Parents
196WBMS PTA Information
The PTA's mission is to make every child’s school experience a success by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for our children. Interested in joining our school's PTA? Call us @ 718-497-0139 and ask to speak with our parent coordinator.
PTA Meeting Dates 2021-2022
2021 - 2022
Parent Teacher AssociationMeeting Dates & Zoom Link
Zoom Meeting ID: 988 0580 6235
Passcode: 196pta
Wednesday, October 20th @ 8:30 AM
Thursday, November 18th @ 6:00 PM
Wednesday, December 15th @ 8:30 AM
Wednesday, January 19th @ 6:00 PM
Wednesday, February 16th @ 8:30 AM
Wednesday, March 23rd @ 6:00 PM
Wednesday, April 13th @ 8:30 AM
Wednesday, May 18th @ 6:00 PM
Wednesday, June 8th @ 8:30 AM
PTA Agendas
Please click on the links below to see the PTA monthly agendas:
PTA Events
PTA By-Laws
Please review the PTA Bylaws by clicking below
Parents Calendar
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Power Play 4 & 5
P.S. 196 WBMS -
NYU Dental Clinic
P.S. 196 WBMS -
Literacy K-2
P.S. 196 WBMS -
Math Practice Test 3/4/5
P.S. 196 WBMS -
Brighter Bites
P.S. 196 WBMS
SLT Meeting Dates
2021 - 2022 School Leadership Team Meeting Dates & Link To Join
ZOOM Meeting ID: 847 7283 7190
Password: 254 991
September 28th
October 26th
November 23rd
December 21st
January 25th
February 22nd
March 22nd
April 26th
May 24th
June 21st
*Please Note: All meeting are on Tuesday and will start at 4:00 and will be virtual.
SLT Agendas
SLT Vision & Mission
Mission
The community of 196WBMS is committed to working towards the enhancement of our standards-driven instructional program, creating high levels of academic excellence for all our students in each of the disciplines. We continue to provide a culturally responsive and safe environment that empowers all children, including English Language Learners, Dual Language Learners, and Students with Special Needs to experience greater success and confidence in themselves, allowing them to grow socially, as well as academically into well rounded and productive citizens who treat others with compassion and are prepared to challenge individual and systemic inequities in their future communities. Our students will attain these goals through the collaboration of school, home, and community. Our staff educates in a culturally responsive manner and continues expanding and developing their own cultural competence to sustain and build upon student, family, and community engagement strategies and programs throughout the whole school through creative, comprehensive, and inclusive strategies of culturally responsive project based learning that includes all the elements of STEAM, our students will become empowered lifelong learners prepared academically and socially-emotionally for college, careers, and the future.
Instructional Focus
Students will participate in rigorous and engaging activities within PBL units that contain all elements of 21st century STEAM skills. Teachers will provide opportunities for students to work collaboratively and independently, self-reflect, think critically, and problem solve when completing a challenging task. Our goal is to successfully prepare our students for college, careers and their futures.
Vision
The vision of WBMS is to foster a positive environment where all students have the space and opportunities to learn and grow while felling safe and supported.
SLT By-Laws
Bylaws of the School Leadership Team of PS 196
The Williamsburg Bridge Magnet School of Communication and Mixed Media Arts
207 Bushwick Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11206
Article I – School Leadership Team Mission Statement and Educational Vision
The primary mission of the School Leadership Team (SLT) of PS 196 is to oversee the
development of the school’s Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP) and make decisions about
the budget that allow the CEP to be implemented. The SLT also supports the schools education
model of a "Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child '' collaborative approach to learning,
health, and well-being. PS 196 is committed to providing our children with a comprehensive
child-centered curriculum that is sensitive to individual learning needs and styles, as well as
celebrates and cultivates individual strengths and interests. Through a standards based
curriculum, which includes a rich Arts program, we are committed to developing life-long
learners. PS 196 believes that it takes all stakeholders: administrators, teachers and parents,
working collaboratively to create a school where all our children can flourish and reach their
fullest potential.
Article II – Team Composition
Section 1 Size of Team
The total number of members shall be a minimum of 10 and maximum of 17. The team shall
maintain an equal number of parents (7) and staff members (7), from each constituency.
Section 2 Mandatory Members
The only three mandatory members of the SLT are the school’s principal, the Parent
Association/ParentTeacher Association (PA/PTA) President and the United Federation of
Teachers (UFT) Chapter Leader. Mandatory members of the SLT may designate another
member of their constituent group to serve in their place. In the case of PTA co-presidents, the
remaining PTA officers shall determine which co-president will serve as the mandatory member
of the SLT.
Section 3 Members at Large
The remaining members of the team shall consist of: - Six elected parents: - Four nominated
staff members - One elected DC 37 member
Section 4 Eligibility and Election of Team Members
A parent is defined as a parent, by birth or step-parent, legally appointed guardian, foster parent
or person in parental relation to a child. A person in parental relation refers to a person who has
assumed the care of a child because the child’s parents or guardians are not available, whether
due to, among other things, death, imprisonment, mental illness, abandonment of a child, or
living outside of the state. Parents from the school are eligible to be elected by the school’s PTA
to serve on the SLT. Parents may not serve on the SLT as a parent member if they are
employed by PS 196, the district office of PS 196 or any School Support Organization that PS
196 purchases services from. Faculty and Staff employed at PS 196 are eligible to serve as a
faculty/staff member of the SLT as long as they are not a parent of a child at PS 196. Parent
coordinators may not serve as members of the SLT in any capacity in the school where they are
employed. However, parent coordinators may be invited to attend meetings as observers or
presenters in schools in which they are employed. They also may be asked to serve on SLT
subcommittees. Parent and staff SLT members must be elected or nominated by their own
constituent group in a fair and unbiased manner determined by each constituent group. All
elections/nominations must be advertised widely, with reasonable advance notice given.
Elections/ nominations must be open to all members of the constituent group and must be held
in accordance with the term limits set forth in these bylaws. Parent member elections must be
scheduled after PTA elections are held each spring. Parents must be provided a minimum of ten
calendar days’ notice prior to the election. The PTA is encouraged to stagger the terms of the
non-mandatory parent members of the SLT. Community based organizations may also serve on
SLTs. The SLT will create a process for the organizations to apply for membership. A member of
the team may also recommend an organization for membership. This will be done on an annual
basis. Community based organization members will be included in the total number of team
members, but will not be counted when determining the balance of parent and staff members.
Elections held to fill vacancies due to resignation, cessation of member eligibility, or removal
pursuant to Article-655 will be conducted by the appropriate constituent group within 30 days of
the vacancy. Team members elected to fill vacancies shall be eligible to serve until the
completion of that term.
Newly elected team members will attend and observe the final SLT meeting of the school year.
Section 5 School Leadership Roles
The officers of the School Leadership Team shall be a Chairperson(s), a Secretary, a
Timekeeper and a Fiscal Officer.
Chairperson - The Chairperson shall be selected by consensus of the team and shall serve for a
period of one year. If the team opts to elect Co-Chairpersons, they will share the role of
Chairperson as outlined in these bylaws. The election shall take place at the September
meeting. The Chairperson is responsible for scheduling meetings, ensuring that team members
have the information necessary to guide their planning, and focusing the team on educational
issues of importance to the school. The Chairperson ensures that voices of all team members
are heard.
Secretary/Timekeeper – The secretary will be responsible for sending SLT meeting notices and
for keeping the minutes of SLT meetings. Such minutes must be maintained at the school, with
a copy provided to the PTA. The Timekeeper ensures that all agenda items are discussed by
monitoring the allotment of time afforded each item.
Financial Liaison – The Financial Liaison shall assume responsibility for documenting member
participation for the purposes determining eligibility for the annual SLT remuneration.
Section 6 Length of Term and Term Limits
Team members, with the exception of mandatory members, are elected for two-year terms.
However, all members must remain eligible to serve pursuant to Chancellor’s Regulation A-655
for the duration of their term. There are no term limits on consecutive terms faculty/staff
members may serve. Term limits for parent representatives will be three consecutive elected
terms. If a parent has multiple children in the school the three consecutive elected terms still
applies; however the parent can run again for election following a break in membership of the
SLT. The mandatory PTA President slot on the SLT does not count towards the three
consecutive terms. Regardless of the term limits, if no other willing, eligible candidate is
identified for a particular constituent group, a member may be elected for an additional term.
Section 8 Responsibilities of School Leadership Team Members
1. Team members, including those additional roles outlined in these bylaws, are responsible for
developing an annual school Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) that is aligned with the
school-based budget for the ensuing school year. The school-based budget provides the fiscal
parameters within which the SLT will develop the goals and objectives to meet the needs of
students and the school’s educational program. The principal shall consult with the SLT in
developing the school-based budget.
2. To ensure alignment of the CEP with the school-based budget, the principal shall provide the
SLT with a report from the DOE Galaxy budgeting system within a reasonable period of time
after the school receives it. The school-based budget provides the fiscal parameters within
which the SLT will develop the goals and objectives to meet the needs of students and the
school’s educational program. The principal makes the final determination on the CEP and the
school-based budget.
3. The SLT is not responsible for the hiring or firing of school staff. The SLT does not discuss the
evaluation and/or rating of staff members or deal with problems involving individual staff,
students, or parents.
4. The SLT shall provide an annual assessment to the community superintendent of the
principal’s record of developing an effective shared decision-making relationship with the SLT
members during the year.
5. The SLT will serve as the vehicle for consultation with parent representatives regarding
federal reimbursable funding (e.g., Title I). The SLT will coordinate with other school committees
such as the Parent Association and the Title I Committee to ensure that all school-wide
committees are working toward the same goals set forth in the CEP.
6. The constituent groups on the School Leadership Team shall select their representatives for
the C-30 Level I Committee subject to the manner prescribed in Chancellor’s Regulation C-30.
7. Team members must work collaboratively by sharing their ideas and concerns and listening to
the ideas and concerns of others; engaging in collaborative problem-solving and
solution-seeking that will lead to consensus based decisions.
8. Team members must communicate effectively with their constituent groups and share the
views of their constituencies with the team.
9. While SLT meetings are public and anyone from the school community can attend, only those
team members who have been elected by their constituencies and those seated as core
members may participate in the decision-making process.
Article III – Team Meetings
Section 1 Schedule of Meetings
The School Leadership Team shall meet at least once a month during the school year. The first
meeting of the school year will be arranged via email among the SLT members. The full
schedule of dates and times of the meetings will be determined at the first SLT meeting in
September. Meetings will be scheduled for at least 90 minutes. Meetings will take place on
zoom, school, or DOE premises. Meetings will be scheduled at a time convenient for parent
members on the team. Parent members will be polled each year to determine a convenient time
for team meetings. Additional meetings will be scheduled by the Chairperson as needed or upon
request by the team members.
Section 2 Notice of Team Meetings
The School Leadership Team will establish a yearly calendar which shall be posted in the
general office, in the parent coordinator’s office and the schools website at the beginning of
each school year. The calendar shall be distributed at the first meeting of the parent association
each school year. The Chairperson will send meeting reminders to each team member one
week prior to all meetings by email or telephone.
Section 3 Meeting Attendance
School Leadership Team members are expected to attend all meetings. If team members are
unable to attend the meeting, they must contact the Chairperson in advance of the meeting.
Section 4 Quorum
A majority of SLT members including representation from each constituent group shall constitute
a quorum. Each constituent group shall be responsible for ensuring that their group is
adequately represented at each meeting.
Section 5 Order of Business
_ Call to Order
_ Reading and Approval of the Previous Meeting’s Minutes
_ Committee Reports
_ Discussion of Unfinished Business Agenda Items
_ Discussion of New Business Agenda Items
_ Creation of Agenda for the Next Meeting
_ Adjournment
Section 6 Agenda Items
All proposed agenda items sent to the Chairperson must be accepted for the agenda.
Discussions of the appropriateness of the items should be held at the SLT meeting. If an item is
deemed inappropriate for the SLT, the reason for the decision will be recorded in the minutes.
Discussions and decisions about the items should not occur via email, unless deadlines dictate
a decision about an issue prior to the next scheduled meetings and scheduling an emergency
meeting is not possible. A summary and date of an email discussion should be reflected in the
minutes.
Article IV – Removal of a School Leadership Team Member
Section 1 Removal Process
Team members who fail to attend three consecutive meetings, fail to perform their roles and
responsibilities as outlined in these bylaws, or behave in a manner that is disruptive and
undermining to the work of the Team will be removed by consensus of the remaining team
members. The School Leadership Team must have a quorum of members present and reach
unanimous agreement when deciding to remove a member. The member shall be provided a
written notice of the Team’s decision. The letter shall include the reason for the removal and the
member’s right to appeal the decision. The letter shall be signed by the Chairperson or
CoChairpersons and shall be sent by registered return receipt mail delivery to ensure proper
notification and receipt.
Section 2 Filling a Vacancy
When a member resigns or is removed, the vacancy will be advertised to the appropriate
constituent group and an election will be held in accordance with these bylaws.
Article V – Decision-Making
Section 1 Consensus-based decision-making
The Leadership Team shall strive to engage in collaborative problem solving and seek solutions
that will lead to consensus-based decisions and, when necessary, work toward effective conflict
resolution. No single member of the School Leadership Team shall have the power to veto the
collective decision of the rest of the School Leadership Team. The team will attempt to resolve
conflicts and impasses among team members over a particular issue by employing any or all of
the following measures, as deemed necessary:
• Table the discussion for the next meeting.
• Seek direction or advice from someone with expertise on the topic under discussion .
• Utilize the services of an outside facilitator.
• Provide training in consensus decision making for team members.
• Any other measures deemed appropriate by the team, to move the issue forward.
In reaching consensus on difficult issues the team members shall make decisions which place
“Children First.” At P.S. 196, all decisions are made in the best interest of our children.
Article VI – Conflict Resolution
Section 1 Assistance from the District Leadership Team (DLT)
The School Leadership Team will seek assistance from the DLT or appropriate superintendent
when members cannot reach agreement on an issue. Where team members have difficulty
obtaining information or wish to obtain assistance in resolving issues relating to consultation
with the school principal, they may seek assistance from the DLT or superintendent. If after
receiving assistance from the DLT or superintendent, the Team still cannot reach agreement on
the CEP, the superintendent will make the final determination.
Section 2 Assistance from the Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy (OFEA)
If the DLT or superintendent is unable to resolve such issues to the satisfaction of team
members, team members may send a written request for assistance to the designated OFEA
engagement staff.
Article VII – Bylaws Review and Amendment
The bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the team, provided notice of any
proposed changes has been given at a previous meeting. In addition, the bylaws will be
reviewed annually, at the start of the school year to ensure that the document’s provisions meet
the needs of the team and remain consistent with Chancellor’s Regulation A-655.
These bylaws were amended on September 29, 2021 and are on file in the principal’s office.
Janine Colon_________________________ ________________________________
Principal Name Principal Signature
Jocelyn Rojas________________________ ________________________________
PTA President Name PTA President Signature
Anthony Zalak________________________ ________________________________
UFT Chapter Leader Name UFT Chapter Leader Signature
