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EMMA HART WILLARD SCHOOL
Attendance: Please see attached sign in sheet. The meeting started approximately 1:05 p.m. Julie Boninsegna and Laurie Hauptfeld motioned to accept the secretary minutes from the June PTO meeting. TREASURER’S REPORT: A verbal report was provided by Laurie Hauptfeld. There is $15,616.03 in the checking account, $13,697.90 in the money market account, and $5,087.69 in the CD account for a total balance of $34,401.62. Approximately $180.00 for stamps is not deducted in mentioned figures. Stamps were required to send mass mailing invites to parents/students for RJ Sullivan’s welcoming reception. Also, expenses for the 50th year celebration for Willard were not contemplated in the adopted budget. There is a few thousand dollar buffer between the adopted budget and banking accounts. Treasurer’s report was accepted by Julie Boninsegna and Rena DelVecchio. PRINCIPLE UPDATE: Renovation and Work flow: RJ Sullivan provided an update regarding office renovation. Floor tiles and walls are now completed. New furniture should arrive next week. Counter tops have been ordered for the two new counters and should be ready mid to late September. Built-in cabinet will be put on hold at this time. Office responsibilities have been finalized. RJ Sullivan, Tom Veronesi and MaryEllen Cardello will all be located in the main office and are the only individuals handling confidential information regarding staff and students. Goal is to create a professional environment. Geri Norton will also sit in main office area responsible for lunch counts, tardies, etc and provide support to MaryEllen. For the beginning of the school year, Mr. Sullivan has asked Mr. Veronesi to suspend instructional responsibilities to help with working of office. Mary Barrett will also help support office functions for the short term. Mary Farone responsibilities would have also changed; however, she has chosen to resign this morning. Both MaryEllen Cardello and RJ Sullivan will attend a workshop in October. The purpose of the workshop is to maximum the use and access of scheduling. Mr. Sullivan’s goal is to spend at least two days in the classrooms. Also, instructional staff should be spending maximum time with students. RJ reported that there had been a death in our school community. Anthony Sapko died unexpectedly this morning. Anthony Sapko was the father of Nicole (entering grade 6 at McGee) and Drew (entering grade 2 at Willard). Former teachers of both Nicole and Drew will be contacted. Mr. Sullivan and Dr. Cicchetti will contact the family to see how we can be supportive and will inform Ruth. Teacher assignments: There have been several changes to faculty staff. Joan Schmidt has been hired and will replace Karen Sullivan who is not returning. Elijah Clapp has been hired as the new 5th grade teacher replacing Michael Kulak who will now teach 3rd grade. Liz Salvatore has been hired as a speech pathologist. Annie Pelletier has resigned and is moving to Rhode Island. Interns this year are Cara Shea and Jeff Bloomfield. Jeff is returning to Willard. Maura Sullivan will spend full time in remedial reading. Danielle Phelan has been hired as a kindergarten/preschool teacher. Rena Klebart is the new assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Mr. Sullivan has met with her and she is supportive and connected with classroom learning. COMMITTEE UPDATES: Membership: Kate Friday was not present; however, Ruth provided an update. Letter is prepared and ready to go home after school begins. Membership fee will remain at $5.00. Lobby board will be decorated w/ musical key notes with each family name. This is in honor of our new principles love for Jazz. Along the side of the board will be famous Jazz people. Kate is planning to have board completed for Kindergarten orientation. The PTO membership check list will be developed again this year after all memberships are recorded. This list will be used for our sign-in at PTO meetings. Kate and Rena will work on this check list. Lyman’s Pie Sale: Ruth informed us that Annette Giuliano has taken a full time job. We are hoping that Joanne Addamo will take the lead for this fundraiser. If so, pie sale information will be given to Joanne. Fundraising Committee will need to help make copies that will go home with students. There will be a total of three sheets. Letter to the parents will need to be drafted. Ruth will ask Alice Mitchell if upbeat kids can help us sort and distribute pies on November 16th. 50th Celebration: Kirsten Cohen discussed how she saw the celebration. During the day the children will learn about Willard’s history. The evening will be tailored toward family fun similar to the towns Halloween party and/or Winter Wonderland party. Upbeat kids will organize games, etc. October 20th is the date of this celebration. Julie Boninsegna and Jen Chant agreed to co-chair this event. A letter will be drafted asking for artifacts and pictures that can be dropped off at the school and will be returned after the celebration. WELCOMING PARTY: Set-up: A table for the food and a table for the raffle box will be required. Also, a podium and microphone is needed. Ruth is planning to say something every 15 minutes regarding the 50th year celebration for Willard. Also, approximately 40 chairs will be place around court yard if individuals would like to sit. Mr. Sullivan will request that these items be placed in court yard. Also, Mr. Sullivan’s friend will have portable key board and will play Jazz during this welcoming reception. If the event of inclement weather the reception will be held in the school’s multipurpose room. Food: Cathy D’Amato will order and organize food. There will be veggies, fruit, cookies and punch. NEW BUSINESS: Dr. Suess’s Birthday/Wellness Policy: This has been put on hold since no one has final copy of the Wellness Policy. Kindergarten Orientation: Orientation is Tuesday, August 29th. Ruth will speak briefly at both sections. Time is 1:00 and 2:00 o’clock. Showcase for 50th: PTO would like to decorate the front showcase for the beginning of year to showcase Willard turning fifty. OLD BUSINESS: Dates for upcoming PTO meetings: They have been set in June budget meeting. Newsletters: Kirsten informed us that a newsletter will be issued in September. Mr. Sullivan will write an article. Article needed by September 1st. Newsletter will also feature pictures of welcoming reception, Lyman’s fundraiser, etc. Contests: Laurie entered Willard in a contest sponsored by Bob’s Discount Furniture; however, she believes our chances are slim. She also found another contest sponsored by Bestbuy. Mr. Sullivan will discuss this particular contest with Sue Weber. The meeting was adjourned at 2:35 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, |
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EMMA HART WILLARD SCHOOL
Attendance: Please see attached sign in sheet. The meeting started approximately 7:03 p.m. Kate Barton and Laurie Hauptfeld motioned to accept the secretary minutes from the August PTO meeting. TREASURER’S REPORT: Laurie Hauptfeld distributed the Banking Account Summary report and the PTO Budget report. Laurie pointed out that the Banking Account Summary report runs from July 1st to September 30th. It reflects a grand total $33,100.35 which represents all three accounts. Laurie explained that the interest paid to date for the 6-month CD is a running balance and not the past three months. The PTO Budget report reflects that we have spent $1,454.80 of our budget this year. Treasurer’s report was accepted by Diane Wade and Stephen Kulinski. PRINCIPLE UPDATE: Greetings and Celebrations: Mr. Sullivan welcomed everyone. He explained how he likes to begin each meeting with a celebration. He gave special thanks to the PTO executive board and presented them with flowers. He also extended his gratitude to Mr. Veronesi for his patience and continuous support over the past several months. Building Security: Mr. Sullivan mentioned that building security has become a high priority since the Amish shootings not only at Willard but throughout the district. A message has gone out to the Willard staff instructing them that recess doors must be kept locked at all times. Doors can not be left opened and unattended. Also, the front office is already equipped with a camera and a bell. When the front door is opened the office receives a bell signal. The office staff is now required to either look at camera or outside of front office whenever bell signals to view who is entering the building. A long term plan may be a key type badge for teachers to swipe. Assistant Principal Search: Mr. Sullivan discussed that they are now receiving applications for the Assistant Principal opening. Mr. Veronesi will retired on December 22nd. They will be looking for teachers and PTO members to serve on the search committee. Committee members would be required to give up a couple of afternoons/evenings participating on this committee. Tentative dates are October 24th and November 13th. Mr. Sullivan is confident that we will receive a fair amount of applications and will have the ability to find the right person for this position. School Goal: Mr. Sullivan informed us that we need to continuously improve as teachers, as students, as a school, and as a district. Each school was required to examine data and determine where they would want to improve in their school. Each school was required to come up with a school goal. Willard’s school goal is as follows: Willard Students in Grades 1 through 5 will demonstrate a grade level average increase of 5% as measured on the 2007 Spring District Wide Reading Comprehensive Test as compared to the 2006 test. All students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 will focus on interpretation of text (Strade B on the CMT). Classroom teachers will be trained in metacognitive comprehension strategies to be used by students when reading. Each year a new goal will be developed. Continuous Improvement Plans: Mr. Sullivan mentioned that there are five early dismissal days this school year to give teachers the ability to plan and strategize to help students move in the direction to support our school goal and to support the road to continuous improvement. CMT Results: CMT results are attached for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. Mr. Sullivan pointed out that as grades advance, CMT results improve. Next month, Mr. Sullivan will discuss CMT results in relation to Special Education students. These students are scoring below their peers. Mr. Veronesi added that a PTO sponsored program was held today called the “Colors of Love”. This is a very stimulating and exciting program that involves a sad story about a child. Mr. Veronesi encouraged parents to ask there child about this program. COMMITTEE UPDATES: Membership: Kate Friday reported that we have 37 staff members and 217 families equating to a total of $1,214. This figure is slightly below last year by approximately ten dollars. A reminder notice was recommended to be sent home to families to help increase enrollment. Lyman’s Pie Sale: Annette Giuliano mentioned that the pie sale is underway and will conclude on October 20th. She is looking for volunteers to help tally forms. Mincement pie is available. Delivery is set for November 16th. 50th Celebration: Celebration is scheduled for October 27th. Kirsten Cohen has received 50 kids and 30 adult responses. A good percentage has entered the “Play-Doh” contest. Games and face painting activities are planned. Karen Bengiovanni’s husband is the DJ for this event and he will donate his services. Book Fair: Kate Barton informed us that notices will go home next week with scholastic flyer. Book Fair will run from October 24th to October 26th. Book Fair will be open the night of evening conferences. Box Tops: Karen Bengiovanni received two large bags of Campell Soup labels from Mrs. Ireland’s class. It is evident that Mrs. Ireland’s class will be awarded the pizza party. Sweatshirts: Carolyn Dellaquila will send out forms on October 16th. There will be a two week period for families to send in orders. There are no blankets this year since last year we only had two blanket orders and we needed twenty-four. 5th Grade Chair: Diane Wade reported that a memo will go home indicating a meeting on October 25th for the 5th grade committees. There are 4 to 5 subcommittees. On Election Day there will be a bake sale held at the school. Baked foods will be donated by 5th grade families. NEW BUSINESS: Willard UpBeat Committee: Ruth Bogden reported that she has met with Alice Mitchell. She provided ideas to get a Willard Upbeat Committee started. We will need two teachers plus parents on this committee. Mr. Sullivan has agreed to be on this team. Alice Mitchell will speak at the November PTO meeting. It is anticipated that it will take a couple of meetings to get the committee underway plus plan a couple of school events. Teacher Appreciation Week: Ruth Bogden mentioned that the second week of November is teacher’s appreciation week. Kathy D’Amato will distribute flyers. Teachers are provided a luncheon. The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 p.m. Dr. Cicchetti and Rena Klebart were guest speakers following this meeting. Respectfully Submitted, |
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EMMA HART WILLARD SCHOOL
Attendance: Please see attached chart. The meeting started approximately 7:21 p.m. after Tom Veronsi’s retirement celebration. Diane Wade and Julie Boninsegna motioned to accept the secretary minutes from the October PTO meeting. TREASURER’S REPORT: Laurie Hauptfeld distributed the Reconciliation Detail report which reflects a grand total of $60,343.66. Laurie pointed out that this figure is a bit misleading since it includes a significant amount of deposits from Lyman’s pie sale and fall book fair. This grand total will go back down shortly after bills are paid. Laurie mentioned that the 6 month CD will mature November 22nd. Our options are to roll over the CD for another 6 months with Banknorth or shop for the best available rate. It was decided that Laurie will shop around for the best rate and make a decision on behalf of the PTO. Laurie also distributed the PTO Budget report and pointed out that we have raised $4,043.96 this year. She recommended that we increase the funds budgeted to the Summer Reading Celebration since we exceeded our proposed budget by $96.77. Laurie also questioned if the PTO should pay student hardships for field trips. The PTO recently paid $6.50 for a hardship. RJ Sullivan stated that the school will pay for any future hardships from the school activity fund outside of Nature’s Classroom. Treasurer’s reports were accepted by Karen Bengiovanni and Annette Giuliano. PRINCIPLE UPDATE: RJ Sullivan congratulated Tom Veronesi for his upcoming retirement. He mentioned that seven candidates were interviewed today for the Assistant Principal opening which had been narrowed down from 44 applicants. These seven will be narrowed down to two and will continue on the interview process. RJ has met with staff to discuss the school budget and develop their instructional priorities. During this process, he had learned individual priorities and grade level priorities which will help support our school goal. As a result, RJ has submitted a document to Dr. Cicchetti outlining Willard’s priorities. The priorities are library/media room collection, technology improvements and professional developments. RJ reported that Dr. Cicchetti was very pleased with the document submitted. RJ indicated that the CMT discussion regarding special education students will be at a later date once meeting is held with the appropriate teachers. COMMITTEE UPDATES: Lyman’s Pie Sale: Annette Giuliano reported that $17,540.00 of product was sold. A check is needed in the amount of $11,280.50 which results in a profit of $6,259.50. Annette figured that our profit would have been over $2,000 more if Lyman’s hadn’t changed the profit margin per unit. It wasn’t discovered until recently that the profit margin had changed. Delivery is set for November 16th between 1 to 2 pm. Book Fair: Kate Barton indicated that the Book Fair profit was $2,299.28. This is $50 more than last fall. Our profit could have been $1,638 more if we hadn’t donated books to the library and provided $25/teacher gift certificates. Box Tops/Labels: Karen Bengiovanni reported she will receive a check for $680.10 for Box Tops. Labels have not been submitted yet since we can only submit them one time before December; therefore, she is waiting for the last minute to submit. Roger receipts started October 21st. At this time, there is no other update for Roger receipts. Sweatshirts: No update available. 5th Grade Chair: Diane Wade informed us that the 5th grade Election Day Bake Sale raised approximately $500. The Bake Sale was open from 7am to 8pm and there was a steady stream of people. Patty Samiotis is Chairperson for the 5th grade T-shirts and is in the process of ordering them. Nancy Kennure is Chairperson for 5th grade Yearbook and a meeting with Lifetouch is set for Tuesday. The 5th graders have voted for the yearbook cover. NEW BUSINESS: Willard UpBeat Committee: Committee is in need of 10 parents and 2 teachers. Mrs. LeBeau has agreed to serve on this committee. She was involved in Upbeat when she was in High School. Sign up sheet will be distributed for interested parents. Teacher’s Luncheon: Scheduled for Tuesday, November 14th. Theme this year is “Teachers Plant the Seeds for Tomorrow”. Stop & Shop donated planting bulbs which will be given to each teacher with a card. Also, the teachers lounge will be decorated. Holiday Fair: Laurie Hauptfeld is looking for volunteers. Holiday Fair is scheduled for December 11th – 15th. Holiday Boutique: Scheduled for November 29th with 30 vendors. Berlin Education Council Report: See attach memo from Allyson Schulz, Willard PTO Liaison. The meeting was adjourned at 8:02 p.m. Alice Mitchell, Upbeat Coordinator was the guest speaker following this meeting. Respectfully Submitted, |
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EMMA HART WILLARD SCHOOL
Attendance: Please see attached chart. The meeting started approximately 7:05 pm. SECRETARY MINUTES: Karen Bengiovanni and Laurie Hauptfeld motioned to accept the secretary minutes from the November PTO meeting. TREASURER’S REPORT: Laurie Hauptfeld distributed and discussed the PTO Budget Report which reflected income from the Fall Pie Sale, Holiday Boutique, Holiday Fair and the 5th Grade Committee Bake Sale. This report also reflected expenses for field trips and children programs, teacher assistance, kindness & courtesy plus donations to Girl Scouts and BHS Graduation Party. Laurie also distributed and discussed the Reconciliation Detail Report with a November ending balance of $25,220.58 and a December ending balance of $34,477.95. There were many checks paid and deposited due to the fundraising activities and expenses over the past two months. Laurie mentioned that the CD was renewed with BankNorth and has an ending December balance of $5,145.15. Treasurer’s reports were accepted by Kirsten Cohen and Julie Boninsegna. PRINCIPLE UPDATE: Budget: Mr. Sullivan is confident with the submitted budget; however, he was recently told he had to cut back and was told what he could spend. One of his main priority/goal was to have the library with just a few items over 10 years of age and majority of items less than 5 years of age. As a result, the library budget has been cut a bit. Part of the budget proposal that the Superintendent presented contemplates four new staff members for the district. The new staff requests include: · District Wide Human Resource Director: This individual will conduct hiring searches instead of the superintendent. Also, this individual would help with the mandated reports and teacher qualifications for no child left behind requirements. · District Math Coordinator: An administrative individual to plan K-8 math curriculum and math support to Hubbard. · District Math Instructional Support Teacher K-8: This position is similar to support Mr. Collis provides for Willard and Griswold. This individual will support Willard, Griswold and McGee. · Developmental Guidance Counselor for K-5: This position will support the elementary schools and provide counseling to kids dealing with crisis. Two days at Willard, two days at Griswold and one day at Hubbard. Next Tuesday, January 16th, the Elementary Principals will present to the Board of Education their proposals and priorities. April 10th is the Annual Town Budget Public Hearing. This is a very important meeting for people to attend. Continuous Improvement Plans: Mr. Sullivan reported that the continuous improvement team meets frequently. Mr. Clapp is on the 5th grade team and at this months PTO meeting. Teachers have been mixed up by grade levels to view what they are doing and to share successes. There are also vertical meetings amongst grade levels. The biggest problem the teachers are facing is finding the time to meet. Holidays/Communications: Mr. Sullivan expressed that holidays and communications can be lumped together as they go hand and hand. Communication regarding holiday celebration could have been handled more effectively with the community and he takes full responsibility. During this time, he only received one phone call from a parent. He would like to encourage parents to contact him at any time via rjsullivan@berlinschools.org or call 828-4151 to share any concerns, problems and/or questions that may arise. COMMITTEE UPDATES: Box Tops/Labels: Karen Bengiovanni indicated that she is waiting for a $680 check from Box Tops. She has sent in 2,784 labels and now has 23,913 labels banked. Pizza parties are scheduled for February and May. At this time, Mrs. Little’s class is in first place with Mr. Kulak and Mrs. Schroder following behind. Rock Cats: Ruth Bogden indicated that the game is June 8th with a Laser Light Show. The 5th graders will sing during the 7th inning stretch. Fundraising: · Current/March: Ruth is looking for fundraising suggestions and for someone to chair the March fundraiser. Current is a possibility. Kate Barton provided Ruth with another catalog for consideration. · Willard Walk-a-thon/May: A walk-a-thon was put on the table for a possible fundraiser. Evelisa Mayette informed us that Upbeat is also planning a walk-a-thon in the beginning of May. Mr. Sullivan will discuss possible walk-a-thon with PE staff to see if it can be incorporated into the curriculum. Newsletter: Kirsten Cohen mentioned that the Newsletter will be sent home soon. Articles are needed by January 19th. Principal message has been submitted, but they are still looking for ideas and teacher submissions. BOE Council: Ruth indicated that the BOE Council has not met again since our last meeting since they meet quarterly. The next meeting is scheduled for next week. NEW BUSINESS: Willard UpBeat Committee: Ruth mentioned that a Willard Upbeat Committee is now formed. Mrs. LeBeau and Mr. Kulak have volunteered to serve on this committee with about 10 interested parents. A meeting will be held within the next two weeks with Jen Chant, Mrs. LeBeau, Mr. Kulak and the two high school girls from the Willard House. Another meeting will be scheduled soon for parents to attend. UpBeat Weekend: Ruth informed us that the Upbeat Weekend has been scheduled for February 9th and 10th at the Rocky Hill Marriott. Sign-up sheets are available if you are interested. Rooms and meals are fully paid for by Upbeat. Reception for Assistant Principal: There will be a reception for Jen Derick on January 31st from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Ruth encourages parents and students to stop by and say “hello”. Change in PTO meetings: The February PTO meeting has been rescheduled for February 15th. Also, the April 11th PTO meeting will be held at 3:15 pm in hope that more staff will be present. Upbeat will provide childcare during this meeting. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Clapp thanked the PTO for the $100 reimbursement that is provided for teacher expenses. He has taught at other schools and this is the first school that has provided teacher assistance. The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, |
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EMMA HART WILLARD SCHOOL
Attendance: Please see attached chart. The meeting started approximately 7:06 pm. SECRETARY MINUTES: Jen Chant and Kate Barton motioned to accept the secretary minutes from the January PTO meeting. TREASURER’S REPORT: Laurie Hauptfeld distributed the Reconciliation Detail Report and pointed out that January was an inactive month. A $250 check was made to the BHS Upbeat Program which allowed us to purchase a block on the new Monopoly game. Another check of $390 was made to Willard School to cover Nature’s Classroom hardships. The main deposits made were from Aetna reimbursement, Box Tops, and 5th grade committee. The Budget page reflects new expenses for teacher’s assistance, reception and NC hardships. Treasurer’s reports were accepted by Kirsten Cohen and Allyson Schulz. PRINCIPLE UPDATE: Mr. Sullivan was very excited to have Mrs. Derick on board as the new Assistant Principal of Willard School. He indicated that they have already clicked as a team and she has already made in-roads with staff and children. They will meet with staff the Tuesday after vacation regarding CMT’s. This year students will bring home a sample test for parents to review. Next year they plan to have a CMT Family Night. During this Family Night, parents will have an opportunity to take a practice test with their child. Mr. Sullivan indicated that the budget has passed and is now at town council for approval. January minutes reflect the additional staff members included in the budget. Mr. Sullivan attended the Upbeat weekend and continues to be impressed by the Upbeat program. Alice Mitchell mentioned that she is very excited about the newly formed Willard Upbeat. The Continuous Improvement mid-year project reflects every team showing significant gains to help children build on reading. Mr. Sullivan has found that more people are calling and sending e.mails now. ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL: Mrs. Derick indicated she has started working with 5th grade reading groups and has completed the CMT scheduling. She plans to be in the classroom a lot more once CMT’s are done. She pointed out that CMT’s are 45 to 60 minutes per day and are held in the morning for 2 weeks. During CMT testing, she instructed that it is very important that your child arrives to school on time and gets a good night sleep. Also, if your child is not well it is best to keep your child home as there will be make-up testing days. Mrs. Derick revealed that she has a daughter in 4th grade and a son in 1st grade and is a member of their PTO. She earned her Bachelor Degree from Saint Joseph College and her first teaching job was in Waterford. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Reading and Language Arts and her 6th Year Degree in Educational Leadership from CCSU. She was a classroom teacher for nine years and most recently a Curriculum Specialist at Braeburn School in West Hartford. She also thanked the PTO for the welcome reception. COMMITTEE UPDATES: 5th Grade Committee: Diane Wade was not present; therefore, Rena DelVecchio provided the update. The 5th graders had a great learning experience at Nature’s Classroom. The Nature’s Classroom thank you party was held on February 2nd to honor and present the volunteers with a gift card to Outback Steakhouse. The Yearbook Committee has stopped collecting pictures and they are now putting the pages together. Pasta Supper is set for March 8th. Mr. Clapp created a wonderful website about Nature’s Classroom. His site is linked to the Willard Website and is worth viewing. Box Tops/Labels: Karen Bengiovanni reported that the box tops/labels race is very close. Mrs. Schroder’s class is now in first place with 742, Mrs. Root’s class is now in second with 693 and Mrs. Cutler’s morning class is now in third with 614. Genevieve’s: Ellen Monroe is the Spring Fundraiser Committee Chairperson. She indicated that the Genevieve’s fundraiser was sent home. Fundraiser will end February 27th. Allyson Schulz informed us that there are additional selections on the website. Ellen will review the website and determine if a note should be sent home. Walk-a-thon: Kirsten Cohen and Ruth Bogden will speak with Mr. Sirois about a Walk-a-thon. Profits for this fundraiser may be donated if the spring fundraiser goes well. Newsletter: Kirsten Cohen reported that the Newsletter went home today. Dr. Suess Birthday: Birthday is March 2nd. Theme this year is “Cozy up with a Book”. Kids are allowed to wear their slippers to school on Thursday, March 1st. It is up to each teacher if they would like to carry this theme any further, for example, allowing children to wear PJ’s, etc. Mr. Sullivan and Mrs. Derick will read a book to every classroom during this week. BOE Council Report: Allyson Schulz reported that the main focus of the meeting was the need for a new high school and educating the public. Tours of the high school will be held during the 5th grade pasta supper. Also, the high school is preparing for its accreditation visit. See attached quarterly report written by Allyson Schulz. Movie Night: Jen Chant informed us that Movie Night is set for tomorrow. They are expecting around 200 people since they have already received over 170 responses. A cash box is needed and chairs can be brought in and placed in the back. NEW BUSINESS: PTO Meeting: Laurie Hauptfeld stated that our April meeting will be held on the 11th at 3:15 pm to encourage staff to attend. Upbeat will provide daycare. Willard Upbeat: The town wide picnic is May 31st which follows Memorial Day this year. Willard Upbeat will have a Karaoke booth at the picnic.
Pennies for Panda: Kirsten Cohen announced that the Pennies for Panda’s had an excellent response. Children were very excited. The meeting was adjourned at 8:16 pm. Respectfully Submitted, |
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EMMA HART WILLARD SCHOOL Attendance: Please see attached chart. The meeting started approximately 8:10 pm after a presentation from Gary Brochu and Rachel Rochette both from Board of Education. SECRETARY MINUTES: Diane Wade and Laurie Hauptfeld motioned to accept the secretary minutes from the February PTO meeting. TREASURER’S REPORT: Laurie Hauptfeld distributed the Reconciliation Detail Report and Budget Report. Refer to the Reconciliation Report for checks endorsed and deposited during the last couple of months. As far as the PTO Budget Report, the major changes were the pasta supper credit of $1,207, the Cub Scouts donation of $250 and Dr. Seuss Day expense of $222. The pasta supper credit is only an estimate at this time since we are still waiting for the pasta bill from the cafeteria. Treasurer’s reports were accepted by Diane Wade and Jen Chant. PRINCIPLE UPDATE: Mr. Sullivan congratulated three individuals for the CT Association of Elementary Schools Principals Volunteer Recognition Award. They are: Kirsten Cohen, Diane Wade and Annie Selgado. He also informed us the MaryEllen has been out on medical leave since February break and is hoping to return soon. Connecticut Mastery Testing: The CMT’s finished today not including make-up testing. Mr. Sullivan commended Mrs. Derick for a fantastic job of scheduling and managing the CMT’s this year. Mr. Sullivan read the book “Hooray for Diffendoofer Day” by Dr. Seuss to all 3rd, 4th and 5th graders during the week of “Reading across America”. The book addresses the topic of testing which was appropriate right before CMT testing. At the meeting, a couple of parents expressed how appreciative they were to receive Mrs. Derick’s letter regarding CMT’s. CMT results should be received in August. Budget: The budget is in tack and will go to the referendum on April 24th. Continuous Improvement Plan: Will meet with teams for mid-year discussion of goals and plans and where they would want to be by year end. New Sign-Out Procedures: A letter will be sent home indicating the new sign-out procedures for early dismissal of students. Family members will be required to come in the school office and sign child out of the school using the new Early Dismissal Log. This will keep track of when students leave the school. Class Formation: Historically parents have been allowed to write a letter requesting a particular teacher or allowed to write a letter telling who they didn’t want for a teacher for the next school year. Mr. Sullivan doesn’t like this practice and this will not continue. He will accept a letter indicating the type of teacher your child will do well with; however, the only name in this letter would be your child’s name. Aloha Day will continue to occur. Communication: Communication has opened up and people are calling more than before. COMMITTEE UPDATES: Rogers/Labels/Box Tops: Karen Bengiovanni informed us as of today we have a tape total of $11,000 from Rogers. It is expected that this will increase since more still needs tallying. We have 2,500 labels and $26,413 banked. A check of $561 should be received shortly from Box Tops. Last year we received a check for $342; therefore, incentive is working. Genevieve’s: Ellen Monroe reported that Genevieve’s has received all of our orders. Total sales = $9,329.75. April 4th is the scheduled delivery date. Book Fair: Denise King and Kate Barton will begin tomorrow setting up for the book fair. Upbeat Movie Night: Jen Chant provided a highlight of Movie Night. It was a big success with approximately 200 people attending. Bill’s Pizza worked great. Willard Upbeat is working on Beautification of Willard with a Brownie Troop. Plans are to work on the courtyard. Also, Willard Upbeat will have a Karaoke booth at the Upbeat Picnic. Newsletter: Kirsten Cohen is working on March issue. She is hoping that newsletter will go out next week. The second page will feature each grade Celebrating Education Week at Willard. Again, she is always looking for ideas for future newsletters. NEW BUSINESS: PTO Meeting: Next meeting scheduled for April 11th at 3:15pm. Ruth asked what we would like to accomplish from this meeting and what items should we discuss? Suggestions: Newsletter participation, parent participation, what do they think the role of the PTO is, breakout into groups to brainstorm. BOE Meeting: BOE meeting will be held at Willard School on March 26th. Student presentation and refreshments will be required. Committee Chairperson: Ruth indicated that all committee books are to be turned in by the May PTO meeting if you are not continuing to chair the committee next year. The meeting was adjourned at 9:20
pm. Rena DelVecchio |
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EMMA HART WILLARD SCHOOL Attendance: Please see attached sheet. The meeting started approximately 3:24 pm after a retirement celebration for Mrs. Ireland and Mrs. Collis. SECRETARY MINUTES: Kate Barton and Laurie Hautptfeld motioned to accept the secretary minutes from the March PTO meeting. TREASURER’S REPORT: Laurie Hauptfeld distributed the Treasurer’s Report. It reflected our spring fundraisers. The pasta supper profit was $1,234, the book fair profit was $2,300 and the Genevieve sale profit was $3,681. Denise King pointed out that $2,000 worth of books was donated to the library, classrooms and raffles which is not reflected in the profit of $2,300. Treasurer’s reports were accepted by Julie Boninsegna and Leah Carbonell. PRINCIPLE UPDATE: Mr. Sullivan began by thanking the staff for coming to the afternoon PTO meeting and congratulated both Mrs. Ireland and Mrs. Collis in their upcoming retirement. He is pleased that the budget has passed. Willard will benefit with the addition of the District Human Resource Director, the District Math Coordinator plus District Math Instructional Support, District Guidance Counselor for K-5 and District Data Coordinator. The last two half days (March 30th and April 24th) focused on development of language arts. Mr. Sullivan commended both Betty Stephenson and Maura Sullivan for their effort and support in this area. Classroom assignment letter will go home next week from all elementary schools reflecting new class formation rules. School will look different next school year as we will be going from 25 classrooms down to 24. COMMITTEE UPDATES: 5th Grade End of Year Party: Leah Carbonell is thinking of a casual evening celebration for the end of the year party. She is looking into a DJ. She is thinking pizza with parents making desserts, etc. She will be seeking raffle donations. Rock Cats: Leah Carbonell mentioned that flyers were sent home. Game is June 8th. Newsletter: Kirsten Cohen stated that the newsletter will be combined for April and May. Newsletter should be sent out around the middle of May. All articles will be needed by May 4th. NEW BUSINESS: Fall Fundraisers: We are going back to the traditional fall fundraiser of wrapping paper, etc. Ellen Monroe will be the Chairperson for this event. PTO Officers interviewed several companies and decided on A&L Student Services which features American Greeting products. In addition, we are going to do an Entertainment Book sale as well. Each family will be sent home an Entertainment Book to either purchase or send back to school. Families could sell additional books too. Each book will cost $30. If the school sells 1 to 99 books the profit is 20%, 100 to 499 books the profit is 40% and over 500 books the profit is 50%. We are hoping to make a 40% profit. Classroom teachers will be given an Entertainment Book today which is good until the end of November. Teacher Assistance: Laurie Hauptfeld requested that any additional teacher assistance be submitted by the end of May. Committee Books: Ruth indicated that all committee books are to be turned in by the May PTO meeting if you are not continuing to chair the committee next year. Next PTO meeting is May 9th at 7:00 pm. At the end of the meeting, teachers and parents broke out into four groups for team discussions. The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Rena DelVecchio |
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EMMA HART WILLARD SCHOOL
Attendance: Please see attached sheet. The meeting began at 7:07 pm. Ruth thanked everyone for coming. She is very excited about the fantastic turnout. Meeting began by everyone introducing themselves. Ruth mentioned that we have one committee position available which is a new position this year. This position would enable you to work closely with Jen Derick to provide the parents prospective regarding children programs at Willard. Jen would provide the staff/teacher prospective. It is not expect that this position would involve a lot of hours. Please contact Ruth if anyone is interested. SECRETARY MINUTES: Kate Barton and Allyson Schulz motioned to accept the secretary minutes from the August meeting. TREASURER’S REPORT: Laurie Hauptfeld distributed the Reconciliation Detail Report and the Budget Report. Laurie pointed out that the activity on our accounts has been infrequent due to the time of year. A couple of deposits involved Celebrate-A-Book and Aetna and a couple of checks made were for Motivational Production (children program) and a custodian get well gift. Laurie took some time to explain the budget report. Laurie also explained that the dollars we spend this year are from the fundraising dollars that we earned last years. Laurie did highlight that we have budgeted $25,825 but earned $22,552 for our fundraising last year. Our fundraising activities were not as successful as we had hoped; however, we have the CD account available to us if needed. It was pointed out that the Kindness & Courtesy line numbers needed to be flipped around on the budget report. Laurie will make this change to the budget report. Treasurer’s reports were accepted by Gail Kulinski and Julie Boninsegna. PRINCIPLE UPDATE: New Hires:
Grade Changes:
Name Changes:
CMT’s: RJ reported that CMT results will be mailed this Friday. Berlin has a lot to celebrate as we came in 21st in the state for 3rd grade and 1st is our district group. RJ will report further analysis at our October PTO meeting. Continuous Improvement Plans: RJ informed us that the goal is to improve 5% in reading strand “C” which is responding to text with open ended answers. Individual grade teams have been developed to help school achieve this goal. Policy Changes: RJ would like to highlight two changes that were documented in the student handbook that was sent home the first day of school. Children are no longer allowed to enter the building after school hours and are no longer allowed to make phone calls from the office for forgotten homework, instruments and/or lunch. The administration is trying to build more independence with the children. Parents are allowed to bring in forgotten items if found at home. A letter will go home this week highlighting these changes. Communication: RJ continues to stress the importance of open communication. Any time that you are confused or worried about anything, please call or e.mail RJ or Jen. Any classroom concerns or questions should be addressed with the teacher first. Wellness Policy: RJ noted that Berlin did not adopt the wellness policy as seen in the Citizen. It was noted by a parent that the Citizen article gave the impression that we opted out of adopting this program for the benefit of our pocket books. However, RJ informed us that this is not the case. The wellness program continues to change on a daily basis. As a school community, we are promoting that cupcakes are not the only option for birthday parties and that we do not want to eliminate recess as a form of discipline. As there continues to be a struggle for both parents and teachers regarding healthy alternative snacks, Jen suggested that this be addressed at the next Leadership Committee meeting. This leadership committee is made up of a teacher from each grade plus RJ and Jen. This committee could brainstorm a list of healthy choices for birthday celebrations/snacks. COMMITTEE UPDATES: Membership: Kate Friday was not at meeting, but Ruth mentioned that PTO membership fees are coming in. Fall Fundraiser: Ellen Monroe mentioned that catalogs went home. Fundraiser ends Friday, September 21st. Our school received a large assortment of sporting equipment provided by our fundraiser distributor, A&L. Everyone student that participates receives a pen link. Plus, teachers with classroom participation of 50% or more receives 50 extra links, 75% or more receives 75 extra links and 100% receives 100 extra links. The classroom with the most pen links will receive a party with each student receiving a party bag. Also, A&L drew one student name and placed the name in a sealed envelope. At the end of the sale, the mystery name will be revealed. If that student sold at least 5 items, they win $500 cash. Ellen is hoping that A&L will provide some items to raffle off during the fundraiser. If not, Jen suggested a lunch with RJ & herself. We also have items in the cage downstairs. Entertainment Fundraiser: Kirsten Cohen reported that this fundraiser will happen in November in conjunction with parent/teacher conferences. One book will go home per household to review. Families will have the opportunity to purchase the book and sell to others. There is an option for those out of state to purchase a book. If the household is not interested in purchasing this book then the book will be returned to the school. New for the region this year – if you sell 3 or more books, you will receive 2 certificates/tickets for “Smucker on Ice”. Profit range is as follows: < 100 books – 20% profit > 100 books – 40% profit > 500 books – 50% profit According to Kirsten, our goal is to sell over 100 books. Kirsten had a 2007/08 Entertainment Book at the meeting. This book was given to Mr. Clapp as he was the sole teacher that attended this PTO meeting. 5th Grade: Charlene Faselle is Chairperson. Kirsten Cohen discussed that both her and Laurie Hauptfeld will be there to help. They will look to Nancy Kennure since she has been through this 2 time before. It was decided that signup sheets will be placed in 5th grade classrooms and café during open house. Book Fair: Denise King spoke that book fair will coordinate with conferences; however, they were unable to get the week of night conferences but received the week of day conferences. They do plan to have the book fair opened in the evening of either the Wednesday after the early release or during the evening of November 8th. Denise mentioned that Kate Barton will need help. If anyone is interested, please see Denise or Kate. Tentative Schedule for Book Fair: November 2nd – Friday - set up November 5th – Monday – 1st day of book fair November 6th – Tuesday - schools closed – Election Day November 7th – Wednesday - early release, book fair may be opened in the afternoon and into the evening November 8th – Thursday - book fair may be opened in the evening November 9th – Friday - breakdown in afternoon Newsletter: Kirsten Cohen is looking for input. The deadline is the 14th and going home on the 28th. Kirsten is looking for help since she is looking to step out a bit at this time. NEW BUSINESS: Fund-its: Evelisa Mayette has volunteered to be the chair person for Fund-its. She mentioned that fund-it is a program that allows you to purchase gift cards to many different types of stores and our school would make a profit. She is hoping to have it running by October. One very big concern is sending the gift cards home with the kids. Evelisa may need to set up some area in the school on a certain day for parents to pick up the gift cards. Evelisa will so some more research. A sign-up sheet will be necessary at the open house as she will need help with this program. Open House: Open house is set for September 25th at 6:30. This open house is for ALL grades. October PTO Meeting: The October PTO meeting is at 3:15 pm. Mrs. Barrett will have babysitting available for school age children. Trail Blazers & CMT’s: Jen would like to discuss with new math coordinator of Willard regarding a meeting on Trail Blazers. As far as CMT’s, Jen suggested the meeting to occur in January or February which is right before the CMT’s. OLD BUSINESS: It was suggested by a parent that we perhaps incorporate reading to help with our continuous improvement plan for one of our “Pay Forward Days” and/ or otherwise called spirit day. “Pay Forward Day” ideas could be added to our PTO meeting next month with the teachers. Also, Jen will add to the leadership committee agenda for discussion. Willard Web Site: The Willard web site is maintained by Mrs. Danielson on a volunteer basis. It is much appreciated. Meeting ended at 8:45 pm. Respectfully Submitted, |
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Attendance: Please see attached sheet. The meeting began at 3:15 pm. SECRETARY MINUTES: Laurie Hauptfeld and Allison Rutledge motioned to accept the secretary minutes from the September meeting. TREASURER’S REPORT: Laurie Hauptfeld distributed the September Treasury Report outlining a brief summary of the banking activity. A few checks were made for Teacher reimbursement, Kindness & Courtesy reimbursement and children’s program. One deposit was made from Target. The October fundraiser will be reflected in next months report. Treasurer’s reports were accepted by Allyson Schulz and Ellen Monroe. PRINCIPLE UPDATE: Jen Derick provided the following report:
COMMITTEE
UPDATES:
A lengthy discussion developed at our PTO meeting regarding the school year calendar. The following points were discussed:
Fall Fundraiser: Ellen Monroe reported that 43.5% student participation and $10,573.35 profit. Delivery date is set for November 7th from 1-6 pm. We will not find out the name of the student that may have the potential of winning $500 until the delivery day. Entertainment Fundraiser: Kirsten Cohen provided an update on the Entertainment fundraiser. Books will be distributed to each classroom around November 1st. One book will go home per household to review. Families will have the opportunity to purchase the book and/or sell to others. There is an option for those out of state to purchase books. Kirsten will be at the school on November 7th to accept any returned books. If you sell 3 or more books, you will receive 2 certificates/tickets for “Smucker on Ice”. The Berlin Citizen will feature an article about this fundraiser. Also, fundraiser will end on November 15th. Fund-its: Evelisa Mayette distributed information regarding Fund-its. She explained that it is a fundraiser where gift cards are purchased through the Willard School PTO and the PTO receives a profit from the Great Lakes Scrip Company. Profit will range from 2 to 20%. Letter will go home this week introducing this new fundraiser with order forms going home next week. Evelisa will be here in the afternoon and perhaps someone else in the morning to assist with this fundraiser as no money and/or gift cards will go home with the kids. Upbeat: Jen Chant mentioned that Bingo Night is set for November 2nd at 6:00 pm. Anne Salgado is currently applying for a gaming license. There will be a High School Musical night in February and a drive in movie night in May. 5th Grade: Charlene Faselle pointed out that t-shirts will be signed any day now. T-shirts are needed earlier this year due to Nature’s Classroom in December. Yearbook is going colored this year. Pasta Supper is scheduled for March 27th. Book Fair: Denise King reported that book fair information has gone home. Book fair starts November 5th and end November 13th. November 7th the book fair will run from 12:30 to 7:00 pm. Holiday Fair: According to Laurie Hauptfeld, the Holiday Fair is scheduled for December 3rd – 7th. This is one week before Nature’s Classroom. In school holiday shopping experience is scheduled during recess. Location of fair is the 3rd grade hallway. Karen Bengiovanni and Kate Barton will co-chair this event. Labels/Box Tops: Karen Bengiovanni informed us that the deadline is October 26th. Newsletter: Kirsten Cohen is planning to have Newsletter out on October 26th. Ideas are always welcomed. A parent suggested that the newsletter contain an article about the need for 5th grade kindergarten pictures. NEW BUSINESS: Teacher PTO Representative Update: Mrs. Hardy encouraged everyone to visit the 5th grade website for continuous updated information regarding 5th grade activities. The 5th graders will visit Sturbridge Village on Halloween day. Nature’s Classroom is scheduled for December 11th – 14th. Students are developing speeches for Student Council. Mrs. Vasile and Mr. Clapp are the two teachers involved with Student Council. The 5th graders voted on the yearbook cover this week. Halloween Parties: Ruth Bogden mentioned that Halloween parties are allowed and up to the discretion of each classroom teacher. The administration would rather have healthy food items as an option for the students. Student Council: Mrs. Vasile and Mr. Clapp are the teacher representatives for student council. Two students from every 4th and 5th grade are elected. Student council will meet once a month after school for one hour to try to build leadership skills. The three goals of this group are to help the community, help the PTO and help with spirit days. Meeting ended at 4:31 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Rena DelVecchio |
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EMMA HART
WILLARD SCHOOL
PARENT
TEACHER ORGANIZATION
MEETING
MINUTES
FOR Attendance: Please see attached sheet. The meeting began at 7:10 pm. SECRETARY MINUTES: Allyson Schulz proposed to revise October minutes under the B.O.E section. Allyson will work with Rena. TREASURER’S REPORT: Laurie Hauptfeld distributed the Reconciliation Detail Report and the Budget Worksheet. Laurie mentioned that Betty Stephenson is concerned that we had budgeted $300 for publishing but she has spent $500 in past years. Apparently this was overlooked when the budget was adopted for this year. Laurie proposed that we increase publishing to $500. Denise King and Kate Barton motioned to increase publishing from $300 to $500 to account for Mrs. Stephenson’s publishing expenses. Laurie explained that we had budgeted $425 for a CPA; however, Lucian Slepski has offered to provide accounting services free. Laurie suggested that we give him a gift card as a thank you for his services. It was suggested to give him a $100 fund-it gift card to a local restaurant. Treasurer’s reports were accepted by Anita Lacasse and Evelisa Mayette. PRINCIPLE UPDATE: RJ Sullivan welcomed and introduced Ryan Nunes to our PTO meeting. He is an intern at Willard. RJ thanked the following individuals: Jen Chant and Anne Salgado for a great Bingo Night. Denise King and Kate Barton for their help with the Book Fair. Ellen Monroe for the great job with the fall fundraiser. RJ mentioned that Kate Barton was nominated for Friends of Berlin Award. She will be recognized at the Board of Ed meeting on Monday night. Community Coffee: RJ mentioned that Willard hosted their first Community Coffee last Friday morning. About 20-25 people attended. There were great questions and conversations regarding CMT’s. Discussions centered on how teachers utilize CMT results and how to interpret the information. A survey was provided to the individuals that attended this Community Coffee to see what topics they would like to hear about in future Community Coffee meetings. On the top of the list was Holiday celebration; however, there won’t be another Community Coffee before the holidays. A letter will go home this year regarding Holiday celebration. “Count of Me”: RJ reported that “Count of Me” assembly was held and he thought it was fantastic. Budget: RJ has submitted the Willard budget. He is requesting additional funding for the library, professional development, and staffing. Recently approved were (2) ½ time Kindergarten aids. Continuous Improvement Plans: RJ reported that the continuous improvement plans are done and teachers are excited to teach. School goal has been developed to improve our results by 5% on the Strand 3 (Strand C) of the CMT’s. The goal is to have students continue to enhance their reading comprehension strategies with focused attention of making reader/text connection. This involves open ended questions and making a connection with the text by focusing on the type of evidence, type of structure, and how to answer the question. Early Dismissal Callers: RJ mentioned that children should dress warmly and there are no emergency callers. As mentioned in the school handbook, there is a place where you can sign up by e.mail to be notified of an early closing. Communication: RJ encouraged anyone to contact Jen or himself with any concerns or questions. COMMITTEE UPDATES: Teacher Luncheon: Cathy D’amato reported that the teacher luncheon is scheduled for November 16th. Roger’s Market will deliver and provide the food. As to today, $398 has been collected. Cathy usually has a raffle and would like to do the same for this year. According to Laurie Hauptfeld, we collected $442 and spent $466 for the teacher’s luncheon last year. Fall Fundraiser: Ellen Monroe reported that the delivery day was yesterday. There was a $500 winner drawn. 5th Grade Committee: Nancy Kennure reported that the yearbook cost is $22. It will be all color. She will need the cooperation from teachers to provide pictures of them from prior years. Deadline of the yearbook has been moved up 2 weeks since it will all be in color. Charlene Faselle reported that the T-shirts have been order and will be ready for the first of December. The letter for fees will go out after the holidays for $35. Entertainment Fundraiser: Kirsten Cohen reported that the Entertainment Books have gone out. She ran out of books for the Pre-K students. She will provide the Pre-K students a note to take home regarding the Entertainment Fundraiser. If they are interested then a book can be ordered. Fund-its: Evelisa Mayette reported that she has 43 orders totaling $12,160 in gift cards. Our profit is $684.60. She is thinking that she will send a memo home every two weeks until the holidays. Upbeat: Mr. Kulak and RJ Sullivan reported that Bingo Night was a success. It was good that Anne Salgado was persistent is getting the gaming license as we were audited by the State. There will be a High School Musical night in February and a drive in movie night in May. Laurie reported that the profit for the Bingo Night was $482. RJ also reported that he met with Mrs. Griswold and the HS Upbeat kids to try to get a homework club started after Thanksgiving. Book Fair: Kate Barton reported that the book fair is going well. There was some confusion when the kids were going; however, this seems to be better now. Denise mentioned that the original date of the March book fair will not work due to the CMT schedule. She has been in contact with Scholastics to try for March 31st to April 4th. Also, Beth Angel provided Kate & Denise with information regarding a fundraiser with Barnes & Noble. The fundraiser involves a code that would be used when you shop at Barnes & Noble. Our school would get a profit for each transaction using this code. They were thinking this may be good during February vacation. Holiday Fair: Kate Barton and Karen Bengiovanni reported that they have all the information from last year. They may do some additional shopping at the Christmas Tree Shop. They will begin to concentrate on this fair after the book fair is completed. Labels/Box Tops: Karen Bengiovanni reported that Mr. Kulak’s class was the winner of the pizza party. She anticipates a Box Top check of over $900. Newsletter: Kirsten Cohen reported that she is always looking for ideas. She would like something regarding the 5th grade Sturbridge trip and the Kindergarten trip to the pumpkin patch. She also mentioned that Jen Derick has reported that the Leadership Team likes the staff highlight. Kirsten is thinking of feature Tony next. Mr. Kulak will see if he has any pictures of the Upbeat Bingo night for the newsletter. NEW BUSINESS: Teacher PTO Representative Update: Mr. Kulak and Mrs. Sliney reported that DRA testing is completed. They received good results and getting to know each student. They are enjoying the small reading groups. There is a lot of reading and writing occurring in class. They are using different strategies such as visualization, predictions and connections. There will be field trips to the Recycling Center and the State Capitol. They are also thinking about seeing a show at the Bushnell which would be tied into a book that they will be reading. They haven’t gotten to the Magic Show yet but hoping this will occur at the end of the year. The Titanic will occur in April. Students take a roll and act out the Titanic. They come away with a sense of how life was back before electronics. Visit Mrs. Sliney’s class web page highlighting last year. Student Council: Students have been elected and the student council is up and running. Calculators: Ruth mentioned that RJ and Jen asked the PTO if they had some extra money to buy new calculators for classrooms. Ruth reported that we do have money in reserves from a CD but recommended that we take $1300 from the general account and wait until the CD expires. Ruth proposed that the PTO purchase these calculators. Denise King and Evelisa Mayette motioned to accept to purchase new calculators for Willard School. Most classrooms will receive a new full classroom set of calculators. Meeting ended at 8:34 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Rena DelVecchio |
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EMMA HART
WILLARD SCHOOL
PARENT
TEACHER ORGANIZATION
MEETING
MINUTES
FOR Attendance: Please see attached list. The meeting began at 7:00 pm. SECRETARY MINUTES: Julie Boninsegna and Evelisa Mayette motioned to accept the revised October 2007 minutes. Ellen Monroe and Laurie Hauptfeld motioned to accept the November meeting minutes. TREASURER’S REPORT: Laurie Hauptfeld summarized the various reports. Laurie is only using the Money Market account on a “daily basis”. This is the first time we are seeing withdrawals from this account She also discussed CD activity and checking account transactions. Laurie discussed the main fund-raising activities in the budget. We still have not received the bill from the Fall Fundraiser company (ANL Services). R. J. Sullivan commented that our fundraising activities are ahead of last year’s. Treasurer’s reports were accepted by Kate Barton and Evelisa Mayette. PRINCIPAL UPDATE: R.J. Sullivan thanked everyone for their great job fund-raising year to date. Principal Sullivan discussed the following topics: Trailblazers Night: Held 1/8/08. About 20 parents attended; good questions were asked and the program received positive evaluations. CMT Parent Night: Will be held on 2/12/08. Sample questions will be provided and discussion held. CMT testing will start the first week in March and last about two weeks. Budget: Dr. Cicchetti made his proposal on 1/7/08. Willard’s emphasis is on literacy tools/ materials, new books for the library, providing a “separate line item” for Professional Development programs (Ex. “reading Strategies” workshop), front door “buzz-in” security system, staffing increases in Math and Reading support and additional aides, and the systematic replacement of aging technology. Continuous Improvement Plans: Teachers were meeting 1/16 to discuss their plans. Thanks were given to Kirsten Cohen and Alison Rutlidge on the news letter. RJ and staff are appreciative of using the “Reading “A” to “Z” software that was purchased by the PTO. A request was also made to borrow a red wagon for the Student Council Food Drive and to get out and vote! Communication: As usual, please let R.J. or Jen know of any concerns/ questions. A question was then asked regarding number of Kindergarten sessions and class size for next year. Willard is requesting another session for next year; estimated class size guide for Kindergarten is 17; we’re over 20 students in each class. PTO TEACHER REPRESENTATIVES THIS MONTH: Cheryl Volz: (Special Education & Related Services); works primarily in first and second grade. Works in the “Learning Center”; developing and modifying programs. There are 4.5 Special Ed teachers at Willard. Angela Griswold: (School Psychologist) Has been a school psychologist for almost 30 years; 20 at Willard. Her responsibilities include:
Claire Cloukey was introduced as the “Developmental Guidance” counselor at Willard. She works with students struggling with social and emotional skills, impacting their learning. She works at Willard on Tuesdays and Thursdays and at the other schools on the other days. She feels the position is very important as students face a more challenging world today. Mrs. Cloukey works with non-special education students. (See attached “Developmental Guidance Counselor” attachment that Claire distributed.) A suggestion was made to inform parents more about Claire’s services. She also mentioned that they are getting a guest speaker in March; Dr. Bernie Siegal. COMMITTEE UPDATES: Fund-its: Profit of over $2000 to date; doing another one in late Jan./early Feb. There will probably be one in April and/or May. Upbeat: The “High School Musical” dance will be held on 2/15. 5th Grade Committee: Work on the yearbook is progressing. Memory books will be given to the teachers and gift cards to the library. The pasta dinner is scheduled for 4/3. More volunteers are needed. Holiday Fair: It went well but was a lot of work. We many use a different company next year. Newsletter: We need more articles for the upcoming newsletter. Suggestions included having 4th or 5th graders interview new staff members or for ex. “three staff members per month” (include a picture). Box Tops: We are waiting for a $970 check to come in. The next deadline is 2/22. Closing comments: R.J. felt Nature’s Classroom was a great success and it was wonderful for the kids to try new things! Meeting ended at 8:40. Respectfully submitted, Julie Boninsegna |
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EMMA HART
WILLARD SCHOOL
PARENT
TEACHER ORGANIZATION
MEETING
MINUTES
FOR Attendance: Please see attached sheet. The meeting began at 7:06 pm. SECRETARY MINUTES: Kate Barton and Laurie Hauptfeld motioned to accept the January PTO minutes. TREASURER’S REPORT: Laurie Hauptfeld distributed and summarized the Reconciliation Detail Report and the Budget Worksheet. She discussed checking and money market activity for the past month. Treasurer’s reports were accepted by Julie Boninsegna and Allyson Schulz. PRINCIPAL UPDATE: RJ Sullivan discussed the following topics: CMT Parent Night: To be held February 12th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Twenty people have responded that they will be attending. The main subject areas to be discussed are reading, writing and math. Budget: The proposed budget contains the following additions:
Communication: As always RJ encouraged anyone to contact Jen or himself with any concerns or questions. RJ concluded by asking us to think about how we can be involved in the budget process this year? Jen Derick thanked the PTO for the calculators. Teachers are very much appreciative. RJ is amazed on the amount that the A-Z Subscription is being used. This purchase from the PTO is also greatly appreciated. COMMITTEE UPDATES: Fund-its: Kirsten Cohen reported that the last Fund-its totaled $2,700 in sales with a profit of $260. Pickup is scheduled for February 12th. There w |