| Agenda Item: | Who: | Notes: |
| Welcome and Introductions | Laura | |
| Announcements Guiding goals for 2020-21: Transparent, Supportive, Responsible.We encourage and invite youth participation in all PTA meetings, committee’s, and events to provide greater student voice and leadership opportunities. We seek ways for the HM PTA to support the co-curricular activities (Girls on the Run, Scouts, Anti-Bullying Club, etc.) that directly benefit the HM community. HM PTA website (see below) HM PTA FB page (see below) HM PTA Employer match and Amazon Smile (see below) HM PTA FB page guideline reminder (see below) HM PTA Directory guideline reminder (see below) | Laura | See below for guidelines regarding the PTA facebook page and the PTA directory. |
| New Business Mr. Dutcher Family Sing-A-Long Save the Date: Friday, January 29th 2021 7 pm 2020-21 HM PTA Membership list (see below) Auction Committee request Chat for new ideas. | Jen Allison | Sing-a-long now postponed. See perspectives for details.Allison Broughton-Auction committee request-reminder that it’s free and online-Friday March 12th. Thanks to businesses and families who have already donated.3 ways to get involved: 1-Come on 3/12 and include family and neighbors!2-Donate gift card to a local business to help our local businesses and benefit Horace Mann3-Time/talent donations of your own skills4-request for event promoters on social media-contact Allison Broughton with ideas/desire to get involved. Next meeting 1/12 everyone welcome.Question about unique service/talent ideas due to COVID. List of safe ideas will be generated to help people think of adapted ideas for Great Gatherings/Talents to donate.Question-how will information be listed? Will be up on auction website (Hope to have it up by the end of the month), but until then, contact Allison BroughtonKarla-community/school events are being included in some form in the auction night with video highlights. |
| Treasurer’s Report (see below) | Mike | (See report below)Most revenue from Read-a-thon, some from Give to the Max and employee giving. Most expenses are for Mr. Dutcher. Minor expenses for teachers. Expect more spending from teacher when they return to the classroom.Question-do new teachers know about fund/how to access? Yes, they have been informed several times. Karla-Thanks to the read-a-thon for their reimagining of their event. Expects significant expenses from teachers once transition to some in-person learning occurs. |
| Old Business 2020-21 Questions/Answers (see below) Leadership and Volunteer Opportunities (see below) Membership (see below) Volunteering (see below) | Karla | See below for Q and A responses. See below for leadership and volunteer opportunitiesSee below for PTA membership.See below for Volunteering opportunities. |
| PTA Committee Updates (see below) Scholastic Book Fair Committee TIMI Committee Read-a-Thon Committee Family Volunteer Service Committee | Comm. Chairs | (see below for updates)Chandra-Family Volunteer service night-similar format to Take It-Make It event (pick up supplies and make at home) Possible projects include making t-shirt bags/cards for senior meal delivery. Date to be determined. |
| Adjourn | Karla | Question-is the agenda available? Yes always at hms.pta.org or Horace Mann website under Families. |
HM PTA website: www.hms-pta.org If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please email web-admin@hms-pta.org
Facebook HM Family “private” group https://www.facebook.com/groups/432804370448748/,
Employer match and Amazon Smile: We also encourage families to check with their employers as many offer a company match to the cash donations made by their employees and if you are an Amazon user, go to https://smile.amazon.com and search for “PTA Minnesota Congress 008740 Horace Mann PTA” and designate HM PTA as your charitable organization.
Facebook HM PTA Guidelines:
This “Horace Mann School & PTA” group exists to build community among current Horace Mann families. This group forum is to share information about Horace Mann School PTA and community events, to help facilitate dialogue among the HMS community, and to showcase the achievements of students, teachers, parents, and other HMS community members.
Community Rules
We encourage you to ask questions and share information. We request that you keep discussions focused directly concerning our school community.
We encourage posts that highlight our community’s accomplishments and constructively raise issues for discussion.
When posting, please use appropriate language.
If you choose, you can post photos of your children at school events. Do not post photos of other children. If you have any questions about posting a particular photo, please check with the Facebook page (group) administrator.
Do not post about concerns, problems, or conflicts with individual teachers, administrators, students, or parents. We will immediately delete posts that in any way put down or discriminate against individuals.
Online threats will be taken seriously, and proper authorities will be immediately notified.
Do not post information commonly understood as confidential, such as student grades.
Any inflammatory statements that make allegations against individuals or organizations will be deleted.
Keep in mind what you post is public to all members of the group.
Any advertising for businesses is not allowed.
Do not publish content as your own that has been created by others
The PTA board and PTA Facebook administrators reserve the right to delete comments and block users who are not following the rules stated above.
Postings on this page are the sole responsibility of the person posting and do not reflect the views of Horace Mann School, Horace Mann School PTA, or St. Paul Public Schools.
HM PTA Directory Guidelines: The HM PTA directory is produced by a committee of volunteers as a service for school families to be able to contact students’ friends, classmates, and teachers. The directory is not to be used for outside interests such as political or business mailing or any other purposes which are not approved by the Horace Mann School Administration and HM PTA. Please contact the HM PTA President at president@hms-pta.org for more information regarding appropriate use if you are interested.
2020-21 HM PTA Membership list:
Treasurer’s Report Fiscal Report for November 1-December 31: Dan Dressler, Mike Axtel
YTD Total Revenue: $ 38,633
YTD Total Expenses: $ 15,364
YTD Revenue subtract Expenses: $ 23,268
Bank Account Balance as of 12/31/2020: $ 121,640.05
Nov/Dec 2020 Revenue: $ 36,419
Nov/Dec 2020 Expenses: $ 11,213
Nov/Dec Revenue subtract Expenses: $ 25,206
*Our YTD is August 2020-July 2021
If you are interested in more details of the PTA budget please contact Dan or Mike directly at treasurer@hms-pta.org
Old Business:
2020-21 Questions/Requests at prior PTA Meetings In Process:
2020-21 Questions/Requests at prior PTA Meetings Resolved:
Q: What was the auction revenue last year? A: $40,375.00 revenue. $2,899.00 expenses. $37,476 net income.
Q: Free Family Fun Night Ideas? A: Email: Alex Kotze.
Q: Can the Scholastic Book Fair information be on the HM PTA website. A: Yes and done.
Q: Can the PTA assist with the school supplies delivery for those families that did not pick up? A: Yes, we emailed all families that did not pick up and offered to deliver.
Q: Can siblings get a MITI bag? A: We are just trying to figure out how many to make. Will try to give all projects in the bag so the siblings can all have something.
Q: Can PTA send flowers to Mr. Mike’s funeral?A: Yes and sent.
Q: Will Mr. Dutcher continue to provide music for the VLS? A: Mr. Dutcher is under contract to provide music to all HM students for the remainder of the year. At this time, Mr. Dutcher will continue to provide music with video presentations per grade level. If HM students in VLS are transferred to a different school/teacher we will investigate how to provide the lessons directly to those students via email.
Questions to Principal Litwin: Will DC be allowed to be in the building during hybrid learning during the school day? A. It is not decided but I do not think so. Plus, Tier 1 care will increase when teachers return. Will wait to hear from Mr. Litwin about DC and the in-person school plan. DC will return to HM with in-person learning as of 1/5/2021.
Questions to Principal Litwin: Hybrid question and answer meeting with Mr. Litwin please? A: postponed but Mr. Litwin will schedule his own meeting to answer hybrid questions. Mr. Litwin will use the PTA meeting link in January.
Q: Could the HM PTA pay for air purifiers for the staff at HM like they are doing in the western suburbs? Also, to purchase them for other SPPS elementary schools that cannot afford them to ensure equity? A: With our school’s recent remodeling, a new mechanical system was installed for the entire building, which results in air purifiers being largely unnecessary. A HEPA air purifier would have limited impact in our well-ventilated classrooms, because the air handlers on our new HVAC system exchange the air at such a frequency that an individual air purifier in a classroom makes little to no impact on particle counts.
If there are buildings in the district where the air handlers are not doing their job, or there are other factors at play that cause a room to lack sufficient ventilation, then an air purifier may provide some benefit. For those spaces, the District is providing air purifiers to provide additional filtration.
The District is using their most recent Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) surveys to determine which spaces would need air purifiers. The most recent IAQ at Horace Mann was in 2019, after the renovation, and indicated that all classrooms are well ventilated. Therefore, the District is not providing air purifiers for classrooms in our building. However, the District has identified a need for an air purifier in the isolation room (formerly Mr. Litwin’s office) since the ventilation is turned off in that room to limit any potential viral spread if a student needs to wait in there for a parent to pick them up. The District will be providing Horace Mann with an air purifier for this room.
Additionally, the District has taken extra measures to improve the air quality in our facilities. The filtration in all air handling systems was increased to a baseline Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of at least 11 and facilities is in the process of installing higher-level filtration (MERV 13) filters where possible. Additionally, the programming for the air handlers was adjusted to run extended hours to pre-flush the buildings before occupancy and post-flush the buildings at the end of each weekday, and the air handlers have been programmed to bring in extra outside air when outdoor conditions allow.
With the information we have learned about the quality of our recently installed new HVAC system, the IAQ testing of our site, and the District providing an air purifier for the space identified as potentially needing it, we have determined that the PTA will not be purchasing air purifiers for individual classrooms in our buildings this year.
Please feel free to reach out to the PTA President with any questions you may have: president@hms-pta.org
Leadership and Volunteer Opportunities:
Membership: Membership is always available. A paper copy 1-page Membership form can be mailed back to HM OR pay with Pay Pal and fill out the membership form right now at our website. If you have any questions please email Karla Lauerman Cummins and Jen Williams at president@hms.pta.org
Volunteering : Please consider volunteering this year. No experience necessary? All are welcome. Complete the Volunteer Form: 2020-2021 Volunteer Form. You can find more information about the PTA Committees and other volunteer opportunities at 20-21 PTA Volunteer Programs and Event Descriptions This 2020-2021 Volunteer Form replaces the paper copy that we have distributed in past years. It will take less than a minute. Questions? Please contact Volunteer Coordinators Jill Mack and Karen Vander Sanden at volunteer.coordinator@hms-pta.org.
Committee Reports:
Auction Committee, Allison Broughton/Amy Colaizy Hannigan:: Event Updates & Seeking Advocates/Promoters! The auction will be held online on Friday, March 12, 2021, and will feature a video program, silent auction, and direct request for donations. As we get closer to the event, we will be seeking a small group of additional volunteers to help get the word out and generate a “buzz” for the event. Time commitment is minimal, and this is a perfect opportunity for those active on social media. To learn more, please contact Allison Broughton and Amy Colaizy Hannigan at auction@hms-pta.org. We will hold an information session & training for event promotion support at the start of our committee meeting on Tuesday, January 12 from 6:30-7:00.
Scholastic Book Fair Committee Katie Walter: Thank you to everyone who shopped at and promoted our Scholastic Book Fair. Our sales totaled $2,424.40- that’s more than 400 books in the hands of our readers! What’s more, we earned more than $600 to buy books for our school library. Thank you to the following people that assisted with organizing the Scholastic Book Fair: Jeanette Beger, Grace Hanson, Emily Hansen, Jill Mack, and Alex Kotze. If you would like to get involved in 2021 please email Katie Walter at kmneunsinger@yahoo.com
Take It, Make It, Grace Hanson: Thank you to all who made the 2020 ¨Take It, Make It”a success! Due to Covid-19 the group got creative and switched gears to create an at home crafting experience. There was a great response to the format with 80 families picking up kits. Thank you again to committee members Ariel Dressler, Britt Moore, Jen Williams and for Ms. Judy Browne, Karla Lauerman Cummins and Dan Dressler for helping with distribution. If you have any questions or would like to join the committee please email Grace Hanson Gjhanson1@gmail.com
Read-a-Thon 2020: Reading Brings Us Together – Creating a More Inclusive, Equitable, and Just Community Megan Czarniecki: Thank you students and families for your participation in the 2020 Read-a-Thon. We hope students had fun reading and met their reading goals. Continue to look for fun online resources such as Please, Please the Bees on Storylineonline.net for some reading inspiration. The generosity of HM families and friends is amazing! We exceeded this year´s fundraising goal with over $23,000 in online, check and cash donations to the HM PTA in honor of our young readers. Plus, all donations made through Give to the Max Day generated an additional $13,000 in matching gift donations. We cannot thank you enough for helping fund PTA sponsored activities and resources such as vocal music and library materials. Of course donations to Read-a-Thon are still accepted online at GiveMN.org/story/Horace-Mann-Read-A-Thon or checks/cash can be mailed to Read-a-Thon Committee c/o Horace Mann School at 2001 Eleanor Ave., St Paul, MN 55116. Thank you for your generous support!
A small but mighty committee had the confidence to move forward during Distance Learning. Thank you Tia Anderson, Becky Mayer, Megan Czarniecki, Sarah Bosch, and Ms. Tennyson. A true team effort with assistance from Brandon Mason, Aaron Litzenberg, Ms. Holt, Ms. Judy Browne, Abby Mosher, Nicole Jasma, Ms. Imholte, Amy Johnson, Dan Dressler, Elizabeth Golden, Emily Hanson, Heather Clark, Catherine Guglielmo, Jeannette Beger, Jen Williams, Karla Lauerman Cummins, Jessica Tickner, Katie Walter, Tasia Stuart, Becky Clifford, Brad Nolan, Ms. Gipple, Joy Collman, Maureen Hartung, Tisha Gabriel (any anyone that we inadvertently missed ?). A special thank you to our amazing $10,000 anonymous matching grant donor for Readathon and Give to the Max!
Family Volunteer Service Committee: Julie Steiner/Chandra Kilgriff: The FVS event will be remote with pick-up and drop-off components at scheduled times. We are trying to decide between February or April. Feedback appreciated. Ideas for activities are still to be determined but we are looking for connections, suggestions on organizations. We are trying to decide on a theme and if it can be integrated into the classrooms. We would love to have people volunteer to join our committee or just jump in to help out. If you are interested contact jcs650@gmail.com or Chandra.kilgriff@gmail.com
President: Karla Lauerman Cummins president@hms-pta.org
Vice President: Jen Williams president@hms-pta.org
Treasurers: Dan Dressler and Mike Axtel treasurer@hms-pta.org
Teacher Representative: Amy Kortuem teacher-rep@hms-pta.org
Communications: Laura Willson and Melanie McMahon communications@hms-pta.org
Catherine Guglieimo: Recording Secretary: recorder@hms-pta.org
Karen Vander Sanden and Jill Mack: Volunteer Coordinator: volunteer.coordinator@hms-pta.org
In Attendance 1/5/2020
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