Fireside PTO

Parents and faculty working together to provide a quality scholastic experience for all Fireside Elementary School students!

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September Meeting Minutes

September 13, 2011

Attendance

1. Welcome and Introductions  - Lucy Floyd

2. Approval of Minutes from Budget Meeting on 8-25-11.

The minutes were unanimously approved with no amendments.

3. Principal's remarks  - Jennifer Haxton on behalf of Pat Heinz-Pribyl

i. Welcome to Kristine Rudd as a part time literacy teacher working with 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students.  Kristina did her student teaching at Fireside last fall with Stacy Winsberg.

ii. The temperatures throughout school are much more comfortable since the weather cool down.  If you loaned a cooler, please pick it up from the office.

iii. Construction:  The preschool and primary playgrounds are complete and students are enjoying all of the equipment.  The remodeled area is getting closer to having details done.  The intercom is functioning better - we are no longer making all of our announcements inside and outside the building.  The addition has steel framing in place and is on schedule to be completed by January.

iv. Broken benches from the front of the building have been removed.  The other two sets of benches will also be removed.  They will be replaced with new benches that will match the concrete benches out in the front circle.

4. Co-Chairs Remarks  - Lucy Floyd

i. Thank yous - Thanks to Leslie Ewing for all you did over the summer: Summer Playdates, Ice Cream Social, Kindergarten and New Parent Coffee Social.  Many thanks to Julann and her helpers for the Back-to-School Brunch.  Thank you to Tam Dalle Molle for the Back-to-School packets and thanks to all the Labor Day Parade marchers.

ii. PTO Calendar - The school picture dates have been changed to Oct 4 & 5.  See the calendar on the PTO website for a current list of dates.

5. Upcoming Events

i. Grill 'n Bid  - Donna Hauswald
Ticket sales have already covered the cost of food for the event. Lulu's is charging $1,500 for food - they're the main event.  Qdoba taco bar is $500, Noodles food is all donated, Domino's - 50 pizzas donated, Starbucks donated, and BVSD will offer their salad bar.  Other highlights: DJ Doug, two magic shows with Rob the Magician, snake pictures with Mr. L's snake (thanks to Oliver Photography for donating their time!).  There are $25,000 in items (total value).  This is about $5,000 more than last year.

A link will be sent later this week with online bidding for approximately 30 items to be put up early for auction.  Bidding will be available for one week.  Friday folders will have auction brochure, showing all items at auction.  Parents are asked to share this list with family and friends.

There have been cash donations from three sources this year.  Suggestion for next year; have some items that are only available to bid online.

Closeout is moving to cafeteria or library (in case of bad weather.)

Yulia - volunteer signup is filling up nicely.  We still need food service, clean up and set up people.

There was a conflict with the graduation part of the karate program and the Grill 'n Bid.  Elaine will move the Friday night graduation to another night and if the event needs to come inside because of weather, karate will be moved to the hall.

ii. Skate City Back-to-School Party, Oct. 5 - Leslie Ewing
Wednesday, Oct 5th from 5-7 pm.  That night is only for Fireside students.  No bus, just meet at Skate City.  $1.50 per skater will go back to Fireside ($2.00 each if we have more than 200 skaters that night).  Also, each paid skater gets a free glow stick for a "glow party" theme!

iii. Parent Teacher Conferences, Oct. 4, 6, 10 -  Yulia for Ashley Elder.
Yulia will contact Ashley about recruiting volunteers to bring food.  There was a discussion on where to set up the food for the teachers, since we can't use the lounge.  The library was suggested, but book fair will be also be going on at that time.  Another suggestion was the art room, because of amount of table space.

6. Committee Reports

i. Volunteer Coordinator (PTO Open Positions) - Yulia Shafranov
Yulia reviewed the list of open positions.  Lucy spoke again of the need for a secretary.  Rachel Setzke volunteered to take on this position.  Thanks, Rachel!  Yulia will be running the Friends of Fireside program this year.  Lucy has stepped up as "interim" Green Team Leader, but would really like someone else to fill this position.

ii. Payback Coupon Books - Lucy Floyd on behalf of Shana Sagrillo
So far we have sold 108 Payback Books; for a total of $1,080 raised for PTO.  She anticipates the majority of envelopes to be turned in right up to the last day.

iii. School Directory Update - Tiffany Voeller
The directory is being edited right now.  We expect to have it printed and distributed by the end of September.  A question was asked about putting the directory online.  There aren't plans right now to do that.  It's going to require further discussion.

iv. Falcons Gear Sale Update - Terri Ellerington
All orders are in.  There is about $2,000 in gross sales.  Fireside made about $200.  The new items this year were bags, hats and tattoos.  200 Fireside tattoos were donated to the Grill 'n Bid.  Terri used Instant Imprints of Louisville; they have good pricing and she is happy with them. 

v. Grants Update - Susan Hill
Tara Neuman received a $2,000 Target grant over the summer.  Still waiting to hear about the GOCO grant (early December).  Susan is working with teachers who have ideas for grants.  She sent an email to Fireside community regarding Impact on Education awards.

vi. Green Team Update - Lucy Floyd
She is looking for someone to take over the Green Team.  Julann will order all compostables for the rest of 2011.  There was a discussion on what is involved in green team. There is an overlap of lunchroom and garden under the Green Team.

EcoCycle has already come out to school for student demonstrations this year. Jennifer Haxton volunteered to have her 5th grade class be the ambassadors again this year and Jennifer volunteered to be the teacher liaison for the Green Team.

vii. Garden to Table Update - CalliePalen-Lowrie
Callie went through what each grade lesson is this fall.  It's been a bit of a rough beginning, but hopefully future years will improve.  Looking at ideas for outdoor classroom near the garden.  There might be some grant money for this.  Jane Fuller is doing some landscape sketches that we can take to Pat.  This also depends on the future location of the garden.  We'll be putting the garden to bed later in the fall.

Callie and Tiffany attended the lunchroom liaison meeting with Ann Cooper, at Arapahoe Ridge this week.  The school lunch program needs more kids eating hot lunch for it to be sustainable.  Our kitchen needs help on the line.  Some volunteers have been identified and will be added to the pool.  There was a request that Ann Cooper come to talk to parents and teachers to clear up the many misconceptions about school lunches.  Callie also said that we can have sample lunch items at our PTO meetings, or even have the meetings catered.  She is looking at getting samples for the next PTO meeting.

7. Treasurer's Report

Treasurer's report was passed out to attendees. Lucy asked that individuals with questions contact Tam Dalle-Molle, our Treasurer.

[Lucy excused all parents & teachers who needed to leave at 8PM.]

8. Other Business

i. Walk to School Day is October 5th.  Shontelle Hegge still needs 10 volunteers for this day.  Recommendation that Yulia send out online sign-up sheet after Grill 'n Bid.

ii. Financial Request: FIRST Lego League - Janine Fitzgerald
FIRST only allows 10 kids to participate; we have 20 kids who want to participate.  They need $300 more from PTO to support the extra kids.  This amount comes after figuring in the $300 internal BVSD grant, and the $400 already given by PTO.  The extra money will cover t-shirts and food for the students.  The request was voted on and unanimously approved.

Next PTO Meeting Tuesday, October 11, 6:30 pm in the Fireside library.

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