Mosby Woods PTA
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday March 17, 2015
6:30pm in the Library
I. Welcome & Call to Order
· Meeting started at 6:30pm
II. Report from Administration & Staff:
Due to all the inclement weather, we did a recap of all events since the last PTA meeting in January.
· International Night was a success!
o Mustang families traveled the world to learn more about various cultures. Thank you to all the children who came dressed up and shared a little piece of their heritage.
· Trivia Night was fun by all! The 6th grade was able to raise funds for the graduation party.
· Yard Sale – the rain did not deter us! Families came out to support the school and raised $1,700!
· Spelling Bee
o Congratulations Harsha Harish for moving on to the next round! Good luck!
o The Spelling Bee was video-taped, and a condensed version was shown to the Mustang students.
· Odyssey of the Mind:
o The Mustangs had 4 teams compete in regionals, of which 2 of our teams placed -- 1st and 2nd in the competition. Way to go!!
o The 1st place team will move on to States.
o Recap: It is a creative problem solving competition which runs from local to state, regional, and international level. It is a great opportunity for children to come together and work on completing challenges with quick thinking and creativity.
· Barnes and Noble Book Fair raised $411 this year.
o Thank you to all the families who showed their support by coming to this event!
o Thank you to the teachers and volunteers who came out to support the effort by volunteering their time!
· Skate Fundraisers – VERY POPULAR!
o The PTA received a lot of positive feedback on both the skate fundraisers.
o Fairfax Arena discounted ticket sales raised $623 for the PTA.
o Reston Arena raised $699 for the 6th grade field trip.
o This is a popular event for most schools, and it was suggested that we start booking dates for the skate fundraisers for next school year over the summer to ensure we secure our spots.
o Also suggested that we start these earlier in the school year and do more frequently.
Looking ahead:
· Move Night – March 20th
o Please bring your pillows and blankets as Mosby Woods features Despicable Me 2.
o This will continue to be a community outreach program. No charge for admission, and there will be a nominal fee for snacks and drinks.
o Researching the license requirements and what is required by the schools. Email from VA PTA indicated that no license is required.
· Staff appreciation Breakfast – March 26th
o We try to say thank you to the teachers in a number of ways throughout the year and as part of this we have planned for the Staff Breakfast.
· Einstein Night – Thursday, April 9th from 6:30pm – 8:00pm (set-up 6:00 – 6:30pm) at the new Providence Community Center located near the Vienna Metro.
o So far we have 60 students registered and Dr. Aste would like to see that number go up!
o Recap: Mosby Woods students will be given an opportunity to show off their scientific experiments or inventions, which will be held at the Vienna Community Center.
o Dr. Aste is also looking for parents to come and speak about their careers. It can be any career – not specific to just math and science. Please sign up!!
· Tickets to DC United Game – April 11th.
o More information will be forthcoming so be on the lookout!!
o PTA member will also look into tickets for the Potomac Nationals and the Washington Nationals.
· Staff Basketball Game – Date TBD
o Come join this very POPULAR event as the teachers from two elementary schools flex their muscles and show off their skills in a fun filled/fast pace basketball game.
o This years it will be Mosby Mustangs vs. Oakton Panthers!!
o The game will be held at Oakton High School gym.
o Dates are still being worked out, however it most likely will be held on a Thursday evening sometime in May or the 1st week of June.
o A portion of the proceeds will go to a local charity.
o More information will be forthcoming in a future Wednesday folder.
· Restaurant Night – May 6th at Silver Diner
o Working on securing other dates as this continues to be a popular fundraiser for the Mosby Woods families!
III. Financial Report
· In general, we are in good financial position with roughly $31,000 in the bank.
o There were several new fundraising events we did not have in the original budget that will help with shortfalls in other areas (Barnes & Noble Book Fair, Ice Skating Fundraiser, etc.)
o There should be enough budget at the end of the year to pay for some of Dr. Aste’s wish list.
IV. New Business
· No new business.
V. Presentation
· School Counselors Bridget Kraft and Laura Zinn did a presentation on Parent Resources on Parenting.
· All of these resources are available in the FCPS Parent Resource Center located in Dunn Loring. Mon-Fri 8:00am – 4:00pm. Free!!
i. Thomas Phelan – 1-2-3 Magic
ii. Jay Fay – Love and Logic of Parenting
iii. Ann Dolin – Educational Connections
iv. Richard Lavoie – Information and inspiration for parents and teachers of kids with learning disabilities.
v. Neil McNerney – local counselor, author, and speaker
vi. Kirk Martin – Celebrate Calm
1. Mr. Martin will be speaking at 2 seminars, April 23rd at 7:00pm – 9:00pm and April 24th 9:00am – 11:00am. Both at Armstrong Elementary School and both are free!
vii. Authors Julia Cook – children’s books that address different behavioral challenges.
viii. Bucket Filling – a guide to daily happiness for kids.
· Thank you Ms. Kraft and Ms. Zinn for such an informative presentation!!
· More information on the presentation will be posted on the PTA website and another presentation at a morning time is upcoming before Spring Break.
PTA Planning Session – Saturday, March 21st 10:00am – 12:00pm
Next PTA Meeting – Tuesday, April 21st 6:30pm