Call to Order #
The virtual meeting was called to order at 7:01 PM. 22 participants were present. Executive Committee members in attendance:
- Sharon Burd, President
- Ken Venable, VP for Educational Programs
- Clare Rosenberger, VP for Fundraising
- Megan Miller, VP for Community Relations
- Ashley Farrugia, VP for Staff Appreciation
- Christian Lindstrom, Treasurer
- Dan Burd, Secretary
PTA Updates #
Approval of Meeting Minutes #
Membership voted to approve the January 10, 2023 meeting minutes.
Treasurer’s Report #
Christian Lindstrom, Treasurer
Christian provided the Treasurer’s report. The financial statements are here and here.
Events #
Meredith Greene, VP for Events
- Winter Wonderland ice skating will happen on February 28.
- Bus Driver Appreciation Day is tomorrow, February 22. The PTA will distribute leather key chains and donuts to the bus drivers at 7:30 AM tomorrow.
Staff Appreciation #
Ashley Farrugia, VP for Staff Appreciation
- Thank you to the families who brought in food for the Super Bowl event.
- Megan Miller baked cookies in the shape of a heart to give to teachers for Valentine’s Day.
- Teachers will be provided with food on their conference day next week.
- Spirit Wear is currently for sale here.
- Girls on the Run is accepting signups here. Coaches include Erin Mahaffey, Olympia Carranza and Victor Spadaro.
Educational Programs #
Ken Venable, VP for Educational Programs
- There is a waitlist of about 48 kids for Extended Day that the county is trying to clear up.
- We are still working to get flashing lights at the crosswalk on South Abingdon Street, possibly for next school year.
- Ms. Abbott and Ms. Muscarella will continue teaching enrichment classes in the spring. Additional classes include spy science, chess, chemistry, Wood Structures and Contraptions Engineering, Yoga is Fun, and Middle School 101.
Fundraising #
Clare Rosenberger, VP for Fundraising
- The Read-a-thon is coming up March 13-24, which is the largest fundraiser of the year. Click here to sign up.
- We also intend to hold a free book swap.
Community Relations #
Sharon Burd in place of Megan Miller, VP for Community Relations
- Thank you to parents for helping with stalking the extras closets at school and continuing to volunteer for the classroom snack pantry.
Book Fair #
Maureen McCormick Harlow, Book Fair Lead
- Sign up to volunteer at the Book Fair here. The Book Fair raises money for the school library. Dads are especially encouraged to sign up.
Secretary’s Report #
Dan Burd, Secretary
- We’re starting a nominating committee to identify new officers, as per our bylaws. Sign up here by March 7 if you are interested.
President’s Report #
Sharon Burd, President
- Yorktown High School student Thomas Totten generously built a custom shed as part of his Eagle Scout project for our school garden.
Principal’s Report #
David Horak, Prinicpal
Michele Micael, Assistant Principal
- The new shed is beautiful.
- APS is performing an address verification for fifth and eighth graders. More information is available here.
- Parents will be notified at their parent-teacher conferences whether their child is eligible for summer school. Claremont is a summer school location this year, not Abingdon. It will run from July 5 to August 1. More information is available here.
- Third graders are currently visiting the Outdoor Lab in Fauquier County.
- Parent-teacher conferences are next Thursday and Friday. Thursday is early dismissal and Friday will be no classes for students.
- Math scores have risen markedly during the course of this school year. There are 100 fewer students in the lowest range for math, and double the number in the advanced range (from seven to fourteen percent).
- Parents are asked to label clothing, water bottles and lunch boxes.
Questions and Answers #
Q: Is the clothing closet an ongoing need?
A: Sort of. As per the February 7 newsletter, “At this time we don’t need any more donations of socks, underwear, or boys clothing. We are still looking for donations for girls size small (4,5,6,7) pants, shorts, and tops.”
Music Team Presentation #
Janet Kingsley, William Heim, and Giovanna Koesterer — Music Teachers
The music team gave a presentation of the music program at Abingdon. Their presentation slides are available here.
Questions and Answers #
Q: How does chorus work? Is that a club or a class?
A: We have chorus after school on Tuesdays. It’s for fourth and fifth graders.
Adjournment #
- The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 PM.
- The next meeting will be Tuesday, March 14 at 7 PM.
/s/ Dan Burd, Secretary