FRIENDS EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES
CASTLE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

OPEN MEETING

OCTOBER 3, 2006

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

MEMBERS PRESENT:  GINNEAN SHAW, TINA TEODORESCU, DAKOTA SUNSERI, ANDREA DANIELS, DARCIE TILLIS,  JOHN HANSEN, WANJIKU MORTE, AND BARBARA KAYE

CHE STAFF: AMY LEVITT-POLANCO

1.  MEETING WELCOME – 7:10 PM

MICAH AND MARIA WELCOME ALL AND THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING. PEOPLE INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.  

TINA TEODORESCU MOVES TO APPROVE LAST MONTH’S MINUTES; STEVE ROOT SECONDS; MINUTES APPROVED.

2. DONATION DRIVE

MARIA ANNOUNCES THAT DONATION PLEDGES ARE UP 31% OVER LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, WITH OVER $63,000 PLEDGED. CASH IN IS OVER $41,000. IT’S STILL IMPORTANT TO SPREAD THE WORD TO ENCOURAGE MORE DONATION, BOTH FOR THE MORALE OF THE SCHOOL AND TO HELP US QUALIFY FOR GRANTS.

3. FALL FESTIVAL

 

GINNEAN SHAW REPORTS THAT MS. TANN HAS APPROVED AN OBSTACLE COURSE; ALSO, WRISTBANDS AND T-SHIRTS GO ON SALE NEXT WEEK, AND WE WILL BEGIN COLLECTING GOODS FOR THE CLASS BASKETS.

 

WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR SPONSORS, BUT SPONSORSHIPS AND DONATIONS ARE ON PAR WITH LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME.

 

THERE WILL BE A TATTOO BOOTH. DISCUSSION OF WHETHER THIS SHOULD BE A FRIENDS BOOTH. DECISION WAS MADE BY CONSENSUS TO MAKE THIS A CLASS BOOTH.

 

FUTURE FRIENDS WILL HAVE A TABLE TO PROMOTE THE SCHOOL.

 

YARD SIGNS ARE BEING PRINTED TO ADVERTISE FALL FESTIVAL; THESE WERE DONATED BY AAA FLAG AND BANNER.

 

 

4. PUMPKIN PATCH

 

 

MICAH REPORTS THAT WE HAVE ORDERED LOTS OF PUMPKINS THIS YEAR; THEY’LL BE FOR SALE AT $6 EACH. THERE WILL ALSO BE HOT DOGS, CHIPS, BAKED GOODS, DRINKS, AND ENTERTAINMENT AT THE PUMPKIN PATCH.

 

 

5. PROPOSALS

 

·          MS. MALLOY AND THE TEACHERS REQUEST FUNDING FOR A RESOURCE CABINET IN WHICH TO STORE ART SUPPLIES, MOSTLY FOR THE ARTS PROTOTYPE PROGRAM ACTIVITIES: $412. JOHN LAZAR MOVES TO APPROVE THE FUNDING; STEVE ROOT SECONDS THE MOTION; MOTION IS APPROVED.

 

·          MS. TANN REQUESTS FUNDING FOR SHELVING FOR THE METAL STORAGE BIN: $800. THE REQUEST WAS TABLED; STEVE ROOT WANTS TO CHECK TO SEE IF HE CAN GET IT FOR FREE OR AT A DISCOUNT.

 

·          DARCIE PROPOSES THAT FRIENDS FUND AN ACTIVITY FOR KIDS EXCLUDED FROM ASTROCAMP.

 

      THERE ARE OVER 100 KIDS IN 5TH GRADE, BUT ONLY 52 SPOTS WERE ALLOTTED AT ASTROCAMP. THE

      FLYER WENT OUT IN ENGLISH ONLY (STUDENTS HAD TO REQUEST SPANISH FLYERS PERSONALLY),

      AND PEOPLE WERE ASKED TO RETURN $40 DEPOSITS IN ONLY 3 DAYS.  MANY PEOPLE HAD

      CONCERNS ABOUT EXCLUSIVITY. IN ADDITION, FRIENDS OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ASTROCAMP,

      BUT THE FLYER DIDN’T INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION.

 

      MICAH ASKED IF ANYONE WOULD VOLUNTEER TO RESEARCH ANOTHER ACTIVITY FOR KIDS LEFT

      BEHIND. DARCIE SAID SHE WOULD DO THAT.

 

      THERE WAS DISCUSSION OF FINDING ANOTHER CAMP FOR NEXT YEAR.

 

      GINA SUGGESTED AN END-OF-YEAR MEETING FOR 4TH GRADE PARENTS TO ALERT PEOPLE TO

      UPCOMING 5TH GRADE EVENTS, SO THAT PLANS CAN BE MADE MORE EFFECTIVELY IN THE FUTURE.

 

 

·          BARBARA KAYE REQUESTS FUNDING FOR NEW EQUIPMENT IN ART ALLEY: A NEW WHITEBOARD, AN AWNING TO PROTECT THE WHITEBOARD FROM THE ELEMENTS, CHALK, PAINT, ETC.  THE STAR PROGRAM IS WILLING TO GIVE $500 TOWARD THE COST. FRIENDS HAS MONEY FROM PAST FUNDRAISING DESIGNATED FOR ART ALLEY. MICAH MOVES THAT WE APPROVE $2000 IN FUNDING FOR THIS; MARIA SECONDS; THE MOTION IS APPROVED.

 

 

6. TREASURER’S REPORT

 

DAWN REPORTS THAT THE BUDGET HAS BEEN SPRING-CLEANED AND ALL THE INCONSISTENCIES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED.  THE BALANCE IN THE TREASURY IS $215,094. LARRY RECOMMENDS THAT WE MOVE $60,000 FROM CHECKING TO SAVINGS, LEAVE $30,000 IN CHECKING, AND INVEST THE REST, SPLITTING IT BETWEEN 3-MONTH AND 6-MONTH CD’S.

 

HE ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT WE MOVE $20,000 FROM THE SCRIP FUND TO SAVINGS, LEAVING $13,000 IN THAT CHECKING ACCOUNT.

 

THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER THIS WAS THE BEST INVESTMENT. MICAH PROPOSED THAT WE FORM A SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE OPTIONS AND REPORT BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING.  MARIA SECONDED THE MOTION; THE MOTION WAS APPROVED. VOLUNTEERS FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEE: JOHN LAZAR, DAKOTA SUNSERI, TINA TEODORESCU, LARRY DEMERS, DAWN PLEW, AND STEVE ROOT.

 

7. MULTIPLE CHILD FLYER SYSTEM

 

JOHN LAZAR IS ORGANIZING THIS, AND REQUESTED SOME HELP.  DAWN VOLUNTEERED TO HELP; VALENCIA SAID SHE COULD GET HIM SOME HELP, AS WELL. GINA SUGGESTED WE SEND A NOTE TO PARENTS ASKING WHICH CHILD THEY WANT TO GET THE FLYERS.

 

8. PARENT CENTER

 

ROOM 11, WHICH WAS TO BE THE PARENT CENTER, HAS INSTEAD BECOME A CLASSROOM. SO THE BALLROOM IS THE NEW PARENT CENTER. THE FRIENDS COPIER AND PAPER WILL BE THERE, AND A WORK TABLE. MICAH REQUESTED HELP TO CLEAN THE ROOM.

 

9. BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

 

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 AT 6 PM. FRIENDS WILL GET TIME TO PLUG THE DONATION DRIVE, FALL FESTIVAL, ETC. MARIA ASKED THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS BE THERE AT 6 WHEN THE PROGRAM BEGINS. JOHN LAZAR WILL FIND THE TRANSLATION EQUIPMENT, AND HANIA WILL TRANSLATE AT THE EVENT.

 

10. ORG CHART

 

DARCIE PRESENTED THE ORG CHART WITH ALL THE ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR.  THERE ARE STILL BLANK SPOTS TO FILL IN, SO PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO SIGN UP AND SOLICIT HELP FROM OTHERS AS WELL. THE ORG CHART LOOKS GREAT; THANKS, DARCIE!

 

11. SPRING FUNDRAISER

 

MARIA ASKED PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT POSSIBILITIES FOR A SPRING FUNDRAISER. MR. MEEKS SUGGESTED A WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL. BINGO NIGHT, POKER NIGHT, A SPORTS DAY, AND A DANCE MARATHON ARE ALSO POSSIBILITIES.

 

 

12. MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:00 PM.

 

JOHN LAZAR MOVED TO ADJOURN, MARIA SECONDED. MEETING ADJOURNED.

 

 

THE NEXT MEETING IS ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2006.