Pierce School PTO Minutes - October 2006

Pierce School PTO

10/11/06 Minutes

Attendance: Karen Szeto, Ellen Ball, David Weinstein, Tammy Texeria, Nicole Lapidus, Joshua Frank, Pipier Smith-Mumford, Ellen Regis, Deborah Swedberg, Cherie Gaehde, Charlie Walsh, David Lapidus, Josh Frank, Martha Huntley, Debra Costolloe, Ellen Regis, Valerie Immerich, Jamie Lyons, Katrina Regan, Laura Bradford, Ingrid Lederma, Toni Lansbury, Annemarie Marcus, Julie Leitman, Zelma Moariel, Silvia Wan-chiun Lee, Arasurya Valndevern, Martha Huntley, Diane Greco, Maggie Flalen

1. PTO Chair—Charlie Walsh—topics discussed
1. Wonderful that room parents attended—should help with communication between school and home
2. Urging room parents to organize phone/email trees to spread information
3. Having two room parents can be helpful to divide the load
4. Another issue is to understand better how the PTO can help the room parents
1. PTO can help spread information on lice
1. Teachers may also benefit from more information about clustering kids together
2. Perhaps the next PTO meeting/workshops could feature education on lice or a workshop
5. Perhaps the PTO co-chairs can discuss with Dr. Lupini the lack of increase the technology budget
6. How to let the parents know how the PTO is spending its funds
1. One idea is for the Broadsheet to contain information about how the PTO is spending the funds, including for class trips
7. This year all 7^th graders will learn about internet safety. There will also be a forum for parents. The forums are separate as parents need to be able to ask questions and discuss things in a setting where they can feel comfortable asking basic computer questions that their kids may already know the answer.
8. We do not yet have a co-chair for the auction but do have a committee.
2. Smart Board Demo
1. Allows a teacher to stand in the front of the room and teach; it is easy to use; teachers were introduced to it yesterday. The teacher just touches the screen to pop up prepared slides. Students can come up and write directly on the board. Saves automatically. Prints in the form of a slide show. Kids can access the show from home if they are sick, for example.
2. Cost of board is $1200, + cart $100 + laptop + projector ($900)= total between $4500-4000.
3. 8^th grade gift + PTO + 7^th grade helped pay for the one we now have
4. Goal is to over time increase the number in the building
5. Projectors/laptop components are separable
6. Most beneficial for mapping, geography, internet usage, games for review, good for absent kids, special education teachers, helped kids to learn to use technology in a much more structured and efficient way
7. Password protected. Sandy controls the sign out of the technology.
8. The budget from the town is quite limited. Maintaining the current level of technology without an increase in budget means that the town won’t be buying more. Some other schools have one or two
9. Finger works like a mouse
10. Virtual dissection—although I would argue there is nothing like touching actual tissue
11. Potential is unlimited
12. While using the internet can also write on top of the web
13. Can watch NASA or any TV show live
3. Principal’s Report—Dr. Smith-Mumford
1. Minutes from the PTO meetings go on the website
2. Josh Frank is heading up “Making Learning Visible at Pierce School”, this is a school wide effort to capture the learning that is occurring here. Students’ work will be posted across the school, each class will have a theme. This will begin Nov 1.
3. Car wash this Sat to raise money for their farm school trip fundraiser. Overnight trip which ties into the science curriculum.
4. Summer reading/math assembly will be on Halloween
5. Co-ed volleyball team is undefeated
4. Funding requests approved
1. Already approved: carrying cases for cameras $35; field trip kindergarten apple picking
2. Upper learning center to award special needs and provide snacks $150
3. First grade to Plymouth plantation ~$700 (asking $12/student from the family)
4. Third grade $183.80 to go to various Boston sites
5. 7+8 grade math contest $155
4. Principal’s forum is the next meeting on Nov 8
1. Equity project: Courageous Conversations: talk about the diversity in our school (race, class). Some schools have a diversity committee to have these discussions. We want to have these discussions in a safe and respectful environment. We may watch Brown Eyes/Blue Eyes film with a discussion to follow or may present articles.

5 Future meetings may focus on lock downs, internet safety—there is a talk coming up at another school that we attend—Heath Oct 26^th at 7pm.

Apologies for any misspellings of names.