April 1, 2008

GEPTA Meeting Minutes
April 1, 2008

In attendance: Helen Wright, Karen Montel, Paula Bourque, Tiffany Awley, Jill Jamison, Kristy Gould, Veronica Babcock, Ellen McGuire, Andrea and Peter Girard, Aimee Lantaigne, Katherine Kollman, Karen Moody, Tony Thebarge

March meeting minutes: Available on the MSAD 11 web site. Motion to accept by Ellen, 2nd Veronica, passed. Motion to accept by Paula, 2nd Ellen, passed.

Treasurer’s report: Tony reviewed the current report. Available funds are $15,630.56

Principal’s report:

Mrs. Moody:
• Reconfiguration survey came home this week. This is being done for information to be provided to the school board. Reconfiguration is being considered for Pittston/Randolf.
• The teachers said thank you for the big books
• Chewonki went well - check out the pictures on line
• Magic/literacy show will be at LER next week (4/14)
• Shamu was the other enrichment event that she would like to propose. He is an Iranian who does a lot of interesting musical things with percussion instruments. Several PTA members checked out the site and found it may be of interest. Motion to allocate funds ($500) by Aimee, 2nd Kristy, passed. May 23rd has been set aside as a tentative date.

Mrs. Morin: unable to attend.

Funding requests:
• Adult education did a workbook/packet in the past for incoming kindegarteners. They were pricey, so they have lost their budget. They are asking PTAs to support this. Mrs. Moody mentioned that we have other ideas that are less expensive for this purpose. We chose not to support.
• Motion to allocate funds for snacks/juice for the kindegarten screening by Ellen, 2nd Veronica, passed. Veronica will assist and organize this, and GEPTA will have a table with information.
• Motion to allocate $50 for a Target gift card for Scott Brann, custodian, who just had a baby. Motion by Paula, 2nd by Ellen, passed.
• Mrs. Murphy is due in May and Mrs. Hersem in June. Motion by Ellen, 2nd by Tiffany to allocate $50 for gift cards for these staff members as well. Passed.
• Peg Long, special ed director, lost all of hr belongings in a fire last month. The schools have been taking collections to assist her family. Motion to allocate $100 (as a check) by Paula, 2nd Ellen. Passed.
• Motion by Ellen to allocate additional funds to support the reading incentive program. 2nd by Tiffany, passed.

Family Fun Nights
• Beach Night went very well – thanks to all who volunteered. Only feedback was that the hot dog steamer didn’t cook fast enough, so we’ll do another solution next year. The daytime event was also well received, though we didn’t get very many volunteers to help with that.
• Ideas to create a scrapbook or other way to keep our photos from the Family Fun Nights and other events.
• April 12 is DEAR (Drop everything and read) day. Which was created to celebrate Beverly Cleary’s birthday. We will plan to have kids come in their PJ’s for bedtime stories, cookies and milk, etc. To be held at LER in he gym. Aimee will make up a flyer and email it. We also need signs for the bulletin boards. We will do a door prize for several Beverly Cleary books and some Love to Read t-shirts.

Playground:
• The plans from Miracle are available now, and they are well liked.
• There has been very little response outside of the PTA members to assist, and more volunteers are really needed. We need to send out some specifics in order to get people to join in the effort.
• Fundraising plan – Family Fun Magazine. We sell subscriptions for $10 and we get half towards the playground fund.
• Keep Shaw’s receipts towards the playground fund.
• Gift baskets – Tiffany is putting these together for a raffle at the next Family Fun Night. Tickets will also be sold at the parent/teacher conferences & book fair.
• Kristy to make sign that we can use to explain why we are fundraising for the playground.

RVCS Book Fair
Tiffany passed around the list for volunteers to assist at the book fair next week.

Parent/teacher conferences: we decided to provide food for both schools from Subway. April 8 at RVCS and April 16 at LER.

Teacher Appreciation Week: May 5-9. We will organize a way for parents to participate by sending little trinkets and notes to their teachers during this week. PTA will distribute the spring classroom support money ($50 each) during this week. We will also do a breakfast on Teacher Appreciation Day May 6. Motion to allocate funds, Ellen, 2nd by Paula.

First day celebration – committee to meet and start planning on Wednesday, April 23 at 9a.m. at Katherine Kollman’s house. Directions to be emailed.

Activity Day – May 16 at LER during the day, instead of after school activities. There will be many crafts, activities and workshops. It is funded by a grant. Volunteers are welcome.

Recycling fundraiser – recycling traditional shaped yogurt containers between 6 & 32 ounce sizes and we get money. Boxes are in the offices. Ellen motioned we sign up for the program. 2nd by Jill, passed.

Motion to adjourn, Ellen, 2nd by Paula, passed.

Next meeting: May 6 at RVCS

Scholarship committee met after the meeting to look at the candidates for the 2008 scholarship awards.