Central PTA News

We have updated drawings and blueprints for the playground for you. Please take a look:

Front view
Rear view
Blueprints

We paid special attention to the following details when specifying the design:

• The tower structure is octagonal to mimic the shape of the Central School bell tower and Riverside water tower
• The panels resemble the brick on Central School
• The overall train theme is consistent with Riverside
• The train engine has a custom “Riverside Roadrunner Express” sign
• The ticket booth also has a custom “Central Depot” sign

Of course the above drawings are not perfect either, with the following exceptions:

• A Train Depot with a custom “Central Depot” sign and tube system as well as a turn bar are included in plans but not reflected on color renderings
• Village façade is reflected in plans but is conditional on funding.
• Please also note that a custom panel will exist underneath the slide but is not shown so that the bench is visible.

Thanks for your support!

The 2005 / 2006 Central Elementary school year is nearly over, and it’s time for our annual Teacher Appreciation Week. All week long we raffle off prizes for the teachers as our way of saying thanks for guiding our children through another year of school. In past years, we’ve had donations of dining certificates, hand-made jewelery, personal beauty services and dozens of other wonderful, generous gifts. The teachers really love and appreciate it and look forward to the daily drawings.

Please consider making your donation today: our deadline is Friday May 5th. Contact Allison McCarthy at (708) 443-5534 or via email at info@allisonmccarthy.com.

THANKS!

Thank you to everyone who supported the 2006 PTA Book Fair. Total sales were over $11,700, which represents a 20% increase over last year’s sales, and makes this our most profitable Book Fair ever. Our share of the proceeds will add hundreds of books and instructional materials to our school’s library and classrooms.

Our thanks go also to the many parents who gave their time and talent to help make the Book Fair such a success. Please see this PDF document for a complete list of volunteers.

Thanks again to all who participated.

Sincerely,

Lisa Marciniak and Mary Jo Robling
Co-Chairs
Central School PTA Book Fair Committee

Mrs. Moorhead was once again kind enough to provide the lunch menu for Central/Hauser, this time for May & June 2006. You can download it as an Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word document.

Of course, the lunch menu is typically available on the District 96 website also, but it’s STILL infinitely cooler to have it here, isn’t it?

I think this is the last menu for the 2005 / 2006 school year….

You can view the original flyer here.

Let’s Have Lunch!!!

Join us for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon on Tuesday, May 9th from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm at Riverside United Methodist Church (across the street from Hauser.) Delicious salads, fresh made breads and desserts, catered by Tala McCoy. Only $10 per person. Please reply by May 5th to Maura Doherty at Mojo1216@aol.com or see Central directory for the phone number.

The Playground Committee has received several questions about the “Pavers for the Playground” Fundraiser.

How many bricks have been sold?

52 as of 4/12/06 - NOTE: more current info is available here

Why are we only making $11,000 profit if we sell 200 bricks @ $100 each?

200 bricks x $100 = $20,000
Material & installation cost = $5,613
Engraving cost $15/brick= $3,000

Can more than one person’s name appear on a brick?

Yes, as long as it does not exceed the number of characters.

How many characters are allowed - the form said 13, but the sample brick in the office has 14 letters?

Some letters take up more space than others. There will always be space for 13 letters on a line, but we can not guarantee that more than 13 will fit.

Can you use the & symbol if you are listing more than one name?

Yes

Will there be an opportunity to buy bricks in the future?

Yes, we expect this to be an ongoing fundraiser. If you can’t afford to purchase multiple bricks for all of your children in one year, you might consider funding one or two bricks this year, and others in the future; however, we need to sell at least 200 bricks this spring to install the new playground!

Can I change the inscription on my brick if I change my mind?

Yes, but please put the change requested in writing, either by leaving a note in the PTA box in the office, or by sending an e-mail with the change to nhopkins@ourth.com. Changes will be accepted until May 26.

Are most people listing individual names or family names?

Slightly more individual bricks have been ordered than family bricks, as well as 4 memorial bricks.

What type of inscriptions are accepted?

You can have one or more names on the brick (first and last names please).
You can also have “The _______ Family” or “In Memory of _________”. No other text will be printed. (For instance, no “Luv ya!”, “You’re the best”, “Central Rocks” - you get the idea.)

Can groups purchase bricks?

No. To maintain consistency we are limiting the bricks to individual and family names. The only exception is for groups affiliated with the school. (In other words, no business names or advertising please!)

Will receipts be given for tax deduction purposes?

Your entire donation for the paver fundraiser is tax deductible. The PTA is required to provide receipts for any single donation of $250 or more. Receipts will be issued at the conclusion of the fundraiser. For donations under $250 your check can serve as your receipt.

You have MORE questions?

Contact Nancy Hopkins (See Central Directory for phone number).

You can download this document in Microsoft Word format or Adobe PDF.

Please Note:
These minutes were approved on April 4, 2006. If you read through the notes and find an error, please feel free to send an email to Chris and he will forward it to the Secretary for review. You can also just post a comment to this article, and the editors will be notified of your comments.

Minutes March 7th 2006 Central School PTA

Meeting was called to order at 9:05 am in the Central School Library. February 7th 2006 minutes were approved.

President’s Report: Michelle Hejna expressed thank you to today’s hostesses Karen Doornebos and Jeanine Glavis.

Officer Reports:

1st VP: Allison McCarthy no report

2nd VP: Catherine Maye stated we will need 10 new people for Market Day this month and then the company will give us a new freezer.

3rd VP: Nancy Hopkins at the end of the year we need to carry over $600.00. Philanthropy will meet to discuss any teacher needs that are requested at the end of the year.

Treasurer: Gary Gryczan presented a written report. See attached. He stated we are on budget and waiting to hear from the district office what have been ordered from last year.

Corresponding Secretary: Dawn Gmitro was thanked for going to baby-sit the children today.

Committee Reports:

Book Fair: Mary Jo Robling and Lisa Marciniak reported that the fair is starting April 4th with teacher and parent previews. Flyer will go home with your child. Parent preview is new this year as well as younger children will go around with their Buddy to write up their wish list. Wish list could be done on line prior to the book fair and bring it in the list. You can help out in many ways. You can help out before, after and during school. You can also donate an extra dollar or more and Scholastic will donate books. Teacher wish lists will be available. It will be bigger than in the past. Tuesday 7:30 am is the preview.

Carson’s Days: The profit was $155.00

District Issues: Summer school calendar will be out Mid March. The Calendar for 2006-2007 is posted

Garden: The Holly O’Hare garden will have a May dedication. The garden unfortunately has been trampled so until the garden fills out a sign and fencing will be placed. Please protect the garden with parental supervision.

Humanities: The Company went bankrupt and so we will not do t-shirts this year.

Election Day: March 21st is Election Day and other PTA’s run a bake sale during the election. If anyone is interested in chair/co-chairing please let Michelle know .We also need parent volunteers to prevent voters from roaming the school.

Ice Cream Social: Thursday April 6th during the evening with book fair. This is free

Ice Skating Party: Thank you to Anne Harris D’Amato. We had 100 people.

Kindergarten Tea: April 28th at 12:45. See Karen Doornebos to help bake.

Grandparents Day: Sue Miller is looking for volunteers to greet or show grandparents around on Monday May 15th.

Nominating Committee: Cathy Louthen read the attached slate of proposed officers for next year.

Pavers for the Playground: Nancy Hopkins reported the cost per brick is $100.00. Anyone can purchase a brick. 66 bricks are needed to break even. The bricks will be one size with no advertising. See handout.

Pizza Booth: Michelle Hejna stated if someone is interested in chair or co chair this event in the Summer on the 4th of July please see her.

Playground Committee and Chicago Wolves fundraiser: Lisa Veon reported the playground drawings are on the web site. If anyone has ideas send them via the web. The Wolves night made profit of $2,500. They hope to have a party at the end when the playground is installed.

RB Referendum: Michelle was approached by Dorothy Din to ask for a collective support of the referendum. After discussion the group voted to support the referendum as a Central School PTA

Roadrunner: Cathy Louthen stated if someone is interested in working on the school newspaper for next year to contact Ginny Herman. She is looking for her replacement.

See’s Spring Candy: Erin Durkin brought samples of the product and spoke of its 85-year history that started in California. The product is very fresh. And the profit per item varies.

Talent Show: Colleen Lieggi will have the screening on March 16 and 17th. No child will be turned away. They will fine-tune the act.

Wristbands: Ingrid Lulich and Dorie Skiest have the winners and the bands are being made.

Guests:

Dr. Janice Limperis thanked everyone involved for the hockey game. ISAT testing will be March 13-23rd. Web site has sample questions. Barbara Bayer the social worker is on leave and Laurie Swanson will pick up the caseload. Spirit Day will be Wednesday March 15 Tornado Drill will be March 16.

Laura Schwartz stated that the book fair is fantastic. Donation of books as well at the $100.00 per classroom has been great. Thank you. Bake Sale for the Valentines Day was a success it brought in $650.00. The Reef Grant of $1,500 and the bake sale was a great help to reduce the cost of the Springfield trip to $36.00 per student. April 6th is the date for the trip. She showed the Civil war model. Buddy Program is a big hit with the children. Ask your child about their buddy.

Candi Grace, Village of Riverside Trustee asked the group to approve the 1% sales tax. The money will be used for infrastructure. Berwyn is already at 1%. Most of the money will come from the Dolphin House and Gas Stations and Seven-Eleven. The way we funded roads in the past you would pay half of your paved roads. The village ought to be paying for the roads.

The meeting ended at 10:22am
Respectfully submitted: Cathy Louthen