April 2015 Meeting Minutes

TEPTO Meeting Minutes

April 6, 2015, 7:00 pm, BGApprox. attendance: 11

President: Welcomed everyone.

Secretary:Shared correspondence received.Made motion to accept March 2015 minutes. Motion passed.

Principal Reports:

Mr. Tom Swanson, Birch Grove:

  • Guest illustrator to visit Birch Grove this week and a guest author is expected towards the end of the month.
  • Kindergarten concerts are coming up.
  • GROW cards and positive office referrals continue to be good incentive for positive behavior.
  • Mileage Club should be starting soon.
  • Placement letters for next year have gone out.
  • Schoolwide surveys should be going out next month.
  • Kindergarten parents/students will be able to take a practice bus run in may; screening to take place to get an idea of where the students are at. Parents can meet with Mr. Swanson while students are being screened.

Mr. Jim Dineen, Tolland Intermediate School:

  • Mr. Z’s class was the over-all winner of the Snow Creature contest. As usual, lots of wonderful, creative entries.
  • SBAC’s are currently being administered. Each student will be taking four tests except 5th grades – they are taking 6 (including the SBAC science pilot test and the CMT science test)
  • 12-13 teachers took part in a math conference in New Hampshire to learn about a new program being implemented next year
  • Placement surveys to go out after April vacation.
  • 5th & 6th grade Funtastic Bash was a great success.

Teacher/Staff Reports:

  • Kindergarten – working on “how to” stories in writing; 2D and 3D shapes, life cycles of plants, maps
  • 1st grade – opinion writing; math – time units; science – animal classification; social studies - Mexico
  • 2nd grade – Japanese tea ceremony coming up at the end of the month; working on multiplication; opinion writing
  • Computers – working on art related projects
  • Library – this is School library month; ipad usage from grant is going well; Reading Hall of Fame is still going on – students have until April 30th to finish up; thank you to TEPTO for books received from book fair
  • Music – 300 students returned Pete the Cat music note sheets; check Mrs. Adams page for concert times
  • PE – field day to be held 6/4/15; reminder – please have students wear sneakers on gym day
  • 3rd grade – Ms. Tyl doing electricity and magnetism unit; words their way (spelling program); social studies – Tolland in the 1800’s – Tolland Day on the Green to be held 5/12; Sturbridge trip coming in June; working on fractions in math
  • 4th grade – upcoming trips: UConn Greenhouse after vacation, Mystic in May, in-house assembly planned for June; science – animal habitats/food chain; social studies – economics
  • 5th grade – Thank you PTO for Freedom Train! Students read about Harriet Tubman; adding/subtracting fractions; science – human body; Boston field trip coming up

Fundraisers:

  • Butterbraid pick up went well – still a few orders that haven’t been picked up. Please call Birch Grove office to arrange for pickup.
  • Spring Book fair – Birch Grove made about $12,500 and TIS made about $11,000; 2nd graders won the coin challenge – approximately $800 collected – books were purchased for the library and reading department
  • Spring Fling to be held 5/9/15 at TIS – volunteers wanted!
  • Meadowfarms Fundraising packets being sent out

Other:

  • Registration open for Cider Mill road race
  • Town budget meetings to be held 4/23 7:30pm at THS and 4/27/15 7:30pm Tolland Senior Center; 5/5/15 is Budget Referendum

Nominations for 2015-2017 TEPTO Board:

  • Co-Presidents – Tricia Byum and Sarah Poulin
  • Vice President of BG – Jenn Gallichant
  • Vice President of TIS – TBD
  • Treasurer – Kim Swartz
  • Secretary – Megan Carmichael
  • Membership – Kim Santini
  • Ways and Means – Sarah Veilleux
  • Communications/Publicity – Tabitha McKown

Adjourned

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