P.S. 133Q School Leadership Team for 2008-2009

Name                                                Constituency Represented

Ms. Steppel                                       Principal

Ms. Stulberg                                      UFT Chapter Leader

Ms. Cannova                                     SLT Chair/Parent

Ms. Milata                                         PTA Co-President

Mr. Barilla                                         SLT Secretary/Teacher

Ms. Cervantes                                   Teacher

Ms. Pallai                                           Teacher

Ms. Santo                                          Teacher

Ms. Ugas                                           DC 37 Representative

Ms. Dorcean                                      Parent

Ms. Martinez                                     Parent

Ms. Perez                                          Parent

Ms. Pournazari                                  Parent

Ms. Whelan                                       Parent/PTA Co-President

Leadership Committee Minutes

November 18, 2008

·      Approval of minutes from November 6^th meeting

Principal’s Report

·      Ms. Steppel thanked Mr. Barilla and Mrs. Cannova for their continuous work on the SLT

·      Ms. Steppel notified leadership team about an e-mail that was sent out to principals regarding budget cuts

·      E-mail stated that the budget cuts were effective immediately and that approximately $65,000 will be cut this school year

·      A projected budget cut of $161,000 is proposed for the 2009-2010 school year

·      The $65,000 budget cut will be offset by monies that were set aside and not yet allocated for specific spending

·      Budget for the 2009-2010 school year cannot be decided at this time because the cuts are preliminary figures

CEP

·      At the conclusion of the Nov. 6^th SLT meeting, staff members stayed after to work on Appendix 7 of the CEP

·      Ms. Steppel incorporated their ideas into the new CEP

·      Ms. Steppel brought in a draft to the new CEP with all appendixes and action plan filled in

·      Time was given for SLT members to review the CEP

·      Consensus showed that CEP was complete and will be submitted

Next Meetings:

·      *Morning Meeting* -- Tuesday, December 9, 2008 in the library at 7:30AM

·      *Morning Meeting* -- Wednesday, January 21, 2009 in the library at 7:30AM

·      *Morning Meeting* -- Tuesday, February 10, 2009 in the library at 7:30AM

Respectfully submitted by: J. Barilla

Leadership Committee Minutes

November 6, 2008

·      Approval of minutes from October meeting

Principal’s Report

·      Ms. Steppel notified leadership team about an e-mail that was sent out to principals regarding budget cuts

·      There was also a notice that went home notifying parents that there will be cuts this year and for the 2009-2010 school year as well

·      Ms. Steppel assured group that this year’s cut should not severely impact our school budget

·      Bloomberg reported that the bonus money that was earned for our school’s “A” on our progress report is gone

CEP

·      Copies of the new 2008-2009 CEP were handed out to the leadership team

·      Ms. Steppel also handed out preliminary sections, that she had completed prior to the meeting, which we read through

·      There was a brief discussion on how we were going to complete the CEP

·      Consensus reflected that SLT members are comfortable with Ms. Steppel’s preliminary sections and will be used in the actual CEP

·      Ms. Steppel asked committee if she should write up remaining sections of the action plan

·      Consensus reflected that SLT members were comfortable with Ms. Steppel writing up the remaining sections of the CEP

·      Teacher representatives on SLT worked on Appendix 7 and will submit draft to Ms. Steppel

Next Meetings:

·      Tuesday, November 18, 2008 in the library at 3:30

·      *Morning Meeting* -- Tuesday, December 9, 2008 in the library at 7:30AM

Leadership Committee Minutes

October 23, 2008

·      Approval of minutes from September meeting

School Leadership Team for 2008-2009

·      Welcomed Barbara Dorcean as parent member of SLT

Principals Report

·      Ms. Steppel clarified the fiscal budget

·      Budget is ok at the time, however, we are anticipating budget cuts

·      According to the UFT, $190 million in budget cuts are projected citywide this year

·      Discussed how much PS 133 will be effected

Reso-A-Grant

·      Ms. Steppel thanked Mr. Trimble for all his hard work involving the technology upgrade

·      Grant provides all new computers in computer lab

·      A new server and network printers will be added as well

·      2 or 3 Smartboards along with laptops will be installed in classrooms

·      Mrs. Whelan mentioned the idea to send David Weprin an offering of thanks

School Construction Authority Project (SCA)

·      There is ongoing work on the roof of PS 133 being completed after school hours

Auditorium Upgrade

·      Construction on the schools auditorium is slated to begin shortly

·      Upgrade will consist of new seating, lighting, stage, and handicap capabilities

·      Due to construction, there will be a period of time where the auditorium will be unusable

·      Mrs. Mesh’s fall dance show and the PTA Talent Show will be canceled due to the construction

·      Programs will resume the following year once construction and upgrade is completed

Programs & New Initiatives

Young Audiences (Alastair King)

·      Currently ongoing in the third grade

·      Program is going well and the children are really enjoying it

·      Ms. Steppel is anticipating moving this program to other grades

Ballroom Dancing

·      Program is going well and there is a vey positive response from teachers and students

CEP

·      There is a new template for the CEP which is due in the next couple of months

·      2 of the appendices are due very soon

·      Discussed how we are going to approach completing the CEP

·      Ms. Steppel suggested the idea of working in sub-committees or taking sections to complete the CEP

·      The CEP needs to be staff reflective

·      Staff members will prepare information that is staff reflective for next meeting

·      Ms. Steppel stated that we need to address the issues in the CEP, so that we can move forward in a positive direction

·      Ms. Steppel suggested that she would bring last year’s CEP and a blank CEP to the next meeting

·      Ms. Steppel offered to fill in some preliminary sections of the CEP and bring it to the next meeting

·      Consensus indicated that the team would like Ms. Steppel to begin working on the CEP

Next Meetings:

·      Thursday, November 6^th at 3:30 in the Library

·      Tuesday, November 18^th at 3:30 in the Library

·      Tuesday, December 9^th at 7:30am in the Library

Respectfully submitted by: Justin Barilla

Leadership Committee Minutes

September 23, 2008

·      Approval of minutes from June meeting

School Leadership Team for 2008-2009

·      Ms. Steppel welcomed new members to the School Leadership Team

·      Ms. Steppel discussed discrepancy regarding committee representation

·      Committee originally called for four staff representatives made up of 3 UFT and 1 D-37 representative

·      Our Committee contains 4 UFT members and 1 D-37 member

·      Since there needs to be equal representation on the School Leadership team, the group proceeded by equalizing the committee size by adding a parent

·      Consensus showed that Mrs. Dorcean will be added as parent member to equal out committee representation (7 staff & 7 parents)

·      Committee size will increase from 12 to 14 members

·      By consensus, Mrs. Cannova was selected as SLT chair

·      By consensus, Mr. Barilla was selected as recorder of minutes

·      A requirement of 30 hours is needed for the SLT $300 stipend

·      Parent members may use PTA meetings, CDEC meetings, and CEP meetings as part of their 30 hours

·      Staff members can use PTA meetings, school events, and school-related training or workshops that are beyond their regular school hours

School Updates

Budget

·      Ms. Steppel discussed budget cuts that were made for the 2008-2009 school year

·      Budget is also contingent on the number of students on register as of October 1, 2008

·      Overall, Ms. Steppel indicated that the fiscal budget is OK at this time

Construction

·      Ms. Steppel discussed the current construction project that is going on at PS 133

·      The project has extended further in the big yard where children play before school, during recess, and at dismissal

·      A point was raised by Ms. Steppel about the safety issue of children swinging on the construction bars once they have been dismissed to their parents

·      A note will be sent home notifying parents of the current construction project

·      It is unsure as to when construction in the school auditorium will be taking place

Grant

·      Our school was given a grant of $100,000, which will be coming later in the year to improve our technological resources

School Progress Reports

·      Program running for 2^nd year

·      PS 133 received an A in each of three categories and an overall A

·      Ms. Steppel thanked staff and parents for their hard work and dedication to the school

Test Results

·      Ms. Steppel handed out summary of standardized state test scores for the ELA and Math

·      Handout shows the increase/decrease of scores from previous years to now

·      The focus is looking at a one year’s progress for every student

·      Ms. Steppel thanked the school team and support of parents for the increase in scores

Programs and New Initiatives

·      PS 133 will be bringing back all the same programs from 2007-2008 school year including Ballroom Dancing, and Mrs. Meshs’ Dance

·      A new musical theater partnership with Young Audiences is beginning in grade 3 on October 7^th

·      The theme of the 10-week artist residency will be “Peter Pan,” and the final performance will be on December 17^th

·      PS 133 will also be using Math Enrichment, Study Island, and Ed Performance as part of school programs and new initiatives

Math Enrichment

·      Ms. Sabbagh will be working with 4^th and 5^th graders two times a week for enrichment in math

·      One of these pull-outs will be during the lunch period

Study Island

·      Program is in place for grades 2-5 which covers math, science, social studies, and reading

·      Program will be expanded this year to include 1^st grade

Ed Performance

·      Ed Performance is a program that PS 133 is piloting

·      This program tracks progress on each individual child’s level based on performance and lists recommendations for areas of improvement

·      This is an online assessment that will be tested in one class per grade

·      This program focuses in on each students individual needs

Next Meetings

·      October’s meeting will be Thursday the 23^rd in the library at 3:30

·      November’s meeting is scheduled for Thursday the 6^th in the library at 3:30

Respectfully submitted by:  J. Barilla

Leadership Committee Minutes

January 16, 2008

Approval of minutes from December meeting

Principal’s Report

• Looking into funding for RESO-A grants
• Ms. Steppel shared a letter she wrote to Senator Padavan and Councilman Weprin regarding a request for funding for technology upgrades
• The letter also included requests for funds for much needed technological and electrical upgrades
• We have not received RESO-A funding in over 7 years
• So far 2 people have visited the building to survey and provide an estimate for electrical upgrades
• This past Monday (Jan. 14) there was a workshop available in the building for staff on Smartboards (an interactive technology tool)
• The lunch time meeting was attended my many staff members which is a further indication of the dedication of our staff to quality education
• The school will make some decisions regarding the number of smartboards that will be ordered
• The cost is about $6000 per classroom
• There are both portable and stationary versions available- at this time the portable do not seem very safe
• There will be further training available to staff members in using and planning lessons on the Smartboards
• Ms. Steppel asked teachers to personally express interest in getting a board for their classroom
• The decisions about where they will be placed will be heavily influenced by teacher interest
• Staff can be flexible in terms of sharing their rooms for colleagues to use the Smartboards with their classes
• Our school met the criteria for the Excellence Reward based on last year’s Quality Review and the Progress Report
• Our school will receive $17,060 as our reward
• Ms. Steppel discussed the reward at the faculty conference
• Would be nice to do something special with the money that we may not have been able to do otherwise
• Ms. Steppel asked the staff for some suggestions – spending some of the money on technology was a popular suggestion 

Storytelling Residencies

• K and 1^st grade will be starting their residencies at the end of January
• 2^nd grade starts at the end of March

Dance

• K-2 dance show with Ms. Mesh will be on Friday February 1^st
• There will be 2 performances just like last year
• Ms. Steppel will be at a meeting with Councilman Mark Weprin during the morning performance

Green Book

• Ms. Steppel looked into the inquiry regarding the Green Books from last meeting
• Chancellors Regulation A655 supercedes and replaces the Green Book

Flea Market

• Ms. Perez got the application for the permit
• Ms. Stulberg got the phone number of the contact person at another school that runs a flea market
• The phone number was passed onto Ms. Pilosi for further research

Parent-Teacher Conferences

• The time slot for the evening Parent-Teacher Conferences will be changed to 5:30-8:00 pm this year
• Thursday March 13^th will be the conference day and will be a half day for students

Issues/Concerns

• Parents are wondering what procedures can be put into place to notify parents in case of an emergency either in or out of the school
• How can parents find out information? How can staff notify parents of a situation or procedures?
• Ideas for procedures will be discussed at the next meeting

Upcoming Meeting Dates and Times

• Thursday February 7^th @ 7:30 a.m. (changed from 2/13)
• Wednesday March 19^th at 7:30 a.m.
• Wednesday April 16^th at 3:30 p.m.
• All meetings will take place in the Library

Respectfully submitted by: J. Adinolfi

Leadership Committee Minutes

November 20, 2007

Approval of minutes from October

Grant Writing

• Mrs. Whelan did some research on a grant proposed last meeting and will update her findings at the December meeting
• Mrs. Pilosi researched some grants as well and found that some required a membership fee or are due in the fall
• It was suggested that the bulk of the grant research is done in the spring in order to be prepared for fall deadlines
• We do not qualify for some of the grants available because we are not an inner city or Title I school
• Mrs. Perez researched a Lowe’s grant for a parent room
• Ms. Steppel suggested Ms. Perez meet with the PTA executive board to see if they are interested in what the grant has to offer
• Ms. Steppel will look into registering the school online for the Lowe’s grant if the PTA is interested

Professional Development/Training for SLT Members

• There has been concerns about the possibility of mandatory attendance for SLT members at trainings in order to receive the stipend at the end of the year
• There are meetings coming up and it is suggested that all members attend one of the trainings in order to receive the stipend in June
• There is an additional meeting that was not on the original list Ms. Leone emailed that Ms. Steppel let the team know about (11/26 at 3:30 at P.S. 221)
• There is also a training on 11/26 at I.S. 67 that some members may be attending
• The meetings provide members with a general training on SLT regulations, procedures, etc.
• When SLT first started there was a separate and large budget for the committee-there is not a separate budget anymore
• Ms. Steppel needs to set monies aside in her budget for the SLT stipends for 12 members
• Some schools forgo the stipend and use the monies in another way for the school-Ms. Steppel in no way suggests the members on the committee need to do this

Progress Report

• Parents received envelopes at Parent Teacher Conferences which included a copy of the progress report
• There has been a lot of talk about the report and what it means and what is does not mean
• We are all thrilled with the ‘A’ and it is all thanks to the entire P.S. 133 community-everyone should be very proud of the hard work and efforts that are made here daily
• There is an intricate formula for determining school scores and cohorts-may even be changed for next year
• Schools are put into cohorts of 41 schools (20 schools performing above your school, 20 schools performing below your school, and your school)-your school is compared to these schools which are from all over the city
• A large portion of the progress report is based on student progress and performance on state tests over the course of 4-6 days of testing during the year for the 4^th and 5^th grades
• The performance of the 4^th and 5^th grades is reflective of the work done in grades K-3 but the report theoretically holds 2 groups accountable (4^th and 5^th)
• They count students that go up in scores as well as students that go down in scores
• There has been some talk of redesigning the learning surveys for next year

Quality Review Report

• Ms. Steppel received the draft and is very happy with the results
• The report is not public knowledge yet-we have to wait until it is posted on-line before it is made public to the school community

Upcoming SLT Meetings

• Wednesday December 19^th at 3:30
• Wednesday January 16^th at 7:30

Agenda Suggestions for December

• Follow-up questions regarding the Progress Report
• Quality Review
• SLT training information
• Fundraising and Grant Writing

Respectfully submitted by J. Adinolfi

Leadership Committee Minutes

October 25, 2007 Meeting

Approval of minutes from September

Welcome New Member

• Welcome to new parent member Betsy Perez

Discussion of Training Meeting Oct 18^th

• Meeting held on 10/18 at the UFT offices on Queens Blvd for SLT members
• Ms. Stulberg and Ms. Perez attended the meeting and brought back some information
• Some key issues were discussed at meeting regarding proposed changes regarding meetings and expectations
• Some suggestions were to review the by-laws, draft the agenda for the next meeting at the end of the current meeting, rotate chairperson position, SLT bulletin board posted for school community
• We have set up a bulletin board opposite the main office with the names of those serving on the SLT, approved minutes from the most recent meeting, date and time for the next meeting
• Staff and parents are always welcome to sit in on SLT meetings as observers
• The CEP is available for any parent or staff member to view-copies are located in Ms. Steppel’s office, Mrs. Leone’s room, Ms. Stulberg’s room, and the PTA room
• There was a proposal mentioned during the summer that members wishing to take the stipend offered for SLT members would be required to attend mandated SLT training sessions
• Nothing else has been reported regarding this proposal including what constitutes training, where or when training would take place-still awaiting clarification
• In summary the key pieces brought up at the meeting are largely in place and has served almost as a checklist for us to see what we already do and what needs to be done for future meetings
• Ms. Stulberg and Ms. Perez provided team members with handouts of the proposals and key points from the meeting

Quality Review

• We had the quality review on October 1^st and 2^nd
• Haven’t gotten an official report yet
• It was a pleasant experience for the school
• Ms. Steppel continues to be proud of the work that goes on daily
• Ms. Steppel feels that it was a successful review after her exit meeting with the reviewer
• When the report is completed and published it will be available for the public and Ms. Steppel will share that information with the SLT

Progress Report

• The Progress Reports will be coming out soon
• Each school will get a grade (A, B, C, D, F)
• The grades are heavily weighted by student test scores
• According to the chancellor there will be a packet sent home with each child with a copy of the progress report
• There are complex formulas for how the grades were configured and Ms. Steppel will share that information with the staff, PTA, and SLT.

Issues and Concerns

• McDonald’s Night will be Monday December 3^rd from 4pm-7pm at the Union Turnpike McDonald’s at 256^th street
• There will be a 5^th grade fundraiser cake sale during Parent-Teacher Conferences November 13^th
• The 5^th grade will be selling a slide show DVD as a fundraiser this year. The DVD from last year will be playing during Parent teacher conferences outside Mrs. Leone’s room for parents and students to see

Suggestions for Next Month’s  Agenda

• Grant writing

Next Meeting

• Tuesday November 20^th at 7:30 am in the Library

Respectfully submitted by J. Adinolfi