BPA PTO Meeting October 14, 2009

 Attendance:  All 4 PTO board officers, 10 parents, the principal and 6 teachers

1. Call to Order: Introductions were made among the attendees  

2. Principal's Report:

a .This week is count week- important for funding. 

b. The school yearly audit was done by the district- final report pending but we did well except for a few outstanding accounts from parents behind on tuition and/or cafeteria bills.

c. Specials change from Spanish to Music next week.

d. MS Hoffman wants to buy 15-18 HP mini computers for our new technology classes which start after the New Year.  We have some funding set aside for this ($3,000) but need $6-7,000.00.  Anyone interested in helping in financing this project (through grants, donations or cooperate sponsorship) please see Cathy Hoffman.  Students will be getting lessons in basic keyboarding, Word, Excel and Power point –all depending on grade.

e. Please see the calendar of events that went home last week which included:

Friday Oct 30^th Halloween parties in student classrooms and early release.

Friday Nov 6^th at 2pm-Nine week assembly

Tuesday Nov 10^th @1315-Veterans Day Program which will be outside this year.

Thursday Nov 19^th: H1 N1 vaccinations.  Parents/Guardians will need to be present for VPK and Kindergarten children to receive.  Older grades will be signing permission slips prior but parents do not need to be present.  The vaccine is voluntary.

3. Teachers Report:

 The PTO was thanked for the money budgeted to each class room and special ($100.00)

Connie Hauk could use help with Art and Music these next nine weeks especially with the younger children and for the Veterans and Christmas programs.

Megan Oropeza gave an update on the year book: Samples of books were shown.  Cost will be around $16.00 per book.  All pictures(by disc) must be submitted by the first week of March. Books will be by pre-order only and will be delivered the end of May.

Tina Sizing has suggested that the PTO buy labels stating “donated by PTO” which can be placed in all books that were donated by us.  This will make it easier for Teachers to keep track of their personal books and those that belong to Big Pine Academy.

Mary Kent needs baby food jars and scrapes of fabric for her PK4 class project.

4.  Treasure’s Report:

Book Fair brought in $3,566.58 which gives the teachers $2,338.65 in “scholastic dollars” to buy from the scholastic school catalog for teachers. Thank you to all who contributed to its success. The final for Sally Foster is not completed but it is around $3,500 in sales in which the school will receive half.

5. Eco-Classroom: We have approval from our school board and hope to have by the end of the week approval from the district to proceed with the gate and ramp access to the garden.  Once approved Dean Jones and Brad Ripkey will be putting in the gate/ramp.  Discussion on the type of outdoor furniture to place in the garden occurred and in general the group wishes to proceed with a Seminole type Tiki. A separate email will go out soliciting people who would like to take charge of the “Plant Team” and “Tiki Hut Team.”  John Mucci has graciously volunteered to create a more accurate site map for the teams use. 

6. GLEE Recycle Fair: Program is Saturday November 7^th 9-12.   

See bulletin board to sign up to work the fair. You can work in any of these tables:

- Bake sale table : We are asking for organic/all natural bake goods.-Please donate

- Children arts and crafts table and children’s games 

- Quilt and Disney raffle ticket sales

 -“Go Picnic” box Lunches- These are pre-packaged lunches and snacks.  If we sign up for the on line ordering the school will make 20% off of all purchases.  We are planning to have some on hand for sell from which we will make 25%.  We  may  also have  “3greenmoms” lunch skins to sell which the PTO will make 30% from any purchases.

-Each class will have projects that they have made of recycled material some of which will be for sale and some just for display.

7. Winter Bazaar: Saturday December, 12^th : We would like at least 30 Vendors. Ginny will have a new flyer out soon.  We are looking for volunteers for photographing the children with Santa.  (We already have a Santa volunteer).

8. Winter Shirts- we will send home order sheets for anyone wanting to order a long sleeve t-shirt for winter.  They will have the school logo on them.  They come in either white with navy blue lettering or navy blue with white lettering.  The PTO makes money on every sale.

9. Boondocks Fundraiser- Saturday, February 20, 2010 Mark your Calendars! This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and will need every ones help/participation.  The board has suggested that this year’s fund raiser be for a mobile science lab. Anyone with other suggestions please email us. 

10. Science and Technology Fund: We plan to have the school children decorate about 10-15 boxes to set out at various businesses to collect money towards developing a science and technology fund.  This fund can be used towards new computers (see above principal's report), soft ware, smart boards and our future science lab.

General Announcements/Open Discussion: 

-We have a sign up list for sitting outside Winn Dixie and Murray’s Market for 2 hours on the Saturdays in November selling the Quilt and Disney Raffle tickets –see bulletin board

Heather has graciously agreed to make the posters for the raffles to display when selling the tickets.

-A Thank You to all who helped with the play ground shade structures was sent to the Barometer and Free Press –look for it this Friday. 

Pictures from Open House and Book Fair - September 21, 2009

Questions/comments/suggestions?

Please contact us via email at bpa_pto@yahoo.com. Thank you! 

PTO Meeting September 8, 2009

Attendance:  The PTO board, 9 parents, the principal and one teacher representative

1. Introductions were made among the attendees

2. Treasure’s Report: We have $14,410.57 in our account.  However we have about $1,820.00 in bills left to pay from last year activities (we are waiting for invoices) and $10,734.97 is what we earned last year for our Eco classroom.  That leaves only 1,855.60 in operating funds at this time. 

3. Book Fair: It is September 21-25.  Please see previous August minutes for details.  At the kick off on September 21st from 5:30-7:30pm the class rooms will be open for families to visit.  The PTO is providing a pizza snack.  We will need volunteers to help serve the pizza.  Please see Jessika Rady.  Volunteers are needed for set up, clean up, cashiers and child helpers. Please see the sign up sheet on the PTO bulletin board or speak to Leslie Hughes.

4. Principal Report:

a. the cafeteria floor  that was just placed has several air bubbles.  The principal has addressed the issue with the company that placed the flooring and they are coming to fix it.  Times and dates are not confirmed but tentatively may start on Saturday, September 19^th.  The repairs will have to be done over a few weekends in sections so as not to disturb the class/cafeteria schedules.

b. School Physicals will be on September 24^th.  These are yearly screenings for vision, hearing, weight, height, lice and scoliosis. We will be running them from 0800-1430. We will need some parents for escorting the younger children to and from the cafeteria and RN’s to perform the physicals and paper work.

c. EARLY Dismissals are scheduled for both September 29^th and 30th. Release is at noon.

d. School Pictures are on October 16^th.  PTO will need volunteers to help escort children and maintain some semblance of order. 

e. Veterans Program is Tuesday November 10^th.  The children will be performing. It usually takes place about 1 PM and runs about an hour. 

f. GLEE Program is Saturday November 7th. The  PTO runs a bake sale at this event and we will sell the quilt raffle tickets.  Cathy will ask the teachers about the children making items out of re-cycled material for selling again this year.

g. Christmas Program – tentatively scheduled for Wednesday December 16th

h. LEAD program: Cathy Hoffman is applying again for Lead money for the teachers.  Last year each teacher K-5th got $175.00 for their class.

5. Quilt Raffle:  The quilt was shown at the meeting.  It is absolutely beautiful. Tickets will go on sale starting September 21 at the book fair with the quilt on display for all to view (but not touch).  We will sell the raffle tickets at all PTO functions up till the Christmas Program.  The winning ticket will be picked at the Christmas program. Tickets are $1.00 each, 6 for $5.00.

6. Sally Foster Fundraiser- went home today.

7. Boondocks Fundraiser- we are hoping to have it the end of February this year. We are also selling the Disney raffle tickets again this year.  We will start these earlier also.

8. Commitee Chairpersons: 

-Aluminum Cans: We are happy to report that Nedda is once again going to continue with the aluminum can recycling.  Please bring your cans to the containers outside the school by the middle gate.

-Eco Classroom: Betty is heading the group. Any one wishing to participate please contact her at bripkey@gmail.com

We need new chairpersons for:

-Ink cartridges/toner recycling- all you have to do is mail them in with the paper work and a check comes to the PTO.  We have the cartridges being held on top of the PTO closet.

- Head parent for the Yearbook.  The 6^th grade class and teacher will be working on this but we need a parent to part of the team.  Please volunteer

-Sunshine committee person: primarily buys cards for staff and teachers for their birthdays and sets up teacher appreciation week. Jan Hill has done this for several years and will be happy to talk to anyone considering the chair. 

9. Teachers Report- none

10. Open Discussion:

a. Fundraising ideas were discussed and included

-Selling Koru: an eco-friendly catalog company who will share the money like Sally Foster.  We could sell it at the Glee program and send it home like the Sally Foster.

-Winter Bazaar; crafters and artist will pay about $25.00 to set up their wares at our Bazaar

-selling long sleeve school shirts and or sweat shirts for winter

b. Re-cycling: students and parents have asked for more re-cycling at the school including the Styrofoam trays used at lunch.  We will ask the administration about increasing our re-cycling.

11. Next PTO meeting will be October 14^th at 6 PM.  We are trying a night meeting to boost participation.  Please try to come.  The BPA school board meeting will be next Tuesday Sept 15^th at 6:30pm.

PTO Meeting August 25, 2009

 I. Jessika Rady opened the meeting with a warm welcome back to all our parents, staff and teachers.

 II. Principal’s Report:

1. A welcome was given and congratulations to a great first day of school
2. Our new shade structure over the ramp and new student desks were purchased from FEMA money received from Hurricane Wilma
3. Our school state funding was cut back by $103,000.000 due to state budget issues.
4.  Volunteer hours are needed in any of these areas.   Please notify Cathy if you are interested:

               The Children Health Screens (dates to be determined)

                     Friday Physical Education classes

                     Putting together a new shed

                     New white board set ups.  (These are heavy so volunteers should not have back pain issues)

5. A donation of $1000.00 was made to the school with a request that it be used toward direct education.  Cathy suggested we use it towards the class libraries particularly for the new 6^th grade class whose new books will cost around $800.00  
6. Cathy asked the PTO give money ($40.00) to change the silk screen logo at Lands End for the school polo shirts.  The charge will be to change the name from Big Pine Neighborhood Charter School to Big Pine Academy.  Ginny Haggard will take care of the change.  Anyone wanting polo shirts with our new name please go to the Lands End web site to order.
7. This spring classes will be going to The Theater of the Sea for a school field trip. We are looking into grants or other donations for bus transportation.  Any one with grant application writing skill please contact one of the PTO officers.
8. The front center gate was broken by a delivery truck.  The district insurance and the drivers insurance are working on payment to fix it.

II. Treasurer Report:

1. Hazel went over imbursement procedures for any money spent on behalf of the PTO.  One must first have a requisition filled out and signed by either the PTO president or treasurer before you purchase the item. You must have a copy of the school’s tax exempt form so that no state tax will be charged on the item/s. If you have done these two steps and hand in the proper receipt with the proper requisition then your purchase will be refunded from PTO funds with in five working days. Please do not buy anything on behalf of the PTO without following these steps unless you intend to donate the item/s.
2. The current play ground shade structures have been completed just under budget of around $9000.000.  We could consider adding funds to increase the number of sails that can be attached to the existing pools to increase the shade space.  
3. In the event of a hurricane, we will need help with taking down the shades.

III. Nominations for the new PTO Board:

The following people were nominated and voted in unopposed at today’s meeting

       President: Jessika Rady

 Vice President: Allyson Podpirka

 Treasurer: Ginny Haggard

 Secretary: Betty Ripkey

IV. Book Fair:

1. Lesley Hughes is heading it again this year but it will be her last time.  We ask anyone who would like to head next years fair to contact us.  Since this project is close to the start of school we need a volunteer before the end of this school year.
2. This year’s theme is International Travel. Lesley got volunteers to fill in posters for the fair which will be displayed soon.
3. The fair starts on Monday September 21^st at 5:30-7:30 pm with the student parent pizza party.  It will end on Friday September 25^th right after the children’s lunches.  Monday is also World Peace Day. There will be a display of pinwheels the children are making in art class.  These pinwheels will be displayed along the school fence.
4. Set up for the fair will be Monday afternoon between lunch and before school lets out and clean up will be Friday after lunches and before school lets out.( around 1-2:30pm)
5. Lesley has a sign up sheet for anyone wishing to work at the fair before or after school that week.  See the PTO bulletin
6. Teachers will be asking students to bring in post cards that they have received from various parts of the world or pictures of them from places they went on summer vacations to hang in the Cafeteria. The teachers will also be supplying wish lists of books for any one who wants to donate a book to their child’s class. 

V. Teachers Report: 

The 6^th Grade Teacher Megan Oropeza will Chair this years Year Book Team with our 6^th grade actually working to put the book together.  We will need a few volunteers to help with this project.

VI. Open Discussion:

A.    Jan Hill is chairing the Sally Foster fund raiser this year.  Details will be on our next meeting agenda

B.     We discussed raffling the quilt donation at the Christmas Pageant or the Boondocks Fundraiser.

C.     There is a Sugarloaf Football/Cheerleader fund raising event at the KOA camp in Sugarloaf this Saturday night from 5-9PM.  The cost is $10.00 per person.  Many of our BPA students do participate on these sport teams.

D.    Concern was raised about five board members resigning this past summer and about expanding the school a grade a year without physical space for these grades. We encourage parents who are concern to take these issues up with the board at their meeting since these are board and not PTO issues. The next Board meeting is Tuesday September 15^th at 6:30pm.

VII. Our next PTO meeting will be Tuesday September 8^th at 1:00PM