Meeting Minutes Bishop School PTO
October 9, 2013
· Meeting opened with questions – thoughts or concerns?
· Minutes approved
· Principal Update
o Mark thanked everyone and recognized how much goes on behind the scenes
o Mark working with teachers and grade level teams at goals personally, for the grade and for the district
o 4th grade math did not do well as a whole in district – working on what can be done to improve
o New teacher evaluation system discussed which puts Mark in the classroom more than in past years
o Science camp next week
o Bike racks – riding bikes to school has come up – Mark said that it has been deemed a safety issue in the past. Sara Lynch is a kindergarten parent and has taken on the role of parent rep for Safe Routes for Bishop. Jackie Daly has experience with Safe Route, will work with Sara to identify safe routes. Before approved, Mark would like to hold a “bike rodeo” get involved with police and other safety groups to make sure kids know how to ride bikes safely.
o Mark noted how much he appreciates everyone wearing their visitors stickers – discussed the lockdown from today.
· Teacher Update
o Thanked the PTO for the checks for grants, etc.
o Teachers made a generous gift to the annual fund in recognition of everything the PTO does
· Budget Update
o Reviewed budget in the coming year
o Adam provided an overview – detailed budget and a budget summary for year is available on the Bishop school website
§ To date we have made $2500
§ Spent $1850 – mostly on 5th grade science camp
§ Passed out teacher checks $6600
§ Question raised about redoing red playground
· Bill Hahner will ask regarding how to upgrade the playground as well as the third grade door area
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· Event update
o Walkathon, October 11th
o Pumpkin Sale – Saturday, October 12
o Bishop Night Out – December 6
§ Craft Fair -4:00-6:30
§ Only parents and teachers 7:30
o Completed:
§ Back to school coffees for kindergarteners and other grades
· Success
§ Photos PTO fundraising event
· Bishop Play – April 11, 12 and 13
o Dates switched
o Another organizing meeting on November 9th
o Rehearsals and try outs starting during the new year
· Fundraising Update
o Original Works – Shannon Knuth – packets in backpack mail October 25th
o New fundraising program – Tiny Prints: Bishop has its own storefront website – if you buy anything using our storefront – school gets 13%
o Target Redcard update – outdated contact information – contacting school – receive back checks in form of $1,000
· Room Parent Update
o Please copy Heather on all teacher questionnaires
o If teachers need additional supplies that the PTO purchased then contact Heather, she will get from “secret stash” J
· Annual Fund Update
o If you give $100 to the annual fund, $10 Bear Bucks back
· Enrichment Committee Update
o Theme non-fiction
o Three different liaisons for each grade, Sarah Sontag, Maile Hedlund, Skye Stuart
o If anyone would like to join the enrichment committee, please join
o Assemblies:
§ Art Quest – into art classes in June
§ Authors – Melissa Stewart, Jared Krosoczka
§ IRobot – give presentations
§ K-New England Aquarium, Animals in Winter (through Habitat)
· Visual literacy with Melissa Stewart
· Art with Children
§ 1st grade – Eyes on Owls (with touch tables), Habitat, soil program
· African storytelling – component to add on to 1st grade
· Bringing Science to Life – Melissa Stewart
· Art in Africa
§ 2nd grade specific
· Japanese storyteller
· Bridges program – Museum of Science has a bridge program
· Looking into a poetry presentation /workshop
§ 3rd grade specific
· Plymouth Plantation – Wampanoag presentation
· Bay Colony Educators
· 3,4,5 Oragamito – Origami program
· Tentative: simple machines program
§ 4th grade
· Art Quest: Immigration
· Mad Science: Rocks and Minerals
· MOS – Weather
· Chris Lambert – December 3rd
§ 5th grade
· Art Quest: Two cultures meet
· Math Program
· Bay Colony Educators
· MOS – States of Matter
o Sarah Sontag writing grant for getting non-fiction authors to come to school
· Jayme reviewed the Google calendar and PTO website, everything you need for PTO on the website and calendar – check sites or contact a member of the PTO. Great resource
· Meeting adjourned