PA Meeting - November 16th, 2011 @ 7:10 pm
Officers Present: Pamela Peters, Elena Aminova, Edward Yusupov, Cheryl Untrojb, Ewa Chomentowska
o Accept minutes from October 2011 meeting:
o Cheryl Untrojb made motion, Pamela Peters seconded motion
o 14 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstained
o Treasurer Position
o duties include keeping books, writing out checks, making monthly reports etc
o the two nominees were Jonathan Lederer & Vicky Fridman-Meneses
o proposal was made for them to become co-treasurers and voted upon
o vote: Elena made motion, Pamela seconded it: 15 in favor, 0 abstain, 0 opposed
o Halloween Party
o was deemed a great success with the DJ, laser show, and lots of food - generated a lot of positive feedback
o $2,000 raised
o Candy Sale: raised a bit under $4,000 which is best so far!! (sold almost $9,000)
o Scholastic Book Fair
o looking for a co-chair and many volunteers
o opportunity to make a lot of money
o dates: 12 - 16th of December including after PA meeting on December 13th
o wish list: opportunity for the teachers to select books they would like for their classrooms - parents/students can then donate for individual classrooms
o Broadway Show: Ms.Diamond is still waiting to hear back if PA will be able to help
o Enrichment Program: $2,000 more promised to Ms.Bialek
o SLT: Nov. 9th: bad news about budget, cuts planned for the school, with more on the horizon for next school year
· PA Presidents plan to meet with Council Member Karen Koslowitz Friday Nov.18th
o one of the issues to be discussed will be the use of permit for After School Program - BOE wants payment - retroactive effective beginning of school year.
o building use is free from 3pm - 6pm but our permit states building was under use till 6:30pm (which originally was done in case of a late student pick up & to give custodians ample time to clean up)
o parents have been advised no more late pick-ups allowed - students may be taken to the Y center and parents will have to pick up after 6pm from there
· PA website has been re-launched
Guest Speaker: Halsey Junior High-School Principal - Ms. Suraci (PS 157)
Parents were also introduced to Ms. Napolitano, Assistant Principal
Parents were given an overview and various handouts of the Halsey program and curriculum, learned how the school assists students in the transition and adjustment from elementary school to middle school. Furthermore parents were able to ask questions. Main topics covered were:
· Middle School Choice Application Process
o there is a new process
o deadline is in December
o every 5th grade student must fill out an application
o PS 175 is automatically zoned for PS 157, which means that as long as PS 157 is listed as 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice the student will be ensured a seat in the school; if PS 157 is not listed as one of the three choices, the student will still get a seat within a middle school in district 28, but not necessarily PS 157
o last year the school received about 1,200 applications for 400 seats
o lots of kids outside the zone want to come to PS 157
o once parent accepts placement in PS 157 then they get a survey to select a Talent
* the philosophy is to help kids meet their potential on an annual basis
· Assembly Period
o takes place once a week, it is a tentative program specific for 6th graders and is intended to cover numerous issues, for example:
§ health (based on Board of Education Curriculum which can be found on their website)
§ nutrition
§ mental health & emotional well being
§ self-esteem
§ physical activity
§ sex education (parents have a choice to have their children opt-out)
§ bullying
§ internet safety
o guest speakers are expected
· Grade Reward System (includes all grades)
o this is a new system which just started this year
o a behavior and academic enrichment aimed to reward positive character development
o each grade meets and discusses different topics including honesty, loyalty and students then students get nominated and obtain an award (e.g. certificate and a gift card) at the Assembly
o there are monthly awards for attendance & discipline
o there is an end of the year award for one student per grade
o question raised by parents: would these rewards lead to a popularity contest?
§ faculty found that it lead to more good deeds being done instead
· Building Structure:
o currently under construction
o getting new computer lab
o smart boards
o 176 laptops
o new bathrooms for students and staff class library & resources
· Organization of Classes and grades:
o there are 13 6th grade classes these include:
§ Accelerated classes (6)
§ ESL (regular & intermediate)
§ General Education
§ Special Needs
§ SETTS
o kids travel as a class, grades are grouped in specific areas of the building
· Teachers:
o highly qualified
o teach the same 3 - 5 classes so they get to know their students well
o are specialized & each classroom contains material specific to a given subject/content
o involved in numerous Grant Writing Opportunities
· 6th grade:
o 29-30 students is the average class size
o students don't move around too much, meaning classes are close together and in one area of the school in order to minimize movement and traffic in the halls
§ exception: talent program & physical education
· Open Door Policy
o if parents have concerns regarding kids' progress they are welcome to come in to discuss them
· Parents Association:
o parents are encouraged to get involved in the PA organization as well as SLT (Student Leadership Team)
· Resources & Material:
o prerogative is to provide the necessary resources (PA association is has been very helpful in the past in putting on a musical, purchasing/repairing instruments)
o PS 157 is the recipient of a $40,000 grant to purchase new instruments for the school
· Student Body:
o kids come with various talents and needs
o goal is to try to fit each student into the right programs
o all students have the same teachers and resources & treatment regardless of the programs they are in
o all students get assignments and projects but difficulty may vary based on the given program
· students have a chance to participate in many organizations & programs, for example
§ NYC All County Band
§ Jazz Center
§ Ballroom Dancing
§ Mouse Squad: students learn to assess & repair school computers
§ Stock Market Game: students get $100,000 in virtual money with which to invest in the stock market
§ Mediation: students are trained in conflict resolution including peer mediation
· programs include Afterschool & Saturday practices for performances
· Honors Program:
o students are places based on ELA & Math State Exam scores from 4th grade (must receive a 4 in at least one of the two exams, a 3 in the other, based on teacher's recommendations)
o must be able to handle to work load to remain in this program
o PS 175 Tag program does not ensure a spot in the Honors program which is based on State Exam scores & teachers' recommendations
o this is a fluid program meaning children move in and out between 6th & 7th grade based on qualifications, but by 8th grade are locked in
· Talent Program
o open to all students and includes: drama, dance, computers & arts
o kids pick one talent area and stick to it for the next three years
o goal is to match each student to the talent of their choice and selection is flexible
o the principle will come and speak to 5th grade teachers
o parents will be able to fill out talent they want their child to pursue on a survey
o Music Program:
§ students learn how to read music & play solos
§ have the ability to learn to play an instrument
§ all levels available
o Invitation extended to the Winter & Spring Concert & Musical (open to all students)
· NYC School Report Card:
o '08, '09, '10 "A" School rating
o this year missed by 1 point (cut off is at 58.2)
o now teachers are working to develop vigorous curriculum to get back the "A" rating
o the school has gone through a positive transformation in the past five years
o academic strong points:
§ Accelerated Honors Program
§ Special Needs
§ Individual Talents/Needs
· Curriculum & Requirements
o at the end of the 8th grade students get an opportunity to take a Regents exam in Earth Science & Algebra - will count on High School transcript when applying to college
· Foreign Language Requirement: students are offered Spanish in 7th & 8th grades, at the end of 8th grade can take an exam for High School credit
· Middle School Student Presenters
o Benjamin & Emmanuel touched upon their transition and adjustment to the middle school