Parent Meeting Minutes 12/15/2022

OWNCS2 PTO General Meeting Minutes - December

Date, Time, and Location: Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 6:30PM Via Zoom

Meeting called to order by: President- Kathy Vergara at 6:35PM

Note Taker(s): Secretary- Esther Wallace

Timekeeper: President- Kathy Vergara

Attendees: President- Kathy Vergara, Secretary- Esther Wallace, Communications Officer-

Clorinda Rivera, Treasurer- Shaenne Toussaint-Islam; Teacher Representatives: Mr. McLean,

Ms. Hynes, Ms. Buonomo. There were 30 attendees; a quorum was reached.

ORDERS OF BUSINESS

I. School/PTO Updates

a. November Recap

 Gobble Grams

i. Thank you to all parents for your support of the PTO’s 2 nd annual

Gobble Grams

ii. All the kids and staff loved sending and receiving their treats and

seeing the turkey costume

iii. This year exceeded our profits from last year: Last year we made

$700 and this year we made $1,069 (not excluding the cost of

supplies)

 OWN2’s Friendship/Kindness Lunch was also a success and the students

really enjoyed themselves. Thank you to all parents for supporting and

volunteering as well

b. December Spirit Week

 Next week will be OWN2’s spirit week with a special theme every day from

Dec 19-23

 Please see December’s school calendar for specifics or reach out to Ms.

Valencia

c. PTO Winter Pictures

 Next Monday 12/19, the PTO will set up a winter back drop and take fun

pictures of the students, classes and teachers to coincide with Ugly Sweater

day for spirit week

 Pictures will be taken and printed out by the PTO and given to the classroom

teachers so they can decorate their classrooms. Pictures may also be given

to some students to take home depending on time and supplies. However,

pictures can also be expected on Class Dojo for parent’s viewing

 Any parents who are available on 12/19/22 around 10/11am and would like to

assist the PTO with setting up the backdrop and taking pictures, please email

the PTO with your time availabilities

d. Winterfest

 The school will be holding their Winterfest on Tuesday Dec 20 th . Details were

sent out to parents via email

 All parents who wish to attend Winterfest in person should complete the

online Google Form ASAP as in person seats are limited and given on a first

come, first serve basis. The school is also working to have the Winterfest live

streamed for parents who are unable to be there in person

 For any questions or comments, please reach out to Ms. Valencia or Ms. M

e. School Pictures

 All school pictures should have been distributed to students at this time

 Picture Retake day is scheduled for 1/13/23

 Parents who are interested in re-taking school pictures must complete the

Google form that was emailed and return ALL previous picture as soon as

possible.

 Parents can also choose to pay for an additional photo package by

completing the form and sending in the required payment

 For more information on school photos, please contact Ms. Valencia and Ms.

Wallace

 Parents inquired about having the option to view all their child’s pictures and

picking which one they preferred prior to receiving the printed photos. This

“proof system” is an option for next year’s school photos. It would require

online ordering and would be slightly more expensive than this year’s photos

f. T-Shirts

 The school has commenced it’s in person school trips for the students this

year. Many grades have already been on several trips and there are more

trips coming up

 Although some classes have found ways to identify their students while

outside of the school building, school t-shirts are a great, highly visible option

for students to wear on their class trips as well as on other outings

 PTO still have Adult and Youth sized t-shirts available for $18 each

 Feel free to email the PTO or place your order at the PTO’s Wednesday

snack table during dismissal

II. School News

a. Ms. Buonomo – Special Education Coordinator

 Ms. Buonomo provided an introduction to SPED & ENL informational session

 This program provides a multi-tiered support system and data driven

instruction which includes student intervention and team oversight

i. Tier 1: Students who understand the information but my struggle and

bit and experience frustration

ii. Tier 2: Patient are offered additional support for about 4-6 weeks and

then evaluated for growth and improvement

iii. Tier 3: Besides receiving Tier 1 & 2 services, students are given an

additional ½ hour of 1:1 support. Staff hone in on the rate of progress

 Challenges

i. Learning gaps – as a result of the pandemic

ii. Poor student attendance

iii. Staffing issues at the OWN school sites

 On the Horizon

i. Parent workshops

ii. Monthly assemblies

iii. Please address all questions and comments to Ms. Heather

Buonomo

b. School Admissions – Mr. McLean (718-902-6436)

 There are 90 open seats from grades K-5

 The school admissions department is actively recruiting new enrollees

 Current parents can help spread the word to those in the community

 Contact Mr. McLean for flyers, give-a-ways and information on the

admissions lottery

c. NY Test Scores

 OWN2 is diligently working with students to bring up the NYS test scores

 As per Ms. Hynes- teachers will receive the tools to work with their students

to prepare for the state tests. Teachers and parents will receive several test

taking strategies that can also help relieve test taking anxiety

 Parents are encouraged to enroll their children in Sylvan tutoring program

afterschool. For further information on Sylvan please contact Ms. Valencia

 The current afterschool program will also assist with providing test prep

strategies to those students currently enrolled

 Test prep for upper grade students will begin after they return from break.

Parents should feel free to contact their classroom teachers for more details

III. Reminders

a. Holiday Break will be from Mon Dec 26 th – Mon Jan 2 nd – school will be closed

b. Picture Retake Day- will be held on Jan 13 th , information and order forms were sent

out via email

c. Traffic and Congestion – Please remember to be courteous when picking up and

dropping off your child. Do not double and triple park in front of the school building as

this creates an unsafe environment for our students and families

d. School Calendar – Remember to continue checking the school website regularly for

any changes to the school calendar related to Half Days or Holidays

CLOSING

Next meeting is Thursday, January 19th at 6:30PM

Meeting adjourned at 7:27PM

Minutes approved by President, Kathy Vergara

PTO Email: pto_own2@owncs.org