OWNCS2 PTO General Meeting Minutes – December
Date, Time, and Location: Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 6:30PM Via Zoom
Meeting called to order by: President- Kathy Vergara at 6:40PM
Note Taker(s): Secretary- Esther Wallace
Timekeeper: Treasurer- Shaenne Toussaint-Islam
Attendees: President- Kathy Vergara, VP- Xaulanda Lewis, Co-communications Officers-
Dakina Darrien-Battle & Clorinda Rivera, Secretary- Esther Wallace, Treasurer- Shaenne
Toussaint-Islam; There were 19 attendees; a quorum was reached.
ORDERS OF BUSINESS
I. Events
a. December Events Recap
OWN2 Winterfest
o Event went very well
o Staff and students arranged a beautiful performance
o Thank you to all parents who were able to attend and support the
school event
o Any parents who were not able to attend and would like to see videos
or pictures of the event can email the PTO
21 st Century- Alvin Ailey Performance
o 21st Century afterschool performance went well
o Thank you to our Alvin Ailey dance instructors
o Thank you to all parents who were able to attend and support the
students performance
o Any parents who could not attend and would like to see videos or
pictures of the event can email the PTO
Paint and Chat- Postponed until Jan 31st
o The first annual Parent Paint and Chat was scheduled for Dec 20 th
o The event was postponed due to low tickets sales. We did not reach
the minimum number of participants to hold the event
Winter Spirit Week
o This week OWN2 has Winter Spirit Week
o Tomorrow is the last day and is festive pajama day
o Parents please send in pictures of your child’s outfits during spirit
week to the PTO’s email in order to be featured in our collage.
b. Upcoming PTO Events
Paint and Chat Mixer
o PTO will host it’s first Parent Mixer on Wednesday January 31 st
o The event will be a Paint and Chat with a guided art project
o The event will be held in the multipurpose room during the hours of
3:45p-5:30p
o Light snacks and refreshments will be served and included in the
ticket price
o Children of participating parents will enter for free and be given an
activity or can complete homework in a separate classroom
o Tickets will be $20/parent and that includes snacks and all painting
supplies
o Please join us for an opportunity to meet the other parents, your
classroom parent as well as the PTO
Toy Drive
o PTO will start a toy drive so that students can have games to play on
days when there is indoor recess
o Board games, crafts and group games for various ages are welcomed
o Please avoid individual games, playdoh and water beads
o A big box will likely be placed in the lobby so parents can drop games
off
o Admissions office already donated some games but multiple games
are always welcomed as they will be distributed to all classes
o Toy collections will start in January
“Take One, Leave One” Bookshelf
o PTO will be speaking with administration to arrange a bookshelf in the
lobby
o Parents can bring in their child’s gently used books and take other
books home
o Shelves will likely be arranged by grade level to make dropping off
and picking up books easier
c. Amazon Wish List
Most teachers have submitted a list of items needed for their classroom
The amazon links for each classroom/teacher has been posted on Bloomz for
all parents to access
Some parents have already viewed and purchased several items. Thank you
to all parents for supporting their classroom teachers
The Amazon wish list will be continuously updated throughout the school year
so parents can feel free to keep checking back
Purchased items will be mailed directly to the teacher’s classrooms at OWN2
A separate wish list will be made for the Specials teachers (art, music,
science, Spanish, STEAM)
If you are unable to access the Amazon links on Bloomz, please email the
PTO and we will send you the link for your child’s class
If you have questions about items on the Amazon wish list, please reach out
to that class teacher
d. PTO Financial Update
Thank you to all who have donated to the PTO, participated in events and
volunteered
For the month of December, PTO made $0. This is due partly due to past
inclement weather and the lack of volunteers to assist with the Wednesday
sales table this month
PTO gave $500 to Mr. Polacio and the art department from the funds that
was brought in from last year’s art gallery
An additional $500 has been set aside to go to the special teachers. This
works out to be $100 per special which can be used for their in school
activities (i.e. International Day, Winterfest, Field Day, etc)
The PTO account currently has a balance of $3,280 (this includes the $1500
that needs to remain in the account to prevent the implementation of account
charges)
II. Updates
a. Parents Comments and Questions
Parents have asked about arranging indoor pick up since the weather is
becoming colder. PTO will discuss with the principal the school’s ability to
implement indoor pick up during winter months.
Graduation Committee- PTO is unaware who is on the graduation committee
this year. PTO will follow up with school administration regarding when the
school will start graduation planning and inform parents
Crossing Guard- OWN2 is still actively trying to obtain a crossing guard for
the school. Parents can assist by also inquiring with the local precinct and
having conversations with any connections they may have with the police
department
b. Upcoming Events
PTO is currently planning January/February events. All event ideas are
welcomed from parents. Please email ideas to the PTO with enough
advanced notice
All planned events that happen at the school needs to be discussed and
approved by school administration
PTO always tries to arrange events that can be inclusive to all families at the
school regardless of religion, cultures and backgrounds
III. Reminders
a. Nut Free School – Please remember not to send your child to school with any nut
products. There are several children in the school with severe nut allergies. OWN2 is
a Nut Free building.
b. 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
c. School Calendar – Remember to continue checking the school website regularly for
any changes to the school calendar related to Half Days or Holidays
d. Important Dates in November:
Dec 25 th – Jan 2 nd – School closed for Winter Break
Jan 15 th – School closed for MLK Day
Jan 24 th – Half Day
CLOSING
Next meeting is Thursday, January 18 th at 6:30PM
Meeting adjourned at 7:15PM
Minutes approved by President, Kathy Vergara
PTO Email: pto_own2@owncs.org
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