MESPTA Board Meeting September 11, 2008
MOANALUA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTA INC.
PTA BOARD MEETING
September 11, 2008
CALL TO ORDER: President Lori Shimoda called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. in the MES library.
VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT: Lori Shimoda, Lei Fukumura, Robb Taone, Manny Salvador, and Michelle Gandee.
NON-VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT: Denise Arai, Carol Mann-Molay, Marissa Ayag-Garcia, Terri Kimura, Kirsten Kajiwara, Scott Kajiwara, Susie Okumura, Joanne Rosen, Lisa Lee, Wendy Hadano, Tammy Tiusta, Ismael Curet, Teresa Curet, Stephen Figart, and Lyanne Yano-Figart.
MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING: The Meeting Minutes for the August 13, 2008 meeting were approved. L. Fukumura to bring copies of the July 24, 2008 meeting minutes to the next meeting so that they can be distributed and reviewed by members. The July 24, 2008 meeting minutes have not yet been approved since the Board lacked quorum at its previous meeting.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Treasurer Robb Taone reported that the July and August 2008 budget reports were submitted by Ernest Ramiscal. He further reported that the August report reflects and an increase due to E-Book deposits but that there were many bad checks written for E-Books so he will have to deal with this situation. The budget is doing well. He is waiting for t-shirt monies to come in. Once the monies come in the budget will be even better. The Treasurer’s reports were approved.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
RAP – Wendy Hadano and Lisa Lee. L. Lee reported that the first meeting took place tonight and that RAP leaflets went home today. The first bunch of RAP coupons will be posted in October. Eighteen individuals expressed an interest in serving on the committee. Out of the eighteen, ten individuals attended tonight’s RAP meeting.
ARTS AND CULTURE/REFLECTIONS-Michelle Gandee. M. Gandee reported that she needs a co-chair and requested that members refer interested parties to her. She also reported that the committee needs to hold a workshop to introduce children to what they can submit. January 10, 2009 is the deadline. M. Gandee has coordinated the fifth grade mural with the Academy of Arts. L. Shimoda reported that the “Kindergarten to Third Grade” and “Fourth Grade to Sixth Grade” program involved 25 students. The students participated in an after-school project which introduced them to a broad spectrum of art. L. Shimoda will have to work with facilities since the program is held here. There is a lottery to sign up for the $1,500 workshop.
MEMBERSHIP- Manny Salvador. M. Salvador reported that 323 members signed up. He collected $658 in donations and deposited a total of $3,850. He still has not deposited the t-shirt monies. Also M. Salvador reminded members that all Board Members must be members of the PTA. Committee Chairs are not required to join the PTA.
T-SHIRT/NEWSLETTER-Manny Salvador. M. Salvador reported that several distributors shut down on the West Coast thus there might be a three week delay. Royal blue is a very popular color so there is a shortage of shirts in this color both on the West Coast and on Oahu. When the t-shirts arrive he will post something so that the PTA can assist with t-shirt stuffing. M. Salvador received a total of 709 orders for t-shirts.
E-BOOKS-Rae Tom, Tammy Sonoda. L. Shimoda reported that the PTA earned $15,000 in profits from E-Book sales. Currently the Sally Foster fundraising is being worked on. The E-Book fundraiser had to be done early in order to beat other groups who are also selling E-Books. The Sally Foster fundraising must be completed before Christmas.
FUN FAIR-Lori Shimoda. L. Shimoda reported that the committee held its first meeting and some parents have already volunteered to serve on the committee. However, the committee is still seeking lots of volunteers and is in need of a treasurer.
HOSPITALITY- Maddy Ledda and Jasmin Maeva. M. Ledda reported that the committee is in need of ideas such as good catering places. The committee is currently composed of three members. The committee prepared sandwiches for tonight’s PTA meeting but acknowledged that preparing the meal was hard work.
MANPOWER-Kim Fujikawa, Fred Wang. L. Shimoda reminded members that once they are on board, committee chairs must get in touch with Anne Salvador for access to the membership data base.
HEALTH AND FITNESS-L. Shimoda reported that the November PTA Health Fair had to be tabled because it was impossible to schedule the event due to too many other ongoing activities.
LEGISLATIVE/COMMUNITY-L. Shimoda had no report.
MILITARY LIAISON-Marissa Ayag-Garcia, Tamara Ochoa. M. Ayag-Garcia reported that they are in a planning phase thus no action is taking place at this time. The committee’s only source of referrals is Vice Principal Mann-Molay who contacts the committee when a military family needs assistance. The committee can assist families who are adjusting and needing information about the community.
MES PTA Website-Stephen Figart. S. Figart reported that the MES PTA website received over 140 visits. Over the next few weeks he will e-mail updates to the PTA registration slips. S. Figart will also incorporate the membership list so hat 400 individuals are emailed every time there is an update.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sally Foster Fundraising-L. Shimoda reported that the Sally Foster Fundraising is currently taking place.
Fun Fair November 21-L. Shimoda reported that she needs to use member’s personal contacts. She requested that members bring friends to the PTA meetings since there are many open committees. The committee needs overlap to provide coverage and to lessen the workload for everyone. The committee which is in greatest need is the Rides Committee since there are only two members and one of its members, Tamara Ochoa, will be moving on.
Bake Sale-Patty Miyasato will be the advisor thus there is no existing coordinator to communicate with all the committees and to work with the administration to determine if the facilities are acceptable. L. Shimoda asked committee chairs to do a posting of help wanted. They are currently soliciting volunteers for shifts and the posting will be useful in helping to attract committee helpers.
OLD BUSINESS
Strings Program-L. Shimoda reported the formation of an S.O.S. (“Save Our Strings”) group composed of active parents. Vice Principal Mann-Molay has three candidates for the position. The selection process needs to take place right away. Vice Principal Mann-Molay wants to work with the parent group regarding the selection. Middy Martin will serve as co-chair but wants another individual to also serve as a co-chair. Principal Arai commented that there needs to be discussion on what expenses are covered by the MES budget as opposed to the MES PTA budget.
Air Conditioning-L. Shimoda reported that during the summer the PTA paid for window units. These units need to be included on a routine maintenance schedule. Principal Arai and L. Shimoda think that they have a line item budget for maintenance but if the funds are needed to cover other areas, the funds may run out. If this happens the PTA will have to pay the maintenance costs because the A/C is important for the children.
Family Community Events-L. Shimoda asked that she be notified if anyone wants to volunteer to help. Examples of planned activities include a surfing program. Events are scheduled on the weekends. L. Shimoda needs to find someone to do the scheduling and to work out details. The individual can work with L. Shimoda. One of the benefits of volunteering for the position is that the volunteer can schedule events to take place on the weekends that he/she is available.
NEW BUSINESS
Margaret Bailon-Labednick-M. Bailon Labednick expressed her concerns about the amount of staff assigned to yard duty. She feels that having five staff members on yard duty to watch 600 children is not adequate. She has discussed her concerns with the Administration. She would like to have at least five additional staff outside watching the children. She reported that children are sparring and that adults need to put a stop to this activity since children, not only her son, are getting injured. She believes that some injuries are not being reported to the health room. She acknowledged that there is an established student-teacher ratio but feels that it is a safety issue.
M. Bailon-Labednick is also concerned that during recess students from all grade levels are mixed together instead of being segregated. She reported that staff is usually located on the perimeter and that additional staff are needed to redirect the children. Vice Principal Mann-Molay responded that the children are redirected and that in addition to staff members on yard duty, there are also five peer mediators watching the children. Additionally Vice Principal Mann-Molay represented that Jean Yamada, Mrs. Ueda, Peggy Barretto and three Education Assistants are outside watching the children. Sharon Toyomura is currently training peer mediators. Vice Principal Mann-Molay requested that the parents of the injured children be asked to come and meet with her.
M. Bailon Labednick also pointed out that the Wellness Plan which was previously distributed by the Administration includes 20 minutes/day of recess and requires vigorous and modest activities. Vice Principal Mann-Molay pointed out that the schedule is tight and that teachers use the recess break to meet their personal needs. Principal Arai stated that if a child is hurt their parents must be notified. M. Bailon-Labednick also requested additional balls and equipment so that the children can do other things than playing rough. Principal Arai communicated to M. Bailon-Labednick that the Administration appreciated her input.
Tammy Giusta-T. Giusta expressed her concern that children are not getting enough physical activity. She stated that if only a tether ball and basketball court is available, only a limited amount of students will be able to play. She reported that the P.E. teacher told her that in the past they opened up the existing fence and conducted P.E. on the field on the other side of the fence too. T. Giusta would like more space to be made available for children to play and believes that this will result in less children getting injured. T. Guista was also concerned about the fact that first graders cannot play on the monkey bars since she feels that they need vigorous activity. She suggested locating more space within the Middle School or building another structure, in another area, that includes a backboard so that balls can be used without injuring other children. She believes that the lack of physical activity is an area that requires improvement. L. Shimoda inquired if the seniors who monitor the lunchroom are paid or volunteers. Principal Arai responded that some of the seniors are paid and others are volunteers. L. Shimoda inquired if it would be possible to enter into a partnership to have parents and other individuals receive training prior to volunteering. Principal Arai pointed out that the area beyond the fence is a district park, and are not part of the Middle School grounds. She also pointed out that county rules are stricter than school rules but that the Middle School is authorized to use the district park during its recess. Principal Arai also pointed out that schools were given four years to implement the Wellness Policy and that, although the policy is written, is it up to the school to implement but within the existing schedule it is difficult to do. However, Principal Arai is open to looking at a new bell schedule. Thus, if anyone has the time to play with numbers, she would be interested in looking at it. Vice Principal Mann-Molay commented that the first graders have access to the jungle gym but a rotation system has been instituted with letter days and that it is the same with the basketball courts. She further commented that students have access to jump ropes too and that she believes that students are getting a lot of physical activity. Furthermore she feels that children will flip, flop, trip and fall thus having more adults on yard duty may not remedy that situation. M. Bailon-Labednick stated that in the past two and a half weeks her son has gotten punched in the stomach and received a scratch near his eye. L. Shimoda stressed that she wants to come up with creative ideas and commented that parents must spearhead things if they want things done. She reminded everyone that incredible things can happen if a parent works with the PTA and Administration. M. Bailon-Labednick states that she does not believe that parents know that students from all grade levels are being mixed together. Principal Arai reported that the teachers looked at alternatives and other activities during recess, but that ultimately it comes down to manpower. Teachers require 15 minutes to readjust and get ready for their next lesson. L. Shimoda commented that there is a space issue if students are not able to go to the district park side of the fence either because of county rules or because the Middle School is using the area. Principal Arai commented that there are problems with staggering the recess times for anyone in A building. Teaching would be at a minimum since it would be impossible to teach during the 25 minute block of time. Instruction time is precious and teachers have said that everyone needs down time. Principal Arai acknowledged that she may needs to look at having teachers on the field.
Administration Report-Principal Arai thanked the PTA for its help with the Open House. She reported that the school completed its assessments. They needed to determine what level the children were at and what the school needed to do. The Administration knows that parents are an essential part of the school. During tonight’s meeting she and Vice Principal Mann-Molay are passing out pens as “thank you” gifts. She acknowledged that without the assistance of parents many things would not happen. Furthermore she stated that if nobody brings any issues to their attention, the Administration will assume that things are fine. Thus, they want to remind everyone that they are essential to the process and that the Administration can’t do it without the help of parents. Their focus is on the children. All the financial support and time are for the children. Principal Arai thanked everyone again.
Principal Arai reported that she missed the September 5, 2008 Hawaii State Assessment parent information meeting so she will be scheduling another meeting. She and Suzy are planning the next meeting for the 18th of the month. She encouraged everyone to come to meeting to have their questions answered about DOE testing, about their plans for the school and how the testing fits into the plans. She wants to share information about what the Administration is doing.
Mrs. Arai also reported that the Principal’s Coffee Hour took place on September 5, 2008. They talked about Achieve 3000 Software for reading comprehension. They need to figure out how to use the software so that parents can monitor their child’s progress. They also want to get the children involved in doing e-mail. Sixty two people signed up to attend the Achieve meeting on September 16. They are also scheduling a meeting on September 24 since more people are interested. She encouraged everyone to come and get trained. The next Principal’s Coffee Hour is scheduled to take place on October 16, 2008.
Primary School PSAT – Mrs. Arai will conduct the 25th and 26th sessions called “Eat A Rainbow.” She will talk about the PUP Program and how MES is moving forward on the nutrition part of wellness.
Principal Arai shared that she went to Florida to learn about model schools. “What is the relevant and relationship model to help a child move to quadrant “B?” Principal Arai was the only representative from MES. She felt it was a grueling but beneficial experience. She learned a lot and wants to share what she learned with us. She will talk about rigor relevance and learning criteria. The complex will carry it forward. What will be the requirements when our child graduates? Our children need to take algebra by the 8th grade. The high school sets the parameters for us. MES is in the forefront of education. Models School Program utilized K-12 through complex. We are already a high performing complex. We have great ideas but parents need to be knowledgeable. She will talk about model schools on October 16, 2008.
October 21, 2008 “How Does Your Child Measure Up” meeting from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Help us understand assessments and understand how our child is progressing. They want our child to be successful, have characteristics of a successful citizen. These are large tasks to accomplish. Principal Arai needs help with the School Community Council. They need to make critical decisions this year. Parents are essential.
Vice Principal Mann-Molay reported that all fifth and sixth graders choose a service project such as reading to kindergartners, first and second grade buddies, Peer Mediators, Chorus and Salsa. Salsa is a new dance offering. The Student Council and Video Newspaper Club will be starting up. They have had two sessions so far. They will have one project every quarter school wide which will help the kindergartners, first graders and second graders to learn to help others and feel good about it.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
L. Shimoda thanked the Hospitality Committee for providing dinner. She further reported that on October 15, 2008 the Fun Fair Committee will be collating flyers before and after the PTA meeting.
Principal Arai reported that there is a need to report back on who is the teacher representative and whose turn it is for the Keiki Corner. She also reported that the key access system is being utilized in the dining room and inquired if the PTA wants to use the key access for Monday meetings. With the key access system it is possible to open and close up the room on our own and to see if any “bugs” are noted that need to be corrected while the system is still new.
ADJOURNMENT: President Lori Shimoda adjourned the meeting at 7:08 p.m.
NEXT MEETING: The next PTA Board Meeting will be held on October 15, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Lei Fukumura
MES PTA Secretary