The Gardiner Elementary PTA (GEPTA) serves and supports both Laura E. Richards School and River View Community School.
The Gardiner Elementary PTA (GEPTA) was formed in 2006 when LER and River View schools were reconfigured into Pre-K-2 and 3rd-5th Schools. It was decided to create a united PTA for the community of Gardiner. Any parent, guardian or teacher of an LER or River View student may join. The PTA supports extra programs, field trips, presentations and materials for the enrichment of our children. To do this we hold several fundraisers during the year. As well as fundraising we’ve hosted Octoberfest (Fall Festival), Open Houses and Family Fun Nights to bring families into the school for a relaxed, social time.
PTA Supported Activities:
• Octoberfest
• Reading Incentive Program
• TESS (Teens Elementary Schools Shows)
• Chewonki presentations
• Classroom Grants
• Field Trips
• North Star Planetarium
• Book Fairs
• Family Fun Nights
• Teacher Appreciation Week
• Foster Grandparents
• School Supplies/Materials
• Kindergarten Open House
• Readathon
• and many more..
The mission of the GEPTA is to support academic enrichment and social learning, encourage community and parental involvement and utilize ideas, energy and financial support to benefit the children, families, teachers and staff of the Gardiner Elementary Schools.
Whose Child Is This?
"Whose child is this?" I asked one day
Seeing a little one out at play.
"Mine", said the parent with a tender smile
"Mine to keep a little while.
To bathe his hands and comb his hair,
To tell him what he is to wear,
To prepare him that he may always be good,
And each day do the things he should."
"Whose child is this?" I asked again,
As the door opened and someone came in.
"Mine", said the teacher with the same tender smile.
"Mine, to keep just for a little while.
To teach her how to be gentle and kind,
To train and direct her dear little mind,
To help her live by every rule,
And get the best she can from school."
"Whose child is this?" I asked once more,
Just as the little one entered the door.
"Ours", said the parent and the teacher as they smiled.
And each took the hand of the little child.
"Ours to love and train together.
Ours this blessed task forever."
author unknown
GEPTA Officers
Current GEPTA Officers:
Ellen McGuire - Co-President (Phone 582-9467 or email tecm1@myfairpoint.net)
Katherine Kollman - Co-President (Phone 582-8250 or email outofmyheadportland@hotmail.com)
Veronica Babcock - Co-Vice President
Liz Brodie - Co-Vice President
Tony Theberge - Treasurer
Tony Veit - Secretary
School Information
PreK-2
Laura E. Richards School
279 Brunswick Ave.
Gardiner, ME 04345
582-3612
Karen Moody – Principal
Stephanie Houdlette-Secretary
3rd-5th
River View Community School
821 River Road
P.O. Box
South Gardiner, ME 04359
582-3402
Al Ghoreyeb – Principal
Wendy Drummond-Secretary
How Can I Join the GEPTA?
A yearly membership is just $5.00 and entitles you voting privileges at our meetings. Those dues cover the National PTA membership - the GEPTA does not collect its own dues. Membership forms are available in our brochures (available at the schools) or at our monthly meetings. You may also mail your name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, and $5.00 fee to us at:
GEPTA
c/o the Laura E. Richards School
279 Brunswick Ave.
Gardiner, ME 04345
Members are eligible for online discounts from Barnes & Noble.com, Office Depot, and others.
For information on the National PTA, go to:
[ http://www.pta.org/ ]http://www.pta.org
Please remember, you do not need to be able to attend monthly meetings in order to be a member of the GEPTA. We also have several sub-committees which meet seperately - making decisions and planning our many events and programs. Please consider joining one and lending some of your time, talents, and energy for the benefit of our school communites! For more information on the various committees, please contact gepta@gepta.org.
Monthly Meetings
Monthly Meetings:
The GEPTA meets once a month, alternating between Laura E. Richards School (LER) and and the River View Community School (RVCS). Meetings are held at 6pm on the second Tuesday of the month and most meetings last about an hour.
The dates and locations of GEPTA meetings for the 2009/2010 School Year are as follows:
September 8 at LER
October 13 at RVCS
November 10 at LER
December 8 at RVCS
January 12 at LER
February 9 at RVCS
March 9 at LER
April 13 at RVCS
May 11 at LER
June 8 at RVCS
CHILDCARE IS AVAILABLE at no charge, but we ask that children be well-behaved, follow directions from caregivers, and participate in picking up what they use during crafts or snacks.
And parent, guardian, teacher, or staff member from the LER and RVCS Schools is welcome at our meetings. We look forward to seeing you!
To read the minutes to our meetings, please click on the meeting's date that you would like to read under "Meeting Minutes" in the Navigation menu on the left.
Click here to see what was discussed at the GEPTA's monthly meetings.
Present: Katherine Kollman, Ellen McGuire, Kristy Gould, Al Ghoreyeb, Veronica Babcock, Liz Brodie, Tony Brodie, Brendan Turner, Bonnie Nichols, Melissa Lindley, Sai-Lee Markos, Jennifer Richardson, Cindy Reiter, Karen Moody, Tony Theberge, Amanda Wade, Stacy Ladner, Jill Jamison, Paula Bourque, Nicole Hart, Anthony Veit, Carrie Arsenault
1. President’s Report
a. Welcome: 6:05 start
b. Sign in and PTA sign up cards
c. Sept 25th “Day of Play”: Idea of Family Fun Nights (shut off TV on Sept 25) ? Possibility of outdoor games, other: Discussion. No action to be taken at this time.
d. Parent Participation Statistics: Review importance of parent involvement
e. Officer opening for next year.
2. Secretary’s Report
a. Review of June Minutes
b. Motion to accept: Bonnie
c. 2d: Tony Brodie
d. discussion
e. motion carries
3. Treasurer’s Report
a. Welcome, Jill (incoming treasurer)
b. Thank you, Tony Theberge (outgoing Treasurer)
c. Review Deposits and Expenses: field trips, Hannaford Helps distributed to LER and RVCS, Betit Family dinner: funds disbursed,
d. Motion to accept Report: Liz Brodie
e. 2d: Veronica
f. Discussion
g. Motion Carries
4. Principals’ Reports
a. Karen Moody
i. 1st Day: Huge success. Great speaker, great presenters.
ii. Great first month at school.
iii. 4 “B”s: teaching kids social behaviors (safe respectful responsible kind) teaching 1 game a week: Redlight, greenlight, hopscotch, to promote youth self-organization.
iv. KM riding buses, made change (with John Stonier) to take kids to Boys and Girls club to reduce length of bus rides for kids.
v. New computer lab, opened today.
vi. Walking school bus started today. (Tuesday mornings weather permitting until winter)
vii. Parent Information night/math mania night TBD: look for information
viii. Increase to 90 minutes per day on math
ix. CIPS person from state coming tomorrow.
x. CIPS schools for 2 years in a row, must make AYP both years.
xi. Neaps may be ending. MA and VT are moving to National Standards.
xii. No Child Left Behind Act is being changed at the Federal Level, which could change CIPS status.
b. Al Ghoreyeb
i. Good start to year with students and staff.
ii. Grade Level meetings every week, reporting back to principal. This will create data for CIPS plan.
iii. Teaching behaviors: practice and prompt appropriate behaviors for kids: in hallway, classrooms, buses, recess
iv. Working to keep a similarity of theme between LER and RVCS.
v. Visiting buses regularly.
vi. Changed time of stop
vii. Kids doing well on fire drills (orderly, not shoving). 1.5 minutes to empty the school
viii. Kids get to nominate peers or staff who do nice things, documented by a paper leaf on a paper tree in the RVCS entry. (“Catch someone doing good” idea)
ix. 20% special ed at RVCS
x. CIPS meetings requiring parent involvement. Meetings in the evening, quarterly?
xi. CIPS: Can access “safe harbor” if AYP increases by 6-8%. This is based on MEAs, NECAPS, and NWEAs.
xii. CIPS: schools not meeting standards.
5. Committee Reports
a. Committee Sign Up forms: review of committee process. People can serve on committees without attending the monthly meeting. Committee meetings can be set up for any day.
b. First Day of School Celebration-Katherine Kollman: 9/1/10: 26 area non-profits and school staff, food donations from several local business, good attendance, 3d year running.
c. Bylaws: Tony Veit, Tony Brodie, Katherine Kollman, Kristy Gould
d. Scholarship committee: 2 weeks in the spring: scholarship of $500 each given to 2 GAHS seniors based on essays: will chair: Tony Brodie, Nicole Hart
e. Family Fun Nights: will chair: Liz Brodie, Amanda Wade
f. Fundraising: Heather Turner and Bonnie Nichols will chair
g. Reading incentive/Scholastic book fair :
i. Dates:
1. Fall: RVCS: 10/28/10-11/4/10, b1g1f: 4/7/11-4/14/11
2. LER: 12/2/10-12/16/10 big 4/8/11-4/12/11:
ii. (Profits from book fair pay for reading incentive books, where kids get more books the more they read): reviewed benefit of group efforts: Paula Bourque will chair reading incentive; Nicole Hart volunteered to assist.
iii. Reading incentives are open to all classes: GEPTA gives students books and T-shirts based on achieving class room goals (by page, minute, book). PTA will provide volunteers to help count student efforts.
iv. Motion: Liz: allow Paula Bourque to utilize teaching background and literacy specialist status to determine good books for PTA, in the amount of $300 every 6 months.
v. 2d: Nicole Hart
vi. discussion
vii. motion carries.
h. Octoberfest: Ellen McGuire/Veronica Babcock/Katherine Kollman: review benefit of training a new committee chair for next year. In 2 ½ weeks. PD and FD presence last year. Volunteers needed for 11am to 3 pm (overlap with town sponsored Oktoberfest). Katherine Kollman coordinating volunteers.
i. MeadowFarms: Jill Jamison: packets went home recently. Due in about 3 weeks (by 10/4/10). Items ordered should be back by Thanksgiving. This is our major fundraiser. Call Jill with questions.
j. Options for “liking” or “friending” GEPTA on Facebook reviewed.
6. Old Business
a. Hannaford Helps Schools: Veronica Babcock: Review of process. School with most receipts submitted at Hannaford gets $1000 check. Hannaford receipts can be collected in the PTA mailboxes at the schools, and is done by 12/18/10. Nicole Hart expressed interest in coordinating this process.
b. Review use of shed. Shed still needs a new roof, preferably before winter.
7. New Business
a. TerraCycle-guest Cindy Reiter: Juice pouches (not boxes): $.02 per container. If the students/schools could save these, the schools/PTA could take the money. They pay 2x/yr, once in December and once in June.
b. Motion: Cindy Reiter to communicate with principals, and follow up with PTA next month.
c. Discussion: Some concern re: bugs/fruit flies, stickiness, ½ consumed product. Container that closes, location.
8. Funding Requests
a. EZ Up Tents for GEPTA’s use for covering ticket booths, other: c. $60 per,
i. Motion: Veronica
ii. 2d: Liz Brodie
iii. discussion
iv. motion carries
9. Door Prize: Amanda Wade
10. Adjournment
a. Motion: Veronica
b. 2d: Liz
c. discussion
d. Meeting adjourned 7:30 pm
The Mission of the Gardiner Elementary Parent Teacher Association:
To support academic enrichment and social learning, encourage community and parental involvement, and utilize ideas, energy, and financial support for the benefit of the children, families, teachers, and staff of the Gardiner Elementary Schools.
Ellen McGuire, Paula Bourque, Veronica Babcock, Sai-Lee Markos, Melissa Lindley, Amanda Wade, Cindy Reiter, Heather Turner, Tony Brodie, Liz Brodie, Kristy Gould, Katherine Kollman, Anthony Veit
1. President’s Report (6:02)
a. Welcome:
b. Review of membership: Members must pay dues for voting privileges.
c. Thank you notes:
i. From Mr. Walton re: baby gift
ii. From Dorothy the bus driver
d. bill from Wickedlicious: $55/school for the Parent/Teacher Conference night. Positive reception of food from staff
2. Secretary’s Report
a. Review of October 2010 Minutes
i. Motion: Liz Brodie: accept minutes
ii. 2d: Veronica
iii. Discussion:
iv. Motion carries
3. Treasurer’s Report
a. Review Deposits and Expenses (Jill Jamison-not present)
i. $9,000 paid to Meadowfarms of $17,000 gross.
ii. $170 to repair shed roof. Brandon Turner and several Webelo Scouts.
1. Motion: Paula to pay up to $50.00 for badges for Webelo
2. 2d: Liz Brodie
3. Discussion
4. Motion carries
b. Motion to accept treasurer’s report: Liz Hall
c. 2d: Cindy Reiter
d. Discussion
e. Motion Carries
4. Principals’ Reports
a. Karen Moody (not present)
b. Al Ghoreyeb (not present)
5. Committee Reports
a. Committee Sign Up forms
b. Bylaws-no meeting:
c. October fest: no meeting: gathering gifts for next year
d. Family Fun Nights (Liz Brodie and Amanda)
i. Met last week.
ii. Dates for upcoming: Holiday Craft Fair and Dance: music and cookies: @ RVCS: 12/3/10 6 to 7:30 (possibly conflicts w/ art walk/Gardiner, craft fair/LER)
iii. 2/11/11: 6-7:30 pm: book swap (including children's books and books for parents) @ LER
iv. 3/19/11 (Saturday): Indoor Carnival @ LER, 2- 4pm (snow date: 3/26/11), with 5th grade food sale table
v. April and May (Likely at RVCS)
vi. June 2011: ice cream social: Date TBD: LER.
e. Fundraising:
i. Meadowfarms: review print options for T-shirt bonuses: especially possible gender position: (No “ I *Heart* Reading” for boys)
ii. Bookfair (Liz Brodie):
1. RVCS: open longer than scheduled: c. $1300 at RVCS. This is an increase over last year. Volunteers unavailable for 2 days.
2. LER: Starts: 12/2/10-12/16/10. Requesting volunteers.
iii. Subway: (Cooks Night Out)Heather Turner: continuing to make efforts to contact manager. In conjunction for Tree Lighting in Gardiner (c. 5 pm)
iv. Option for Spring Cooks Night Out at Texas Roadhouse
v. Spring Yard Sale.
vi. Barnes and Noble Bookfair Night: readers’ theatre, student poetry/writing, author’s tea, other; (possible concern w/ overlap with Augusta Teacher Appreciation or other night) (25% of sales in B+N card, or 20% in cash): Katherine will determine an available date.
vii. Basket Raffle: items (and value)
viii. Scholarship: review in Spring:
f. Reading incentive (Paula Bourque):
i. Boxes of picture books available.
ii. LER: Low on chapter books.
iii. RVCS: needs lower level books (Junie B. Jones, Magic Tree House).
iv. Review accessing other giveaway books at Scholastic Warehouse sale.
v. Out of pencils for giveaways: Paula will research options for cost and name imprinting
1. Motion: Liz Brodie: up to $100 for pencils to last 2 to 3 readathons.
2. 2d: Liz Hall
3. Discussion
4. Motion carries
6. Old Business
7. New Business
a. Patrick Linehan: Modern Woodmen of America: (Nonprofit Fraternal Financial Company): 127 year old company: give back to communities
i. Review matching fund option at this time ($1 for $1):
1. Chapters of geographic locations of MWA members (one in Gardiner area):
2. Member involvement: match with fundraiser
3. Raffle: likely ok fundraiser for GEPTA; not ok for MWA.
4. MWA: home office: Send out post cards re: notice of event sent to parents re: MWA and GEPTA project
5. All proceeds would have to be sent in to MWA to be matched, which is then sent back within 2 weeks with a negotiable check and a large “media” check
6. Request of event must be submitted to MWA home office, 30 days in advance of any fundraising activity (e.g. basket raffle and spaghetti dinner). Event must provide hard goods and local services (no trips)
7. If accessed, no further matching options will be available for 2 years for this chapter
8. Must be completed before end of this year for funds this year
9. Next year: this project may be bumped.
b. Security Doors: Jonathan Stonier (not present)
i. Review contact w/ Chief Toman (potential benefit to PD duties, as well as child safety)
ii. Review costs: budget constraints in school budget limit accessibility of this option.
iii. GEPTA support would have to be approved by School board
iv. Review elementary school safety
v. Discuss obligation for school board to provide (LER: busy street, custody issues):
vi. GEPTA to pick up academic enrichment (of books, etc.) v. electronic doors.
vii. Discussed collaborating with Gardiner PD and other MSAD 11 PTOs and PTAs.
c. LER MathMania night Thurs 11/18 4:30-6, games 6-7 w/ teachers; need 5-6 volunteers to serve food.
d. Review access to first responders (CPR training for all teachers)
e. Possibility of a CIPS related summer math retention program to coincide with August 2011 National Night Out.
f. Review adding email address to listserve at central office to access school board minutes
8. Funding Requests
9. Adjournment
Motion: Liz Brodie
2d: Tony Brodie
discussion:
Motion carries: meeting adjourned 7:30 pm
Present: Katherine Kollman, Karen Moody, Sae-Lee Markos, Jill Jamison, Liz Brodie, Tony Brodie, Bonnie Turner, Al Ghoreyeb, Ellen McGuire, Kristy Gould, Veronica Babcock, Paula Bourque, Tony Veit
1. President’s Report (6:04)
a. Welcome:
b. “Thank you” notes from bus drivers and secretaries.
2. Secretary’s Report (Tony V)
a. Review of 11/9/10 Minutes
b. Motion to accept: Paula
c. 2d: Veronica
d. discussion
e. motion carries
3. Treasurer’s Report (Jill)
a. Review Deposits and Expenses
b. $1823.09 Paid out $9000 to Meadowfarms 11/1/10
c. Some small deposits from bookfair
d. Future deposits anticipated from raffle baskets
e. Motion to accept: Paula
f. 2d: Veronica
g. discussion
h. motion carries
4. Principals’ Reports
a. Karen Moody
i. CIPS: approved, returned, resent, and now being reviewed by the state
ii. 4 “Bees”: as mascot, reinforcing positive behaviors
iii. decrease in acting-out behaviors over last year
iv. Reindeer Visit recently
v. One more mathmania night (cost of $7000 to do 2, $11000 for 3, due to cost of staff overtime)
vi. Bazaar Monday (11/22), Polar Express Tuesday (11/21)
vii. Sing-along Wednesday 11/22/10
viii. Review options for further fundraising, and issues with some gifts to kids (tickets, free meals) putting pressure on parents to make purchases.
ix. Review lockdown/door support options. $1375 for LER. For alarmed, locking doors. This may occur by next year, funded by the school board. Issues re: strain on staff for causing lockdown.
x. Review health issues: availability of nursing staff (1 day per week), CPR certified personnel
b. Al Ghoreyeb
i. CIPS: plans in, fairly confident of approval, next step is collection of evidence.
ii. Teachers are working on teams.
iii. Bazaar today. Review benefit to kids and families, cost benefit.
iv. Singalong: 12/21/10 2:15pm
v. Improved box top participation (hot chocolate party with whipped cream, class trophy) at school.
5. Committee Reports
a. Committee Sign Up forms
b. First Day of School Celebration-Not active.
c. Bylaws
d. Family Fun Nights: (Liz):
i. December craft night was adequately attended (roughly 50-60 kids); other competing events occurred in the community around that time;
ii. review options for movie night, ice cream social
e. Fundraising: Bonnie:
i. Issues re: boy scouts overlap with fundraising. Calls could be directed to Ellen.
ii. Check from Subway $275 (Cooks Night Out)
iii. Raffle baskets: funds not totaled, winners have been chosen. Review connection to Modern Woodmen.
f. Reading incentive/Bookfair(Liz):
i. Finished 12/16/10, some issues with volunteer consistency/availability. Discussion.
ii. Review accessing a new coordinator for this project next year.
iii. A lot of book credit is available. Review options for obtaining books at Scholastic.
g. Read-a-thon/Book Swap (2/11/10): incorporates FFN, Fundraising, and Reading Incentive.
6. Old Business
Kristy: Review Hannaford helps: limited income at this time (c. $75)
7. New Business
a. Develop a plan to bring in new PTA members, vote in new officers. Scheduled for January XX 2011
b. Button Machine: Problems with accessing appropriately sized button:
i. Motion: Paula: obtain 1000 buttons ($
ii. 2d: Liz
iii. discussion: review use
iv. motion carries
c. set a budget of field trips per grade: No requests to date. Spring is usually the time of greater requests. Review field trips options. Discussion. Typical usage amount c. $800.00/grade level. Financial request form, cap, and deadline to be sent to teachers. Review at January 2011 meeting.
d. Review use of popcorn machine on Fridays to be used by the schools.
e. Extra material from shed roof project (roofing nails).
i. Motion to donate to habitat for humanity: Paula
ii. 2d: Tony
iii. Discussion
iv. Motion carries.
8. Funding Requests
9. Adjournment
a. Motion: Paula
b. 2d: veronica
c. discussion
d. meeting adjourned 7:10 pm
Next meeting 1/11/11 at LER. 6 pm.
Present: Katherine Kollman, Karen Moody, Sae-Lee Markos, Jill Jamison, Liz Brodie, Tony Brodie, Bonnie Turner, Al Ghoreyeb, Ellen McGuire, Kristy Gould, Veronica Babcock, Paula Bourque, Tony Veit
1. President’s Report (6:04)
a. Welcome:
b. “Thank you” notes from bus drivers and secretaries.
2. Secretary’s Report (Tony V)
a. Review of 11/9/10 Minutes
b. Motion to accept: Paula
c. 2d: Veronica
d. discussion
e. motion carries
3. Treasurer’s Report (Jill)
a. Review Deposits and Expenses
b. $1823.09 Paid out $9000 to Meadowfarms 11/1/10
c. Some small deposits from bookfair
d. Future deposits anticipated from raffle baskets
e. Motion to accept: Paula
f. 2d: Veronica
g. discussion
h. motion carries
4. Principals’ Reports
a. Karen Moody
i. CIPS: approved, returned, resent, and now being reviewed by the state
ii. 4 “Bees”: as mascot, reinforcing positive behaviors
iii. decrease in acting-out behaviors over last year
iv. Reindeer Visit recently
v. One more mathmania night (cost of $7000 to do 2, $11000 for 3, due to cost of staff overtime)
vi. Bazaar Monday (11/22), Polar Express Tuesday (11/21)
vii. Sing-along Wednesday 11/22/10
viii. Review options for further fundraising, and issues with some gifts to kids (tickets, free meals) putting pressure on parents to make purchases.
ix. Review lockdown/door support options. $1375 for LER. For alarmed, locking doors. This may occur by next year, funded by the school board. Issues re: strain on staff for causing lockdown.
x. Review health issues: availability of nursing staff (1 day per week), CPR certified personnel
b. Al Ghoreyeb
i. CIPS: plans in, fairly confident of approval, next step is collection of evidence.
ii. Teachers are working on teams.
iii. Bazaar today. Review benefit to kids and families, cost benefit.
iv. Singalong: 12/21/10 2:15pm
v. Improved box top participation (hot chocolate party with whipped cream, class trophy) at school.
5. Committee Reports
a. Committee Sign Up forms
b. First Day of School Celebration-Not active.
c. Bylaws
d. Family Fun Nights: (Liz):
i. December craft night was adequately attended (roughly 50-60 kids); other competing events occurred in the community around that time;
ii. review options for movie night, ice cream social
e. Fundraising: Bonnie:
i. Issues re: boy scouts overlap with fundraising. Calls could be directed to Ellen.
ii. Check from Subway $275 (Cooks Night Out)
iii. Raffle baskets: funds not totaled, winners have been chosen. Review connection to Modern Woodmen.
f. Reading incentive/Bookfair(Liz):
i. Finished 12/16/10, some issues with volunteer consistency/availability. Discussion.
ii. Review accessing a new coordinator for this project next year.
iii. A lot of book credit is available. Review options for obtaining books at Scholastic.
g. Read-a-thon/Book Swap (2/11/10): incorporates FFN, Fundraising, and Reading Incentive.
6. Old Business
Kristy: Review Hannaford helps: limited income at this time (c. $75)
7. New Business
a. Develop a plan to bring in new PTA members, vote in new officers. Scheduled for January XX 2011
b. Button Machine: Problems with accessing appropriately sized button:
i. Motion: Paula: obtain 1000 buttons ($
ii. 2d: Liz
iii. discussion: review use
iv. motion carries
c. set a budget of field trips per grade: No requests to date. Spring is usually the time of greater requests. Review field trips options. Discussion. Typical usage amount c. $800.00/grade level. Financial request form, cap, and deadline to be sent to teachers. Review at January 2011 meeting.
d. Review use of popcorn machine on Fridays to be used by the schools.
e. Extra material from shed roof project (roofing nails).
i. Motion to donate to habitat for humanity: Paula
ii. 2d: Tony
iii. Discussion
iv. Motion carries.
8. Funding Requests
9. Adjournment
a. Motion: Paula
b. 2d: veronica
c. discussion
d. meeting adjourned 7:10 pm
Next meeting 1/11/11 at LER. 6 pm.
Students from Laura Richards and River View schools participated in the "Gardiner Days of Light Holiday Parade" on December 5th. The theme of the parade was "Twas the night before Christmas". So children from our schools wore their pajamas as they marched to illustrate the line from this popular holiday poem: "The children were nestled all snug in their beds". How adorable!!
Many thanks to the GEPTA and all the volunteers who helped organize the Holiday Bazaar! The children were so happy with the gifts they were able to choose to give to their family members. Thank you so very much to everyone who donated items to the bazaar. Your generosity resulted in many, many smiling faces today!!!
Pumpkin rolling, face painting, bounce house, hay hunt, pumpkin bag painting, bean bag tosses, the cake walk and many more games and activities were organized by the GEPTA for this year's Octoberfest. The rainy day did nothing to dampen the fall festivities that happened inside Laura Richards School. Many thanks to all who donated cakes and prizes and to all the adult and student volunteers! You made this event such a huge success! A great time was had by all!
Our GEPTA kicked off our schools' Readathon with a Book Swap night at River View School. Students were able to bring in books that they had read or no longer wanted. They received a voucher for the amount of books that were brought in and were able to "swap" for new books. This is a fantastic event for families as no money was needed!! Students went home with a bag full of new books to read over February vacation. This year we had an amazing turn out! Just look at the tables filled with books!! We would also like to thank the Gardiner Middle School for donating lots of chapter books for this event. Your contribution was much appreciated.
What a wonderful turnout for our first Family Fun NIght of the 2009 school year! Many families joined us for a tasty treat, time on the playground, and time to reconnect with our school community friends! Many thanks to families who brought donations for our community food bank. Your generosity will help families in our community! And look who won the door prize above!
PTA Healthy Lifestyles for Parents: Grocery Shopping
Advertisements and marketing messages reach young consumers through a variety of vehicles—television, radio, magazines, music, the Internet, etc.—in many different venues, including homes, schools, child-care settings, grocery stores, shopping malls, theaters, sporting events, and airports. It is important for parents to be aware of how ads and marketing messages influence their families' habits.
Food and beverage marketing, among other factors, has been found to influence the preferences and purchase requests of children ages 2 to 11, in addition to influencing their short-term consumption patterns. Moreover, the foods being marketed to children and youth are not in line with recommended healthful diets. "Food and beverage advertising on television influences children ages 2–11 years to prefer and purchase high-calorie and low-nutrient foods and beverages," states the Institute of Medicine's Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity? report overview.
Parents need to educate their children about the way advertising may influence their purchases. According to the Institute of Medicine, "Of the more than $200 billion children and youth collectively spend annually, the top four leading items children ages 8–12 years select, without parental permission, are high-calorie and low-nutrient foods and beverages." In addition, "Foods and beverages, particularly candy, carbonated soft drinks, and salty snacks or chips, were ranked among the top leading items that teens ages 13–17 years old purchase with their own money." By educating your children about nutrition and advertising techniques, however, you can act as a counterinfluence on your children's purchasing decisions.
A Kaiser Family Foundation report titled It’s Child’s Play explored the online marketing of food to children and found that “The vast majority (85%) of the leading food brands that target children on TV are also either directly targeting children on the Internet or providing online content likely to be of interest to them.”
What You Can Do
Pay Attention
When at the grocery store, or when deciding where to stop to pick up a quick dinner, pay attention to your instincts and consider your choices carefully. Are you choosing a product that might not be as healthy as another simply because the packaging is attractive or its advertising campaign is clever? Figuring out why you are inclined to make certain purchases is the first step in overcoming impulses prompted by advertisements and becoming a smarter shopper.
Talk to Your Kids
Kids, especially young kids, don't yet understand the persuasive intent behind advertisements. As a parent, it's your job to help your children learn how ads try to affect the choices they make in their daily lives. The prevalence of ads means there are many opportunities to talk about this. When watching television together or listening to the radio in the car, ask your children about the products in the ads and how the ads are persuading the audience to buy that particular brand. When at the store, take a look at packaging and the placement of different items and discuss how this may make you notice some brands over others.
Make a List
To cut down on impulse purchases and the "nag factor" from your kids, make a list before you head out to the supermarket. If your children are along for the trip, make sure they have eaten before you shop, and make it clear to them before you enter the store that you are buying only the items on your list, and only certain brands that you know to be healthier options. Once in the store, give your children portions of the list and have them help you find the items.
Do Your Homework
It may not always be easy to judge how healthy the different items on a restaurant menu are. Many restaurants, however, especially large chains, post the nutrition details of their menu options online, or will give them to you upon request in the restaurant. Take a careful look before you go; you may be surprised at what you learn about the nutritional content of the meals and decide to make different choicFor the staple products that your family always has on hand, buy a couple different brands and hold a blind taste test in your kitchen. This is especially important when there is one brand that is significantly healthier than another, or when there are two equally healthy options but one is a name brand and the other is a generic or store brand. Once your family members have decided which option tastes best, reveal the brands and discuss whether their selections matched their (and your) expectations. Did a package make you think a certain brand would be better? Does the healthier brand actually taste better?
Hold a Taste Test
For the staple products that your family always has on hand, buy a couple different brands and hold a blind taste test in your kitchen. This is especially important when there is one brand that is significantly healthier than another, or when there are two equally healthy options but one is a name brand and the other is a generic or store brand. Once your family members have decided which option tastes best, reveal the brands and discuss whether their selections matched their (and your) expectations. Did a package make you think a certain brand would be better? Does the healthier brand actually taste better?
Where You Can Go
* The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
* Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
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