Bronx Charter School for Better Learning Receives

PTA GENERAL MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013, 6:30 P.M.

1. Welcome by Lillian Chen, PTA Co-President 7-12

2. MS End of Year Trip to Quinipet – Ram Buenaventura and Dan Fanelli  Dan and Ram presented the MS End of Year Trip to Quinipet which is scheduled for May 28-30. Trips destinations alternate every year. Last year the trip was to Boston where kids went to amusement parks and historical parts of Boston. (Trip geared more towards Social Studies).  This year’s trip is to Quinipet where the concentration will be geared more towards Science and Math. Children will learn more about nature and survival. Activities will provide opportunities for team building and building trust. They will have the opportunity to study artifacts, develop survival skills, study marine life via deep sea diving and a boat expedition to dredge the bottom of the waterway to study the ecosystem. They will learn how to use a compass. They will learn how to throw a spear.  Quinipet is on Shelter Island which sits on the water between the two forks of Long Island. To reach Quinipet, the buses for the trip will be driven onto the ferry which will take everyone across to the island.  Housing on the island is broken up so that boys are girls housing are on opposite ends of the property. Chaperones will stay in the housing with the students.  Day 1 will be a community building day where children from the 7th grade will get to know the 8th graders better. They will mingle and get to know each other outside of the school setting.  There will be a campfire and talent show and fantastic food.  Cost per student is $390 which will cover everything. Payments are due to Quinipet by May 17. They are asking parents to spread the word. If money is an issue, email Dan and Ram and they will work with the parents. They idea is to have as many students participate as possible.  They encouraged younger families to start thinking about it and start saving for the trip.

3. Presentation from School Management Team – Stacey Gauthier (Principal), Yumeris (Director of Teaching & Learning 6-12) and Victor (Director of Data and Accountability)  Stacey gave an overview of why Common Core and the ELA & Math Shifts (moving from old standards to new standards). Most states with the exception of a few (TX, ND) have adopted the Common Core standards, which are more rigorous standards with different priorities and are more aligned with college and career readiness benchmarks. This will mean new assessments for grades 3 through 8 in ELA and Math and potentially future 3-8 Science and Social Studies Assessments.  HS Regents will be affected in the future as well.  The Common Core standards focus on a deeper conceptual understanding rather than superficial knowledge where students will need to understand complex concepts which is very conducive to interdisciplinary and project-based learning. It will help students to see the natural fluidity between subjects (e.g., a high school student working on a social justice issue – genocide, environmental degradation, human trafficking can read articles about it in social studies, use the annotation skills they learned from English and possible knowledge they gained from science and use statistics that they learned in math to help them).  This type of learning mimics the kind of learning that through reading students will need to be able to do as adults. The concept is to invite students to think as opposed to having students just complete tasks. (Intellectual engagement). It will create better thinkers, readers and writers. It is meant to create life-long learners.  Challenges: o The Common Core standards tells you what students should learn but not how to teach it. o This shift is challenging to teachers, students and families because it forces us to think more deeply and differently. (One of the questions on the 8th grade mock test was recognized as being from a previous 11th grade regents). Since the bar has been raised in terms of student learning expectations, there are challenges for those students who are below grade level. Teachers will have to be flexible to teach students at their level with the focus on moving them forward to the new benchmark. o Drafts of the current assessments are very challenging and expectation is that proficiency scores will decrease and it is unknown where kids will land. Kids are tested as if they have learned common core for years. o Standards and cutoffs have not been established for what would constitute below, meets or exceed grade level. This year’s testing will serve as a new base and help determine parameters for leveling. Every time the reset the bar, there is a decrease in scoring and then they go up again. A 30% impact proficiency is possible. o ELA will involve longer reading passages and math will involve many step math problems. They will need to explain their steps and use real world situations. The math test will no longer provide instruction on which tools to use for a particular question (i.e. calculator, ruler, protractor, etc.). TRCS has given interim exams to help kids familiarize themselves with format and timing since the tests will be longer and require more work. Kids have improved with practice. Students are getting targeted tutoring where needed. ELA o Shift 1: Students should read as much non-fiction as fiction. Look at all of the different ways that non-fiction is put together. Parents can supply more non-fiction text. Make use of the library. Read non-fiction texts aloud or with your child. Examine the texts more closely and have in depth discussions. TRCS use Fontus Penell lower grade books as well as Junior grade books. They have also made an investment in libraries across the school. They are looking into increasing the availability of science publications. o Shift 2: Learn more about the world through reading. Get smart in Science and Social Studies through reading. Handle primary source documents and get smarter through text. Use your child’s interest to guide your selection of non-fiction (e.g., if they like whales then read about whales and marine life). Discuss non-fiction texts and the ideas within. (e.g., Emily O taught a class on the Salem Witch Hunt where she use articles). TRCS hired 2 reading specialists (Leah and Amanda) to expand reading and writing labs. Early intervention is taking place in the lower grades through individualized 6 week programs. o Shift 3: Read more complex material carefully. They should read more challenging material closely. Reread – basic idea through first reading and deeper meaning through second reading.. Unpack text. Handle frustration and keep pushing. Parents can provide more challenging text and provide texts they WANT to read, know what is grade level appropriate, read challenging stuff with them and show that it is worth unpacking. o Shift 4: Discuss reading using evidence. Find evidence to support their arguments, form judgments, become scholars, discuss what the author is “up to”. Parents can talk about the text. Demand evidence in every day discussions/disagreements. Read aloud or read the same book and discuss with evidence. o Shift 5: Writing from Sources. Make arguments in writing using evidence, compare multiple texts in writing and write well. Parents can encourage writing at home, write “books” together and use evidence/details. o Shift 6: Academic Vocabulary. Learn the words that they can use in college and career and get smarter at using the “language of power”. Parents can read often and constantly with babies, toddlers, preschoolers and children. Read multiple books about the same topic. Let your kids see you reading. Talk to your children, read to your children, listen to your children, sing with them, make up silly rhymes and word games. They need to increase academic vocabulary. You can do this in your own language, if English is not your first language, especially for the younger students. TRCS is also looking to expand the language curriculum for next year. Math – new exam is much more text based (see SMT PowerPoint for example). Students will need to recognize what details are important and which one are not. They will need to understand sequence. o Shift 1: Learn more about less. Spend more time on few concepts. Algebra, Fractions, Integers, Basics – Add, subtract, multiply, divide. TRCS – Algebra is currently in the 6th grade and may be brought down to 5th grade next school year all with the hopes that students will take the Algebra Regents in 8th grade. o Shift 2: Skills Across Grades. Build on learning year after year. o Shift 3: Speed and Accuracy. Spend time practicing – lots of problems on the same idea o Shift 4: Know it/Do it. Understand why it works and make it work. Talk about why the math works. Prove that they know why and how the math works. Students need to learn math vocabulary and be able to explain their work to teachers and classmates. They will need to demonstrate mathematical thinking. o Shift 5: Real World. Apply math in real world situations and know which math to use for which situation. o Shift 6: Think Fast/Solve Problems. Be able to use core math facts FAST and be able to apply math in the real world. TRCS uses the GO Math curriculum. No curriculum currently available meets all the needs. TRCS is working with consultants from Bank Street to build on the Go Math curriculum. Ram is looking at different curriculums for the Middle School.  It was recommended that parents go to www.engageNY.org for more information on the Common Core and links to helpful videos and grade appropriate information. Night before test make sure children get to sleep early. Morning of test, make sure they have a filling breakfast. Kids should do their best but not over stress. Talk to you kids and let them know that they know more than they think. If a question is too overwhelming write down what you know. You will get partial points.  It is NOT recommended that families purchase additional test prep books since it may add additional stress. The kids are doing a lot of prep work at school.  Parents should reassure their children that these tests should not be representative of who they are.  When asked if the test scores will impact whether a child will be promoted, Stacey informed parents that neither promotion nor teacher evaluation will be impacted by this year’s assessments. Promotion at TRCS is not based on one test but rather a holistic approach is used based on child’s emotional and psychological maturity and work over the school year as well as attendance.  When asked if the 82nd Street Afterschool could be used to ease the burden of working parents, Stacey notified parents that there is currently MS homework completion as well as HS ACT/SAT prep. The program is not strictly for homework. Children need physical activity.  TRCS is also looking into increasing blended learning where students will be able to work in smaller groups. They are looking to begin this in Middle School. Although it would be ideal to offer this to lower grades as well, space becomes an issue. Lower grades will get more language and more science.  Stacey notified parents that there would be a feature on Foss Science in a future newsletter. There is also the possibility of arranging a parent demo so that parents can stay in touch with what the kids are learning. Foss Science is inquiry based and they have recently revamped some of their units. TRCS is working with a Foss consultant to structure timing and to purchase additional units. Parents were encouraged to check out their website.

 Cluster Reports – Cluster break out was replaced with reports from each cluster for the entire group.  Cluster 1 (K-3) – Lisa Liropoulos o This month, Kindergarten students celebrated the 100th day of school! They shared their projects of 100 things and made a “Book of 100” with Izumi! They also launched Literacy Centers! In groups of four, the children rotate through different literacy centers throughout the week! They have also started talking about and looking for signed of Spring! They are doing arts and crafts with Izumi, making flowers and insects! (Look out for a beautiful Spring scenery on their bulletin board – coming soon!). They have also begun their seeds and plants unit. They have been learning about how seeds grow. They are looking at different seeds and soon (when the weather gets warmer) will be planting seeds! o First grade just finished a math unit on the relationship between the Compass Rose and the Cardinal Directions for their study of the continents. Everyone continues to make progress in reading. They celebrated the upcoming arrival of spring by making fingerprint cherry blossoms with Izumi. In Science, they Wood Study will soon come to a close and Janet will be teaching students a new unit, “Animals Two-By-Two”. They have been learning about “glued sounds” in phonics (words ending in ng and nk) and will soon move on to long vowels. o In second grade, they are beginning to solve three digit addition and subtraction problems. Students are going to be writing more in math. Students are being asked to use words to explain how to solve problems. They are exploring how NYC has changed over time. They studied Native Americans in New York. They are looking at how technology has contributed to their lives in NYC. With spring coming, they have been reading poetry. Renay is planning to take the students on field trips in nature. She is setting up visits to Alley Pond Park and Jamaica Bay. The students have been studying wind and weather. o The third graders are busy learning fractions in math and working independently to research the solar system in science. They are very excited that the one hundredth day of school has passed. They worked very hard every morning, counting the days, finding patters in the daily numbers, creating the numbers in dollars, and creating them in cents. Now they are looking forward to counting backwards to count down to the last day of school.  Cluster 1 (4-5) – Madhureema Gupta and Chimie Pemba o Fourth Grade: Fourth Grade is immersed in the study of literary theme in poetry, drama and fiction. In Math, they are developing our understanding of subtracting fractions and mixed numbers. The students are in the process of studying social movements and the cultures of Jackson Heights through the lens of folk art. They are excited to visit the Folk Art Museum in Manhattan in April! Finally, they are of course busy preparing for the ELA, Math and Science Exams. o Class 501 Update: 5th grade is currently in the world of Geometry. They are having mathematical conversations about 3 dimensional shapes. They are also identifying unique properties of triangles and rectangular prisms, and learning various ways to determine the volume of shapes they constructed. In ELA, they are currently reading historical fiction texts as a whole class, as well as in guided reading groups. It is interesting to learn more about various time periods throughout history, while empathizing with fictional characters and their endeavors. They enjoyed the Cluster 1 trip to see an African Dance and Drum performance, and continue to prepare for the NYS ELA and Math exams in April.  Cluster 2 – Lillian Chen o Discussion was held around the statewide testing and the reason for moving the Parent Teacher Conferences. Yumeris sat in on the discussion and advised parents to speak to teachers about concerns since PTC really are not geared towards the testing only.  Cluster 3 – Christine Francione o Issue: The first issue that was addressed during the Cluster meeting was regarding the amount of ninth grade homework assignments that are given, and the time frame to complete and submit them. This was brought to the attention of the PTA Executive Board by a parent of a ninth grade student. The question was put to parents of other ninth graders to determine if they are finding that their children are chronically inundated with homework assignments, and none of the parents at the PTA meeting felt that they are. Please note that there was a delay in getting a formal response. o Proposed Solution: The answer provided by Martha Bolivar is that the issue was discussed as a cluster, and it was decided that the school would reorganize the afterschool program. This has since been implemented, and specific subject teachers are now available to provide help to the students who need it. There is a schedule available on the wiki, and it was distributed to the parents at the February PTA meeting. o Issue: The second issue was in regard to Math, and this was brought to the attention of the Cluster Reps by parents of students from ninth through twelfth grades. Parents state that their children are not doing well in Math, and are questioning the competency of the Math instructors. This has been an ongoing issue, and the second progress reports were received last week leaving parents even more concerned about their child’s proficiency in math. o Proposed Solution: Victor Motta was invited to join the group where parents were able to express their concerns regarding this issue to him. He was very receptive, and understanding to the parents. He reiterated that there is available help in Math daily in afterschool. He also informed parents that the school is in the process of recruiting another Math teacher in order to help alleviate this problem. o There were no other issues or concerns expressed at the meeting. Parents were reminded that Noreen Wortman and Christine Francione are available for them via e-mail if they do have any issues, questions or concerns.

4. Treasurer’s Report by Chester Hicks  Chester provided an update on expenditures and income since the last meeting.  The membership took a vote on giving an additional $200 to each of the two trips planned trips: Quinipet and Nature’s Classroom (Mardi Gras made $600 to be split between the two trips and with the additional $200 per trip, each group will receive $500). The full amount of the request was approved unanimously.

5. Announcements  Pierina: Parents were encouraged to complete the school survey which was distributed to students in green envelopes. A 50% response rate is needed in order for the scores to count. The survey results play a role in the grade the school will receive on their report card and will affect whether TRCS will continue to be approved for Charter. We are currently in the 3rd year of our 3rd charter so next year there will be a review of survey results as part of the renewal process. TRCS would love to be able to receive another 5 year charter which we have been doing. Other charters have received shorter terms recently and we do not want to fall into that grouping. The deadline is April 12.  Lillian: Nominations are being accepted for PTA Executive Board for the 2013-2014 School Year. Anyone interested should reach out to me. Nominations will be taken at the April PTA meeting.  Lillian: 20th anniversary celebration at Bruno’s (Astoria) with music and sit down dinner. Over 120 people have already signed up. Tickets are $60 per person or $110 for two. Event is planned for April 5th. This is an adult only event since alcohol will be served.  Lillian: There will be another Scholastic Book Fair (Buy one get one fair). There will not be a profit for the PTA but will help teachers build their classroom libraries and allow kids to purchase books for summer reading.

“Developing Leaders for the Renaissance of New York”