06-07-2004
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MINUTES
AVENTURA CHARTER ELEMENTARY SCHOC
SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING
JUNE 7, 2004
AventuraCharter Elementary School
3333 NE 188" Street
Aventura, Florida 33180
1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Board
Chairman, Gary Pyott. Present were members Gary Pyott, Julie Greenberg Shapiro,
Valerie Lustgarten, Luz Urbáez Weinberg and Eric M. Soroka. Principal Dr. Katherine
Bray Murphy, Assistant Principal Julie Aim and Board member Stephanie Oshinsky were
absent. Quorum was determined and the meeting commenced.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: May 3, 2004 SAB Meeting. The Board reviewed the
minutes. Ms. Shapiro moved to approve the minutes, Ms. Lustgarten seconded the
motion, and it was unanimously approved.
3. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Soroka reported on these three items as follows:
A. On July 14, 2004, ACES will go in front of the Miami-Dade County School Board to
be heard on the motion to approve the addition of the middle school wing to our
existing charter elementary school. Mr. Soroka reported he would email a
reminder notice to the Board prior to the scheduled MDCPS meeting.
B. Mr. Soroka commended the Board for not only the donation of their time and
efforts throughout the school year, but also all the support the Board contributed to
the school as well. Mr. Soroka suggested the Board meets the last week of August
(prior to school commencing) in order to get affairs ready for the following school
year. The board agreed. Mr. Soroka added that for the following school year, in
order to respond to concerns parents raised about more involvement
opportunities, the Board should consider forming two committees: one to handle
tracking of parent volunteer hours and one to coordinate fundraising activities.
This item is to be addressed at the first 2004-2005 school year meeting.
C. Mr. Soroka thanked Parent Volunteer Coordinators Beverly Gittleman and Jodi
Brown for their hard work during our inaugural school year in tracking parent
volunteer hours and coordinating fund raisers, especially the Tree of Knowledge
and the ACES Yearbook.
D. Mr. Soroka introduced potential ACES Instructional Counselor Ms. Lara Greisman
who shared her educational background (five years as counselor at Atlanta's
middle and elementary schools), and discussed her Bail Program. The Bail
Program consists of pet dogs that are brought to the school to bond with children
and assist in counseling efforts. Ms. Urbáez-Weinberg expressed concern with
risks of injury and hygiene issues potentially involved with having dogs on school
grounds. The Board agreed. The issue is to be reviewed at a later time.
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SAB June 7, 2004 Minutes .. Page 2 of 3
E. Mr. Soroka reported on the progress of the purchasing of a school sign, where
there is now one more option/estimate in the range of $25-$30K. Mr. Soroka will
continue updating the Board on this issue.
F. Elizabeth Rivero of Charter Schools USA reported on F-CAT. ACES beat overall
F-CAT scores in the state and our county in all grades, except 5th grade, which is a
great accomplishment considering that 5th graders were inherited from other
schools. CTBS post-scores are not yet available. They should be obtained over
the summer and reported on at a later time.
G. In order to preserve the ACES acronym in accommodating the addition of a middle
school wing, the Aventura Charter Elementary School name has officially been
changed to Aventura City of Excellence School.
H. The ACES budget for the 2004-2005 school year was approved at the May 16,
2004 Commission Meeting.
4. ENROLLMENT UPDATE: Our enrollment numbers remain at 600.
5. SCHOOL SIGN: See above.
6. PRINCIPAL'S REPORT: There was no report as Dr. Murphy and Ms. Aim were absent.
7. 2004-2005 SCHOOL YEAR APPLICANTS UPDATE: Enrollment for next school year is
at the 600 limit. Applications are being reviewed for address and documentation
verification. Ms. Shapiro asked about the 3rd grade retention and how that will affect
enrollment numbers for next school year. Ms. Rivero of CSUSA explained the numbers
have been arranged in order to accommodate the five 3rd graders who may, as of this
date, be retained.
8. END OF YEAR PARENT VOLUNTEER TRACKING REPORT
9. END OF YEAR FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES REPORT: Ms. Gittleman and Ms. Brown
reported on these two items as follows:
a. An outstanding 33 families with one child in 5th grade did not complete their required 20
hours for the school year. Ms. Urbáez Weinberg reiterated her opinion that these
families, through their lack of completion of hours demonstrated their lack of commitment
to the school and should not be considered for re-admission to th grade. The Board
agreed this issue should be discussed as an agenda item at a later time.
b. In other grades, there were two children in one family whose parents did not complete
their hours. The parents were informed their children could not return to ACES. Another
family with one child did not complete their hours, and informed the school that they did
not complete their hours because they did not plan to re-enroll their child.
c. All other families not re-enrolling completed their hours.
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SAB June 7, 2004 Minutes - Page 3 of 3
d. A total of $32, 620 were netted in fundraising events during the 2003-2004 school year.
This amount does not include the estimated potential of $24K for the Tree of Knowledge,
which has thus far netted $1,200.00. The most profitable event was the gift wrap, which
produced $14,000.00, followed by the Fresh Market Wine Tasting series at $11,500.00.
Other events produced as follows: note cards, $1 K; book fair, just under $5K; Burdines,
$500.00; Field Day, $1 K; T-shirts sales, $400.00; and Dress Down dollars at just over
$3K.
10. OLD BUSINESS: There were no old business issues to discuss.
11. NEW BUSINESS: Ms. Rivero of CSUSA reported the Parent Survey had to be sent out
again because there were two questions of the 10 SAB voted on for inclusion that were
omitted the first time the survey was sent home. Parents are to fill-out the survey and
return it to school.
There being no further business from the Board, SAB. Chairman, Gary Pyott then
opened the floor for discussion to attending parents. Parents brought up the following
issues as focus of concern:
1. Making sure fundraising activities are sent out with ample notice. Ms. Urbáez
Weinberg noted the many flyers and class presentation during open-house used to
promote the wine tasting, and Ms. Gittleman noted that ample notices were indeed sent
home to parents on every single fundraising event, and they were listed on the
newsletters, as well. Unfortunately, some parents remain uninformed.
2. Having a supply packet sold at the school over the summer. Ms. Brown explained that
with it being June already, it was too late to put that project together, and that the issue
had already been contemplated and dismissed as not cost-efficient.
3. Having Spanish forK, 1 and 2.
4. Gifted pull-out program questions
5. Teacher return numbers for next school year. Ms. Rivero and Mr. Soroka reported that
the salary packages offered by CSUSA exceed that of MDCPS, and there are bonuses
given for returning teachers of $500.00 in the form of a cash check. ACES is far ahead
from other schools in compensation packages, and is currently working on improving
health insurance and pension benefits. Ms. Rivero did note that the pension package is
lower at CSUSA than at the public and large MDCPS, and it is difficult to compete with
the State pension.
-It was agreed there should be a meeting of the School Advisory Board prior to the
beginning of the next school year. Mr. Soroka informed the Board that he would email a
date that would be convenience for all.
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