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Old Mill School PTA Parent Survey March 2015
Old Mill School PTA Parent Survey March 2015
OMS Parent Survey – March 2015 Executive Summary
• 36% of the OMS community responded • 58% with more than 4 years experience at OMS • Good representation across all grade levels
• Consistent with last year’s parent survey, of the more than 30 PTA driven programs, parents rate below as most important:
• Information sharing (Creek, A-Z Handbook, Assemblies, OMS Website) • Support (Drop Don’t Stop and Room Parent Coordination) • Family Fundraiser (Lapathon)
• Also consistent with last year’s parent survey, parents rate Hobby Night, Almost New Book Sale, Coffee Cart and Book Passage Lunch as less important
• When asked about execution (“How well is the program working for your family”), the
programs that scored higher on performance tended to also score higher on execution
• Character Ed, Coding and Science were the top 3 programs selected to be exciting new programs to offer
• Desire for Character Ed and STEM (including coding) appear to be consistent themes across the survey
• Open ended questions provide detailed thinking
More than 90 OMS families (36%) responded to the March 2015 survey. Respondents were experienced (44% with over 5 years at OMS) and represented a broad distribution across grade levels
How many years at OMS?
What grades?
How many kiddos at OMS?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
1 2 3+
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
First year Two Three Four Five+
Similar to 2014, families prioritized critical info (The Creek, A-Z Handbook, assemblies), support (Room Parents, Drop Don’t Stop) and the family fundraiser (Lapathon) as the “Most Important” PTA events. “Very Important” ratings have dropped by about 10%.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
The Creek
Room
Paren
t Coo
rd.
A-‐Z Ha
ndbo
ok
Lapathon
Old M
ill web
site
Assemblies
Drop
Don
't Stop
Halloween Parade
Science Night
Teache
r & Staff Ap
preciaQo
n
Spruce it Up
Parent Ed
Lost & Fou
nd
Yearbo
ok
Art F
air
Book Fair
Authors' Mon
th
Walk to Schoo
l Wed
nesday
Green Team
Parent Fall Fun
draiser
Budd
y Family (K
, 1, 2)
Pop Club
(Wed
nesdays)
Coins for Kids
Go Green
Challenge Week
Birthd
ay Boo
k Program
Scho
ola Clothing Driv
e
Spirit W
ear
BulleQn
Boards
Hobb
y Night
Almost N
ew Boo
k Sale
Coffe
e Cart (W
edne
sdays)
Book Passage
Events Rated by Importance to Parents (Sorted by Very & Somewhat Important)
What Is This?
Very Unimportant
Somewhat Unimportant
Neither Imp. nor Unimp.
Somewhat Important
Very Important
The events are rated similarly to last year, with the exception of four: Community Outreach, Art Fair and Almost New Book Sale dropped by more than 5 points, while Teacher & Staff Appreciation increased by more than five. It is important to note that the survey was given earlier in 2015 (March), and those events had not occurred yet.
Events that are rated with higher importance to families generally scored above average when rated on how well the event is working for families
Answers scored as following: 5 = Great – thanks! 4 = Well enough 3 = OK 2 = Re-‐haul completely 1 = Punt this please Average score = 4.0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Book Passage Lunch Coffee Cart
Almost New Book Sale Hobby Night
BulleQn Boards Spirit Wear
Schoola Clothing Drive Birthday Book Program
Go Green Challenge Week Coins For Kids
Pop Club (Wednesdays) Buddy Family (K, 1, 2) Parent Fall Fundraiser
Green Team Walk to School Wednesday
Authors' Month Book Fair Art Fair
Yearbook Lost & Found
Parent Ed Spruce it Up
Teacher & Staff AppreciaQon Science Night
Halloween Parade Drop Don't Stop
Assemblies Old Mill website
Lapathon A-‐Z Handbook
Room Parent CoordinaQon The Creek
How Well Are Events Working for You and Your Family? (Sorted by Importance RaHng; Average=4.0)
AddiQonal Chart next page
How Well Are Events Working – Chart 2
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
The Creek
Room
Paren
t Coo
rdinaQ
on
A-‐Z Ha
ndbo
ok
Lapathon
Old M
ill web
site
Assemblies
Drop
Don
't Stop
Ha
lloween Parade
Science Night
Teache
r & Staff Ap
preciaQo
n Spruce it Up
Parent Ed
Lost & Fou
nd
Yearbo
ok
Art F
air
Book Fair
Authors' Mon
th
Walk to Schoo
l Wed
nesday
Green Team
Parent Fall Fun
draiser
Budd
y Family (K
, 1, 2)
Pop Club
(Wed
nesdays)
Coins F
or Kids
Go Green
Challenge Week
Birthd
ay Boo
k Program
Scho
ola Clothing Driv
e Spirit W
ear
BulleQn
Boards
Hobb
y Night
Almost N
ew Boo
k Sale
Coffe
e Cart
Book Passage Lun
ch
How Well Are Events Working for you and Your Family (Sorted by Importance RaHng)
Punt this please.
Re-‐haul completely please
Ok
Well enough
Great -‐ thanks!
Comments for Importance Ratings and How Well Is Program Working
• Expand buddy family program; more GATE programs; more tech programs • The aucQon should happen every 2-‐3 years, depending on how much $$ is in the bank; Halloween parade would be bejer in the akernoon, kids wouldn't miss morning class Qme and can return to school for their class fesQviQes; green team SHOULD be more visible and important than it is; assemblies take too much Qme out of classrooms; science night was extremely disorganized for the poor kids crammed into the hallway with their judged projects. No one could hear what they were say.
• Green team should have some teeth! Too much waste. • Code night -‐-‐somewhat important • Why is the schools lost & found under pta? • It's hard to know what to punt without knowing all the reasons for some of these. I'd pick a select few of the $$-‐makers that are the biggest community-‐builders for the kids & find a lower-‐scale way to build community among parents than so many paid parQes. A few need to be considered against the amount of work that goes into them.
• I love the A-‐Z, but wish we could have it implemented earlier in the school year, using modern technology. • Please consider moving some evening events earlier for younger families. 6:30 pm start Qmes are very difficult for young kids who need 10-‐11 hours of sleep at night. I hope we can strike a balance between welcoming working parents and also not keeping our kids up past their bedQme on school nights . Would love to see a 5 or 5:30 start Qme to some evening events like hobby night or science night.
• Love it all. • Spruce it up twice a year please • Remove Hobby night-‐-‐waste of Qme. Make it a talent show.
The top two areas listed as critical for PTA funding directly support students in the classrooms: efforts to reduce class size and teacher education & development
81% 77%
71% 71%
62% 61% 59%
49%
33% 32%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
CriHcal Areas for PTA Funding (% of Those Responding To QuesHon Who Rated Area "CriHcal")
See comments next page
Responses to “Critical for PTA Funding”
• Teacher training is good; compuQng is good • We need to fund programs that stress the importance of being kind, tolerant and emoQonally strong. Kids in elementary school are
going into middle school, which is the toughest emoQonally. There is WAY TOO MUCH emphasis on technology right now at old mill. The couple Common Core evening chats fell flat. So, yes, I am opposed to spending any more money on these chats. ( and this is not just my opinion, parents and even a few teachers agreed that these could have been bejer) What I want to see is for PTA to fund programs that help our kids be stronger emoQonally going into the teen years. It all starts in 4th grade, when peer pressure starts trumping parent advice.
• If we are going to spend money on teacher educaQon and technology, need to mandate teachers use it • Character educaQon....teaching kids to be kind to each other, including those with differences, and that bullying and ridicule are hurrul
and unacceptable. This is not a point of emphasis at Old Mill and it needs to be. Currently there is lip service but no real emphasis or educaQon.
• The list keeps gesng longer for pta funded programs and items, I am wondering when the District & State are going to take back these fund the gap items.
• Math and science training for elementary school teachers is criQcal. • Spanish class. • Tech -‐ not PTA's place. It's broken enough, the District should fix it. It's not the PTA's place to set tech (or any other) curriculum or
scramble to put into place a poorly thought out 5 year plan. • Classroom supplies can be donated by parents and families. • Tech hardware and sokware that is criQcal or important to support learning in the classroom. • Teacher appreciaQon should come from kids and parents (a potluck and donaQons instead of PTA dollars); the school district should
cover faciliQes expenses. The • Arts don't need to be just KIDDO's domain • No need to buy more iPads. The District tech staff cannot support it-‐need staff training on how to use them in a meaningful way. • CriQcal reduce class size and teacher educaQon and development • Teacher and staff appreciaQon is very important but I don't think it should come from PTA funds. Should be family supported. • Social/emoQonal workshops, break-‐out groups about relaQonship building. • CriQcal: reduce class size and facility improvements. Not criQcal but I'm ok with it: technology hard and sok, teacher educaQon,
assemblies, staff appreciaQon, classroom materials
Character Ed, Coding and Science were the top 3 programs selected to be exciting new programs to offer; language was mentioned most frequently in the “Other” category
54.4% 54.4%
48.5%
36.8%
30.9%
25.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
Character EducaQon Programs
Coding Enrichment
More Science Support
More extensive
Garden Club
Movie night Variety show
Any new/not current programs you would be excited to see?
Other: • Language menQoned most frequently under
“other”: Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese
• Leadership, Mindfulness/Yoga/MeditaQon • Coding for 1st grade • Mindfulness • Music -‐ let kids form a band, leadership
programs, book club, anything else not sports related for boys :)
• Bring back Movie Night but nix something else. Too many evenings commijed.
• I'd love to see more of the garden and science but not if it takes from class Qme. Maybe lunchQme clubs?
• Party fundraiser that includes the kids • Myself, and most of the parents I know, have
their children enrolled in aker school enrichment programs like art, dance, etc and I can take them to the movies on my own Qme -‐ I would love to see more science educaQon in school.
The PTA received good marks on its efforts, with the exception of connecting parents to other parents
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10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
"The PTA programs enrich my family's
experience at Old Mill."
“I know how to sign up to
volunteer for an event or acQvity.”
"I learn about PTA programs and events
early enough to get them on my
schedule."
“I know who to talk to if I have an idea for an
event or program.”
"The PTA helps me to connect with other parents."
How oUen do the following match your experience at OMS
Not sure
Never
Rarely
SomeQmes
Always
If you answered “Rarely” or “Never”, please provide informaQon to help us improve: • Parents seem to do this on our own • I'm not sure I can say that the PTA has been
directly responsible for my connecQng to other parents.
• Your PTA is amazing group of parents. • I think there needs to be a PTA book that
goes out to each family lisQng who is responsible for what with contact info (I have never seen one if it already exists)
• PTA does not connect me to other parents. Classroom and sports do.
• PTA events haven't been helpful in terms of connecQng with other parents. These connecQons have all happened through classroom involvement.
• I think that the PTA does a great job of communicaQon with families/parents. Being new in the fall -‐ I was surprised to see when school started that the fall fundraisers were already either sold our or closed and we didn't get an opportunity to parQcipate. I was really disappointed in the new school buddy system and really don't feel like it's necessary -‐ and those efforts could be spend elsewhere. I would like to see a small fund set aside of the pop club money that could highlight a "classroom kid of the month" -‐ the students in each class choose a fellow student that they think deserve to be recognized and has earned a free pop club 1x that month.
The majority of parents valued Parent Ed depending on the topic and timing; Character Ed and STEM were among the highest rated as “Love It”
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
If yes, do these topics speak to you?
Please don't spend any Qme on this
Not my cup of tea, but others may like
May go if I happen to ever be free
Like it -‐ I'll make it or read the notes
Love it -‐ get me front row seats!
Comments: • Too much emphasis on technology, I can assure you kids are way savvier than we give them credit for. How to manage social media responsibly is more
important to me, WAY more important. • Would love to see a partnership between MV Gate and PTA or OMS. • So many other places provide parent ed. If the school wants to do character ed, the leadership should put it into place in every day school life. • Would be great if classes could alternate between evenings and mornings when kids are in school (evenings tend to be hard to get to). Also how do I get the
notes from a talk that I couldn't make?
31%
68%
1%
Do you value Parent Ed nights from PTA?
Yes
Depends
No
The efforts around Parent Ed by the school and PTA have had success; the necessity for Common Core Parent Ed has dropped and familiarity with Common Core has increased
40%
20%
34%
42%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
2014
2015
Would you like to see a Common Core Parent Ed night?
Love It
Like It
4%
4%
35%
56%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
2014
2015
How Familiar Are You With Common Core?
Very Familiar
Familiar
Best In Class Schools and Suggestions for Programs What elementary schools do you consider to be "best in class"? Any examples of new programs you think we should emulate -‐ or examples you think Old Mill planners [the PTA?] should avoid? • There should be more empathy awareness programs. More Character Ed, more character Ed! • Tam Valley -‐ principal and teachers work very hard at helping kids develop strong moral characters Addison Elementary • Beach Elementary, Duveneck Elementary, Havens Elementary, Wildwood Elementary, Fox Meadow Elementary in Scarsdale, Jericho
Union Schools • Mindfulness, Yoga and MeditaQon for students and their families. • Love the community around Old Mill. If I were to make one suggesQon for the social dynamic it would be to see if we can engage folks
in a substanQve way around certain gatherings such as coffee cart as a way to mix up folks of different grades so people are engaged on school wide community rather than just the smaller cliques that form around classrooms/grades.
• Learn a Second Language program for kids. • Immersion schools. • More language programs in classrooms! • No specific schools in mind, but would like to see science programs augmented in a meaningful (hands on) way at Old Mill. Revamping
science night with more rigor was a great start. Can we model aker mathletes, code club etc.... ? Parent-‐led labs off school hours? I'd make something like that mandatory for my kids.
• Foreign Language would be great. • I think Old Mill is best in class. I would like to see an improved AtoZ process and technology. • Don't overprogram! • OMS is the best. • Burkes, Town School, MCDS…Old Mill really needs a new student character idenQty. CreaQng kids who are KIND, SUPPORTIVE and
COLLECTIVE. Being an Old Mill student should carry with it a meaning. That meaning needs to be thoughrully considered by the PTA abd defined and then taught. Safe, Kind, Responsible....not cusng it. There is a compeQQve spirit that is the anQthesis of a nurturing environment.
• Edna-‐ Graden Club Tam-‐ Fairfax -‐art room/ art show/ art curriculum • There wasn't a coding class for first graders at OM but other schools had it. Old Mill and Park. I'm not aware of specific programs -‐ just
general reputaQons • I wish Old Mill had garden boxes like Edna McGuire. I wish there was grass on the playground at Old Mill. • Edna Maguire's garden & program Tam Valley's art program • We miss our previous school so much. Much more emphasis on character, respect for others, much stricter behavioral expectaQons.
Kids were in a giked program there
Anything else? Please use the space below to tell us anything else about your experience with the Old Mill School PTA. • We love the PTA!! Thank you for supporQng our kids and teachers, in addiQon to parents. Thank you for all of your Qme and hard
work. Thank you also for conQnuing to ask for ideas via the survey. • Our experience as a new family at OMS has been really great. The parents and the PTA have been incredibly welcoming and helpful.
Our transiQon to OMS was really delighrul and we conQnue to be impressed as the school year progresses. • My family (and others i have spoken with) feel the coin drive should NOT be set up as a compeQQon. kids should not be in a posiQon to
compete for who can give the most. some families can give more, some less, but NO one should be made to feel badly about how much they (can) give.
• It would be nice to have more opportuniQes for parents who work to parQcipate. Would love to join coffee cart -‐ but need to rush off on Wednesdays to get to work on Qme. For hobby night next year -‐ I'd recommend gesng two food trucks. The line was very long this year and I spent almost the enQre night waiQng in line to get dinner.
• I would like to say thank you, to the current and former PTA board members. As an immigrant that is new to the American culture, the PTA has been played an amazing job. It has been the PTA programs that I was able to come and acQvely parQcipated in school acQviQes.
• Long Qme PTA member and outgoing Board Member. I have a hard Qme sesng my own boundaries for what "can" be done vs. what "should" be done. But tech, curriculum, parent ed (especially around character ed) -‐ these should all come from the District or at least from our principal. Also I loved movie night but think the schedule should stay as simple as possible -‐ more is not always bejer -‐ AND please don't let's get carried away with another big fundraiser if we can't spend the money. Would love to see the programming simplified. If the calendar is jammed with all PTA stuff for parents and kids, that's an easy excuse for school leadership not to make their own plan.
• Thank you for holding PTA conf calls for those of us who have to work • One comment. Would love to see bejer organizaQon in the evening events, I e, science night, hobby night, etc. prior set up and include
decoraQon. These always seem very thrown together and disorganized when I know there's a lot behind them. To walk into a well organized completely set up and ready to go event would be lovely! Care and detail rubs off on our children.
• I appreciate all the hard work the PTA does. I think the programs are excellent and we are fortunate to ajend a school at which the PTA is such a huge contributor.
• People tell me it can be daunQng for new members to come to their first meeQng.... • Direct emails from PTA would be helpful -‐-‐ ie. reminders on PTA meeQngs, events, etc. Not sure who is responsible for what in PTA or
who to go to with quesQons.
Anything else? (continued)
Please use the space below to tell us anything else about your experience with the Old Mill School PTA (cont’d.) • I very much value all that the PTA does for the school. They work hard and care about the success of the school and educaQon of the
children. To prevent burnout and keep up the energy, I think that a few of the acQviQes could be cut. This would help to build excitement around fewer events and reduce the OMS event faQgue. A few suggesQons, Book fair, reduce then number of days, eliminate hobby night and movie night, spruce it up needs to be bejer organized and focus on must really important tasks. I would move coffee cart to Friday so more people could ajend. Wednesday is in the middle of the week and oken a busy Qme for people.
• Great variety of volunteer opportuniQes, very welcoming faces! It was a bit overwhelming at first (the sheer variety!) but I'm excited to be on board for this year and next.
• Would love to understand how the arts -‐ music & visual -‐ are integrated into the common core curriculum. Currently, they feel very separate, almost like an elecQve or aker-‐school acQvity. I don't know if this is a PTA or School AdministraQon area.
• Most of the informaQon is presented in a very clear and conscience manner. I'm a working mom and this year took a day off of work to volunteer for the Halloween parade day at school. I signed up months in advance and specifically chose that day to be there for the parade behind the scenes help -‐ only to be told by someone on the pta that I wasn't needed to be in the classroom that day b/c it was Halloween and a special sign up was being sent out and later that day that. When I tried to sign up I was told I wasn't in Qme responding so I could watch like the rest of the parents. I usually don't complain, but thought it was not handled well at all.
