Minutes of the Northwood HS (NHS) PTSA Meeting
December 18, 2012
Meeting was held in the NHS Media Center and was called to order at 7:30pm with the following in
attendance: Yolanda Mazyck (PTSA President), Brad Sperber (1st VP), Elizabeth Dunn (2nd VP), Jim Burke
(Treasurer), Susan Luck (Secretary) Henry Johnson (Principal), and approximately 15
Parents/Teachers/Students.
Opening
Ms. Mazyck opened the meeting with introductions of board, Dr. Johnson, and NHS parent Ricky Ford, who is
the MCCPTSA Area V.P. for the Blair, Northwood, Kennedy & Einstein cluster. Ms. Mazyck motioned for
approval of Agenda; Agenda was approved. Ms. Mazyck motioned for approval of November 2012 Minutes;
Minutes were approved.
Principal’s Report
Dr. Henry Johnson noted that interim reports were mailed on 12/14/2012 to every student’s address. When
students return from winter break there will be only 2 weeks until finals. This is typically a time when
student’s grades slip.
Two NHS seniors received Possee Scholarships and will attend Lafayette College. The Possee scholarship
process includes a rigorous application and interview process. NHS started out with 10 students with 3
selected as finalists.
There are changes to School Performance. Through the class of 2012 the measure is through the HAS’s, it’s
now based on the School Progress Index (SPI). The website www.mdreportcard.org provides detailed
information for individual schools. The data on the SPI compares the individual school from year to year; no
comparison between schools.
Parent asked how it’s determined who will teach the AP classes. Dr. Johnson replied that a decision is made
based on a teacher’s interest and whether the teacher has been trained to teach the class. He prefers to have
current NHS teachers be trained how to teach the AP class instead of an outside teacher.
A discussion on Safety procedures was introduced by VP Brad Sperber. This is a continuing discussion
because of the earlier incidents at NHS and the recent school shooting in Newtown, CT. Dr. Johnson says that
each morning he walks the building to make sure the doors are locked. The only door that is not locked is the
front door, but a visitor needs to go through the office to get into the school; the visibility to the parking lot
and University Blvd is very good from the office due to the many windows. The school administrators are
able to see who is driving into the parking lot and walking up to the office. MCPS schools are mandated to go
through lockdown drills two times per semester. A Shelter-in-Place notice means they can continue classes
and that something has happened outside of the school campus. If the school needs to be evacuated the 9th &
10th graders walk to Forest Knolls ES and the 11th & 12th graders walk to the Methodist Church on University
Blvd. A question was asked as to what will it take to have the Police Officer at NHS 5 days a week instead of
the current 4 days a week. The answer is that it will likely take a parent petition.
The PSAT results review meeting was scheduled for Wed., Dec 19 at NHS.
Presentation
Presentation from NHS parent Terri Adams-Fuller, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof of Criminology in Howard University’s
Department of Sociology and Anthropology on HOW TO HELP OUR CHILDREN DEAL WITH STRESS
Because of the recent school shooting at Sandy Hook ES in Newton, CT, the focus of the presentation changed
from dealing with the everyday stresses to dealing with a tramautic event such as the school shooting. It’s
important to provide information in an age-appropriate way. For younger children keep the news off and
limit the news coverage for teenagers. Explain the situation based on your child’s needs; provide reassurance
to your child that he/she safe; be mindful of your own stress level because our kids are watching us for how
to behave when dealing with stressful situations. A question was asked about the stresses on seniors right
now – let students talk about their feelings and reassure them. Be aware that if a child has gone through a
previous trauma then this type of incident can trigger old emotions.
Luis Cardona from MCPS stated that the Wellness Center staff are available for services, and staff is available
for mental health issues.
President and Committee Reports
President
Ms. Mazyck noted that the PTSA newsletter is being mailed out and there is an emphasis on increasing
parental involvement through PTSA membership, volunteering, and joining the listserv. There is a goal to
increase the membership by 198% by March 31, 2013.
Treasurer’s Report
Currently have $14,400 in the account.
After Prom Party and Fundraising Committee
Debbie Frew – the focus of the After Prom activities is to raise funds. Since the After Prom party is planeed to
be held at Dave & Buster’s there is not the need for party planning, but additional funds need to be raised to
cover the additional expense of using Dave & Buster’s as the venue. Current fundraising plans include a
Cocktail Party, Sally Foster online sales, Mixed Bag online fundraiser, and the Silent Auction. The students
will be selling T-shirts and will have a fundraiser at Pot Belly’s.
Meeting Minutes prepared by
Susan Luck, PTSA Secretary