International Academy PTIA Meeting: April 6th, 2022

Reporting by Leah Raymond (’22)

The movement to approve the minutes from the last meeting passed with no adjustments.

Business Coalition Update: Katja Fischer
The responses received so far from the parents of the school have been very encouraging.  Mr. Tecmire is working on pairing club leaders with business leaders for future implementation.  There is a possibility that the Coalition will go into effect this year, but it will be much bigger in the 2022-2023 school year.  They will hold their first panel discussion in May.

Teacher Grants Update: Ranya Shabib
There is $8000 of funding for grants, and there were 13 teacher requests as well as one office request.  Among other things, the requests were for furniture, whiteboards, wireless amps, and clocks.  $1743 was spent on the Zen Den in the back 300-hall office, and there is $2634 remaining.

Open PTIA Positions: Steve Broutin
Ms. Rochelle Kaplan-Rudolf stepped in to fill the position of PTIA Secretary
The PTIA is looking for people to fill the following positions:

• Health and Wellness Chair
• BHS Welcome Back Celebration Rep
• PTOC Member at Large
• Beautification Committee Members

Beautification Update: Katja Fischer

Zen Den

• The Zen Den is a space for students to slow down, including white noise and Vitamin D lights to promote relaxation.  It is open to all students and is located in the new attendance office at the end of the 300 hallway.

The Beautification Committee also worked on making the sick room, located on the left side when entering the main office, a nicer place for students.
The goals of the Beautification Committee are to make sure the IA has full accommodations for students, as well as to add a bit of decor.  They are also aiming to build teacher retention.

Enrichments and Clubs: Anthony DeGrazia
Enrichments

• Students are required to complete, at minimum, six enrichments by the time they graduate.  The recommended course of study is to complete two enrichments in freshman year, two enrichments in sophomore year, one enrichment in junior year, and one enrichment in senior year.  Keep in mind that one of these must be a career enrichment.  Our enrichment coordinator is Lisa Belotti.

Clubs

• The IA is currently working on identifying operating clubs and cleaning up the club website.  The Student Council has been working with the administration regarding clubs, and for the 2022-2023 school year and going forward, freshmen will not be able to start their own clubs to increase participation in pre-existing clubs.  The club fair will be back in the fall to increase engagement because clubs are a primary way in which students enter the IA community.

2022-2023 Calendar: Anthony DeGrazia
The IA is working with its consortium districts to create a calendar for the upcoming year.  The negotiations are currently still undergoing because there are several different calendars used across the districts.

Multicultural Celebration Update: Rula Mohammad
The Multicultural Celebration will be held in the BHHS courtyard on Monday, May 9th, from 5:30-8pm.  The theme this year is Art Around the Globe, and each country/culture represented will have a trifold.  There will be everything from food trucks to farm animals, and it has been a wonderful time in the past.  This is also a great opportunity for students to receive volunteer/community service hours!

Treasurer Report: Steve Broutin
The PTIA tax return is being filed this week.  The PTIA received a donation of $600 that was originally given to the school.  They have raised $3000 from the engraved pavers for the new outdoor classroom.  The Senior All-Night Party Committee has raised funds from two fundraisers – Aschatz’s Pies and lawn signs – and has raised approximately $6600 from fundraisers, $1160 from donations, and $8950 from ticket sales, totaling $16735.  Finally, blankets were purchased for all of the seniors for $5191.  The PTIA budget at the moment holds about $95,000.

Upcoming Events: Angel Lau
Welcome Back Celebration

• This celebration has been a huge success in the past.  The kick-off meeting to plan for next year is Tuesday, April 18th, at 12:30.  It is important that the IA is visible at these events because being heard by consortium districts is integral to the success of the IA.

Narcan Training

• Offered by the Health and Wellness Committee on Thursday, April 21st.

Self-Defense Training

• Offered by the Bloomfield Hills Police Department on Saturday, April 23rd, from 9-1pm in the IA ISC.

Substance Abuse Prevention

• Offered by the BHPD on Thursday, May 12th.

LGBTQ+ Support for Parents

• Held on Wednesday, June 1st.

Senior All-Night Party

• For seniors only: 10pm-3:30am on Friday, May 21st.  There will be fun activities, food, and more!  It is important to buy tickets as soon as possible, and the committee is looking for parent volunteers for the evening.

Prom

• For seniors and their guests only: May 23rd at Infinity Yacht Tours.  Tickets are increasing to $120 to attend.  Talk to Ms. Gibson with any financial questions or concerns.

Next PTIA Meeting

• The next meeting will be on Wednesday, May 18th.  The senior panel will be there, which is a great opportunity for students and parents to learn more about the IA.