2011 10 - 04 PTA Meeting Minutes

Sligo Creek ES PTA Meeting October 4, 2011 SCES Gym, 7 pm
Meeting Minutes
Upcoming PTA & School Events October 10: SCES Open House October 13: Picture Day October 28: Fall Festival November 5: Science Play Date Announcement: Low-Cost Internet for Low-Income Families Angela Kronenberg provided information on a new program from Comcast that is now available for low-income families. Families that qualify for Free and Reduced Meals (FARMs) who are not current Comcast customers can purchase internet service for $9.99/month and may purchase a computer for $149.99. If you know of families who could benefit from this program, please pass along this information. More information can be found at www.internetessentials.com.
Treasurers Report (Andrew Schulman, PTA Treasurer) The Balance sheet and the Income & Expense Budget sheets were handed out. As of October 4, 2011, the PTA has $36, 804 in total equity. Proposals for Amending the Budget As a result of the fundraising efforts last year (mainly the Salamander Stride), the PTA has a $15,000 - $20,000 surplus that we would like to spend. Proposals were sought at last months meeting and five were presented tonight for review and voting. Bike Rack: This proposal was put on hold because we may be able to get a bike rack from Montgomery County for free or low cost. Technology: The school administration asked for $8,000 from the PTA to purchase LCD projectors and document cameras (known as ELMOs) for our classroom teachers. These funds will be spent in conjunction with $11,000 that the school is planning to spend on the same items, and this combined total funding will provide all of our classroom teachers with this technology. ELMOs will allow our teachers to display and share a much wider range of information with their entire class.
Ms. Swift reported that the teachers are excited to use the ELMOs and that training for them has already begun. Once purchased, the ELMOs could be in the classrooms within about one month. MCPS would own these projectors and would be responsible for their maintenance. Outdoor Recess Equipment: Sara Collins proposed spending $1460 on new recess equipment, including balls, basketball chains, blacktop paint, double dutch jump ropes, and a "fun ball tower" which (pending MCPS approval) will be cemented in the blacktop for student use at recess. MCPS would be responsible for installing the ball tower. Outdoor Classroom: Debbie Boger asked the PTA for an additional $2500 to fund two charettes ($2,000) and a master plan ($1,500) for developing the shared courtyard space between SCES and SSIMS. This money would be added to the $1,000 that was approved last June. This is the initial stage of a long-term project, and the charette will enable us to see what our community wants from this space and how much support there is to develop it. There were questions from the membership about who would be responsible for the longterm maintenance of the outdoor classroom. Some ideas were that the teachers, students, and parents could be partly responsible for maintenance. Another option is to hire a Garden Education Coordinator. A combination of these options may be advisable. We need to define our partnership with SSIMS on the courtyard, particularly in terms of fundraising and maintenance. NAACP Parent Council: Tiwiya Savoy (chair) requested $700 to hold meetings with SCES parents and MCPS staff, as well as to develop materials for a Black History Month program at SCES.
Voting on Budget Amendments: Technology ($8,000): Approved Outdoor Recess Equipment ($1,460): Approved (If MCPS does not approve Ball Tower, money will be spent on other recess equipment) NAACP Parents Council ($700): Approved Outdoor Classroom ($1,000): Approved. Note: this proposal was amended from $2,500 to $1,000. This money will be added to the $1,000 that was awarded last June for conducting two charettes. Decisions on funding the master plan will be based on the results of the charettes.
Q & A with Ms. Swift Are there picnic tables in the courtyard that could be used for lunch? Yes, but there is not enough seating for all the children in a lunch period (100 kids). Will Academy children by well-represented in the upcoming Student Government Association Elections? Yes. Many Academy students are running for positions this year. Why are there children eating breakfast in their classrooms during class time at the start of the school day and not in the cafeteria? Having children bring the school breakfast to the classroom allows teachers to start instructional time earlier than if they stayed in the cafeteria to eat.
Update on Fall Bulb Fundraiser (Yasmina Mudarres) So far we have about $3,000 in sales. The PTA will receive half of all sales dollars.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.
Minutes prepared by Alice Vorosmarti, PTA Secretary 10/12/11

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Sligo Creek ES PTA Meeting October 4, 2011 SCES Gym, 7 pm

Meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.

Minutes prepared by Alice Vorosmarti, PTA Secretary 10/12/11

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