Bergen Academies PPO

May 31, 2005, 7:30pm

General PPO Meeting

Minutes

 

 

 

PPO President Nancy Lagomarsino welcomed the assembled members of the PPO and administration for the last meeting of the year.

 

Lagomarsino reported first on the budget noting that there is currently a $4,000 shortfall in membership revenue this year.  She asked whether there were any questions and none were offered.

 

Lagomarsino then called PPO Nomination Committee member Carol Messiah to offer the list of candidates for next year’s PPO Executive Board.

 

Messiah announced the 2005-2006 slate of candidates for the PPO Executive Board as follows:            President, Nancy Lagomarsino; Vice President Shiaoling Paxson; Treasurer, Mindy Ho; Corresponding Secretary, Seungah Kim; Recording Secretary, Susan Bromberg. 

 

The membership was offered an opportunity to nominate other candidates but none were offered.  Lagomarsino called for a hand vote on the slate of candidates.  By majority vote the slate was voted in unopposed.

 

After the vote, Lagomarsino thanked administrators Principal Pat Cosgrove, Vice Principal Russ Davis, Dean Linda Eickmeyer, andDean of Academics Dennis Montone for a great year.  Lagomarsino welcomed new members of the PPO Executive Board and thanked outgoing members Karen Sanchez, Vice President, Barbara DeLuca, Corresponding Secretary, and Grazia Svokos, Recording Secretary.  Token gifts of appreciation were exchanged.

 

Lagomarsino then announced that in keeping with last year’s precedent, for the second year in a row, the PPO wanted to recognize an exceptional volunteer.  Lagomarsino explained that the award recognizes a parent or grandparent of an Academy senior who has gone above and beyond in their service to the Bergen County Academies community.  The recipient cannot be a Board Member of the PPO.  PPO member Carol Massiah was then called to the podium to accept the 2004-2005 “Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award.”  Her name will be placed on a plaque and she was presented with a plaque as well.

 

Members of the PPO Board then presented Lagomarsino with thanks and a plant in appreciation of her hard work on behalf of Academy students. 

 

Lagomarsino then addressed membership with a recap of the events that the PPO had organized in the past year.  These events included:            Picnic, PEI lecture; Academy Directory; Senior Award donations; Staff Luncheons; Welcome Breakfast for Teachers; Unsung Heroes Luncheon; Graduation Receptions; Alumni Breakfast.  The PPO’s main function, said Lagomarsino was to act as both a disseminator of information from administration to parents, and a liaison between parents and the school.  This year the PPO also fully funded a new Senior Lounge including a color television and furniture.

 

Lagomarsino then said the PPO would change some things in the next year including:

(1)               moving parent orientation for incoming freshmen to late in August on the evening of one of the freshmen orientation days;

(2)               arranging for a pilot afternoon PPO meeting in October, instead of the usual evening meeting, to function more like a work session and draw members into the workings of the organization; 

(3)               initiating a pilot Parent/Faculty “fishbowl” discussion in November to encourage positive communication and dialogue between the two groups;

(4)               encouraging class parents and class advisors to work as a group to better communication.

 

“Any way we can make communication better we will do…” concluded Lagomarsino.

 

Lagomarsino then introduced Principal Pat Cosgrove who addressed the group recapping the year.  Cosgrove mentioned the passing of Dr. John Grieco, superintendent, earlier in the year and the smooth transition with the new superintendent.  Cosgrove also mentioned the new GLE program; an increase in research; the dedication of a new library area; overview of curriculum; Frosh Madness (where freshmen played various games against each other and made a DVD to profit the class); the PPO Fishbowl with students; the Picnic’s successful turnout; and her appreciation of how much parents helped at Field Day.

 

Cosgrove then discussed the random drug testing by the Bergen County prosecutor’s office the previous Friday, on Field Day.  Cosgrove said the school went into “lock down” mode as police and canine units scoured the halls for possible drugs and/or bombs.  She was happy to report that nothing had been found, and said the event, which she reiterated was a random check, sent a positive message to students that “we don’t tolerate this.”

 

Looking forward, Cosgrove announced that the I.B. courses would be introduced to rising 11^th graders next year offering English, History, French and Spanish.  Cosgrove said that since the school did not offer AP humanities courses, these I.B. courses were one way to address this.

 

Cosgrove also mentioned the possibility of web extension classes with Teteboro and Hackensack campuses.  These classes would be electives only, not core classes, for 10-12 graders, possibly in criminology as Teteboro campus had a law program.

 

Other changes include the fact that the elective fair would no longer take place but rather electives would be chosen on-line.  New rooms would also be added for the Music and Performing Arts programs.  The Physical education department received through a grant, new state of the art cardiovascular machines – the use of which will be incorporated into the regular physical education classes.  A second class of GLE candidates was also in the making.  New cheating and plagiarism policy would also be instituted district wide – parents will have to sign off on the policy.  Other changes include the fact that as of the Class of 2009, Freshmen will be given a full year of Freshmen Seminar which will include one trimester of safe school and drug and alcohol awareness and a second trimester of “character education” promoting strength of character.  The latter will be organized by Mrs. Sytsma, Mrs. Cosgrove and Mr. Davis.

 

At the close of Cosgrove’s remarks, Lagomarsino asked the assembled members to break up into their particular class years to attend special parent-led discussions on the emotional changes and expectations of their child’s next year of High School.  The general meeting was then called to a close with the dispersal of members to different areas of the school to attend these meetings.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Grazia Svokos

Recording Secretary