| 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) | Karla | |
| New Business HM PTA board update and in-person events (see below) FYI-Spelling bee, Treats for all HM staff weekly vs. a lunch in May, 4th/5th Grade Band Director search, etc. Asking for budget input for 2020-21. Send any ideas/comments/questions to the president or treasurer emails listed at the close of the agenda. Chat for new ideas. | Karla | Make It Take It and Family Volunteer Service events will be coming up-being planned- see below for more information -spelling bee was scheduled at the time the shift to in-person learning was happening so the Spelling bee was cancelled this year.. Shift to weekly treats for staff instead of a lunch in May. Looking for a band teacher for next year. Spread the word! |
| Treasurer’s Report (see below) | Dan | Expenses are primarily teachers buying supplies (books, EL language acquisition kits, scholastic magazine, storage bins to keep student materials separate, etc.), as well as some silent auction expenses. |
| Old Business 2020-21 Questions/Answers (see below) Leadership and Volunteer Opportunities (see below) Volunteering (see below) | Jen Jill Karen | Volunteering-There are leadership committee roles that need to be filled for next year (see below). Any committee could use help! Contact the coordinators volunteer.coordinator@hms-pta.org if you are interested. If you don’t want to make that commitment just let the PTA know your skills and a job will be found for you! |
| Principal Report In-person and VLS update and introduction of the student support coach and her role. | Mr. Litwin | Students are doing amazing-they are engaged, hard working, positive. In-person staff are seeing benefits to students, more families are moving to in-person. It is hard for families to make changes between models at this time, some families have requested changes but have not heard from the Student Placement Center. It is unclear what will happen if classrooms at Horace Man reach the limit. Students are all complying with masks the best they can. Teachers are trying to comply with social distancing, but it is nearly impossible. Students adjusted quickly to new teachers-both in-person and VLS. 0 Covid cases among staff/students as reported in Perspectives, but health information sharing is very restricted. You will be contacted quickly if your child needs to quarantine due to close contact. Food handout is working-students do not get up, calm quiet lunch with smaller numbers in the lunchroom. New Staff member-P. Cole-Behavior Interventionist- supports students if there is a conflict between students. She might cover the classroom if the teacher wants to do a peer mediation session with students, and she also works directly with students. Questions for Mr. Litwin: Is there a cap for VLS class size? Larger VLS. classes were to minimize in-person sizes for health/safety. Will SPPS be encouraging families and helping them to connect with bi-weekly Covid testing for children? SPPS will encourage and connect families to resources but not will not be conducting any Covid testing. |
| PTA Committee Updates (see below) Family Volunteer Service Committee Auction Committee Art Adventure Committee Carnival Committee Spring Plant Sale Committee | Chandra Allison Amy | Family Volunteer Service “Spring into Service” theme. Pick up supplies before spring break and return after spring break-bags, cards, and food drive, and seeds for pollinators. Will be possible to do some projects without picking up supplies. Auction on Friday 3/12-the website is open, there will be a program on the evening of 3/12, but bidding opens on 3/10. There are 93 items-some of them being themed baskets with multiple items, 2 door prizes will be given out just for registering by 7:30 pm on 3/12. Door prizes are a $25 gift card to Kowalski’s or Horace Mann pint glasses with a garden gnome that closely resembles the Horace Mann Gnome. You get to bring home the gnome for a year and then return it so it can be loaned out to another family next year. Make It Take it will create around 350 kits for various crafts to be picked up in May. Plant sale website up now- issues have been resolved and you can order plants now through April 8th |
Can we have a job description for the band teacher position to distribute?
Yes, HMPTA paid for additional band instruction to make it available during school hours. Karla will share old description in Perspectives and www.hms-pta.org —may change as hiring is done through SPPS.
What does enrollment look like next year? Last year HM had 405-410 students. Projected for this year was 392. Current enrollment 380. Mr. Litwin is unclear about what will happen with enrollment. Possible that there will be a larger than normal Kindergarten class. Enrollment numbers will come at the end of April/mid-May. Enrollment/staffing/budget are all delayed at this time. To be clear PTA provides enrichment-not supplies, materials, or professional development not staffing.
Will we have Lifetouch pictures? Uncertain at this time.
www.hms-pta.org If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please email web-admin@hms-pta.org
https://www.facebook.com/groups/432804370448748/,
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.
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.
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.
PTA Board Updates
The PTA Board met on Monday, February 8th. Regarding activities for the rest of the year, at the advice of the National PTA Council, we will continue to give our teachers the funds they need to serve our students on all learning platforms in the most equitable way we can. The PTA treasurers have sent out budget updates to all teachers/specialists letting them know about allocated discretionary funds still available and also about the additional special request fund. The PTA has also requested input from all the HM teachers/specialists regarding support they might need for the 2021-22 school year so we can include it in our preliminary budget. The HM PTA will amend any proposed budget over the summer taking into account teacher/specialist input as we approach next fall and know more about any SPPS decisions about staffing.
Also, the HM PTA will not be hosting/sponsoring any in-person activities for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. This decision was based on advice from the National PTA Council to ensure the health and safety of our school community and equity between the differing learning models. This spring the PTA is hoping to host the Virtual Silent Auction, a Drop-Off Family Volunteer Service Night, a Virtual Family Fun Night, a Remote Make It, Take It , and Outside Spring Plant Sale Pick-Up. You can find details about any general PTA meeting on the Horace Mann PTA website. hms-pta.org or contact via email president@hms-pta.org
YTD Total Revenue: $ 46,274
YTD Total Expenses: $ 25,013
YTD Revenue subtract Expenses $ 21,261
Bank Account Balance as of 2/26/2021: $119,632.66
Jan/Feb 2021 Revenue: $ 7,640
Jan/Feb 2021 Expenses: $ 12,624
Jan/Feb Revenue subtract Expenses (- $ 4,984 )
*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
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
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.
The 2021 (100% virtual) auction is right around the corner on Friday, March 12, featuring a video program which highlights the PTA’s impact and recognizes the ongoing commitment of teachers, staff, students and their families. Bidding on auction items will open Wednesday, March 10 at noon, and close at 8:30 p.m on Friday, March 12. Please help support our efforts by encouraging participation in this important fundraiser. The event website is here: 1cau.se/aK6 and registration is free for the event (donations encouraged at any time leading up to the event). A huge thank you to all of our donors, sponsors, participants and volunteers who are making it happen this year despite challenging circumstances. To learn more, please contact Allison Broughton and Amy Colaizy Hannigan at auction@hms-pta.org.
The Family Volunteer Service Committee is organizing a remote volunteer event with supply pick-up tentatively scheduled for March 30 and 31, and drop-off tentatively scheduled for April 13 and 14 to allow for families to work on their projects over Spring Break. Our theme is “Spring Into Service” and our activities will be focused on supporting Keystone Community Services, an organization serving the Saint Paul community, including young people and families, seniors, and those needing food services or crisis support. We will make bags out of recycled t-shirts to help deliver food packages, make cards to go in the bags, and do a food drive for those who are able to contribute. We are also planning a fun spring activity to help save the pollinators. Please contact Chandra Kilgriff or Julie Clark Steiner with any questions, and watch Perspectives for more details. jcs650@gmail.com or Chandra.kilgriff@gmail.com
We are, unfortunately, unable to offer Art Adventure to the students this year. The program will be back next school year and we will be excited for our fabulous volunteers to return to the classroom and share new art pieces with the kids! Contact: dandressler@yahoo.com or katieleighmiller@gmail.com
The Spring Carnival will not be held this year.
Although there appears to be a light at the end of this horrible period of time, the carnival committee has decided to forego the annual Spring carnival. With the focus of the carnival being to have friends and family gather to enjoy games and great food, it does not seem wise at this time to present any additional risk to our community. The carnival has been one of the favorite events of the year and we have done much to expand the size and variety of the offerings at this event. That being said, two of the carnival committee members will be “graduating” from HM this Spring and we are looking for some parents of the newer classes to step up and fill the void. The committee has been a small, empowered group which has put on a fun event each June that the kids really look forward to. Being on the committee takes only a small amount of time (1 hour) each week starting in February with a few extra hours required the day before and of the June event. Please consider joining this committee to help continue the traditions that past parents have established! We envision having a HUGE 2022 carnival for students and alumni who missed it in 2020 and 2021!! If you are interested in joining the committee please contact Karen Vander Sanden an/or Jill Mack volunteer.coordinator@hms-pta.org
Plant Sale set for May 1!
Use the website below to start planning your Spring and Summer gardens – we promise Winter will end one day! 🙂
https://horacemannplantsale.squarespace.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
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