Posted 11/16/11
PTO meeting--Oct.16, 2011 7pm
In attendance: PTO board--Liz Bone, Amie Tracy, Katie Girard, Jeanette Masachi, Ellen Donnelly, Ruth Griffiths, Cheri Mustain, and Donna Hutton.
October Events:
Book Fair-- Week of October 17th with an evening conference on Tuesday this year. Help is still needed on Weds. 19th for sales and for clean up on Thurs. the 20th. New this year-on-line sales starting on Thursday Oct. 6th, forms will be given to your child.
NOTE** This is a PTO fundraiser that allows teachers including the specials to order books that they need or want for their curriculum. We do not actually raises money.
Bake Sales--Christine Walbridge is handling the bake sales for the school this year and will let us know when it makes sense as to when to hold the next sale. We will keep you posted in Monday emails. Thank you Christine for organizing the last bake sale at the Fall Carnival we were able to raise about $300.00!
Halloween Hustle--Registration deadline that will include a t-shirt is October 12th. Colleen Cummings is chairing this event and all is set at this point with this event.
School Directory--Ellen Donnelly and Deborah Diana are chairing this project and are expecting delivery of our Center School phone book by the end of October.
Uno’s Fundraiser--Kim MacDonnell is organizing this fundraiser and will let us know when it will be available to us! Thank you again Kim!
Fall Fundraiser--we have someone to chair the Fall fundraiser. Received great ideas and feedback on Fundraisers that Amie and Liz have proposed. Looks like it may be Sally Foster and/or Lunch Creek Farm this year, but we will keep you posted! Script cards will be researched and by Katie Girard and put into effect as soon as possible!
Tour of Homes--great feedback from parents as to how to approach this fundraiser this year. We have many committee heads but still need 2 chair people. Just having 2 people who can spend some time organizing the event behind the scenes and of course be available that day. The past chair-Elisabeth Therrien is more than happy to guide these 2 people along the way. We’ve made it as easy as possible, give it a try! It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year, expecting to pull in $16,000 in revenues!
Please review the new approved Budget for the 2011-2012 school year!
Thank you for the great attendance and we are looking forward to seeing all of you and more for our December meeting (quarterly meetings this year!)
PTO BOARD
Posted 6/22/11
PTO meeting 6/15/11
This was an appreciation meeting and update for the volunteers of the PTO this year. We all socialized and enjoyed some homemade treats amongst the volunteers and their children. Thanks for all that you've done all year we truly appreciate it as do the teachers and administration!
Updates:
Changes in PTO--
1. Quarterly meetings--it is imperative we have parents join our meetings. We are going to move forward with quarterly meetings for the 2011/2012 school year in hope that we will receive better attendance with a bigger agenda. In order to vote on supplies, programs, etc. that the teachers/parents are requesting we need you to be in attendance.
2. Focused Fundraisers:
For example:
1. The playing field in the back of the school.
2. Technology--2 IPad carts (25 IPads tht are charged on the cart)
3. LPAL--an enrichment program represented by the parents in Longmeadow
(working with Superintendent Marie Doyle)
3. PTO Board next year will include:
Presidents: Liz Bone and Amie Tracy
Vice President(s): Need (please contact Liz or Amy if interested)
Treasurer: Ruth Griffiths (she's looking to co-chair with someone)
Secretaries: Ellen Donnelly and Cheri Mustain
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Fundraiser Updates:
Fall Carnival--chairperson-Amy Higgins--the KEY club will again be a major participant at this event. It will be held on a Friday within the first few weeks of school. More info to follow.
Scholastic Book Fair--Thank you Lauren Walt for running this program for 16 years!!!! She is ready to hand it over to someone, and is more than willing to help you every step of the way. FYI--this fundraiser goes directly to the teachers in books that they have purchase for their classrooms, this includes specials and the library.
Halloween Hustle--co-chairing Colleen Cummings and Ruth Griffits--more info to follow
Picture Day--we have a chairperson for this.
Calendar--This will be our Fall Fundraiser. We still need pictures and Donna Hutton's daughter-in-law will be putting this together over the summer, but there's still time to submit!!
Tour of Homes--need a chairperson--We have some leads on houses already so it will be pretty easy. this is a BIG fundraiser for the PTO. Need many volunteers.
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Thankyou in advance for any time you may have to offer the PTO next year!! Have a great summer!!
PTO Board
Posted 5/4/11
PTO MEETING April 28, 2011 7pm
In attendance: PTO Board--Amie Tracy, Liz Bone, Elisabeth Therrein, Ellen Donnelly and Cheri Mustain. Principal Donna Hutton and teacher Ms. Richards.
Guest speaker: Tom McCabe--author and story teller.
Approx. 20 parents in attendance as well.
Co-President of PTO-Amie Tracy
Reminder that the Golf Party is next Friday May6--golfers just about at max of 100 golfers!! Golf party begins at 7pm still time to sign up as guests! Will need volunteers for during the day and the evening, please contact Lee Allenuck for more information. Also still need items to go in gift bags and for auction.
Longmeaddow Days--Christine Walbridge is organizing this booth. We will need parents to work one 2 hour shift to sell tickets for the big raffles. You have already received tickets and raffle info in your child's Thursday notices. Please contact Christine with an email address or phone number if you are able to help with this event--weekend of May 21 and 22.
Co President Liz Bone
Earth Day preparation is under way. Please remind your child(ren) to colorfully decorate the Big Y bags they received and return them by next Tues. May 3rd. On this day parents are welcomed to join their child(ren) in the Center School clean up, spread some mulch or rake some beds, and feel the community spirit!
Also next Weds. is the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. Please contact Diane Peluso if you'd like to volunteer in some way or make a monetary donation.
Disability Awareness--Big thank you to Colleen Bennett for once again organizing our fabulous plays and info sessions throughout all of the classrooms during the month of April. And thank you for all of the parents who participated in this process, it was a great success, and the students look forward to it and enjoy it!
end of notes of PTO
PHENOMENALPRESENTATION BY TOM MCCABE--please visit his theater in Northhampton--Paint Box Theater
Posted 3/15/11
March 3, 2011
PTO Meeting
Present--Liz Bone, Elisabeth Therrein, Ruth Griffiths, Cheri Mustain, and 3 parents.
1. School Budget approved $700,00+ on district website for your review
2. Book fair--running week of the 14th. Lauren Walt is organizing this event, still have evening hours to fill
for evening conferences.
3. Disability Awareness--contact Colleen Bennett if you'd like to volunteer. At this point she has not one
person for the Kindergarten program.
4. Box Tops--send them in!!
5. Playground equipment purchased by the PTO--flag football, soccer balls, playground balls, jumpropes,
hula hoops, etc.
6. Golf Tournament--planning is going well. Not just a golfing event, dinner fun too--May 6th.
7. Winter Festival--Paula has it still in her thoughts
8. Assembly--Wright Bros. being rescheduled due to snow day.
9. Request for funds--$192.00 for newspaper--copying 5th grade to hand out to all Center School families
submitted by Correna Roberts.
---PTO is also paying for the egg hatching program.
End of meeting, next PTO meeting will be in the evening.
Posted 2/10/11
PTO MEETING February 8, 2011
Board Members present: Liz, Amie, Ruth, Carolyn, Ellen, and Cheri
President
-Conflict of Interest Policy-voted on and approved
-Enrichment program based on STEM-school committee providing $2000, PTO voted and approved supplementing the program up to $2500. Will be free to the students, other than material fee. Neighboring towns are using the same programming and enjoying them.
Treasurer
-We are tight on budget but book fair and golf tournament are expected to be a big part of our funds. Please see Treasurer report on Website for more specific information.
Golf Tournament--Golf Party-involves the children beforehand with an art show and some preliminary family activities in anticipation of the Tournament. Nice dinner being served that evening to invite more women to this event. Still need help and volunteers the of the tournament, May 12th.
******************************************PARENT SCHOOL****************************************************
Parents you missed a great learning opportunity about Substance Abuse Prevention
I will post some notes gathered during the lecture, but please try and attend the PTO meetings since so much wonderful information is given during Parent School. Thank you!
Risk and Protection Factors
Individual Risk Factors
1. genetic vulnerability-50% to be "at risk"
2. poor impulse control
3. early aggressive behavior
4. sensation seeking orientation
5. mental illness (61-88% of teen with SUD's-Substance Abuse Disorder)
6. early use-before age of 13-40% SUD's, 4X the risk
7. trauma history
8. adverse childhood experiences
Family Risk Factors
1. poor parent-child bond
2. chaotic home environment
3. ineffective parenting
4. family alcohol/drug use or mental illness
5. family history of alcoholism (4-10X more likely)
School Based Risk Factors
1. Academic failure
2. low commitment to school
3. inappropriate, shy, or aggressive classroom behavior
4. rejection by conforming group
Community-wide Risk Factors
1. perceived external approval of drug/alcohol use
2. availability/access within the community
3. community norms
Individual Protective factors
1. social and problem solving skills
2. emotional. awareness & regulation
3. high intelligence
3. low childhood stress
Family Protective Factors
1. parental involvement and monitoring
2. clear parental expectations and consequences
3. low parental conflict
caring relationships with siblings and extended family
Great lecture, great discussions, hope you can make the next Parent School!!
Posted 10/24/10
Click here to see the October PTO minutes