Pine Glen I PTO Minutes

September Minutes
October Minutes
November Minutes
December Minutes

PTO Minutes – September 2008

Co-Presidents
Katherine Swan
Maria Woods

Secretary
Michelle Grossman

Treasurer
Jolene Fogerty

Co-Vice-Presidents
Joanna DeFrancesco
T. Jane Dwyer

Principal
T. Jane Graham-Dwyer

Teacher Rep
Jacklyn McLaughlin
Alison Varrell

Principal’s Report

It has been a wonderful start to the school year. Our enrollment is at 400 and the school has 23 classrooms.

Thank you to the PTO for a successful Kindergarten Orientation, as cookies, clay, and other crafts were donated. It was well organized and a fun experience for our incoming students.

There was a bus accident last Friday involving the Kindergarten bus on Francis Wyman Road. Apparently a recycling truck backed into the bus. The children were safe and parents were called. Also, a follow up letter was sent home to notify families.

Open House is scheduled for 9/25/08. There will be two sessions from 6:30 to 8:30pm.

Looking for volunteers to help distribute the mulch which was donated to the school over the summer.

Strongly encouraged parents to join the PTO. Paying the dues (15.00 per family) is one important way to support the PTO.

September 11th Assembly was held and the Fire & Police Dept. were in attendance. Dr. Conti attended as well and spoke. A sheet cake was donated to the Police and Fire Departments.

President’s Report
There will be a PTO Town wide meeting for board members to meet with Dr. Conti on October 16, 2008.

Pine Glen Fundraiser information with catalog will be sent out this week, which is an important one, as it is a main source of PTO income.

Meadow Farm Fundraiser – Holiday Station was discussed. It is not a fundraiser, but an opportunity for the students to shop for inexpensive holiday gifts for their families (price range $5.00 and under). It was recommended that the students should be given an opportunity to preview these items prior to purchasing. This was voted on and approved.

Thank you to Jane Lynch and her husband, as her husband’s company donated a Smartboard that was going to be thrown away. She requested $400.00 for a bulb (which is projector, computer, and Smartboard compatible). This motion was voted on and approved by the board.

The importance of Smartboards in the classroom was discussed and the goal is to eventually have one in each classroom. Pine Glen currently has three at this time. *A Smartboard is an interactive screen/tool that connects to the computer and allows hands on learning to take place. Dr. Conti is very interested in this technology.

The annual fifth grade trip Camp Bournedale, located in Plymouth, MA was a huge success. A request was made for two Bournedale Scholarships for $320.00 as a line item. This was voted on and approved by the board.

Thank you to Marie Murray for organizing the PTO sponsored Kindergarten Play date.

There is a date change for the October PTO meeting to October 2, 2008. The PTO meeting/Membership Drive and Ice Cream Social will be combined. A survey will be developed for feedback on PTO participation and membership. When survey is returned families will be entered into a free raffle drawing for preferred seating at any Pine Glen event for the year! Also, a free family photo with “the dragon” will be provided & given to new and current PTO members as well!

High School Musical 2 performance fundraiser, which was passed on from the Superintendent’s office was discussed. This is a Northshore Music Theatre performance and they will donate $10 to the PTO for every ticket purchased (individually or group purchases) as long as Pine Glen code number is provided. This fundraiser was voted on and approved by the board.

Vice Presidents’ Report

There are 117 families and teachers who are current members of the PTO. ***Our goal is 100% family membership.
Campbell Soup labels, Box Tops (for Library), and Shaw’s receipts are being collected by the PTO, so please send them in throughout the year.
We need a chairperson to run the Scrip card program, which are gift cards to be purchased through the PTO. Joanna and Lori Legnon will assist in obtaining more information about how we can run this program more effectively.

Treasurer’s Report

Jolene went over the summary report provided at the meeting of last year’s income and expenses. The PTO received approximately $1,000.00 last year from Shaw’s receipts!!! Keep sending them in – it really does make a difference. The current balance is $9,477.65.

Money has been reserved for the future playground project, which is approximately $3,000.00.

Teachers’ Report

The teachers reported that it was a good beginning of school. They also thanked the PTO for the Teacher’s Luncheon and appreciate the continued support from the PTO.

The teachers also reported that they are very interested in the Smart board technology and would like to see the school obtain more of them for improved learning experiences in the classroom.

There was a discussion about planning a blood drive, as a way to lend support to the community.

Member Time

The importance of families collecting Shaw’s receipts was mentioned as an easy way to earn money for Pine Glen. The box is located in the main office. Box Tops are collected for the library. Campbell soup tops are collected for the PTO as well.
A member requested that a Box Top List be sent home so that parents know what to look for when they are purchasing groceries.
There was a brief discussion regarding where PTO bylaws can be found. They may be viewed on the Pine Glen website.
A member reported Target link problems with her Target card. Information will be obtained on how Pine Glen is reimbursed for this program.

THE PTO NEEDS YOU! DUES ARE ONLY $15.00 PER FAMILY. PLEASE JOIN TODAY SO THAT WE MAY PROVIDE OUR CHILDREN WITH THE BEST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE!!!

Board Contact Information: Please refer to the Pine Glen handbook for board email addresses and phone numbers.