PTA Meeting Minutes: September 15, 2026
Sag Harbor Elementary PTA, Meeting Minutes
September 15, 2026, 9:30 a.m.
Location: Sag Harbor Elementary, 68 Hampton Street, Sag Harbor NY 11963
BOARD AND STAFF IN ATTENDANCE: Matt Malone (Principal), Lissette Silva (President), Renée Forys (Vice President), Emily King (Treasurer), Samantha Henderson (Recording Secretary), Maggie Holdsworth (Corresponding Secretary), Lianna Lenhart (Membership Chair),
ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Zasha Ross, Katie Miller, Kim Christofel, Melanie, Shorenstein, Sarah Steyert, Daniel Hernandez, Nicole Lipp, Kelsey Hagerman, Julia Greenberg, Trish Tang Golumbic, Stephanie McDonald, Luanne Geffen, Susan Michael, Penny Siebert, Yesenia Quichimbo.
Called to Order, 9:26 a.m. by Lissette Silva.
Introduction of Ana Gambuto, Yearbook Chair
Announces Meeting Thursday (9/17) at Harbor Market, 2:30 p.m.
Purpose of meeting: Set up forthcoming themes and pivot toward directives requesting pictures of certain things aligned with those themes from parents and staff.
Email sagharborpta.org with any questions!
I. Principal’s Update, Matt Malone:
School Year Kick-off and Upcoming Events
● The school year has started well, with classes gelling and routines being established.
● Curriculum Night:
○ For Kindergarten to Grade 5, it is on Thursday, September 17, 2026. This event is for adults only to meet teachers.
○ For Pre-K, it is on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the learning center.
● Back-to-School Picnic:
○ Scheduled for Friday, September 18, 2026.
○ The picnic lunch will be in the gym, for children and teachers only – due to space constraints.
○ An outdoor concert with the Hoodoo Loungers will be held on the court at 2:00 PM, and all family members are invited.
○ Picnic volunteer slots were filled within a day.
● New School Start Time:
○ The new start time is 8:48 AM, when the pledge begins. Doors open at 8:40 AM. Students arriving after 8:48 AM are considered late.
● School Standards Assembly:
○ Mr. Malone is meeting with students September 15th and 16th to discuss (importance of timeliness, respect for others, respect for school property, etc).
● Annual Walking Permission Slip:
○ A blanket permission slip for walking field trips will be sent via ParentSquare on September 16, 2026. Parents are welcome to chaperone on most of these trips.
● School Holidays:
○ Closed on Monday, September 21, 2026, for Yom Kippur.
○ Closed on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, for Veterans Day.
● After-School Program (SHAEP) Sign-Up:
○ The sign-up process has changed, requiring manual unchecking of days. Parents are asked for patience as staff can assist with corrections, and help navigate the new system.
● Pierson Middle / High School Project Update:
○ The district administration will meet with the architect on Thursday, September 17, 2026, to select a project manager.
○ The goal is to begin construction in July 2027, starting with the septic system infrastructure.
II. PTA Budget and Financials, Treasurer (Emily King)’s Report:
● The PTA budget was presented and approved by a unanimous show of hands.
● Binders with profit-and-loss statements from the last and current year are available for review.
● Key Budget Items Discussed:
○ Dues & Subscriptions (QuickBooks, Dropbox), Accountant's Fee ($715), Mitten Line (for children in need), Pizza Day Supplies (~$400), Halloween Decorations (donations sought), Back-to-School Picnic (food ordered), Book Fair, Gingerbread Night (~200 kits), Field Day (T-shirts), Teacher Appreciation Week, and Teacher's Grants.
III. Volunteer and Membership Push
● PTA Membership:
○ It was clarified that membership can be treated as a donation and does notrequire meeting attendance. A suggestion was made to emphasize this point to encourage an uptick in membership.
○ To streamline sign-ups, the online membership will be moved to the website's "shop" section alongside pizza orders.
● Class Parents:
○ Volunteers are needed, as some classes have none. Being a PTA member is a requirement.
○ The role is a coordinator between teachers and parents, not the sole doer of tasks.
○ A suggestion was made for monthly craft sign-ups to involve more parents.
○ Sign-up sheets will be available at Curriculum Night.
● Pizza Day:
○ Volunteers are needed every week from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM for 33 weeks.
○ To address no-shows, a system for volunteers to pick specific days in advance was suggested, with core team members providing backup: One board member to be assigned to each pizza day.
○ Parents can sponsor another child's pizza for the year through GiveBacks.
● Book Fair:
○ A chair is needed. Several parents volunteered to help organize. Planning for the fall event needs to start ASAP, with a focus on ensuring consistent volunteer coverage.
IV. Fundraising Strategy
● The PTA needs a minimum of $6,000 to cover annual costs. A volunteer stepped up to be the Fundraising Chair. (Trish Tang Golumbic?)
● Strategy & Ideas:
○ Fundraisers are open to the entire town, and this should be clearlycommunicated. Members were asked to solicit donations from local businesses.
○ Successful ideas from other PTAs were shared, such as a "Turkey Trot" and a "Springs Break" event, which raised significant funds through race sponsorships (of students) silent auctions, raffles, and class baskets.
○ The PTA will consider adopting grade-level parent liaisons to improvecommunication and participation.
○ Other ideas include a Casino Night (legality to be checked) and restaurant events.
○ A partnership with local stores for a percentage of sales was proposed. Farm partnerships were discussed but may be difficult in the fall.
● GiveBacks Program: The existing "round-up" donation option yields minor amounts.
V. Communications and Engagement
● Channels: ParentSquare and email will be primary communication channels, supplemented by Instagram, WhatsApp, printed handouts, and a monthly newsletter.
● Language Accessibility: A concern was raised about the lack of Spanish-language information on channels like Instagram; there is an intent to improve bilingual outreach.
● Curriculum Night: PTA reps may visit kindergarten rooms to give brief intros. QR codes for membership and sign-ups will be displayed.
● On-Site Promotion: Ideas include a highlight reel of PTA activities, posters, and having members wear PTA shirts for visibility.
● Teacher Involvement: Teachers have expressed interest in being involved; tie-dye shirt project for school spirit was mentioned as an example.
Merchandise and Logistics
● Merchandise: The PTA plans to restock merchandise for in-person sales. The PTA closet will be reorganized to create storage space. Per PTA rules, three vendor bids are required. A community print shop will be included as one bid.
● Spirit Shirts: The idea of recurring "Friday school spirit" shirts, which could double as Field Day shirts, was discussed. This would be treated as a fundraiser and requires early budget approval.
● Pizza Day (Gluten-Free): A gluten-free personal pie option is available. The cost is approximately $11 per pie. The PTA will confirm pricing and add an ordering tab. Students with special pies can sit together for logistical ease, if that is desired.
VI. Next Steps / Upcoming:
● Mr. Malone to send out the walking permission slip via ParentSquare on September 16.
● Place the order for ~200 gingerbread house kits from Costco by the end of September.
● Prepare class parent and monthly craft sign-up sheets for Curriculum Night.
● Ask teachers to post a sign-up sheet for class parents during curriculum night.
● Coordinate with teachers for brief PTA intros in kindergarten rooms at Curriculum Night.
● Publicize that the fundraiser is open to the town and solicit business donations.
● Appoint a fundraiser chair and establish grade-level parent liaisons.
● Start planning the fall Book Fair and recruit volunteers.
● Implement day-specific sign-ups for Pizza Day and ensure core-team backup.
● Send out key PTA information via ParentSquare and publish a reminder about how to become a class parent.
● Share PTA email in kindergarten WhatsApp and format/distribute a monthly newsletter.
● Move the membership sign-up to the website's "shop" section.
● M&M to check if the cafeteria can provide sturdy paper plates for the back-to-schoolpicnic.
● Reorganize the PTA closet (Emily and Maggie).
● Solicit at least three merchandise vendor bids to move ahead in ordering new merch.
● Confirm gluten-free pizza pricing and update the ordering system.
● Communicate SHAEP sign-up instructions and helpful tips to parents.
● Form a teacher committee and plan the tie-dye shirt activity.
● Improve Spanish-language communications on all channels.
Suggestions: The following issues were not concluded in the meeting or need clear course of action:
Fundraiser Leadership & Planning: A chair was identified, but a clear timeline, target amount, and event shortlist for decision-making are needed. The legality of a "Casino Night" also remains unconfirmed.
Committee & Role Gaps: A Book Fair chair was not officially designated from the volunteers. A lead for the Field Day T-shirt design and a formal teacher committee were not established. Timelines and owners for establishing grade-level liaisons and class baskets are needed.
Communication Strategy: Ownership of communication channels is fragmented. A communications lead should be assigned to ensure consistent bilingual (English/Spanish) messaging, and a content calendar should be defined.
Donations & Logistics: The request for Halloween decoration donations needs a deadline and collection point. A tracking method and acknowledgment plan for business donations are needed.
Merchandise & Ordering: A specific budget, timeline, and list of items to order for merchandise have not been set. The active vendor list and payment deadlines need to be clarified and communicated.
Gluten-Free Pizza Details: The final price, sign-up workflow, and day-of logistics for the gluten-free pizza option need to be documented and shared with parents to prevent confusion.
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