Minutes, Hardy PTO meeting Dec. 4th 2012

Minutes, Hardy PTO meeting Dec. 4th 2012 Took a quick poll to see how is/isn’t getting the weekly PTO Post (Andy still isn’t). Picture re-take day will be this Friday. Need one or more parents to help out. We’ll ask the 5th grade teachers to spread the word. Directory: room parents have been asked to get info from parents, with opt-out. If we do this in-house next year, we’ll plan on using surveymonkey. Will aim to get it out by new year. Unicef: netted over $1500. Holiday Giving Tree: all stars have been taken! Parent’s Night Out (Jenn Irvine): Planning for Whittemore house, Friday or Saturday, likely in Feb or March. Menotomy Wine will come pour. Space for 100 people; will sell tickets. Possible on-line silent auction. Orgo meeting this Thursday. Winter Concert: we’ll run a breakfast as usual. Skating Party: Lisa P. will check on dates. International Festival: Milagros and Gloria are meeting this Friday, with Pinal, to start the planning. Date TBD. Undecided as yet whether we’ll have it on a Saturday. Literacy Night: Tentatively planned for March 7 (during reading across America week). May do a Dr. Seuss theme, as March 2 is his birthday. Last year we limited it to K - 2; may consider broadening it. Book donation program: Margaret Muirhead suggested expanding a small program that she has been running single-handed – parents donate $12 for the purchase of a book, which has a book plate inserted with their info. Group suggested advertising during Literacy Night, Book Fair, maybe Curriculum Night. We discussed the need to get information about what the PTO does out to parents in a more effective fashion (apparently too many parents don’t read what we send). One idea: permanent informational poster in outside bulletin board. Another: turning the Herald into a blog. Need to form a committee to determine how to spend the $4000 we have set aside for grants. Some of this money is reserved for 4th grade movie making project (about $1000). We discussed the need for more effective fundraising (participation in this year’s Appeal is only ~35%). This led to a discussion of the need for a deeper “bench” of parent volunteers. We will work with room parents to find volunteers for spring events. Victoria suggested asking room parents to send a message with a signup genius link to their parents.