PTA Meeting Agendas and Summaries

Highlights from the January 17, 2023 Willett PTA Meeting

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Lunar New Year Celebration: January 28, 2023, 1:00-3:00 pm

• Coffee with the Principal: Friday, February 2, 8:30-9:30 am

• Spring Book Fair: March 20-23 

• PTA Association meeting: Tuesday, March 21, 7:00-8:30 pm

GRATITUDE: A big shout out to new program leads Kathryn Lasker (Yearbook), Kendall Wasley (Pool Party), and Julie & Chris Hartley (Garden of Learning). Thanks also to Erin Montgomery (Book Fair), to Amber Kenner (Hospitality/Conference Week snacks), to Cathy Escobedo, Meg Padovani, and all the Room Parents (holiday appreciation for teachers,; to Leilani Buddenhagen and Veronica Hoglund (Lunar New Year co-coordinators), and to all who helped with the Ginger Elizabeth fundraiser, including Maureen Vollmer, Erin Giordano, members of the PTA board, and of course Tom Hahn & Ginger Hahn.

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT: We were delighted to welcome Willett’s new Vice-Principal Helen Spangler to her first PTA meeting. Ms. Spangler spoke about student opportunities at Willett including the Willett Chorus led by Ms. Manville-Wiebe, strings and band, Student Government led by Ms. Inouye, lunchtime basketball with Mr. Simi, and D & D Club with Mr. Fluetsch during lunch recess. Administration continues to navigate solutions to rainy-day lunch recess. Ms. Spangler was grateful to the UCD Fellows program participants that have been helping in classrooms. The second round of iReady testing is currently in progress; CAASPP testing is upcoming. Teachers and staff look forward to reviewing responses to the annual YouthTruth survey, which was open to families and administered to all students in grades 3-12 in the fall.

LIBRARIAN’S UPDATE: This year so far, 11,000 books have been checked out of the library! Mr. Fluetsch thanked the PTA for our support and also noted other ways Willett families can support the library: through direct book donations, volunteering at the Book Fair and the Battle of the Books, and political support (e.g. by supporting Measure H, which will be up for renewal in 2024). View Mr. Fluetsch’s complete presentation here and feel free to reach out to him with any questions: cfluetsch@djusd.net. 

LUNAR NEW YEAR COMMUNITY EVENT: We’re thrilled to be hosting our first school-wide community event of the year on Saturday, January 28, 1-3pm. Come enjoy a professional lion dance, craft-making, snacks, selfie photo station with costumes while learning about the importance of the Lunar New Year across different cultures. This event is free for Willett students, families, teachers and staff. More information is available here or Volunteer here.

SPRING EVENTS: The PTA hopes to host a Movie Night on April 13 and an End-of-Year Picnic on May 20 – and we need your input and participation. Want to join our events committee? Email president@willettpta.org and help make things happen at Willett.

MONEY MATTERS: Treasurer Lauren Crownshaw led a discussion of the 2022-23 budget, which we voted to revise and approve. The proposed budget for 2023-24 will be discussed and voted on at our May meeting. If you have any questions, free to email Lauren at lcrownshaw@hotmail.com.

PROCEDURAL TASKS: We approved Bylaws and elected a Nominating Committee. Thanks to Parliamentarian Bob Blair for shepherding us through both processes.

Highlights from the Nov ‘22 Willett PTA Association meeting

Upcoming events:

- Coffee with the Principal: Friday, December 2, 8:30-9:30am

- PTA Association meeting: Tuesday, January 17, 7:00-8:30pm

- Community event TBA in January, 2023

GRATITUDE: Thank you to Veronica Hoglund for organizing a community event around the ribbon cutting for our new MPR; to Amy Shapiro, Julie Hartley, and Chris Hartley for reinvigorating our 3rd grade garden; to Amber Kenner for coordinating conference week snacks and to the many volunteers in our Willett community for providing them; and to Erin Autry Montgomery for organizing our community event at Ruhstaller. We are also grateful to Erin for taking the lead on two fundraising events this fall: our Dinner and Auction and our Book Fair.

DTA AND DJUSD: During Public Comment, Kindergarten teacher Noelle Fogliasso (also Willett’s teacher representative to the PTA) shared the DTA’s perspective on the ongoing salary negotiations, including an informational flyer. The PTA is educating ourselves on “Public Involvement in School Governance” (see statement below) and urge our membership to do the same. For more information, click here. We hope to provide more information in advance of the next Board of Education meeting. The DJUSD BOE meeting schedule is posted here: https://www.djusd.net/about/governance/boe/board_meetings

EVENTS: We’re adding community events to our calendar! Consider dropping by our monthly Coffee with the Principal, organized by Kate Rich and expanded this year to include other guests (like librarian Mr. Fluetsch and counselor Ms. Petteys). Pencil in a Community Gathering that includes a Lunar New Year Celebration on January 28, 2023, and an End-of-Year Picnic on May 20th, 2023. We’re also aiming for a Movie Night or two. Want to join our events committee, or help plan a particular event? Email president@willettpta.org and help make things happen at Willett.

PRINCIPAL’S UPDATE: Principal John Campbell shared that (1) the combo class has a new teacher, (2) the Willett Spelling Bee returns on January 19th and is open to 4-6th graders, (3) Sly Park, an outdoor education program for 6th graders, is coming back in person January 23-27th, and (4) the Youth Truth Student, Staff, and Family survey has been emailed by the district to families of 3rd-6th grade students and can be submitted through Friday, November 18th.

MONEY MATTERS: The PTA is looking for volunteers to join our Fundraising committee; please email erinautrymontgomery@gmail.com if interested. After Thanksgiving break comes a season of giving: look for opportunities to support our school and the greater community, including our new Ginger Elizabeth chocolate fundraiser. Treasurer Lauren Crownshaw reported that the budget for this school year is re-evaluated in January and voted on in March. Next year’s proposed budget is approved in May (2023) and then adopted in September at the first official membership meeting.

COMMUNICATION: Our weekly newsletter, the Who’s News, is a community resource. If there’s anything you’d like to bring to the attention of our Willett community, please share with VP of Communications Kate Rich: communications@willettpta.org.

Note regarding public involvement in school governance: According to the California PTA, "Public school employer-employee negotiations and/or disputes and disputes between bargaining units are very much a part of the reality of operating public schools. THE PTA MUST REMAIN NEUTRAL* and MUST refrain from taking sides in all disputes. It is a PTA responsibility to provide opportunities for public understanding of disputed issues through sponsoring public meetings where all sides may present their views.

PTA speaks as an advocate for children and youth. It is a PTA responsibility to urge school board members, school district employees and negotiators on all sides to make the welfare of the students the first and ultimate consideration in all negotiations. PTAs must do this within the framework of California State PTA policies."

Highlights from the Sept 22 Willett PTA Association meeting

Upcoming events:

-        Willett Dinner & Auction: Saturday, October 22, 5:30-10:00pm

-        Coffee with the Principal: Friday, November 6, 8:30-9:30am 

-        PTA Association meeting: Tuesday, November 15, 7:00-8:30pm

-        Book Fair: week of November 14, after school

Meeting highlights:

-        Thank you to Michele McCuen for coordinating the Paperless Parade, to Kate Rich for redesigning our PTA newsletter and website, and to Amber Kenner and Erin Autry Montgomery for welcoming back our teachers and staff with luncheon and flowers.

-        We welcomed this year’s teacher liaisons to the PTA, Kindergarten teachers Noelle Fogliasso and Collette Lash. Thank you, Mrs. Fogliasso and Ms. Lash.

-        We also welcomed guest speaker Hiram Jackson, the incoming school board trustee for area 1 (which is everything West of 113). Thank you, Trustee Jackson, for reaching out to us in the spirit of community and collaboration.

-        The Association voted to approve our 2022-23 budget, which includes expanded “fund-a-need” grants for classroom teachers. We also approved funding for classroom t-shirts for our TK/K classes and new playground equipment for the TK/K play yard! If you have an idea for something special these funds could support in your student’s classroom, reach out to your teacher, room parent, or any PTA board member.

-        We welcome volunteers to collaborate on the following projects, or to suggest ideas of your own. To discuss volunteering, please reach out to your room parent or anyone on the PTA board, or email president@willettpta.org

o   Yearbook 

o   Movie night 

o   Pool party for 6th graders 

o   Arts education programming 

o   Afterschool programming

-        Here are some great ways to stay connected with our Willett community:

o   At our new website, www.willettpta.org, you can learn more about our PTA and school, donate, join the PTA, and more!

o   To receive our weekly newsletter please email communications@willettpta.org.

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