Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake PTA Council

March 19, 2007

Call to Order: Peter Merchant called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.

Present: Karen Smith, Lori Moore, Lauren Roecker, Darcy Baumbach, Kathy Lynch, Elizabeth Herkenham, Jim Schultz, Peter Merchant, Lynnette Ziskin.

President’s Report: Peter Merchant.

~Peter welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending the meeting.

~The minutes of the last Council meeting on January 22, 2007 were approved and accepted.

~Peter distributed a copy of the Council’s bylaws to all members present at the Council meeting. 

~Peter addressed the formation of a nominating committee.  Ann Slocum and Lauren Roecker volunteered to serve on the committee; one more member is needed.  The committee must fill the 2 board positions: Darcy Baumbach is retiring as treasurer, and Liz Gallagher has expressed a desire to retire as co-2^nd -vice president. Lauren was asked to confirm Liz Gallager’s decision, since Liz was not in attendance. 

~The second page of Peter’s meeting agenda included information about NYS PTA Virtual Lobby Day on March 22, 2007.  The state is focusing on two important issues:

1. The funding and accountability of charter schools.

2. Support for the Governor’s proposed budget.

Additionally, there is much concern over “cyber safety”.  In the near future, the Governor is expected to sign a bill into law which will close a loophole in an existing law.  The new law clarifies “that the law makes no distinction between words and images with respect to the crime of disseminating indecent material to minors.”  While this is significant progress in the protection of our children, the NYS PTA is asking for more.  Please support this important issue; send our Legislators an e-mail stating:

Dear (Senator/Assemblyman),

I am writing to express my concern about cyber safety. 

Thank you for your support of s748/a22012 protecting children from sexually graphic communication. 

I strongly urge you to create, support, and enact additional legislation to protect children from sexual predation, bullying, and ID theft on the internet, and to encourage the education of parents and children of these dangers. 

Signed:___________________

Listed below are the e-mail addresses of our local legislators:

NYS Assembly:

District 138 Francine DelMonte            Delmont@assembly.state.ny.us

District 139 Stephen Hawley                 hawleys@assembly.state.ny.us

District 140 Robin Schimminger            schimmr@assembly.state.ny.us

District 142 Mike Cole             colem@assembly.state.ny.us

144 Sam Hoyt                                      hoyts@assembly.state.ny.us

District 148 Jim Hayes              hayesj@assembly.state.ny.us

NYS Senate:

District 60 Antoine Thompson   athompso@senate.state.ny.us

61 Marylou Rath                                  rath@senate.state.ny.us

62 George Maziarz                               maziarz@senate.state.ny.us

The Albany State Senator is Neil Breslin, 414 Capitol. Albany, NY 12247; phone # 455-2225

The Assemblyman is Jack McEneny, 648 LOB, Albany, NY 12248; phone # 455-4178; e-mail mcenenj@assembly.state.ny.us.

Or, contact the Governor at: www.ny.gov/governor/contact. 

Secretary’s Report: Lynnette Ziskin

~Lynnette mentioned that an amendment must be made to the November 20 minutes: Elizabeth Herkenham’s name was inadvertently omitted from the attendance roster; the minutes have been corrected.

Treasurer’s Report: Darcy Baumbach.

~Treasurer’s report presented for everyone to view.

~The Founders Day event occurred within the realm of its budget and concluded in the black.

School Board Liaison’s Report: Elizabeth Herkenham.

~Elizabeth extended her thanks to BH-BL residents who voted on March 1 in favor of the referendum to approve 2 propositions which included the approval of state EXCEL aid to renovate our schools and the approval to purchase property at 3 Lakehill Road.  

~The Board of Education is currently in the process of developing the 2007-2008 budget.  Please check the website www.bhbl.org , Board of Ed link, for budget information and the planning calendar.  The public is welcome to attend the upcoming BOE finance committee meeting tomorrow (March 20) for their input and to learn about the budget development.  Finance meetings are slotted for the Board to discuss the issues at hand and therefore the public is respectfully asked to refrain from discussion.  (Public forums are the opportunity for public input, which were held on February 15 and March 14.) 

~Elizabeth and Superintendent Jim Schultz distributed papers containing information regarding the Budget Forums.  The cover sheet included a budget development calendar from the March 14 forum which was attended by over 40 BH-BL residents.  Together, Jim and Elizabeth engaged the Council in dialogue concerning the other topics in the information packet including:

            -creation of the school budget

            -where the revenue comes from

            -a preliminary budget

            -how Governor Spitzer’s aid proposal might impact BH-BL

            -Jim Schultz’s recommended budget as of March 6, and which costs have changed the most from the current year

            -BH-BL long range planning efforts

            -fund balance, and the recommended budget with a higher fund balance

            -what a 2007-2008 contingent budget would look like

            -how the 2007-2008 would support our district’s values

            -information still needed to complete the 2007-2008 budget includes: community

input, kindergarten registration enrollment, high school course selections, and state aid figures in the completed NY state budget

            -lobbying efforts continue through mid-April; refinement of all expenditures and revenue numbers

~March 20 – Finance Committee meeting at 7:00 p.m. at BH-BL high school to further      re-work the budget.

~April 17 – Board votes on budget.

~May 15 – Public votes on budget.

~Elizabeth recommended that all residents sign up on the BH-BL website for the School News Notifier.  The School News Notifier (SNN) is an optional e-mail alert system where parents and others can sign up to receive e-mail alerts from the district. Administrators have the ability to send updates and reminders about school and Board of Education activities, or information about emergency school closings and delays. You can choose to receive any or all of the alerts, and you can unsubscribe at any time.  The district is currently offering 3 notifications:

1. Emergency school closings and delays.

2. Board of Education budget development announcement.

3. Change in sex offender residency.

~Nancy Della Pia and Christy Multer have drafted a legislative paper containing four legislative priorities in the 2007-2008 state budget:

1. Foundation aid – use the Governor’s Foundation Aid proposal of at least a 3% increase as the starting point for all school districts.

2. BOCES support – Maintain support for the full range of BOCES services and aid reimbursements.

3. Special Education – continue support for expense-driven aids such as special education placements and BOCES programs.

4. Wicks Law – Repeal or reform the Wicks Law, which adds 15-20% to the cost of any school renovation or construction project costing $50,000 or more (Governor Spitzer’s proposal would increase this to projects costing $1,000,000 or more.)

Please sign the prepared letter and mail it to our state leaders, listed on the second page attached to the letter. 

Superintendent’s Report: Jim Schultz.

~Mr. Schultz brought to our attention the Budget Input Form from the March 14 Community Forum.  Jim asked that we please take the time to complete the Budget Input form and return it to the district office.

~Jim proceeded to provide an overview of the budget, explaining it’s a long process that began in January.  He also provided a handout regarding measures the BH-BL school district has taken to cut costs and increase efficiency. 

Teacher Representative’s Report: Andy Haluska.

Andy was unable to attend the meeting; however, he provided the following report for the minutes:

~The Teacher’s Association has been working with Administration to develop guidelines for APPR’s and Portfolio requirements for both tenured and untenured teachers.  This will be the means by which teaching staff is evaluated. 

~Andy is currently co-chairing a committee that is looking at elementary report cards.  The movement is toward a computerized report card.  There are parent members on the committee who will be seeking input from the community.  The committee will be sharing initial drafts of report cards at an upcoming meeting.

~The Shared Decision Making Committee will be meeting again to examine the Shared Decision Making process that was put together by this committee last year.  Changes will be made as necessary.

~The Teacher’s Association will be meeting with the Board of Education to have a professional conversation about the culture in the district and the shared decision making process. 

Committee Reports:

Eileen Briggs Award: Ann Slocum.

The Eileen Briggs Award informative letter and nomination form will be distributed next week (the week of March 26).  The closing date for the nomination forms is at the end of April.

Arts & Enrichment: Lauren Roecker.  

~The annual Arts & Enrichment Showcase of artist educators will be held May 3, 2007 at Abram Lansing Elementary School and Cohoes Middle School. 

~The Community Follies were held on February 9 & 10 at BH-BL High School.  The Follies had another successful year although attendance was down, probably due to a lack of large group acts.  The Follies netted $4,500. 

~The O’Rourke Middle School hosted three Living Voices presentations:

            -March 1: “York” for 8^th graders.

            -March 2: “Jackie Robinson” for 6^th graders.

            -March 7: “The Depression” for 7^th graders.

~On March 29, the Spanish 8 students plan to travel to Mechanicville High School for an appearance by singer Justo Lamas.

~ Charlton Heights hosted Chris Holder in February.  The residency was great despite the snow days.

~Tom McCabe, renowned storyteller, will visit on March 29 for 1^st grade students.

~A science performance by Dr. Quinton Quark is planned for all Charlton Heights students (K-5) on April 5. 

~On May 5, a residency is scheduled for Motoko, a Japanese storyteller for 3^rd grade students.

~Ellen Sinopoli performed at Stevens on March 14; workshops for 4^th grade students at Stevens and Charlton Heights and 5^th grade students at Pashley are forthcoming.  The elementary school’s Arts & Enrichment chairs are hoping to make this program an annual event. 

~Stevens Elementary will host author/illustrator Steven Kellogg (children’s picture books) on April 23 for grades K – 3.  A full day presentation includes a book sale and signing. 

~Pashley Elementary will host “Kit’s Kaboodle” in April.  She will present a story about Immigration.

~Author Robin Brinkman is scheduled for a presentation at Pashley for 1^st grade students in May. 

After-school Enrichment Clubs: Karen Smith.

~The Elementary After-school Enrichment Clubs recently concluded.  There were many high school students that volunteered to assist.

~Pashley Elementary is seeking a chairperson for clubs for 2007-08.

~The After-school Enrichment Clubs are experimenting with a pilot program at the middle school for 3 weeks during the month of March.  A Comic Strip Club is being taught by Sue Roellke Long.  Club registration was completed on the BH-BL website.  Thanks to Don Germain and Nancy Harrigan for their assistance in the on-line registration process. 

~Karen is working towards providing After-school Enrichment Clubs for the middle school again in October ‘07, January ‘08, and March ‘08. 

Theatre for Children: Kathy Lynch. 

~This year’s Theatre for Children presentation will be The Pied Piper.

~The shows will be on March 30 at 7:00 p.m. and March 31 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

~Tickets are on sale now for $5.00 at Mail ‘n More.

~The production is short and great for a young audience; it contains a lot of music and includes a large amount of audience participation.

~Previews for the 3 elementary schools will be this Friday, March 23.

~Advertisement flyers were distributed to area nursery schools and information is posted on the BH-BL website.

~The BH-BL Theatre for Children is looking for new volunteers.

Odyssey of the Mind: Jean Smith:  No report. 

Council Delegate Reports:

High School PTA Council Rep: Carol Nason.

~Yellow card system:  the high school is in the process of implementing the yellow card system.  Teachers who have concerns about the academic performance of a student make an academic referral to the office.  The administrators check to see if the student is an athlete.  If so, a yellow card is issued to the student, who shows it to the coach.  The administration also communicates the yellow card info to the coach.  The coach then requires that the student get assistance and show the coach that they are taking steps to improve the situation in the subject of difficulty.  Many details need to be worked out still.  At this point it is not an eligibility system – but an expectation that the student get academic help. This system will eventually be in place for all extra curricular activities (music, plays, etc.)

~High School PTA has voted to send all future newsletters electronically, which will result in about $1300 savings per year.  Parents will be notified by post card and can opt to receive a hard copy of the newsletter.  Copies will be available at the high school office and at the guidance dept.

~Follies attendance was down - impacting the already low high school PTA budget.  Peter Farrell is talking about raising the price of admissions from $4.00 to $5.00.  Pete also feels the decline of the large groups has resulted in lower attendance.  He would like to encourage the music and classroom teachers to consider creating large group acts for the show in the future.

~The Prom After-Glow – the high school will be requesting financial support from each of the other four Burnt Hills schools.  In the past all the schools have made a donation to this event. 

~The high school is sponsoring four events for Wellness Wednesdays.  They will be held from 2:30 – 3:15 on four different Wednesdays that focus on wellness; the first one drew over 50 students

~March 20th: sophomores will be going to a Career Expo.

O’Rourke Middle School PTA Council Rep: Lori Moore.

~Monopoly is scheduled for April 27 & 28.

~The recent production of Peter Pan, by the Drama Club, was very successful.

~Two Odyssey of the Mind teams advanced to state level competition. 

~The Nominating Committee is currently searching for a Vice-president, Secretary, and a chairperson for Monopoly.

~A buy one, get one free book fair will be held on April 3 & 4.

~The After-school Enrichment Clubs are currently running a pilot program for 3 weeks in March.  

Charlton Heights PTA Council Rep: Karen Smith.

~A buy one, get on free book fair is scheduled for March 30.

~The Career Awareness Jamboree will be held on April 4 & 5.  Students will view three presenters of their career choices.

~The next PTA meeting has been rescheduled for April 2.

~Charlton Heights did not have an Odyssey of the Mind team this year.  The budgeted money for the OM program this year was donated to the middle school teams that advanced to the state level competition.

~The Playground fund continues to grow and currently contains $73,000 of the $90,000 needed. 

~A meeting to organize volunteers will be held on March 20.  A flyer was sent home with all high school and middle school students via 5 week report cards.

~The Charlton Heights Playground Committee is sponsoring a family bus trip to Boston on Saturday May 12.  The bus will leave Charlton Heights Elementary School at 7:00 a.m. and will depart Boston at 6:00 p.m. that evening.  The cost for the trip is $40 per person.  The trip is open to the public.  For more information, call Karen.  All proceeds will benefit the playground fund. 

~A walk-a-thon is still being planned in May.  Last year’s walk-a-thon raised $10,000.

~The Playground Committee is looking for corporate sponsorship.

~The new playground will take five days to build, starting on June 13. 

Pashley PTA Council Rep: Paula VanBuren:  No report.

Stevens PTA Council Rep: Jackie Ballinger:  No report.

1^st Vice-president: Erin Pezzulo:  No report.

Co-2nd Vice-presidents: Liz Gallagher and Paula VanBuren:  No report.

Unfinished Business: None

New Business: None

Meeting Adjourned: 8:30 p.m.

The next PTA Council meeting will be held on Tuesday May 15, 2007 (the meeting coincides with the BH-BL budget vote) in the Principal’s Conference Room at the High School.