Guest: Tanya Williams, Marymount PA Head

Carmen Knoepffler, President: Welcomed the parents to the new year, introduced Executive Board members, gave overview of JSA, reviewed the contents of the JSA folder handout. Sarah Barish-Straus is the new Students Committee Chairperson.  JSA provides opportunities for upper school students from member schools to gather and meet on community service projects and cultural events.  JSA parent reps organize and provide support for these events, while student reps participate, liaise between JSA and their schools, and publicize the events to their schoolmates. (See folder inserts handed out at the meeting)

Monique Pettit, Corresponding Secretary: All contact information, changes and updates should be sent to Monique so that she can maintain the master contact list.  A copy of the roster will be emailed to JSA Parent Reps as updates are made.  Our website, www.jointschoolsny.org, should be visited for JSA news, updates, last minute information on events.  The students are also encouraged to post non-JSA events on this site.

Community Services Events:
 Diane Discenza, Community Services Coordinator:  Most of our community service events are 3-4 hours, the students receive a certificate awarding community service credit, and a list is sent to the participants’ schools for their files.  The schools’ community service directors will also receive copies of flyers and information on our events.  JSA parent reps organize the events and student reps are responsible for advertising it within their schools. 
Evianne Cowing, Safe Haven/Westside Crime Prevention:Stores that agree to join Safe Haven (Upper East Side) or Westside Crime Prevention provide a safe harbor and a phone call for kids who feel threatened on the streets.  A window sticker is displayed to indicate their participation. Volunteers are needed to periodically update and sign up new stores.  This year, the focus will be for Westside Crime Prevention, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 25, 12-4pm, at Columbia Grammar, as the east side Safe Haven project was mostly completed last year. Students are given instructions, snacks, and are then sent out in pairs to sign up stores. 
Sabina Wu, Holiday Carnival, scheduled for Saturday Nov. 8, 1-4pm, at Christ Church, is for the Mission Society kids.  Each school organizes and operates an activity booth.  Prizes are given out.  About 40 children from elementary to high school age attend.  JSA students will be asked to start planning their booths at tomorrow’s student rep meeting.  Chapin will chair this event, and parent volunteers will be needed to help with the prizes, food, and chaperoning. 
Diane Discenza: Service Saturday, February 7, at Columbia Grammar, the students gather to make hand-made gifts and crafts for people in need.  Previous charities include God’s Love We Deliver, Yorkville Common Pantry and The Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mt. Sinai.
Sarah Barish-Straus, Publicolor:  This organization helps to paint public schools.  Collegiate does this annually and will open up this event to JSA.  Last year, 6 seniors participated, and maybe up to 10 students could be accommodated.  To involve more students, JSA would have to seek larger projects.  This is hard to do because of competition from corporate mentors/underwriting.

Cultural Events:
Ritu Banga, Cultural Events Coordinator:
 Independent Voices:  Friday April 24, Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Center.  April is National Poetry Month.  Students’ poetry submissions, selected by the English teachers, are printed in an anthology, “Independent Voices”, and then read at the annual poetry reading held at Barnes & Noble, which has hosted this event for many years.  Each school is given 6 minutes to read, and then there is an open mike for anyone else wishing to read.  This is very popular, with generally 200-250 people attending, and JSA student alums returning to MC.  The anthologies are distributed free at the reading reception.  (B &N does not allow sales or solicitation for funds on their premises).  JSA, a 501(c) (3) organization, needs sponsorship for this event since printing is a significant cost.  Parent reps are asked to canvass their schools to see if anyone will donate the printing.  Colleen Pike Blair/Calhoun and Diane Gallagher/Spence will chair. Additional parent volunteers will be needed to chaperone at the reading.
Independent Visions:  JSA’s annual photography exhibition is held in a professional gallery and features about 150 works (10 per school), each 11” x 14”, selected with the assistance of art/photography teachers.  An evening reception is followed by open viewing the following day.  Marymount will chair the event, which will be held the Tamarind Art Gallery, 142 East 39th Street, courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. Charugundla, Marymount upper school parents. We would like to thank Peggy Engel, Marymount JSA parent rep for coordinating and getting us the gallery space. Date TBD: it will be a weekend mid-April to mid-May. Students receive a JSA certificate of participation.  2-3 parent volunteers are needed to chaperone the reception and viewing.

Other Bu siness:JSA website needs a new student willing to maintain it for 2009-10 since the current Spence student maintaining it is graduating this year.  Ideally s/he can start mid 2008-09 year, and be able to work with a faculty member or have a parent in the business who can act as back-up.  

Executive Board has many parents who will be “graduating”. Those who are interested in serving on the Board should contact a board member. New events: JSA is always interested in new community service activities.  However, any event that requires significant space usually requires long lead time planning due to the difficulty of obtaining it.  School venues are scheduled and filled way in advance. Such activities such as Safe Haven, which requires minimal space, or work for Yorkville Pantry, which has their own space, can be feasibly executed faster. Another issue is the non-profit’s ability to use many volunteers all at once, since as many as up to 80 students can turn out for an event.

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Diane Discenza, Community Services Coordinator, Sabina Wu, Chair, Holiday Carnival: The Carnival was a huge success. 80 JSA students (Brearley-8, Browning -5, Chapin              -3, Collegiate-6, Columbia Prep-3, Dwight-3, Hewitt-5, La Scuola-4, Marymount-11, Nightingale-10, Our Lady of Pompeii-1, Riverdale-1, Sacred Heart-7, Spence-13) participated in 12 booths with 25 Mission Society (MS) children attending.  The rain prevented more MS kids from coming, as attendance is normally closer to 40.  Next year, MS plans on adding another elementary school to their program so the mix will be slightly younger.  The popular booths were Spin Art, Game Table, Bracelet making, Basketball toss.  Musical chairs started off slowly, but picked up well after the JSA boys made announcements and JSA students participated.  The giant musical chairs near the end of Carnival was very successful too, and we handed out a second goody bag as a prize.  Freeze dance needs a crowd to work.  Limbo, cupcake and cookie decorating, face painting/tattoos, bowling, Twister all had steady interest.  Spin art paint refills were very expensive, and it was suggested that next year’s Chairs could perhaps purchase it cheaper at Oriental Trading when purchasing the prizes.  Basketball toss was chaotic at times, and was broken beyond repair when a boy fell on it.  The booth needed parental supervision.  We should consider more crafts booths for next year. Small prizes were handed out to each booth for distribution as they saw fit, while goody bags filled with larger items were handed out to each child. The question was raised whether snacks (chips, brownies) provided during the Carnival took away from the cookie and cupcake decorating.  But, it is not clear whether the large amount of leftover cupcakes/cookies was due to low attendance or competing snacks.
Evianne Cowing, Treasurer, financial update: Hewitt and Trinity have not sent in their dues. Carmen has called and left message for the new PA head, Linda Van Kesteren, and Martha Hirschman is new Assistant Head of School at Hewitt.  The 2008-09 Budget was presented: Estimated income of $6565 versus estimated expenses of $7832, resulting in a shortfall of $1273. The most expensive event is Voices at $4,000.  Last year, we received $5,000 from MasterCard but no new underwriting is evident for this year.  If each school raises $200, then we can break even.  However, it’s always the same handful of schools that raise any money:  Browning, Nightingale, Spence, Marymount and La Scuola.  Parent reps are encouraged to help prod the faculty advisor or Student coordinator.
Ensuing (lively) Discussion on Marketing JSA:  Understanding and visibility of JSA is poor, most schools are clueless, and parents confuse the Upper School JSA with the Middle School JSA.  Parent reps have responsibility to actively market and pass on information to their schools. Each school requires a different approach but marketing can include speaking at Parent Association meetings, coordinating with schools’ Dean of Student Affairs, Community Service Director, Club Faculty Advisor, and/or Upper School Head, encouraging students to write about events for their school newspapers or websites and speaking up in school assemblies. Suggestion was made that letters be sent to US heads acknowledging their students’ participation and thanking them.  Also, suggestion was made to invite college Guidance Counselors, Community Service Directors, Dean of Student Affairs to Voices and Visions.  JSA should attend MS JSA meetings and educate parents about our organization.
Diane Discenza, Community Services Coordinator: Service Saturday, Feb 7th, Columbia Grammar & Prep. Students will make birthday cards for God’s Love We deliver, Valentine candy bags for Yorkville Pantry, and Valentine-party-in-a-box for Pediatric Chemodialysis patients at Kravis Children’s Hospital/Mt. Sinai.  We are interested in adding more charities, preferably children-based.  Sloan Kettering and Ronald McDonald House were suggested.
Coleen Pike Blair, Independent Voices:  Barnes and Noble may be rearranging dates (subsequent to meeting, B&N informed JSA of date switch to Friday April 3).  We are still waiting for confirmation of gallery space.  School faculties have been notified of the Voices schedule, submissions can be made starting in January.
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Minutes of Parent Representatives’ Meeting
Columbia Grammar and Prep School
Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 8:30 am

Evianne Cowing, Treasurer, financial update:  We are still awaiting Trinity to send in their dues, while Hewitt’s may be in our mailbox.  Projected deficit of $1273 is net of dues and projected fundraising (excluding the MasterCard grant) against projected expenses.  We need just a few more schools to fundraise in addition to last year’s.  Some ideas for fundraising include raffles, dress down day, coffee houses, recycling used cell phones and inkjet cartridges (Wendy Van Amson).  Proceeds support the Holiday Carnival and Service Saturday. Discussion on Marketing JSA: The issue continues to be JSA visibility within the schools.  Parents need to support the students in their fundraising efforts, help guide them through the schools’ particular procedures and approval process.

 Sarah Barish-Straus, Student Coordinator:  Students voted to not print Voices, but to make it available on-line instead.  The Voices co-chairs and parent reps heartily approved and committed to the new approach for this spring 2009 (see below).  Students also had many ideas for Service Saturday beneficiaries.  Secret Santa, fulfillment of Christmas wishes sent in letters to “Santa” collected by the U.S. Post Office, was one activity with strong student interest; however, this has to be planned well in advance and can be a very expensive undertaking.

Diane Discenza, Community Services Coordinator: Service Saturday, Feb 7th, Columbia Grammar & Prep. Students will make birthday cards for God’s Love We Deliver.  Suggestions are needed for new beneficiaries, preferably kid based charities.  Mt. Sinai’s Kravis Children’s Hospital’s party-in-a-box last year did not require many students.  Hearts of Gold, Box Project, Ronald McDonald House, Cassidy’s Place were suggestions made by parent reps as other candidates to be checked out.  Wendy Van Amson, Barbara Wallner, and Martha Leitner volunteered to chaperone and help plan the event.

Colleen Pike Blair:  Independent Voices:  Barnes and Noble changed the date to Friday April 3, 6:30pm.  Poetry submissions are due January 12th.  All faculties have been notified, and teachers are very enthusiastic about Voices.  Riverdale is the only school that has not responded.  Outside sponsorship of this event is nearly impossible under current conditions as everyone is cutting back.  The idea to “print” on-line is an ideal and “green” solution to the funding difficulties.  Poetry will need to be put into “Pdf” format.  Kathleen Coffey volunteered to help with layout.  Content can be downloaded onto CDs for distribution, but a cover design and some kind of printing will still be needed to do this. Diane Gallagher and Colleen will handle the proofing, but more volunteers are needed for the evening of the event.

Ritu Banga, Independent Visions:  A chair is still needed to spearhead this event.  Marymount is arranging for the gallery space, for which we are still awaiting confirmation, and food for the reception. School faculties have been notified of the Visions schedule, submissions can be made starting in January.  Evianne, as previous co-chair, offered to help with e-mailing, and we will confirm Linda German’s interest as volunteer. It was suggested that Visions also post the works on a Facebook page.
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Minutes of Parent Representatives’ Meeting
Collegiate School
Wednesday, February 25, 2009, 8:30 am

Guest:  Chantal Meldrum, V.P. of Collegiate Parent Association.

Evianne Cowing, Treasurer, financial update: All schools have now paid their dues.  All expenses have been submitted and checks will be cut at the end of the week.  Holly Gewandter stated that her daughter Haley was still awaiting reimbursement for Holiday Carnival.  An exception will be made in this case but generally, JSA does not cover the expenses of the individual booths. (A note and summary of feedback from this session will be added to the Holiday Carnival notes).

Diane Discenza, Community Services Coordinator: Service Saturday, Feb 7th, 12-4pm,Columbia Grammar & Prep. Thirty-five students from 9 schools attended.  This was much fewer than last year’s attendance of 70, due to possible conflicts with tests and test preparations.  The students made 400 journal kits and 6 surgi dolls for Project Sunshine; 350 toiletries kit for Midnight Run, Ronald McDonald house, Trinity Place, All Angels Church and St. Ignatius Loyola Church; 100 cards for God’s Love We Deliver.  A representative from God’s Love We Deliver spoke and a representative from Project Sunshine attended.  Carmen Knoepffler, Martha Leitner, Barbara Wallner, Wendy Van Amson and Vivienne and Tony Fisher chaperoned.  Columbia Grammar, Sacred Heart, Collegiate and Nightingale undertook toiletries drive.  A total of $783 was spent, compared to $800 budget.  About $200 was spent on Project Sunshine and $350 on toiletries.  A Nightingale parent also underwrote $400.  Next year, JSA students should start collecting toiletries earlier.  Next year, Karen Frank will contact Estee Lauder/Clinique, and JSA should contact Duane Reade for toiletry samples.  We can also consider more organizations as toiletries recipients.  It was noted that many schools have already started to plan their 2009-10 calendars and should be contacted now by JSA and parent representatives to get on the school’s calendar for fundraising and other drives, as well as to reserve space for JSA activities.

Diane Discenza on behalf of Colleen Pike Blair and Diane Gallagher:  Independent Voices: Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Center, Friday April 3, 6:30pm. All submissions have been received and proofed.  Creation of the PDF file is underway.  Andrew Fanelli will MC the event.  Parent reps should invite the heads of their Upper Schools, and student reps should invite their school newspapers to come and report on the event.  Teachers seem interested in obtaining CD’s; however, it was deemed an unnecessary expense and work.  Sarah Barish-Straus and Vivienne Fisher have volunteered to chaperone and will also take photographs, but more parent volunteers are needed.

Ritu Banga, Independent Visions:  Tamarind Art Gallery 142 East 39th St., Saturday May 2, Reception 5-7pm, Sunday May 3, Viewing 12-4pm. All schools have responded except for Birch Wathen.  The gallery has kindly offered to hang the photographs, thus saving JSA this expense.  They have also offered to make a video loop, with music, of all the works so that the images can be flashed on a wall.  This can also be placed on the JSA website.  We will use the Voices cover for this.  Elise Weidock, Marymount mom, will photograph the occasion.  We need a professional photographer to speak at the reception for about 5 minutes and to take questions from the students.  Food will likely be purchased from Fairway as it was last year.  Two parent volunteers are needed for Sunday.  An email will be sent to the parent reps to invite any press contacts they may have, and for volunteers.  The Gallery raised security as an issue, so parents will have to watch the doors. Students must bring school ID cards.

Other business:  Vivienne Fisher on behalf of Sarah Barish-Straus:  Publicolor event will be early April, date to be confirmed.  It can only accommodate about 10 students and will be on a first-come basis.  Wendy Van Amson: Created and will circulate a summary of JSA that parent reps can use to recruit new parent volunteers.
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Minutes of Parent Representatives’ Meeting
Spence School
Wednesday, April 15, 2009, 8:30 am

Guest (brief appearance):  Betsy Pitts, Head of Parents Association, Spence School

Karen Frank:  Estee Lauder has committed to donate 350 women’s gift bags for next year’s Service Saturday.

Sarah Barish-Straus, Student Liaison:  Publicolor. Will be held Saturday April 25 in the Bronx.  The students will meet at the Starbucks near 84th Street and Lexington Ave. and proceed to the school by train.  Students should bring their Metrocards.

Laurie Mendick, Columbia Grammar, joined us today as a new parent representative.

Colleen Pike Blair and Diane Gallagher:  Independent Voices: Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Center, Friday April 3, 6:30pm.  The event was a huge success. Andrew Fanelli MC’d again but JSA will need to find someone new for next year, ideally an existing JSA student rep.  All schools participated except Horace Mann, Riverdale, and Dalton. Calhoun, La Scuola d’Italia, and Columbia Prep were published but missed the reading.  Advice for next year includes getting students’ commitments to read when they submit their poetry, schedule some time before the event for the faculty to meet each other, and possibly self-publishing so that those who want can still get hard copies. Suggestion was also made that a program and or email be sent to key people at each school, thanking them for their participation, and listing the students who participated.  A year-end wrap up letter was also suggested, so that the schools can see what their dues supported.

Ritu Banga, Independent Visions:  Tamarind Art Gallery 142 East 39th St., Saturday May 2, Reception 5-7pm, Sunday May 3, Viewing 12-4pm.  Faculty have been emailed to send “jpeg” files for the video and to put on the website.  Volunteers are needed to get food/drink and to chaperone. Diane Gallagher, Sarah Barish-Straus, and Sabina Wu volunteered for Saturday’s reception.  Martha Leitner and Kathleen Coffey (at a previous JSA meeting) volunteered for Sunday.  Sarah and Diane will bring music CDs.  Paul D. Inunzio, a professor of digital photography, will speak.  Ritu will send out the invitations for parent reps to forward to their schools. Students must bring school ID cards.

Diane Discenza on behalf of Evianne Cowing, Treasurer’s Report: JSA has a new accountant to do our taxes, on schedule for May 15th.  We have been “in the black” for the last several years.  All 17 schools paid their dues and $700 was received from the students’ fundraisers.  Suggestion is made to create a reserve as a cushion.  Colleen Pike Blair suggests that Voices’ budget be incorporated into our budget.

To lessen the confusion arising from the similarity in name, Sarah Barish-Straus will investigate the possibility of getting the Middle-School Joint Schools organization to change theirs.
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