September 26, 2018 - Meeting Minutes

Caren Nemtozow- Director, Child Assault Prevention Program
OVERVIEW:
  • The CAP program is in its 24th year in Needham Public Schools 
  • The program teaches children simple strategies to reduce vulnerabilities and to remain safe, strong and free
  • Students in grades 1, 3 and 5 will take part in the program.  
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
  • Volunteers are needed! No prior knowledge is required.  It is a one-year commitment.  You will receive 21 hours of training and practice across 2-mornings/ month. 
  • For more information about volunteering please read this handout
 
Caryn Manning- Eliot mom & Board Member, Needham Education Foundation 
  • NEF provides money to schools and the community in Needham for innovation educational funding
  • NEF funding comes from the annual appeal, annual spelling bee, and donations in a teachers names in the form of the education thank you gift cards
  • Since 1990, 675 grants have been given out
  • Teachers, administrators, parents and community members can apply for grants
  • Past Eliot grants include: (purchase of 30 ukuleles for the music department, purchase of the 70 international flags representing the Eliot community displayed in the Eliot halls, Hokki stools for flexible seating options, Sol y Canto performance, Kindergarten “math backpacks”)
  • NEF encourages those with an idea to submit a grant
  • Please find more information on this handout
 
Betsy Maxwell – Eliot teacher
THANK YOUs:
  • The teachers say thank you to the PTC for the back-to-school luncheon
  • They also say thank you to the PTC for the gift cards given to all the teachers to purchase classroom material.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING GRANTS:
  • The teachers are very excited that the PTC will be spending its grant funding this year to support flexible seating options for the classroom.  
  • Flexible seating used to be seen as a special education aide, but now flexible seating has been shown to provide a positive impact on ALL students
 
Karen Bourn- Eliot Principal 
SEONCD STEP PROGRAM: 
  • Eliot has purchased the updated version of the Second Step program to be used as part of the Social-Emotional curriculum.  The Second Step program teaches grades K-5 empathy, problem solving and managing your emotions.
  • There will be weekly lessons for each classroom beginning in October.  
  • As a result the school will have a shared language and shared foundation.
  • The hope is for more positive experiences and less office visits  (proactive vs reactive)
  • Please find the timeline for the lessons here 
MORNING DROP-OFF PROCEDURE:
  • There are 402 students that need to get in the building each day within 15 minutes (8:05-8:20)
  • There is both a safety concern and a traffic delay as a result of parents parking their cars in the lot and then walking in their kids into school (crossing the car line)
  • Mrs. Bourn has confirmed that no one will be marked late if their parents are in the carline for drop off prior to 8:20.  There is no need to let you kids out of the car before you get to the front of the school in order to make sure they are in the school by 8:20.  
  • If you do need to walk you child into school, we suggest parking your car on Ardmore and entering through the Ardmore path to school.
 
Hilary Witcher- Eliot mom & PTC Community Service Chair 
  • In collaboration with the school’s initiative toward Kindness Hilary will be heading up our community service learning program.  
  • Please refer to our 2018-2019 Eliot Community Service Learning Calendar
  • We will be continuing some of our community service initiatives from last year: Sandwich Tuesdays, Candy for the Troops, Cradles to Crayons drive
WE WILL ALSO BE SPONSORING: 
  • Toys drive for the Jimmy Fund in November
  • The Giving Project for Eliot families in need during the holidays
  • Kindness Week in January
  • A food drive in June for Needham families in need for the summer months
 
 
Jenn Scheck-Kahn – Eliot mom & SEPAC representative
  • Jenn Scheck-Kahn and Nathalie Blitz are the Eliot representatives for SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Committee) 
  • Jenn will be presenting at our next meeting, however, if anyone has any questions or concerns beforehand, please do not hesitate to contact them at eliot@needhamsepac.org