PTO meetings are generally held on the first Wednesday of every month from 6:30pm-7:30pm during the school year. The meetings are open to everyone, and we encourage you to attend.
Next Meeting: Feb 6th, 6:30 pm in the Art Room
Agenda:
....coming soon......
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Past meeting minutes:
Fall 2007
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Winter/Spring 2007
Dec
Jan
March (no meeting)
April
May
Fall 2006
Sept
Oct
Nov
Spring 2006:
April
May
June
Edmunds Elementary School PTO Meeting October 3, 2007
Minutes
Welcome and Introductions~
All were welcomed to the meeting. Janet Bellavance, teacher representative to the PTO, was not in attendance.
Requests from Kathy Neil and Ann Lamott~
Librarian Kathy Neil requested $1,200 for two new bookcases. Ellen Wollonstock suggested that the PTO front the costs and then get reimbursed from the profits from Love Your Library. Art teacher Ann Lamott requested $2,400 to bring the entire student body to three Spring sessions to use the art wheel at Frog Hollow. In prior years, the PTO has allotted $1000.00 for the students to use the pottery wheel at Frog hollow. The decision whether to allocate the $2,400 will be voted on at the next PTO meeting.
Skate Night~
Skate Night will be held on Oct. 6 at Leddy Park. There is still a need for volunteers to put up signs, order pizza, etc.
Edmunds Goes Green Enrichment Update~
Nancy Kaplan noted that this year's theme will be broad enough to encompass the general concept in a variety of ways (e.g., Walk to School Day/Week; the wetlands garden in the playground), and distributed a hand-out outlining the various ways that Edmunds Goes Green in 2007-2008. It was also mentioned that Nov. 3 is the national day of climate action. It was also suggested that students could get involved in hiking the Long Trail, and that Janet Bellavance could be consulted re: this effort.
Mystery Night in November~
Grayeg presented the idea of a school-wide Mystery Night to foster science and children and parents working together. There would be a crime scene -- consensus was no violence (e.g., not a murder mystery) --and children and parents would team up and go to five different testing stations throughout the school to try and solve the mystery and then reconvene at the end of the 3 hours. After some discussion re: when to hold this school-wide event, a weekend day seemed to be the general consensus; the event is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of Dec. 1. The Enrichment Committee will discuss this idea in more detail. There will be mention of this event in the next Monday memo and on the PTO web site blog to begin to recruit parent helpers.
Walk to School Week~
Charts and graphs revealed that this was a very successful effort! Monday and Tuesday: 50% of Edmunds students walked; Wednesday, the actual day, 68% of students made it to school without a car, and 77% of students came to school via their own powers, bus, or carpooling. There are hopes to continue this effort via the continuation of walking school buses.
School Traffic Update~
There was continued discussion re: getting a blinking traffic light at the Main Street cross walk across from Edmunds. Linda Jones noted that a petition would be needed for this, and Ann Kiley offered to head up this effort of getting parent signatures. Linda Jones has turned over her involvement in the Safe Routes to School program to Patricia Berry. It was also noted that Maintenance is responsible for the orange barrel on Main St.
Field Trip Fundraising~
Kristen proposed that the No Frills fundraiser be changed to a Field Trip fundraiser this year. The discussion that followed questioned whether such a narrow focus may lead to less money being raised. Linda Jones suggested creating a model similar to that of Edmunds Middle School, whereby parents can choose how they want to contribute by checking off a box with several options. Guy reiterated that all parents need to feel welcome at Edmunds, and that we need to reduce barriers by being more sensitive to the 1/3 of families in poverty. Guy will think about how to handle this fundraising issue and get back to the PTO. Also, Kristen and Guy will consider options for how to handle the actual mailing for the current No Frills fundraiser: separate mailing home? included in student folders? attached as a separate sheet to the Monday memo?
Nancy noted that the PTO needs to re-visit its fundraising efforts in general and consider some new ideas (e.g., possibly no more Innsbruck...) Dave Jennemann introduced the idea of bedding plant sales in the spring; Lisa Brighennti mentioned Box Tops for Education as an easy-to-do, no cost fundraiser. Sandy Flemer offered to coordinate this effort. Nancy also confirmed that the used laser ink cartridges are still being collected to raise money, as well.
Critterman's World~ (not to be confused with Critter Cards :) )
Guy announced that he has arranged for Denny Olson from Montana to come to Edmunds toward the of October for educational and fun performances on a variety of critters at school assemblies -- one for K-2; one for 3-5. This event will provide both an in-school science education and enrichment opportunity for our students. The cost is only $350 as Denny will already be in Vermont for other business.
Lice Combs/Critter Card Update~
Sue Donahue mentioned that Critter Cards should be going out soon to families for pro-active education re: lice. She also mentioned that the health office has 12 lice combs to send home to needy families with chronic head lice problems.
Use of PTO money~
Nancy noted that this year the PTO would not make funds available for the programs Everybody Wins and the After-School Enrichment Program. She mentioned that there had been a lot of parent complaints re: the After-School program, including not offering Snack and Play as a stand-alone option, the length of time it took the coordinator to communicate with parents re: student acceptance/non-acceptance into classes, etc. With regard to snack and play, Guy did clarify that the guidelines are clear re: use of federal funds for these programs, and that federal funds must be used for educational programs, and have never allowed for stand-alone snack and play.
September 5, 2007 Minutes
Welcome and Introductions
All were welcomed to the meeting. Kristen Shamis and Nancy Kaplan were introduced as the PTO co-presidents as well as Mary Ross and Janet Bellavance who will be the PTO teacher liaisons for the 2007 - 2008 school year.
Room Parents
Nancy brought up for discussion the role of room parent and asked the teachers present at the meeting for their input. There have been some questions from parents as to what is expected and how much involvement is required of a room parent. It was felt the room parent is a liaison between the teacher and classroom families. While each teacher may utilize their room parent a bit differently, all agreed to the intent. It was suggested that future sign up sheets for the room parent volunteers include an expectation section so parents who consider volunteering for the position have a better understanding of the expectations. It was also suggested that the PTO hold a room parent coffee.
Upcoming Events
A number of school-wide events are coming up
Walk to School Day: Wednesday October 3rd
This is an annual event to promote walking to school. Ellen Wollensack has once again volunteered to coordinate this event. This year, she is looking for volunteers to form a committee to help out with walking school buses, creating a bar graph that shows the various ways that kids get to school, organizing the coloring contest, etc. In the past small prizes (incentive bags) have been given to the kids as they arrive at school. It was noted there are prizes left over from Mayfair that could be used for this purpose.
The discussion ensued into the safety of walking to school, especially if the school is promoting it. Several parents identified the Main Street cross walk as a dangerous area and asked if there was more EES could do to make it a safer area to cross. Follow up still needs to be done to investigate if cones or a sandwich board sign could be placed in the cross walk when kids arrive and are dismissed. Another area of concern is the back parking lot where it runs adjacent to the walking path. Parents noted cars swerve into the walking path to drop kids as others are walking or riding bikes or scooters along the path. It was suggested that at a minimum at a painted line be added to deter cars from the area. Guy will look into it. It was also suggested that a Transportation/Safety School Committee be formed to deal with these and any other related concerns, and to follow up with the city on these issues.
Skate Night: Saturday October 6th 4-6pm
The ice time for this event at Leddy Park is from 4:10 to 5:50. Pizza to follow. It was noted that the $200 for pizza last year was not enough. A volunteer is needed to handle the pizza order, funded by the PTO. The PTO also agreed to fund the skate rentals at $2.00/pair.
Enrichment Update and Theme
Nancy reviewed that the PTO sponsored enrichment program is to provide students with opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. This year the enrichment committee would like to pursue an environmental theme; “Edmunds Goes Green” is the suggestion. Based on feedback from teachers last year, a majority asked to not have a performance-based program as was done the past two years. Also many requested a program based on or inclusive of science. The enrichment committee reviewed the feedback and has proposed a year long environmental theme which will incorporate science and nature geared to individual grade levels vs. the whole school. A specific outline of the proposal is forthcoming from the committee. Some brainstorming was done regarding possible programs in the classroom (e.g., the VINS Raptor Exhibit), as well as getting ideas from Burlington Electric on how to make the school more energy efficient.
Budget Update:
Greg reviewed the current financial standing of the PTO.
Champlain Dorm Update
Linda Jones explained the ongoing situation with Champlain College and the new dorm being built adjacent to the Edmunds back parking lot. She described the main questionable issues as: setback issues (i.e., required building distance from edge of property); lot size; parking; and density requirements. A group of concerned parents has already brought the case to Environmental Court. It will now go to the Supreme Court.
Questions/Volunteer Opportunities
After School Programs.
Sherry Gareau introduced herself as the new Site Coordinator for After School Programs. The Fall programs are due to start Sept. 24. This year there will be a $20.00 charge per student per session. She is still looking for parents to offer their skills, energy and time toward creating new classes for the after school program. You can contact her directly at 355-4014.
Fundraising and Field Trips
Guy stated the teachers would like to avoid “extra” fund raising efforts during the year. He also mentioned the school would like to limit the amount of money requested from parents in the future, noting 1/3 of the school population is below poverty level. Some parents expressed a desire to know at the beginning of the year what the extra expenses per class are anticipated to be.
While the PTO set aside $300 per class for field trips last year, not all that money was utilized yet parents were asked to contribute toward field trips. Guy said a maximum of $10.00 per student could be asked of the parents this year. The teachers present at the meeting indicated this would greatly reduce the amount of field trips the classes could take, noting the cost of Flynn performances had increased to $8.00 per student.
A motion was made, seconded and voted for the PTO to fund $300.00 per classroom for field trips. This is essentially the same money approved in the budget last year for this purpose, however the process of getting the money will be made more clear and simple for the teachers.
All were reminded that the $250.00 class room grants from the PTO were passed in the budget last Spring and will be made available to the classrooms again this year.
Also, Guy noted that for safety reasons, parents would no longer be drivers for field trips.
Minutes 5-2-07
Officer Elections:
Next year’s PTO officers were voted in :
Co – Presidents : Kristin Shamis and Nancy Kaplan
Vice President: TBD
Co – Secretaries: Sue Donahue and Linda Higgins
Co – Treasurers : Greg Hancock and Valerie Hamlin
PTO Council Delegate :Valerie Hamlin
Teacher Liason: TBD
There was someone who expressed interest in the vice president job and she will be contacted and voted on in the next meeting.
Guy will try to find the teacher liason.
Financial Update:
The budget was reviewed and the board voted to approve next year’s budget at the same levels as this year. This year’s budget was a 20% increase over the year before and it was felt that this amount was sustainable.
There was discussion about starting the no-frills fundraiser earlier as this year’s response has not been as good as past years.
There was a vote to roll the $10K in a CD over for the next 6 months. There is also $10K in the general bank account for expenses.
The play raised over $2K in excess of expenses. There was some discussion about using the extra money for some capital equipment. Kristin and Greg will get in touch with Don Wright about any needs.
There was a vote to keep funding the “Field Trip Fund” for teachers to use to supplement field trip expenses. Guy asked if the form that the teachers use could be simplified and it will. It is also posted on the PTO website.
Ms. Hulbert asked if she could have some PTO money for “incentive treats” for all students for every other month. She was granted $500 for her discretionary use for these incentives.
Community Service Project Update:
Kim Moran reported that we raised $160 from the coin drop for the VNA family room indoor playground equipment fundraiser. Kim said that the equipment that the VNA wants to buy is all about $300 and then asked if we could make up the difference from the money we had in the community service budget. An additional $140 was approved to bring the total money for donation to $300.
New Parent Handbook:
Valerie Hamlin is working on a new pamphlet for incoming kindergarten and new families. She will survey existing kindergarten families about what helpful tips they might have for new families. Hopefully this pamphlet will be ready to hand out on “get aquainted” day for incoming kindergarten families and students.
Mayfair Planning:
Mayfair games will be indoors in the Middle School gym.
There is still need for volunteers for many parts of Mayfair.
Musical Cake bakers.
Food for food concession.
Cleanup crew for after Mayfair.
Phone callers for silent auction followup.
Other:
Lice Issues:
The PTO voted to buy a supply of “critter cards” which help identify lice and nits to hand out to all families. We will also buy a small supply of lice combs for the nurse to be able to hand out if she needs them.
Fundraising Ideas:
There were a number of new fundraising suggestions discussed. They included a few kids art ideas and a Barnes and Noble fundraiser.
It was decided to put off further discussion until after Mayfair.
Greg Hancock brought up a reading challenge program – to read 100 books from Oct – April. There would be prizes etc.
April 4, 2007
Minutes
Welcome and Introductions
All were welcomed to the meeting.
PTO Nominations for 2007/2008
Amy remindd those at the meeting that she and Brooks would be stepping down form the co-chair positions at the end of the year. She presented the following nominations for consideration:
President: Kristen Shamis and Nancy Kaplan
V.P. Open
Secretary: Sue Donahue and open
Treasurer: Greg Hancock and Valerie Hamlin
PTO Council Delegate: Open
Web-site: Greg Hancock
It was clarified that the position of V.P. works closely with the President(s) and Board on all PTO issues. Sue mentioned that a co-secretary is helpful to job-share in the event the secretary can not make a meeting. Greg will work for the fist half of the 07/08 school year to transition the treasurer duties to Valerie. He reviewed some of the changes he has made, such as moving the financials to Quicken, opening a PayPal account for online payments, creating on-line banking.
It was suggested a teacher representative attend future meetings. Guy noted the current system is a sign up sheet in the teacher room.
Any additional board nominations should be submitted prior to the May 2nd meeting when a final vote will be taken.
Financial Update:
Greg reviewed the current financial standing of the PTO. Revenue is strong, with the no-frills fund raising underway and Mayfair to come, which will contribute to revenue this year.
There was another discussion regarding fund raising in general. While the PTO has three major initiatives during the year (wrapping paper sales, no-frills and MayFair), there are always additional fundraising efforts and requests for field trip money made. Some examples are class specific field trips, Love Your Library and community service initiatives. It seems everyone has some level of frustration with this system.
Guy stated the teachers would like to avoid “extra” fund raising efforts during the year. He also mentioned the school would like to limit the amount of money requested from parents in the future, noting 1/3 of the school population is below poverty level. Some parents expressed a desire to know at the beginning of the year what the “extra” expenses per class are anticipated to be. While the PTO set aside $300 per class for field trips this year, not all that money has been used and extra requests for money from parents have still been made/needed. As a starting point, a suggestion was made that teachers submit a total of their field trip expenses from this school year as a starting point for PTO budget consideration next year.
Guy brought up for consideration in next years budget the purchase of several voice amplifying systems to be used by teachers. Currently there are two in use in the school. The PTO requested a proposal, inclusive of the expense be provided to the PTO.
Other
Head Lice. A request was made from the parent community to clarify the district policy regarding lice. Many parents are feeling frustrated with the abundance of lice notices coming home from the classrooms this year. Guy said there is no policy, just guidelines created by Dr. Frankowski which have been in place for at least the past 5 years. Guy noted the current guidelines replaced efforts that proved unsuccessful in the past.
The guidelines are to notify the parent/guardian when lice is found in a child’s head at school. Educational information is provided. A child may not be sent home from school when lice is found. By the time lice and /or nits are seen, the child has had lice for several weeks so there is no urgency to remove them from the school and classroom. No treatment may be given at school, or product provided by the school. Public assistance options can be provided by the school if requested by the parent or guardian. Furthermore, there have been cases in other states where a school has been sued for sending a child with lice home.
There was a lot of discussion regarding what more could be done within the guidelines. Most agreed it came down to the opportunity to further educate the parent./guardian community. Guy said the school nurses in Burlington are currently working to revise and update the lice information sent home from the schools. The PTO was open to the suggestion of funding additional educational materials and perhaps a supply of lice combs to be provided to families. Sue will follow up on materials she had previously found which would meet this need
Champlain College Construction. Champlain is currently underway with the construction of a dorm which abuts the waking back in the back of the school. Greg indicated there is a link to the Champlain College masterplan from the PTO website.
Mayfair:
There was discussion about Mayfair with an emphasis on nedding some people to help out and be chairs of a few of the activites. The one we need to fill most quickly is the Marekting/PR one. We need to “brand” Mayfair – perhaps with a logo or special color for event posters.
November 1, 2006
Welcome and Introductions: Several families new to the school and/or community attended the meeting.
Field Trip Fund Proposal: Amy reviewed changes made to the proposed fund since the last meeting. These include:
A maximum amount of $300 per classroom/per year
the fund may be used to supplement up to 50% of a total trip cost
and teachers may make requests from the fund multiple times per year until their maximum is reached.
A motion was made and the Field Trip Fund was approved.
Safety in Our Schools: School safety is a current and sensitive topic. Guy reviewed a number of key protocols followed at EES
Calls are made to home if a child does not arrive at school in the morning
Teachers are with children at all times when they are outside of the building
Lock downs are practices at least twice a year
Evacuation plans are in place and practices at least twice a year
The school district holds monthly meetings with local police and fire department representatives to review current event and threat information.
Weekly crisis management team meets at EES
An police officer is assigned to the school complex and is on site everyday for part of the day
Al doors to the building except for the front door are locked during the day
All classroom doors are locked while in the open position so they can quickly be pulled closed and locked if necessary.
Specific safety concerns were brought up for discussion.
Location of the kindergarten classrooms on the first floor, next to the unlocked front doors. Suggestions including locking the front doors, staffing a desk and receptionist at this location, making the side door the main entrance to the building.
Location of the office on the 2nd Floor. It was asked why the office could not be on the first floor, closer to the front door. People have had difficulty in the past locating the office and would feel more comfortable knowing all who enter the front door are being greeted immediately.
Some children are arriving to school prior to 8:00am when teachers are supervising outside. Many of these children come by CCTA bus. It was suggested that the parking volunteers, who are there at 7:45 assist with early arrivals.
Condition of the Playground. The school custodians check the playground every school day morning.
Location of the kindergartens and office as well as supervision for children arriving early will be further researched and discussed at future meeting.
Fund Raising:
Innisbrook earned approximately $6,000 for EES
No Frills Fundraiser is coming in November. This is a strictly voluntary and confidential cash donation campaign to benefit EES. The PTO is seeking a parent volunteer to run the campaign this year.
Enrichment committee:
a brochure for this year’s enrichment activities is currently in process. A summary of the VNA Family Room initiative was provided. A coat, hat and mitten drive will begin next week to benefit the Family Room.
The Above and Beyond program will get started soon. This will provide extra learning opportunities for students in grades 3-5 who have finished their classroom work. Teachers will nominate students for the program.
The school play this year will be Narnia. The Election Day bake sale will kick off fund raising for the play. An early December planning meeting will be held.
Other Items:
Task Force Update: The next School Board meeting is scheduled for 11/14. All are encouraged to provide their feedback on the Task Force Proposals via letters or email by the 14th of November. The email address is superintendent@bsdvt.org
Parenting Class: A free parenting class will be offered on November 16th at EES.
Ice Skating Rink: The question was raised if the ice skating rink at Edmunds could be built this winter. Guy needs to determine if the district will allow it. Also, the condition of the liner needs to be checked.
December PTO Meeting: There will NOT be a December meeting due to the planning meeting for the school play and the Everybody Wins! Read A Thon which are both scheduled for early December.
October 4, 2006
Budget Vote: An updated operating and enrichment budget was presented for review. It was noted that in general that expected revenue was increased in the operating budget by 20% over last year to reflect the goals of fundraising, specifically the Innisbrook fundraiser, has already brought in over $12,000 of which Edmunds gets to keep half. The budget was moved and passed by a unanimous vote.
Guidelines for PTO Expenditures: New guidelines for additional enrichment and capital improvement expenditures was presented. There is a surplus of money in the PTO budget, mainly “carry-over” funds from prior years – and it was decided that there should be some strict guidelines as to how this money be allocated. The proposed guidelines were moved and passed by unanimous vote. A copy of the approved guidelines may be found at www.eespto.org.
Parenting Class Proposal: A proposal was brought forth to bring a parenting class to the school for late winter. The teacher of the class is willing to do a free “demo” class to see if there is enough interest. They are also exploring various means of funding for the class including approaching other schools and agencies as well as asking the EES PTO for support. It was decided to go ahead andschedule the “demo” class, preferably on a PTO meeting night, and to continue to try and find other sources of funding. Further updates will be made at the next PTO meeting.
Teacher Field Trip Funding: A new “Field Trip Fund” was proposed in lieu of increasing the annual Teacher Grants. This Fund would provide the Teachers with up to $5,000 in additional funds to use specifically for field trips. This money will be held in a separate account and represents a portion of the “surplus or carry over funds” discussed in the above guideline for expenditure. The money is intended as a supplement for teachers to tap into if they have the need for additional funding for a class trip. Some discussion about the details ensued regarding the amount of money per student or per class and it was decided that these changes would be incorporated into the proposal and brought back to the PTO for a vote at the next meeting.
The Meeting was adjourned at 7pm so that everyone could attend the Burlington School Board Task Force meeting.
September 6th, 2006
PLEASE Note the new time of 6:30pm for the PTO meetings this year, and that child care is available and funded by the PTO at every meeting!
Welcome and Introductions were made to all the new and returning parents! Thank you for coming! The mission of the PTO, to “enrich the lives of students, to support the work of teachers and to build a caring community” was reviewed.
PTO Officer Vote: Nominations for the 2006/2007 officer positions were reviewed, and a motion was made and accepted to elect the following PTO Officers:
President (Co-Chairs)- Amy Feeney and Brooks Boardman
Vice President- Kristen Shamis
Treasurer- Greg Hancock
Secretary- Nancy Kaplan/Sue Donahue
Fundraising Activities: Three major fundraising activities are planned for this coming school year as follows:
Innisbrook: Fall Event. Kicked off this week as packets were sent home with the kids. Spearheaded by Val Hamlin and Amy Young, this fundraiser involves students selling wrapping paper and other products offered by Innisbrook. Traditionally a very successful effort, raising nearing $5000 last year.
No-Frills: Late Fall Event. A straight-forward request made to parents and community members for financial donations made directly to the PTO. The goal will again be $4000, which is what was received last year.
MayFair: Spring Event. Last year raised $7000. Games and activities for the kids along with a silent auction.
In addition, several new ideas were explored including, selling cards and notepaper designed by students in as part of February’s Love Your Library month, a coin drop (rather than bottle drive), resurrecting Box Tops for Education, and the recycle printer cartridge program with Staples. We are looking for volunteers who may be interested in pursuing any of these new initiatives.
** It was stressed that parents should choose the method of giving/fundraising that suits their family needs and they are most comfortable with to participate in.
Enrichment Committee Update: The Enrichment Committee reviewed the proposed activities supported by the enrichment budget. There are 5 ongoing events and several one time events. Ongoing events include, the School Play, Everybody Wins mentoring and reading program, After School Programs, Love your Library Month and City Arts. One time events proposed included a Resident Artist program in January (which would be 50% funded by a grant from the Vermont Arts Council), a team enrichment project offering enrichment opportunities to students during the school day and a community service effort focused on global citizenship.
Review PTO and Enrichment Committee Budgets: A proposed budget for both Enrichment and the PTO were reviewed. Enrichment spending is the largest budget item and thus was presented in detail. A request was made to either raise Teacher grants or set up a “separate fund” from which the teachers could apply for mini grants when needed (such as field trip fees, or special project materials). A formal proposal will be made at the October meeting in regards to this as well as parameters for usage of the surplus of funds that has accumulated over the past several years. Both budgets will be voted on at the next meeting.
Burlington School District Task Force Report: A portion of the Burlington School District Task Force Final Report was distributed. A copy of the full report can be found on the PTO’s website www.eespto.org, which can also be accessed via the EES site. It was stressed that our school district as we know it will very likely be changing, as early as next year, and it is in everyone’s best interest to educate themselves as to the Task Force findings and strategies for action.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30pm