PTO Meeting Minutes 2/1/23

Meeting called to order by Mr. Needleman via Zoom at 5:02pm

Introduction by Mr. Needleman to welcome families to first meeting of 2023

Korean and Spanish translation available

Meeting is being recorded. The recording is available at https://lausd.zoom.us/rec/share/Q6Vnr0fFZLLmd8txegS0Tt98wV5LabGESyR2WQ-1BJWKII9bKDUjeFAUImji0N7O.4qJF_t3IWSd9sOPl 

Passcode: Ch@a9g0B

Mr. Needleman will have special guests after the PTO meeting, as well as a school safety update and Pokemon. 

Introduction of Raj Raghavan with PTO news

Shutterfly

Shutterfly notice: Shutterfly groups going away soon, please check if there’s anything you want to preserve before they are gone

Parent Survey re: Spending

Survey going out to families. The PTO has a sum of money that we would like parent input for what it should be spent on. Mr Needleman added link to survey in chat. 

Charity Buzz 

Coming up in a few months is the Hollywood auction. It connects people all over the world with things they don’t have access with in their normal life. They go on Charlity Buzz to have that experience or get a connection. If you have a connection to entertainment or access to a high end experience, please email president@melrosepto.org. It is a really low impact way to fundraise. Please check it out at charitybuzz.com

Upcoming

  • Friday is Community Coffee Hour at 8am – free bagels and conversation
  • Spirit wear sale outside the school at 7:30am
  • Book Fair on campus March 7-10, more info to come
  • We need book fair volunteers, please talk to Ms. Bertuccelli or contact Amy Reiley, PTO secretary

Jog-a-thon

  • Jog-a-thon presentation by Kate Norby
  • This year’s theme is The Melrose Games with t-shirts designed for the event
  • Running will be the main event. Other fun events like hoolahoop and jumprope 
  • Friday March 17 at school during school day. Each grade will have their own time.
  • We will be fundraising the same way we did last year. 
  • Needs: We are looking for t-shirt sponsors, we are looking for 3 to donate $1500 each, logo will go on back of shirt. You can also get a banner at school on the day of the event. 
  • Please let us know if you have access to or a connection to a food truck or food vendor for the jog-a-thon day

Beautification

  • Poppy Askew with Beautification update
  • Beautification leads met today and walked the grounds to identify areas that need tending. 
  • Looking for parent volunteers. Volunteer signup put in chat. Please let us the team know your availability. 
  • We also need an irrigation specialist and a plumber! 
  • Please come and join us in making the school more beautiful

Barnes and Noble Event

  • Julia Furmin to speak about event with Barnes and Noble
  • We have an opportunity to develop a relationship with Barnes and Noble at the Grove
  • April 20 at 6pm, the second graders will have a chance to speak in the author area and present their poetry or writings, including a projector for illustrations
  • This is an opportunity for children to share their speaking and work
  • Looking to make it an ongoing relationship for all grades
  • During the event, a portion of sales will go to Melrose. We will have a school book table as well with books the school will need. There may be an opportunity to do more fundraising with the store

Raj turned meeting over to Mr. Needleman

School won Magnet Schools of America award, prior to the pandemic we won 3 years in a row and now we’re back

We have a librarian again! Alysen Cho is now taking over our library. 

Danielle Tenner from Nick Melvoin’s chief of staff and Melrose parent

  • The board office is there to talk to parents
  • Office is continue to push priorities around greening and student wellbeing, early learning and literacy
  • The school calendar for next year is in the works, it will probably start the week of Aug 14
  • Calendar will be approved for 3 years
  • If you want to contact her it’s danielle.tenner@lausd.net

Coach Manny

  • There is one more session of star upcoming
  • Summer camps info is coming, starting on June 12 going into august at several locations (not Melrose) 
  • LAUSD employees get a discount for camp enrollment
  • emmanuelm@starinc.org

Mr. Needleman’s announcements:

  • Safety: there was a security non-event yesterday with a helicopter flying over the school. Plant manager called police, who informed it was not an emergency. We need students to obey and not ask questions in any emergency situation. It is a good time to review with students how to react in an emergency situation. 
  • After school at Formosa gate
  • Students need to be picked up within 10 minutes of dismissal or go into star or YS 
  • When you are picking up, some parents are getting tickets in loading zone. Don’t get out of car until we get the area changed to limited parking. In the meantime, we will send the kid to you. You can get your first ticket dismissed if you get a ticket but only the first time. Waiting for the city to change the signs.

Absences

  • If you are out for illness you are doing the right thing by staying home. But families are planning vacations, sometimes long and international. Any absence is not good. It all stops learning from happening. 
  • If you do need to leave for a medical reason there is independent study. You don’t want to do that unless you have to. If you are gone for more than 10 days and it is not due to medical leave, you have to be unenrolled but if you come back in the school year, you are reenrolled. This helps the school attendance. 

Pokemon

  • Coach Manny was giving out Pokemon cards and kids got interested. 
  • Started a club at school. School bought decks. We have 15-20 decks. Some students in 2nd grade and above and Manny, Mr. Merino and Ms. Bertuccelli’s son are helping the kids learn to play. Hoping to work toward a school tournament. 

Upcoming events

  • Week of March 6 parent conferences
  • Book fair in the library March 7-10 
  • Astronomy night TBD
  • April 18 open house 5:30-6:30pm

Reading

  • Kinder and first grade teachers are looking at teaching of reading, looking at consistent way of assessing students 
  • Readers workshop is working for 80% of students, trying to do better for the other 20%

Parent questions

Q: When are Pokemon groups meeting?

A: Fridays at lunch. Looking at an afterschool group later. This group is signed up but if it moves for afterschool, we could add more kids and we need more parents. 

Meeting adjourned 5:47pm