Ridgeway PTA Meeting Minutes

General Meeting of Ridgeway PTA
June 9, 2026
7PM at Ridgeway School

Attendees:
Taryn Friedman
Jessica Woodford
Kristina McLaughlin
Cait Webster
Annie Rhodes
Rebecca Cerise
Melissa Welsh
Alexis Rieger
Lauren Carasso
Jillian King
Lucia Renz
Loralee Stone
Liz Trepp
Evis Shu
And various members of the Ridgeway community

First we want to open our meeting by thanking all of our volunteers for the incredible work that we have accomplished this past school year.

We want to thank our incredible staff for the awesome partnership that we have created and for the great work that they do to take care of our children and give them the best education and community that they can.

On the agenda tonight, we will begin by voting in our new executive board members for next year. Then we will go over our accomplishments from this year, the budget and go over what we have raised and what we have spent, give you an update on the things that are going on in the final weeks.

Nominees for 2026-2027 Executive Board Vote
Taryn Friedman........................Vice President
Amy Handelsman........................Corresponding Secretary
Sheila Foote..........................CO-VP, Communications/Blast/RW Board
Alexis Ramirez........................VP, Events & Fundraising
Joanna Ditmar.........................Assemblies
Dawn Orr .............................Membership
Lauren Katsman .......................Membership
Hannah Campion .......................Special Needs Rep
Lauren Mata ..........................Hospitality
Kim Nardo ............................Philanthropy
Cait Webster..........................PTA Council Rep
Loralee Stone ........................5th Grade Committee Chair

Do I have a motion? Yes 
Second? Yes 
The motion is passed with 22 voting members. Congratulations!
0 members vote No.
0 members abstained.

This Year's 25/26 PTA Accomplishments

Membership
-524 PTA Members!! Highest number in the district
-Thank you Amy for your hard work

Yearly Recap
For teachers  -Teacher reimbursement & $250 EOY parties + $300 for holiday parties
-Staff luncheon
-Staff luncheon on Election Day 
-Thank you coffee treats for Turkey Trot
-December thank you cart
-Staff Appreciation Week
-Teacher stipend for joining PTA!
-Gifts for teachers retiring and teachers who made tenure

For students
-Grade-wide parties
-Silent Disco
-Ice cream party for the school 
-Two field trips per grade 
-Special needs in house field trips
-Spirit wear for every student & staff for Turkey Trot
-Recess programming - Zumba and 365 Sports
-Class Parent activities
-Scholastic News 
-Ice pops for the school after Field Day 
-Help a Tiger initiative

Events
-Chalk the walk - Design a Sign
-School Photos
-Back to School Picnic
-Unity Day
-Trunk or Treat
-Turkey Trot
-Holiday Boutique
-Talent Show
-Book Fair
-Readathon - second annual Family Reading Night
-Third year - Holiday Boutique
-Global Dinner & Carnival
-Glow Bingo Night(s)
-Plant Sale
-Walk / Bike to School
-Parents Night Out: 1 for Ridgeway and 1 District-Wide
-Grandparent's Day
-Autism Acceptance Month
-Pretzel Day for students and staff- Twice
-Ice Cream Party
-Deposit for KJK next school year
-Boulders game
-One School, One Book - all students received The Wild Robot

Assemblies
One - Planetarium
Two - two by two for special classes
Three - Lunar Celebration
Four - Red Hawk
Five- OSOB Bot Assembly
PLUS we were able to make a deposit towards the first assembly of next year, The Magic of Science

5th grade end of year events:
-Graduation shirts
-Yearbooks + yearbook breakfast
-Stepping up ceremony
-Field day
-dance/party
-Graduation gifts

Philanthropy
-Thanksgiving Food Drive to benefit the Ridgeway Caring Corner + Kol Ami Food Pantry
-Gently-used book drive for the Book Vending Machine
-Soup Drive to benefit White Plains Food Pantry
-Earth Day - Nature Walk led by PTA (thank you Aga!)

Budget Report
- Money Raised- $140,211
o Turkey Trot $56,119
o Holiday Boutique $11,989
o Readathon $10,803
o Spirit wear $9,150 (+still selling!)
- Money Spent - $150,990
o School Programs $31,341 (see above!)
o Field Trips $20,418
o Community Outreach $13,732
o Classroom $4,650 (still spending!)
o School grounds / outdoor classroom $16,439
Please send in reimbursement requests ASAP; Please also cash all checks so we end the year clean on the budget. Thank you!
- Budget Overview here: Ridgeway_PTA_Financial_Update

Upcoming events for June and Summer
- Field Day- Wednesday Kindergarten and Special Needs  
- Field day- Thursday grades 1-4 
- Ice Cream Social on Friday, June 12th  6:00-7:30PM
- Car decorating party - last day of school 10:30am on Ria Dr.
- K Graduation - June 18th 
- 5th Graduation- June 25th 
- School Kits due June 28th
- Gymnasium upkeep and renovations by the district in the next 2 years; decal to be added over summer 
- Murals on playground to be added in July and the District will cover the cost. 
- K play date September 1st after Meet and Greet.
- First Day of School September 2nd!!!
- Planning for another Ridgeway Day at Ice Cream Social the week before school starts- Date TBD
- Google form opt out - school supplies drive & back pack drive to launch our Food Pantry

Teacher surveys results: 
18 replies & very candid.
-Thought we had amazing partnership.
-Most agreed that 1-2 events seem doable
-Fundraising- beneficial/just right; made note that we should be careful about how we discuss money/dollar amounts to focus more on the outcome and less on the dollar amounts. Find new ways to message it and be discreet.
-New Ideas- Magazine for classrooms and hard cover books. Keep scholastic News 

Asked if the TAs would be willing to sponsor after school activities and clubs. Will follow up for next year. Can we offer them a stipend to do this?
They would like PTA funds to help sponsor after school activities but we do have space constraints with the current After School Program.

Stats: 
16 votes - 5 star rating
1 vote - 4 star rating
1 vote - 1 star rating
18 total responses

Staff meeting tomorrow at 3:30 - gifting the teachers who are retiring/tenure/present fairy 

A final thank you was made to our outgoing PTA parents: 
Thank you to those that are leaving the executive board next year but hopefully will be back:
Kelli Teglas 
Lauren Reynolds 
Lauren Carasso 
Tara McCarthy 
Elizabeth Hayes 
Mitzie Pierre

A special recognition to our 5th grade parents who are leaving RW:
Jenn Clampet 
Lucia Renz

The Ridgeway PTA Year in Review
(A funny poem about a very busy year!)

We started the year with Chalk the Walk.
Bright colors, big smiles, and plenty of chalk.
Then a Back-to-School Picnic kicked off the fun,
Before we knew it, the school year had begun!

A Planetarium Dome brought stars into sight,
While Two by Two Animal Haven was quite a delight.
Wacky Science made things bubble and pop,
And somehow the fun just refused to stop.
The Red Hawk assembly soared and field trips took flight,
To the Bronx Zoo and Stamford Museum, what a sight!

Fifth graders washed cars with soap and good cheer,
Helping make memories throughout the year.
At Trunk or Treat, candy filled every bag,
And Walk/Bike to School Day gave us rights to brag.
Unity Day reminded us we're all one team,
And Picture Day captured every smile and dream.

The dads took the kids to school for a day,
Then a Veterans Breakfast honored heroes in a special way.
The Turkey Trot had races, inflatables, and pep-rally pride,
While kindergarteners ate breakfast in pajamas with eyes open wide.
The Holiday Boutique helped shopping get done,
And the Holiday Express added even more fun.

A new mural appeared: The RIDGE Way on display,
A colorful reminder of who we are every day.
Class celebrations kept spirits bright,
And Glow Bingo happened not once, but twice!

The Talent Show proved what we already knew:
Ridgeway has stars in every classroom, too.
Pretzel Day arrived (arguably a favorite event),
And the Silent Disco had everyone dancing wherever they went.
Grandparents Day brought hugs galore,
While the Plant Sale helped gardens flourish even more.

The Book Fair filled backpacks with stories to read,
And Global Dinner & Silent Auction was a huge success indeed.
One School, One Book brought readers together,
While The Wild Robot Assembly made learning even better.

Teacher Appreciation Week gave thanks where it's due,
Because our amazing teachers are truly the glue.

The Outdoor Classroom got its finishing touch,
A project we've dreamed about and loved so much.
Kindergarten families came for Round Up Day,
Getting ready to join the Ridgeway way.

There were trips to Chelsea Piers and a Boulders Game,
More fun, more memories, more school spirit to claim.

And now here we are at the end of the ride,
Looking back with gratitude, joy, and pride.
From bingo to books, from science to art,
This PTA year was one made with heart.

And just when we thought we were nearing the end,
There were still more celebrations around every bend!
An Ice Cream Party brought sprinkles and smiles,
As students enjoyed one last treat for a while.

Then came graduation, a bittersweet sight,
As our Ridgeway Tigers prepared for their next big flight.
We cheered for their hard work, their growth, and their grit,
And tried not to cry... though we may have a bit!

So here's to the volunteers, families, staff, and crew,
Who somehow made all of these amazing things come true.
If you're wondering how we fit it all into one year...
We're still asking ourselves that question over here!