PTA General Meeting Agenda & Minutes 02.01.24

PTA General Meeting Agenda & Minutes 02.01.24

Board members present: john.ritz.or@gmail.com John Savage Arongoffin@gmail.com

Call To Order: 6:10

Icebreaker

• Step into the Circle

Review and approval of minutes from last meeting  (motion needed):

• Motion approved

Admin Update

• Lisa, VP, representing
  • Gordon, P, still on leave, has been extended per medical providers
  • Sub principal in the pipeline
  • Winter lights tomorrow, say g’bye to Miss Katie
  • Connect to Kinder getting put together
    • “Here’s what we love about Buckman”- more personal
    • Working with PTA on outreach
    • Art activities and author visit for kinder connect
  • Xtra snow days?
    • Plan has not yet been communicated
    • We’re at least going as far as the revised calendar
    • Hiring a 3-5 teacher
  • Next week parent coffee (2/9?)

Financial Report

• Leanne H. out tonight – per email:
• 74 PTA members, goal is 80 – looking for teachers in addition to parents
• $17918 in first 2Q, $2902 company match, $257 from Fred Meyer rewards
• Dec – paid out $1600, mostly in classroom grants, still $900
• Art S&S coming up in march: $17k goal: donations, art sales and booth fees
• @Leanne to see if there’s anything PTA needs to pay for
• $7k for Dance and Art teacher extracurriculars
• Need a replacement Treasurer come June
  • Market via PTA comms?
  • ~10hrs a month on average
• Need a monthly reviewer for the books
  • Paid in coffee

Committee Reports

• Room Parent (Korrin)
  • Ms Lee’s room lead stepped down, Aron G stepped in to fill
• Art Show & Sell (Nicole)
  • Biggest fundraiser for the PTA
  • Update: poster draft
  • Will need help mid-late Feb to hang posters
    • Market via PTA comms?
  • Kid art sign ups are now – deadline is Feb 19th
    • Easier to sign up and not do it, impossible to not sign up and participate late
    • Market via PTA comms?
  • Committee needs some members/shadow current members
    • Market via PTA comms?
  • Sat Mar 9th, 10-5p
• Will need help with distributing flyers on Kinder Connect as well
• Buckman Bears (Megan)
  • Black Artists in Oregon exhibit on Feb 17th
  • Portland Art Museum, 10:15, 11:15 self guided tours, 60 people max per tour, 8/31 signups so far
  • Need a “Lead” for the second group
    • Signup via Konstella?
    • Market via PTA comms
• SPED (Sonia-Marie)
  • Point of contact for SPED concerns/questions at Buckman
  • Sonia-Marie intro:
    • Came to Buckman not by choice, working to make improvements
    • Background in Education
  • Survey is out there – how inclusivity (or not) is influencing your students (or not): SPED Concerns @ Buckman (google.com)
    • Push for feedback
      • It will be acted on!
  • District is doing a SPED hiring fair
    • Addl push for support and mentorship for SPED staff
  • 214 Room to become a sensory space
    • Accessible to all – more than ‘Pluto’
    • Chalkboard out, paint ready to go up
    • Amazon list is up for donations to enhance the room’s atmosphere
  • Goal to work with district to modify the whole Buckman building space to make the entire environment safer and more inclusive for SPED students
  • Open discussion
    • Can students respond to Survey?
      • You can leave unknowns blank
      • Ask your kids about it – fill out together
        • PTA can update survey to encourage coop filling out
      • Konstella, Facebook, bulletin
    • PTA funding for room 214?
      • Only just have it official enough to get it planned
      • Will be working with PTA for funding
    • Anecdote – by mid-Oct one class had so many class clears and fire-alarm pulls, curriculum wasn’t getting met.  Is this a sudden increase in disruptive behavior, or are we missing SPED educators, or both?
      • Staffing has gone down while needs have gone up
      • Stressors build up even worse and drive people out
      • 12-14 students max for 2 SES classrooms in Buckman – K-2 and 3-5
        • Kids from other schools take slots, few Elem schools in the district offer the SES classrooms
        • Buckman might be the only school with 2 classrooms
      • “504” accommodations, not legally required, for specific needs.  VS. IEP – a legally binding agreement for services that child needs due to a formal diagnosis (these students are in typical classrooms)
        • Above that is the SES classrooms
        • Above that is a specialized school, near 1:1 teacher
    • Ultimately, IEPs are not being fulfilled by the district
      • Funding has been cut and positions are unfilled
    • Is there a group to help advocate, regardless of your student’s status?
      • It can be made, but doesn’t exist yet.
    • Is the SPED parent group just for SPED parents?
      • There’s a district initiative to get feedback and make improvements
      • There are a couple SPED advocates “available” for SPED parents
  • S-M is available by email for info
    • smleikam@gmail.com – check bulletin for contact deets
      • Kid-friendly brewery in the family
    • Be the squeaky wheel!
• Foundation (Laura Stevens)
  • Auc is May 9th 11th?, at the Red, theme is “Prom”
  • Konstella volunteer opportunities
  • Oma’s Hideaway is the next Dines Out
    • Make a reservation
  • Apparel Sale 2/2
• Groundskeeping 
  • defer

SUN – Katie

• Last PTA meeting, in this role anyway 🙁
• Big party tomorrow night 5pm-9pm, Winter Lights and going away party
  • Kid rave Friday night
  • Will be up at night Friday -> Tues
  • Disco lights are in the supply room
• Black Art Celebration Night – Feb 22nd
  • Aron to add to PTA comms
• SUN after school will keep on truckin’
  • Replacement hunt is on, there will be continuity of coverage for students
  • Registration ~March for Spring term.
• Katie will be at Impact, email stays the same

Unfinished Business

• Playground net repair
  • We have $1,000 in budget, but need to f/u with admin
• Stage lights—$900 left in budget f/u

New Business

• Kinder Connect recruitment volunteer
  • Need someone to work with the office on flyer creation, outreach, delegate to cover town

• Transportation survey-Kyl (Zoomer parent)
  • Step one – are bike buses happening?
  • Lead to discussing carpooling, pickups, etc.
  • Survey for figuring out what the Buckman community is up for as far as getting to school
    • Open for feedback pre-publication (not on Konstella yet)
  • Maybe working with PBOT?

Program Announcements

• ShopRaise fundraising platform
  • Passive fundraising income
  • If you shop via ShopRaise, even gift cards, percentage goes to PTA
    • You can buy your own Freddie’s budget via this method
• Need Diversity and Equity Chair, Comms Chair, Treasurer, Co-prez is opening up May 2024

Adjournment

JR, JS2nd, Motion passes 7:40

Action Items

• Arongoffin@gmail.com to contact admin re: playground net and stage lights
• Push for AS&S committee members, setup/cleanup volunteers, and student art registrants
• Buckman Bear needs volunteer for 2nd Black Art @ Museum event
• SPED survey comms to encourage collective family responses
• smleikam@gmail.com – check bulletin for contact deets
• ShopRaise
• Push for Kindercare volunteer – outreach/admin/shoeleather

Signature of Board Member:

—

PTA Mission: 

The overall purpose of PTA is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

Land Acknowledgement:

“Every community owes its existence and vitality to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life, and some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted. Multnomah county rests on traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, bands of Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla and many other Tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River. We pay respects to their elders past and present. Truth and acknowledgment are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference. We begin this effort to acknowledge what has been buried by honoring the truth.”