WES PTO Minutes

September 13, 2016

7:00 PM

Meet and Greet in the Lobby:

The night started out with an opportunity to sign up for various committees. There were posters displayed throughout the lobby of the various committees and events taking place in the beginning half of the year.

Call to Order and Welcome: Jori Broad

  • Jori Broad-President of the PTO introduced herself to everyone. Please always feel to stop and ask Jori any questions when you see her in the halls or walking outside.
  • Jori introduced the rest of the board:

President: Jori Broad

Vice President: Shira Goldberg

Recoding Secretary: Deb Delano Brenner

Corresponding Secretary: Maureen Peters

Treasurers: Stephanie Levin and Meg Edwards

  • We are going to stagger all of the meetings this year so that if you are working and not available during the day, you can attend a night meeting.

Principal Report: Mrs. Drizin

  • Welcome everyone to the first PTO meeting. It’s been a great start to the beginning of the year.
  • Everyone needs to have their volunteer clearances. The clearances are good for five years.
  • The PTO donated 15,000 for the first Innovative Lab here in the library. Your money is going to great things.
  • There is an “open door policy” atWhitemarsh.
  • She is open to constructive criticism so please feel free to give feedback.
  • Wednesday, September 21 is Community Giving Day. Whole Foods Market in Plymouth Meeting is giving 5 percent of sales to benefit The Colonial School District through the Colonial Education Foundation.

October 8:

Kindergarten social-this is the first time we are doing a social for Kindergarten Parents (adults only please). It will be held at MacGerks on Bethlehem Pike.

Mrs. Litwin : The Responsive Classroom

  • Mrs. Litwin went for a week training on this topic during the summer.
  • This is a teaching philosophy that’s proactive and it develops a positive classroom client.
  • There are four parts:
  • The students begin by learning how to greet their classmates.
  • The second component is the “share.” They practice listening skills and how to accept other students’ ideas.
  • The third part is an activity-this is a team building activity.
  • The fourth part is a message-this sets the purpose for the day.
  • Some of the teachers have decided to do “hopes and dreams.” This is where the students set a goal for the year.
  • The whole idea is that we are going to have respect for one another.

Teachers in attendance:

Miss Kappel-Kindergarten(welcome to her, as this is her first year at WES).

Miss Milarski-third grade

Miss MacGee-third grade

Miss McGarvey—third grade

Ms.Campbell-the librarian and Innovation Center

Treasurer’s Report: Meg Edwards

  • Meg reviewed the budget and shared the various areas.
  • The “Cash back program” is lower because Target is no longer giving money back to the schools.
  • We are trying to shop ourselves for our Holiday Shop so that’s why it’s lower, as we do not know how the sales will be this year.
  • Fund balance is new for the Innovation Lab. We are donating $15,000 for the lab.
  • Expense: The classroom fund is different because we have more teachers this school year.
  • We are now paying for a more deluxe version of Sign Up genius so that’s why there is an expense for this.
  • Meg Edwards is for the outflow of the money whereas Stephanie Levin is the inflow of money.
  • There are reimbursement forms are in the office. Please fill out the form carefully and please make sure when you are purchasing things for school events to keep your personal items on a separate receipt. Please submit your receipts ASAP after you have made your purchase.
  • A motion was made on the budget and it was approved.

Corresponding Secretary: Maureen Peters

  • Informed everyone that there were thank you notes from the teachers that we gave baby gifts to last year and the CMS Odyssey of the Minds team who we gave a donation to help to“worlds.”
  • Please email Marissa or Maureen if you want to get any information out.

Marissa Amirian: Facebook Coordinator

  • WES PTO-We started this last year on Facebook.
  • Please sign up on Facebook.This is where we will post most of our information.

The link for the directory will be posted there. Please make sure to participate in this.

Parent Council Meeting: Cathy Peduzzi-school board member

  • Cathy will go to all of the Parent Council meetings. They are calling them Coffee Meetings. They are open to the public and you can bring your children.
  • These meetings are great and allow you to be able to see a little deeper into what happens in the district.
  • They are at Colonial Elementary School and the next one is at 10/25 at 9:30 am.
  • It’s a great opportunity to meet the Superintendent and school board members.
  • As an FYI- by next September all elementary schools will be air conditioned.

Innovation Room: Ms. Campbell-Librarian

  • The lab is going to be part of the library. It is the perfect size to build our lab.

School libraries are all about information literacy-having the ability to get the information that you need. How to evaluate and know that the information you are getting is good information.

There is a lot that they do in the library.

  • Ms. Campbell is very thankful as this adds a fantastic dimension to the library.
  • We will be having things like K’Nex. There will be a lot of collaborative work and critical thinking. The children will learn Robotics and circuits. Some of these things will be addressed in technology and this lab will allow them to expand on this.
  • We have a 3D printer.
  • The children will be able to design something and learning so many different types of skills. There will be a coding process that will be a step by step process with the robotics.
  • We are planning to have an Innovation Night so that the children can show the parents around.

Library Volunteers:

  • Make sure you have your clearances.
  • She needs help with the circulation desk and organizing the library.

Fall Book Fair

  • We need volunteers.
  • We have a Book Fair Night the same night as the ice cream social.
  • The money earned goes to the PTO in addition to getting scholastic dollars for other purchases.

NEW BUSINESS: Jori Broad

Kindergarten Social:

  • October 8
  • 7-9 pm
  • MaGerks
  • Please respond if you’re coming

Our goal is to start out withour Kindergarten families but we would like to think about this for every grade.

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.
  • They would like to see that 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 don’t have the money right now to do it. Ellen has been working on a grant from Lowe’s that they give out. 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 now of anyone thatis interested in helping out with this next spring, please contact Ellen.
  • Marissa Amirian suggested we put this information on Facebook.

Book Tops:

  • Deadline October 6
  • Last year we made over $2,200
  • Please clip your Box Tops. If you turn in Box tops by September 30, your child will get a prize.

Next meeting: October 11, 2016

Meeting adjourned: 8:09

Attendees: Jori Broad, Shira Goldberg, Deb Delano Brener, Maureen Peters, Steph Levin, Meg Edwards, Donna Drizin, Lindsay Hockman, Rana Bell, Katie Erno, Kass Burns, Anna Berdul, Kristen Stern, Kim McGurk, Ursula Rotloff, Kristen Means, Binh Tran, Jen Sallade, Rachel Yepsy, Amanda Gagnon, Eileen Carty, Danielle Carder, Cathy Campbell, Kristen McGarvey, Cassie Magee, Liz Malarski, Ellen Glendinning, April Litwin, Niezari Parikh, Jordan Kapel, , Robyn Eccelsten, Mindy Davidoff, SariniaFeinman, Maggie Carlino, Heather Mayer, Becky Smith, Kristyn Sirhal, JaimeeSalvato, Sarah Maisey, Joy Jacobs, Tracy Farnese, Jen Pearson, Mia McGuire Archie, Megan Wesner, Suzann Taormina, Melissa Guarino, Jen Pearson, Liz Discala, Kristin Schwarz, Lizanne Halves, Renee Vogt, Marlene Mendoza, Jessica Taylor, Marguerite Coyle, Dana Dorsey, Carrie Meersman, Melissa Kerns, Jessica Marcial, Lauren Antonelli, Amanda Trayes, Marissa Amirian, Katy Giovanisci, Jessica Amici, Katherine Lurie, Paula Sharkey