PTO Meeting Notes September 2018

PTO Website

The PTO website (https://www.springavepto.org/) is being updated with new content for the year. Look here for details on PTO sponsored event. Eblasts will continue. If you are not receiving the eBlasts or The Link, please reach out to be added.

Facebook usage will continue with event content being added to an additional reminder.

D105 Back to School Night

This Friday! Event is free for all D105 families. Coco will be shown.

Fall Fest – Fri. Sept 21 - Expanded

Next Friday. Also a free event. Pumpkin painting, jumpies, etc. Mr. Lawson has requested that parents pick up painted pumpkins when you leave. Last year there were ~50 left. Volunteers are still needed. Reach out to Becki Sand, Erin Eder or Emma Sheehan.

The Peace Rock Garden dedication is 4:40pm before. The Peace Pole near the Kindergarten door is being expanded with all the painted rocks from the ACES’s initiative last year. Stop by before the 5pm start of Fall Fest.

Clever Fig is running a Spring Avenue contest for the kids. Have your child create a custom crepe recipe using this form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6m-4n_2ZNlP5deZro24-Nib_N-BR3Ncaj7wra_HCx652iCg/viewform). Best recipes will be selected and voted on at Fall Fest (9/21). Winning crepe will be featured as a recipe in their restaurant

Bigger, better PTO Table. Come find out more about PTO offerings, sign up sheets available. External clubs will have information.

D105 Care Closet Collection Drop Off at Fall Fest – This year D105 is collecting winter clothing for area families. You can bring and drop off. For Fall Fest, there is a specific drive for food for the Care Closet. Bring school compliant snacks (i.e. nutrigrain bars and pre-packaged Goldfish). The D105 Care Closet is a year round initiative to support those in need in our community.

New Reimbursement Procedures

Ramya Tallarovic has streamlined the PTO reimbursement procedures to all digital. See the PTO website for procedure, if you’re not already familiar. It’s pretty fantastic and easy to turn things in.

Budget

The PTO worked hard a budget. Focus on fundraising is similar to last year. No selling fundraisers. Social events will drive the effort. Budget has been set, if you have questions about what it is and what that covers, reach out to your committee chair. Emphasis on requesting additional funds before spending was made.

New this year, all Room Parents will be given $20 per classroom party to distribute to parent-hosts. No reimbursement required.

Tax Exempt Forms are always accessible the PTO website. Save the PTO a couple of bucks and look it up when purchasing from our local retailer.

Adult Social and Parent Parties

If you are interested in hosting one of the PTO parties, please reach out Ann Potter and Keri Tyrrell. Ann and Keri are heading up the Adult Social. The party will be Friday, January 25th. More details to follow. If you have an idea want to host, they want to hear your ideas. $10/ticket will goes toward host expenses.

Two PTO Socials Parties that were sold at last year’s Adult Social are coming up.

90s Party – Hosted by Amy Bailey and Natalie Zirk – Sept 22

Boecktober Fest – Hosted by The Boeckman’s – Oct 6

If you didn’t by tickets and are interested in attending, please reach out to the hosts and make a check out to ‘Spring Avenue PTO’. As a general rule, most PTO socials can be extended to accommodate interest – only a few have hard space constraints.

Book Fair

With conference schedules being split across two calendar weeks this year, Book Fair will be handled differently. The Book Fair dates are Nov 14-16. Andrea Hornickle, who has worked on this for many years, is serving out her last year at Spring Avenue and heading up the fair with Grace Diaz, who is taking over. Planning and decisions are still underway with the new timing. With the later timing in the year, the committee is hoping you’ll consider purchasing some of your book gifts for the holidays through the fair. Books beyond kid offerings will be available. The school makes 20% on all the sales. Based on volume of sales, the book fair can make upwards of 45% per purchase. Teachers will have their classroom wishlists again.

Box Tops

Please collect and turn in. If you don’t know what these are, they do provide $.10 per cut out and on many boxes of things you already purchase everyday.

Q BBQ – Hot Dog Company Fundraiser – Sept 17 – 11-9pm

Purchase your meal from 11am-9pm. Proceeds from each purchase goes directly to the school. Your meal planning for Monday – Done! Flyer is on the PTO website main page..

After 3

Fall programming is underway. Coding, Chess, Robotics, Spanish, Sports are being offered. Chess classes were reduced to an hour based on feedback from last year. All classes end concurrently at 4pm and 3:15pm on early dismissal days.

After 3 is looking for parents to help when they can to do kid/class checkins.

Fun Lunch – First One – Oct 19

Currently there are 4 planned for the school year. The first will be Nonno’s Pizza. Additional offerings are being looked at beyond that selections you’ve seen in previous years. Sign up will be through the PTO website at a later date.

School Pictures

They are coming next week. NO GREEN! No teal, no mint, no green. Kids bodies will float.

Lawson Updates

MAP Testing for 3rd, 6th and Accelerated Math 5th graders are underway. Pre-test assessments should have been seen for all grades. Staff is currently undergoing a process to review all these inputs to ensure within grade level all students are getting Challenge and Supports as needed to reach and extended learning goals.

5th/6th Grade Sock Hop – 10/19

First of two. This is a Halloween theme event. D105 staff and principals will be monitor and “chaperone”, but additional parent volunteers needed to be present. Reach out to Elyse Hoffenberg to volunteer.