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DDMES PTA Member Meeting Minutes 9/19/2024

PTA Member Meeting Curriculum night 9/19/24


PTA Presentation and Understanding Title 1 Side



PTA General Member Meeting - Curriculum Night 

September 19, 2024 @ 4:30pm

DDMES Cafeteria



Board Members in attendance: Wanda Simpkins, Lisa Padgett, Stacey Webb, Cheryl Tran, Renda Dennie, Brooke Pristell, Jennifer Joyner -Teacher representative

Advisory Board and Committee Chairs in attendance: Paula Silitshena, Karri Miller, Rachel Powell, Madana Mitchell, Kelvin McDougald, Marcellus Simpkins, Jae-Ellyne Hudson, Adrienne Smith


  1. Meeting called to order by PTA President Wanda Simpkins at 4:30pm.  

  2. Start of Slide show

    1. Title 1 presentation given by Ms. Joyner

      1. Understanding Title 1 

        1. Federal Funding that is attached to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), formerly known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). 

        2. Funds are intended to help students and schools access needed resources for quality instruction.

        3. Within Wake County 65 Schools in WCPSS receive Title I funding in the 2024-25 school year.  

          1. Elementary and Middle schools 40%+

          2. High Schools 50%+

          3. at this percentage or higher of students qualifying through the direct certification process. 

          4. Direct certification is based on student participation in need-based programs like SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, Headstart, etc.

          5. Schoolwide programs allow these funds to benefit all students in the school.

        4. Family Engagement is important. Our school wants to partner with families to promote success for all students.

        5. Title I funded schools receive funds to support family engagement through a Title I set aside. Families will receive family engagement policy information and a request for feedback to assist in deciding how to use this funding.

        6. Parents have a right to know about teacher qualifications and how the school is performing/graded.

      2. What is AVID

        1. Advancement Via Individual Determination,  an educational program designed to help students develop the skills and motivation needed for success in college and future careers.

        2. DDMES is collecting banners for a college and career board to display and to help facilitate discussions about future career choices and opportunities.

    2. Treasurer Report - Chery Tran

      1. Brief overview of current budget -$25,000 divided into the following categories

        1. Classroom grants -$10,000

          1. The current teacher grant is set at $150/teacher.  Last year it was $75/teacher.

          2. Teachers must apply for the grant and submit receipts

        2. PTA Operations $1,500- Expenses in order to run the PTA

          1. Insurance - PTA needs to have our own insurance for events

          2. Website

          3. Software

          4. Other administrative items

        3. Events $5,000- PTA run events

          1. Dragonfly Dash

          2. Field Day

          3. Book fair

        4. Hospitality $6,000- Money used for teacher appreciation and other staff recognition efforts

        5. School/Student Support -$2,500

          1. Upkeep grounds

          2. Exterior and interior decor, painting projects etc

      2. Lisa Padgett called for a motion to pass the budget and the budget was approved unanimously with no opposition

    3. DDMES Fundraisers - Lisa Padgett gave an overview

      1. Givebacks

      2. Swag shop - 20% Sept 21-26

      3. Donation for teacher supply grant 

      4. Carpool VIP Auction

        1. 1 morning spot available

        2. 2 afternoon spots available

        3. Auction runs from Sept 16 - Sept 25 at 11:59pm

      5. Dairy Queen Spirit night on Sept 23rd

      6. Dragonfly Dash

        1. A new dash date has been confirmed for October 31st. 

        2. This is our school’s biggest fundraiser and it was moved to the fall in order to contribute to the operating budget throughout the school year. 

        3. More information to come about memberhub fundraising.

    4. DDMES Membership - Rachel Powell

      1. Discussed the importance of the PTA in supporting our students and teachers

      2. Emphasized that we want and need member input

      3. Emphasized that the PTA welcomes and encourages volunteers and engagement but there is no obligation to volunteer by being a member.

    5. PTA General Updates - Lisa Padgett

      1. Volunteer opportunities

        1. Anyone interested in volunteering at ANY Wake County public school must first register with the WCPSS my volunteer system. 

          1. Volunteers from the 2023-2034 school year can go through a renewal process that has been streamlined to make it easier. 

          2. Deadline for volunteer renewal is Oct 1, 2024

        2. Carpool Volunteers

          1. Needed for morning drop off and afternoon pickup

          2. Sign up is currently open

        3. Upcoming opportunities

          1. Cafeteria monitoring 

          2. Grounds cleanup

          3. Dragonfly Dash

      2. Introduction to committees

        1. Two Committee Chair positions are available

          1. Garden and Grounds

          2. Nomination and Awards

        2. Invitation for committee chairs in attendance to introduce themselves and give a brief description of their committee

  3.  Q & A / Open discussion

  4. Closing Remarks - Wanda Simpkins

    1. Invited PTA members to join a committee and meet with committee chairs to exchange information. 

    2. Thank you to all in attendance!

  5. Meeting adjourned at 5:03pm

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