FRIENDS OF WALGROVE (FOW) MEETING MINUTES JUNE 07, 2011

6:45pm – 8:30pm Walgrove Avenue Elementary School

1630 Walgrove Avenue ∗ Los Angeles, CA 90066 Phone: 310-391-7104 ∗ Fax: 310-391-9809

http://www.friendsofwalgrove.com/ By: Julie Dair, Volunteer

Present: Sarah Reimers (Co-President), Michelle Dean (Co-President), Steve Dean (Jamie (K), Tyler (2)), Lynn Jones (Room 8 Room Parent (RP)), Emily Carey (Hospitality Team), Claudia Trevisan (Room 22 RP), Brandy Oeser (Room 1 RP), Mark Sim (Treasurer), Laura Elian (Room 28 RP), Liberty Conboy (Secretary), Caroline Diaz (FOW Website Team), Toni Vera-Martinez (Room 4 RP), Mary Cliff (Room 14 RP), Julie Dair (RP Coordinator), Cindy Minor (Controller), Lisa Haase (Eden (2), Logan (3)), Kathy Smith (Room 23 RP), Georgia McCreery (Evelyn (1)), Mel Ryane (Shakespeare Club) – did not vote, Laurie Hansen (Haley (3)), Brooke Wirtschafter (Annual Fund), Dana Tasker (Yearbook Team), Lisa Tauscher (Fundraising Co-Chair), Mahrou Hazeghi (Ryan (2)), Erica Moore-Ciganovic (Merick (2)), John Fischer (School Site Council), Laura Groppe (Room 4 and Room 7 RP), Brigid McBride (Room 3 RP), Cody Ashe-McNalley (Isaac (K), Frances (2)), Ruth Handel (Room 3 RP), Leisle Bartley (Annual Fund), Danielle Seidenglanz (Fundraising Co-Chair), Amy Johnson (EVTF), Nicolette Van Sluis (Room 26 RP), Grace Wexler (Noah and Bella (K)) I. Welcome & Introductions – Sarah Reimers II. Special Thanks – Sarah Reimers

A. Staff Appreciation Week – Hospitality Team: Emily Carey, Melissa Ross B. ZJ Shop-Out – Lynn Jones C. Walk-a-thon: Brandy Oeser, Lisa Tauscher, Danielle Seidenglanz D. Testing Snack Team – Warner Takaki E. Field Trips – Room Parents, thank you for the field trips and all that you do! F. Happenings & Help Wanteds: Julie Dair, Room Parent Coordinator

III. School/Instructional Reports Guest – Mel Ryane (Shakespeare Club) A. Budget: 1. $1200 budget this year, more than last year because I added the “Plot People” and that required more materials/props. 2. Budget expenses to submit -- $238 in receipts detailed in line items for Cindy Minor, Controller. 3. Income: $200 from Cynthia Sikes/Ross Brodie, $200 from Lori Hayashi, $638 raised by Brooke Wirtschafter and fund-raising people. Also, Haley Hansen made a beautiful donation box. B. Materials: 1. Handed over almost all props, but is holding onto expensive on-stage microphones at home. 2. Strongly suggest buying speaker system instead of renting it every year. C. Final Meetings

1. Our last meeting was last Wednesday with a Gratefulness and Gratitude Council with 30 kids. 2. Told them she was not doing it next year due to writing/travel commitments. 3. Laura Stockton (assistant) will be leading the Shakespeare Club next year in her stead. 4. Then, the kids journal-wrote. Three points stood out: (1) 3rd graders expressed how much they

would miss the 5th graders, (2) they were proud of how they “sticked” together, and (3) sad that it was over but were glad to have shared the love and the greatness of being a Shakespeare Club together.

5. Feels that the Shakespeare Club has been her calling and honored to be a part of it. 6. Grateful to Michael Stenger for mentoring and supporting her from the beginning. He was

part of the original booster club of five that sponsored and helped her.

IV. Officer and Council Reports A. President – Sarah Reimers and Michelle Dean 1. Meeting with Board Member Steve Zimmer: will disseminate notes on the meeting soon. a. Basically, there is a proposal to lease the back space of our Walgrove lot to another school. b. Request for Proposal (RFP) will go before the Board for approval on June 24 or June 28. c. Charters will then have three weeks to put forth applications. d. Board will then evaluate/review the applications for three weeks. e. Board will meet to approve an applicant in September (no meetings in July/August). 2. Hiring Team for new Walgrove Principal a. Arlene Fortier has requested a transfer to be closer to home. b. Hiring Committee will be a combination of teachers and parents. (1) Parents will be: (a) Steve Dean: 14 years of Human Resources (HR) experience, thousands of interviews (b) Julie Dair: 2 years of HR experience with teachers/principals, 13 years teaching experience, different perspectives as parent, teacher, aide. (c) Brigid McBride: 14 years of heading own casting company, many years of experience working with a team (producers, directors, actors) to hire actors (d) Mary Cliff: 20+ years working in UCLA neurology department and experience hiring directors/administrators, parent of special needs student and is committed to being a voice for special education students’ concerns and issues. (2) Teachers are being decided this week and will be publicized next week. (3) Susan Allen (LAUSD Local District 3) is spearheading the hiring committee and putting together the list of job requirements and needs. c. Position of Walgrove Avenue Elementary School Principal has been “flown” today, and is now out in the LAUSD community. 300 candidates just passed the Principal’s Exam, so there is a large potential pool of candidates. Most likely, no one will want to make a lateral move – in other words, we will probably be getting a first-time principal rather than an experienced one. B. Fundraising – Lisa Tauscher and Danielle Seidenglanz 1. Walk-a-thon (Saturday, June 4) – Brandy Oeser. We made $4500 as of now, but monies are stil coming in via Pay Pal and pledges. This event was great fun but more work than anticipated. Next year, we will need more time to prep for all the permits and clearances required by LAUSD. 2. Dine-Out (Monday, June 20) – Lisa Tauscher. Our final Dine-Out for the year will be at Pitfire Pizza! Next year, we plan to have Dine-Outs more often (perhaps every other month, or monthly). 3. Fundraising Numbers – Lisa Tauscher. This year, we raised $145K~$150K! C. Treasurer – Mark Sim

1. Raised: $166K – it covered our budget this year and we were able to avoid dipping into our “cushion” of $65K (it will be less once May paychecks go out, though). 2. Spent: $155K this year, less than anticipated. 3. As always, please e-mail me at fowtreasurer@gmail.com if you want full details of the budget. 4. Treasurer position – it is not as much work as it sounds, and I can help out whoever takes over. My work requires more time now and I can’t be available for FOW Treasurer duties.

V. Old Business: A. Final Music Center Programming will be this Thursday, June 9, 1:30pm, Auditorium – David Prather’s Poetry Jam. There is only one performance. VI. New Business: A. 2011~2012 Officers and Committees – Sarah Reimers 1. Update on Team Volunteers and Office Slate: we do not have a full slate of candidates at this point, so the current officers will stay on through the summer and elections will be held in September. 2. Here are the candidates for 2011-2012 thus far (still missing Treasurer): a. Secretary – Kathy Smith b. Controller – Cindy Minor c. Fundraising – Michelle Dean, Lynn Jones, and Lisa Tauscher (need to change by-laws to have 3) d. President – Sarah Reimers e. Vice-President – Julie Dair

B. 2011~2012 FOW Budget – Sarah Reimers 1. Note: Alejandra Biolatto and Elvia Perez will be back and classroom size will stay the same because United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) agreed to 18 furlough days over the next three years to ease budget restraints. 2. FOW 2011/2012 BUDGET FINAL DRAFT

• Class Reduction/Differentiation Teacher (hiring another teacher)* $45,000 • Teacher Aides $25,000 2 aides plus overtime for kinder lunch (school is hiring 7 classroom aides) • Lunch & Recess Supervision Staff $8,000 • Studio Program $33,000~$37,500

28~32 hours/week for 33 weeks + materials (increase of hours from last year to include special ed, more planning time and option for longer class periods)

• P.E. Program $17,000 • Teacher Support (Supplies and Development) $4,000 • Arts Program

(standards-based progressive grade-specific hands-on arts program) $15,000 • Shakespeare Club Program $2,500 • Differentiated Language Arts Materials $2,500 • Differentiated Math Materials/Programs $2,500 • Field Trips ($1000 for bus used in Sacramento) $2,500 • Miscellaneous Printing/Office Supplies $2,000 • Library Committee/Materials $1,000 • Shakespeare Program $1,500 • Physical Plant Improvements $1,000 • Yearbook $500 • Fifth Grade Culmination $500 • Recruitment & Retention (Formerly Outreach and Hospitality) $3,000 • Taxes & Licenses/Insurance/Miscellaneous Expenses $6,000

TOTAL BUDGET $171,000 ~ $174,500K *Differentiation Teacher Job Description Draft, June 2011 The Differentiation Teacher position provides instructional support to students daily, in collaboration with

teachers. This teacher works under the supervision of the principal. This position supports the Core Beliefs by giving students targeted instruction that allows them to reach their maximum potential. Instruction will include a variety of approaches, including project-based learning, simulations, and cooperative learning that address our diverse range of learners.

The Differentiation Teacher will work in collaboration with teachers in the following ways:

• Collaborate with K-1 teachers for small group differentiation strategies • Schedule and work daily with small groups in grades 2-5, including mainstreamed students • Develop standards based small group lessons to reinforce teachers’ directed lessons • Identify students’ areas of interest and specific academic needs to inform the instructional approaches used in small groups • Support grade level IA’s in providing differentiated instruction • Develop the process for integrating Junior Great Books program into classroom language arts curriculum • Incoroporate integrated technology instruction • Collaborate with classroom teachers to determine the most effective differentiation strategies during regularly scheduled PD • Communicate on student progress in small groups • Utilize the school’s RTi2 systems and structures when planning and implementing individualized instructional support for students.

3. BUDGET APPROVED: 30 “YES” votes and 4 “NO” votes 8:26pm, counted by Liberty Conboy (Secretary) and Julie Dair (Ex-Secretary Pro Tem)

VII. Happenings A. Kindergarten Orientation August 24, 8:30am Kinder Yard B. Kindergarten Playdate August 27, 10:00am-12:00pm Kinder Yard C. First Day of School September 7 Walgrove Campus D. First FOW Meeting September 13 Library E. Whale of a Sale Meeting October 1 F. Friendraiser (and Walgroovy kick-off!) October 15 VIII. Help Wanted A. 2011~2012 Committee Volunteers B. 2011~2012 FOW Treasurer