor house, they're being investigated. But as far as we know, any specific report in how we increase safe and inclusive environments for our students and so that could change things clarified, and I have seen clarification. Sometimes it means more contingent, and sometimes it's actually occasion that there's actually not going to be much of a change. And so I just asked that she keep me updated, if I'm changed, what we can expect in the way that our community engaged one another, and she assured me be hearing from her those that came down, but for the instructed the kids knew their work and inclusion and debate. They
and really grateful for keep us informed so we can keep our place that involves all and is safe for all students. So I know those are two kind of larger updates. So happy to take any questions before we do our school update.
Okay, I don't see any So Miss Larson, I'm going to turn it over to you to do a school update for us.
Thank you and thank you everyone for your flexibility this evening, Miss Henry and I had to attend the central area job fair this evening, seven. So thankfully, we're able to jump on virtually and participate. So I do just have a few updates for everyone. First and foremost, I wanted to thank the PTA again for purchasing the new equipment for our TV studio. We were able that equipment was recently delivered and installed, and Mr. Slager was able the last week to practice in the TV studio with his crew, and today they went live for the first day. So that was very fun and exciting. We are broadcasting now through YouTube, so we will make sure to get that link sent out to the community, for any community members who want to join and watch our live announcements each day. They're still, you know, working through the kinks, but they did an amazing job on day one. So we're very proud of those students and Mr. Slager, additionally, this week, our fifth grade students took the MISA assessment. It's the beginning of testing season. Our Empath ELA and math window open April 7, and will continue through May 30, as soon as Miss Henry develops that schedule, she we will make sure it is shared with the whole school community through school messenger, so families have that for planning purposes and can try, at their very best, to avoid scheduling doctor's appointments that would conflict with testing. Obviously, we work around schedules and make up testing is able to occur during that window as well if students are sick or out on testing days. Additionally, looking at at the March calendar, we do have school closed on March. 31 for students, our staff will be engaged in professional development that day. April 4, schools will also close three hours early. It is the end of the third period, and then leading up to spring break. We do have on Tuesday, April 8, our reading fair will be held in the cafeteria and gym from six to 7pm and then spring break begins at the end of the day on april 11. So those are school updates for today.
Thank you. It's hard to believe we're already talking about spring break. The years flown by really quickly. Thank you, and thank you all. I this is a long night for you and Miss Henry. So we appreciate y'all being on here. Yeah, thank you all so much. That wraps up the agenda items that we have, but I want to open the floor if anybody has topics they want to talk about or questions or anything else we can answer. So I have the chat open, or if folks want to raise a hand or come off you mute, feel free. They have anything else to bring up.
Okay, oh, Joe, go ahead.
This is for Heather. Actually, I didn't when, when you get a chance, only because I've emailed slagar And I haven't gotten a response. I need the receipts for our bookkeeping for that big check. So while getting us, can you send us the seat or absolutely,
I will send him an email this evening and make sure that you get that bye early next week at the latest,
yeah. But thank you very much.
Of course,
yeah, that's a bit that's a big one that when we do our review next year, they'll go, what's that?
The same with our own bookkeeping? Yeah, we will get that to you. Thanks
y'all so much. Okay, anyone else just keeping an eye on the chat here. Okay, well, thank you all. We will meet once again in the start of April, heading into the wildness that is the month of May. I expect that that will be a pretty full agenda. And so thank you for your time, we will also post minutes probably sometime next week ish to post for folks who couldn't be here for the full meeting or needed additional wanted to see the minutes from it. Our goal is by the end of next week to have that up and ready. So thank you all so much. Have a great night everyone.