FRIENDS EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES
CASTLE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

OPEN MEETING

FEBRUARY 6, 2007

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:  GINA POLIZZI, DAWN PLEW, MICAH ROBERTS, VALENCIA FOSTER, ANN WARREN, LARRY DEMERS, JOHN LAZAR, STEVE ROOT,  GINGER BOWER,  HANIA BROOKS,  JULIA SAK-GEARHART, AND MARIA VON HARTZ

MEMBERS PRESENT:  LORI BERMAN, ELAN LEVEY, LESLEY BLOOM, JENNY JONES, OLGA GONZALEZ

FACULTY PRESENT: AMY LEVITT-POLANCO

 

1.  MEETING WELCOME – 7:10 PM

MICAH AND MARIA WELCOME ALL AND THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING.

 

GINA POLIZZI MOVES TO APPROVE LAST MONTH’S MINUTES; DAWN PLEW SECONDS; MINUTES APPROVED.

 

2. 5TH GRADE

 

MICAH REPORTS FOR DARCIE, WHO IS UNABLE TO BE HERE: DARCIE IS WORKING WITH STAR TO PROVIDE A 4-HOUR PROGRAM FOR THE 5TH GRADERS WHO ARE UNABLE TO GO TO ASTROCAMP. THIS WILL INCLUDE STAR/ECOSTATION AND STAR SCIENCE CLASSES. THE COST WILL BE $1100. STAR WILL PAY HALF, SO THE COST TO FRIENDS WOULD BE $550. MICAH MOVES TO APPROVE THE COST; ELAN SECONDS; MOTION APPROVED.

 

3. JOG-A-THON BUDGET

 

GINA PRESENTED THE PROPOSED BUDGET (SEE ATTACHED), AND ALSO PROPOSED THAT FRIENDS BUY ANY EXTRA “CHS” FOLDERS LEFT OVER AFTER THE EVENT, TO BE USED FOR FRIENDS EVENTS IN THE FUTURE.   SHE EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT WE MAY NOT MAKE AS MUCH THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE COMPETITION FROM MATH-A-THON. MARIA MOVES TO APPROVE BUDGET; JULIA SECONDS; MOTION IS APPROVED.

 

 

4. LIGHTS

 

MICAH AND MARIA WILL TALK TO JAY AT STAR AND MS. TANN ABOUT LIGHTS BEHIND THE BUNGALOWS AT STAR. SOME PARENTS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE AREA, SINCE IT’S SO DARK LATE IN THE AFTERNOON.  MICAH AND MARIA WILL DISCUSS WITH THEM WHETHER THE LIGHTS ARE NEEDED, AND IF SO, HOW THEY’LL BE PAID FOR AND INSTALLED.

 

 

5. SPRING EVENT

 

LORI, ELAN, AND ROSANNA CRASNICK WILL ORGANIZE THE EVENT. GINGER IS MEETING WITH SPONSORS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THEIR APPORVAL FOR BINGO NIGHT. MARIA REPORTS THAT INNER CITY ARTS IS AVAILABLE ON MAY 5 FOR $11OO. WE’LL PROVIDE OUR OWN FOOD. THERE WILL BE A SMALL LIVE AUCTION, POSSIBLY A SILENT AUCTION, SOME BUY-IT-NOW ITEMS, TEACHER DATES, ETC. THE EVENT WILL BE CALLED “BINGO DE MAYO.”

 

 

6. COMMITTEE UPDATES

 

·          PTA: JULIA REPORTED. JENNY HAS ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE FOR THE FAMILY OF MS. FRITAS, WHO IS HAVING MEDICAL PROBLEMS. MOVIE NIGHT WAS A SUCCESS, AS WAS THE FAMILY FAIR. A CANNED FOOD DONATION IS BEING REQUESTED AT VALENTINE ROCK. ALSO, THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS TO BRING BAKED GOODS AND HELP SELL THEM. THE FOUNDERS DAY LUNCHEON IS MARCH 30. TALENT SHOW IS FEBRUARY 23; PROCEEDS OF THE FOOD SALES WILL GO TO THE PTA, AND THEY WILL REQUEST DONATIONS OF WATER, JUICE, BAKED GOODS, ETC. THE NEXT PTA MEETING IS MARCH 8.

·          GOVERNANCE: GINA REPORTED. LESLEY BLOOM WAS ELECTED AS A NEW PARENT MEMBER. WE WON THE MARQUEE GRANT. THERE WILL BE TWO BEAUTIFICATION DAYS: APRIL 14TH, TO CLEAN UP INSIDE THE SCHOOL GATES, AND MAY 19TH, TO CLEAN UP OUT FRONT; ON THAT DAY THE MARQUEE WILL ALSO BE DEDICATED. OPEN HOUSE IS APRIL 19TH.

·          SCHOOL SITE: JOHN REPORTED. SCHOOL SITE IS WORKING ON A PLAN TO HELP IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. TEST SCORES WENT UP THIS YEAR FOR EVERY GROUP IN THE SCHOOL EXCEPT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. SO SSC IS STARTING A MENTORING PROGRAM WHICH WILL MATCH 4 OR 5 STUDENTS WITH A TEACHER WHO WILL HELP WITH HOMEWORK, PROJECTS, DEADLINES, ETC. THE TEACHERS WILL BE PAID WITH SCHOOL SITE FUNDS. SEVERAL TEACHERS ARE ALSO BEING TRAINED TO USE THE “INTO ENGLISH” PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BE IMPLEMENTED NEXT YEAR.

 

 

7.  MARQUEE GRANT

 

MS. POLANCO REPORTS THAT WE DID WIN THE MARQUEE GRANT. ON BEHALF OF THE FACULTY, SHE THANKS YAEL APT, FOR HER HARD WORK AND DEDICATION IN GETTING THE GRANT FOR CASTLE HEIGHTS. THE GRANT WILL PROVIDE FUNDS FOR A MARQUEE IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL AND ALSO OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.

 

8. FAMILY FAIR

 

OLGA WANTS TO THANK EVERYONE FOR SUPPORTING THE FAMILY FAIR, AND ALSO TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE ESTUDIANTINA MUSICAL GROUP IS EXPANDING AND MAY BE ASKED TO COMPETE IN A COMPETITION AT THE CONVENTION CENTER IN THE SPRING.

 

9. LIASONS

 

MICAH AND MARIA HANDED OUT THE NOTEBOOKS TO THE VARIOUS BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE VOLUNTEEREED TO BE LIASONS FOR THE EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE YEAR. THE BOOKS CONTAIN ALL THE INFORMATION THAT’S BEEN COLLECTED IN THE PAST, AND MEMBERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THEM IN THE FUTURE.

 

10. VALENTINE ROCK

 

GINA REPORTED THAT PREPARATIONS ARE NEARLY COMPLETE. SHE WILL LOOK INTO SELLING LOGOWEAR AT THE EVENT. SEVERAL PARENT DJS WILL EMCEE.

 

11. TREASURER’S REPORT

 

LARRY DEMERS REPORTS THAT

·          HE OPENED THE BANK OF AMERICA ACCOUNTS FOR FRIENDS, TOTALLING $160,000; THIS SHOULD YIELD ABOUT $4000-6000 IN INTEREST OVER THE YEAR.

·          $2600 HAS BEEN COLLECTED FROM THE FAMILY DONATION DRIVE PLEDGES; $6000 IS STILL OUTSTANDING.

·          JANUARY SCRIP DEPOSITS WERE HIGHER THAN EVER: $12,800.  THERE IS A $27,000 PROFIT ON SCRIP SO FAR THIS YEAR.

·          INCOME IS UP $38,000 FOR THE YEAR, OVERALL.

·          STEVE ROOT ASKED ABOUT HOW SCHOOLS RULE WORKS, AND THAT WAS DISCUSSED.

 

 

MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:00.