Central PTA News

These DRAFT January 2007 meeting minutes are available for download as a PDF or Microsoft Word document.

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Introduction:
At 9:07 am the meeting started in the Central School Library
Attending PTA Board Members: Nancy Hopkins, Lisa Aulerich-Marciniak, Allyn Pilewski, Kathy Dudek, Maddalena Flight, Michelle Hejna, Mary Judy, Rick LaBelle, Cathy Louthen, Sue Miller, Lisa Veon.

Guests in Attendance: Dr. Jonathan Lamberson, Dr. Janice Limperis, Meg O’Brien, Bob Chleboun, and Pete from Heavenly Hot Dogs

Minutes from November 7, 2006 minutes were reviewed and approved

Correspondence: Lisa Veon thanked the members for donating $925.00 for the Specials/Teacher Gift Collection.

President’s Report: Nancy Hopkins requested photographs for the Roadrunner. There is a folder in the Office, or send them to Kim Bolton, 2nd Grade Mrs. Sumners Class. The next PTA meeting will be on February 6, 2007. It will be a short meeting, followed by an Internet Safety Program, hosted by Central School in the Hauser Auditorium for all the District School Parents.

Superintendent’s Report: Jonathan Lamberson, Traffic Study Group — The District has hired a consultant to work with the study group. Each PTA is asked to provide one representative to the committee.

Wellness Committee: Bob Chleboun, Wellness Plan Wrap-Up Committee set up one year ago, studying how a wellness plan would be implemented in the Classroom, and carry over to be used as a life-long lifestyle. The committee had created a mission statement to present to the District School Board.

• Goals for Physical Activity
• Goals for Nutrition Education
• Goals that promote student wellness in the school environment
• Goals that support Parent and Community partnerships that foster student wellness
• Goals for school Food Service Providers (DON JOHNSON Hauser) to review foods with minimal nutritional value (FMNV) and exemptions

Teacher Representative: Mrs. Scaggs reported that the teachers are looking forward to the Historical Perspectives performance for the students on Ben Franklin sponsored by the PTA. She showed class work from students in several grade levels.

Reading Programs: Meg O’Brien Reading Specialist reported on the District’s reading strategies, models being used, and balanced literacy. Teachers are being trained on the new materials, and how to implement the materials in the classroom, and the use of literacy centers management of time. She thanked the Guided Reading Parent Volunteers who have been working to put together a Resource Library for the Teachers in the Media Room.

Ms. Susan Hoestasser (Ames Reading Specialist) reported on the Guided Reading Program, including the use of scaffolding the text and how Guided Reading helps students to become independent readers.

Boxtops/Labels: Michelle Hruska- reported that proceeds from this year’s collection will be used to purchase gym equipment.

Pavers: Nikki Hajer reported that 11 pavers were purchased during the 2006 November Sale, for a profit to the PTA of $935. Nikki will do another promotion in spring.

Nominating Committee: Sue Miller and Mary Judy were appointed as the Executive Committee representatives to the Nominating Committee, with Allyn Pilewski as the Alternate. The membership voted to give Michelle Hejna the authority to contact parents of with children in younger grades and recruit volunteered.

Talent Show: Colleen Lieggi and Allison McCarthy will be organizing the Talent Show. A notice will be sent out soon relating to auditions.

Fundraising Research Committee: Karen Doornebos and Michelle Hejna reported that the committee is investigating the possibility of a Foundation to replace current fundraisers. A recommendation was made by the committee that a board position be created to head all Fundraising Committees. They are also considering recommendations to eliminate small fundraisers or time consuming fundraisers with small returns. Possible eliminations: Aunt Diana’s Fudge Sale, See’s Candies, and Market Day. The committee is still in the investigative stage.

The meeting ended at 10:30 am

Kathy Dudek, Recording Secretary, respectively submits the minutes.

On Thursday, Feb. 1st, Market Day orders may be picked up between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. at the HAUSER CAFETERIA instead of the Multi-Purpose room at Central. If you need to make alternative arrangements, please contact Mary Judy or Sue Miller (see directory for telephone numbers.) Thanks for your support!

Forms for the Six Flag “Read to Succeed” program have been distributed to students. If students keep track of their recreational reading for six hours between now and February 16, they can receive a free ticket to Six Flags. Forms must be returned to your child’s teacher no later than February 16 to Read to Succeed!

You can download an extra copy of the form here.

The District 96 School Board will discuss the 2007-2008 school calendar at the February Board meeting. Under the draft calendar, long vacation breaks will correspond to the same schedule as RB; however, there are other significant changes in the proposed calendar:

• School would begin on Monday, August 27, and the first week would be a 4-1/2 day week. (School has traditionally started on the Wednesday before Labor Day with a 2-1/2 day week.)
• The school year would operate on trimesters, rather than quarters. The first trimester would end at Thanksgiving, the second in late February. The change is intended to maximize the number of “learning weeks” and to allow for more accurate assessment of students.
• Early release days (1:30) would be eliminated, to be replaced with “School Improvements Days,” with students released at 11:30.
• The mid-October break would be shortened, but the Thanksgiving break would be lengthened.
• There would be no substitutes scheduled for teachers working on curriculum, etc.

Copies of the DRAFT calendar and a comparison of the 2006-2007 to 2007-2008 calendar are available for download in Adobe Acrobat format.

District 96 School Board has authorized the administration to offer morning and afternoon half-day kindergarten for 2007-08. By offering morning and afternoon sessions, two classrooms will be freed up, district-wide, to help accommodate increasing enrollment. Both Central and Ames will have both morning and afternoon options for kindergarten, as their enrollment necessitates three sections. Blythe Park and Hollywood currently have only one section of kindergarten. A decision has not yet been made whether one school will offer morning kindergarten and the other afternoon kindergarten, or whether they will both have morning classes. A full-day kindergarten option is not being considered at this time due to space constraints. Kindergarten enrichment may still be offered but that will depend on enrollment. Parents will be asked to express their preference for a morning or an afternoon session. In the event that more parents choose the morning section than space allows, a lottery will likely be held from those students completing their kindergarten paperwork by the deadline.

Join the “friends of Riverside” — your neighbors and our downtown businesses — as we objectively review the steps leading up to the current TIF proposal, test a range of possible futures for Riverside, review alternative methods of financing those visions, and then evaluating the TIF against these other strategies and our priorities when it comes to:

• Attractiveness of our buildings, the downtown, streets, and open space
• Convenience of goods and services in our downtown and along Harlem
• Good condition of our infrastructure
• High property values
• High quality of our schools
• Places for recreation and leisure
• Preservation of our most valued assets
• Safety and security
• Sense of community

These workshops will not last longer than 3 hours. See the attached document (downloadable in Microsoft Word format or PDF) or visit the village website for more details. Please note: you must RSVP to attend these meetings. Follow the instructions on the village website.

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, May 22nd from 1:00-3:05 PM and Wednesday, May 23rd from 7:00 PM- 8:30 PM for The 2nd Annual Central School Talent Show. This Talent Show is open to students in grades K-5. A volunteer meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 27th at 7:00 PM in the Central Library for any person interested in helping put this fabulous production together. Come join the fun!

The Talent Show audition forms will go home the week of March 12th. The Audition forms will be due on Friday, March 23rd. Late forms will not be accepted.

The Talent Show Screening will be held on Monday, April 9th and Friday, April 13th from 3:05-5:00 PM in the Central gym. Screening times will be assigned in early April. UPDATE 1/30/07: The Dress Rehearsal will be held after school in the Hauser Auditorium on Monday, May 14th and Friday, May 18th.

Contact either Colleen Lieggi or Allison McCarthy for further information (see School Directory for phone numbers and email addresses.)