The meeting began at 7:30.pm. The following handout was distributed covering general business in order to make time for our speaker, Dr. Neil Bernstein.
( No attendance list available)
Announcements
§ Buy Giant Gift Cards! You pay for the face value of the card and the B-CC PTSA makes 5 percent. You cards will be delivered to your door. Please call Pam Feinstein (301/907-8223 or FeinStep@aol.com) for more information or to place your order.
§ Senior Class Fundraiser – buy a dozen beautiful roses for Valentine’s Day, only $25! They have 17-18 inch stems and are available in red, dramatic black red, bright red, yellow, or peach-pink. To look at the colors and view the quality of the roses, please visit www.mnmrose.com. Order forms can be found in the last issue of the Banter. A form is also available from the PTSA website. Orders are due January 22!
§ Senior Beach Week meeting, January 22 at 7:30pm, B-CC Auditorium. Beach Week is not a school-sponsored event.
§ Cluster Hispanic Parents meeting, January 30, 2003 at the Coffield Center in Silver Spring from 7 to 9 p.m.
§ PTSA Used Book Sale and Café, February 2, 11:00am to 4:00pm Come buy books (huge selection!) and enjoy some coffee and pastry while you peruse. Also, we need help setting up on February 1, during the sale, and cleaning up. Please contact Barbara Levine (301/986-9748 or bwlevine@ix.netcom.com) or Pat Gage (301652-3990 or Gagep@aol.com) if you can help.
§ FAFSA meeting for Hispanic Parents, February 2, 2003. Please contact Nancy Leopold (301/986-1236 or NLeopold@hers.com), Nancy Zeller (301/946-3151 or nzeller@american.edu), or Cathie Goltz (CathGoltz@aol.com) for more information.
§ Staff Appreciation – Monday, February 3 staff meeting. Watch your email for the opportunity to sign up or please contact Joanie Edwards (301/656-8975 or trekersetc@aol.com) if you can help.
§ Senior Cap and Gown portraits, February 4, 2003 from 7:30am - 2:30pm on the stage in the auditorium. Students should see their English teachers for their specific time.
§ SAT Practice Exam, February 22, 2003. Please contact Shelley Block (301/986-4761 or SBlock54@aol.com) or Janet Clifton (301/840-2985 or janet.clifton@oracle.com) for more information.
§ Sports Boosters meeting on February 24, 2003. We need more parent involvement – anyone who ever considered helping the Sports Boosters should come to this meeting!!! We plan to show a film collage of our wonderful sports teams and will debut the film at this event. Please contact Nancy Zeller (301/946-3151 or nzeller@american.edu) for more information.
§ Drama Boosters (Linda Simon, 301/657-6299 or lindasimon@comcast.net) – Watch for future details about the Drama Department’s winter/spring productions and the Talent Show in May.
Financial Report (Bob Loesche, 301/946-1482 or Robert_Loesche@ao.uscourts.gov)
§ Attached ( Bob reported that $20,000 more is coming from Giant cards. The PTSA has been spending funds on teacher wish lists – approximately $1000 to each department.).
Principal’s Report – Katy reported that Back to School Day will be held on Feb. 11 from 1-3pm. She noted that, while the timing of this is not ideal, she wanted to try it and see how it works. Feb. 5 is parent orientation for incoming 9th graders and new students. Exams are going well ; and the snow delay day didn’t correspond with the late schedule—this will be fixed.
She encouraged Seniors to keep up a rigorous schedule and noted that one college rescinded a student’s admission when that person chose too many easy senior classes. The Cyber Café is coming along on schedule. Computers have arrived and a cappuccino machine is on the way. A dedication will be held at a time TBA.
Minutes from December 2002 Meeting
§ Attached. The minutes were approved.
MCCPTA Budget Compact (Ellen Gerecht, 301/495-9821 or ellengere@comcast.net)
§ Attached. The Budget Compact outlines MCCPTA’s budget priorities for the coming year. The Montgomery County Cluster PTA (MCCPTA) testified before the Board of Education that they support focus on raising the academic performance of all students; they urge MCPS continuing efforts to reduce class sizes; that schools can be kept safe and in good repair; that all-day kindergarten be expanded; and that retention and recruitment of talented teachers be a priority. However, large cuts from state funds are expected in the coming year.
Proposed MCPS Policy on Grading and Reporting
§ Attached. The issue of the proposed new policies on grading and attendance are of urgent interest to our community. There are important points of disagreement on some of these proposals. Lucy stated that this issue will be discussed at the next PTSA meeting and urged everyone to read the proposals in the meantime. These are available on the MCPS website.
Dr. Bernstein addressed the meeting on how to keep your teens out of trouble and what to do if they have problems anyway. For a full summary of his remarks, please see the B-CC website or current issue of the Banter newsletter.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Wolfe