PTB Meeting Notes – November6, 2014

Attending: Rebekah Seaton (President), Nicole Gamache & Megan Bacon (Co-Treasurers) Katie Heller & Elizabeth Policelli(Service), Marybeth Bloom (Ways &

Means), Sally Knowles (Secretary), Nancy Maglio (Former President) and Steve Woznicki (Principal)

Principal’s Report: (Steve Woznicki)

  • Love the soccer goal & story tellers
  • Open Choice Family Pizza Party, October 29thOpen Choice families live in Hartford and send kids to Braeburn, 12 total
  • CREC event not well attended by Open Choice familiesbut well attended by school staff
  • More than half of Open Choice families attended last year; Next year may team up with other schools for this party
  • In the past at Braeburn host families were connected with Open Choice families which helped to integrate them into the community, for example there was a pot lock dinner that was well attended
  • Consider re-initiating this program with help of a liaison, someone with time and knows the history of the kids
  • Veteran’s Day Event
  • Next week veteran visitors to visit the classrooms
  • Reception to follow
  • Braeburn IT guy is a veteran and will participate

Ways & Means: (Marybeth Bloom & Lindsey McPhee)

  • Bake Sale: Chair Jessica Miranda
  • Nice event: sold coffee, drinks, donated cookies and cakes
  • 6am – 2pm
  • Profit: $350 - $400
  • Paul Cryan: Chair Dawne Quinn
  • Google docs used for scheduling
  • 144 families signed up
  • School Pictures: Chair Nancy Maglio
  • Ran really well; Better pictures this year
  • Retake day not a lot of retakes, ran smoothly
  • Consider providing photos for kids who can’t afford
  • Nancy to speak with Photo People
  • Taste Books: Chair Andrea Sweeney
  • As of now profit is $1,662
  • Still waiting on some books to be retuned or money to come in; may need to pay for unreturned books
  • Mooyah Fundraiser: Chair Nancy Maglio
  • Next Thursday, November 13th
  • Braeburn Bash Fundraiser: Chair Marybeth Bloom
  • Recruit a co-chair to “train” to take over next year
  • First planning meeting will be scheduled before holiday break
  • Probably use same venue as last year
  • Ask the parent graphic designer who did Fall Fair invites for this event

Services: (Katie Heller & Elizabeth Policelli)

  • Coats for Kids:
  • Winter great donated to Braeburn families in need as identified by social worker, Marisa Clement
  • More donations are needed to DECREASE estimated cost of $600to cover what is still needed
  • Send the need list to families via flyer and E-news and see what we get
  • Consider making this a line itemin the budget
  • Another possible use of VolunteerSpot.com
  • Extra items needed for Kindergarten classes & The Bridge
  • Next year:Clarify that donations will go directly to Braeburn families
  • Trick or Treat for UNICEF
  • Donations being collected; Treasurers will deposit and write check to UNICEF
  • Checked CharityNavigator.com – 91.8% of UNICEF’s donations go directly to people and programs; 4 out of 4 star rating
  • Most kids do not trick or treat with box but parents/kids fill it themselves
  • PTB will consider whether to continue this for next year or not
  • Backpack Donations
  • Social worker Marisa Clement found out that several Braeburn families need food for the weekends
  • Universalist Church on Fern St. and its Fern St. Community Kitchen will fill provide food for 12 families to go home in donated backpacks
  • Girl Scouts doing a food drive to cycle food back to food pantries
  • Veteran’s Day
  • Parent/Teacher Conference Week
  • Money collected by families to fund food/bev for this week & in March – we used to collect food from families then changed to asking for $5-10 which many parents say is easier
  • Max’s donating lunch food on Monday
  • Line item in the budget for this week to supplement if needed
  • Other schools ask parents todonate money and/or contribute food
  • Holiday Gift Baskets: Chair Jennifer Lemus
  • Family volunteers to provide gifts for family in need
  • VolunteerSpot.com may be useful for keeping track

Treasurer’s Report: (Nicole Gamache & Megan Bacon)

  • Revised the budget
  • Accounting Questions for Group-
  • Review Charitable Contributions as they come in
  • Holiday Baskets may increase this year
  • Playground Equipment will not be in the Donations category
  • Possible donations from families of balls, etc.
  • Landscaping Gardens
  • Keep $100 for possible need
  • Ad hoc funding request process
  • Researched other PTO procedures for ad hoc requests
  • Requests come in, need a process in place for evaluation
  • Megan drew up funding request process proposal
  • Board will continue to review
  • One Book, One School – funded by Lyman Orchard Pie Sales
  • Steve working with staff to determine what book to buy and welcomes board to review titles online and give input

PTOs Meeting Report – Nancy Maglio

  • PTO Presidents Meeting with Nancy and Rebekah
  • 7/11 schools represented
  • Great group and great ideas
  • Bugbee’s Go Card – kind of like the Taste Coupon Book
  • 10% off local restaurants
  • Unlimited for the year
  • TheGoCard.com
  • Wolcott’s outdoor classroom - consider for Bobcat Path
  • Klotter Farms good source for gazebos, benches, etc.
  • Smith & Duffy hosted Hip Hop artist-in-residence
  • Possible event in the spring
  • Rebekah will ask other PTOs the cost
  • VolunteerSpot.com: good for organizing volunteer tasks for events
  • Consider Teacher liaison with the local press
  • Follow-up with another meeting