WES PTO Minutes

10/11/16

Call to Order and Welcome:

Jori Broad

10:02 am

Principal’s Report: Mrs. Drizin

Kindergarten Social:

  • It was a great event and there was a great turn-out.
  • Kim Newell: Technical Support is here today.
  • Book Fair is coming up, Scarecrow Day, and Drug and Alcohol Week.
  • Mrs. Kinka has retired. There is a new person that they have hired and her name is Karen Dewitt. She will begin next week.
  • Mary Therese Sabatino came to the meeting to introduce herself. She is the new Speech and Language therapist at WES and at Conshohocken Elementary. She is here if you have any concerns about your child’s sounds or speech.

Treasurer’s Report: Steph Levin for Meg Edwards

  • Still hoping for restaurant nights.
  • One change is that the holiday shops are a little lower. We are trying to have more affordable items for the children.

Teacher’s Report:

Mrs. Kundtz.

  • Thank you so much for all of the things that you have done, especially the Teacher Fund.
  • She took the Open House video and it is now being used as a” Brain Break” for the students.

Kindness Campaign- creating a peace path on the playground. It walks children through a conflict with different prompts. It’s a rainbow bridge and it helps them to resolve conflict.

  • There is a request from the teachers to have an actual mascot that attends events.
  • We have William the Lion but we don’t have a costume ora mascot that attends any events. The request for Leo the Lion costume that costs $250. It’s on sale for $208 today. The upcycling has agreed to take money from the budget.

Buddy bench: Some of the other schools have this in the district. It’s a simple act of kindness.

The bench is there for a child to sit on if they feel lonely or feel like they have no one to play with outside. Mrs. Kundtz suggested having an upper and lower bench. Mrs. Drizin will follow up with Mr. Doc.

Mrs. Hope:

Thank you so much for the chair pockets for all of the classrooms and for the t-shirts. The t-shirts are so helpful for the beginning of the year and field trips.

Maureen Peters: Responding Secretary

  • PTO emails are up and running. If any liaison hears that the families are not getting emails, please let us know.

Marissa Amirian:

  • We are shutting down the directory on Friday. We hope to get it done in the next few weeks.

Maureen Peters representing Cathy Peduzzi:

  • School Board Meeting will be voting on start date for 2017

Meeting is October 20 at 7:00 PM

Choice one:

  • Begin the Tuesday before Labor Day
  • End June 7

Choice two:

  • Tuesday after Labor Day
  • End June 14

Kindergarten Social: Jori Broad

  • We had a great turn-out and appreciate anyone that was there. We plan to expand this 1-3rd grade in the future.

Kim Newell: CSD Website Information

  • Came to show everyone how to navigate the website. She went onto the WES website to show all of the events going on in the community; it’s a great resource for clubs and sports. If you have a non-profit community group, you can let Kim know.
  • Look under “Links and Resources.” Forms and documents have all the forms for attendance, emergency information, etc. There are great math resources- “Helping with math.” Every unit up through fifth grade has activities, there are Dreambox links, elementary report card guides, and so much more. There are some great literacy activities to help out with the different concepts.
  • Any questions email

Fall Book Fair:

  • Set up is beginning this Thursday night.
  • If there are any Parent Liaisons that see that their class isn’t filled, please reach out to your class (especially Kindergarten parents).

Ice Cream Social:

  • This year we will be asking for donations from all the different grade levels:

Kindergarten: bowls, spoons, napkins

First: whipped cream, cherries, chocolate sauce

Second:m&m’s, gummies, sprinkles/jimmies

Third: chocolate and vanilla ice cream

  • They have four people already helping and they are looking for some other volunteers. Please let Ursula Rotloff or Meg Wesner.
  • Miss Wanda will hold anything that needs to be refrigerated.

Ellen Glendinning: Courtyard project

  • Ellen made a proposal that we utilize the outside courtyard on the side of the library as a learning area. She brought pictures and drawings.
  • She submitted two grants. She submitted it to the Colonial Foundation and to Lowe’s.
  • They would like to see the courtyard outside of Mr. Miz’s room be turned into an outdoor classroom. It could be an extension of the Innovative Learned Lab.
  • They would like to build some trek benches, kid tables, shrubs, and put up some of the colorful awnings.
  • The estimated project cost is about $3,000.

We will not know until January whether we have been selected to receive the grant.

  • The teachers are going to write letters to Lowe’s.
  • We need gardeners, carpenters, landscapers. If you know of anyone thatis interested in helping out with this next spring, please contact Ellen.

Scarecrow Day: Next Friday

  • Parent Liaisons have been sent an email about Scarecrow Day. They would like to have 2-3 parents there.

Co-chairs: Sarah Maizey and Lauren Antonelli

  • If you are available to help, that would be great.

WES Serves: Shira Goldberg

Thanksgiving project

  • Every class will make a classroom Thanksgiving basket.
  • We give everyone a turkey and lasagna.
  • Each class does a project.
  • If you have any coupons, please send them in.
  • The Board has talked about expanding our community service within the community. We are considering doing a Book Fair. The fall Book Fair will be for CHOP. In the spring we will be donating our books to possibly Cradles for Crayons, Laurel House, a school district in need, or other suggested places.

Hospitality Coordinator

  • We are looking for this position. This would be an umbrella person who would be able to help promote hospitality to the school.
  • We would like to have a restaurant day once a month. We are looking for someone to help find people to bake.

Supporting our Specialists:

  • Parent Liaisons for our different specialists. Some of the specialists now have someone but it would entail coordinating with the different specialists to help them.
  • Let Jori Broad know if you are interested.

Box Tops: Steph Levin for Tracy Farnese

  • Winning class was Mr. Miz’s class—they get playground balls and a bunch of other playground equipment
  • Taylor Bryan is the student who won a $10.00 gift card. She is in Mr. Miz’s room.
  • December 1 is the next deadline
  • Please clip your Box Tops. If you turn in Box tops by December 1, your child will get a prize.
  • Class who brings the most in will get a lego tower.
  • Please try and clip the cardboard nicely if you can.

Spiritwear Update: Jori Broad for Cathy Peduzzi

  • We will only be using the previous spiritwear from last year for the past few weeks.
  • We are switching companies and we will have a spiritwear sale in November.

Next meeting: November 9, 2016

  • 6:30 is forhalf hour discussion session
  • 7:00-actual meeting will begin

Meeting adjourned:

11:00 am

Attendees:

Steph Kundtz, Jori Broad, Joy Jacobs, Shira Goldberg, Jen Pearson, Kristin Schwarz, Emily Ounsworth, Ellen Glendinning, Kristyn Sirhal, Becky Smith, Jessie Mancuso, Judy Betancor, Paula Sharkey, Amanda Trayes, Lindsay Heckman, Dana Doresy, Deb Delano Brenner, Marissa Amirian, SariniaFeinman, Maureen Peters, Stephanie Levin, Mrs. Hope, Mrs. Drizin, Rana Bell, Carly Greis, Carna, Liz Discala, Mrs. Secker