JFK School, Room 102
5:30 – 6:45 p.m.
Attendees/Introductions
Krista Magnuson, Tracy Triplett, Morgan Haywood, Amy Gusefski, Phi Nguyen, Michelle Juralewicz, Brittney Elyse, Nichole Barros, Nadine Desharnais, Sherry Tyrance, Justin Martinez and Johanny (City Year)
Election Day Bake Sale (Morgan)
The bake sale earned at least $600 (we’re still confirming the non-cash purchases), and ran from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Savory items – in particular empanadas and pasteles – sold very well and should be a priority in future sales. Venmo was also in demand, and should be used at future sales. For the next sale, a clear goal/purpose for the funds should be identified, as several people asked where the funds raised would go and were interested in making donations.
Spring Bake Sale (Krista)
The group agreed that the spring bake sale will be at the Jackson Square T station, which has the advantage (over Forest Hills) of easier logistics. We will attempt to get a permit for May 3, with April 26 and May 10 as back-up dates. In addition to identifying a purpose for the proceeds, we may also use a goal chart to show how close we are getting to our fundraising goal.
Game Night/Potluck (Tracy)
The Family Game Night and Potluck dinner is scheduled for November 15, 5-6:45. At this point we seem to have sufficient volunteers. Set up will start at 3:30/4 p.m. and clean-up at 6:45 p.m. With help from Tracy, Krista, Morgan, and Amy, we should have enough room parents. Tracy has spoken with Ms. Anderson about having the 5th graders present their math games. Fliers will go home by Thursday, an SPC email reminder will go out on Friday or over the weekend, which will include a request for loaned games, a second set of fliers will go home a few days ahead, and we will attempt to get a school-wide phone/email reminder. Boing! is loaning games, and if possible we will try to get Bingo. It was suggested that we could acquire our own games for the event and store them at the school for future years.
Teachers Using Candy/Sweets as Rewards (Krista)
Several parents have noticed an increase in the use of sweets/candy as rewards in their children’s classrooms. Parent concerns were raised about the effect of sugary treats on children’s ability to focus and control their bodies, the provision of hard candy, in particular, and sensitivities that children may have to dyes in such treats. It was suggested that perhaps a variety of rewards could be used, rather than a reliance on sweets. It was also pointed out that some classrooms can be very challenging and that such rewards help to address that issue. Johanny of City Year pointed out that any increase in the use of sweets could reflect the proximity to Halloween. It was agreed that parents should talk with individual teachers first about these concerns, rather than raising the issue with Dr. Copeland immediately.
New Business / Parent Concerns
Lunch Issues. Sherry and Justin reported that there was a failure to provide boxed lunches for the recent first grade pumpkin patch field trip, forcing the teachers to scramble to purchase and make lunches for the kids that morning. Several parents reported concerns about the amount of time available for lunch and difficulties related to the lunch process in the gymnasium. It was noted that many of these issues have been raised over the last several years by parents.
School Website. The school website is up, but not yet directly linked to the BPS website (a process that is time-consuming to complete). Most parents are unaware of the website and it was agreed that we should do more to publicize it. Sherry volunteered to print up fliers with the website address to handout at Game Night. It was also suggested that the SPC send an email to the full list with the information.
YMCA After School Program. Several parents expressed frustration with the YMCA after school program, including issues involving billing (abrupt and confusing communications about amounts owed and issuance of termination letters for allegedly late payments), a new director who is difficult to deal with, the institution of a highly structured program leaving little time for free play, and an overall lack of flexibility in relation to allowing for part-time enrollment and choosing school vacation locations. The concern was also raised that the school vacation location available to JFK students does not provide the same resources and activities as other locations. Several parents have spoken to Dr. Copeland about these concerns, as have some staff.