Parent Teacher Information Committee

February 2009 meeting minutes

The next SPE PTIC meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 10th at 11:30am in the back room of the Library. Please mark your calendars and join us.

Principals Report

CSAP reading testfor 3rd graders is being held now, Feb 10 and 11. CSAP testing for 4th and 5th grades will occur the week March 16-20. Please be aware of CSAP test dates for you child and make every effort to have your child in school for CSAP testing. If a scheduling conflict does exist, please notify your child’s teacher in advance so the test can be rescheduled.

The school is working with the kids on the topic of “Bullying.” The message is that mean words or name calling is also a form of bullying. The school has an integrated approach to teaching social skills which include the school virtues, PBS or Positive Behavior System, and in-class projects. For example, in Art class the students have painted pictures of what bullying looks like. These pictures are on display in the bulletin board in the arcade. The three rules of PBS are Be Ready, Be Respectful, and Be Safe.

New Business

Class size.PTIC supports smaller class sizes. The Board of Education will discuss this topic at the February 23rd meeting at 6pm. School Board meetings are held at Centennial Hall/Citizens’ Hall Meeting Room at 124 10th Street. Parents are encouraged to voice their support by attending this meeting. If you cannot attend, please consider e-mailing your concerns to the School Board at . An article in today’s Steamboat Pilot at the link below provides further information on the issue.

Ambassadors. The need to assist new students and families integrate smoothly into our school was identified. Laura Hetrick and Michelle McNamara have developed the concept of “Ambassadors” to welcome new students and families to SPE in the fall for the 2009/2010 school year. They would like a parent volunteer from each grade level to participate. The time commitment would be minimal. They would also like a Spanish-speaking volunteer. If you are interested, please contact the New Families Ambassador Chair, Laura Hetrick, 846-3985 or879-1374 or with any questions.

Study Club: Need extra assistance on your homework? Want tostudy with a teacher instead of Mom or Dad? Wantsome extra practice on your skills? Then Study Club isjust the place foryou!! We will join together to completehomework before you ever get home.

Who: SPE 2nd thru 5th graders

Where: Student Lounge at SPE

Dates: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Feb 23—Apr 15)

Time: 3:30—5:20

Cost: $6 per afternoon

**snack included**

Registration forms are available in the office. Please submit your registration by Friday, Feb 13th so we know we have enough participation to offer this program.

Teacher Wish Lists. Requests for $5,610 were approved. See list of approved items at end of this e-mail.

March Parent Teacher conferences.The PTIC will be providing dinner on March 12thfor teachers who will be working late to hold conferences with parents. Volunteers are needed to provide dishes for this meal. Please contact Sue Winters at r Susie Amsden at ho are co-leading this effort.A sign-up sheet will also be circulated at the March PTIC meeting.

Parent Teacher Information Committee

February 2009 meeting minutes

Teacher Appreciation Week: Is the first week of May, or May 4th through 8th. Becky Schmidt, Charly Rotermund, and Mary Darcy have volunteered to co-lead this effort. They will need lots of parent volunteers. In the past, a parent from each classroom was identified to coordinate children’s gifts toward a teacher gift basket. We have approximately 35 teachers to appreciate which means we need at least 35 parent volunteers to make this event happen. Additionally, a pot luck luncheon is served to the teachers by PTIC parent volunteers. We also need parent volunteers who are willing to cook, set up, and clean up from this event. Please make time in you schedule to volunteer for this event. Our teachers need to know that we love them!

Student Council Report

Safety of Drop-off and Pick-up. Student Council raised concerns about the un-safe driving behaviors of parents before and after school. They would like to remind adults of thefour rules for parking lot safety.

  1. Do not park in the handicap parking spaces unless you have a permit.
  2. Do not use a cell phone while your vehicle is in motion.
  3. Do not leave your car parked in the parking lanes. Lanes are for drive-thru traffic, parking spaces are for extended stays.
  4. Do not leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running.

Pennies for Peace. The penny collection will end on Feb. 13th. In support of efforts to bring education to children in need, all of the funds raised from the Valentine deliveries willbe dedicated to this cause. Approximately 165 valentines were ordered for delivery to students and teachers. For every book sold, 50 cents was earned towards this program. It is estimated that ~$400 has been raised. Nice job, Student Council!

Lift Up Food Drive. The next community service project will be a food drive taking place in the month of March.

Spirit Day. Will be held on March 17th in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Students may wear as much green colors as possible.

Christmas Wishes: The Holiday Stomp raised ~$450 to support families adopted SPE for the United Way Christmas Wishes program. An additional ~$200 was raised by selling “I am Thankful” bags. Wonderful work, Student Council!

“I am Thankful” bags are still available for purchase from the school office for $5.Please give a special “thank you” to Wendy Puckett who donated all the making of the bags.

Upcoming Events

Feb 12th – Donuts with Dad from 7:45 to 8:15am in the school gym

Mar 12thand 13th – Parent Teacher Conferences (dinner provided by PTIC)

April – Flower sales fundraiser

May 13th – Muffins with Mom

May 21st – Art Show (volunteers needed to mount & display art)

May 28-31st – Carnival fundraiser (tentative)

June – End of School picnic (tentative)

Sincerely,

Bethany Aurin, Chair

Laurie Good, Treasurer

Mary Darcy, Volunteer Coordinator

Parent Teacher Information Committee

February 2009 meeting minutes

Teachers' Wish List
Request / Justification / Approved
Kindergarten
Wooden table & two chairs / for dramatic play area / $150
Take home books / to replenish classroom library / $750
1st Grade
No requests at this time. / $0
2nd Grade
Disposable Cameras / for producing RouttCounty land form photo journals / $450
3rd Grade
Listening Center / to support reading instruction / $650
4th Grade
No requests at this time. / $0
5th Grade
Four I-Pod mini's w/ microphones / to support writing instruction through development of Podcast scripts / $1,600
Art
Digital camera / to take pictures of student art & post on school website. / $300
Music
I-Pod & voice recorder / to organize & index all the music on CD's for better storage & access / $270
PE
Plastic sleds / Used sleds welcome. / $100
Special Ed
No requests at this time. / $0
Counselors
Steps to Respect / a bullying prevention program / $750
Other Requests
Microwave oven (2) / Two of four microwaves in the Teacher's lounge have broken / $300
Dish clothes & towels / for Teacher's lounge / $40
Share Ben Franklin speaker / to teach American history / $250
Grand Total / $5,610