FRIENDS EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES
CASTLE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL         
DECEMBER 7, 2005

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

1.             WELCOME – 7:05 PM

MICAH AND MARIA WELCOMES ALL. 

2.             TEACHER / TEACHER AIDE EVALUATIONS

DISCUSSION ON TEACHERS, TEACHERS AIDES REGARDING REPORT CARDS AND PAYROLL.

3.         THE COACH    

DARCIE WILL WORK ON A JOB DESCRIPTION.  HANIA AND DARCIE WILL SEND THE DESCRIPTION TO UCLA, USC, AND SANTA MONICA COLLEGE.

4.             SPRING THING - STACY

SPRING THING WILL BE IN FULL PLANNING MODE AFTER THE HOLIDAY.  STACY WILL THEN SEND OUT LETTERS TO FAMILIES WITH DATES, TIMES, AND NEEDS (DONATION REQUESTS).  THE COMMITTEE IS FORMING  NOW.  IF YOU KNOW IF ANYONE WHO WANTS TO HELP, PLEASE CONTACT STACY.  WE ARE LOOKING FOR TECHNOLOGY HELP, SOLICITATION HELP, SET-UP AND BREAK-DOWN HELP, ETC.  STACY ALREADY HAS THE PLACE.  THE TABLES AND CHAIRS HAVE BEEN DONATED.  SHE IS LOOKING FOR A CATERER AND MUSIC.  STACY IS WORKING ON KEEPING SPENDING DOWN TO A MINIMUM, THAT WAY SHE CAN SELL TICKETS AT A MINIMAL PRICE. 

 

JOHN SUGGESTS ASKING HAMILTON HIGH’S MARIACHIS IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO PERFORM.

 

THE THEME IS: HATS OFF TO CASTLE HEIGHTS

 

STACY IS OPEN TO ALL IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS.

 

JOHN SUGGESTS THAT EVERY MEMBER FROM THE BOARD GET AT LEAST ONE PERSON TO JOIN THE SPRING THING COMMITTEE.

 

 

5.             JOG-A-THON - GINA

LETTERS HAVE GONE OUT IN THE THURSDAY FOLDERS.  WE WILL START PLANNING THIS EVENT AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.  TO SAVE MONEY, WE WILL NOT BE CREATING TSHIRTS FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS.  WE NEED VOLUNTEERS, PLEASE CONTACT GINA.

6.             DONATION DRIVE - ELLEN

SO FAR, $56,506 IS OUR TOTAL SUGGESTED DONATIONS.  THUS FAR, WE HAVE COLLECTED $40,000.  WE ARE DOING BETTER THAN LAST YEAR:

LAST YEAR - COLLECTED IN TOTAL $44,000

2 YEARS AGO – COLLECTED IN TOTAL $24,000

 

ELLEN HAS SENT INVOICES VIA EMAIL TO THOSE WHO CHOSE TO PAY QUARTERLY. 

 

IN PAST YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A BIG DISCRPANCY FROM DONATIONS AND ACTUAL COLLECTIONS.  THIS YEAR, WE ARE DOING GREAT!

 

 

7.             KINDER PARTY

THE KINDER PARTY IS CANCELLED UNTIL NEXT YEAR.  THIS WILL BE SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY.

 

8.             WEBSITE

 

HANIA AND ANN WARREN ARE ALMOST DONE BUILDING THE SITE.  IT LOOKS AMAZING.  HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE A BIG UNVEILING AFTER THE BREAK.  WE ARE STILL IN NEED OF PICTURES AND INFO.  OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS RECEIVING INFO IN A TIMELY MANNER.  AS SOON AS THERE ARE DATES OF EVENTS, OFFICE INFO, MENUS, ETC. PLEASE FORWARD INFO TO DARCIE OR HANIA.

 

9.       THE FIRST ANNUAL FIESTA

 

THIS PARTY WAS SMALL IN SCALE BUT SO WORTH IT!!!  WE MADE $2,000!  MANY PARENTS MADE GREAT CONNECTIONS, AND IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE!  EVERYONE IS EXCITED ON PLANNING NEXT YEAR’S FIESTA. 

 

AS FOR NEXT YEAR, WE WILL NEED TO WORK ON EDUCATING ALL PARENTS THAT THE FIESTA IS AN AFFORDABLE EVENT!  AND THAT ONLY $5.00 IS NEEDED FOR DINNER.  ALSO, WE NEED TO LOOK INTO DAYCARE. 

 

JOHN SUGGESTS MAYBE A DAY EVENT IN THE PARK WITH THE KIDS.

 

10.       ART ALLEY SHED

 

BARBARA IS STILL IN NEED FOR A SHED.  A SHED WILL COST BETWEEN $700 - $1000.  WE CURRENTLY HAVE $3000.00 IN ART ALLEY FUNDS, HOWEVER WE NEED TO IRON OUT ALL THE DETAILS BEFORE WE SPEND MORE MONEY.

 

WHERE WILL THE SHED GO?  HOW BIG SHOULD IT BE?

 

MARIA PROPOSED THAT BARBARA, CARDI, LILY AND MARIA WILL HAVE A MEETING TO DISCUSS THIS SHED AT A LATER DATE.  MARIA COMMITS TO A FEBRUARY 1ST DECISION DEADLINE.

 

GINA – SECONDS

 

MAJORITY VOTE YES - THIS GROUP WILL DISCUSS AND MAKE THE FINAL DECISION ON THE SHED.

 

11.       TEACHERS’ KILM

 

THE TEACHERS NEED A NEW KILM. 

 

WHEN WE DECIDE ON THE SHED, WE WILL THEN SEE WHAT MONIES ARE LEFT OVER.  AT THAT TIME, WE WILL VOTE ON THIS ISSUE.

 

JOHN’S MOTHER IS A POTTER, HE WILL CHECK WITH HER TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING HE CAN DO TO GET ONE AT A REASONABLE PRICE.

 

 

12.       LIGHTS FOR STAR

 

STAR HAS ASKED MS. TANN FOR HELP WITH THE LACK OF LIGHTING ON THE PLAY YARD AND AROUND THE BUNGALOW.  IT WILL BE APPROX. $2900 TO GET LIGHTS UP IN THIS AREA.  MS. TANN WANTS TO KNOW IF WE ARE WILLING TO CHIP IN. 

 

ELLEN PROPOSES THAT AT THIS TIME WE WILL NOT PROVIDE FUNDS FOR ADDITIONAL LIGHTING TO THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE SCHOOL YARD.

 

JOHN SECONDS

 

MARJORITY VOTE YES – NO FUNDS AT THIS TIME.

 

DARCIE WANTS THE BOARD TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE AREA BEHIND THE BUNGALOW (ART ALLEY).  STAR HAS THE CHILDREN STORE THEIR BACKPACKS IN THIS AREA, AND IT IS WAY TO DARK.  IF THERE WAS SOME SORT OF NON-PERMANENT LIGHTING SOLUTION TO HELP THIS AREA.

 

JOHN SUGGESTS A NON-PERMANENT SOLAR SENSOR WHICH IS APPROX. $40.00.

 

 

 

 

 

13.       BOARD BI-LAWS

 

WE ARE REWORKING THE BI-LAWS TO READ THAT HALF OF THE FRIENDS BOARD WILL SERVE FOR 2 YEARS, AND THE OTHER HALF WILL SERVE FOR ONLY 1 YEAR.  OUR GENERAL MEMBERS WILL HELP TO VOTE ON THIS.  PATRICK DOWNS HAS BEEN DONATING HIS TIME TO WRITE THESE BI-LAWS. 

 

JOHN ASKS IF THIS IS TOO BIG OF A GROUP.

 

MARIA AGREES, HOWEVER SAYS THAT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN DIVERSITY AND IN ORDER TO DIVIDE OUT THE MANY NEEDED LIASON TASKS, SOMETIMES IT REQUIRES MORE PEOPLE.

 

10.              END OF MEETING

 

GINA MOTIONS TO ADJOURN MEETING.

 

TOLLY SECONDS.

 

MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

 

THE NEXT MEETING IS ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2006.