PTO Meeting, December 10, 2024
• LJES PTO Meeting Called to Order at 7:35 am
• Meeting adjourned at 8:15 am
Executive Board Members Present: Dana Hourani, Sarah Topol, Cher Jabbari,
Christal Duimstra, Virginia Price, Kaitlin Barr, Liz Copperman, Rebecca Jacob, Dr.
Stephanie Hasselbrink
Absent: Carolina Tiller, Virginia Price, Stacey Gubernator, Amani Bernstein, Georgina Gaerin, Dorothy Tse, Megan Roeske, Erin Sullivan
Approvals:
November 2024 Financials approved at 7:50 am. Christal motioned first, Kaitlin
seconded – all in favor.
November 2024 Meeting Minutes approved at 7:50 am. Christal motioned first, Kaitlin seconded – all in favor.
Co-President’s Report: Dana Hourani and Sarah Topol
Staff T-Shirts Have Arrived! A huge thank you to Kim for her incredible effort in making this project a reality!
Garden Grant Approved! Exciting news: A $300 grant has been approved for the garden program! Auditorium Grant Approved! We’re thrilled to share that a grant for a new sound and microphone system in the auditorium has been approved. A special thank you to Kaitlin for her dedication and hard work in making this happen!
Mom’s Night Out: Our Mom’s Night Out event was a resounding success, raising $666 from Salty Cali alone for the PTO, and another $300+ is expected from other vendors! A massive thank you to our amazing Social Chair, Christine, for organizing this fantastic evening at Salty Cali headquarters. The event featured local businesses, brought together over 50 moms from LJES, and created an incredible sense of community. Bravo, Christine!
Dr. Wais Returns after Successful workshop! Following the success of Dr. Wais’ recent workshop, she will return in January to lead a 5-week series on resilience. Will be held on Monday’s- Dates: 1/13, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/24
Joint Board Christmas Party: Mark your calendars! Our joint board Christmas party will be held on December 18th at 6 PM. A big thank you to Elizabeth for hosting this festive gathering at her home.
Science Night: Seven vendors are confirmed, including Bubble Therapy, Eco Vivarium, The Coder School, La Jolla High Robotics, and three medical device reps
demonstrating interventional radiology tools. Vendors will set up in the auditorium, with Bubble Therapy outside on the lawn. About 15 parent-run science stations will be in the lunch arbor, and snacks will be provided by 5th-grade fundraisers. Student presentations may also take place in the lunch arbor if finalized. Doors open at 5:30 PM, and e-blast announcements will be sent 1-2 weeks in advance. Parent volunteers are needed. A question was posed to the committee about science night starting at 4:30. PTO will reach out to whole committee for feedback.
Pizza Wednesday: Orders will resume after winter break and continue every
Wednesday until the end of the school year, except Spring Break. Updates to the order page are in progress, and reminders will be sent via e-blast and social media to encourage early orders.
Staff Luncheon: 12/18- Hospitality chairs Stephanie Silverberg, Kim Custard and
Jacqueline Yen are putting together a holiday luncheon for staff- Thai.
Edu Kits- Susie would like for the PTO to decide if we should change companies for
edukit! There is some cost savings. It was decided that input from teachers and Edukit chair will be collected and Christal can also negotiate for lower rates with EduKit.
Movie Night Plans- We’re exploring the idea of moving Movie Night outdoors! To make this work, we’d align the start time with sunset. Another fun suggestion is to host it in October with a Halloween-themed movie.
Principal update: Dr. Hasselbrink
Staff have brought up a concern about the number of parents who are walking around campus without badges or checking in. New protocol will start in the new school year to ensure that all parents on campus are checking in properly.
Teacher’s report: Erin Sullivan (delivered by Dr. Hasselbrink)
Thank you from the staff to the PTO for the upcoming staff luncheon.
Treasurer’s Report: Christal Duimstra
Taxes should be completed this week. CPA has it. Only notable transaction is robotics funding.
Auditor’s Report: Virginia Price
It’s going well. Christal will send next 6 months early to mid January.
Communications VP (Social Media): Liz Copperman
No updates
VP Programs Report: Amani Bernstein & Georgina Gaerin (delivered by Secretary)
The Winter Session began last Wednesday with 152 kids enrolled, and some programs are waitlisted due to high demand and limited space, as the Y and Primetime occupy much of it. New offerings this session include “Theater with Ms. Bryn” and a Gardening Club, approved by Susie, which will launch in Spring with engaging lessons and activities. Looking ahead, Ashley Snell from TK has agreed to chair next year, while another TK mom, Yadani, is interested but busy as a physician. Updates on leadership will follow.
VP Room Parent: Stacey Gubernator (delivered by Secretary)
Room Parents are collecting money for class gifts as well as cards/ handwritten notes from the kids. Let us know if anything needs to be communicated to the room parents and we can relay that request to Stacey.
Anti-Bullying Program Update: Abbas Hassan (delivered by Secretary)
Our anti-bullying initiative is making great progress! Here’s a snapshot of the work
underway. Survey updates: Staff surveys have been reviewed. Parent surveys were
sent out last week. If you haven’t completed it, please do so. The more feedback we get, the better we can tailor the program to the unique needs of our school. Student surveys will be administered this week. Program Highlights: There will be three 1-hour assemblies for Grades 2–5: 1. Understanding Bullying: Identifying bullying behaviors and recognizing similarities and differences. 2. Handling Unkindness: Teaching students how to respond effectively and when to seek help from adults. 3. Celebrating Others: Encouraging empathy and appreciation for diversity.
Friends Liaison Report and Co-Chair VP Volunteers Report: Kaitlin Barr
OAM doing well. Winter Carnival is Sunday. We really need volunteers. Friends are
working on Enrichment programs, one of which is La Jolla Playhouse pop tour. Sarah is working on campus beautification. Gala is focused on ticket sales and underwriting. Ticket prices have now gone up.
VP Tidings – Megan Roeske & Rebecca Jacob
New issue going out next week. Ana, who is currently shadowing for next year, was
introduced. She will be taking over with Stacey next school year. They sought feedback on whether there should be a set timeline of when committee updates will be published now that a lot more content is available and to ensure enough space for updates from all committees.