Our yoga instructors Sylvia and Sherry started the meeting by doing a 2-minute breathing exercise. We thank them for leading our yoga program this year.
Carry Chan presented information with the district family support counselor Elvis Marte. The mayor announced today that there will be no remote option next school year. We discussed the positives and negatives of this school year.
Bonfire Fundraiser – We raised almost $700. Store is still open for the rest of the school year and into the summer if folks want to purchase more items.
We had Teacher Appreciation Lunch on Friday for the teachers. We thank Mary O for providing lunch and Pritsana, Nicole and Johana for their help in arranging as well as drinks and dessert.
Call for PTA Exec Board members for 2021/2022 school year – We have an open call for board members for next year. Open board positions that must be filled for the PTA to function next year are President, Treasurer and Secretary, we can also use more Vice Presidents. There are also 3 open SLT seats. Please reach out to president@cwsnyc.org if you know anyone who would be interested. The elections will be held at the last PTA meeting on June 24 at 6:30.
Teacher Update – Teachers are starting end of the year assessments. End of the year reports will be going out online thru the DOE system. We are providing in-person graduation for this year’s fifth grade as well as last year’s class. Both graduations will be held outside. The dates are June 18 for this year’s fifth grade class and June 22 for last year’s fifth grade class.
Parent Coordinator Update – There is still time to sign up for the Summer Rising program, which will be held at PS 20. Parents must sign up online. Watch for a Bloomz announcement about information sessions (Wednesday at 9 am and 6 pm). Campos gym will be used next year for our gym, Dorothy is reaching out to the DOE to see if they will still take care of the funding for that. District 1 is looking for a Parent Wellness Ambassador from each school to be involved in the family involvement program. The parent, who will receive a $500 stipend, will attend four summer training sessions and be responsible for sharing information with CWS parents in September about trauma informed resources. Please watch Bloomz this week for more details, an informational flier, or reach out to me. The PTA will be submitting the candidate.
Principal Update – We are so happy that so many kids are back at school. Covid testing continues on a weekly basis at school. Teacher planning sessions are scheduled for the 28, 29, and 30 of June.
Minutes from March General Meeting approved.
School Spirit day + chance to buy all school logo merchandise – Wear your CWS gear on June 11! Merchandise store will reopen soon with all past items from this year. Please reach out if you know someone in need of gear to ensure that everyone who would like to participate can!
Call for PTA Exec Board members for 2021/2022 school year – We have an open call for board members for next year. Open board positions that must be filled for the PTA to function next year are President and Treasurer. Please reach out to president@cwsnyc.org if you know anyone who would be interested.
Next month’s general PTA meeting will be on Monday, May 24. Carry Chan (Superintendent for District 1) will be joining us to speak with parents and give an update on what next school year will look like. She will answer parent questions and will be asking for feedback, both negative and positive.
Chipotle Fundraiser – We are hosting a fundraiser night at Chipotle (1st Ave and 17th Street) on Tuesday, May 4 from 4 to 8 pm. Use code DKM8JF8 for any purchases made. We will receive 33% of sales. We held a raffle for a $25 Chipotle gift card during the meeting. The winner was Joyce!
Third Street Music – Open House for all students will be on June 5. Look for information on how your child can get free music lessons for one year. This hands-on event will be held outside. Your child does not have to attend the open house to receive free lessons.
Treasurer Update – Opening balance is $53,406. We’ve raised about $13,000 year to date. School will be covering music, yoga and Starz program. Taxes have been filed for 2019-2020. We are putting together a budget committee to set a budget for next year. We are looking for one more person to be part of the budget committee, anyone in the school community is eligible.
Teacher Update – Fifth graders started STARZ program this week. We are working hard to provide graduation for this year’s fifth grade as well as last year’s class. Graduation will be held outside. Summer school information will be released soon.
Principal Update – We are so happy that our debt was cleared by the DOE, and our budget was restored. We have been able to provide tutoring to many kids who received a promotion in doubt letter. We were able to determine a schedule that could accommodate more kids coming in. We worked with the other schools in the building to make best use of all the shared space. We are concerned about the traffic during drop off and pick up, especially with the need for some kids to cross the street to enter the building. It is also important that parents do not park their car for a long duration during these times as major congestion in the area is creating an unsafe situation.
Minutes from February General Meeting approved.
CWS Guidance Counselor Jennifer Rios presented a talk entitled “How to Manage Overwhelming Feelings around Parenting During A Pandemic.” Jennifer touched on social-emotional learning, consistency, and self care. Information on caregiver support is posted in the Family Resource Center on your child’s Google classroom page. This website is a great resource for social emotional learning http://online.sanfordharmony.org. If you would like to reach out to Jenn, her email is jennifer.rios@childrensworkshopschool.com. PTA has a copy of the presentation available for all families, email president@cwsnyc.org .
Call for PTA Exec Board members for 2021/2022 school year – We have an open call for board members for next year. Open board positions that must be filled for the PTA to function next year are President and Treasurer. Please reach out to president@cwsnyc.org if you know anyone who would be interested.
Chipotle Fundraiser – We are hosting a fundraiser night at Chipotle (1st Ave and 17th Street) on Tuesday, May 4 from 4 to 8 pm. You will receive a code on Bloomz that should be used for any purchases made. We will receive 33% of sales.
Cookbook Update – The cookbook is currently being designed. Look for information about our live launch event.
Carry Chan message – The Superintendent for District 1 will be joining us in May or June to give an update on what next school year will look like.
Teacher Update – NY State is scheduled to participate in testing but has applied for a waiver. The test will be low stakes and only for in-person students. If your child is fully remote and would like to take the test, please reach out to your child’s teacher to schedule a day for them to come in to take the test. Tests will not be offered remotely. There are absolutely no repercussions if a child does not take a test. Testing will be one day for ELA, one day for Math, and one day for Science. Look for more information on specific dates. For in-person students, email your child’s teacher if you would like to opt out of testing. The fifth grade teachers will be reaching out to this year’s families to schedule a moving up ceremony. We will also hold a moving up ceremony for last year’s fifth graders. Spring Break is next week. Teachers ask everyone to check Bloomz and the school calendar.
Parent Coordinator Update – Middle School applications are in. We are working with tech team to update grants for technology. We are also putting in a grant for a hydroponic plant lab in the science classroom. Please see Dorothy if you have tech issues. We thank Mo for all of her tech support. Dorothy is asking for ideas of how to drive more parents to the website and would like parents to check website daily. Our website is totally compliant and is being used as a model for the rest of District 1.
Principal Update – Today was the first day to opt in to hybrid learning. The last day to opt in is April 7. There will be no additional opt-in opportunities after the April 7th deadline. We are eager to bring in as many kids as possible in a safe manner. The CDC approved distance between students is now 3 feet. We will need to reconfigure schedules and classrooms. Please be patient while we work through this new information. Our goal is to implement the new schedules by April 26. All school debt was cleared by the mayor. The DOE is currently working with schools for a plan for the next school year.
Minutes from the January General Meeting were posted and approved.
We thank our special guest CWS Special Ed Service Provider Michelle Mizrachi for her presentation: Struggling Students: From Identification to Special Education. This talk focused on the process of identifying and assisting struggling students. Here’s a list of our SIT team members: Kimberly-Kindergarten; Jeanette-1/2 Grades; Luis and Stephanie-5th Grade; Crystal-SETSS; Jenn-Counselor; Sarah-Occupational Therapist; Kiara-1/2 Grades; Tiffany-3rd Grade; Louise-4th Grade; Martha & Jacqueline-Speech Therapists; Noelle-Reading Recovery General Education Teacher. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Michelle at michelle.mizrachi@childrensworkshopschool.com .
Fundraiser updates:
Cookbook – We received many recipes thru the Google form. Cookbook is in the design phase. More information to follow. Launch is potentially scheduled for May.
Bonfire – We raised $350 from the recent Bonfire campaign.
Chipotle Fundraiser – More information to come.
Special Teacher Event – More information to come.
Schoolapalooza – This will not be held this year. Our deposit at PSNY will be transferred to next year’s event.
Treasury update – Beginning February balance is $52,715. We recently made payments for yoga.
Teacher update – Spring Family Conferences will be held next week. Look for notices coming from your child’s teacher. This are family conferences, so please make sure your child joins the discussion. We are loving the music program. Everyone also loves yoga.
Parent Coordinator update – PreK and K applications are on-going. We had a hydroponics grant that will be used to update technology at the school. The Tech team is facilitating. We are working with Borough President Gale Brewer to create a hydroponics classroom.
Principal update – Scott will take a childcare leave. We are working to find his replacement. Elyssa will be going on maternity leave soon. We have had a loss of students. We started with 347 students and currently have 244 students. This is happening across the district. We will be part of an early elementary school fair for the district. We encourage everyone to recommend new prospective students to our school. We continue to have COVID testing every week.
Review/approve last month’s minutes – Approved.
Vaccine Story and Q&A by CWS Parents Mo and Jeremy Coffey – A big thanks for this very informative talk about their experience with the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Trial. The links Mo shared are:
Hopkins Medicine COVID-19 Vaccine Myths
Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Myths
CNN COVID-19 Vaccine Myths
Update on New Bonfire Campaign – Our last campaign made about $1200. We are running a new campaign with new products and designs. Upgraded masks, mugs, totes, onesies, and toddler shirts. Information coming soon.
Call for Cookbook Entries – An email will be sent out shortly requesting recipes. The deadline to submit recipes is Feb 12. For the cookbook launch, we will host a zoom where a recipe from the book is prepared by Chef Chris Scott from Top Chef.
Would you like to be on next year’s board? – Everyone should think about running to be a part of next year’s PTA board.
Treasury Report – Jan opening balance is $56,740.86. Forthcoming expenses include Music and Yoga. Donation letters from 2020 will be delivered by email soon. We encourage everyone to use Amazon Smile.
Teacher’s Report – Yoga started last week. Report cards will be available Feb 5 thru NYC Schools account (https://mystudent.nyc/). If you need help accessing your account, please reach out to Dorothy. Teachers are organizing wellness check-ins. Teachers will reach out soon to coordinate. Monday, Feb 1 is a remote half-day. Dismissal is at 11:30 am.
Parent Coordinator Update – Children will be back in school starting tomorrow. Middle school applications are due soon. Anyone with questions about middle school should see Dorothy.
Principal Update – The staff has been working hard to offer more days for in-person learning. This will occur on a grade by grade basis. Music and yoga has started. Weekly COVID testing is on-going at school. Teachers and staff are working to get their vaccines. Daily food distribution is on-going at the school.
Boon fundraiser – This was a successful event that ended last Thursday. We raised $2000 in total. There were no upfront costs to run this campaign.
Bonfire fundraiser – This campaign ends tomorrow. We have raised approx. $900 so far. We will have a new campaign in January. There were no upfront costs to run this campaign.
Music Program – PTA is funding Third Street Music Program. Schedule will be announced soon.
Yoga – This program has been approved. The program will begin in January.
Cookbook- We are still working on the cookbook. We need to standardize submissions. An email will be going out soon to request additional recipes.
Direct Appeal – The Direct Appeal letter was sent out to the community. We hope folks can share with friends and family.
Treasury report – December opening balance is $51,624.06. We expect to raise more with our on-going fundraisers. Our upcoming expenses include music and yoga.
Teachers’ Update – Teachers are trying to reach out to families who are having issues with technology. Teachers are very excited about the music program. Teachers are also trying to work out details about the MLK celebration.
Dorothy’s Parent Coordinator Update – Dorothy is in the lobby every morning. Please schedule an appointment with her if you have issues with your DOE-issued device. Middle school applications have opened. Any issues with the process, please see Dorothy. Kindergarten admissions have started. We give a huge thanks to the teachers and administrative team who have helped to put together lots of video resources for prospective families. This information is now on the website. Dorothy asks everyone to sign up for their NYSCA student account. The DOE uses it for communication.
Maria’s Principal Update – COVID testing happened yesterday. 57 students and staff were tested. They will be back for more testing next week. We are working on more exciting community meeting ideas and the MLK celebration.
Upcoming PTA Meetings – We want to boost attendance at upcoming PTA meetings, so we will invite guest speakers and perhaps host a happy hour. Be on the lookout for these exciting, upcoming events.
Boon Fundraiser – This fundraiser is active. We’ve earned about $650 to date. Please pass along to anyone you know! The campaign runs through December 7. 40% of all profits go to the PTA. boonsupply.com/1139991
New Merchandise Designs/Store– We will be selling special edition CWS merchandise online! There are 2 different graphics that can be printed on t-shirts, hoodies, sweat-shirts. There are 2 different graphics for hats, and 2 different graphics for masks. We will host 4 campaigns over the year. Michelle suggested the possibility of having a child design a logo. There is no upfront cost. We make more profit when folks by more product. Look out for more information soon.
Cookbook Submissions – Call for recipe submissions coming soon! Look out for more information!
Music Program Update – PTA presented information on music programs to SLT. Third Street Music School will be providing the music program this year. The SLT and administration are working out the logistics of scheduling.
Direct Ask Update – This email will be going out soon for schoolwide donations. Please share with your friends and family.
Treasurer’s Report – November beginning balance is $49,625.90. Tax date has been extended by the accountant. We are awaiting follow up on 2017-2018 tax fine. We have a $932 refund on Chromebooks that were not working.
Teacher Report – Schools are fully remote now. We do not know the duration of this shut down at the moment.
Parent Coordinator’s (Dorothy’s) Report – Dorothy will continue to meet with 5th grade parents about middle school. Dorothy will set up chat times for families. We are concerned about continued tech issues for hybrid families who won’t be getting support during school days.
Principal’s (Maria’s) Report – Schools have closed based on the COVID rate. We are setting up virtual tours. Dates will be announced soon. There will also be a video tour that will be available. Maria will continue to be in school to help with the distribution of any supplies. Food will be distributed in the building. Teachers have been planning for fully remote learning, so we feel ready for this pivot.
Holiday Fundraiser Update – Boon Supply Catalog fundraiser will start in early November. You will receive an email with the link, and we encourage you to pass along the link to at least 10 people. We receive 40% of the profits.
Spirit Wear Fundraiser Update – This online website will offer CWS t-shirts, hats, masks, etc. Information to follow. We will offer multiple campaigns for short periods of time throughout the year. This site will launch before the holidays.
Music Program Update – The 3rd Street will be presenting to SLT at the next meeting. Updates to follow.
Cookbook – We are currently seeking recipes and photos. The book should be ready in February. We will have a launch party as well.
Government Officials’ Email – Email sent out with information earlier this month. Please email PTA if you did not receive or if you have any questions.
Halloween Info from Commission on the Public Health System – Information for a safe Halloween can be found here:
https://spark.adobe.com/page/PRCVx6ZHhrajT/
https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/seasonal-celebrations
https://debeaumont.org/news/2020/fun-and-safe-halloween/
Treasurer’s Report – October beginning balance is $49,341.42. We’ve spent $17,494 on Chromebooks in September. Quickbooks is currently being established for easier reporting.
Teacher’s Report – Teachers have been busy with curriculum nights this week. The DOE sent out update on opting in. Also, COVID testing is beginning at school. Everyone is urged to be patient as we all work through everything. Parents are also reminded that it is difficult for teachers to respond to parents while they are live teaching.
Parent Coordinator’s Report (Dorothy) – Library is now sending home books to hybrid children. Middle school application process will be delayed but still planned for this year. Please reach out to Dorothy with any questions. Application will be online. Dorothy will hold workshops in the future about various subject. These workshops will focus on middle school at first. Also, any questions about devices, please email Dorothy.
Maria’s Principal’s Report – Curriculum night meetings are going well. Teachers will be reaching out with conference schedules. Window for opting in is Nov 2 – 15. COVID testing occurred in school today. Several lockdown drills have occurred over the past weeks. Evacuation drills will also occur in the future. Coffee chats with Maria will begin soon. She urges everyone to check Bloomz regularly.
Board Member Introductions – Each member of the board introduced themselves to the community.
Budget Amendment – Approximately two weeks ago, the CWS PTA unanimously passes an emergency budget amendment for $40,000 for tech needs to support students and staff for remote learning. We have temporarily loaned out approximately 40 chromebooks to families in need of devices until the DOE provides these devices; these chromebooks are not school property and are on loan from parents to other parents until the DOE ships out ipads. We have only spent $18,000 to date. At present, we do not believe we will use more than $21,000 of this amount. A big thanks to Mo and William for all of the tech support.
The PTA Does That? – The PTA provides community support and resources. We also fundraise to provide a rich education experience for our children. We fund tech needs, school safety supplies, yoga, music program, STAR program (5th grade), Bridges Math program, classroom supplies, and library maintenance. We raise money through donations, fundraisers, school dress up days, Amazon smile, Schoolapalooza, grants, etc.
New Fundraiser vote – The fundraising committee proposed the following fundraisers that need to be voted on for the 2020-2021 school year. The proposed fundraisers include Chipotle Day, Spirit Wear Shop, CWS Cookbook, Raise Craze, and Catalog Sales. We called a vote for these fundraisers, and it passed unamiously.
Call for Volunteers – We always need volunteers to help with fundraising. If anyone is interested, please reach out to the PTA.
Treasury Update – Beginning balance is $65745.16 for 2020-2021 school year. Our current expenses encountered in September include math books, classroom supplies (fans, extension cords) and tech needs (chromebooks, cables, etc.) at approximately $21000.
Teacher Update – Teachers are really focused on building classroom communities despite online learning. We ask that everyone be patient as we adjust to the new learning environment. We encourage everyone to check Bloomz for updates. There is a family resource folder on Google classrooms that has useful community information. There is also a Tech folder that provides valuable information.
Dorothy Update – It is great to have the children back at school. If anyone has tech needs, please email to set up an appointment. Dorothy is hoping to restart early morning chats soon. Learning Bridges is happening at Campos Plaza. This organization will provide childcare to hybrid students.
Due to severe budget cuts and a lack of DOE-supplied computers, tablets and tech equipment (cords, etc.), the staff and administration of CWS have reached out to the PTA for help purchasing these necessities for this upcoming school year. PTA beginning balance is $65,823.28. Some current expenses include math books and classroom fans. We will no longer need to cover 4th grade farm trip, 5th grade DC trip and band (approx. total is $48000). We will send a request for donations this week to help cover this request. We are requesting funds for loaner chromebooks, wireless keyboards for iPads, cameras, wires and cables. The immediate needs are approximately $20,000 (loaner chromebooks for students to use ASAP until the DOE ships out ipads; prices range from $100 to $250). However, we are budgeting for $40,000 in case additional devices/equipment are needed. We held a vote to approve this expenditure. The vote was unamiously approved.
PTA and SLT Board Elections:
Call from the floor for any additional nominations.
Candidates for School Leadership Team (SLT):
Moschell Coffey, Pritsana Kootint-Hadiatmodjo, Alexandra Ochs, Anna Virji
The four SLT members are approved by vote.
Allison Walsh introduces candidates for Vice President:
Shandi Alexander, Amy Arundell, Anthony Feliciano, Loyi Malu
The vice presidents are approved by vote.
Allison Walsh introduces candidates for Treasurer:
Brian Carroll and Maneka Grewal (Maneka was Treasurer 2019-2020.) Treasurers are approved by vote.
Allison Walsh introduces candidate for Secretary:
Nicole Doudican (she was previously on SLT and manages afterschool clubs).
Secretary is approved by vote.
Allison Walsh introduces candidate for President:
Heather Mihalic (she was Co-President 2019-2020.)
President is approved by vote.
Heather does thank-yous to outgoing Board officers. Toward the end of July, Heather will reach out to new Board officers to start onboarding. We will organize a fundraiser around that time. We might have a happy hour.
Principal’s report: Maria is here. She thanks past and new Board officers for stepping up. Maria reports on the meeting she had with the other two school administrators (EVCS and PS94M) about opening the schools in fall. They are waiting to hear from the Departent of Health about re-opening guidelines.
Maria will communicate with families via Bloomz every 2 weeks over the summer. We are not sure yet how Fall will look. They are also waiting for a budget. They have been told to cut the budget by 3%. They do not have the budget yet, so they don’t know what the number will be.
Maria points out that this is a new way of teaching for her, but the school’s Tech Team has been working hard for years, and because of that work, the school was ready for the transition to online learning. As of now there is no plan for how to re-open in September.
Anthony Feliciano mentions that he has some information he will email regarding the safety of the school re-opening. Education and public health advocates need to come together to figure this out, since the government is not getting it done.
Teacher report (Michelle): Jessica had a baby (Simone) this week so she is not here! She thanks the PTA board for their work.
Parent coordinator report (Dorothy): One general Google classroom will be open for the summer with resources gathered by teachers. Please set up your NYC school accounts. There is a summer school program. If your child is attending, they must be in touch with Dorothy to get a specific email they need to use. The NYU tutoring program is available. She sent out the info about it and will send it out again.
Questions:
1. Greeting
2. Meeting format and rules – Janelle
3. PTA and the School Community
4. Teacher’s Appreciation Week
5. Fundraiser Money that we have collected already will be handled as follows:
6. Voting UpdateThe EB voted to extend the Yoga program for the rest of the school year.
Remote voting is not currently allowed by chancellor, but we have 2 voting items coming up. We are awaiting guidance for how to handle these things remotely:
PTA Budget for 2021: we will form a committee and go over the budget. We will be short about $40K because of lack of fundraisers. If you want to be part of budget committee, please email co-president@cwsnyc.org
PTA Board elections: we will make the board job info available, please consider joining the EB!
7. Treasurer’s Report: Maneka; see Treasurer’s report. A few donations are still coming in through PayPal.
8. Principal’s Report:
9. Teacher’s Report:
10. Parent Coordinator report
11. New business:
