OPEN MEETING
MARCH 6, 2007
BOARD MEMBERS
PRESENT: GINA
POLIZZI, DAWN PLEW, MICAH ROBERTS, VALENCIA FOSTER, ANN WARREN, JOHN LAZAR, STEVE
ROOT, HANIA BROOKS, JULIA SAK-GEARHART, YAEL
APT, AND MARIA VON HARTZ
MEMBERS PRESENT: ERIC LOY, CARDIE LOY, LESLEY BLOOM, JENNY JONES,
FACULTY PRESENT: AMY
LEVITT-POLANCO, CHARMAINE COLINA, BARRY FEENEY, BILL RAINS, PATRICIA GODON-TANN
1. MEETING WELCOME – 7:15 PM
MICAH AND
MARIA WELCOME ALL AND THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING.
YAEL MOVES TO APPROVE LAST MONTH’S MINUTES; MARIA SECONDS;
MINUTES APPROVED.
2. SAFETY VALET PROGRAM
MR. SARO SHIRINIAN, FROM THE COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN,
YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES, HAS A PROGRAM TO HELP US WITH KISS AND DROP.
VOLUNTEERS WILL RECEIVE TRAINING FROM OFFICER JOHNSON AT LAPD WEST TRAFFIC
DIVISION; THE COMMISSION WILL SUPPLY EQUIPMENT, ID CARDS, TRAFFIC CONES, A CART
FOR THE EQUIPMENT, STOP SIGNS, AND SAFETY VESTS. TO BEGIN THE TRAINING, THEY
NEED A MINIMUM OF 15 VOLUNTEERS. VOLUNTEERS FILL OUT A CITY OF
IN ADDITION, AS PART OF THE PROGRAM, THE LAPD WILL PATROL
THE AREA MORE FREQUENTLY FOR A WHILE AND WILL TICKET IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL AT
DROP-OFF. IN THE PAST, THIS PROGRAM HAS AVERAGED 50 TICKETS A DAY FOR THE FIRST
WEEK. THE COMMISSION WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION PACKETS FOR PARENTS BEFORE THE
TICKETING BEGINS.
THE PROGRAM WILL ALSO
MS. TANN ASKS ABOUT A PICK-UP PROGRAM AS WELL; MR.
SHIRINIAN SAYS HIS COMMISSION CAN HELP ORGANIZE THAT.
DAWN ASKS ABOUT CROSSING GUARDS; HE SAYS HIS OFFICE CAN
HELP AS LIASON TO THE OFFICE THAT PROVIDES CROSSING GUARDS.
MS. TANN ASKS HOW WE CAN CHANGE THE PARKING SIGNS ON THE
EAST SIDE OF THE SCHOOL. HE’LL FIND OUT WHO SHE SHOULD WRITE TO, AND ASK
OFFICER JOHNSON TO EVALUATE THAT AREA AS WELL.
3. BUDGET REPORT
DAWN REPORTS THAT, IF WE HIT OUR PROJECTED PROFIT FOR
JOG-A-THON, WE’LL HAVE ABOUT A $700 SURPLUS. (SEE ATTACHED REPORTS)
4. GOVERNANCE REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR SUPPLIES
MS. TANN SAYS THAT SHE THINKS THE PE AND SCIENCE PROGRAMS,
AS WELL AS THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMPUTER LAB, HAVE BEEN A SUCCESS. SHE
EXPLAINS THE REQUEST OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE: GOVERNANCE VOTED TO REQUEST
$10,000 FROM FRIENDS BECAUSE THE LAUSD FUNDING FOR SUPPLIES HAS RUN OUT. THIS
IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. MS. TANN SAYS $10,000 WOULD COVER ALL HER EXPENSES,
BUT SHE CAN GET BY ON $6,000. (SEE ATTACHED LETTER)
JOHN ASKS IF THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN EVERY YEAR. MS TANN
EXPLAINS THAT LAST YEAR, SHE ALSO RAN OUT EARLY, BUT WAS ABLE TO MOVE FUNDS
FROM OTHER SOURCES MORE EASILY. WITH THE NEW
MS. POLANCO SAYS THAT THERE ARE 2 PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED:
THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM OF LACK OF FUNDS, AND THE LONG-TERM PROBLEM OF HOW TO
ADDRESS AND PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE.
THERE IS DISCUSSION OF HOW TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND COME
UP WITH A PLAN AS A TEAM.
MS. TANN WILL TALK TO JOHN LAZAR ABOUT HOW TO PUT THE
JOHN ASKS, IF WE GIVE THE
$10,000, CAN WE BE REPAID OUT OF THE $31,000 BLOCK GRANT FROM THE STATE. MS.
TANN SAYS WE CAN’T; IT’S NOT LEGAL TO USE THE BLOCK GRANT
FUNDS THAT WAY.
DAWN ASKS IF MS. TANN CAN BRING UP THESE KINDS OF ISSUES
SOONER.
MS. POLANCO URGES POLITICAL ACTION IN REGARD TO LAUSD’S
BUDGET DECISIONS. WE NEED TO USE OUR VOICE TO EFFECT A CHANGE.
FUNDING WILL BE DISCUSSED AND VOTED IN CLOSED SESSION.
5. EARTH DAY
MS. COLINA GIVES A PRESENTATION ON EARTH DAY, EARTH WEEK,
AND WAYS THE FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS AND PARENTS CAN HELP THE ENVIRONMENT.
ALL TEACHERS WILL BEGIN RECYCLING PAPER IN THE CLASSROOMS. ALSO,
17 BLUE BINS WERE DELIVERED TODAY (MARCH 6) FOR THE BLUE BIN RECYCLING PROGRAM.
WE CAN RECYCLE PAPER, CARDBOARD, PLASTIC, ETC.
THERE IS ALSO LOTS OF INTEREST IN E-WASTE RECYCLING
(RECYCLING OF BATTERIES, OLD EARPHONES, COMPUTER PARTS, ETC.) MS. COLINA PROPOSES THAT WE ADD AN
SHE TALKS ABOUT THE EARTH DAY GROCERY BAG PROJECT, SUGGESTS
AN OCEAN DAY ACTIVITY ON MAY 22.
DISCUSSION OF WAYS TO BOOST AWARENESS
AND INVOLVEMENT.
SEE ATTACHED FLYERS
FUNDING WILL BE
DISCUSSED AND VOTED IN CLOSED SESSION.
6. LIBRARY CABINETS
ROZ HAS ASKED FRIENDS FOR $400 FOR STORAGE
CABINETS FOR THE LIBRARY. FUNDING WILL BE
DISCUSSED AND
VOTED IN CLOSED SESSION.
7. UPDATES
·
BINGO DE MAYO—FLYER WILL BE GOING OUT THIS
THURSDAY TO ANNOUNCE FIRST MEETING FOR THE EVENT. MEETING WILL BE TUESDAY MARCH
13TH AT 7 PM IN THE LIBRARY. ANNE GOLDRING WILL BE ONE OF THE
CO-CHAIRS.
·
ASTRO CAMP—LESLEY REPORTED THAT THE TRIP WAS
FUN AND THEY HAD GREAT WEATHER. MS. TANN THANKS ALL THE PARENTS WHO WENT, AND
ALSO MR. MEEKS. ALL THE STUDENTS WHO WANTED TO GO WERE ABLE TO GO. THE CAMP HAS
BEEN PRE-BOOKED FOR NEXT YEAR, WITH 71 PLACES RESERVED. THERE WILL BE ONLY 75
KIDS IN 5TH GRADE NEXT YEAR, SO SPACE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE
WHO WISHES TO GO. MS. POLANCO ASKED IF WE COULD NOTIFY THE 4TH GRADE
PARENTS AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, SO THEY CAN START SAVING THE MONEY EARLY.
·
THE KIDS WHO STAYED HOME FROM ASTRO
CAMP HAD PIZZA AND A
PLANET BRAVO WORKSHOP.
·
JOG-A-THON—GINA REPORTS THAT SHE RECEIVED $500
FROM CHILDREN’S PLACE FOR WATER BOTTLES. FLYERS FOR THE EVENT ARE GOING OUT
THIS WEEK.
8. COMMITTEE UPDATES
·
PTA: HASN’T MET SINCE OUR LAST MEETING. THERE WILL BE A
MOVIE NIGHT THIS FRIDAY, THE 9TH, AT 6:30 PM. THE MOVIE WILL BE
“WILLIE WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.” FOOD AND SNACKS WILL BE SOLD BY THE 5TH
GRADE, AND THERE WILL ALSO BE A CANDY GRAB WITH PRIZES.
·
GOVERNANCE: GINA REPORTED THAT THE COMMITTEE
DISCUSSED THE $10,000 REQUEST FOR SUPPLIES. ALSO, SIGNS WILL BE INSTALLED ON
THE SCHOOL AND ON SURROUNDING STREETS DESIGNATING THE AREA A “SAFE SCHOOL
ZONE.” THIS MEANS THAT PENALTIES FOR CRIMES COMMITTED IN THE AREA WILL BE
GREATER.
·
SCHOOL SITE: JOHN REPORTED THAT SCHOOL SITE WILL
BE MEETING FRIDAY, AND IS STILL WORKING TO
MEETING
ADJOURNED AT 9:05.