Wednesday, October 23, 2013

October CCPTA meeting notes

CCPTA meeting at Patrick Henry Elementary School. 21October2013

Into by Ted, then a quick tour around the School with Hector Ruiz, the PTA president of this school.

Good evening from Ted;
There are index cards on table so people have the ability to anonymously ask questions.

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In attendance were;

Gunston, Ashlawn, Carlin Springs, Patrick Henry, Hoffman Boston, Williamsburg, Barcroft, Kenmore, Barrett,  Claremont, Long Branch, Nottingham, McKinley, Tuckahoe, Jamestown, Washington & Lee, Abington, Jefferson, Randolph, Special Ed PTA of Arlington, Yorktown, and Science Focus

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Special Ed information night at Key on the 24th of October at  7pm (doors open at 6:30)

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(School Board) thank you for coming tonight,
Next phase of more seats for more students. CIP (capital improvement plan) over next ten years, there was talk of perhaps a fourth high school, reality is there are no funds or space to create another comprehensive high school in the county.
How to meet growing capacity? Wakefield is 350 seats below capacity. They are not looking at shifting High School boundaries, Wakefield will hit capacity on its own.  Elementary School #2 will probably be scrapped as the school board is looking at the most acute need, it appears that next acute need is going to be at the middle school level. 1000 more students enrolled at APS this year than last.
QQ Arlington Mill space
QQ HB capacity
QQ CIP process
QQ Rumors for National Guard readiness center and the space available there.
Public Facilities review commission is looking at the plans around the new schools. Permission to get use permit from county as APS tries to get approval to build schools. County is asking APS to pay the same way that they ask developers to pay for community improvements. We are entering budget season. Fairfax County School Announced that they are dropping their FLES program.
Multimodal transportation, moving beyond buses and getting minds wrapped around budget requirements.
QQ county has biggest budget cash bubble ever (32M.) There was a following discussion around budget and how to perhaps approach County Board members to communicate the priorities.
This year there will be a BIG conversation around FLES.

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Kristin Haldeman, chair of Multi Modal Student Safety & Transportation Committee.
Committee members would like to go to PTA meetings to take pulse of community to see what issues are out there. They would like to have a liaison from each school if possible. They are trying to create an integrated transportation system for students and staff. Also trying to relieve congestion around schools in pick up and drop off. Wants help getting Kyle’s survey spread broad and wide to see that the people that have the least ability to communicate have their needs met.
QQ how many schools have liaisons currently?
QQ are you considering special ed transport needs? Talked in a circle and answerd overall system improvement is their goal
QQ how to contact-  mmtsssc@yahoo.com
Parent survey is now to November 1st
She is eager to go to PTA meetings and communicate with everyone.

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Betty Hobbs, http://www.apsva.us/Page/24 here representing Pat Murphy

Info-graphic about graduation rates. 97.5% graduation rate!!!
Enrollment update, projection was within 2% of actual.
Safe routes to school, walking school bus initiative.
Walk and Bike to school day. Wrapping in instruction in every way they could,

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Kyle Lukacs (APS Transportation)

APS GO! Transportation Management Plan. Long term transportation plan, smart routes and smart choice. Access Assessment. Student surveys, staff surveys, parent surveys. 30 questions, takes about ten minutes. Goal is to find barriers to public transport, biking and walking.  How can they encourage people to travel in a different way? The more information they have the better they will be able to plan for the future.

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Marcia Jackson (Student Services) and Gladis Bourduoane (School and Community Relations)

Aspire2Excellence building a path to college and career
There is awareness that there is an abundance of information and it is hard to find resources. They are now creating an academic planning map that consolidates a path. They survey seniors every year to find out what they wish they had learned earlier. Here is the map with hyperlinks:

66% of APS kids are taking advanced diploma path. APS wants to have everyone at least aware of the advanced path.

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Summer reading program, summer mail box books.
Traveling trolley pre-k through grade 2 to keep kids engaged in reading through the summer.
Abington has a read and roll bus. Loaded with 1500 books that kids can check out. Books were matched to students reading level and interest.
Schools libraries were open at various times through the summer to keep kids reading.
To maintain momentum they have a camping out, reading in program.
Look to engage families  and give kids choices that are tailored to kids reading/ learning level.  
QQ how does that effect RIF and our loss of that program? Many RIF program schools are cut back. Summer initiative is primarily targeted to title one schools.
QQ funding is always an issue. Is APS taking advantage of corporate sponsorship? If you have contacts, let them know.
QQ middle school also has lost RIF funding, how are they being helped? Strong collaboration to secondary schools, and attempt to encourage middle schools.
QQ are you just for title 1? Is trying to grow all current programs to go further and into higher grades, did not say how.
QQ approximate cost of the trolly? Cost of trolley was rolled into cost of books and everything else, no immediate answer. 
PTA’s want to know how much they would have to raise to get their own trolley?

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Questions to APS reps:

QQ how can Barcroft get an academic planning session? Send an email
QQ what is the real number around on time graduation (not asked by me)

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Chris Didden, Tech advisory committee – 
is meeting with county tech advisory committee
Joint school and county rec facilities
Tech pilot happening in every school this year. Chrome books, Ipads and laptops. Every school has been asked to participate. 1 to 1 technology ratio is going to happen. Which devices, what security, who owns, who charges, who is aware of radiation and safety around it?

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Ted Hayes:

 is talking to people from different schools, wants to make sure the CCPTA is doing what it can for everyone.  If you have a suggestion, he wants to know about it.
Currently there is a Draft APS policy on gifts to teachers is out and will be published. Also a Draft policy on Enrichment is also floating around and will be published soon.

Reflections chair is mswisher23@gmail.com assistance is still needed for awards ceremony on the 15th of January.

Next month CCPTA meeting is November 18th at the ed center. There will be a PTA president pre session.





  If we don't change the direction we are headed, we will end up where we are going.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Location of CCPTA meeting October 21st

Next Monday evening, October 21, 2013, there will be a CCPTA meeting at 7pm and a pre-meeting at 6pm, both at PATRICK HENRY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.  Thanks to Kelly Maguire and Hector Ruiz for hosting us!

Here is a set of directions to the school:

The address to the school is 701 S. Highland.  This directs you to the side entrance.  The main entrance, and the one people should use, is via the parking lot that sits between the school and the Arlington Career Center.  It is where the flagpole is located.  The front doors will be unlocked at about 5:45.   We are going to be in the library.  We have some signs we will hang to direct people to the library. Once you enter the school, take a left, then the first right and it's about half-way down the hall on the left.

More about this during the week, but make sure that you go to PATRICK HENRY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL next Monday.  If you go to the Ed Center, you'll be lonely!

Monday, October 14, 2013

PTA TIPS
Volume 1: Communication Tools
September, 2013

 


Every PTA should have a communications plan that they have coordinated with their school’s principal and main office.  Here are some of the tools that APS makes available for school and PTA use.

§  APS School Talk – The APS communications office and school principals may send out email messages to their school communities using APS school talk.  Principals can include important PTA dates and events in the messages they send out.  Parents are automatically enrolled in APS School Talk when they complete the first day information packet.

§  Web Sites – Most of the PTA organizations have web sites that use the APS web tools, or link to an external page from their school’s main site.  If you have questions about how to use the tool, contact your school’s Principal or Webmaster.

§  BackPack Mail – Keeping in mind that not all your families have access to high-speed internet, sending information home in weekly or monthly backpack mail works well for elementary and some middle schools.  There is a school board policy governing what may be sent in backpack mail, and outside organizations must receive approval to send items in backpack mail from the APS Communications Office.

§  Robo-Calls – Schools and PTAs (through the school office) have the ability to send automatic calls to their school communities. Note that the messages will be sent to EVERY phone number a parent has registered with APS, so use these messages judiciously, and coordinate them with the Principal.  To establish a robo-call message, contact your school’s main office.  If they aren’t sure how to do it, contact the APS Communications Office 703-228-6005.

§  Translation Equipment – APS has 5 sets of translation equipment with 24 receivers each that may be used free of charge.  The equipment is designed to be used by someone translating a meeting simultaneously, and must be checked out and in at the Communications office in the APS Education Center. Equipment may be reserved by calling Claudia Mercado at (703) 228-6005.

§  PTA Listservs – Many PTAs have established listservs for their school communities, and many use common free tools like yahoo or google groups to administer them.  Most allow individual families to sign themselves up for these groups, and it is good practice to have assigned PTA members to monitor the messages posted.

§  CCPTA Listserv – Join the CCPTA listserv to receive announcements of important events and CCPTA-sponsored meetings and information sessions.  Each school is invited to send representatives to the CCPTA, and all parents are welcomed to attend the meetings. 

To join the CCPTA Listserv, go to http://arlingtonccpta.blogspot.com/, click on the MEETING DETAILS tab and click on the link to join the CCPTA Yahoo Group.