March PTO Meeting notes
March 20, 2018
6 pm
-Call to order, introductions
-Principal's notes (in lieu of a guest speaker, Mr. Hilton gave information on school safety, including district procedures and building updates)
-The buzzer for the rear parking lot door has come in
-Keeping the school safe takes work from the whole community. Parents need to work with the administration and have patience with the safety processes.
-When you buzz in (either door) Martha and Audra in the office need to be able to SEE you. If you're recognized, you're let in. They ask for your ID if you aren't recognized.
-YOU MUST THEN SIGN IN AND WEAR A VISITOR STICKER!
-No sticker on you? You'll be taken to the office to sign in and get a sticker.
-At the end of the day the door will still be locked. You will need to buzz in and wait for your students in the community room or the foyer, not go to their classrooms.
-When the end of day bell rings, students walking or biking home or being picked up by car exit ONLY through the front door. Bussers exit ONLY through the back door.
-The new AAPS Director of Student Safety will be doing a school safety audit sometime in April
-ALICE protocol was sent out by the district and is detailed on the website, to be followed in the event of an active shooter (explained to students as an "intruder")
-If there is an incident (ex. pipes burst, bomb threat, disaster, etc.-NOT an intruder) Scarlett is the evacuation site
-Mitchell practices lockdown drills. During these drills:
-Students shelter in place. Kids hide in classrooms, lights off, silence, door locked, blinds drawn.
-During this time the police are in charge, the kids and teachers are safe in their rooms.
-Each classroom door has a special magnet lock. If the magnet is taken off the door automatically locks.
-A rough timeline of the ALICE procedure for an intruder:
-ALERT: Mr. Hilton, Martha, or Audra will signal LOCKDOWN, INTRUDER and the intruder's location over the school intercom.
-LOCKDOWN: Each teacher decides where to go based on where the intruder is within the building. This is when the choice would be made to shelter in place.
-The most important thing for students: *LISTEN TO THE TEACHER, FOLLOW DIRECTIONS QUICKLY*
-INFORM: Teachers, administration, police can all know where the intruder is.
-COUNTER: locking doors, barricading the door with desks, etc
-EVACUATE: the safest thing may be to leave the building, go into the neighborhood, etc. Scarlett is the official evacuation site.
-If there is an intruder situation, the staff and administration are the first responders, THEN the police
-TED Talk: Every Kid Need a Champion
-How do we talk to kids about these heavy issues?
-It's most important to be actively listening and asking questions. Let the kids guide the conversation.
-Bipartisan parents' group, fosters the conversation between the two sides of the gun debate and how to get information to the lawmakers.
-PTOC: Interesting meetings because of the different perspectives from across the grades and entire district
-bylaws: add PTOC rep as a board position?
-New bylaws will be sent to everyone in the community to read before the April PTO meeting, as every parent and teacher has voting rights. The bylaws will be voted on during the April meeting. Nominations for next school year's board positions will begin, with the voting for the board happening at the May PTO meeting.
-We need to recruit more active members!
-Treasurer's Report:
-Camp account: fifth grade teachers still have money coming in from the camp in October.
-Invoices are still our from field trips and teacher grants
-The Henry Ford field trip is a go, funds will be secure after the April 8 Chipotle fundraiser.
-The Chipotle fundraiser is on April 8 from 4-8 pm at the Washtenaw Ave. Chipotle, you must show the flyer on your phone or in person to the cashier, fundraiser does not apply to online orders.
-Ice Cream Social action items are coming in
-Upcoming events:
-Teacher Appreciation Week, first week in May
-Family Talent Show
-Buy one get one free Scholastic Book Fair
-Ice Cream Social Friday June 8, 6-8 pm
-Adjourn