May 2008 PTO Minutes
Euclid Middle School
PTO Minutes
May 15, 2008
The meeting began at 9:30 am. Those in attendance were: Kim Drennan, Shann Fields, Lucie Stanish, Molly Cohen, Karen Walczak, Lisa Muetterties, Susan Sidrow, Nancy Chase, Teresa Tucker, Gary Hein, Lynn Lindeman, Anita Schelhaas, Paula Smith.
Welcome: Nancy Chase
Secretary’s Report: Lynn Lindeman
• The minutes from April 17, 2008 were reviewed and approved.
PTO Staff Liaison: Julie Vrooman
• Julie was not able to attend the meeting, but wanted to thank the PTO for all of the food provided during staff appreciation (organized by Lucie).
Treasurer’s Report: Susan Sidrow
• Susan distributed and reviewed the monthly PTO budget spreadsheet.
Principal’s Report: Gary Hein
• The 8th grade party had good attendance and was a great party.
• Kids enjoyed the BBQ lunch that was held outside (and they behaved well!).
• Reminder: Kids are not allowed to bring any type of medication (even OTC) to school. Offering to give medications to other students is considered distribution and can result in expulsion from school.
• TSA (Technology Student Association) club attended a competition. A large number of students will be going on to further competition. The club may seek help from the PTO for funding.
• Nancy Chase, PTO president, was recognized for 2 years of outstanding service as president. Gary presented her with an engraved glass paperweight.
• Karen mentioned that a Runyon 4th grade class had their CSAP scores disallowed. One of the questions they had used for practice was an actual question on the test.
PTO Business:
• Falcon Flash: The event was a success.
• Joint PTO Scholarship: The awards ceremony was held last Wednesday. Robin Martin and Jennifer Olsen received awards. The committee awarded over $5,000 to various teachers.
• 8th Grade Celebration: Shann Fields will be overseeing the celebration next Thursday, May 22nd.
• Staff Appreciation: Several larger events were carried out this year to recognize the staff, rather than numerous smaller ones.
• 8th Grade Party: The party went well and the kids enjoyed the chocolate fountain.
EAC Report: Kim Drennan
• The last meeting was held as more of a social gathering to wrap up the year.
• A suggestion was made that next year Euclid have a handbook with information on school events (Falcon Flash, grade level parties, etc), answers to FAQ’s, as well as definitions of some of the commonly used terms (AVID, ALEKS, etc). This would be especially helpful for 6th grade parents. Alternately, it could be done on the website. Each committee could provide a brief description. Example: Heritage is doing a DVD titled “A Day in the Life…”. We could survey 6th grade parents to get a list of their questions.
• The EAC committee has been effective and has accomplished some great things this year
• Per Gary, a request was submitted to the city for a fully signalized intersection (Elati and Euclid), and a traffic study is currently being done on the intersection.
VIPS Report: Teresa Tucker
• Thank you Teresa for all of your years of service. This is Teresa’s last PTO meeting at Euclid.
• There is still a VIPS position open, but we may have one person interested in sharing the job of coordinator.
Circle of Concern: Betty Thompson
• Betty was not at the meeting. A Euclid parent has volunteered to be the representative for next year.
President’s Report: Nancy Chase
• Holly and (one other person) will be putting together the student directory next year, gathering the information at the time of registration rather than through take-home forms. Volunteers are needed to stuff registration packets and to staff the PTO tables at registration. Teresa sent around a sign-up sheet.
• Nancy passed around 2 brochures related to stipends for in state colleges. Students in 7th, 8th and 9th grades can sign up. Their website is collegeincolorado.org.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 am.
April 2008 PTO Minutes
Euclid Middle School
PTO Minutes
April 17, 2008
The meeting was preceded by the Volunteer Breakfast at 9:00, which was provided by the PTO.
The meeting began at about 9:55 am. Those in attendance were: Betty Thompson, Karen Walczak, Lisa Muetterties, Susan Sidrow, Susan Hall, Jill Kepler-Fritter, Teresa Tucker, Anita Schelhaas, Julie Reuther, Kristi Stucz, Meg Woods, Paula Smith, Holly Skrzypek, Lucie Stanish, Gary Hein, Nancy Chase, Kim Drennan, Lynn Lindeman.
Welcome: Nancy Chase
• Thanks to all of the volunteers! Your hard work makes Euclid an enjoyable place to work.
Secretary’s Report: Lynn Lindeman
• The minutes from March 20, 2008 were reviewed and approved.
PTO Staff Liaison: Julie Vrooman
• Julie attended the volunteer breakfast but was unable to stay for the meeting. Euclid’s counselor intern (Leah) stopped in.
Treasurer’s Report: Susan Sidrow
• The 1st Bank transition is nearly complete. Susan will be closing the Wells Fargo account this week.
• Proposed Budget for 2008-09: Kristi moved to approve the budget; Kim seconded. Motion passed and the budget was approved.
Principal’s Report: Gary Hein
• PLC’s will continue next year. A survey went out a couple of weeks ago. Not sure if/when results will be released.
• Infinite Campus: The software has some shortcomings but issues are addressed annually. Gary will check to see if it’s possible to display the GPA and if the software correctly calculates it.
• Playground Equipment: This item had come up in past years when discussing gifts to school. Gary would encourage submitting it for funding next fall.
• ALEKS math program: Next year we plan to have it for every 6th grader. Data analysis will be done in June with MAPS results. Parents can also sign up for it, independently from the school, for $20 per month. The reading program is being looked at for next year to benefit struggling readers.
• End Computing: This new system is able to hook up 4 monitors to 1 computer, cutting hardware costs. It is in it’s initial phase and is being used for the ALEKS program.
• Enrollment: 6th grade enrollment is currently right at projection; may soon have a waiting list. The cut off is set at 28 kids per classroom.
PTO Business:
• Falcon Flash: Elizabeth Donahue and Debbie Martinez are working on solicitation and getting volunteers. Can still use more volunteers.
• Joint PTO Scholarship: Two Euclid teachers applied for and received awards. They are Robin Martin and Jennifer Olsen. The presentation will be held on May 7th. A new Euclid representative is needed for next year (3 meetings per year).
• 8th Grade Celebration (May 22nd at 1pm): Susan Hall and Nancy Chase are organizing it.
• PTO Board Vote: Ballots were distributed. The 2008-2009 PTO Board was voted in.
EAC Report: Kim Drennan
• The committee sent a letter to the City of Littleton requesting a traffic light at the corner of Euclid and Elati. The 3rd/4th quarter goals were discussed.
VIPS Report: Teresa Tucker
• VIPS coordinator is still needed for next year. An email was sent to the volunteer list explaining that we could use a database coordinator for the beginning of the school year.
• “PTO Today” expo will be held April 29th.
• Teresa thanked all volunteers for being so dependable.
Circle of Concern: Betty Thompson
• The April meeting topic was adolescent addiction. Tom Brewster was the speaker. He discussed the HBO film on adolescent drug abuse. This ties into the brain not being completely developed until 18-25 years of age. He talked about Multi Systemic Therapy (MST) involvement, and the Synergy program – keep kids busy, know where they are at all times, etc.
• At the May meeting, next years programs will be determined.
• A new Euclid representative is needed for next year.
President’s Report: Nancy Chase
• We need a volunteer to oversee eBooks next year. Meg Woods volunteered.
• On May 5th a Facility Use Task Force Forum will be held from 6:30-8:30 pm at the ESC building. Usage of school facilities will be discussed.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 am.
March 2008 PTO Minutes
Euclid Middle School
PTO Minutes
March 20, 2008
The meeting began at 9:30 am. Those in attendance were: Lynn Lindeman, Meg Woods, Kim Drennan, Karen Walczak, Lucie Stanish, Betty Thompson, Holly Skrzypek, Susan Sidrow, Nancy Chase, Gary Hein.
Welcome: Nancy Chase
• Karen Walczak thanked Nancy for consistently running the PTO meetings so smoothly this year!
Secretary’s Report: Lynn Lindeman
• The minutes from February 21, 2008 were reviewed and approved.
PTO Staff Liaison: Julie Vrooman
• Julie was not able to attend due to her involvement with CSAPs.
Treasurer’s Report: Susan Sidrow
• Wells Fargo has not responded about reversing the bank charges. Susan has spoken with 1st Bank and suggests we move our account there. There will be no charges and no interest. Karen made a motion to move the account to 1st Bank; Meg seconded; motion carried.
• Wise Choices assembly costs were moved to Partnership for Learning line item.
• Gifts to School costs are close to being completed.
• Proposed Budget for 2008-09: Budget was reviewed and changes were discussed. Susan will make the changes. The budget will be voted on at the next meeting
Principal’s Report: Gary Hein
• Last week there were broken water pipes, nearly filling some of the underground tunnels with water. Repairs were made without having to cancel school.
• CSAP: A lot of make-ups were necessary due to illness. An issue with 2.5 lead pencils resulted in about 200 tests having to be transcribed. Since 1998 the legislature has talked about eliminating the test. Our teachers use the results for benchmarks and to identify areas of need. Gary would prefer to see the tests streamlined, not eliminated.
• AVID: Recruitment of new 6th graders will occur this afternoon.
• Kelly Anton from Moody Elementary had a PR meeting with Gary. She had suggestions for a brochure and how to keep Euclid marketable/visible.
• 6th grade enrollment is close to projections and the question now is when to cut off enrollment.
• Staffing: Two of the 6th grade Peace Core teachers are retiring. Two of the 8th grade teachers from the Summit Core will be moved to 6th grade.
• State Spelling Bee: Four Euclid students have qualified for the state spelling bee.
PTO Business:
• All School Party: (Kim) The party turned out well. Attendance was down by about 70 kids. Betty Thompson discussed a fun idea (for future parties) involving a digital music/dance DVD that superimposes a person’s head onto a dancing body.
• 8th grade party: The committee will meet after spring break to determine a theme. The party will be held May 8th and will include chocolate fountains.
• Continuation will be held May 22nd at 1pm. Susan Hall and Nancy Chase will organize it.
• Nominating committee: VIPS position still needs to be filled. A vote for the incoming board members will be held at the April meeting.
EAC Report: Kim Drennan
• The community survey was reviewed. The budget was discussed. A subcommittee drafted a letter regarding the traffic concern. At the next meeting the letter will be signed and sent to the city council.
VIPS Report: Teresa Tucker
• (Teresa was out.) Deborah Martinez is soliciting donations for the Falcon Flash. We received a generous donation from Lakeview Electric.
Circle of Concern: Betty Thompson
• The topic of the last meeting, held at Colorado Academy, was “Managing the Realities of Teen Sexuality”. 1 in 4 teen females have STD’s. There is an HPV immunization available for girls. Parents should talk with their children about sex, set strong role models and set limits.
• The April meeting is on Thursday the 10th at St. Anne’s. The topic is adolescent addiction.
• At the May meeting, next years programs will be determined.
President’s Report: Nancy Chase
• We did not donate a basket this year for the LPS Foundation fundraiser (no items were donated). Karen suggested we add a category to the budget to cover this item for future years.
• The April PTO meeting will be held in the double classroom. The meeting will be preceded by a volunteer appreciation breakfast beginning at 9 am.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 am.
February 2008 PTO Minutes
Euclid Middle School
PTO Minutes
February 21, 2008
The meeting began at 9:30 am. Those in attendance were: Lynn Lindeman, Meg Woods, Kim Drennan, Molly Cohen, Karen Walczak, Lisa Muetterties, Allie Molinda, Anita Schelhaas, Teresa Tucker, Karen Gray, Susan Sidrow, Nancy Chase, Kristi Stucz, Gary Hein, Julie Vrooman, Susan Hall, Betty Thompson.
Welcome: Nancy Chase
Secretary’s Report: Lynn Lindeman
• The minutes from January 17, 2008 were reviewed and approved.
PTO Staff Liaison: Julie Vrooman
• Tammy Anderson notified Julie of art on display at the ESC building. There will be an art tour reception tonight at the Garage Gallery in Littleton. Euclid will participate in the art show in March at the Curtis Arts and Humanities Center.
• “Thank you” from the teachers for the Super Bowl lunch held on the Friday before the Super Bowl. Also, thanks for all of the luncheons, cookies, etc that the PTO provides.
• Mary Kreeger made a suggestion that we could provide food before the arena conferences instead of a luncheon.
• Preparations are underway for CSAP tests as well as registration.
Treasurer’s Report: Susan Sidrow
• Directories have been paid for. Gifts to school items are being paid for. Also, the Wise Choices assembly has been paid for.
Principal’s Report: Gary Hein
• The Wise Choices assembly was held for the 8th graders. Four board members attended. Next year Gary would like to incorporate related educational material (HIV, AIDS) into the science classes the week before the assembly.
• ALEKS program: Over 300 students are signed up. Data will be gathered in June that will reflect how the program is working.
• Euclid’s lead custodian passed away. Interviews are underway for a replacement.
• Accountability committee reviewed the projected enrollment, which will be down by about 40 next year, translating to a reduction of 2 teachers at the 8th grade level. It is important that we maintain the core structure, with smaller core “communities”. Staffing decisions will be made prior to spring break.
PTO Business:
• All School Party: Kim / Lucie. A movie theme has been selected by the student council. The PTO is missing one or two of the Polaroid cameras used for taking party pics.
• Nominating committee: Susan Hall. Karen Walczak nominated the following: Kim Drennan for President, Susan Hall for VP, Lynn Lindeman for Secretary, Susan Sidrow for Treasurer. Teresa Tucker seconded the nomination. Nominations will continue at the March PTO meeting. The vote will be held at the April meeting.
• Susan Hall handed out a flyer announcing a Parent Workshop at Powell to be held Thursday, March 13th at 7 pm.
• Allie Molinda announced that Joint PTO Scholarship applications from the teachers are due March 12th. She will get donation information to Susan Sidrow so that PTO can write a check.
EAC Report: Kim Drennan
• Kim took feedback to the EAC meeting from our discussions on the traffic problem. EAC has formed a subcommittee that will be drafting a letter to the city council.
VIPS Report: Teresa Tucker
• Need VIPS coordinator(s) for next year.
• Current committee chairmen need to let Teresa/Nancy know if they will continue next year.
• Need updated binders from each committee.
• Teresa will email an invitation to all volunteers for the April volunteer breakfast. Hand-written invitations will be sent out to the grandparent volunteers. Julie Vrooman will give a list of names of CSAP volunteers to Teresa for hand written invitations.
• 8th Grade Celebration – Susan Hall volunteered to coordinate.
Circle of Concern: Betty Thompson
• The February meeting was held at Kent (topic was “Media: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”). Kids need to use critical thinking skills to review, reflect then react. Kids need direction, love and parental involvement in their lives.
• The next meeting is Thursday, March 13th at Colorado Academy from 8:00 to 9:30 am. The topic is “Managing the Realities of Teen Sexuality”.
• The April meeting is on Thursday the 10th at St. Anne’s. The topic is adolescent addiction.
President’s Report: Nancy Chase
• South Suburban will be placing an ad in the Falcon Flyer newsletter for the next 13 months.
• The Spirit of Littleton celebration and fundraiser, sponsored by the LPS Foundation, will be held on March 14th. The PTO donates a basket each year to be auctioned. Teresa will send an email requesting donations for the basket. Donations will be due March 6th. The basket is due March 11th. The basket theme will be “Spring Break Survival”.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 am.
January 2008 PTO Minutes
Euclid Middle School
PTO Minutes
January 17, 2008
The meeting began at 9:30 am. Those in attendance were: Molly Cohen, Betty Thompson, Kim Drennan, Lucie Stanish, Karen Walczak, Lisa Muetterties, Judy Miller, Holly Skrzypek, Teresa Tucker, Julie Vrooman, Susan Sidrow, Paul Turelli, Nancy Chase, Lynn Lindeman
Welcome: Nancy Chase
Secretary’s Report: Lynn Lindeman
• The minutes from December 13, 2007 were reviewed and approved.
PTO Staff Liaison: Julie Vrooman
• Tammy Anderson notified Julie of art on display at ESC. Also, there will be an art show at Bemis from the 24th through the 7th.
• Need PTO volunteers for Falcon Flash. Talk to Lisa Knafelc if interested.
• Facebook has been researched; it is not completely safe.
Treasurer’s Report: Susan Sidrow
• eBooks sales numbers have been finalized - $700.
• Magazine sales uncollectible checks have been written off.
PTO Business:
• Honor Roll – Kim Drennan – The ceremony will be held January 31st.
• All School Party – Will contact student council rep regarding theme. Party will be held on Thursday, March 6th, since there is no school the following day.
EAC Report: Kim Drennan
• EAC discussed the all school survey.
• A City of Littleton traffic representative attended the EAC meeting. He has monitored the intersection in question. The problem is limited to 1 hour/day, 5 days/wk. Cost to signalize would be $20,000. 90% of traffic pedestrian accidents happen at signalized intersections. He has adamant about not putting in a 4 way stop. EAC committee is looking at drafting a letter to the City Council. The following discussion among PTO members included: organizing crossing guard volunteers; hiring off duty officer; having an officer patrol and issues tickets periodically; emphasizing responsibility to the students.
• Jim Hannah, SRO, stopped into the PTO meeting to field questions. He was asked to monitor intersection on Thursday’s when he is here. He indicated it is costly to hire off duty officer; availability of on duty officers is limited. Per Nancy, we need to check into our liability issues before we hire (or get a volunteer for) a crossing guard.
VIPS Report: Teresa Tucker
• Need VIPS coordinator(s) for next year.
• PTO president position is open. The current PTO secretary and treasurer will both return next year.
• Current committee chairmen need to let Teresa/Nancy know if they will continue next year.
• Need updated notebook from each committee.
Circle of Concern: Betty Thompson
• This month’s meeting was Jan. 10th at Euclid re: substance use/abuse and mental health. The presentation discussed abuse vs dependence. Emphasized parental monitoring; good peer groups; talking with kids about risk/consequences
• February meeting is Wednesday the 13th at Kent Denver; topic is “Media: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”; teaching kids critical thinking skills to review, reflect and react to the media.
• March meeting is Thursday the 13th at Colorado Academy; topic is “Managing the Realities of Teen Sexuality”.
Principal’s Report: Gary Hein
• Paul Turelli sat in for Gary, who is attending a district principals meeting.
• The Geography Bee is underway and is down to the final 5.
• ALEKS program is being implemented as part of the pyramid of interventions, which prioritizes meeting the needs of low performance students. Mr. Otte found the program. A grant (approx $10,000) was received for 300 students. Jen Phillips (6th grade teacher) will pilot the program, which addresses basic math skills. The 15 students in the pilot showed substantial growth last quarter. The program is open to all 3 grades. A letter was sent out today.
• PLC meeting discussed wanting to address the most at risk (math) students. Possibility was discussed of opening school 2 weeks early in August for kids to access ALEKS.
• Discussing how to implement a program like this for reading skills next year.
• The program is not just for at risk students. Sue Lloyd is also utilizing it with GT.
President’s Report: Nancy Chase
• Nancy received thank you’s from the Special Ed department for the scanners purchased for them through PTO Gifts to School, and from the teachers for the cookie exchange.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:45 am.
December 2007 PTO Minutes
Euclid Middle School
PTO Minutes
December 13, 2007
The meeting began at 9:30 am. Those in attendance were: Julie Vrooman, Anita Schelhaas, Lucie Stanish, Paula Smith, Lisa Muetterties, Karen Walczak, Betty Thompson, Teresa Tucker, Chery Koury, Allie Molinda, Kim Drennan, Susan Sidrow, Paul Turelli, Nancy Chase, Lynn Lindeman, Meg Woods.
Welcome: Nancy Chase
Secretary’s Report: Lynn Lindeman
• The minutes from November 15, 2007 were reviewed and approved.
PTO Staff Liaison: Julie Vrooman
• Thank you’s from: Tammy Anderson (ESC display); other “PTO gifts to school” recipients; teacher snacks on conference day, etc.
• Julie thanked the PTO for funds for books for their library and money to attend conferences.
• Euclid’s Resource Officer talked with the 7th and 8th graders about “cyber bullying”, harassment on the internet, etc. There will be an insert in the next newsletter.
Treasurer’s Report: Susan Sidrow
• The Book Fair made almost $1,500 in profit, which goes to the library.
• About $85 of bank charges have been reversed.
• eBooks sales numbers still need to be finalized.
PTO Business:
• Joint PTO Scholarship – Allie Molinda (Euclid rep) reported that teachers will be receiving scholarship applications. Paula Smith (district rep) reported that for their 50th anniversary, the committee is requesting an extra $25 pledge. PTO suggested a $50 increase from the $350 budgeted. Paula made a motion to increase the gift to the committee by $50. Teresa seconded the motion. Voted; motion was approved.
• eBooks - Lucie Stanish – Of the 150 books we started with, 20 are still unsold. We can return them or (Lucie suggested) sell them for half price at $5. PTO agreed we should sell them. All were sold during the meeting.
• Cookie exchange – Lucy needs volunteers to bake cookies for the exchange on Tuesday.
EAC Report: Kim Drennan
• The committee talked about traffic problems, history of what has been done, possible solutions. A City of Littleton traffic representative will be invited to come to the next EAC meeting. Meg suggested that our Littleton Police rep could be asked to watch the intersection on the morning he is here each week.
• EAC discussed the pyramid of intervention; trying to find proven programs.
VIPS Report: Teresa Tucker
• Teresa sent an email about Barnes and Noble night.
• A PTO expo will occur in April. PTO chairs will get in free if registered by 2/2/08. If interested, email Teresa.
Circle of Concern: Betty Thompson
• Betty will not be here next year; need a new rep. Monthly meetings are about 2 hours.
• Next meeting is Jan. 10th, 8:45 at Euclid. Topic is substance use/abuse and mental health.
• Betty passed around handouts from this year’s presentations. Topics include teen suicide, the teen brain, stress management and eating disorders.
Principal’s Report: Gary Hein
• Paul Turelli sat in for Gary, who is attending a meeting.
• Thanks to the PTO, who donated funds for the wire shelving outside the cafeteria. It’s working well!
• Two letters have been sent home. The first related to the traffic issue at the Elati intersection and mentioned a student had been hit. Paul will talk with the student resource officer about monitoring the traffic on Thursday mornings. The second letter related to the attempted abduction after school on Broadway. Need to emphasize students go home after school.
• Pyramid of Intervention is a priority – to help kids’ academic performance. They are close to making a decision.
• Handed out the School Accountability Report, which will go out in the January newsletter. Euclid retained a High standing. The one reported drug incident was a Pathways student.
President’s Report: Nancy Chase
• Nancy passed around samples of a fundraiser book that she had received, which is similar to the Entertainment Book.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 am.