MAY 2014 MPC MEETING NOTES

Mather Parent Council Minutes Notes
May 15, 2014

I Dorchester Day Parade---Stu
·      June 1 1-4pm
·      Marchers will meet at 12:30 at Lower Mills CVS Parking Lot or join up along the route
·      Route goes along Dot Ave and ends at Columbia Rd.
·      We are doing this to get the word out that we are celebrating our 375th anniversary
·      Need volunteers to walk and ride on the float. Each child must be chaperoned by an adult.
·      Banner will be made by Ricardo of Signs that Last (a Mather father)
·      Other elements: a six foot Richard Mather cut out; we want to get him on wheels to push him around (Stu is working on this with Marie’s dad)
·      the Mather is older than…telephone, George Washington, US, Red Sox, etc.
·      International Flags will be purchased to show heritages of the Mather
·      Float and Gary’s truck. Trailer will have a huge cake
·      We should all wear orange!
·      Kids will make signs on canvas and on campaign yard signs during the May 24th work day.
·      Families can walk part or all of the route.
·      Personal outreach to classroom teachers will make a difference.
·      Johanna is going to make fliers and distribute two rounds of them.
·      African drummers might join (Hilary Noble and Ms. Washington)
·      Vietnamese Lion Dance
·      Kids  can ride on scooters but not bikes
·      Fabrication day on Saturday, May 24 volunteers are needed and Marie will do childcare.
·      There will be workers on other days; Stu will send an email to ask for help priming, sanding, painting, making streamers.

II Spring Fling---Sierra
·      Saturday,  June 7 11-2 (raindate is June 14)
·      We are looking for partners to work at the food tables which is very work-intensive
·      No raffles
·      People will pay entrance fee of $2/person or $10/family. People will also pay for food at the food table.
·      Little playground will be bubbles and chalk area for toddlers.
·      Stamp checkers
·      8 bouncy houses (1 more than last year)
·      Brookline Literacy Project, Family Nurturing Center, e-inc, Boy Scouts, Winsor School, Wellness Committee, Johanna’s graduate students, Catholic Memorial students will all be asked to help; sponsors will also be invited to give a donation to get their name on a bouncy house (Lynn Higgins, Vargas and Vargas, etc.)
·      2 tents, 1 for food and 1 for crafts, face painting,
·      music will play from Ms. Stranberg’s office instead of Ms. Washington’s band
·      Jenny will look into a band to come
·      Mr. Lucas will possibly do a bike rodeo again
·      Volunteers will be needed for the day of; 9-12, 11:30-2:30 shifts; people can volunteer by email.
·      Richard Mather will be available for self-portraits that can then be sent in to Mather’s facebook page.
·      Fliers announcing this event will be posted on Boston Central and elsewhere.
·      Also stickers on postcards will be distributed at the Dot Day Parade

III Updates

1. Wellness Committee /Katie
·      Committee will meet with e-inc
·      Working on conservation and tracking
·      Teachers now have storage bins to organize their classrooms (gift of the Lee family)
·      Green cleaners have been purchased and Ms. Stranberg is working with custodians on filling bottles
·      Partner groups will build shelves in classrooms this summer
·      Teachers are grateful for all of these improvements

2. Wine night/Marie
·      Friends of the Mather and Mather Parent Council $15-16,000 of which $10,000 cleared; half has gone to the Mather and will pay for all staff professional development on literacy collaborative; good will built between parents and faculty.
·      Jenny will send notes in folders to thank families for supporting with basket donations

3. City Sprouts/Sierra
·      Double planters built by vets will be in K-1 and K-2 playgrounds and others will be elsewhere. Soil is needed (9.5 cubic yards) and will cost about $350 at Landscape Express. They deliver. Jenny will ask Quinn if he can get a good rate. Mary Tran will make a donation.

4. Mather375/Marie
·      Officially we are celebrating from September-June. October 20th is the birthday date. We will celebrate all week long with an activity a day. Monday will be a proclamation at the State House to make a Mather Day. Tuesday will be staff appreciation with MPC buying lunch and hire food trucks to roll up. People will solicit food trucks for a good rate. Wednesday children will do a performance or a performer will come do a historical reenactment. Thursday dignitaries and VIP guests will come to school for breakfast/speeches and make visits to classrooms. Friday school partners will do something between Science Fair and Field Day and cake. Saturday will be a dinner/dance birthday party for adults.  Sunday a community worship service at First Parish Church.  Other events will happen the rest of the year.

·      Question: are teachers open to helping students experience what school was like long ago. Ms. O’Toole is interested in this kind of thing, Ms. Kempe and children are working on mosaics. Plymouth Plantation might come. Dorchester Historical Society might help. Stu will talk to the museum director at his museum to make a connection. Parents are working with Ms. O’Toole about creating a book with children. Anna suggested Grub Street.

Saturday night of that week will be a birthday party that will feel like Wine Night/dinner/dance but not the big gala. Tickets will be approximately $25 to cover costs. Gala will be in the spring and tickets will cost more. Sunday 10/26 morning First Parish Church will have a community service. All are welcome to contribute time and ideas for the year-long celebrations.

·      Question about the privilege of education and awareness that others do not have this access to human rights. This could be an opportunity for service learning.  This will be the 60th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education and 40th anniversary of desegregation of Boston schools.

5. Volunteer Opportunities: Book Fair (5/27-6/3) Student Success Night (5/29), Dot Day (6/1), Ballet Rox 6/2, Field Day (6/16), Spring Fling (6/7). Please respond to emails with your availability.

 

III Open Forum