Melrose PTO Meeting Minutes for December 8, 2021

Meeting called to order at 5:01pm by Mr. Needleman.

There was no Spanish translation available for this meeting.

The entire meeting was recorded. The recording is available at

https://lausd.zoom.us/rec/share/FCjbHVVMGTiQmxi1zrACOzinxH4xFIhikPvIVi8lv4hf7458kgs52FqHraDTqHj.igsL4YljBg8knMuj

Passcode: %5K1!d&z

PTO President Raj Raghavan gave updates on PTO events:

Valet

Morning valet started on December 6 and is going very well. Thank you to Joseph Sammut. We are still looking for a few valet volunteers.

Additional parent volunteers needed

  • We need a parent mentor for the yearbook. The mentor will worth with 5th graders to create the yearbook after school one day per week, either via zoom or in person.
  • We need a tech-savvy parent to help with webmaster-type details on the PTO website.

Next Family Fun Night is December 14 at Lala’s on Melrose Ave.

Fliers will go home in backpacks. You must have the flier so the restaurant knows you are with Melrose.

Thank you families for a successful annual giving campaign. Because of your generosity, we’re able to put privacy fencing around the school. We will need parent volunteers to help take down the tinsel when the time comes.

Banners

We are relaunching the banner fundraising program. Thank you to Suzanne Mathur and Josh Levine for putting together the sales materials. Parents can view them on the MelrosePTO.org website.

Community Coffee Hour

We are meeting in person this month for our first Community Coffee Hour in Poinsettia Park. Meet by the basketball courts this Friday after drop off for free coffee and bagels from 8-9.

That concludes the PTO announcements.

Coffee with Mr. Needleman

Special thanks to parent Fred Beese for putting up the train in the foyer. The school is decorated for the holidays for the first time in many years.

There will be a winter performance watch party next Thursday morning. Students will watch from their classrooms and parents can log in. A recording will also be made available.

Vaccinations

Vaccines are now available to all students. If our school reaches 85% vaccinated, the students will be able to take masks off outdoors.

Covid on campus

We are very lucky that we only had one case on campus until last week. All students who tested positive last week were asymptomatic. Notification of future covid cases will always occur the way they happened this week. Anyone considered a close contact is notified.

In January we are moving to modified quarantine. Students will be able to stay at school or at home.

Do not come to school if you have symptoms.

In general, covid is not spreading in schools.

Will there be baseline testing before we return from winter break? Not as of right now.

The district will have free testing all through winter break.

Homelessness near campus

There will probably be interactions with homelessness in future.

Nobody has ever entered campus. We are a closed campus.

We are getting privacy fencing. This may block the parents’ view, but it will keep people who shouldn’t be here from looking and videotaping children.

Crime

It still exists in the neighborhood.

Hopefully parents are still involved with Melrose Action. The robberies have been of businesses, robbing them of merchandise. They have no interest in robbing a school, according to local police. And they are not interested in school district ipads.

Nasim Kablan – Zone Rep for neighborhood council and Melrose parent says that Melrose Action has a go fund me page to fundraise for license plate readers on Melrose to help cut down on crime. You can also sign up for the Melrose Action newsletter to learn more about crime in the area and ongoing efforts.

We cannot have a school police officer outside. They have cut back school police but we will have officers coming by from time to time.

Councilmember Koretz’s office has made Melrose a priority for police patrolling.

Parents who see something outside the school can call the police.

Safety in the mornings

Be careful when crossing streets to come to school. Please do not cross Detroit in the middle of the street.

What to look forward to in the new year

  • Astronomy night is returning
  • There will be a poetry slam
  • California Young reader medal video challenge
  • Cardboard box challenge

We are proud of our teachers for rolling with all of the challenges!

Lost and found

Will be put by the gate all of next week

Fencing

Parent volunteers will be needed to take out the tinsel in January. The new fencing is the “tennis court” style green masking.

Are there safety concerns during PE?

Parent expressed concern that children are sitting out from Got Game because they don’t want to get hurt.

Ms. Bertuccelli is always observing Got Game. Children sit out for various reasons but she has not seen anything dangerous. If a child feels scared, they should come to her.

Thank you to Paige and Tracii for running the spelling bee!

See you at Lala’s next week.

Meeting adjourned 5:48pm