Tuesday May 5, 2015 6:30-8:00 p.m.
May 5, 2015
>Next Meeting: June 2, 2015
Come to two consecutive meetings at PTO and you are a voting member!
Presidents: Jenn Irvine (JI) and Kevin Fudge (KF)
Treasury: Andy Forbes (AF) and Jennifer Lewis-Forbes
Recording Secretary: Sarah Evans
Principal DeFrancisco (KD)
6:30 INTRODUCTION and SPECIAL GUEST
Quick introductions around the table. because we have a special guest from school committee.
Bill Hayner at bill_hayner@comcast.net (BH)
School committee assigns liaisons to schools. I am the Hardy and Thompson laision. Any way we can help we will. Not so much money but you can ask me to bring up issues with Superintendent and if approved the issue goes in front of school committee meeting.
Cedrine Bell question: What is progress of elementary school handbook?
BH: Community relation committee meets this Thursday May 7 to finish up.
KD discusses playgound situation now – 60K bill for safety repair and only 20K in budget. Diane Johnson is looking for the other 40k but nothing done yet. Playground is broken. School committee has had list for three years. Bill says he thought that this was done or at least the issue is done.
Cheryl Fudge (CF) chats about the short and long term plans. KF says what about Stratton kids? With two portables on playground for 2 + 3 graders? Space is blocked and we can’t add more kids. We have space in the front. What do we do before 2016-17 year?
General discussion: Price of a new 500K. So what does that mean – can we use capital planning? Can we use volunteers? What is the plan in terms of permanent fix?
BH: Safety has to be dealt with yesterday. We need to find the money.
JI: We fixed a bunch of safety issues ourselves.
KF: Part that is off-putting is that we’ve got the estimate. We know what needs to be fixed. I don’t know if we can wait until money is freed up. We’ve had a report before I took the position that the playground wasn’t safe. Until its defined who is responsible – Hardy owns it, not the city – so for awhile what happened is that the parks recreation was charged to fix it, they didn’t, ping-ponging back and forth.
General discussion: Need to decide - who is responsible for school playgrounds? No one is responsible so the playground has been lost in shuffle.
BH: I will approach town manager and superintendent. I'll return with answers.
6:35 PRINCIPAL REPORT
Just finished council meeting before PTO meeting and we talked about math week. Math week is June 1-5 and I might be giving details over again from the last PTO meeting.
First day – build up math week – KF will have a special math outfit to wear.
TWTH – math mornings from 11:30-1:00ish (too much last year to do one big all-school event.) might tweak start times depending on lunches.
J2/T-K-1st scavenger – need 20 volunteers for kindergarten. 15 from first grade
-can bring younger siblings to this one. Though parent has to go with scavenger hunt. The group moves around.
J3/W-2nd -3rd = planes and flight – volunteers needed: 10 from second, 3rd needs 10
J4/Th – 4th-5th = measuring by smoot – volunteers needed: 4th needs 12 , 5th grade needs 12
We also need materials – we’ll chat with PTO. In school council we researched the Playdoh for Friday afternoon for K-1st. For 2nd-3rd Orgami (math-based). For 4th-5th is general manager of Red Sox to talk statistics with baseball. He is coming in morning.
Another thing. In council. If you know a council member – reach out to them and tell them why you go to the class websites. Why do you go? We are trying to figure out at council what teachers need to give to parents. Goal is to be more consistent with communication. Think about what you would need. What is manageable for teachers and helpful for parents? Get information to council members. Maybe think about a survey monkey. The information will be pooled to council and be put into school improvement plan and everyone has a homepage template for teachers that can be customized but at least those core things are there.
Working on placement. We will have four kindergartens. Hardy has 80 registered students for kindergarten in 2016-17. Two fifth grades. Net increase is one classroom. The computer lab will be classroom. Working toward a 1:1 iPad for kids so we don't need the computer room. We aren’t capacity for 2016-17 and 2017-18 but after that we are full. Will be hiring, I think, a first grade teacher. We are trying to figure out how to shuffle. Maybe hire a third grade teacher and first. Not sure who will be displaced. Superintendent says Thompson is full. Hardy will up near 400.
Kindergarten puppet day is May 15. Parent tours is May 27-28. Though this may not be the fall tour. Could use parent volunteers. May 15 is deadline for placement issues. Late May is placements. Then wait for new students in July and August. So class lists will be sent in August. The principal may contact folks re: placements.
(Up to 370 for next year.)
6:45 School Day Picture Vote secret ballot – majority wins.
Hardy contract was up so PTO voted for new vendor.
Coffee Pond Photography is winner. https://www.coffeepond.com/
6:55 Pto Events 2014-2015
Jump/Walk-a-thon 5/15 (Melissa Jacobs)
Down one box of oranges. All set with food. Monitors – important to have them on the street before end of school. Fifth graders just get up and go! HS students need community hours so they will be out there – a few. 250 kids walked last year! Right now we have 6 adult monitors. Waiting to hear back re: selectmen and street closures. Fundraiser! Kids get pledges. We ask for HASP roster and they send the kids!
5th grade flower sale 5/8 – flowers ready to go!
Math Week June 1-June 5 (any PTO assistance needed)
Colonial Day June 18 (Eva Bitteker) meeting had a good turnout and lots of sign ups.
5th grade graduation 6/17 contact 4th grade parents with info – info going to 4th grade parents.
Field Day 6/12 (1st) Michael/Vic Rain date 6/15 – working on meeting with Linda to run through everything. They are going to tweak things – all three did it last year.
Family/Science BBQ 6/22 – Monday. Tuesday 6/23. MIT student have committed to coming back to do the science at the event. Different projects this year. They are kicking it up a notch. Hang on to the money – treasurers on vacation that week.
7:10 2015-2016 Nominations
Hardy PTO Board Positions – BOLD is set in that people have confirmed agreement to be nominated.
>President (Co)
Kevin Fudge
"We want to carry things over but we also want to change some things. I want to run things smoothly while incorporating new ideas and people as volunteers."
possible:
Michael Leen?
>Secretary (corresponding) – Jill . keeping calendar up-to-date and talking to KF re: PTO, MCAS, assemblies, etc. Keep up communications to school community. And pushing enrichment with teachers. We have a form. Idea next week is to help facilitate ideas from teachers and let them know what PTO can offer. Goal is that PTO can spend the money.
>Secretary (recording)
Sarah Evans
>Treasurer (Co)
Lots of talk about time commitment. Takes about 3 hours a week.
Nominations:
Cheryl Fudge as co-treasurer
Maybe Lee Powers
Vice President (Grade level)
K-VP
Amy Reese
1VP
Danielle Sullivan?
2VP
Ann Chabra
Jennifer Worden
3VP
No nominations
4VP
Eva B ?
Darcy ?
5VP
Cedrine Bell
Jenn Erby
Other Business
>Heather Carey made a Facebook page.
>Mugar Wetlands building plan alert from Marcy.
>Need photo time for the new members of PTO and VPs in August.
8:00 Wrap up/Schedule June Meeting
Next Meeting: Tuesday June 2 2015
May 5, 2015
>Next Meeting: June 2, 2015
Come to two consecutive meetings at PTO and you are a voting member!
Presidents: Jenn Irvine (JI) and Kevin Fudge (KF)
Treasury: Andy Forbes (AF) and Jennifer Lewis-Forbes
Recording Secretary: Sarah Evans
Principal DeFrancisco (KD)
6:30 INTRODUCTION and SPECIAL GUEST
Quick introductions around the table. because we have a special guest from school committee.
Bill Hayner at bill_hayner@comcast.net (BH)
School committee assigns liaisons to schools. I am the Hardy and Thompson laision. Any way we can help we will. Not so much money but you can ask me to bring up issues with Superintendent and if approved the issue goes in front of school committee meeting.
Cedrine Bell question: What is progress of elementary school handbook?
BH: Community relation committee meets this Thursday May 7 to finish up.
KD discusses playgound situation now – 60K bill for safety repair and only 20K in budget. Diane Johnson is looking for the other 40k but nothing done yet. Playground is broken. School committee has had list for three years. Bill says he thought that this was done or at least the issue is done.
Cheryl Fudge (CF) chats about the short and long term plans. KF says what about Stratton kids? With two portables on playground for 2 + 3 graders? Space is blocked and we can’t add more kids. We have space in the front. What do we do before 2016-17 year?
General discussion: Price of a new 500K. So what does that mean – can we use capital planning? Can we use volunteers? What is the plan in terms of permanent fix?
BH: Safety has to be dealt with yesterday. We need to find the money.
JI: We fixed a bunch of safety issues ourselves.
KF: Part that is off-putting is that we’ve got the estimate. We know what needs to be fixed. I don’t know if we can wait until money is freed up. We’ve had a report before I took the position that the playground wasn’t safe. Until its defined who is responsible – Hardy owns it, not the city – so for awhile what happened is that the parks recreation was charged to fix it, they didn’t, ping-ponging back and forth.
General discussion: Need to decide - who is responsible for school playgrounds? No one is responsible so the playground has been lost in shuffle.
BH: I will approach town manager and superintendent. I'll return with answers.
6:35 PRINCIPAL REPORT
Just finished council meeting before PTO meeting and we talked about math week. Math week is June 1-5 and I might be giving details over again from the last PTO meeting.
First day – build up math week – KF will have a special math outfit to wear.
TWTH – math mornings from 11:30-1:00ish (too much last year to do one big all-school event.) might tweak start times depending on lunches.
J2/T-K-1st scavenger – need 20 volunteers for kindergarten. 15 from first grade
-can bring younger siblings to this one. Though parent has to go with scavenger hunt. The group moves around.
J3/W-2nd -3rd = planes and flight – volunteers needed: 10 from second, 3rd needs 10
J4/Th – 4th-5th = measuring by smoot – volunteers needed: 4th needs 12 , 5th grade needs 12
We also need materials – we’ll chat with PTO. In school council we researched the Playdoh for Friday afternoon for K-1st. For 2nd-3rd Orgami (math-based). For 4th-5th is general manager of Red Sox to talk statistics with baseball. He is coming in morning.
Another thing. In council. If you know a council member – reach out to them and tell them why you go to the class websites. Why do you go? We are trying to figure out at council what teachers need to give to parents. Goal is to be more consistent with communication. Think about what you would need. What is manageable for teachers and helpful for parents? Get information to council members. Maybe think about a survey monkey. The information will be pooled to council and be put into school improvement plan and everyone has a homepage template for teachers that can be customized but at least those core things are there.
Working on placement. We will have four kindergartens. Hardy has 80 registered students for kindergarten in 2016-17. Two fifth grades. Net increase is one classroom. The computer lab will be classroom. Working toward a 1:1 iPad for kids so we don't need the computer room. We aren’t capacity for 2016-17 and 2017-18 but after that we are full. Will be hiring, I think, a first grade teacher. We are trying to figure out how to shuffle. Maybe hire a third grade teacher and first. Not sure who will be displaced. Superintendent says Thompson is full. Hardy will up near 400.
Kindergarten puppet day is May 15. Parent tours is May 27-28. Though this may not be the fall tour. Could use parent volunteers. May 15 is deadline for placement issues. Late May is placements. Then wait for new students in July and August. So class lists will be sent in August. The principal may contact folks re: placements.
(Up to 370 for next year.)
6:45 School Day Picture Vote secret ballot – majority wins.
Hardy contract was up so PTO voted for new vendor.
Coffee Pond Photography is winner. https://www.coffeepond.com/
6:55 Pto Events 2014-2015
Jump/Walk-a-thon 5/15 (Melissa Jacobs)
Down one box of oranges. All set with food. Monitors – important to have them on the street before end of school. Fifth graders just get up and go! HS students need community hours so they will be out there – a few. 250 kids walked last year! Right now we have 6 adult monitors. Waiting to hear back re: selectmen and street closures. Fundraiser! Kids get pledges. We ask for HASP roster and they send the kids!
5th grade flower sale 5/8 – flowers ready to go!
Math Week June 1-June 5 (any PTO assistance needed)
Colonial Day June 18 (Eva Bitteker) meeting had a good turnout and lots of sign ups.
5th grade graduation 6/17 contact 4th grade parents with info – info going to 4th grade parents.
Field Day 6/12 (1st) Michael/Vic Rain date 6/15 – working on meeting with Linda to run through everything. They are going to tweak things – all three did it last year.
Family/Science BBQ 6/22 – Monday. Tuesday 6/23. MIT student have committed to coming back to do the science at the event. Different projects this year. They are kicking it up a notch. Hang on to the money – treasurers on vacation that week.
7:10 2015-2016 Nominations
Hardy PTO Board Positions – BOLD is set in that people have confirmed agreement to be nominated.
>President (Co)
Kevin Fudge
"We want to carry things over but we also want to change some things. I want to run things smoothly while incorporating new ideas and people as volunteers."
possible:
Michael Leen?
>Secretary (corresponding) – Jill . keeping calendar up-to-date and talking to KF re: PTO, MCAS, assemblies, etc. Keep up communications to school community. And pushing enrichment with teachers. We have a form. Idea next week is to help facilitate ideas from teachers and let them know what PTO can offer. Goal is that PTO can spend the money.
>Secretary (recording)
Sarah Evans
>Treasurer (Co)
Lots of talk about time commitment. Takes about 3 hours a week.
Nominations:
Cheryl Fudge as co-treasurer
Maybe Lee Powers
Vice President (Grade level)
K-VP
Amy Reese
1VP
Danielle Sullivan?
2VP
Ann Chabra
Jennifer Worden
3VP
No nominations
4VP
Eva B ?
Darcy ?
5VP
Cedrine Bell
Jenn Erby
Other Business
>Heather Carey made a Facebook page.
>Mugar Wetlands building plan alert from Marcy.
>Need photo time for the new members of PTO and VPs in August.
8:00 Wrap up/Schedule June Meeting
Next Meeting: Tuesday June 2 2015
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