PTSA 10/13 Meeting Recap

The October PTSA meeting took place last night via Zoom.  Thank you to Principal Shareef for attending and fielding parent questions, and to the community members in attendance.

• Principal Shareef announced that the school is planning a virtual curriculum night on October 29th beginning at 6:30PM. See our post on this event here: https://garfieldptsa.org/virtual-curriculum-night-oct-29
• The PTSA voted to cancel the spring fundraiser/auction given the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and restrictions on the number of attendees.  Planning will shift toward an online event, or at least a different type of event.  Ideas are welcome.
• A teacher reached out to the PTSA concerned that the new teacher features in the eBark have been mostly White teachers.  Moving forward we will solicit features from Garfield faculty (newcomers and long-timers alike) plus administration and support staff in the building, not only to help families better know Garfield but also to provide better representation of the entire Garfield community.
• Families and eligible students are strongly encouraged to exercise their right to VOTE!  The eBark has posted voter registration deadlines and ballot box locations, and Principal Shareef confirms that “Get Out the Vote” activities such as phone/text banking and writing postcards will count toward community service hours with appropriate documentation.  See our eBark post on voter information here: https://garfieldptsa.org/register-or-pre-register-to-vote

Other topics of discussion included ideas for encouraging students to turn on their cameras during classes to improve engagement; how to show appreciation and support for our teachers when we are unable to host the traditional breakfasts; Grad Night planning and the upcoming Holiday Giving Drive for families in need; work groups to update PTSA role descriptions; and ongoing support for students and families in need during the pandemic.

Kayla Epting, President, had outlined the following PTSA goals for the Fall at the September meeting:

• Partnering with the administration to better communication with all families at Garfield
• Expanding capacity in funding and resources to our families in need
• Diversifying the PTSA membership

Interested in attending future meetings?  The next PTSA meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 10th at 6:30PM.  Garfield Community PTSA meetings are typically held on the second Tuesday of each month, except for April when the meeting is held the week before Spring Break.   Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings will be held virtually for the foreseeable future. Garfield community members are welcome at all Board meetings but are especially encouraged to attend General Meetings.

PTSA meeting dates are posted online here and are subject to change: https://garfieldptsa.org/ptsa-meeting-dates