PTA General Meeting Minutes -- September 23, 2008

Call to order:  6:42

• General Welcome    Sam Shiffman
• Quorum Established

1st order of business:

• Review minutes from 5/19/08; no edits noted. 
  Amy Baskin motioned to accept minutes from 5/19/08; passed via unanimous voice vote.

2nd order of business:

• introduction of PTA members 2008-2009

3rd order of business:

• Establish procedural rules
• Discussion included: voting procedure/introduction/discussing  topic

4th order of business:

Announcements

• Rostreto Roasters donated coffee for both coffee chats which was procured via Sam.
• Reading of PTA Standing rules

SUN presentation
speaker: Corey Heselius

• Corey is encouraging partnering and increasing student/PTA/SUN coordinatio
• She also says thanks to Craig about including SUN on BCS website
• SUN partners with Portland Impact which not only manages the clothing closet but also can provide many community services including rental assistance. If families are in need, they may be directed to SUN.

Spook-A-Rama
speaker:  Kelly Rice

• Co chair for Spook-A-Rama which is on 10/23
• planning underway
• virtual committee being called and conducted via email
• $2500 earned last year. OK w/line item came in 300 under budget
• scholarship might be nice for kids who can't afford it..
• changes partnering more with SUN including returning 9th graders as volunteers
• cakewalk off in the gym +karaoke
• parent sign ups requested
• money to be given up to money people, rather than Kelly Rice controlling it all

Safety Patrol
speaker: Doug McMahon-

• 33rd/US Grant is a DANGEROUS crossing
• 2 kids almost hit, a bicyclist has been hit
• Discussed w/Linda who has decided no students as crossing guards on that corner
• encourage students to cross at Brazee or Thompson and go to 32nd
• Some people want crossing guards,  Doug recommends no crossing there at all
• Kelly Rice wants to know how 33rd and Hancockis--it is much safer. The problem on US Grant is that  most people want to turn which makes it more difficult to find time where there are no cars
• Traffic pattern needs to be rethought because traffic has been directed onto 33rd, which compounds the problem of traffic at 33rd and US Grant
• Grant Park Neighborhood Assoc says they want that to be a heavily trafficked street
• Thanks to Doug for taking it on (from Bob Leek)
• Found 7th graders to be crossing guards which is considered community service. They will get to go to Oaks park at the end of the year

5th order of business: 

speaker: Nancy Drinnon (treasurer's report)--budget

• hoping for 300 membership
• don't need line item for background check, as this is paid for by school, not PTA
• Pta will be selling Math on Call at back to school night
• Magazine sale fundraiser line item is a gross amount; we keep approx 35-40%
• push for Scrip-it is an excellent fundraiser

expenses - discussion included review of following line items

• legislative year/money in advocacy
• bank fees-we are working to lower these
• career fair-8th grade event
• directory
• clothes closet
• family support-may pay scholarships for Spook-a-Rama among others
• grants and school supports-teachers can ask for items such as band, tutoring, SUN school, safety patrol equipment, books for library, white boards.  All are decided on as an "as requested" item according to committee which decides this
• garden has $500 +money below for raised garden bed
• PTA training/leadership
• meeting expenses-childcare, coffee, etc
• planners purchased for 5th-8th graders
• printing/copying
• teacher appreciation includes subsidy of teachers tickets for auction
• Foundation money is separate due to different tax id#s
• Angel reports-reserve account-PTA wants to carry forward $15000 but is not listed as it is reserve don't necessarily want to carry over large amounts year to year because if parents provide money, they want it spent but need to keep enough because magazine sale needs to be budgeted for at beginning of year
• Grant committee needed so money can be distributed-board or membership action needed. Board needs to decide on it. A chair is needed for it, members are available. If no one from board volunteers, Sam will ask for a member from general membership. Time commitment is approx 4-5 hours total. Letter needs to be written to teachers to solicit requests. Approx 3-5 hours per grant which is convened once in fall and once in winter/spring.

Kathy Tell nominated by Susan Crabtree to be Chair. Kathy accepts.
vote to accept Kathy Tell as Grant committee chair
approved via unanimous voice vote

Bonnie Gee Yosick moved to approve budget
Sam notes budget is working document which can be changed at any time
approved via unanimous voice vote

Reminder to make all checks out to Hollyrood-Fernwood PTA this should be put in newsletter-Sam will submit

Amy Hekker displayed Tshirts, water bottles, cinch sacks. PTA is hoping to make $4-5 per shirt/ hat

6th order of business:

speaker: Mary Salholm membership

• 183 members so far
• keep your pta card/bring to meetings as paid members are the only ones allowed to vote

7th order of business:

speaker: Amy Baskin-legislative chair

• presentation of PTA ballot measures
• Portland Children's Levy-5 year levy which pays 100% for SUN program
• measure 56 is the most important one-to eliminate the double majority requirement-support measure
• PTA opposes all other measures on ballot
• deadline for mailing in voter registration is Oct 13th and cannot be illegible
• Sam reminds all that PTA is a political organization which conducts lobbying and Advocacy activities.  We have a bit more access because advocacy is primary goal, as opposed to lobbying.  A significant part of your dues go to 2 people (1 who answers the phones, one whose pay primarily goes for gas to go to Salem) to lobby the state legislature. The work of these two individuals brings alot of funding to the schools.

8th order of business:

speaker: Bob Leek from foundation

• first foundation meeting-he now has a treasurer (Angel). Mary has experience in Grant writing so he will use her for that
• Auction committee planning meeting is scheduled for Sept 30 and the committee will run as a self-sustaining group and will only come to foundation board if needed
• Goal for fundraising activities is $120000-call to action will be shown perhaps with a "thermometer" visual or something
• communication will be via newsletter, listserve, email, direct appeal
• 5-6 major events:  auction, winter drive, spring drive, race for receipts, corporate matching funds-anyone can give money this way, friends, family, etc. Foundation will help with research to determine how this is conducted
• Updates provided to PTA will include money income/outgo. Narrowly defining Foundation's scope, The Foundation will be providing money, but not attaching what money should be spent on; rather allow the school decide on that.
• Bob needs help for older grades getting involved; most of Foundation board consists of parents whose kids are in 5th grade or lower.

9th order of business: 

Volunteer Coordinators:
speaker: Lori Faha-coordinator for 6-8th grade

• working on finding room parents. She is helping them understand room parents don't sit in room but rather coordinate field trip volunteers, etc. 7 and 8 grade parents are especially needed
• Lori needs an assistant volunteer coordinator for 6-8th grades.
• Susan Crabtree nominates Susan Rice to assist and she accepts no other nominations
• approved via unanimous voice vote

Chair positions still needed:
speaker: Susan Crabtree

1. Yearbook-this is especially valued at Fernwood-maybe a SUN school class?
2. Display cases usually had one person. Jenny Shea has taken it on, but doesn't want to do it on her own. Could 8th graders do it? Possibly yes. Needs to be updated once a month.
3. Fernwood landscaping chair resigned. Maybe Lynn Raube can add that to her duties.

Sam reminds everyone Standing rules and meeting minutes are available on website.

10th order of business:

• New business
• Motion to change name to Beverly Cleary
• approved via unanimous yes voice vote

speaker: Craig Williams

• over summer a group of parents discussed ways to promote new name. $2000 has been provided from district. PR items includs magnets, bumper stickers, and business window stickers. Hollywood boosters have been asked and local businesses will be solicited to post in Hollywood neighborhood. Object is to increase awareness of BC K-8 school rather than Hollyrood and Fernwood separate schools. Initially businesses will not be solicited, but we really want them to become familiar with the school for activities later on.

11th order of business:

Continued Announcements
speaker:  Sam Shiffman

• announcements are on back of agenda:  donating clothes to clothes closet is a valuable way to help community. You can also volunteer for our school's participation at the clothes closet. We need more volunteers for November date.
• Portland PTA council "Reflections" awards ceremony. All students in the state can enter a submission of art, writing, etc and the winners (children) come to see all the creative submissions. The PTA council of Portland is looking for a chair to help recruit judges for ceremony

speaker: Angel

• suggests it would be nice if PTA could supply babysitting for back to school nights. 
• Sam will put this on the budget for next year but asks Angel to remind him in April

speaker: Susan Rice

• would like a older grades of BC students to give back to the community (ie: loaves and fishes, etc). She is curious if this could carry over/extend to community service requirement. Amy really likes the idea but it needs to be discussed in more depth and then ok'd by administration.

speaker: Linda Kapranos

• she reports band teacher was in an accident. She went up to classroom and two students led the class They did a phenomenal job!!

move to adjourn 8:11 by Doug McMahon