General Meeting: Arts, Math Night, and Volunteer Planning

Welcome & intros

The meeting included families, school staff, and PTSA volunteers.

What’s happening at Kimball:

Help put the word out re: incoming Kindergarteners, so we can plan better because we know who’s coming.

Gratitude for this community. Here to talk re: some partnerships. Also how much racism and oppressive forces that we face, in this space feel an enormous amount of hope.
Same mission to use play within community to build our students and our community. Our PE Leaders are trained, supported, supervised. Demonstrating their learning thru leading an entire Kindergarten PE class, prepared for more leadership in other areas of the building. Community partnerships in golf, basketball, gardening.
A partnership proposal integrating physical education, art, and music sought $1,503.25 in PTSA support.
What does this look like for our students? 4 classes, 1 with art that’s been visual art, 1 that’s breakdancing, 1 that’s percussion and drums with Aaron, and 4th an overall celebration where kids integrate art forms and have fun.
An arts org, Creative Advantage has been donating money to schools for different art projects; this year not direct money but are sustainability grants that are applied for, so using $10K from that, and Extraordinary futures Arts Performance grant for another $5000.

A March 14 Math Night was proposed with math games, a potluck, and Move-A-Thon-related activities.
Staff would lead the event; PTSA help was sought for potluck and Move-A-Thon activities.
Being Pi day, could have a lot of pie for food.
Move-A-Thon was scheduled for April 22–May 3.
Volunteers were sought to organize a March 14 potluck.
Pizza was planned for Math Night.

The Lunar New Year celebration was scheduled for February 8, 5:30–7:30 p.m., with food and performances planned.
Expect 300-400 people based on previous LNY celebrations. Spread the word, it’s only 2 weeks away.
Can we have a sign-up sheet or somehow advertise so parents can help set up, and since food first this time (5:30-6:30pm) and then from6:30-7:30pm lion dance, then parents help to clean up. So need sign-ups for set-up and clean-up. Maybe sent out a Cougar Connections message.
A Cougar Connections message and volunteer sign-ups were planned.

Breakout groups discussed communications and one-time volunteer needs.

Staff appreciation, get those on early. Seemed hard to get people on set-up, clean-up, etc.
Would be nice to have a place to see all events in one place, how to communicate out with all volunteers. Be aware how to share that across languages.
A blurb for class parents and the volunteer list was suggested.
One-time volunteer needs included T-shirt sales, art walk, NAAPID, and staff appreciation.
Would be good to have a central place for volunteer opportunities. So families can find out what is happening. Both calendar and list of tasks / needs. Need to clarify what tasks are ended “serve food” vs. “volunteer for Lunar New Year”.
The communications part, it feels, it’s not just 1 day it’s throughout the year. It feels like a longer-term commitment. How to break it up and still have consistency.
The Kimball volunteer Google group was noted as a channel for one-time volunteer opportunities.
One link would be to try to get all Room Parents into this Google Group, so they could cascade this onward to their class of parents.

Family support and navigation resources for special education were discussed.
Comprehensive Guide to SpEd, written by a parent . . . https://seattlespecialeducationptsa.org/guide-to-special-ed
Form identification to transition. Translated into 10 languages, by professional translators.
Changes in special-education staffing and family outreach were discussed.

Closing: Share Cougar Connection link and take any questions