From News12 NJ: Kool And The Gang Co-founder Donates Thousands To NJ Schools For Music Education
Iconic Musician Donates $25K to Montclair Music Program
Fundraiser lets families get “schooled” with lawn fish
As Montclair’s lawns get cleared of snow Glenfield parents can temporarily invite a “school” of decorative fish to surprise or otherwise delight students, neighbors and others, while raising funds for Glenfield PTA programs.
If you’d like to school someone (or yourself) fill out this form.
Meanwhile, if you’ve been schooled and want to see the school move on to another lawn, fill out this one.
A “Middle School 101” Video for Glenfield Parents
Parents of incoming (and returning!) Glenfield students may find the above video discussion useful. It covers a range of issues relating to learning and life at GMS and other middle schools. Enjoy!
Request for PTA Board Nominating Committee
The Glenfield PTA needs volunteers for the Nominating Committee to ensure the transition of the PTA Board for the coming 2021-2022 school year.
The Nominating Committee will be responsible for recruiting and electing the slate for our elected officers by our April meeting. Per our bylaws, we need three volunteers OUTSIDE of the current Executive Committee. Members of the Nominating Committee may also self-select onto the Executive Board (with the exception of President).
In order to remain in compliance with our by-laws and retain our nonprofit status, this must be done by the March 11 meeting. Please email ptapres@glenfield.org if interested in helping out.
Thank you!
Glenfield Town Hall tonight (January 28)
The Glenfield PTA, Principal Pierce and Assistant Principal Aboushi will be hosting a Town Hall meeting this evening at 5:30pm. The meeting link is listed below. All attendees should be made aware of the following information prior to our meeting:
This meeting is intended to be a Glenfield specific conversation regarding our hybrid reopening plans. We will not be discussing any topics related to teachers returning to school or districtwide reopening concerns. While we may not have answers to all of your questions, we will do our best to be as clear and transparent as possible.
The chat will be disabled for the first portion of the presentation to minimize interruptions. Once the chat is enabled, members of the PTA will manage the chat, which will help to facilitate the Q and A portion of the presentation.
This town hall meeting is one part of a series of conversations that will take place throughout the school year as information becomes available.
Out of consideration for the families that are planning to attend Mr. Freeman’s 6:30pm “Meet and Greet” at MHS, our Town Hall meeting will end promptly at 6:20pm.
Disclaimer: all information presented this evening is subject to change at any time!
We look forward to seeing all of you this evening!
https://mpsdnj.zoom.us/j/8484364686
Meeting ID: 848 436 4686
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Meeting ID: 848 436 4686
Find your local number: https://mpsdnj.zoom.us/u/kmZcJK9fL
Notes from January Glenfield PTA Town Hall
The Glenfield PTA held a town hall on January 12th. Below are note from the meeting.
I. Welcome & Opening Remarks – Sarah Spagnola Young, Co- President
Happy New Year! We understand that everyone has questions regarding the start of hybrid learning (scheduled to begin Feb. 8) but we do not have any answers at this time. We would like to schedule a townhall with Principal Pierce and Vice Principal Aboushi ASAP and will get the word out. The executive council is meeting with Ponds soon, so please include your questions in chat and we will collect and present them if possible.
II. PTA 2020-21 Budget Overview – Amira Williams, Treasurer
- Not a lot of activity due to remote instruction.
- PTA made an investment into Glenfield Garb, and sales are starting to show some revenues, more to come.
- Chipotle fundraiser was successful and easy, raised about $450. We are only allowed to do Chipotle once per year, but we hope to do more dinner night fundraisers with local restaurants.
- Amazon Smile, raised $91 so far which exceeds total from prior year – so that’s great! Need to get word out – such an easy fundraiser when everyone homebound.
- Usually we’d be having our bi-annual big fundraiser this year to support the budget but that’s not happening due to Covid-19. Need to come up with smaller, socially distant ways to raise the money (supports graduation celebration, teacher/staff luncheons, mini grants, student activities, etc.)
III. Fundraising Events/Ideas: Need Volunteers to Spearhead these Great Ideas!
- Family Trivia Night – Feb 5! Order your Popcornopolis!
- We will push for membership drive in next PTA memo
- Pennies for Pages
- Bricks for front walkway – inscribed
- Raffle – do we have the paperwork that allows it?
- Direct Appeal for 8th Grade Graduation, thermometer
- Need to start committee for Fall ‘21 Fundraiser – volunteer?
- Spring ‘20 Fundraiser/outdoor social – volunteer?
- Winetasting Zoom Night Parent Sommelier – volunteer?
- Flower arranging zoom parties – volunteer?
- YOU GOT SCHOOLED! (lawn fish) – Montse and Sarah Y volunteered
- Kimya suggested we include all these ideas in an email to class parent liaisons so we can send to house leaders to include in e-blasts.
III. Remote Learning Survey Results – Amy Uhlfelder
- Decent participation by parents, very few student responses. Results show clear improvement from spring’20, but mixed opinions about the frequency and value of break out sessions, synchronous vs. asynchronous lessons, etc. We asked parents to share lessons/practices they liked in order to share results with administration and support professional development.
- Complaints re attendance reporting are common but they are working on it (students being marked absent mistakenly, e.g.) Please communicate mistakes to office.
IV. 8th Graduation – Amy Uhlfelder
- We need to start thinking about how we can give our 8th graders a celebration. Typically held in high school auditorium, with party after at local area reception hall. What can we do to find an outdoor site, maybe combine effort with Ren and Buzz to book a place for the day to hold ceremonies? Need to think this through and present ideas.
New (and old) ways to support the Glenfield PTA
Hello Glenfield Families!
As Glenfield prepares for a return to in-person schooling the Glenfield PTA is also ramping up for an exciting second term. Here are a few ways you can help out, or join in. Please read all the way through for important information and updates:
Interested in joining the PTA?
This is a great way to show your support for the work that we do. Get one for you and/or sponsor a teacher. Click on the link to join: Glenfield PTA Membership Form 2020-2021
AmazonSmile
Does a big portion of your life revolve around Amazon deliveries? To support Glenfield AT NO COST TO YOU, always shop at: smile.amazon.com. Remember, only when shopping at smile.amazon.com or when smile is enabled in the app do we get a portion of the proceeds.
How AmazonSmile works:
In your browser, type smile.amazon.com
Go into settings and choose “Your Amazon Smile”
Choose or change charity: 28131 Glenfield School PTA
On your mobile device: Go into the app and type Amazon smile in the search bar.
Turn on Amazon Smile/choose charity as above.
Note: AmazonSmile is currently only available to AmazonSmile customers using the Amazon Shopping app on Android phones with OS version 5.0+, iPhones with OS version 12.0+ or the web browser in any device.
Other ways to help out
Want to help us raise money for the school in non-fussy ways? Please let us know ptapres@glenfieldpta.org if you can take any of these opportunities on:
1) Simone Cameron needs you ASAP to help create topics and coordinate details for our first Kahoot Trivia Night Fundraiser on February 5th! Please reach out at simone07050@yahoo.com. Registration is now open.
2) Restaurant donation coordinator – ongoing
3) Read-a-thon coordinator – month of February – ASAP
4) Popcorn fundraiser
5) 8th grade committee
6) Zoom flower arranging workshop
7) Coordinating sales of legacy bricks in front of the school
Equity Initiatives
Interested in learning more about Equity Initiatives at Glenfield? Please reach out to Linda Kow at lindakow@yahoo.com. She is currently in discussions with SACs regarding student advisory opportunities, professional development, book bundles, and more. She is also working to get a grant from MFEE to help fund our initiatives.
Notes from PTA Council meeting with Superintendent Ponds
The Montclair PTA Council held a meeting with Dr. Ponds on January 17th. Below is a summary of the proceedings:
NOTES FROM PTA COUNCIL MEETING WITH DR. PONDS 1/17/21
Dr. Ponds expressed interest in continually assessing and addressing the mental health of our kids and creating new academic benchmarks and assessments. He acknowledges that we will be dealing with the fallout from the pandemic for years to come. He is critically focused on getting kids back in the buildings safely and swiftly.
All decisions being made are based on the assumption that everyone has the virus
How do you make the decision/what is your threshold for return?
As expected we saw the holiday bump
Expect the rates to drop (they are starting to drop)
The last 2 weeks the DOH has been sharing with nurses daily updates on positive covid students and the DOH/nursing/district will evaluate accordingly
As of now we are prepared to go back based on the recommendations and info shared. If DOH says it’s not safe, then we push back.
Cleaning:
All buildings are using the same cleaners/deemed safe/custodians trained
Ventilation:
This is a long term issue. We were told that the short term fixes are complete, middle term fixes are complete/being worked on, a long term 5 year plan has been implemented and is ongoing.
Ventilation and purification systems are ready to go, green spaces are cleared for use, but some bathrooms and landlocked conf rooms will not be used.
Ionization and UV filters are being discussed as LT solutions
Technology:
1 device per day/per student/discretion of the school as to how to streamline. No personal devices for elementary and middle schools – must be district device.
1-1 ideal, especially with uncertainty of when kids will be in and out. LT they want to move to 1:1 for every student
Logistics:
1/2 students coming in for hybrid
At any given time expectation is for:
30 % capacity at the high school
25 % capacity at MS and most elementary
NE and Bradford higher #s
Breaks:
Teachers will eat anywhere they can socially distance and adhere to spacing rules. (for Glenfield, this should mean they can comfortably space in the cafeteria or eat in their classrooms). If teachers or staff are uncomfortable with the spacing or eating indoors, they can eat in their car or outside when warm enough.
Health checks/assessments:
Consent-based batch testing is a possibility to help mitigate spread. Being discussed with the Mayor. MKA currently does this, and we would be the first public school district to implement if we do so.
Health checks must be done by families through genesis before school and temp checks will be done for all at the door
Those who do not follow through with health checks will be flagged and will get calls from district
Related arts – high touch classes will have to be modified
Specifically chorus and band: may not happen. Team is still investigating.
May not be a popular choice, but outdoor classrooms esp for band/chorus /gym = ideal. He’s seen it happen in other spaces (he’s in touch with Millburn and Princeton)
Contingent on weather / flexibility key
Covers on instruments
Also in discussion:
Saturday schools
21st century grants at glenfield (3-6pm)
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To do/f/u for PTA
Share recommendations for communications and providing a general skeleton plan that can be tweaked by each building :
Breakdown from CO: k-5 / 6-8 / 9-12
Overall high level from CO followed by updates from relevant teams:
Nursing
Tech
Principals / SACs
Confirm ADA accommodations and sub plan, as well as sub bench
Contact tracing for staff moving through multiple buildings?
Will students be able to change from remote to hybrid for MP 4- is deadline for choosing March 13?
