November 2014 Meeting Minutes

• Call meeting to order.
• Principal/academics report: Teacher committees next week, start looking at first round of data collected in Sept.  Goals for the school to submit to the state.  Thanks to all for the work the PTO did to help make Walk-a-Thon successful.
• Treasurer report: walk-a-thon total more like 19000
  
• Smencils order was incorrect - emily to keep 50 to even out personal cost of ink/paper
• Old business:  

           -Walk-a-thon was a HUGE success
           -Still working on incentives
           -Brookside never came through with meals from BWW & Wendys 
           -Lunch with Ms. Kent - 18 kids - ride Dial-A-Ride $2 /student - inexpensive                  kids meals at BWW , have Big Red come and collect the kids, Nov. 19
           -Homecoming also successful
           -Box Tops - $1,800 coming Dec!!  
           -Book Fair - 500 less than this time last year, still good. We bought about                  1000 in books for teachers/library
           -Smencils - went over well, a little confusing having it next to the Book                      Fair
           -Sucker questions? - some new laws to consider - regulations on snacks                      and etc. during school hours

• New business:  

           -Emily to meet with Brookside to wrap up walk-a-thon
           -Change the dance party - make it bigger and better
           -Definitely want to keep it inside - expand hours
           -Keep it mostly the same, but a little bigger and better
           -Keep it to the first Saturday in October
           -Need to keep the momentum going into the second year
           -Want to keep the parents in the know about what we want to do with the                  money raised from the walk-a-thon
           -Hype up the prizes that were earned this year
           -We don’t want to lose momentum going into the second year!!!
           -Try to grow with incentives
           -Will need to revamp our corporate letters and price points for next year
           -Match Day - need people to cover 10-6.  Takes place on November                           11. takes place in a ballroom at the Holiday Inn. Miracle in Mecosta theme.
           -Biggby night - November 10th. 4-7pm Coupons to pass out.  Can also                         share on social media to spread the word.
           - Movie Night - November 21 - show Mr. Peabody & Sherman - info to go out                on Friday the 18th.  To start at 6:30pm
           -Holiday shop - Dec. 16-18 - same process as before.  Will need people to                   man the shop througout the day.  Want to sponsor those who cannot afford               to shop.  
            -Wreath sales kicked off last week.  
            -Tyson chicken - 24 cents/label.  Jar to collect labels will be in the office.
             Want to send out an email to keep everyone informed as far as                                 boxtops/labels/tyson/shoparoo.  Have envelopes attached to the bulletin                  board so it is easy to have parents drop them.
            -Grant writing team - Erin & Dave - working on grant writing to benefit the                school.
            -Recycle week - sometime in the spring to do a recycle week which could                  include funding factory, crayola, and smencils.  Milk jugs in April.  Some                  kind of treat reward with that.  Have buckets for each in the school.  Put up              fun facts about recycling to put up on the board.
            -March is reading month.  Will also have book fair that month as well.  
            -Riverview Rocks shirt in the spring?  Trophy & shirts place said he would                    donate shirts to  class with the winning design.  Perhaps doing shirts again                in the fall.  Put out a last call for T-shirt orders again as well.  
            -Back to Walk-a-Thon.  Make it bigger!!

    -Need to encourage teachers to take field trips.  They usually take one per        class.

            -Ipad airs ordered through the tech department.  Cart for the ipads.  The                  cart is not the hold up. They run around $1200.  Looking for a less                            expensive option.  
            -Chrome books are a hot item around the school.  Small laptop that runs the              reflex math, reading and etc.  Teachers use them all time.  
           -Put out a notice for Art volunteers??  Several parents may be able/willing to
            volunteer for art time.
           -The playground flooding issue should hopefully be covered by the sinking                  fund.
           -We want to use the money for something visible, so everyone can see where              the money goes.
           -Gaga pit?  Pictures of kids in the halls?