FRIENDS EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES
CASTLE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL         
APRIL 5, 2006

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:   HANIA BROOKS, STACY BROOKS, VALENCIA FOSTER, BARBARA KAYE, JOHN LAZAR, GINA POLIZZI, MICAH ROBERTS, DARCIE TILLIS, TOLLY VALENTE, AND MARIA VON HARTZ

MEMBERS: GINNEAN SHAW, JUDY ROSENZWEIG, OLGA GONZALEZ, APRIL BROWN, GINGER BOWER

1.             OPEN MEETING WELCOME – 7:05 PM

MICAH AND MARIA WELCOME ALL.

2.             APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

TOLLY MOTIONS TO APPROVE THE March 1ST MINUTES

GINA SECONDS

ALL IN FAVOR – ALL APPROVE

3.         BUDGET REVIEW

WE HAVE RAISED $126,900 THUS FAR.  OUR BUDGET FOR THE YEAR IS TO RAISE $150,000.  WE ARE ALMOST THERE!  THE FAMILY DONATION DRIVE HAS BROUGHT IN $54,000!  WE ARE LOOKING TO RAISE $25,000 – 30,000 BEFORE THE END ON THE SCHOOL YEAR. 

4.             ENROLLMENT DAY FOR KINDER AND PRE K

FRIENDS WANT TO MAKE THIS EVENT MORE OPEN AND FRIENDLY.  MICAH IS INTERESTED IN HAVING THIS EVENT IN JUNE VS THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL IN ORDER TO INCORPORATE THE KINDER TEACHERS. 

PARENTS OF THE KINDER CLASS ENJOYED THE KINDER EVENT LAST YEAR.  “IT WAS THE START OF SOMETHING GREAT!  IT LED UP TO THE FIRST DAY OF KINDER.” 

MICAH AND MARIA WILL DISCUSS FURTHER AT ANOTHER TIME.

5.             OPEN HOUSE

6PM IN THE AUDITORIUM, THE MEETING BEGINS WITH FRIENDS AND THE PTA.  THE BOARD WILL NEED TO BE THERE BY 5:45 PM.  MICAH AND MARIA WILL HAVE A SHORT SPEECH ON THE BUDGET AND ABOUT THE ELECTIONS FOR BOTH THE PTA AND FRIENDS.  STACY WILL TALK ABOUT SPRING THING. 

6.             FUNDRAISING

MICAH WANTS FEEDBACK ON CUTTING BACK ON FUNDRAISING OR TRYING SOMETHING NEW.

 

TOLLY SUGGESTS THAT WE KEEP THE GIFT WRAP FUNDRAISER.  PEOPLE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS EVERY YEAR. 

 

MICAH SAYS THAT THERE MAY BE AN INTERNET OPTION WHICH WOULD BE MORE ACCOMODATING TO THE ACTUAL PERSON WHO ORDERS.  MOST WOULD RECEIVE THEIR ORDER WITHIN A WEEK. 

 

THERE MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN INTERNET DATE @ SCHOOL IN THE COMPUTER LAB, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THOSE WITHOUT COMPUTERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ORDER GIFT WRAP.  WE WILL HAVE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OPTIONS FOR THOSE WITHOUT CREDIT CARDS.

 

NEW OPTIONS

1.       READ-A-THON – ALL THINK IS A GOOD IDEA

2.       SPELLING BEE – HARD TO DO ACROSS THE SCHOOL K-5TH

3.       MAYBE A GRADE LEVEL ACADEMIC DECATHALON

 

 

 

7.             FRIENDS ORG CHART

WE NEED TO FIND THE PEOPLE TO SIGN-UP TO CHAIR/CO-CHAIR EVENTS.  WE ARE LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO FIND NEW PARENTS WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP.  THE ORG CHART IS GOING TO BE RE-STRUCTURED IN ORDER FOR EACH AREA/BOARD MEMBER TO BE MORE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE EVENTS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPERVISING.  MARIA AND MICAH CAN NO LONGER SUPERVISE EVERY EVENT.

 

MAYBE THERE IS A WAY TO SIT WITH MS. TANN TO REQUIRE PERMIT STUDENTS’ PARENTS TO VOLUNTEER A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THEIR TIME?

 

FRIENDS RECOMMEND THAT ALL FAMILIES VOLUNTEER AT LEAST 10 HOURS TO THE SCHOOL. 

 

PRIVATE SCHOOL REQUIRES VOLUNTEERISM.  MAYBE THERE COULD BE SOME SORT OF INCENTIVE?

 

WE NEED TO LEARN TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE’S TALENTS, AND THEN MORE OF US CAN ASK THOSE TO HELP CERTAIN EVENTS IN WHICH THE SCHOOL COULD BENEFIT FROM THEIR TALENT.

 

IT’S A MATTER OF COMMUNICATING.  WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE WEBSITE.  WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE EMAILS TO PARENTS.

 

DARCIE NEEDS MORE EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR THE NOTIFICATION NETWORK TO WORK WELL.

 

 

8.             FRIENDS THEME FOR NEXT YEAR

 

WE NEED TO CONTINUE OUR THEME OF VIP!  VOLUNTEERISM IS THE KEY TO REACHING OUR BUDGET GOALS.  WE NEED THE CHILDREN TO BE MORE INVOLVED AND GET THEIR PARENTS INVOLVED, AND DRIVE THE THEME OF VOLUNTEERISM HOME WITH GREAT IDEAS.  WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH FUTURE FAMILIES, PRE-K AND KINDER, THESE PARENTS ARE ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP!  THEY HAVE BEEN A GREAT SUPPORT TO OUR SCHOOL.  WE ALSO NEED TO REACH OUT TO 4TH AND 5TH GRADE PARENTS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE STILL NEED THEIR HELP!!!

 

 

9.       ART ALLEY - MEMO

 

PREVIOUS STORAGE BUILD AMOUNT APPROVED WAS $1000.00.  BARBARA HAS THE COMPLETED STORAGE BUILD ESTIMATE WHICH IS $1,379.96. 

 

MARIA PROPOSES THAT WE INCREASE THE APPROVED AMOUNT FOR THIS STORAGE BY $379.96, TO REACH THIS ESTIMATE.

TOLLY MOVES

STACY SECONDS

ALL IN FAVOR – ALL VOTE YES – BARBARA HAS THE INCREASE FOR THE STORAGE BUILD

 

 

10.       JOG-A-THON

 

LAST YEAR THE JOG-A-THON MADE $11,000.  IN PRIOR YEARS TO THAT THIS EVENT ONLY MADE APPROX. $5,500.  THIS YEAR WE THINK WE HAVE $13,000!  PRIZES SHOULD BE SENT OUT TO THE KIDS AROUND THE END OF APRIL.

 

11.       SPRING AUCTION

 

STACY PASSES AROUND THE INVITE.  HANIA BROUGHT IN THE BEAUTIFUL BANNER SHE CREATED!!!! 

NEAL IS PROVIDING SECURITY AT NO COST!

JOHN IS LOOKING INTO GETTING THE BEER.

STACY IS STILL LOOKING FOR DONATIONS.  RESTAURANTS, TICKETS, ANYTHING, PLEASE DONATE.

TICKETS ARE $65 FOR DINNER W/ ALCOHOL OR $50 W/ SODA.  THE RSVP CARDS ARE GOING HOME IN THE THURSDAY FOLDERS. 

 

12.       PE COACH

 

WE FINALLY HAVE A NEW PE COACH – COACH TURK.  WE HOPE THAT HE WILL STAY HAVE CHES.

 

13.       FALL FESTIVAL FOR NEXT YEAR

 

GINNEAN SHAW WILL BE CHAIRING THIS GREAT EVENT NEXT YEAR.  THE EVENT MAYBE ON OCT. 22ND.  MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW. 

 

 

 

 

14.       CORP. SPONSORS

 

GINGER IS DEVEOPING A SUB-COMMITTEE COMMITTED ON ASKING FOR CORP. SPONSORS FOR CHE.  THEIR GOAL IS TO RAISE $200,000 FOR THE SCHOOL!!! 

 

15.       ELECTIONS

 

THERE WILL BE APPROX. 6 OPEN SPOTS TO BE ON THE FRIENDS BOARD.  WE ENCOURAGE ALL PARENTS TO RUN IN THE ELECTION. 

 

16.       OTHER COMMENTS

 

JUDY WOULD LIKE TO THANK FRIENDS FOR THEIR HELP AND SUPPORT.  SHE ATTENDED A REGIONAL PTA MEETING WITH OTHER SCHOOLS AND FOUND THAT AT MOST SCHOOLS THE PTA AND THE BOOSTER CLUBS DON’T WORK WELL TOGETHER.  SHE THINKS THAT THING ARE WORKING WELL AND TOGETHER BOTH THE PTA AND FRIENDS CAN MAKE CHE A BETTER SCHOOL.

 

OLGA WOULD LIKE TO THANK FRIENDS FOR TRANSLATING THE FLYERS IN SPANISH!  IT’S REALLY HELPING TO MAKE THE LATINO FAMILIES FEEL MORE WELCOME.  SHE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH ANY FUTURE LETTERS THAT NEED TO BE TRANSLATED.

 

 

CLOSED MEETING

 

DISCUSSION ON THE BY-LAWS

 

END OF MEETING

 

JOHN MOTIONS TO ADJOURN MEETING.

 

GINA SECONDS.

 

MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

 

THE NEXT MEETING IS ON WEDNESDAY, May 17, 2006.