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Parent Support Committee Meeting Minutes

Parent Support Committee Meeting Minutes

Email: psc@theaskacademy.org

Visit the PSC Website

October 3, 2025

Mission Statement:  We are parents, grandparents, and community members dedicated to supporting staff, scholars, and programs at ASK. We accomplish this through fundraising, volunteer efforts, donations, and community events.

 

Present

Member

Title
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Giselle Bango

PSC Co-Facilitator
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Mary Harper 

PSC Co-Facilitator
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Shelly Kristensen

PSC Secretary
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Rafael Bango

PSC Treasurer
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Edward Garcia

ASK CEO
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Bill Barrett

ASK HS Principal
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John Keelin

ASK MS Principal


 

Welcome!

What is the Parent Support Committee (PSC) - Our mission statement - We are parents, grandparents, and community members dedicated to supporting staff, scholars, and programs at ASK. We accomplish this through fundraising, volunteer efforts, donations, and community events.

 

Meet Scholar Leaders

Aaron Lopez - Student Government President - The mission of the Student Government is to boost morale for the student body. This month they are holding Fall Fest with a Haunted House and a Trunk or Treat. Tickets will be on sale at the event. Fall Fest is October 30th. There is no date set yet for the Trunk or Treat.  

Joshua Sandusky - Senior Class President - Senior Class President is a new role at the ASK Academy this year. The role of the Senior Class President is to ensure that everything goes well for the senior class and that they enjoy their last year at the ASK Academy. Mr. Sandusky is working on reserving a camping site for March or April for the class camping trip. He is finishing the senior shirt design.

  • Mini Golf Sponsorship - Jennifer Brayden is helping Mrs. Davis with the Mini Golf Sponsorships. Businesses can sponsor one of the 31 holes for $100. Currently 9 holes are sponsored. Business sponsors will get a lot of exposure at the event, including the Rio Rancho Observer coming to the event again this year. Jennifer’s goal is to have all sponsorship spots filled and paid for by the end of October so Mrs. Davis has the time to purchase supplies. Mrs. Davis wants to make permanent wood bases with felt carpet and purchase storage for the completed materials. If all spots are not filled soon, Jennifer may consider opening up remaining sponsorship spots to families. Next year they are looking to expand the sponsorship opportunities by adding silver and gold levels. Please email the PSC for her contact information if you are a business interested in sponsorship and we will get you in touch with her. Mini Golf will be held on December 11th.

  • Turkey Bingo - Turkey Bingo is tentatively scheduled for Friday, November 7th at Vision City Church on Southern Blvd. Paperwork for renting the space has been submitted but we have yet to hear back from them with a confirmed reservation. We will do pre-sale cards again this year and a 50/50 raffle. Clubs will do concessions for food, drinks, and snacks. Classrooms will make prize baskets again. Teachers have been sent the theme basket sign up sheet. If you are interested in planning or volunteering at the event please email the PSC. 

  • Treasurer Report - We do not have updated financials this month as the meeting was held before the monthly reconciliation was completed. We did receive the breakdown of credit card sales for Pizza Thursday by type (pizza, drinks and desserts) and we have been greatly underestimating credit card sales. Parents indicated that they have placed donations through the website for the PSC and we will look into making sure that donation makes it to the PSC. If you do make a donation through the website, please email the PSC so we can ensure the donation makes it to our account. To donate to the PSC directly use this donation link and indicate in the Notes section that you want your donation to go to the PSC. 

  • Dr. Forrester, Governing Council President, Dec 12 PSC Topic - “The Anxious Generation:  How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” by Jonathan Haidt. Dr. Forrester recommends reading the book, listening to the audiobook or watching interviews with the author on Youtube prior to the December 12th meeting.

 

Meet the Staff

  • ​​​​​​​Jessica del Curto and Kim Ayres (see Special Ed and Gifted team on back!) - Kim Ayres, Assistant Special Education Director. 6th grade - Kim Ayres and Sarah Griffin (gifted), Debra Ransom (SE). 7th grade - Carol Donlin (gifted) and Allison LaPree (SE). 8th grade - Crystal Bolton (gifted) and Yu Chen (SE). Jessica Del Curto, Special Education Director. 9th grade - Lisa Ebell (gifted) and Debra Ransom (SE). 10th grade - Becky Worthylake (gifted) and Pamela Avila (SE). 11th grade - Bethy Worthylake (gifted) and Holly Anthony (SE). 12th grade - Jessica Del Curto (gifted) and Doug Bryan (SE).  Ancillary staff, Joceyln Benavides, Jamie Banks and intern Angelina also work with the special education teams. What is the process to get diagnosed or what do parents do if they have a concern about a learning disability? First parents should speak with their scholars FC Manager and the Project Manager for the class they are having trouble with. The first step is MLSS (Multi-Leveled System of Support). Possibly differentiation in the classroom with targeted support. The team will also begin collecting data to help determine whether or not this is a disability or to determine if support in the classroom is enough or if a SE teacher is needed. The Student Assistance Team meets to determine if a diagnostic test is needed. Mrs. Ayres and Mrs. Del Curto work with the diagnostician to determine the eligibility for special education services. ASK has worked hard to identify the needs of scholars and has 2 social workers on staff.

  • Kim Ayres and Sara Griffin - ASK San Francisco Trip - Sarah Griffin is the driver behind organizing the trip. The next trip will be in June 2027 and will be to San Francisco for current 6th and 7th grade scholars. 17 scholars went to Washington DC last spring break. Previous trips have shown that STEM based trips are the most interesting for ASK scholars. The next trip will be STEM focused in the Northern Ca area. Scholars will visit Google Plex, Apple Headquarters, Pier 39, Alcatraz, Yosemite National Park, redwoods, Monterey Bay Aquarium. ASK partners with an outside travel agency to organize and book the trip. Security measures are put in place at the hotel to ensure scholar safety. Families are able to go on this next trip. Payment includes all food, lodging, and entrance to sites. The only spending money scholars would need is for souvenirs. Payment plans are available. For more email contact Sarah Griffin at sgriffin@theaskacademy.org.

  • Misty Williams and Lindsey Bomke - Governing Council - Lindsey Bomke has been on GC since 2018. She is a RN and Director of Clinical Education at UNM SRMC. She has worked with Mrs. Nuanez and the HOSA program and represents the BioMed pathway on the GC. ASK is her second home and she is very involved in the school community. She has 1 student at ASK and 1 in college.  Misty Williams is a clinical audiologist and forensic audiologist . She has worked at the VA for over 20 years and currently works on the financial side, helping veterans file for disability. Her daughter graduated from ASK last year. Misty has 2 more years on the GC. She is still very invested in ASK and loves the small learning environment it provides. She has noted that her daughter's professors are impressed with ASK scholars. On the GC, they perform oversight of the financial programs to make sure funding is spent properly and that the school is following NMPED rules and regulations. They highly encourage parents and scholars to attend GC meetings either in person or via Zoom. They also encourage parents to sign up to ask questions at the meetings and bring things to their attention. Meetings are the second Tuesday of every month, except November due to Thanksgiving. Meeting dates will be updated on the ASK website. For more information visit the Governing Council page on the school website. 

  • Remote Learning Days - Friday, November 7th and 11th. In order to meet NMPED attendance hours and to finish the school year before Memorial Day, there will be a handful of Remote Learning Days on Fridays throughout the school year. The first two of those days are coming up in November. The morning will follow a bell schedule and require scholars to attend Google Meets in uniform. The afternoons will be asynchronous work. 

 

Events - Coming Up!

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    Volunteer Process (still ongoing, never too late to start!)

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    Thursday, Oct 9 - Middle School Science Fair

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    Friday, Oct 10 - No School, Fall Break

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    Friday, Oct 24 - Homecoming, La Grande Maison Lumière Event Center, 7-10pm. 

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    October 15-17 - SLATE Conferences, for W/TH School ends at noon

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    Tuesday, Oct 21 - Picture Makeup Day, Senior Pictures

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    Thursday, Oct 30 - Fall Fest

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    And more - watch your weekly emails for more events coming up!

 

Next PSC Meeting: Friday, December 12, 2025, 8am, Commons

Next Governing Board Meeting: Tuesday, Oct 14, 6:30pm, Commons


 

KEEP SCROLLING

Misc/ongoing information on the next page

Misc Information

How to be a volunteer at The ASK Academy?

There is a mandated state process to get approved as a volunteer or to be a chaperone for any school sponsored events. Please click on the hyperlink https://www.theaskacademy.org/apps/form/form.THEAA.tV2YoSm.yw_ 

Or scan the QR Code, or go to https://tinyurl.com/ASKAcademyVol 

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Once you click on the link, you will be emailed the steps on what to do once you complete the interest form. Stephanie Munoz is the point of contact for this process and her email is smunoz@theaskacademy.org. You will also receive information on the computer based courses and how/where to get fingerprints completed. 

The PSC is comprised of committees with co-chairs to support each other at school events and roles. Any questions for the PSC please email us at psc@theaskacademy.org 

Be in the know…

Middle school has newsletters for each grade. They are monthly newsletters and are released on the day of the month that corresponds to the grade levels. For example, 6th grade newsletters come on out on the 6th, 7th-the 7th grade, 8th-the 8th grade.

Pizza Thursdays:

Thursdays at ASK involve the selling of Dion’s pizza, drinks and desserts. Volunteers are needed every week to serve the scholars and keep this ongoing fundraiser a success. Please contact Kristina Calder at kristina_calder@yahoo.com if you can help. Even helping 1 Thursday a month is a great help.