Petrova Parents’ Club Meeting Minutes
September 12, 2011 7:00 pm
Elementary School Library
Attendees: Zoe Smith, Bob Laba, Sunita Halasz, Kathleen Silvius, Josh Dann, Jenn Small, Polly Kelting, Michelle Davis, Debi Yando, Amy Wenske, Becky LaDue, Norma Woodruff, Chrissy Hayden, Christy Nier
Next Meeting: October 3, 2011 at 7pm in Elementary Library. Mini-Grant Committee will meet at 6pm (anyone welcome).
Discussion of Goals for the 2011-12 School Year
Zoe passed out copies of the newly approved bylaws and noted that PPC has three main goals for this school year.
1. Hold events and activities for the students like Halloween Party, Fun Day, etc.
2. Provide people resources – volunteers for classrooms, playground, etc.
3. Fundraising goals:
a) Smart Boards (we’re looking to purchase 2-3 for this school year)
b) Mini-grants – grants to faculty and staff for up to $500
c) Afterschool program – help offset the costs and provide volunteers for more afterschool activities in addition to those already offered (Basketball and Science Club)
She noted the new website: parentsclub.weebly.com
Treasurer’s Report
Bob passed around his Treasurer’s report showing our approved projected budget for the year, and showed the revenues and expenses from last year. We’ll have to adjust expenditures based on how much fundraising we actually do this year. Zoe noted that we have budgets for our different events so that we allocate money to make sure we have enough money to cover all these events. The Holiday Raffle is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Josh noted that fundraising in Parents’ Club is busiest in the fall.
Principal’s Update
Mr. Dann really appreciates the faculty and staff’s hard work in orienting all the students, so many of whom are new this year, to the school and and the school year expectations. He discussed the following:
Upcoming PPC Activities
Zoe noted that Kathleen had a great idea last year to make a handbook of how each activity is run. After each event is over, Kathleen will send around a feedback form to ask what went well, what could be different. Here is a list of upcoming fundraisers and activities, but note that new ideas for new fundraisers are always welcome – other apparel for sale, pancake breakfast, etc.
September 12, 2011 7:00 pm
Elementary School Library
Attendees: Zoe Smith, Bob Laba, Sunita Halasz, Kathleen Silvius, Josh Dann, Jenn Small, Polly Kelting, Michelle Davis, Debi Yando, Amy Wenske, Becky LaDue, Norma Woodruff, Chrissy Hayden, Christy Nier
Next Meeting: October 3, 2011 at 7pm in Elementary Library. Mini-Grant Committee will meet at 6pm (anyone welcome).
Discussion of Goals for the 2011-12 School Year
Zoe passed out copies of the newly approved bylaws and noted that PPC has three main goals for this school year.
1. Hold events and activities for the students like Halloween Party, Fun Day, etc.
2. Provide people resources – volunteers for classrooms, playground, etc.
3. Fundraising goals:
a) Smart Boards (we’re looking to purchase 2-3 for this school year)
b) Mini-grants – grants to faculty and staff for up to $500
c) Afterschool program – help offset the costs and provide volunteers for more afterschool activities in addition to those already offered (Basketball and Science Club)
She noted the new website: parentsclub.weebly.com
Treasurer’s Report
Bob passed around his Treasurer’s report showing our approved projected budget for the year, and showed the revenues and expenses from last year. We’ll have to adjust expenditures based on how much fundraising we actually do this year. Zoe noted that we have budgets for our different events so that we allocate money to make sure we have enough money to cover all these events. The Holiday Raffle is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Josh noted that fundraising in Parents’ Club is busiest in the fall.
Principal’s Update
Mr. Dann really appreciates the faculty and staff’s hard work in orienting all the students, so many of whom are new this year, to the school and and the school year expectations. He discussed the following:
- Playground and Lunchroom Monitors - Helpers needed at lunch/recess, which is from 11:30-1:00 pm The more adults the better, even if you can only come for 15-30 minutes! Brandee Reiley will be helping to organizing these volunteers. But you can also just show up around lunch-recess time and we’ll find a spot for you.
- Family Fun Nights - more this year as an outgrowth of PBIS and also the PPC survey last year which said there should be more opportunities for parents to feel a part of the school. The faculty help out at these events on a volunteer basis.
- Halloween Fun Day – Oct 31, Monday afternoon 1:00-3:15pm - Jenn Small and Josh will be meeting next week to plan games and activities and rotation. If anyone has ideas or feedback for new or revised ideas, please let them know. It is very important from a safety standpoint to have parents and other family members who are not volunteering at the event to follow all the safety rules of the school. For instance, they must enter through the front doors, sign their child out if they are doing early pick-up, not crowd the hallways, remain by the auditorium at the regular pick up time, etc. We discussed having Mrs. Moody do a phone call to all families reminding them of the safety precautions on this day.
- Holiday Shopping This is being updated this year to reflect the new challenges we all face in the current economy. It will be called “Holiday Giving.” Families and teachers will be asked to donate items that will all be fore sale for $0.25. The money raised will be donated to a charity of the students’ choice. Josh will call Bloomingdale School to learn a bit more about how they do a similar kind of thing. Again, new suggestions are welcome here.
- PBIS: Positive Intervention Behavior and Supports - District-wide program working to teach respect for everyone in school – teachers, staff, other students. Gives staff ideas, resources for dealing with difficult situations. Incentives such as bracelets, bear paws (because of our polar bear mascot), golden tray. Some parents shared how PBIS is making a difference in their kids behavior even at home!
- District-wide half-days for Professional Development:
- Oct 5, 11:30 dismissal
- Dec 7, 11:30 dismissal
- Feb 15, 11:30 dismissal
- May 16th 11:30 dismissal
Upcoming PPC Activities
Zoe noted that Kathleen had a great idea last year to make a handbook of how each activity is run. After each event is over, Kathleen will send around a feedback form to ask what went well, what could be different. Here is a list of upcoming fundraisers and activities, but note that new ideas for new fundraisers are always welcome – other apparel for sale, pancake breakfast, etc.
- Blanket Sales - Last year we purchased a number of sweatshirt-material blankets and we need ideas of how to get them sold at Ace Hardware, other local businesses, football games, hockey games, etc. We still need a coordinator for this. Josh suggested we could use our website, emails. Brandee offered to put blankets behind the concession at the Civic Center. But it’s really not in a noticeable location. Norma suggests one of the trophy boxes for a display.
- Meet the Teacher Night, Sept. 21, 6:30-7:45pm. Parents’ only. Families needing child care can bring them to the Middle School gym where Honors Students will provide activities. Zoe will introduce PPC at the assembly in the auditorium and encourage more parents to get involved with PPC. We will have blankets, and volunteer sign up sheets, examples of Box Tops products. We should have the table set up by 6pm because people show up EARLY for these events! Norma can sit at the table with Sunita.
- Halloween Fun Day - Jenn will need to find out how many volunteers she will get, which will determine how many stations she can have. She has ideas for some new games. Michelle Davis and Norma Woodruff offer to volunteer.
- Concession Sale at Football Game - Oct 22nd - Norma says there are lots of rules about what we can sell or not! So it’s not clear yet if we can sell blankets yet or not. Norma will find out. We have to order the food and make sure the stand is cleaned well afterward. This is a fundraiser for us (we buy the food and then we keep whatever money we make back). You have to be there ½-hr before the JV game which is 9:30 and then clean-up which might go to 3:30 or 4pm. Norma needs a couple people to work with her. Kathleen will help with ordering/prep. Josh offered to help too. Based on this experience, we’ll see if we want to do this again for Basketball season.
- Holiday Raffle - Area businesses donate items that we raffle from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Bob’s goal is to have all the raffle items collected by October 1st so that the raffle tickets can be printed in time for our Oct 3rd Parents’ Club meeting. The tickets are $5 apiece. Bob will draft a letter for us to take to the businesses with our logo and a statement that we have become a 501c3 not-for-profit (because of our Rotary Affliation), and he will email that out along with list of businesses.
- Holiday Giving - As soon as we have an email list we should send out info about this event and ask for donations. We should also explain the event to the teachers when we attend the faculty meeting on Oct. 3. Prep the teachers on Oct 3rd that this is being changed and that they can donate too. Lori Mouranie will coordinate. We need to make sure that there’s a date, time and location for this that is acceptable to the teachers. Kathleen said Lake Clear school used to do this and have sections of the room classified as “gifts for moms, gifts for dad’s, gifts for kids.” To keep the students from going too wild with the $0.25 items, we will have them (as in previous years) make a list, with ages, of the people the kids are buying gifts for and send the kids in with only that much money. We will ask the different grade levels to donate gift bags and tissue paper, but we will avoid wrapping items.
- Box Tops - Rethinking this this year. 3 times a year we have Box Tops collectios. Perhaps do school-by-school competition this year, which would be easier on the teachers and the parents’ club who has to do the sorting and counting! Bob says this would open it up to the community more! Lori has thought about collecting Box Tops in the high rise apartment buildings. Becky suggested parents might collect them at their businesses. Whatever is finally decided must be communicated to the staff at the Oct. 3rd meeting.
- Homework Haven - After school program that starts up the Monday after Meet The Teacher night. On Faculty Meeting days we need coverage for Homework Haven from 3:30-4:15. It’s especially good if there are two parents.
- Grade Liaisons - A way to streamline communication and be a resource so that if that teacher needs something from Parents’ Club the teachers have one person to go to rather than not knowing who to go to. This person is a sounding board for the teachers to give PPC feedback. Liaisons can help to pull together a class list for each clssroom since our Parent Volunteer sign up sheet kind of flopped this year. Grade liaisons can send out a letter with some boiler plate language that Sunita will draft and they can personalize to introduce themselves to all parents.
- Mini Grants - We’ve already received four. More may come in as deadline is not for another couple weeks. Subcommittee will meet Oct 3 at 6pm. Anyone is welcome. Teachers who have given in applications may come if they are able and give 3-5 minute presentation and answer questions. We won’t be voting on this day because we may have follow up questions.
