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North Park Schools PTA Minutes Feb 2009

March 6th, 2009 No comments

February 26, 2009

Begin Meeting at 4:20 pm

Secretary Report approved. Motioned by Tari Mattox and April Washburn

Treasurer’s Report approved. Motioned by Cathy Cardossa and Amanda Brown

Principal’s Report

  1. Thank you for the dinners that were donated at conferences.
  2. Last week we had a drill for Lock Down. It’s called a Code Red Practice. The students go into a corner, they put signs in the window – green or red to indicate whether they need help. They all did a good job.
  3. Shelly, our cook returns from convalescence leave next Monday. We are glad to see her back.Barb, who has been filling in for Shelley, had her last day today. Thank you Barb.
  4. March is Reading Month. If anyone is interested in reading at library time, please let our librarian, Pam Hall know.
  5. Last time we spoke about the Emergency Response Team. Here is more information: We need the PAL person to volunteer – April has agreed. We need one other parent. It will require 4 – 8 hours of training, It is in preparation in case an emergency happens. Please let Sue Rickson know if you are still interested. There will have to be a background check on whoever volunteers.
  6. The Penny Drive is going great – lots of good experiences with it. The Grounds Department of GRPS will come by for an estimate on black top as the weather warms. They will determine whether the ground is in bad enough condition so that they will pay for it or not. They will check in April.
  7. MEAPS – hope to get the results by spring break.
  8. The annual Spring Concert on March 18 at 6:30 pm
  9. Kindergarten Round Up at the Public Museum on the 10th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Fundraising Committee Report

  1. GoodSearch.com – Emily Akers found this. It is a search engine in which every time you make a search, it will donate 1 penny to a charity of your choice. People can sign up to have the money go to North Park PTA. We are already registered. It is a great way to earn money for the PTA. Also on the site is Goodshop.com. When you shop at the various places through there, a percentage of your purchase goes to the PTA.
  2. Juice Boxes – Lyndsey Lebon is running this. The box for the collection in the hallway has disappeared, but the one in the cafeteria is still there and it fills up regularly. Has sent in 2 packs of 100 or so. North Park Meijers has the notebooks with the juic box covers on them for clearance. Should buy them and put them on display by the collection box.
  3. Penny Drive – suggestion to set up a collection jar at the Spring Concert. And to sell the t-shirts. Several people have brought collection jars to local businesses. If we send Matt Patulski the names of the businesses, he will publish their names on the website and on facebook.
  4. Sound System for the music program. Sue R. looked into whether there were any extras available through GRPS. The answer was no. The custodian put in a requisition to look into what we need. April will look into borrowing one for the night.
    Kindergarten Round up at the end of April – April W. has offered to stand at the booth if someone sets it up and we can have the penny drive and the t-shirts available there.
  5. The t-shirts – make about $4 / shirt. Had a request for more feminine style. Discussion ensued. Should display them in the office. Tari offered to organize them. Sue will work with her. We need a system.

Resource Committee Report

  1. Stonyfield Yogurt contest winners will be announced March 15.
  2. Penny drive is going well.
    1. Need volunteers for designing the playground.
    2. Lyndsey has a friend who has a playground grade swing set to donate.
    3. Mike Hathaway is the district contact for playgrounds.
  3. Garage Sale date is set for May 2nd, 2009.
    Garage Sale by April, Craft Sale will be run by Erica & HwaJa, Bake Sale by Mary Sherman,, Volunteer coordination by Suzanne Zack
  4. Donors Choose is a great fundraising site – one teacher at our school is using it and having good success with it. Other teachers should know about it as a a resource for funding their projects.
  5. Scrapbooking request – Two teachers plan to start a scrapbooking project with their students next year. It is a great way to engage the students in reading and writing. If anyone has any extra scrapbooking materials they are willing to donate – please send them in to Mrs, Hendricks and Mrs. Van Zoeren

Community Outreach Report

  1. Facebook success – 3 dozen people are on the facebook site for North Park School
  2. The Website is launched
    1. NorthParkSchool.org. has info about all North Park Activities. Anything that has been in the newsletter should be on the site. Plan is for month to month update.
    2. Could hook up PayPal to the website so that people can donate to North Park School causes right on our site.
    3. Can contact any PTA board member through the contact page on the website.
  3. The website Nikki Jones has been creating is almost complete. Someone needs to give her the PA info, or our mission statement.

Adjourn at 5:20 pm.

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North Park School Penny Drive

February 22nd, 2009 No comments

Join our Community Suppported Penny Drive to improve the North Park Schools playground! North Park is one of the most successful emementary schools in the GRPS with one of the oldest buildings. You can be part of our community effort to add new blacktop and brightly painted stencils to make the play area safer and more fun.

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PTA Minutes January 22, 2009

February 22nd, 2009 No comments

MEETING BEGINS at 4:20 pm.  14 people in attendance

 

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Had a good turnout for the school Renovation Open House

Received a plaque for the rededication to the library.

The school was awarded the Picturing America grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.  This means that in April we will receive 40 laminated pictures of American History to be used for public display or classroom use.

Conferences are coming up in February.

We received a check from our Paper Gator fundraiser for $150.

A suggestion was made to put a sign out front announcing that the Paper Gator will accept old phone books for recycling.

Spoke with GRPS Grounds Dept. about blacktop and stencils for the playground.  They will look into finding available stencils and will get back to us about the blacktop.

Spoke with the staff about the upcoming Penny Drive. Only request was from the Kindergarten/Pre-school teachers on the first floor, to not paint the stencils  close to their classrooms.

GRPS has a “Stand-by Emergency Team” and needs volunteers from our school – 2 parents, 1 member from the community, principal and 2 teachers..  They hve a grant, and organizers and trainers will implement the plan.  Mary Ann Faulkner and April Washburn and Matt Patulski and Tari Mattox volunteered.  Sue Rickson will look call and get more details about the plan.

 

UPPER EL – TEACHER REPORT

The Upper El students in Ms. Lee and Mr. Huyser’s classes hace been doing a lot of community/volunteer projects.  They have worked with the Veterans and with the Gleaners.  Here are some examples of the work they have been doing:

Students have made 60 blankets that will be sent to Iraq as a donation.  The students wrote letters to accompany the blankets.  They will make more blankets if more fleece is donated.  Students entered an essay contest.  They will recite their essays to a Veterans group on Jan 31.  Also entered 8 essays in a National Essay contest and a Poster contest.

 

TREASURER’S REPORT

Discussion about a request for money for a software reading program used by the lower el classrooms.  Costs 700/year.  Discussion ensued about whether to use the PTA money to renew.  Mary Sherman will see if we can get the programs for less, if we order less copies, or if we purchase for a longer period.   Sue Cleland will make calls and speak with Sue Hendricks and Robin Geahan about this.  April Washburn mentioned that there is a program that a different teacher had requested called Fast For Word which is a one time purchase.  Someone will investigate this as a possibility.

 

GIRLS ON THE RUN

Riley and Mandy presented information about the Girls on the Run program and requested PTA dollars to support the program.  It could be up to $1.040, but will probably be less.  Suzanne Zack made a motion to support the program, Mary Ann Faulkner seconded the motion.  PTA agrees to pay up to $1040 if needed.  Matt Patulski suggested that if we know about this sooner for next year, we can dedicate one of our regular fundraisers to support the program.  i.e. Paper Gator or Meijer Rewards money can go right to this cause.   Next year, if we are asked about this early in the year, we can plan for it.

 

TEACHERS DINNERS FOR CONFERENCES

Need dinners for Feb 10, 12 and 16th.  Sign up sheet is passed around and a notice will be posted in the PTA newsletter.  April Washburn suggested having kids cook the meals.  Evidently there is no longer a means to cooking in the building.  Matt Patulski suggested using the Facebook page for North Park to request volunteers.

 

FUNDRAISER REPORT

Juice Pouches fundraiser is set up.  Lindsey Leben will run it.  Collection will take place in the cafeteria and in the hallway.  Pouches must be slit, rinsed and the straw must be removed.  No boxes, just pouches.

Campbell’s Soup Labels.  Our school sent in 10,000 points more than in the last 5 years.  We turn in the points for teacher supplies.  Every teacher gets something.  Cathy Cardossa is running this program.  In the spring, info will go out to teachers so they can pick what they want.  Jen Hall requested a PDF file about the soup labels so that we can send out requests for these to friends and relatives.  Matt will make the PDF and Sue Rickson will coordinate it with teachers.

A parent has volunteered to create a collection box for the hallway, it will also have a bulletin board attached for the PTA.

T-Shirts – are made.  Sue Cleland will organize the sale.  Two designs – the North Park School Mascot and the building.  They are made by a North Park parent’s business and are made from American Apparel t-shirts.  There are kid’s small – Adult 2x.  Order forms will follow.

 

GRANT COMMITTEE REPORT

Grant Committee will be renamed Resource Committee.  The committee works on getting resources for the school using grants, donations, penny drives and any other creative “resourcing”.  Any one who would like to join is welcome.  Next meeting will be Feb 28 at the downtown library at 9:45.  We will meet for a class on basic grant seeking and have lunch afterwards.

North Park Schools sent in 553 labels to Stonyfield Yogurt/Kaboom contest.  Thank you to everyone who participated.  We will hear the results in March.

In the works – Penny Drive for playground update,  looking for grants for scrapbooking supplies for classroom projects, and looking for grants for a sound system in the gym for performances.

 

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

We now have a NORTH PARK SCHOOLS Facebook site.  A forum to communicate.  Invite friends to join it.  2 weeks from today – Community Outreach meeting for those who want to join.

Discussion about the fact that few parents from the traditional North Park school are involved in PTA.   April shared articles about the barriers to school involvement that she received as a PAL.  Matt said he would send PDF files of the article to anyone who is interested.

 

PAL REPORT

  1. Opportunity to schools from the YMCA – a family fitness fun night for free.
  2. 2. Free stuff is available from GRPS Arts Advocates.
  3. GRPS is going to use Thinking Maps in their curriculum.  If we want a parent meeting about this program, it can be arranged.
  4. Passed out a flyer about the 900 million dollar shortfall in the state budget.
  5. Discussion about Holiday House.  Less than half the student body participated.  And, with these difficult economic times, it was a hardship for many people to give the money to buy gifts.  Plus, it just supported the consumer side of the holidays.  April suggested that next year we design a different type of holiday activity for all the kids to participate in.  Many ideas were discussed.  Everyone agreed that it would be good to do something different next year.  April will leave the Holiday House packet of info in the PTA room just in case anyone wants it.

 

ADJOURN AT 6pm

 

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