We will be updating the calendar each month, but if you have questions about particular elements of the transition process or you notice that something is missing from our list, please feel free to email your comments to Dr. Beauchaine who will share your thoughts with the Transition Team.

Please come back and visit as we will update this calendar regularly. Thank you!

Or contact Karla Schallies 617-935-1336, karla.schallies@gmail.com or Shalini Kasida 617-872-4071, skasida@hotmail.com for any questions.

Runkle School

School Council Meeting

1/10/2012

Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 4:09pm in the Runkle Library.

Members Present:  V. Beauchaine, R. McElroy, G. Sopel, A.Hummel, V. Godhwani, D.Halwick, T. Gallo-Toth, M. Voros, D. Dixon, J. Katz

Members Absent: C.Pelton, J. Shapiro, S. Stern

      I.         Approval of Minutes 12/15/11

1. V.Godhwani shared an email sent to her on 1/6/12 from Scott Murphy with comments and questions regarding the posted draft minutes of the 12/15/11 School Council Meeting.
2. After reviewing the points of clarification in the email from Scott Murphy, the Council concluded that the SC Minutes as drafted and posted were an accurate reflection of the substance of the conversation that took place at the 12/15/11 School Council Meeting.
3. G.Sopel motioned to approve the SC Minutes of 12/15/11 as posted in draft form; R.McElroy seconded; nine members approved the minutes and J.Katz abstained

     II.         Public Comment

1. There was no public comment

   III.         Runkle School Building Project

1. Dr. Beauchaine shared that she had walked through the new addition on 12-20-11  and that photos will be shared at a later date. She said work has continued on task including overtime hours. She announced that the next Building Committee Meeting is January 31^st at 4:00pm.

   IV.         School Needs Survey

1. Dr. Beauchaine stated that a Brookline District Needs Survey is forthcoming with the draft to be shared at the School Council meeting on February 14^th. She explained Runkle will also do a specific Runkle Needs Survey for Parents and for Staff with the goal of participants completing both the District and the Runkle Needs Survey. Dr. Beauchaine handed out a draft copy of the proposed Parent Survey and Staff Survey for review by the Council members.
2. SC reviewed the wording of the introduction to the Survey, the main topic sections on the Survey, and some of the wording of the questions. Dr. Beauchaine said she will revise the draft survey based on the Council’s suggestions regarding format and phrasing for the next SC Meeting.

    V.         Other

1. R. McElroy suggested adding as a regular item to the School Council agenda a brief report on the monthly meeting the Superintendent has with School Parent Leadership composed of PTO Chairs and School Council Co-Chairs.

Meeting adjourned at 6:00pm

Respectfully submitted,

Teresa Gallo Toth

Swap happens Wednesday, January 25, 2012
2:30 PM –  4:30 PM

Are your book shelves getting full? Are your kids ready for the next series? Want to pass on your favorites to other readers? This is a chance to trade in your gently used books (for K-8 readers) for new-to-you books donated by other Runkle families.

We are collecting books in the Runkle cafeteria (donations of boxes are also appreciated!). Please include your child(ren)’s last name and the total number of books with your bag or box. Students will get a credit for the number of donated books to trade for other books at the swap on January 25.

Picture books, easy/middle readers, early chapter books/series, and fiction and nonfiction books for older kids are welcome! The Book Swap is for students in all grades at Runkle. Please no videos or books for adults.

If you would like to help at the swap, sort books beforehand, or have any questions, contact Kirsten Lockwood at klockwood@rcn.com.

School Council Meeting

12/15/11

Meeting Minutes

Meeting called to order at 4:05 in the Runkle Library.

Members Present:  V. Beauchaine, R. McElroy, G. Sopel, A. Hummel, V. Godhwani, C. Pelton, D. Halwick, J. Shapiro, T. Gallo-Toth, S. Stern, M. Voros

Members Absent: D. Dixon, J. Katz

I.               Approval of Minutes 11/15/11

Ten members present voted to approve the minutes, J. Shapiro abstained.

II.             Public Comment: 

Scott Murphy 2 comments:

1. Request for School Council to read the Attorney General response to his complaint filed in March 2011.
2. Request for an opportunity to address parent and teacher members of the School Council to share what he believes to be retaliatory actions against his son in response to the complaint.

III.           Updates:

A. Update to Complaint filed in March 2011 by Scott Murphy

1.  3 documents as part of this update

a)   3/31/11 – original complaint

b) 4/15/11 – school council response to complaint

c)  11/14/11 – AG response to complaint

2. Dr. Beauchaine took council through the responses to each concern listed.  Reviewed responses to bullet #5 accomplished in the spring of 2011.  SIP safety and respect goals were amended to cover this type of situation.

a)  Agenda items for Jan – review changes and evolution in Safety and Respect or bullying prevention goals of the SIP.

3. Dr. Beauchaine read a portion of the AG response to the complaint.

B. Transition Team

1. T. Gallo-Toth updated the team on the first Transition Team meeting held in Nov 2011.  Master calendar/timeline will be updated & posted on the Runkle website in Jan 2012.  Next meetings: 1/12 and 1/26.  Transition team role is to keep track of tasks & gather input by teachers, parents and students in regard to the transition.  It is not to create any policies and rules.

C. Other

IV.           Runkle School Building Project:

1. RSBC recommended that option 2A be investigated to mitigate impact of the one HVAC unit on Dean Rd abutters.  This investigation will require approximately 4 weeks and will then be sent to the contractor, with the caveat that cost must provide for on-time opening of Runkle.  Building Commission did approve this investigation, but with the clear mantra of “Well Done, On Time, On Budget”.
2. Friday 12/16/11, RSBC meeting will focus on the process for the  development of a Parking and Traffic plan.  The meeting will be held at Town Hall at 8:00AM.

V. MCAS 2011 Presentation (Dan Green and Jim Stoddard)

1. Reviewed State, Brookline and Runkle results.
2. More information is available on the Mass DESE (Department of Education) website.
3. Council agreed that at a future meeting Dr. Beauchaine would present information she has gathered on how Runkle students do when they get to high school.

VI. School Improvement Plan

1. DCAP (District Curriculum Accommodation Plan) Review presented by V. Beauchaine to show how it has been updated for 2011 as listed on our SIP.

VII.  Other

1. Public Comments addressed:
   1. Request for the complete AG’s report be read aloud. The council felt that because Dr. Beauchaine had already read the major conclusions of the report, the report was publicly available, and had been distributed to all members, no further action would be needed.
   2. Allegation of retaliatory action against Scott Murphy’s son as a consequence of the AG’s report. The council agreed that Mr. Murphy would be asked to present this allegation in writing. Then Dr. Beauchaine and the town counsel would review the allegation. If it didn’t have any confidential information relating to a child at the school then it would be presented to the council. If it did, then Dr. Beauchaine and the town counsel would review it themselves. In either case, based on the allegations, a decision would be made as to how to address the allegation and report back to the council.
   3. Finally, George Sopel relayed his daughter’s suggestion that the school create a time capsule, modeled on a wonderful version she saw at another school. The School Council agreed that this was a good topic for the new student council and/or the transition team to consider.

Meeting adjourned at 6:10 PM

Respectfully submitted,

Valerie Godhwani

Dear Runkle Parents/Guardians,
Please join us in welcoming Triniese Polk as your 2011-2012 school captain. You may recall having met Triniese and her husband Christopher who, with Runkle parents support, organized a very successful teacher appreciation luncheon last year. Triniese and Christopher are the proud parents of Christian Andrews, grade 5 who loves animals and playing sports. Triniese lives with her family in Dorchester and has worked in the field of public health for over 12 years. Currently, she is the director of Out-reach for the Boston Public Health Commission.

This year, in her role as school captain, please expect to hear from her as often as necessary as she fulfills her duty of keeping you informed and up-to-date on METCO news as well as what’s going on specifically at the Runkle School. With your support, Triniese is looking for-ward to a year filled with lots of information sharing and collaboration between Runkle parents. She welcomes the opportunity to get to know you and your families as well as to hear about any ideas you may have to increase METCO presence at our children’s school.

Please do not hesitate to contact her at tapastry@gmail.com or 617-869-6129.

Science Enrichment – Techsploration at Runkle

Techsploration programs are designed to introduce students to technology, science, and problem solving.  This week, Techsploration will conduct workshops and shows at Runkle for Third, Fifth and Sixth graders:

How long of a structure can you build?  How can you make it more stable?  Third graders will participate in the Techsploration Structures workshop where they work collaboratively to solve a construction problem with a structure of their own design, using beams and connectors.

Fifth graders attend the Simple Machines show.  Can a student really lift their teacher using a lever?  How were levers  used in medieval warfare?  How can you control force using gears and  pulleys?  This fun show demonstrates how all simple machines help us do work by trading distance for effort.

Electricity is a topic of study in Sixth grade science.  The hands-on electricity workshop is attended by Sixth graders, and will reinforce much of what they are learning in the Science curriculum.   How do you use circuits and electronics to get electricity to do what you want it to do?  How does a motor work?  What does a fuse do?  They learn about basic electrical components such as resistors, switches, photo sensors, lights, motors, and electromagnets. The class designs and builds basic electronic circuits.

These workshops and shows are funded by the Science Enrichment component of the PTO Budget, made possible by your contributions to the PTO Annual Fund.  Thank you!

There was a brief review of the playground structures chosen for the Pre-K and K area to the side of the building and the structures for the playground at the rear of the building for ages 5-12.  There is a four-week bidding period.  The goal would be for the contract to be awarded by the end of February to leave enough lead time for the materials to be on site by the end of April when the Druce site will be ready to have the area prepared for the installation of the playground structures.  The installation should be completed by mid-July.

Members of the Building Committee requested additional information about the breakdown of costs for materials and installation as well as the number of students (capacity) of the playground structures and play area during recess times.

Roof-top Structures
In response to the abutters concern about the height, quantity, and placement of the rooftop structures, the Building Committee looked at options that would do the following:

• Lower the height of the units and screening structures by 12”-18”.
• Angle the top of the screening structures to give the appearance of a shorter structure.
• Use polycarbonate for the 12”-18” at the top of the lowered screening structures to allow for more light to pass through
• Reposition some of the structures to mitigate the obstructed views for the abutters.

There was discussion surrounding the related costs (money and delay of the project) of the options and the relative benefit to the abutters to resolve the abutters’ concerns.  According to the abutters present, the options for angling the screening structures and replacing the tops of the screening structures with polycarbonate are of limited value.  The options of interest to the abutters require moving some of the mechanical structures and the screening structures closer together and away from the Dean Road and Clinton Road properties.  Since more precise costs cannot be determined without designing the plan for the options, the architect was charged with conducting a preliminary feasibility study to show if the options to move the structures are possible and to provide more specific information regarding any additional costs that would be incurred.   This information will be shared with the Building Committee on Friday, December 9, 2011.

This author/illustrator visit is paid for out of the Runkle PTO Annual Fund and from donations by the Runkle After School Program.

Monday, December 5, 7-8:30 pm

Devotion Auditorium

Digital citizenship is quickly becoming the newest buzzword used in conversations around cyber safety. But what does it really mean to be a responsible digital citizen? Kids continue to become more digital savvy and parents, teachers and community leaders work to keep pace. Now is the time to start important, active conversations about how to navigate cyberspace safely, while embracing all the benefits, creativity and innovation that it offers. Join us for the first in a series of highly informative and interactive conversations. In response to requests from across the Brookline community, a local expert in cyber security will present new information, providing you with a greater understanding of the issues and tools to help you and your family stay safe online. For more information please email Devo pto.

http://www.devotionschool.org/

On December 5, 2011, there will be a Building Committee Meeting at 8:30 a.m. for a presentation of the playground equipment to be installed on the Druce Street site, followed by a follow up discussion of the roof top structures. As I know that there have been many questions about this issue, I will be sure to update you as any decisions are made.

There is also another Building Committee Meeting scheduled for December 16, 2011 to discuss the parking plan. I know that this is an area of concern both for residents in the immediate Runkle area as well as for the staff members. Please continue to look for updates in the Runkle News.

Related: Boston University Survey of Bullying at Brookline Public Schools

In attendance: Vanessa Beauchaine (principal), Jim Stoddard (vice principal), Mark Allyn (teacher), Jayne Friedberg Bennett, Sandy Costello, Emily Dolbear, Scott Murphy, Elvira Perez, Jen Reed, Alison Reeves, Gabriella Salvatore, Margaret Schwarzer, Jennifer Shapiro, Eugene Shih

Please click on links for more information.

Principal’s Update
Literacy

• Teachers are adopting the BAS (Benchmark Assessment System), a series of texts that can be used to identify a student’s current reading level and progress along a gradient of text levels over time.  Teachers in grades 6-8 will adopt the program in January.  Based on the BAS, teachers are able to provide small-group, supplementary interventions and powerful, daily, small-group instruction for the lowest achieving children in the early grades.
• Today will be the first meeting of the 7-person Literacy Team, which has completed 2 days of literacy collaborative training.  Future plans include expanding the literacy library.

Renovation Update

• August 15 is the new completion date to ensure “punchlist items” are completed, says Dr. B. (The school must get a certificate of occupancy from the town in order to move into the renovated building.)  Although there is a need for a contingency plan, says Dr. B., “a move can happen in a weekend.”  Planning is to start in September 2012-2013 school year on Druce.
• Pictures from the most recent “walk through” will be posted on runkle.org soon.
• In response to “Will mechanicals impact anything?” from parent, Dr. B. responded that the building renovations are proceeding as planned, despite complaints from some abutters while the Building Committee investigates options.
• In response to “Is it important that the public show up to meetings?” from parent, Dr. B. responded that there was parent presence at the most recent meeting and that the committee recognizes the parents desire to start school in September in the renovated building.
• In response to “Do you have any insight about the delay to Aug. 15?”, Dr. B. responded that maybe the rain delayed the timeline and that the plans are for the building to be completed on August 15.

• Will include an overview of the Brookline Bullying Prevention policy, new information based on the town-wide survey of bullying, and how Runkle compares district wide.
• Will include an introduction to the Olweus program using a “train the trainer model”

Room Parents Coordinator Update
Room Parent Coordinator Gabriella Salvatore shared:

• Final room parent list is complete as of 11/15/11.  It will be published in the directory and will be forwarded by email to all room parents.

• A successful K-2 cluster meeting, with room parents from those grades, was held last week.  The 3-5 and 6-8 cluster meetings will take place over the next couple of weeks.
• The final potluck takes place on Saturday.  For the future, it’s a good idea to cultivate volunteers for room parenting and potlucks in June for the following year due to the busy nature of the start of the year.

Comment from Mark Allyn: It would be great for room parents to reach out to teachers with ideas about ways they could offer help.

Annual Fund Update

• Annual Fund appeal letters have been sent out.  Postcards will be sent in December. Plan to have an update in the Runkle News soon.

Librarian Update, by proxy

• Giles LaRoche, award winning author/illustrator, will be returning to Runkle on December 9 to work with the library/3rd Grade Classrooms/and the Art Room on the 3rd grade curriculum theme of “Structure.” His new book, If You Lived Here: Houses of the World has already received a starred review and is a Junior Library Guild selection.
• Grace Lin will be returning to Runkle on Thursday, January 26 to present to K-2. We are working out the details of her presentation, in which Lin shares how a story becomes a published book as well as her illustrating techniques.  Lin has numerous picture book awards, a chapter book to her credit, and a Newbery Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

PTO Events Recap/Update

• Thanks to Mini Kolluri for organizing Astronomy Night on November 9. Jim S. attended and reported that attendees were spread evenly across grades 4-6.  Highlights included the telescope (viewing moon, Jupiter, etc.), Galileo presentation, and learning about Stellarium.org. Note that this event, which cost about $700, funded by the PTO Annual Fund, was free for Runkle parents and children in attendance.
• PTO Coffee: Bullying Prevention & Intervention Plan Update with Dr. Beauchaine, November 16, 8 am (see above)
• Gingerbread House Decorating will be on December 9 after school:  Save the date and bring double rinsed orange juice or milk half gallon cartons.

Middle School Activities

• Alaina (Birden) Ortiz will be offering a six-week, drop-in art, middle-school “club” starting in December.  This is funded by the PTO Annual Fund.
• Thanks to Scott Murphy for the idea of Gym Night; no availability for gym this year but we should plan early for next year.
• Improv class: Jenn Vento submitted a proposal to lead this middle school activity.
• “Glee” class: Jenn Vento submitted a proposal to lead a “glee” class after school.  It may be a R.A.S.P. offering.

PTO Board Share

• There was a parent concern re: hallway monitoring from 7:52 am until first grade doors open.
• Chinese Ribbon Dancers are scheduled for December 7.
• Techsploration is coming for grades 3, 5, & 6 on December 16.
• Scott Murphy and Alison Reeves, who were heavily involved in the Brookline Teen Center (likely to be named “the garage”).  They helped organize food and music (former Runkle student Bella was a star performer from High School) as well guests. The BTC Open House had some 700+ visitors and was considered a success.

—Submitted by PTO Co-Chairs Sandy Costello and Emily Dolbear, November 28, 2011

Meeting Minutes

November 15, 2011

Members Present:  V. Beauchaine, D. Dixon, C. Pelton, J. Katz, T. Gallo-Toth, V. Godhwani, D. Halwick, A. Hummel, R. McElroy, G. Sopel, S. Stern, M. Voros.

Members Absent: J. Shapiro

Meeting called to order at 4:10 p.m.

V. Beauchaine distributed list of members and days on which they would be responsible for taking minutes and keeping track of time.

I.   Approval of Minutes 10-11-11

Minutes were approved with seven votes, one abstention.

II.  Current Issues/Public Comment

Scott Murphy listed a few points for School Council attention including:

* concerns raised at the PTO meeting recently regarding disorder and noise in the hallways and the cafeteria particularly in the morning before school. V. Beauchaine said she would be following up on those concerns.

* request for clarification regarding policy for attendance by fans at school sporting events. V Beauchaine noted that a clarification of the policy had been posted in the Runkle News.

* question whether School Council had a meeting in September and whether minutes were available. V. Beauchaine said that the meeting in September had been for training of School Council members and was not a public meeting.

* question about how to identify changes made to Runkle Handbook issued this year. V. Beauchaine explained that the Handbook is not produced by the School Council.

* question about how the principal will use some additional funds allocated to the principals’ budgets town wide by the School Committee. V. Beauchaine said the principal’s budget had been addressed at the October meeting and that copies of the handouts discussed at that meeting are available in her office for review.

* concern that not all items in his letter to the Attorney General’s Office were addressed by the School Council in its reply. Discussion about whether some of the matters relating to personal matters were within the capacity of School Council to address and whether the letter from the Council had addressed all issues raised. V. Beauchaine said School Council would address any points not previously addressed.

* question as to status of anti bullying subcommittee. V. Beauchaine explained that this committee has not yet been formed and that progress of Runkle’s bullying prevention intervention plan would be addressed later in the meeting.

Discussion as to how to proceed during public comment period, specifically, whether there should be discussion of matters raised at the time or not. Different views expressed, but general consensus reached that School Council could follow the School Committee model, in which generally the public comment is mainly an opportunity for someone from the public to be heard and that further discussion would generally be deferred to a subcommittee or specific agenda item at a later date, but that explanations and dialogue may be appropriate on a case by case basis to help address or resolve an issue.

V. Beauchaine summarized the sports attendance policy as follows: at Runkle, all fans are welcome to attend volleyball and basketball games; no fans are allowed to attend indoor soccer games due to safety issues. At away games, Runkle has to follow other schools’ rules, and generally other schools do not allows fans other than parents and siblings to attend, and never for indoor soccer.

III. Updates

a.  School Council Guidelines V. Beauchaine handed out the final version of the guidelines and thanked everyone for their help.

b.  Literacy Collaborative

V. Beauchaine described recent trainings focusing on the BAS literacy assessment tools for K-5 teachers; the trainings for the 6-8 teachers will occur in January. Highlights include the Leslie College town wide two day training including 78 teachers, including librarians, teachers and reading specialists. V. Beauchaine and others who attended the trainings confirmed their usefulness and expressed appreciation for the town’s resources and commitment. There was also an in house literacy session covering various topics including titles to include in the book room and the new library. Discussion about BAS and how it will allow the teachers to look at reading ability over time, determine independent and instructional literacy, identify students at all levels, from struggling to advanced, and help teachers develop book lists and challenge opportunities. Goal is to have all students evaluated using BAS by year end. D. Halwick discussed team approach to literacy in Kindergarten, including Ms. Battaglia as a literacy coach, which is very successful. Discussion of Lasting Literacy Intervention program run by Amy Sweeney who works with small groups of students to focus on skill and concept gaps, which so far is very effective. Discussion of potential of BAS to help identify students who could benefit from ECS. Question about whether there is a mandate from the state or school district to provide ECS to students; V. Beauchaine stated that even without mandates the teachers use all tools to identify and support all students. Discussion about 6-8 training which will focus on ELA but be useful for other areas which include literacy.

c.  Transition Team 

V. Beauchaine said that the newly formed transition team will meet on Thursday. Members include four seventh graders – Henry Morehouse, Fiona Burns, Laney Bachman, and Maya Williams, five teachers – M. Voros, D. Madden, T. Gallo-Toth, J. Guzzi, Anna MacIver and five parents – E. Dolbear, S. Costello, K. Leness, J. Shapiro, and J. Friedberg. They will identify topics to address, such as how to replicate the smooth early morning routines developed at the Old Lincoln site in the new building. General discussion about how to plan for use of the new building, focusing on educational environment, community input and procedures.

IV. Building Project

V. Beauchaine showed a slide show about a recent visit to the new building construction site and confirmed that August 15 is the new completion date and that there have been no recent changes to timeline including because of HVAC placement on roof. V. Beauchaine mentioned that the architect will try to address abutters’ concerns, and will present proposals at November 23 meeting, but that timing of project has not changed. Detailed discussion of procedure for moving to the new building, possible adjustments to the timing in the unlikely event of delays, such as moving in by Columbus Day, or making use of two week period between August 15 and Labor Day, assuming school will start as usual after Labor Day.

J. Katz read a letter she had prepared based on conversations with other neighbors about concerns for traffic and parking at the new building. V. Beauchaine agreed to present the letter to the head of the building project. General discussion about parking and drop off safety and neighborhood concerns, including how to reduce drop off and pick up of students by car, and how to make it safer if it occurs, need for ticketing of cars parked on Rte 9 which block buses and generally in no parking areas; proposal to look at how Lawrence handles similar parking and traffic issues. Consensus that this would be a good topic for the transition team to address.

V. Bullying Prevention Intervention Plan

V. Beauchaine described Runkle procedure for addressing incidents of alleged bullying, and the curriculum which is currently under consideration by School Committee. Bullying survey results were presented, with a focus on relatively high percentage of African American students who filled out the survey reporting having experienced bullying (5 of 12), high percentage (80-90’s) of teachers reported by students to be responding actively to bullying but also relatively high percentage (50%) of teachers reported by students to be ignoring bullying. Discussion of challenges in surveying younger students, perception of teacher response or lack thereof in part due to need for confidentiality and lack of understanding of procedures, parent perception, how much educating on bullying is effective and at what point are there diminishing returns, and the usefulness of a baseline of data as a starting point for discussions and programs.

VII. School Improvement Plan Updates

V. Beauchaine explained that SIP updates for November were distributed; there were no questions at that time. In the interest of time, it was agreed to address SIP updates more fully in the December meeting.

Meeting ended at 5:50pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Susanna Stern

Please be advised that state law requires all school volunteers who will have direct and unmonitored contact with children to submit a CORI form.  If you plan on participating in field trips, classroom and school volunteer activities at Runkle, you must complete a CORI form and submit it with valid identification to the school two weeks before the planned volunteer activity.  CORI forms are valid for 3 years only.  Please visit Beatrice Moyer in the office to submit your form or to verify that your CORI is current.  A link  to the form can be found here

Advisory from the Massachusetts Department of Education:

Date: Tuesday 11/15/2011

Time:  4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Meeting Location:Runkle Library

I. Approval of Minutes (10-11-11)

II.  Current Issues/Public Comment

III.  Updates

IV.  Runkle School Building Project

V. Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan

VI.  School Improvement Plan

VII.  Other

Lost and Found Walk 11-4-11

Please note: Kids to Kids Book Exchange is not the same as the Runkle Book Swap, which is a PTO-sponsored event at the end of January.

We are excited to offer two challenge problems to students.  Level 1 is geared for students in grades K-2 and Level 2 is geared for students in grades 3-6.  However, students should work on the problem that is appropriately challenging for them.  We encourage all students to participate.  

There is a new RMC display in the 2nd floor hallway across from 3L where you can find the problems.  There is also a box where students can submit their answers.  

You can expect to see new problems twice a month.  Give it a try!

10-24-11 candles on the cake

10-24-11 not so magic squares

Runkle Handbook 2011-2012

October 18, 2011

8:30 a.m.–10 a.m.

In attendance: Vanessa Beauchaine (principal), Jim Stoddard (vice principal), Angela Galanopoulos (teacher), Sandra Costello, Sandra Davidson, Emily Dolbear, Amy Hummel, Rosemary McElroy, Scott Murphy, Jemelle O’Neill, Elvira Perez

Principal’s Budget Update

• Dr. B. talked about the Runkle School budget for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012. The budgets for FY 2011 ($20,293) and FY 2012 ($23,757) cover student program stipends, postage, instructional supplies, professional learning, and educational equipment. Dr. B. emphasized that these budgets are just a small portion of what it takes to run the school.
• Dr. B. also shared the final financial reports for recent overnight school field trips. For the 2011 NYC trip for the eighth grade, 52 students participated at a cost of $470 per student (some scholarship funding from various sources was provided). The overall cost was greater, as the trip was planned for 60 students initially and a greater number ofscholarships were needed than in previous years.  Funds were also raised from various sources to lower the overall cost. For the 2011 NYS trip for the seventh grade, 42 students participated at a cost of $165 per student (some scholarship funding from various sources was provided).
• Parents expressed appreciation for the careful reporting of funds, which can be sizable, as well as making those details available to the community every year.

Upcoming Events Update

• Halloween Fair, October 21: There is a need for volunteers from 6:30 pm to 8 pm, as well as clean up. Interested people should contact Gabriella Salvatore. There will also be advance ticket sales after school on the black top as well as before and after Friday Morning Meeting.
• Food on Wheels (to Brookline Food Pantry), October 23: Those who come to the Halloween Fair can also drop off any donated items in collection boxes outside the main office. Angela Galanopoulos will pass a flyer onto student community service coordinator Brea Snyder for the seventh and eighth graders.
• PTO Coffee: Athletics at Runkle, October 27: Jennifer Schultz will be speaking at this parent coffee. Suggested topics included a rundown of the progression of physical education classes K-8 (What activities do they do?  What are the goals? What is the philosophy behind the approach?) and an overview of after-school athletic activities in grades 5-8. Requests for questions in advance will also run in the Runkle News.
• Astronomy Night, November 9: This event will take place at 5:30 pm at the Clay Center. Because of space constraints, it will be targeted to fourth and fifth graders and parents. If there is additional space, admission will open to sixth grade students. Mini Kolluri will organize the sign up for the event.

PTO Chairs Update

• The PTO has not yet received information to generate the directory, but the data entry in school’s main office is going smoothly.
• Parents interested in participating in school (and PTO) activities should confirm that they have an updated CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) form in the office. Beatrice Moyer in the school’s main office has that information as well as forms.

PTO Board Share

• Runkle News: Parents were asked for feedback and reminded about the chance to submit relevant information to the newsletter. Feedback was positive.
• Performing Arts at Runkle (PAAR): Amy H. reviewed the scheduled PAAR performances for the year so far, which include Chinese Ribbon Dancers for first grade, Myth Masters for fifth grade, Taiko drumming for second grade. The rest of the performances are not finalized.

—Submitted by PTO Co-Chairs Sandy Costello and Emily Dolbear; notes taken by Elvira Perez, October 19, 2011

September 27, 2011

8:05 a.m.–9:30 a.m.

In attendance: Vanessa Beauchaine (principal), Jim Stoddard (vice principal), Angela Galanopoulos (teacher), Teresa Gallo-Toth (librarian), Sandra Costello, Emily Dolbear, Jayne Bennett Friedberg, Shalini Kasida, Elvira Perez, Jen Reed, Alison Reeves

Principal’s Update

• Dr. B. said that families should have received 2011 MCAS results in the mail. Overall, Runkle results were positive. There will be a formal presentation by Dr. B. to the School Council at its November 15 meeting, which runs from 4 to 5:30 pm, in the library. All are welcome to attend. Mr. Stoddard explained to parents that a “typical” growth score is 40 to 60 percent.
• Dr. B. is investigating the possibility of the town getting directory permission forms to use from parents on a January to January schedule, enabling the school to generate class lists with emails in July. (This arrangement would help room parents create class lists at the beginning of the year.)

Librarian’s Update

• Teresa Gallo-Toth shared the very positive Summer Reading preliminary results: 193 K-5th students participated (up from 167 in 2010) and 49 6th-8th students participated. Some parents were positive about the option for older grades to submit their forms online. Others thought more information about the deadline would be useful.
• Teresa Gallo-Toth confirmed that author and illustrator Giles LaRouche would be coming this year to Runkle to speak with the third grade. She is investigating a K-2 author visit (perhaps Grace Lin) as well as scientist and author Loree Burns for sixth grade. Peter Lourie is also a possible option for fourth and fifth grades, perhaps on December 1 in the evening.
• Details about the new library website are to come!

Room Parent Coordinator Update

• All potluck dinner hosts have been arranged, and room parent cluster get-togethers are being scheduled.

Upcoming Events Update

• Picture Day is October 3. Parent volunteers are needed. In case of rain, photos will be taken in the library. While the Runkle PTO offers help organizing volunteers on Picture Day, it is run by the school. Dr. B. also requested three to six parent volunteers before school to monitor the early arrivals so that the photographer can take a picture of the entire school staff.
• Car Free Day, October 5. Volunteers are needed to stamp hands in the morning for this townwide event. Since so many Runkle students take the bus, there will be many participants.
• Halloween Fair, October 21. Planning is going well. Volunteers are still needed!
• Food on Wheels, October 23: Food drive will start in early October. Collection boxes will be outside the main office. Coordinator Josie Peterson will be asked to provide further details, including information about the Brookline Food Pantry, for the Runkle News. Angela Galanopoulos suggested reaching out to the older students through Runkle’s seventh and eighth grader community service coordinator, Brea Snyder, and will pass on the related information to her.
• Astronomy Night: Planning for this evening is ongoing. Details will follow.

PTO Chairs Update

• Thank yous from Runkle staff for stipends, paid from the Annual Fund, will be shared via Runkle News, so parents are informed of the impact of their donations.
• All Brookline PTO financial reports are due to Brookline Public Schools on October 1.
• ECS Coffee will be held October 11, in the library, at 8:15 a.m.

PTO Board Share

• This year’s PTO Open Houses went smoothly, and many familiar and new parents are now aware of the many PTO activities and volunteer opportunities.

• Posters for various PTO events should include the tagline: “A PTO Community Event” to inform the Runkle community about what events are run by parents and funded by the PTO Annual Fund. All parents are members of the Runkle PTO; there are no “dues.”

—Submitted by PTO Co-Chairs Sandy Costello and Emily Dolbear; notes taken by Elvira Perez, September 27, 2011

September 13, 2011

8:05 a.m.–9:30 a.m.

In attendance: Vanessa Beauchaine (principal), Marian Voros (teacher), Sandra Costello, Emily Dolbear, Jayne Bennett Friedberg, Amy Hummel, Shalini Kasida, Kate Leness, Jemelle O’Neill, Elvira Perez, Tami Petler, Jen Reed, Alison Reeves, Olga Valentine

Introductions and Expectations

• All present introduced themselves. Regular attendance is expected for all board members.

Principal’s Update

• Dr. Beauchaine plans on having informational sessions during the year on the following: curriculum changes, the building project (which is well under way), and the transition plan for the move into the renovated building for school year 2012-2013 (parent volunteers will be needed for a transition team). A School Needs survey will be sent out later in the year. Developmental Designs, a social curriculum similar to Responsive Classroom, is being phased into the 6^th to 8^th grades.

Room Parent Coordinator Update

• Potluck dinner’s hosts are set except for 1^st and 3^rd grade.
• Room parents will be invited to get-togethers in clusters (K-2, 3-5, 6-8) to meet each other, clarify their roles, and find out more about the PTO. Marian Voros said room parents were helpful in setting parent email lists and following up on classroom and schoolwide events. The room parent role varies and depends on each teacher.

Upcoming Events Update

• Back to School Picnic, September 20: It was decided that the PTO would provide box dinners for teachers at this event, and an email with details will be sent to teachers.
• Car Free Day, October 5: Jennifer Meader will be organizing this event. The Green Team includes Jenn M. and Shari Becker.
• Halloween Night, October 21: This popular event will be organized this year by Tami P., Gabriella Salvatore, and Jen R. Eighth graders and parent volunteers are needed.
• Astronomy Night: Date TBD, probably mid November. The event, organized by Mini Kolluri and Eugene Shih, will be similar to last year’s Astronomy Night but for specific grades because of space constraints at the Clay Center.

PTO Open House

• All parents are invited. PTO Board members will attend to speak about their events and activities.

Runkle News Update

• The Runkle News has two new editors this year: Alison R., Shalini K., and Amy B. Please send any submissions to the Runkle News (runklenews@brookline.k12.ma.us) by Wednesday. Shalini K. and Alison R. will update the bulletin boards in the cafeteria.
• The PTO is looking for help with the Performing Arts at Runkle (PAAR) program.

PTO Chairs Update

• Teacher stipend distribution has begun. The staff has been informed about the fall grant cycle and teacher project funds. The deadline for applications for the fall grant cycle will be mid October. All staff may submit applications.
• Scheduled Coffees: The Enrichment and Challenge Support (ECS) presentation will be October 11, organized by Runkle ECS representatives Susanna Stern and Trish Blais. Physical Education teacher Ms. Schultz will be speaking on October 27. Other possible topics include world languages and band/orchestra/chorus.
• Alison R. announced that the Brookline Teen Center will hold an Open House on October 30, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in its future space. The organization plans to open in 2012, for the 7^th to 12^th graders in Brookline. Alison R. and Scott Murphy are working as liaisons.
• There were 22 new families; 15 participated in our Welcome Wagon activities. Thanks to Elvira Perez and Karla Schallies for organizing the activities and to the grade captains and hosts.

—Submitted by PTO Co-Chairs Sandy Costello and Emily Dolbear; notes taken by Elvira Perez, September 13, 2011