Charter Council Meeting

Chesnut Parent Teacher Council Minutes Called to order 7:04am Sept. 16, 2014 (prepared by Lee Ann Brunson)

Members In Attendance: Devin Ramo, Patricia Neal, Veronica Williams, Lori Hummel, Denise Daisy, Terry Huitt-Green, Terri Young, Julie Borenstein, Lauren O’Brien, Toni Hunter, Michelle Quintans, Long Tran, Angela Renals

Visitors in Attendance: Kelly Hixon

August meeting minutes: approved

Principal’s Report  Infinite Camps (IC) problems with progress report cards delayed a day  Enrollment is increasing  Afterschool Care funds support school (supports Robotics and bought 12 iPads) It has grown and been reorganized. Please put in a positive plug for ASP. They will be offering tennis too.  Sidewalk/crosswalk concerns still on the table. Have been monitoring, but really need 3 crossing guards and have not had 3 but a few times. Still working on how to proceed with this safety plan

Action Team Summaries

Curriculum:  first meeting discussed new incentives- My Math and Georgia Milestones  Teachers – Lego training for STEM (3 sessions for all certified teachers) Lego activities foster scientific reasoning, construction, exploration skills  Need more parents on this AT  K will incorporate STEM with activities in the garden

Chesnut Community  Picture Day  Pastries for Parents – Big turn out Communications/PR  Be specific as to who you email. (ex. [email protected] for e- blasts)  Will update website to list all emails.  Be careful not to make e-blast blurbs too long

Facilities  Discussing taking down Kaboom art work on the fence. (Old, falling off) and updating planters out front

Finance/Fundraising  First corporate sponsor, Kaplan Orthodontics  Worked out check request process – submit check requests by Friday. They will be processed the following week and returned.  Now using Quicken  Hold off on spending discretionary funds. Chair must sign off on these.  Budgeted funds to not have to be signed off on by the chairperson

Wellness:  16 teachers signed up for Adventure to Fitness  Fire Up Your Feet Oct. only. Highest participation earns money for school  Putting up graphics in restroom for hand washing  New graphics in lunchroom to illustrate lunch choices  Developing garden lessons – paired with science on all grades  Already do health lessons during PE  UGA graduate meeting with Ecology Club  Trying to get plastics recycled as well as paper and juice pouches

Votes in this Meeting: 0

Email Votes prior to this Meeting: 0

Standing Business:  Make corporate sponsors aware of specific STEM needs. Put corp. sponsors info in a blast. Lots of small businesses already tapped out for the year. Need to plan to get to them early in the 2015 year (not school year).  Feedback is that leveled fundraising tiers are too high.  Kelly Hixon 2 pep rallies planned for Chesnut Challenge. All is ready to go. Challenge is using a fundraising site and there is a small fee per transaction by Paypal. Make sure parents are aware of this. Checks are also acceptable – made to F.O.C  Farm Burger Spirit Night – promote Challenge there New Business:

 Need parents to be on the steering committee. Must be passionate/eager and knowledgeable. It is quite an undertaking with lots of bureaucracy. Melissa Marion-Landais is stepping down. We have applied for a 1 year extension for 2015-16. It will be submitted in Oct.  Denise Daisy attended the DeKalb Cluster meeting where the county charter status was discussed. This is very complicated with a lot of unknowns. County wants input on how the petition should look for a Charter School System. Looking to Fulton Co to try and immolate.  Lots of details to iron out. Oct. 8 is next mtg where DeKalb Co. presents petition to become a charter district.

Next Meeting: Oct. 21, 2014 3:00pm Media Center Adjourned 8:00am Meeting Adjourned Devin Ramo, Chair

Minutes attached below

PTC Wellness Team Meeting Minutes, September 9, 2014 Attendees: Angela Renals, Christen Ramo, Kelly Shea-Miller, Meaghan Rohletter

Upcoming Events Wed.,Sept. 10 - Wellness Team to present Brain Breaks and Fire Up Your Feet at Faculty Meeting Wed., Sept. 24 - Farm to School Lunch - Apples October - Fire Up Your Feet Challenge (see below for details)

2. Program Updates A. Increased Movement - Laura McEwen, Denise Daisy, Kelly Shea-Miller, Ann Laffoon, Lonny Dykema, Christen Ramo, Meaghan Rohletter

Brain Breaks - Adventuretofitness.com is working; Angela Renals to demo at faculty meeting - ties standards to movement for indoor recess or brain breaks. Fire Up Your Feet - Kelly Shea-Miller met with Principal Williams and Coach Dykema to establish tracking process. Have five parent volunteers to collect and log weekly tracking sheets during month of October (Fire Up Your Feet Challenge, which could win us award money). Purpose is to increase awareness about how much movement our kids and we are getting on a daily basis. K-2 parents will have simple check-off form to report their physical activity; 3-5 graders will fill in their own forms. Coach will train the older kids on the form, and any adults (parents, staff, faculty, etc.) can set up an online account for themselves. Walk to School - Best participation ever - 54% walked to school in September. Christen Ramo to seek out donated incentives to raffle off to future walkers, planning a big push in the month of March, with weekly prizes. Running Club - Off and running! Parent meeting for 3-5 graders. If a parent volunteers to organize lower grades, there is a teacher sponsor available.

B. Nutrition - Zoe Franciscus, Jo Chin, Lisa Roebuck, Stacy Martin, Susana Tanyi

Healthy Cafeteria Choices - Zoe Franciscus, Ms. Martin and Ms. Tanyi are working on implementing the new Fuel Up to Play 60 changes: 1. New A La Carte Snacks: Wellness Team will send details about snack choice and prices when the station is established. Snacks will be available from 7:05 to 12:30 every day. Ms. Martin has ordered the new display, but is waiting for an approved additional part-time cashier to handle these purchases before launching. 2. Sectioning Whole Fruits: Fuel Up to Play 60 grant funds paid for a new tomato slicer and lemon solution/spritzer bottles. Ms. Martin reports that they have begun using these to section whole fruits and spray to prevent oxidation. 3. Lunch and Handwashing Orientation: Wellness Team will submit presentation to Principal Williams and schedule 5 minutes in each classroom to review proper handwashing technique and lunch-line choices with kids.

C. Healthy School Environment - Jessica Falk-Spencer, Tamika Pichardo, Mark Chicoine, Kristin Dabney, Ginna Hobgood, Betty Sule, Leah Little, Angela Renals, Sherry Wilson, Michelle Quintans Ecology Club - First meeting September 18 - registration forms going home this week. Recycling/TerraCycling - Ms. Quintans met with Tamika Pichardo to discuss merging TerraCycling and Recycling efforts. Ms. Quintans to investigate recycling cafeteria water bottles and plastic in general. Chesnut Changers Recycling Team applications were already due, 4-5 graders come early in mornings to collect recyclables. Discussed growing the program over time, letting the recycling students present at an Ecology Club meeting, report statistics in a “Chesnut Changer’s Report” on the Ecology Club blog, and decide how earned TerraCycle dollars should be spent. Hygienic Bathrooms - Check with Facilities to make sure that new soap dispensers are in or going in soon. Put up new handwashing signs in bathrooms. Nut/Allergy Policy - Letter going home to parents this week with reminders from cc.com about bringing food from home, celebrating birthdays, and specific notice of allergens by class.

Facilities Attendees: Lori Hummel, Laura McEwen, Andrew Hirst, Mr. Chicoine, Mr. Horton

We reviewed what projects had been completed in the past 2 years- Media Center and teacher lounge and workroom updates including paint, furniture and carpet for around $10,000. New sound system for the stage area, new vacuum, and work in the back playground. $3,000 was approved last year for repairs to the exercise area out back, new protective mulch, repairs to the tether ball areas, fencing for two garden areas

This year we have STEM Lab equipment; 3 concrete large activity pads for the back playground for 4- square, hop scotch, an outdoor instruction area, and a map of Georgia; outdoor painting of hand rails and benches; and other small items on our wish list. If there are other items let the action team know.

We have spent $900 on materials and signage, and $500 on mulch that could go towards the Healthy Kids grant of $2,500.

We have installed new donated paper towel dispensers in the busy bathrooms and are working on additional soap dispensers - there are soap supply issues.

First two C&Bs have gone well. Not big turnouts of people but hard workers.

Garden areas are underway. Second lower garden area has been fenced in.

We are looking into classroom sports equipment, new front walkway area, new back dense decorations, opinions welcome.

Next meeting - Tuesday 30th of September 3:00 in Mr. C's room

Community AT Attendance: Maggie Eckard, Lee Ann Brunson, , Long Tran, Hillary Levy, Lisa Roebuck, Brizette LaPointe, Angela Landis, Pat Neal, Cara Wessels, Andrew Hirst,

Not in attendance: Audra Weiss, Heather Ceryan, Eva Hatch, Lisa Boaz, Melissa Donovan, Ginna Hobgood, Sharon McWard, Ana Sanchez, Kelly Hixon, Dean Cartwright, Astrid Racine, Alvin Pryor, Heleyne Solomon

Parents & Pastries - Sept 12 Hillary & Kelly have this under control! Room Parents requests for donations have gone out.

Picture Day - Sept 17th - Eva/Lisa B –Picture day is set for Sept 17th. Need to find out who handles the tv in the lobby, sent a note to Long Tran regarding the Marquee. Eva is requesting a schedule from Mr. McFarland and will send reminders to teachers. Info will be in the courier this week. Make up pictures are scheduled for 10/27/14.

Yearbooks - we are selling the yearbooks now - will have a flyer put in courier probably next week. Ms. Brunson suggested we plan a “club picture day” for late fall. Maggie gave each teacher a note about setting up a shutterfly account and if help is needed she will help them.

Cougar Connections: Ms. Neal would like to get the parents to feel more part of the community – not just the non-english speaking parents but all of them. She has spoken to Ms. Williams about a Cougar Connection idea to bring parents together to share ideas and resources. She is asking that PTC provide coffee/pastries for such an event. We will have to review the budget but Hillary Levy mentioned that she might have leftovers from her Pastries for Parents budget that could slide to this category at least for this year. Bus Driver/Crossing Guard Appreciation - Heather will be working on getting the exact date but will be in Oct. Usually give muffins and a small gift card – along with cards from students.

Bingo Night – Audra & Andrew will head this up and we went over the general process. The main things to be started now are the prizes and Melissa Donovan will be helping with that. If you see any great deals – let Audra or Melissa know!

If there was anything else that needs to be addressed or put on the agenda for Oct – please let Maggie know.

Next meeting will be the week of October 14th at 3pm.

Curriculum and Instruction Action Team Meeting Minutes, August 25, 2014Attendees: Veronica Brown, Mrs. Quintans, Mr. McFarland, Tavis Roach, Mrs. Austin, Anne Isenhower, Ms. Radford, Leiana Hollis, Jan Jordon, Ms. Williams, Danielle Johnson and Denise Daisy

1. Welcome and review of upcoming Curriculum meeting schedules, which will take place on the last Monday of each month.

2. Goals and Objectives

Review of goals of the C&I AT which can be found on the Chesnut website.

“This team has a teacher/staff majority and is responsible for tracking student progress and achievement by various means, including monitoring test performance, following plans in the school improvement plan, developing realistic and challenging Objectives and Goals, enhancing academics by supporting creative programs such as Cultural arts, Math Stars and Accelerated Reader, leads efforts to bring a STEM curriculum to Chesnut.

3. Selection of Officers Danielle Johnson will co-chair the C&I AT with Mrs. Williams

4. Topics:

Infinite Campus - will be used to manage data such as attendance, grade book, and schedules. One of the benefits to this system is that necessary program improvements will be performed automatically, unlike the previous system. All components of Infinite Campus are not operational which is a county issue, not specific to Chesnut. The timeframe in which Infinite Campus will be fully operational is not yet known.

MyMath - is a new math initiative used as a resource added to what is currently in place to support Georgia Milestones. MyMath balances the three legs of mathematical learning: Conceptual Understanding, computational fluency, real world problem solving.

STEM Update- There is a specific rubric in the STEM certification process that needs to be met and our school must show a unique aspect of our STEM program. The goal is to have as many teachers in the school as possible that are in a position to lead and sustain the STEM program.

A STEM day will be implemented for the last Friday of every month except in August, December and April. The monthly STEM day, open to all Chesnut students, will utilize our outdoor garden to have an agricultural environmental theme. In order to continue to benefit from this theme, our outdoor garden needs to be supported. Parents can be supportive by, assisting with supplies for Engineer for a day (STEM day), assist with business partners that donate money, materials and send professionals to work with the children in the school. EIE (Engineer in Elementary) Kits were paid for by the county and are available for use.

Georgia Milestones - It is an online, end of grade assessment that will replace the CRCT, EOCT and writing assessments in grades 3,5, and 8. There are 4 types of questions on the test; 1) Selective – multiple-choice type questions 2) constructive – student generates a response 3) extended – elaboration and explanation of reasoning and 4) technology. The transition to 100% of students testing online is expected to occur within 5 years. The objective is to ensure Georgia students are well positioned to compete with other students across the United States. Historically, students in Georgia have scored well on the CRCT however perform poorly on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). GA Milestones will also be used to indicate student progress/growth and preparedness for the next level. Upcoming: Testing – CogAT/ITBS

Minutes: Communications Action Team – September 2014

A. General – Melissa Marion-Landais

We want to get the word out on all the ways people can communication and promote using the 4 main Communications email addresses

[email protected]

[email protected] (for Good News Chesnut and general communications information)

B. EBlast – Erica Kuniansky ([email protected])

With more people remembering to submit items to the blast, honoring the submission deadline of Thursday evening is important – this past week, 3 late submissions had to be delayed until the following week (b/c there were already 9 items submitted). This decision is up to Erica, when she sees that the blast is too full, etc.

Communications Action Team will begin to get the word out on what’s needed in each type of submission, so that the person in charge doesn’t end up writing blurbs – for example, calendar items should have date/time/location/ event title and any additional text or hotlinks that would be useful (many times, calendar items do not include all info). For the newsletter, we have the opposite problem – newsletter submissions should be short and sweet, not a full page of text. If you have a long text, it can be posted fully on website and LINKED to from the blast.

Terri plans to send out the first Good News Chesnut within the next few weeks, however expect a lot of communication possibly to go about Chesnut Challenge and do not want to swamp people and important information to be lost. So will weigh decision on when to send.

C. Teacher Communications – Julie Borenstein (Will be Ms. Denson too) Ms. Borenstein sent directions and an email to all staff sharing how to communicate better.

D. Facebook – Terri Young ([email protected])

E. Media Relations – Terri Young ([email protected])

We had media coverage of Kaiser Permanente's Doc Broc at Walk to School Day in the Dunwoody Crier, on Dunwoody School Daze, in the AHA Connection and on the DCSD Facebook page.

Angela has not heard back from Action for Healthy Kids with approval of press release. Once approved, will publicize. Have been working on all Chesnut Challenge communications with the Chesnut Challenge team (3/5 of the Challenge team is on the Communications Action Team. Currently working on talking points for the special guest Dikemebe Mutombo (but as I write this I am unsure of how much he will speak and drafting daily Chesnut Challenge information to provide to Ms. Brunson for morning announcements. Pending approval of Dikembe Mutombo, plan to reach out to Crier about his appearance at Chesnut Challenge Pep Rally. Regardless, we will likely publicize the fundraiser.