- Number of Participants – 23
- Approval of October 2021 PTA Meeting Notes
Welcome and Call to Order
Approval of Minutes
Principal’s Report
- Staffing updates
- Title I/After-School Program Updates
- SATp Meeting was held on November 16, 2021.
- Comprehensive School Status – in the bottom of 5% of NJ middle schools based on test scores.
- 2018 – PARCC and common core opt outs.
- 2019 – Look at the scores – what standards are weak; how can we improve and improve scores. Then COVID,
- What can we prove on paper? We need to show signs of growth in improvement.
- Scores are stagnant – not showing growth. Not mastering what the students need to know.
- What are we doing to address the Comprehensive Status?
- Changed master schedule and added more time to Math and ELA. Borrowed time from electives to make Math and ELA 80 minutes rather than 40 minutes and changed to A/B days.
- Added Advisories for students.
- Wrote SEL curriculum over summer.
- Currently training staff on SEL.
- A lot of staff went through trauma during the pandemic as well.
- Happy Staff strategies – swag for staff, little things to show appreciation.
- Will be working with a consultant from NJEA
- Trauma Informed Instruction
- Students and staff have been through a lot over the past year. We are coming up on the holidays and starting to see the impacts.
- After School Programs
- Will be forthcoming – finalizing details.
- Glenfield is the community school. Please let us know if any family needs any additional support.
- Racially sensitive situations – misusing words.
- Bring the students in to discuss the sensitive issues and explain intended speech, words. People interpret words differently.
- Ms. Sims and Ms. Carrington are involved.
- Social skills need to be worked on – many socially awkward discussions or poor jokes.
- Group chats (8-12 students) can get out of hand – please talk to your students about how to communicate on their devices or on social media and be positive and not confrontational.
- Idea: Post positive communication/text message posters examples in the halls.
- Bring the students in to discuss the sensitive issues and explain intended speech, words. People interpret words differently.
Treasurer’s Report
- Budget was approved.
- Membership Drive
- Annual Appeal
- Waiting on CO for estimates for the deck gates.
- Engineers were at Glenfield to do a site visit and collect the requirements, sizes, etc.
- Spirit Wear Store – Glenfield Garb store is open!
- Can students request Garb if they have trouble paying for it?
- Work with the guidance counselors.
- Guidance office is focused on the whole year to provide support to families. No holiday specific activities currently.
- Can students request Garb if they have trouble paying for it?
PTA Events/Activities
- Black & Orange Dance
- Worked with Mr. Titus to plan the dance with the student council.
- Went very well inside the gym since it was rainy that evening.
- Limited to 100 students.
- Follow up dance or movie night event
- 6th, 7th, and 8th grade movie nights.
- Parent Social connect
- Looking at different locations for possible social parent night out.
- Hoping for December event.
SATp Update (Events/Initiatives/Updates)
- SATp meeting yesterday. First of 7 meetings. Meeting notes will be circulated.
- 125th Anniversary Committee – Logo Contest Winner
- Logo was designed by Clay Swanson, 7th Grader.
- Reunion Event
- DEI Committee – Tatiana
- MFEE Equity grant – Jody, Gina Fortt and Tatiana are working on it.
- Need more stakeholders from the student and parent bodies.
- Need to find what to target the $10,000.
- Considering a survey (looking for professional survey help) or community conversations + rubric/targeted questions.
- MFEE Equity grant – Jody, Gina Fortt and Tatiana are working on it.
BOE/PTAC Updates
- Transition from Type 1 (Appointed Board) to Type 2 District (Elected Board)
- Special Election will add 2 new board members.
- Every November will have elections to elect 3 members for 3 years terms.
- Board of School Estimates does not exist anymore. Any bond funding must have a referendum for work and will be voted on by the people.
- $10-20 million needed in annual infrastructure investments.
- BOE Meeting Structure
- Public Comments on Agenda items and then option for non-agenda public comments.
- Virtually via the WebEx over the last year with pandemic.
- Now must be in person.
- Board looking at hybrid option to provide equitable options for all.
- Public Comments on Agenda items and then option for non-agenda public comments.
- Labor Management Collaborative
- Through Rutgers University – broke through the barriers for the Board and MEA.
- More optimistic to work collaboratively with each group.
- Updates from Departments of Equity, Curriculum & Instruction and Technology
- On district website under Board Reports.
- SEPAC and Compensatory Education
- PTAC Committee work
- Reflections Program – Art contest sponsored by National PTA
- Communications Committee working together
- MFEE – $30,000 grant for touch devices for Acadience Learning assessments.
New Business/Q&A
Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 22 at 7:00pm
Meeting adjourned at 8:09 PM.