September 10, 2024 Meeting Minutes
September 10, 2024 Meeting Minutes
Fairway Elementary PTO
Executive Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 9:30 AM
Call to Order: 9:30
Secretary’s Report: Stephanie Bollinger
- Minutes from August 2024 Kickoff meeting sent out last week, 9.3.24
- informal meeting, no need for approval
Treasurer’s Report: Sarah Lynch
- Actual/Finalized Budget Presented
- Recent income from 5th grade celebration dues, spirit wear
Principal’s Report: Katie Johnson, Laura Pacino
- Ice Machine Lease vs. Purchase
- Leased because purchasing would leave no one to service it
- Still cheaper to purchase more than one if something happened to it than to lease
- Explore other options
- MTK Emails
- office does not pass out class list; that’s on MTK
- If parents haven’t updated MTK then not all famiies are getting PTO communications; Is there another way?
- Room Parent communication, etc. is affected by lack of registering/updating MTK
- Have parents RSVP for Family Fun Night on MTK to get them on the site to update?
- In the future have laptops at Meet the Teacher to have people check in and update MTK
- Walk up and down pickup line with fliers asking people to update MTK
Presidents’ Report: Anna King and Lisa Israel
- Welcome to the 2024-2025 School Year
- Structure of Meeting
- Call for Agenda items ahead of next meeting
- 2 minute updates
- Minutes sent out one week before next meeting
- Approval of Teacher Grants ahead of meetings—some changes being made to the process (further discussion below)
- Updates on Roles
- VP Expectations—send out budgets to all chairs
- Chairs should be reaching out to committees
- Event Summaries needed for all events
- some details are sometimes unclear as to what the event is, what it is for, etc.
- 5th Grade Celebration Discussion: Fees for the future
- Currently able to do really fun things, but student numbers are dwindling, will start to not be able to afford/sustain what we have been doing for celebration
- Less kids, price will need to rise, start gradually increasing price
- budget may need to adjust for more spending from PTO toward the event
- Do a fundraiser for 5th grade celebration? fundraising started in kdg is earmarked for 5th grade celebration?
- Do a grade-level specific fundraiser to raise funds for celebration; responsibility of 5th grade celebration chair?
- Google form for input: would you rather pay more for celebration, or fundraise to offset your family’s cost?
- Give option of fundraising or paying the cost IE: sell pizzas or pay the higher fee for the celebration
- Chair needed for such fundraising...start in 4th grade and carry over to 5th grade
- Will people want to attend an extra event? (Fundraiser) Do such specific fundraising events detract from other fundraisers/events?
- Pay for your child, also have option to add $10 to go toward students who need asssistance paying
- High School or YMCA potential option for location?
- Keep inflatables for 5th Grade Celebration/Family Fun Night and do something else for Field Day (that is not inflatable)? Possible cost-savings?
- Price of inflatables worth it? Good bang for your buck with field day, fun night, and 5th grade celebration. Is it less expensive for less days?
- In the future, if they aren’t cutting us a deal for multiple/consecutive days/events, should we separate the events and not run them all back-to-back to give field a break?
- Presidents Forum—please be sure to mark your calendars for future events
- This year: President and Treasurer training
- PTO Closet
- Check for things before purchasing
- Use abundance of small foam cups for Fun Run
- Sport Court Discussion:
- Fundraising specifically for this is tricky; Need to cover our annual costs as well (budget of 83,670-15,000=about 65,000 needed for general operation); fundraising can’t specifically go to that; we have $15,000 earmarked currently; total estimated price is $45,000 (labor, concrete, surface, etc.—not basketball hoops, etc.—those make price more like $50,000
- Go ahead and have conversation with the head of grounds and facilities since we’re serious about doing this (Katie and Lorinda)
- Want to be able to advertise we are fundraising for this, but also need to advertise smaller, more immediate things that money is going to (start this at Fun Run)
- Budget is hesitation in putting word out there; Change approach—multi-year...How are we going to advertise that?
- Make large posters to show what we’re working toward; Display at Fun Night (along with PTO sign from Meet the Teacher); Display at Fun Run
- Lay out a timeline for this fundraising initiative
- Winter Party Times?
- Grade-Level parties; 45min party, 15min cleanup/reset; in Gym during specials
- Grade-Level specific craft, grade specific game—chosen by grade-level liason
- How to structure?
- Stay with your class, rotate stations every 10min
- Downfall of staggering parties all day long is constant inundation at the office for check-in
- Perhaps PTO can help with check in at a table in the lobby
- What do you need from the specialists? Rotate them throughout the day for coverage for classroom teachers during parties? (in gym, but allow specialists plan time as well)
- Teacher Grants
- Currently do not have enough funds for this
- Last year, grant approved for $3000 for lock box and microphone, then submitted later by Sinden, hasn’t been payed for either way...
- He’s in no rush, but would be great to have before Variety Show
- Revisit this after Fun Run
- Have had habit of funding all teacher grant requests because we could, but now we need to take a step back
- Some requests coming in early after just getting startup money
- Need to be more cognizant of what we are approving
- Suspended for now
- Revamp form for application; have a hard deadline—perhaps Nov 1, Feb 1, and toward end of the year?; Look at all applications and decide what is most logical at the time—some may just be a “not right now” and not a “no”
- Communicate these changes with teachers
- Wobble Stools for Flora (perhaps take some from STEM room)
- Books for Jones (60 Scholastic requested as rewards for book challenge—can use books from book room that are going to be gotten rid of)
- Field Trip
- Pick a week for it (week of April 14th)
- Do more grade-level specific Field Trips
- Do a primary one and an intermediate one
- Need ideas
- Humane Society?
- Wolf Sanctuary?
- PTO cover transportation, parents cover cost of field trip
VP of Events Report: Crystal Kroeger
- Trunk or Treat: October 25th
- Open MTK 2nd; close 16th for pizza, still allow ticket sales
- Is this a fundraiser or a community event?
- last year made $1200; $15 admission and bag of candy
- does increasing the cost deter people, when spending a lot on candy, decorating, etc.
- increase cost for pizza—$12 (perhaps Dominos)
- bring your own drinks; use the small cups from the closet with water cooler
- Use the South lot to park if too far to walk, but don’t want to decorate/pass out candy from their car
- keep in mind lots are closed until event is over
- have officer to help; South side entrance closed, come in main entrance
- 50/50 Raffle on MTK
- Better sound system that sound travels further—is that possible?
- use the school announcement system
- How to advertise: pass out flyers at pickup, marquee, newsletter, etc.
- Costume Parade: 7:00
VP of Fundraising Report: Hayley Hopper
- November 15th Chuck E Cheese Night
- 20% back to Fairway
- Use that money for teacher grants?
- Working on potential September fundraiser with Raising Canes
- Slick City an option to explore?
- Have teachers push these restaurant fundraisers...incentive for them to gain participation, to raise funds for teacher grants
- Pumpkin Run meeting Friday, September 13th
- Utilize committee: Kelly Morgan
- How are we presenting the Fun Run and its purpose?
VP of Community Report: Jill Grogan
- Winter Party discussion above, no formal report
New Business
Adjourn: 11:08
Next Meeting on Tuesday, October 1st at 9:30AM