Norwood PMA Monthly Meeting
Date: Tuesday 9/12/2023
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Location: NHS GSU Lecture Hall
Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm. with a quorum present.
Attendees
Wendy Keats and Eneida Shkurti (Co-Presidents), Gigi Michalec (Vice President), Dany Abdallah (Treasurer), Sherri Munro (Secretary), Jeff Kerr (Director of Fine Arts), Dan Caparrotta, Linda Lee, Steven Lee, Siuyien Matthews, Bebhinn O’Connell
Welcome and Introductions
Welcome by Eneida Shkurti, PMA President
Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes
This was the first PMA monthly meeting for the 2023-2024 school year.
Fine Arts Department:
- Goals/expectations for 2023-2024 year.
- Jeff spent the last year observing and listening.
- Goal is to start looking at policy and clarifying roles and responsibilities.
- Discussions with Steve and Jennifer about putting “excitement” into the program. Looking at options to increase experiences such as musicals attended last year. Also evaluate student accounts – how they should operate and how we can make them available to all.
- Music camp – Continued conversations on whether it should stay local or go away. If away, we need to start discussion with Tapawango in October.
- Fundraising opportunity – A mattress salesman contacted Jeff regarding previous PMA fundraising events.
- We will be hosting MICCA the 3rd weekend on October 10/22. There are conversations to re-evaluate the effort vs benefit.
- District music events calendar,
- The calendar is pending. The current Google shared calendar has everything. Jeff will work on providing an events based calendar to link to on the PMA website.
Board Members:
Co-Presidents
- PMA meeting schedule & locations
- We have a schedule for ongoing PMA monthly meetings. Locations will be confirmed and posted on the PMA website soon.
- Updates from Norwood Day
- Norwood Day went well, but it was a hot day. The number of chaperones was fine as no uniforms were distributed.
- SignUp Genius for volunteers
- Sherri and Siuyien offered to create a SignUp Genius for volunteer events including chaperones for the Marching Band.
- The recommendation was to post them as early as possible. Consider at least 2 weeks in advance or do all events including cookie donation/snack for the bus in one sign up. Suggest a separate SignUp Genius for the home show as there are more roles needed.
- Planning for MCCA Home Show
- Recommendation to establish a committee and send a broad email for participation. Discussion on how to reach all parents.
- Suggestion to provide information to Ms Hartnett to help with distribution, leverage Facebook to reach alumni, and ask Victoria Sheehan and Courtney for elementary parents.
- Plan to meet next week Tuesday 9/19 at 7pm – location TBD. Eineida will review notes from the past president and vice president.
- Vacant PMA Board Roles
- Performance and equipment coordinator for Marching Band – We need a meeting to discuss logistics. Steve will send an email regarding a meeting for next Saturday 9/23. We will need someone to reserve and drive a UHaul truck to transport equipment. Steve will determine how many UHauls are needed. We will need to ask Ed Ferris about borrowing the trailer for the golf cart.
- Ways and Means – in need of volunteers to fill the position.
- Chorale coordinator – Siuyien will help with position description. MICCA coordinator is also needed. Ideally there should be 3 separate positions. Gigi offered to assist;
- Jeff posed whether we should consider consolidating all the arts to broaden parent groups.
- Dan will add information about volunteering to the PMA website.
- Re-design of PMA website
- Dan has been making updates. It will be an ongoing process. The goal is to drive parents and students to the website for information. Jeff will help work with elementary schools and teachers to get the information out.
- Suggestion to include pictures of board members on the PMA website.
- Social Media presence
- Wendy gained control of the PMA Facebook page. There are also associated groups including Friends of Norwood owned by Katie McConahay and a separate Marching Band page where Brian used to post pictures. Paul Campbell would change group name by year. All are linked to the PMA email. Suggestion to have one location.
- Question was raised on how to share photos. Jeff will ask teachers to contact parents to get email and permission to post pictures.
- Choral coordinator – Ms Hartnett is looking for a choral coordinator to help with MICCA choral. Choral has their own social media and newsletter. Building the program at middle school will hopefully help with volunteers.
- Discussion about ways to improve communication, such as adding information to Mustang Minutes, Digital Backpack, principle emails/newsletters, community fliers.
Treasurer
- The Treasurer report was reviewed and accepted.
- The Madrigal banquet is planned for the first week of December. We will need to request to rent the Knights of Columbus hall ASAP. A $100 deposit will be needed to reserve.
- The Winter Dance in February at the Sheraton Four Points will require a deposit. Deposits have come through PMA in the past. Jeff will coordinate as this is a school event supported by PMA
- Motion made for PMA to fund deposit – seconded and approved.
- Paypal or QR code info
- We now have a Venmo account. We need to buy a phone number for PMA as the last one was canceled due to inactivity. Dany to evaluate options.
- DreamHost account and payment
- Currently the cost is $26.99/month. Recommendation made to move to a new company IONOS . We can switch companies at any time. The new company will complete the switch without downtime. The initial costs will be $1 per month for the first 6 months, then $10 per month.
- Motion made to move to new company – seconded and approved
Other Business
- Seeking volunteers for Instrument handout night, Thursday 9/14 from 4-7PM
- Call for help from Ms Lorance at the Prescott School for the drive by pick up and go which will start at 4pm and hopefully end by 6pm. All 3rd grade violins have already been distributed. Spanish Portuguese speakers would be helpful.
- Suggestion to include flier with PMA website QR code to be placed in each instrument case. Dany will create the QR code.
- Siuyien volunteered to help. Wendy to contact Ms Lorance.
Motion to Adjourn
Meeting was adjourned at 8:35 pm.
Next meeting
Tuesday October 3rd, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm in the NHS library.
Minutes compiled by Sherri Munro, Recording Secretary