Kathy Austin

Welcome and Introductions

Approve November Meeting Minutes
Provisionally approved

Officer/Standing Committee Reports

  1. Brita Willis & Lorraine Sawicki: Treasurer’s Report
    • Continuing to collect campaign money, have collected 147k of the 180k pledged
    • Bank fees = $4100
    • Acting as a fiscal sponsor for the Read-A-Thon$5/per student that submit forms for Read-A-Thon
    • Asking teachers to encourage kids to fill out the form and turning it in regardless of sponsors
    • See Treasurer’s Report for approved funds for the year
    • Doing fine on cash
  2. Tammy Shorr & Janie Booth: Volunteer Coordinators Report Volunteers are reaching volunteer burn-out, mid-year social is in order    
  3. Leeann Huntington, Sara Fenz and Allison Broadgate: Fundraising Chair Report
    1. No report
  4. Jean Charette, Yvonne Roberts & Diane Frye:  Legislative Chairs
  5. Next month will have motions to support Schools First, a campaign body that can campaign for levys
    • Will determine the amount needed/when it can be allocated to Schools First
    • Money that will be requested is already earmarked
    • Looking at campaign work beyond Bryant- PCC, etc.
    • January is a big month due to votes in Feb
    • One page description of levys will be included with minutes and also through the Bryant Weekly
    • Legislature will be discussing adjusting the levy cap this coming legislative session
    • Climate change/homelessness, etc. is taking precedence over school funding at the moment

 Special Committee Reports                                                         

  1. Bryant Leadership Team report: Kim Love
    • Reaching out to district to find right time to conduct another assessment (prior to testing)
    • Looking at data around bullying and social-emotional wellness
      • PBIS works with RULER (positive behavior intervention support), does not replace RULER (mood charts, etc.  will still be used)
      • Discipline Matrix used for consequences when expectations are not met
    • Request for parent night about SEL and Discipline Matrix explanation/roll-out
  2. Principal Report: Charmaine Marshall
    • Power Point for proposed budget shown at last week’s Principal Meeting, see Budget Work session handout
      • 2/28 is date of allocation of budget
      • Summary of growing deficit (pg. 6) $42mil 2019-20 deficit, proposal to cut 53million from budget
      • Proposals include cutting librarians to ½ time, no elementary counselors (Bryant counselor acquired through a waiver), losing VP, or teacher cuts.
      • These cuts are WITH levy passing
      • Sam Fogg volunteered to discuss ways to testify in Olympia: politicians trade in stories and testimonies might be the most powerful way to sway legislatures. In the absence of being able to go to Olympia, sending an email with your story is impactful.
      • Focus Day in Olympia is Feb 11th. (day before Levy vote)
      • Javier Valdez is our State Senator and may need additional pressure to pass levy as well as education around why levy is important “We cannot function if levy does not pass”
      • McCleary decision was not really written with Seattle in mind
      • Seattle is a more expensive district and property taxes here went up but money is going to schools in Eastern Washington in order to promote equity
      • Support for education funding plummets outside of Seattle, even on eastside
    • Proposal to put Congressmen’s names/contact info in Bryant Weekly to keep parents informed and promote advocacy for levy passage. Kim Love to implement.
  3. Brycentennial:
    • 1:15 School Wide Assembly/5:30-7pm Open House
    • Bryant Gear for Thursday!
    • 100 year Celebration picture will be part of slide show
    • K classes distributed flyers around the neighborhood

7:45-8:25 New Business

  1. Professional Development Funding (Charmaine Marshall)
    • Ask for choir stipend for $750 for program assemblies         
    • Ask for $750 stipend for four 3 hour sessions of mentoring and supporting teachers in the building
    • Ask for Race and Equity Team support stipends of an additional $1500 stipend for teachers for attendance at Saturday workshops and Black Lives Matter curriculum/professional development
  2. ELL Funding Request: Ask for $2679 for following: (Charmaine Marshall)
    • Supplemental curriculum to extend SIPPS to grades 3-5 for extra literacy support (Mackenzie, has 20+ kids)
    • Special Ed teachers
    • Pauline Pfohl, our ELL teacher, 20+ kids
    • Motion made and passed to approve funding for EEL Funding and purchase of CCC SIPPS
      1. Discussion around whether or not state of WA needs to be funding this, however PTSA will fund for now. Federal obligation put into question, as well as the state obligation.
  3. Board to refocus goals and revisit stipend funding, no vote held today
    • Bryant Read-a-Thon Vote (skipped)
  4. Garden Buddies and Bryant Comm. Garden (Tammy Shorr)
    • Monthly work parties starting with 5th grade and going down to K, working on general maintenance in garden
    • This is in place of Garden Maintenance Chair previously run by Samantha Fogg. (no longer able to fulfill this role)
    • Working with district to coordinate efforts
    • Idea to look to Master Gardeners or neighborhood gardeners for volunteer help
    • Discussion around whether or not to keep garden space open due to safety concerns. Ultimately the space is owned by district
    • Shed has been funded but it is on hold because district has put it on hold- next meeting will discuss what to do with allocated funds
  5. General Meeting Speakers Input- ideas include: (Whitney Griesbach)
    • How to talk to kids about politics
    • Literacy and goals of school – how can parents help support literacy in the home?
      • Resources are available for literacy that district has and parents don’t know about.
      • Speaker on how to access those resources- offered for free by tech ed
      • Math Night (resources for parents to support kids in math at home)
      • PBIS Education night-facilitating communication and language at home that supports PBIS (once teachers and staff feel more familiar with the PBIS curriculum)
      • Sex Ed
      • Race and Equity/Hate Speech (UW professors)
      • School Safety
      • Empowerment and Resiliency/Mindfulness with Youth
      • Screen Time education
  6. Closing Home Street Bank Account
    1. Move funds to Bank of America, Home Street holds reserves but can be held in Savings at B of A account
    2. Motion to close Home Street account, Brita Willis and Lorraine S. have permission to close account and transfer to B of A. Motion seconded and approved.