September 2017 Meeting Minutes

• Call meeting to order
  
  • Introductions
    
• Approval of June minutes - Deater
  
• Treasure report
  
  • Mandy - We have about $4000 in checking and around $9000 in savings.  Budget sheets are going around to see what our money is being spent on.  
    
• Teacher report
  
  • Mrs. Zocco - Just working on setting expectations for the beginning of the year.  Everything is going well.
    
• Principal report - Ms. Kent - academics report - Thanks for being here to be a part of our team.  We have around 360 kids in the building this year, and are working really hard on schedules and routines.  We set positive, high expectations for our kids.  The kids are going through baseline assessments right now to track growth throughout the year.  Picture day is Sept. 19.  A lot of our info is available on PTO Facebook page.
  
• Old Business:
  
  • End of year last year - no unfinished business to attend to.
    
• New Business:
  
• Box Tops & Shoparoo
  
  • Katie - Box tops are found on a lot of General Mills products, kleenex, ziploc, etc.  Each class has a goal for the year. We make approximately $1500-2000 a year from boxtops, which we put right back into the school through Scholastic dollars. Shoparoo is an app that you scan your receipt for points too.  Katie has flyers for box tops and shoparoo that will go home at some point.  Also, wants to have a booth set up at the Walk-A-Thon. We have a shoparoo check coming for just over $110.  
    
• Labels
  
  • Becky - We can still collect, though no more are being printed.  We have until May to spend our points.  We have 37,000 points currently.  We can purchase VISA gift cards and other things with our points.
    
• Homecoming
  
  • Need a person to take charge!
    
  • We have a spirit week, and we have a float for the parade.
    
  • Around the world theme - Mt. Everest - making a mountain, and have the kids dress in winter gear.  Emily has milk crates for the kids to sit on, we have used Mandy’s trailer.  Sept. 22 is homecoming parade night.
    
• Teacher gifts
  
  • Typically give checks out at the start of the year- a thank you from the PTO to start off the year - we give $125 for our main teachers, and $50 to the specials. Approved.
    
• Websites - the teachers have Spelling City, MobiMax, Super Teacher worksheets, is something we have been helping the teachers to purchase for the year.  Maybe around $1000-1500 for everything for the year.  Approved.
  
• Basketball Hoops - New gym floor (came from the sinking fund)!!  We have had a request to update the basketball hoops. Will include adjustable hoops. We don’t have an exact quote.  It will maybe be around November to fulfill this request.  This will go onto the next agenda.
  
• Kindergarten teachers CE - Synthetic phonics training at Grand Valley - learning a new way to look at reading and phonics, it is $150 per teacher, and all four K teachers would like to attend.  With the new 3rd grade reading log, this is something that they would all like to learn about.  It would be $600 for all 4 to attend.  Approved.
  
• Kindergarten field trip
  
  • October apple orchard - needs approval - Anderson and Girls Orchard - total cost $796.80 for all 4 K classes.  This is one that happens almost every year.  Busing costs around $4.90 per mile and PTO has covered 100% of the field trips the last few years.  Approved.
    
• Bylaws - passed around.  Let us know if you have any questions.
  
• Bookfair
  
  • Amber - Molly is going to be trained to take over the book fair.  Book fair will be Oct. 23-27.  We don’t raise money, we earn Scholastics dollars, which we use to buy books for the school.  At the Spring book fair we buy every kid in the school a book.  We do an evening event one night during Book Fair week.
    
• Walk-A-Thon - Oct. 7 from 9am-2pm
  
  • Our ONE ASK fundraiser for the year, every kid gets a pledge pack, and then it is up to them to spread the word and get donations.  Each child gets their own website which can be shared through email or Facebook.  We keep about 98% of the money raised.  The company we work with is amazing.  We have incentives to get the kids excited about raising money. We have already pretty much set the incentives for this year.  We do send our corporate sponsors letters out as well.  
    
  • Kick off assembly - this Friday 8:30 - every kid will get a compass at the end of the assembly.
    
  • Kids that register will get their name read over the PA.  Every week we will have a drawing for a Garmin junior.  Any kid who has been registered will be eligible for the drawing.  
    
    • Any 2 pledges will be entered to win the bike.
      
    • $40 - rubber bracelet
      
    • $75 - cardinal fidget spinner
      
    • $100 - dance party during school hours - raffle ticket for every $100
      
    • Raffle - waterpark day pass
      
      • Great Wolf Lodge overnight
        
      • Ipod
        
    • $150 - shoe laces
      
    • $200 - lunch with principal at BWW
      
    • $400 - pedometer
      
    • $500 raffle by individual or family - Grand Rapids Family weekend
      
    • Top earner - trophy, hockey 4 pack at Ferris
      
    • Classroom goal - extra recess
      
    • Top class - pool party @ Ferris
      
    • School goal - $30000 - SLIME MS. KENT!
      
  • Step up theme
    
  • This is the busiest time for us...after this it will be pretty quiet!!  We have to get the ball rolling so we can hit our goals!
    

We ALWAYS need more help!!  We do it because we want the kids to have these fun experiences!!  

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