Ashton School PTO Meeting

Meeting Minutes

October 16, 2007 at 6:30 pm

1. Call meeting to order
   • Minutes from last months meeting were reviewed and approved.

2. Treasurer’s report
   • Michele Lamorte reported that she has not received the Genevieve fundraiser invoice but she believes the total sales to be $7,695.93.
   • The amount we will actually receive in profit will be much less than the $5,200 we budgeted for.  Projected profit will be around $3,000.
   • Michele has received $155.00 so far for the walk-a-thon.
   • The PTO spent $87.01 for jump ropes and balls for recess.
   • The PTO spent $60.00 in copy paper.

3. New Business
   • No one has stepped up to Chair the Fourth Grade Play.  Christine Amadio is going to send out a notice stating that if parents do not get involved to put the play in motion, the play will be cancelled.
   • The Chairperson orientation went very well.  We have gotten a good response about the binders that all the Chair people received to keep their committee information in.  This will also help the committees in the future.
   • We have Co-Chairs for the Thanksgiving Food Drive they are Lori Edge and Nicole Gaudreau.  They received a packet at the meeting containing information to help with the Drive.  Mrs. Viti and Mrs. Karbonik decide on the Ashton families who will receive the baskets.  The baskets do not need to be delivered; the families come and pick them up.  The baskets are filled with all types of food not just typical Thanksgiving fair.  Generally there are about 12 or 13 families, any extra food is donated to the House of Compassion.
   • George Drapeaux talked about the Elementary Building Committee.  He mentioned that Mr. Carpenter would like one big room used for his office and storage instead of the room separated by a wall.  George is under the impression this cannot be done where as Nidia has heard otherwise.  This will be looked into further.  George has been told the construction on the gym should be done by March and the front of the building by December.
   • The Ashton website is coming along very well.  Christine Amadio is happy to see that the new software is being used.  There still needs to be a couple of updates.
   • The Publicity Committee is no longer a committee, each committee will do its own publicity.  In each Chairperson binder there is information on the protocol for submitting information to the newspapers.  Teachers should also be aware that they too could submit events within their classrooms.

4. Fundraisers
   • The recent Genevieve fundraiser was discussed.  The fundraiser did not raise as much funds as was hoped.  Some reasons could be that people did not have a lot of time to send back their orders, or people may be getting tired of selling from a catalog.  People also noticed there wasn’t as much in the catalog compared to past catalogs.
   • Worthington fundraiser will start on October 29th.  This fundraiser involves selling pizza, pies, cake and cookie dough with the upcoming holidays in mind.  All products are nut free.
   • The Halloween Walk-A-Thon is coming together.  A dj will be available at a good rate.  Certificates were made to record the number of laps each child walks.  Halloween bobbing headbands and tattoos were purchased for each participant.  There will be three classes walking at a time.  Nidia will approve the final walking schedule.  Waters were donated and volunteers have offered to supply snacks.  Lori Edge has gotten a good deal on snack packs of Goldfish.

5. Directory Update
   • Tammy Drapeaux is working on the final details.  Pat Erikson will look over the directory to look for any mistakes.  Once it has been proofread Tammy will send it out either email or by hard copy.

6. Room Parent
   • No one is aware yet if Mrs. Otero has a room parent.  Chris Amadio will find out.

7. Principal’s Report

a.  Playground Update

• Nerf tetherballs have been purchased; they need to be put up.
• The playground has been vandalized.  Just recently the sign was dug up, cement and all.  Nidia filed a report with the police.  The police will patrol our area more often after hours.
• The PTO was hoping that a motion light could be installed; Nidia mentioned this is too costly.
• Nidia is going to see if we have insurance for future possible vandalism.  She will ask Richard Hilton.

b.  Ashton Clothing

·         Nidia reported that the clothing order forms went out to all students. 

·         There are new items on the order forms such as fleece jackets.

·         The Ashton website can be used to purchase clothing.

·         Nidia mentioned she might wait for the clothing to come in before she starts the classroom competition on Fridays.  Whatever classroom in the upper grades and lower grades has the most students wearing school colors will have the stuffed Scottie dog for the week.

·         Mrs. Hanuschak had parent volunteers to help.

           c.  Walking Club

·         Mrs. Hanuschak is in charge of this club.

·         Students sign up to be in this club.  Each student keeps a tally on how many laps he or she complete during a recess.

·         One mom volunteered to come in once a week to help during recess.

d.  NECAP

·         The make up tests ended today.

·         The results should be in by January.

·         In the past we have received a report of a High Performing School.

e.  Feinstein funds

·         The money we received through Feinstein to do something good for other children is being used by the fourth grade.

·         The fourth grade has purchased diaper bags and is asking all students for donations of baby items such as formula, onesies etc…

             f.  Miscellaneous

·         The Good Deeds Program through Feinstein will be implemented this year.  A newsletter will go out twice this year.

·         Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on November 27th from

6:00 – 8:00 pm and on December 6th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.

·         Report Cards will go out on November 26th.

·         November 9th is Picture Day.  Sharon Campbell has offered to Chair this event.

·         A Fire Prevention Assembly will take place on October 25th.

·         On October 23rd a planned evacuation drill for the entire school will be held.  Buses will arrive to see how fast the students can evacuate the school, and get on the bus safely.  A notice may go home to notify the parents in case they want to prepare their child.

·         Mrs. Slater has put a hold on the School Store.  She may want to run it the second half of the year.  This is mainly due to the ongoing construction.

·         Nidia is going to recruit High School students to help out in the after school Literacy/Homework Club.

8. Open Forum

·         Sarah DiGiovanni discovered that committees could meet right after school without filling out an application form to use the facilities.

9. Prize Drawing

·         A McDonald gift card was won by Nicole Gaudreau.

10. Adjournment

·         The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 20th at 6:30 pm in the Ashton Library.