FRIENDS EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES
CASTLE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

OPEN MEETING

OCTOBER 2, 2007

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: ANN WARREN, DIANA TOOTHMAN, GINGER BOWER, KELLEY REYNOLDS, GINNEAN SHAW, STEVE ROOT, LAURENCE DEMERS, LORI BERMAN, TED HARSHBERGER, ELAN LEVEY

MEMBERS PRESENT:   TINA TEODORESCU, TAMAR ASKEN, DEBBIE ANISMAN-POSNER & DANNY PEZZOTTA/PLANET BRAVO

FACULTY PRESENT: AMY LEVITT-POLANCO

 

1.  MEETING WELCOME – 7:07 PM

ANN WELCOMED ALL, THANKED THEM FOR COMING AND WE INTRODUCED OURSELVES.

 

2. DANNY PEZZOTTA:  PLANET BRAVO, SERVER

 

DANNY WENT OVER THE INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS OF THE SERVER.  PROS AND CONS HAVE BEEN OUTLINED IN A HANDOUT HE PROVIDED WHICH IS ATTACHED.

 

GRADES 2, 3, 4, & 5 ALL HAVE TIME ALLOTTED FOR THE COMPUTER LAB.  THE PROGRAMS THEY LEARN BUILD ON EACH OTHER, INCLUDING POWER POINT PRESENTATIONS, WORD PROCESSING, EXCEL, ETC.  POSSIBILITY FOR GATE CLASSES.   SEVERAL TEACHERS HAVE STRONG INTEREST IN TECHNOLOGY.

 

DISTRICT WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY FINANCING TOWARD SERVER.  DISCUSSION ABOUT BUYING VS. LEASING/LEASE TO PURCHASE OPTIONS.  SERVER COULD LAST BETWEEN 6 TO 10 YEARS.

 

DANNY’S EXPERIENCE IS THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS GREATLY BENEFIT FROM SERVER.  IT SAVES TIME THAT CAN BE USED FOR TEACHING.  ROUTERS/CABLES ARE ALREADY IN PLACE IN SCHOOL STRUCTURE.  BACK UP SOFTWARE IS NOT INCLUDED IN LEASE/PURCHASE PACKAGE.

 

RESEARCH POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGY GRANTS?  TIMING – OVERNIGHT SERVER CAN BE IMPLEMENTED.

 

GINGER MOVED TO LEASE A SERVER FOR A ONE YEAR TERM.  TED SECONDED THE MOTION.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

3. MS. LESSMAN REQUEST; MS. ROSENBLUM REQUEST

 

MS. LESSMAN, SCIENCE TEACHER FOR 4th & 5th GRADES, REQUESTED TO BE PAID, IN ADDITION TO HER 11/HOUR WEEK, FOR AN ADDITIONAL 5 HOURS PER WEEK FOR THE TIME SHE HAS BEEN SPENDING ON PREP. WORK, TEACHER CONFERENCES, ETC.  MRS. TANN FEELS IT IS WORTH ACCOMMODATING HER REQUEST BECAUSE SHE IS A PROVEN ASSET TO OUR SCHOOL AND WE “WOULDN’T WANT TO LOSE HER.”

 

MS. ROSENBLUM, TUTORIAL TEACHER, WROTE A LETTER REQUESTING A SALARY INCREASE FROM $25 TO $30 PER HOUR.  HER WEEK IS SUPPOSED TO BE 8 HOURS, BUT SHE BILLS FOR 20 TO 25 HOURS PER WEEK.

 

THE CONCERN EXPRESSED BY GINNEAN AND OTHERS WAS MAINLY ABOUT GOING OVER BUDGET AND CREATING A PROCESS/PLAN FOR HOW TO HANDLE SALARY INCREASES AND JOB PARAMETERS IN GENERAL.   MRS. TANN SUGGESTED WE HIRE ONE ADDITIONAL TEACHER INSTEAD OF TWO AS NOTED IN BUDGET AND FURTHER POSTPONE HIRING ADDITIONAL TEACHERS AT THIS TIME.

 

GINGER MOTIONED TO GRANT MS. LESSMAN’S REQUEST FOR THE ADDITIONAL 5 HOURS AS OUTLINED IN HER NOTE.  GINNEAN SECONDED THE MOTION.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

GINGER MOTIONED TO GIVE MS. ROSENBLUM A 10% RAISE AT THIS TIME.  LARRY SECONDED THE MOTION.  THE MOTION CARRIED.

 

4. GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

 

TINA IS ON THE COMMITTEE AND LORI WILL ATTEND ON BEHALF OF FRIENDS.  TINA WILL REPORT  TO FRIENDS WHEN LORI IS UNABLE TO ATTEND.

 

GINNEAN RAISED THE QUESTION OF HOW GOVERNANCE DECISIONS COULD BETTER BE COMMUNICATED TO FRIENDS AND OTHER GROUPS WHEN ITEMS ARE “KILLED” I.E., CLASS PROJECTS, WHICH “COSTS” FRIENDS BETWEEN $4,000 & $5,000.  GOVERNANCE NEEDS TO TRY TO REACH COMMITTEE CHAIRS BEFORE “KILLING” FUNDRAISERS.  ULTIMATELY, HAVING TINA AND LORI REPORTING TO FRIENDS WILL SOLVE THIS ISSUE.

 

TOURS HAVE BEEN CHANGED AND LOW ENROLLMENT THIS YEAR WAS ALSO DISCUSSED.

 

5. PARENT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL

 

KELLEY WILL ASK BILL RING TO ATTEND THE NEXT FRIENDS MEETING TO DISCUSS THIS COUNCIL WITH FRIENDS AND THE WORK HE IS DOING TO IMPROVE MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT.

 

6. GINGER: MARKETING CASTLE HEIGHTS MORE EFFECTIVELY

 

WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MARKET THE SCHOOL MORE EFFECTIVELY, ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO OVERLAND ELEMENTARY.  GINGER WILL INVESTIGATE THE COST TO CREATE NEW/BETTER SIGNAGE AND POSTING API SCORE PROMINANTLY.

 

UPDATES:

 

GINNEAN – FALL FESTIVAL/PUMPKIN PATCH

FESTIVAL PLANNING IS GOING WELL.  VOLUNTEER NUMBERS ARE UP.  PUMPKIN PATCH IS SET FOR FRIDAY.

 

TED – DONATION DRIVE

TWO SIGNS WILL GO UP BEFORE “BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT” – 1) PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES PARTICIPATING & 2) DOLLAR AMOUNT.

 

CURRENTLY $57K IN PLEDGES HAVE COME IN FROM 129 OF 439 FAMILIES.  MONIES ARE COMING IN SOONER THAN LAST YEAR.  PLAN TO MAKE A BIG PUSH AT BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT.  TED WILL ADDRESS PARENTS.

 

TED HAS INFO ON SPREAD SHEET OF PRIOR DONORS.  TED TO CONTACT THOSE THAT GAVE LAST YEAR AND HAVEN’T YET THIS YEAR.  HE IS WORKING HARD AND DOING A GREAT JOB!!

 

LORI – TOURS

TOURS ARE SET FOR OCT. 11TH AND NOV. 15TH BOTH AT 8:30AM.

NEW FLYERS (“BEST KEPT SECRET”) HAVE BEEN PRINTED AND ARE GETTING DISTRIBUTED.

 

LARRY -- UPDATES

ONE CD IS MATURING AND WILL  BE ROLLED OVER IN TO A 6-8 MONTH INVESTMENT CD.  MS. BARB REQUESTED TO SPEND THE $2,000 REMAINING FROM LAST YEAR’S APPROVED SPEND TO BE SPENT TO INSTALL RAINGUTTERS IN ART ALLEY FOR $1300.  APPROVED.

 

THREE NEW CREDIT CARD MACHINES WERE PURCHASED.

 

DUE TO TAX LAW CHANGES, NOW WE MUST UPDATE LETTERS TO REFLECT CHANGES IN LAW.  ACCOUNTING PROBLEMS FROM LAST YEAR HAVE ALMOST BEEN COMPLETED.

 

LARRY ALSO PASSED OUT A POTENTIAL FUNDRAISER OF “LAPTOP LUNCHES.”

 

FINAL CHECK REQUEST FORM APPROVED.  LARRY ENCOURAGED EVERYONE TO USE IT.

 

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

WE STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR JOG-A-THON & VALENTINE ROCK.

 

 

MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:01 PM.