FRIENDS EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES
CASTLE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL         
OCTOBER 6, 2005

THIS IS THE FIRST OPEN BOARD MEETING

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:   HANIA BROOKS, STACY BROOKS, NEAL FELDER, VALENCIA FOSTER, ESTELLA HERNANDEZ, BARBARA KAYE, ELLEN KLINENBERG, TOMASA LANDA, JOHN LAZAR, GINA POLIZZI, MICAH ROBERTS, DARCIE TILLIS, and TOLLY VALENTE

FRIEND MEMBERS PRESENT: (I APPOLOGIZE FOR MISSPELLING ANYONE’S NAME) GINNEAN SHAW, ROSY GONZAGA, CATHER COCCER, STEVE COCCER, PATTY CLEARY, ANN BARN, LARRY DAMERS, SALLY DAMERS, GINGER BOWER, ERICKA HINDLE, CATHY GIPIS, NANCY FISHER, JENNY JONES, JUDY ROSENWEIG, AMY LEVITT, CATHY GALPER, AND MORE…(PLEASE REFER TO SIGN IN SHEET)

1.             APPROVAL OF MINUTES

GINA MOVES TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 7TH FRIENDS BOARD MEETING.

 

GINA SECONDS.

 

·          MICAH – ALL IN FAVOR – MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

2.             WELCOME – 7:05 PM

MICAH WELCOMES ALL.  MICAH READS THE FRIENDS’ BOARD STANDARDS.  ALL RAISE THEIR RIGHT HANDS AND PROMISE TO UPHOLD THESE STANDARDS. 

 

TODAY’S MEETING WILL BEGIN WITH THE PTA ELECTIONS.  MICAH INTRODUCES JUDY ROSENZWEIG.

3.             PTA ELECTIONS - JUDY

JUDY EXPLAINS THE DIFFERENCES OF THE PTA AND FRIENDS.  PTA WILL CONCENTRATE ON PROGRAMMING AND COMMUNITY.  THE PTA WILL ORGANIZE THE EVENTS THAT ARE SCHOOL ORIENTED.  IN ORDER TO DO SO, THE PTA NEEDS LEADERSHIP.

 

SECRETARY

NANCY FISHER – ONLY CANDIDATE

MICAH MOTIONS TO VOTE NANCY FOR THE SECRETARY

LARRY DAMERS SECONDS

ALL VOTE YES

 

PRESIDENT

JUDY ROSENZWEIG – ONLY CANDIDATE

MICAH MOTIONS TO VOTE JUDY FOR THE PRESIDENT

NEAL SECONDS

ALL VOTE YES

 

NO ONE VOLUNTEERS TO NOMINATE THEMSELVES FOR TREASURER AND VICE PRESIDENT.  THESE POSITIONS WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL A LATER DATE. (JENNY JONES ACCEPTS THE TREASURER POSITION ON ANOTHER DATE)

4.         THE FIESTA - MICAH      

MANY OF THE LATIN FAMILIES WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE BY THROWING AN ADULT OFF-SITE FUNDRAISING EVENT.  MANY OF THESE FAMILIES HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD/ATTEND THE SPRING EVENTS AND WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL FAMILIES HAVE THE CHANCE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SCHOOL.  MAUEL LOPEZ AND RAFAEL & EMMA GOMEZ WANT TO CHAIR THIS EVENT.  ENTRANCE WILL BE BY DONATION ONLY.  THEY WILL HAVE A PRIVATE RAFFLE TO RAISE FUNDS. 

DARCIE MOTIONS TO APPROVE THE FIESTA                                                                                                                                                                       VALENCIA SECONDS                                                                                                                                                                              ALL IN FAVOR – THE MAJORITY VOTE YES – THE FIESTA PASSES

 

5.             BUDGET - ELLEN

BUDGET PLANNING HAND-OUT – RECEIPTS AND EXPENSES

 

ELLEN REVIEWS THE INFORMATION

 

EXPENSES

            STAR WILL BE MAINTAINING PAYROLL CHECKS FOR THE AIDES.  ELLEN EXPLAINS EACH OF THE EXPENSES AND STRESSES THAT DISTRICT DOES NOT PAY FOR THESE SCHOOL NECESSITIES.

6.             FAMILY DONATION DRIVE - NEAL

NEAL STRESSES PASSION AND COMMITMENT.  EVERY CHILD BENEFITS FROM THE SERVICES PROVIDED.  THUS FAR, WE HAVE COLLECTED $50,210 IN PLEDGES ($36,600 FUNDS IN-HAND).  ONLY 32% OF THE FAMILIES AT CASTLE HEIGHTS HAVE PARTICIPATED.  WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO TALK TO ALL FAMILIES.  LET THEM KNOW THAT EVERY DONATION IS AN INVESTMENT.  NEAL CONCLUDES THAT WITH VALUE, PASSION AND COMMITMENT, ANYTHING CAN BE ACHIEVED.

 

A COMMENT: PARENTS NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE MONEY RAISED IS GOING.  WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB IN COMMUNICATING WHERE ALL OF THESE DONATION DOLLARS ARE GOING.  PARENTS NEED TO KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT DOES NOT PAY FOR IMPORTANT SCHOOL POSITIONS, SUCH AS AIDES, PE COACH, LIBRARIAN, COACHES, ETC.

 

FRIENDS HAS IMPROVED AND IS ALWAYS TRYING TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION TO ALL PARENTS.  FRIENDS COMMUNICATES BY FLYERS, WORD OF MOUTH, MORNING TABLE, SUGGESTION BOX, UPCOMING WEBSITE, ETC.

 

BRAINSTORMING:

·          MAYBE A VISUAL CAN COMMUNICATE OUR NEEDS BETTER. 

 

·          BEFORE PICTURE – DISTRICT LA UNIFIED IMAGE

AFTER PICTURE – CASTLE HEIGHTS ES WITH ALL OF THE EXTRAS

 

·          OR MAYBE A MORE TANGIBLE FLYER WITH: YOUR DONATION DOLLARS WORK!  WITH AN IMAGE OF THE BUDGET.

 

·          OR PINS FOR THE AIDES THAT SAYS, “I’M FUNDED BY YOUR DONATIONS”

 

·          OR BANNERS FOR ART ALLEY THAT STATE, “SOLEY DONATED BY YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS”

 

·          OR HAVE PERCENTAGES OF HOW MANY HAVE PLEDGED, AND HOW MANY MORE WE NEED

 

·          OR PIE CHARTS BLOWN UP FOR ALL PARENTS TO SEE

 

FRIENDS IS WORKING ON EMAIL BLASTS FROM THE EMAIL ADDRESSES SUBMITTED TO THE ROSTER. 

 

7.             CORPORATE SPONSORS COMMITTEE – GINGER BOWER

WE ARE LOOKING TO THE COMMUNITY TO HELP WITH FUNDS FOR THE SCHOOL.  LA UNIFIED SCHOOLS HAVE A BAD RAP.  WE WANT TO CHANGE THAT.

 

GINGER WANTS TO ASK REALTORS TO BE EMBASSADORS TO THE SCHOOL, BY PROMOTING WHAT CASTLE HEIGHTS HAS TO OFFER.  SHE WOULD LIKE TO HOLD A CORP. SPONSOR BREAKFAST MEETING ON OCTOBER 20TH.  THE REALTORS WILL BE ASKED TO DONATE $2500 TO SPONSOR AN UPCOMING SCHOOL EVENT.  THE EVENT WILL THEN HAVE A BANNER THAT SAYS, “EVENT POSSIBLE BY JANE SMITH – REALTOR” 

 

AFTER THIS EVENT WE CAN HAVE MORE CORP. SPONSOR EVENT OPPORTUNITIES.  ALL SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME. 

 

VALENCIA MOTIONS TO VOTE YES ON THE CORP. SPONSOR BREAKFAST

ELLEN SECONDS

ALL IN FAVOR – MAJORITY VOTE YES – CORP. SPONSOR BREAKFAST PASSES

 

 

8.             VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION

NEW DISTRICT POLICY – IF YOU VOLUNTEER IN THE CLASSROOM, YOU NEED TO HAVE A TB TEST, AND THE RESULTS SUBMITTED. 

 

 

9.             REMINDERS

 

COFFEE TALK – NEXT COFFEE TALK WITH MS. TANN IS OCTOVER 19TH, 8:15 IN THE AUDITORIUM

 

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT – STARTS AT 6PM IN THE AUDITORIUM, NO CHILDREN

 

FALL FESTIVAL – NEED VOLUNTEERS.  WE WILL PUSH VOLUNTEERISM AT BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT.  EACH TEACHER WILL ALLOW US 5 MINUTES TO DISCUSS.

 

PUMPKIN PATCH – DON’T FORGET PUMPKIN PATCH!  WE WILL BE SELLING HOT DOGS AND GOODIES.  PUMPKINS ARE $6.  THE EVENT STARTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER SCHOOL.

 

 

10.              CLOSED MEETING WITH BOARD MEMBERS ONLY

 

4TH GRADE CONCERNS – 4TH GRADE LOST A TEACHER, THERE ARE NOW ONLY 3 TEACHERS WITH AN AVERAGE OF 31 STUDENTS EACH.  MANY PARENTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CLASSES BEING OVER-CROWDED.  WE NEED TO FIGURE A WAY HOW TO GET 3 AIDES TO HELP THESE TEACHER AND CLASSES.

 

SCHOOLS RULE – THE PRIZE FOR SCHOOLS RULE IS AMERICAN EXPRESS GIFT CARDS.  DO WE WANT TO SELL THESE OR GIVE THEM TO TEACHERS? MICAH PROPOSES THAT FRIENDS SELLS THE CARDS.  DARCIE MOTIONS TO SELL THE CARDS. ELLEN SECONDS. ALL IN FAVOR – ALL VOTE YES.

 

PE TEACHER – 2 CANDIDATES WERE INTERVIEWED.  NEAL AND MS. TANN REALLY LIKED ONE OF THE CANDIDATES.  LAST YEAR WE PAID THE COACH $12.00/HOUR.  MICAH PROPOSES TO DO THE SAME.  NEAL PROPOSES $15.00/HOUR.  IF WE RAISE THE NEW COACH, THEN WE WILL NEED TO RAISE HEATHER’S SALARY TO THE SAME AMOUNT.  JOHN MOTIONS TO OFFER THE NEW COACH $12.50.  DARCIE SECONDS.  ALL IN FAVOR – MAJORITY VOTE YES - $12.50/HOUR PASSES.  IF NEW COACH ACCEPTS, WE WILL THEN DISCUSS INCREASING HEATHER’S PAY TO $12.50. 

 

 

11.              END OF MEETING

 

 

GINA MOTIONS TO ADJOURN MEETING.

 

TOLLY SECONDS.

 

MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

 

THE NEXT MEETING IS ON Wednesday, November 02, 2005