Minutes from April 14, 2008
Present: Monica Ostby, Lynne Baechle, Moira Daly, Donna Sullivan-Macdonald, Nancy Hellen, Kathy Fox, Pam Libery, Lisa Hebert, Carol McQuillen, Carol Caldwell-Edmonds , Susie Merrick, Diane Schwaigert
1. Minutes from March – Moira Daly
Minutes were summarized and accepted.
2. Helmets – Lynne
Have police officers at Skate Night to take sell helmets in order that kids could wear them at Skate Night.
3. SLIMY Update – Carol McQuillen
Last payment made for front of school garden. Lisa will review budget. May expand garden with some artwork. Benches are out. Carol has met with all teachers re who wants to take landscapes this season. Barb Lawrence and Linda Waltien will take on front of school garden. 2/3 will take on back gardens, plant root veggies for use at Harvest Festival. Committee has completed composting survey. Liners are desirable (biodegradable) for paper towels, popcorn bags, etc…Rick will share info among teachers to encourage use. Rick has signed position requisition form for intern/garden coordinator, and recruiting is underway. Saturday workdays in spring with kids conflicts with baseball. Trying something new, Thursday May 1 8-11:30, 11:30- 2:00 two rotations. Spring Fling garden cleanup, UVM interns, students, families, will be encouraged to attend Spring Clean up . Monica – email version to Roz so it can be emailed to families. Approved by Rick without fling. Tag Sale as usual. May feature bikes. Burlington Bike Project will take surplus. Encourage families to purchase here. Will have mechanic on site to fit kids with bikes. Monica suggested Carol encourage teachers to attend Spring Fling. Plant sale dates…$ to go to summer coordinator per Sabrina. Costs $3500, PTO has approved only 2800. Summer Gardens promote in May newsletter, have tear-off in May newsletter to encourage parents to take on leadership role. Also include in email distribution. Spring clean up info will go out this week. Tag sale and garden sale info can go out via email but also need to go out as paper.
4. Carol Caldwell-Edmonds - school board member
Janine Allo will run for Carol’s vacancy. Ballot will be in Other Paper on Thursday. School board wants to have a presence at PTO meetings with upcoming May 20 vote. Budget is on ballot…$38million…mild increase…4.11 % increase….had unanimous support of every board member. K-12 world languages…would have resulted in slight increase …all current budgets are funded…3 positions were previously funded…decided not to do that…if we pass first budget, anticipate will be a good message for future conversations re asking for additional funding…board wants budget to pass…tell neighbors, family, friends, teachers, it really matters…
Questions:
Carol M – how communicating to seniors in seniors housing re need to support schools. A: Superintendent will speak at rotary clubs. Carol ? will suggest to him that he reach out to seniors. Classes visiting seniors…reaching out to seniors …Susie Merrick – Lisa Levitte researched how budgets were voted in the past…if only parents with children in schools vote, the budget will pass. May votes in general tend not to get a lot of attention. Carol M - have representation at Spring Fling. Encourage families to vote. Rick – voters having to go to polls to vote…current state reflects movement within the city to have the process changed….support now from community members who pushed to have budget on ballot…budget for 08/09 includes new 2nd grade classroom teacher. Along with slight increase among other disciplines, facilities (gym, music, library)…Lynne – field trip funding will be changed…positions maintained, likely due to retirement…current programs funded…public school, provide opportunities to all parents…money built into next budget for activity funds…if $$ not in budget, how will be funded…mechanism has to be equitable across all schools…Monica would like to see answer to funding for field trip before September.
If budget doesn’t pass, programs will be cut…if passes, current programs will stay in place…CPI consumer price index budget…2.6 % increase will be adopted. Will require reductions in staffing, to programs, info on district website….send an email out to parents re what is at stake
Carol…wood chip facility will go back on the ballot. Watch the other paper for this item…many of the voters will be turning out for this item…many local residents don’t want wood chip plant in view…we will miss 90% budget from state if we don’t act now…paying only 10%. Successful across state…board wants it on ballot…so wood chip voters will be separate from budget voters…send email to families…summarize and include link to district website with full info…Lynne suggested Rick summarize to make it personal to Orchard…Rick – two points to convey – even if budget defeated, CPI will include additional position…support positions (literacy, match) now at 8 FTE would be reduced to 6 across district…look beyond elementary school to what middle school and beyond will lose because it will impact our families…May 9 and May 16 letters that Rick sends home may include info for Orchard families re votes…committee looking at Charter.
5. 5th Grade Transitions
Guidance counselor will meet with classes to help transitions.
6. Odyssey of the Mind - Nancy Hellen – coordinator for Orchard
State tourney was held March 8. Students here combined with students from middle school…competed at higher level (division 2) Elly Barren, Steve Crowley and one other coach?...15 students came to some meetings…growing interest…pictures and write up on Orchard website….Lynne re: how enable Odyssey to profile…suggest she come to Committee Fair in August, Curriculum Night ..better communication would be helpful…
7. Skate Night - Lynne Baechle
Doubled $$ 50 themed baskets, 33 staff and teacher participation, committee has met and had a wrap up session…met with rink re dates for next year…? Purchase tables..$ to rent…winners of grand prizes – Fleishman family, Tim Hopper, Sue O'Brien won spa trip…check out website for photos…prizes posted on bulletin board, prizes told to teachers…to do for next year will include mention of winners….room parent training list will include basket donations as part of “job description”…
To address…email lists…Lisa Hebert will continue as room parent coordinator…anticipate will run more smoothly next year.
8. Website Changes - David Young
David recognized Donna for her work. District needs to do a better job re web presence…has become an essential way of communicating…$$ in budget re: how to manage web presence…? On staff individuals to manage website…not a fiscal reality…SchoolFusion is web provider to manage district website…would still allow individual schools to have website…and post to general district website…will be talking more about it within district…? loss of individuality…will meet with design team re: layout, design, School Fusion will be asked to do it…make it user friendly, with school individuality with district unity…Donna has been a leader in the district…podcasting, blogs, provides a lot of flexibility…go to SchoolFusion.com and see what it looks like…?ecommerce section like GoodSense to channel $$ to school and/or district…would not be difficult to include…calendar needs to be set up for all schools to access…can other schools go in and add their dates?...SchoolFusion started as a calendar system…plan is to have implementation for early in the new school year…October, November up and running…academic links will continue…instructional component will be included…?PTO rep to manage PTO links …need to move forward at district to enhance functionality…committee meets every other week until June…1-2 reps per school on committee…Donna Sullivan-Macdonald included…hoping more teachers will be involved…
9. Spring Fling – Diana on behalf of Heidi
Diana will teach kids some dances…M& W after school …Lisa will post something on bulletin board…Monday 28th have 4-5 grade students, Wednesday 30th have younger kids…Rick – concerned re: supervision, coordinating, space in gym re School’s Out…consider having lesson at Spring Fling…Lynne motions for all dancing activity to happen Friday, Monica seconded…85 t-shirt orders came in today…
10. School Enrichment Activity - Mr. Ebel
Dora Sudarsky has been involved in promoting Enrichment…every other year have school wide…this year smaller, wing specific…Rick took to Faculty Advisory Committee – suggested a bookmaking class Linda Lembke at Saint Mike’s…she would be available for a residency in early fall (November)…she feels confident she could handle…Rick provided budget, preliminary, which is $4643. Math and writing has been focus this past year…links with writing and art…crosses multiple disciplines…every student leaves with an individual book…teachers are very supportive. many have taken workshops or courses…Linda would need to be housed…Young Authors' Conference after the fact…display children’s work…opportunity to showcase child’s work…not necessarily fundraising…opportunities for integration among other curriculum…not known yet time commitment but likely to go over two weeks culminating in presentation. Lynne motioned to pursue, Diana seconded.
11. Reading to End Racism - Rick Ebel
Invoice came to PTO re …no charge..Lisa ok.
12. Kids on the Block Vermont
In part paid for by raffle Orchard student won (1/3) at teacher convention last fall…Rick has some $$ to cover part of it from district budget. Moira D motioned to allow up to $150 to cover and additional expenses…Monica seconded…
13. Tuttle PTO - Susie Merrick
Wants to share word that there are opportunities for parents: Team parents, teachers working with parents to expand program…work to honor staff…have staff appreciation…food on Fridays …always opportunity to chaperone at monthly socials…monthly newsletter, inviting guest writers from parents and kids…Knowledge Wave is donating cost to have copied booklet to new middle school families Thrive Guide…invite us to visit website which is often updated…message is teachers really want to partner with parents toward success of kids…opportunities to reach out between parents and teachers…Thursday May 23 from 7:30-9:30 PTO offers coffee connection, staff often come, has been successfully, Joe O’Brien principal has devoted to new families…will be worth sending email…Rick will include in his letter home on May 16.
14. Dates for calendar – get dates to Allyson
15. Budget
Monica wants to increase French and Spanish budget…all PTO members are encouraged to review budget items prior to next meeting
District contribution from PTO to scholarship fund for graduating senior…
? Innisbrook next year…more green items…? If can include on district website…create e-commerce …Lynne motions that we do Innisbrook as e-commerce versus paper…online ordering…Moira seconded….? Possibly have paper copies catalogs for orientation…move toward having e-commerce/fundraising section in newsletter…
Goodsearch – 403 searches in March, 351 in April, $17 from shopping….
16. 2/3 Project Room Update
Projector is up, computer and computer table is up, speakers, wiring will be done over break…DVD player and receiver will be installed…?dividers …4/5 project room would like to move computers from classrooms to 4/5 project rooms…set up like computer lab…concerns re: uses of project room for after school, community activities…maintenance has looked it over and approves…4/5 looking to do fundraiser in their wing…Rick – wait for budget to see what is available for building maintenance…there is a plan, some design, things in the works that can continue…revisit after the budget…different use from 2/3 wing…?PTO involvement….wait to see what budget brings…Lynne motioned to defer to September…Monica proposed we reassess in May…Diane seconded…all ok.
17. Unos Date: June 5 will go to K/1…last one raised $450 for 4/5 wing…will pay for planners
Meeting adjourned. Moira, Lynne seconded
Next meeting will be May 12.
Page created by PTO Secretary Moira Daly and Orchard Library/Media Specialist Donna Macdonald.
This page last updated: 05/30/08.