CHB PTA – Newsletter #28 - Charles H. Bullock Elementary School PTA

Dear CHB Friends!

We hope you are doing well.

It has been a very extraordinary school year. As a PTA, we have continued to provide great experiences for our kids. In order to continue providing our students and community with enriching activities, we always need your time and volunteerism, but we also need your financial support. As we could not have a Green Ball Fundraiser this spring our annual Envelope Fundraiser will be our main Funraiser this school year. Thank you for your support!

Many thanks to Lizette Hartmann, Jen Turetsky, and John Feinberg for all of their hard work organizing this important fundraiser.

Thank you to Catherine Patterson for organizing our Art Kit Fundraiser a few weeks ago, you should have received an email from her about the pickup of the Art Kit. Remember to snap some pictures of your artworks for our newsletter! 😉

Remember that we have a PTA-CHB Meeting tonight at 8:00 PM via Zoom.

Have a wonderful week!

Regards,
CHB-PTA

CHB-PTA Meeting tonight!

Agenda:
-Call for new members of the CHB-PTA Exec team for next year:
(Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Two Co-Vice Presidents)
-CHB Envelope Fundraiser
-Eco-Fair
-End of Year Picnic
+ more and general questions, ideas, discussion

CHB PTA is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: CHB PTA’s Zoom Meeting – May 18, 2020
Time: May 18, 2021, 08:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 947 3264 5222

Dear CHB Families,

2020-2021 has been an extraordinary year in so many ways. As a PTA, we have continued to provide amazing experiences for our kids. In order to continue providing our students and community with these enriching activities, we always need your time and volunteerism, but we also need your financial support. The Envelope Fundraiser will be our only fundraiser this year. Thank you for your support.

There are 250 envelopes ranging from $10 to $1000.

From the received donation submissions, we will draw a number of winners who will win some awesome CHB Spirit Wear!

Choose the envelope that has the dollar value you want to give. You can choose more than one envelope. Make your donation* via PayPal.

*All donations are 100% tax-deductible and eligible for matching gifts.

Artist in Residence program that brings different movement, music, and visual arts experiences to each grade, often tying into the curriculum. This year our Kindergarteners enjoyed Drumming and Movement with Maya Milenovic Workman of MADLOM, our 1st and 5th graders will be learning through the Newark Museum of Art, 2nd graders composed amazing poetry with poet Anndee Hochman. Past programs have also created the amazing murals on our hall walls.
School Assemblies and Field Trips often bring learning and fun to our students on a regular basis. During virtual learning, our 3rd graders experienced a Weather Assembly with John Marshall and a tour of the Yogi Berra Museum. Normally, our 4th graders plan a camping tripand our 5th graders celebrate their achievements with a moving up ceremony.
In our Secret Garden, we grow food for our kitchen and community and provide gardening experiences that tie into our children’s learning. We are working to expand this and our outdoor learning experiences in years to come.
Visiting Authors provide amazing connections between our students and authors, and many times local Montclair gems. This year we hosted Grace Lin, Tara Lazar, Sayantani Dasgupta, Marty Kelley, Joyce Hesselberth, Jerry Pellotta, and Barbara O’Connor.
We are so excited to meet again in person at our annual Eco-Fair where we learn and highlight all the amazing projects our students have been working on and our parent volunteers demonstrate ways to promote environmental sustainability.
PTA also provides support to our families in need through Thanksgiving Meals and Holiday Giving shows our appreciation to teachers during our Cookie Banquet and Teacher Appreciation Week and shows community support in and out of our school building during Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “DAY ON” of Service. We have helped parents and caregivers with evening Workshops run by esteemed psychologists and social workers.
And of course, Teachers College Reading and Writing Program provides support, learning, and increased achievement markers for our students and teachers.

Western society revolves round consumption. We increasingly buy more things and throw away more than ever. We use the luxury items we own for shorter times. As soon as these items show the slightest defects – such as a stool with a wobbly leg, a CD player with a lid that won’t open or a woollen jumper with a hole in the elbow – we throw them away and buy a new product. Many things get thrown away within the space of one year.

Help save these things from the landfill at our own mini-Repair Café at Bullock’s EcoFair.

WE NEED YOUR HELP & YOUR SKILLS!

Electrical Appliances
Two people are needed to fix small electrical appliances such as toasters, hand blenders, and lamps. Most supplies will be provided- soldering iron, multimeter, etc…

Furniture, toys, and other wireless items
Ideally, it should be a person who knows about wood and glueing: a furniture maker, a hobby carpenter, or an all-around DIYer.

Please email Amy Parness if you can help out.

Please join us for AAPI Montclair’s first annual Lantern Festival for Justice and Remembrance. On this night, we will be illuminating the park with hundreds of paper lanterns as a memorial to all of the souls who have died because of racial injustice, inequity, and violence. We grieve for those killed not only by COVID-related xenophobia, but by police violence, white supremacy, and systemic inequities and failures.

In addition to being a symbol of hope and light, the lantern, in many Asian cultures, is a sign of welcome to the spirits of the departed. In a year of great tragedy coupled with few opportunities to mourn or celebrate those lost, we look forward to gathering as a community for what we hope will be a beautiful and heartfelt memorial.

PTA NEEDS YOU, PTA MEANS YOU!

Hello CHB Community!!

The CHB PTA is actively recruiting executive board members to serve for a two-year term starting school year 2021-2022. As many of you know, the CHB PTA plays a vital role in our community. The PTA not only supports, funds, and creates programs for our children but also for teacher development. Simply put the PTA brings a variety of services and programs that ensures EVERY child within CHB receives community support through arts, STEM, and plain old kid fun.

To make this happen, the PTA needs strong, dedicated, and exuberant family members on its Executive Board. Following are the open positions:

RECORDING SECRETARY

TREASURER

Two CO-VICE PRESIDENTs
(who will become the Co-Presidents 2022-2023)

Below are descriptions of the roles and time commitment. It is important our Executive Board represents the diversity of our school and we encourage all our families to consider adding your unique voice to our school.

The nominating committee (made up of past presidents) will nominate the slate of candidates in June at the last PTA meeting. Based on a majority member vote, the candidates will then be voted in.

The current Executive Team and Nominating Committee are here to answer any and all questions you may have about these positions and will support all the new candidates as you get “your feet wet.” We hope that you (yes you!)will think this over and talk amongst your family (including your children) and see if this is a fit for you.

We thank you for reading this email in its entirety and if there are any questions, please contact us directly.

CHB PTA Nominating Committee

Lisa Galeano, Monk Inyang, Jada Roman, Andrea Smalley
Click each name to email any questions.

PTA EXECUTIVE BOARD ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Recording Secretary

One position for a 2-year commitment by a PTA member

Time Commitment: Approximately 2-5 hours per month

Responsibilities include: Record the minutes from both the PTA Community meetings and the PTA Executive Board meetings; Post the minutes to a shared PTA website; Assist the VP and Presidents in creating communication to the CHB community (meetings, request for volunteers, etc.); assist Committee Chairs when needed regarding building use and fire permit applications.

Treasurer

One position for a 2-year commitment by a PTA member

Time Commitment: 1-4 hours per week

Responsibilities include: Manage the CHB PTA budget including compliance and tracking incoming funds and spending; bill paying and check writing to venders and fulfilling reimbursement forms; file annual tax returns while working directly with an independent accountant; file 1099 forms to independent contractors who work with the PTA; deposit checks and cash into CHB account; track income for fundraising projects; present budget updates to Executive Board and community members.

Co-Vice President

Two positions for a 2-year commitment by a PTA member. During the first year, each Co-VP will learn the ropes and support the PTA Presidents in all duties. The second year, the nominees will be promoted to Co-Presidents and two new Co-VP’s will be added to the Executive Board.

Time Commitment: 1-6 hours per week.

Responsibilities: Aide and learn from the Co-Presidents; support and identify Committee Chairs to run the various fundraisers and events throughout the year; assist in identifying classroom parents and staff PTA liaison; oversee membership drive and parent directory; aide and/or create weekly PTA newsletter; attend PTAC meetings and run PTA meetings along with the Co-Presidents; manage incoming emails; meet monthly with the Principal; sign PTA tax returns; approve expenditures; serve as President if the President is absence or inability to serve.