PTA Meeting Minutes

January 18, 2007

Meeting commenced at 6:40 pm

Board attendance: Gary Goldsborough, Nancy Sur, David McIlhenny, Robyn Lipsky, John Wong

Welcome

Gary Goldsborough

Review of prior minutes

• Nancy Sur read the minutes taken in November

• Approval of the minutes moved by Robyn Lipsky and seconded by Dave McIlhenny, with a unanimous approval.

Mollie Matull, Sherman Parent

• From Student Enrollment Recruitment and Retention Initiative (long range planning for SFUSD

• Holding meetings with PTAs to see what parents want to see in schools, what choices being made, thoughts about enrollment process

• Invited CL PTA to participate in focus group to input into long term planning for enrollment process (by the end of January)

• Provided sign up sheet for 10-15 participants. Kathy Hansen is collecting. Jan 30 or 31 proposed. Additional group to be held January 24 by Laurie Nelson.

• District has team running this program - Myung Lee is director

• Those who can’t attend can submit input to Mollie.

Auction Committee Report

• 10 weeks till Auction.

• Jim Fong reported that items slowly coming in. Room parents are to lead gathering of items. Sarah Moore is to meet with room parents to coordinate effort.

• Deadline for donations is February 26.

• Jim looking for volunteers for item processing.

• Robyn Lipsky noted that last year, every Wednesday envelope contained a reminder to get items for donation.

• Committee working on electronic version of donation form.

• Robyn Lipsky volunteered to help coordinate with Sarah Moore to get room parent list and send out information.

• Question raised as to why CL is not using email to disseminate information – discussion of whether it is equal and fair to disseminate by email when 100% do not have access or ability. Email is used on committee level. Suggestion made to scan or send Wednesday envelope materials to put on CL website. Will put out call for volunteer to do this.

• Jim asked for volunteer for someone to run computers and networking for Auction, and to learn AuctionTracker software. Request for volunteer to go into Wednesday envelope.

• Letters to prior donors have not gone out yet, due to address merge issues. John Wong will look at AuctionTracker software to try to remedy the situation. Antonella Goldsborough volunteered to assist as well.

• Jennifer Rossdale volunteered to run the Auction items committee to oversee acquisition of big ticket donations for auction.

• Need a volunteer to run the Event Planning committee.

• Robyn volunteered to draft emails to solicit volunteers

• Idea introduced to hire a professional event coordinator to run the auction for next year, by Auritte Cohen-Ross. Auritte volunteered to look at feasibility after Auction this year.

Treasurer’s Report

• Total cash for the PTA are $177K, with restricted funds of $75K

• Raised $97K unrestricted cash this year to date. Restricted funds +$32K vs last year

• David noted $4K still uncollected from last year’s auction due to credit card processing problems

• Question raised as to how Green Zebra book compares to Entertainment in prior years.

• At last PTA meeting discussed restricted funds – some funds have been released from restricted as a result. Birthday books, staff luncheon noted as particular accruals that seemed excessive. David working with Mr. Hack to review all categories of restricted funds.

Administrators’ Report

• Amanda Block noted that Site Council to hold community meeting coming up, rather than PTA/SSC meeting, to announce Site Council plans.

• Construction plans on schedule. Construction is compliant with federal law. Safety restrictions being observed

• Korean program Family night held – discussed bilingual education. Start of annual meeting for KIP program

• School site tours completed. Record numbers of tours this year. School is at full capacity now – plan is to maintain current enrollment with no increase.

• John Rothmann released $1K from the Endowment Fund towards the $2400 needed to repair the bridge on the structure. SFUSD will not pay for the new bridge, but will install it (because play structure originally donated). Asking PTA for the remaining funds.

• Brad Kaplan moved to allocate $1400 from the general fund conditioned on review of teacher’s luncheon fund. If funds available from luncheon fund, to be drawn there. David Lazarus seconded. Unanimous approval.

Tech Committee (delivered by Amanda Bloch)

• I-Macs are into classrooms except for Carrie Landreth (in tomorrow) and Karen Hadley (making space).

• CLAA to have tech club once a week, providing a $70 stipend to teacher/supervisor volunteer who stays late and runs program. Suggestion made to develop more structured program for tech club “curricula”. Apple Camps at Apple store used as an example. May have to take club out from under CLAA umbrella to justify PTA funding. More information needed to make decisions. Amanda will ask Vic to put together a more complete plan.

New Business

• Auritte Cohen-Ross suggested a fund-raising opportunity through Green Apple Books where 15% of proceeds from CL parents is donated back on a particular day. End of April suggested as the right period. Auritte volunteered to run program.

• Auritte Cohen-Ross has spoken to Giorgio’s Pizza about doing a “Pizza Monday” where a portion of proceeds is given back to the school when CL parents order pizzas. Auritte will run this program as well.

• Bill McLeod suggested technology goals for each class, and integration between school resources, e.g., library, classwork, homework, etc. Proposed the PTA jumpstart a real Technology Committee to facilitate this. Amanda stated that the current Tech Committee will meet prior to the next PTA meeting. Bill also re-stated the need for an active and inspiring website for the school to facilitate information sharing. Bill will attend the Tech Committee meeting to help get some of these ideas moving. Bill also suggested a digital archive with digital cameras for loan in the library.

• Janna announced that she has set up a taekwondo program after school at the Madison campus. Asked if the PTA could act as a fiscal agent to collect fees and pay out funds to the instructor. Moved that another self-funding budget item be created in the PTA budget to cover this, $1962 to be fronted to pay rent by PTA, Janna to collect funds to repay the money to the PTA. Seconded by Nancy Sur. Motion passed unanimously.

• David McIlhenny spoke for John Rothmann to describe’s John’s plan to raise funds for the Endowment Fund from CL Alumni and outside interests (not current parents) to build an ongoing endowment fund. John will be a representative of PTA in seeking donations. Auritte suggested that a small % of general funds be donated to the endowment. David suggested that we revisit the idea at the end of the year when the budget is reconciled.

• Michael Mazzaferro will talk to Amanda about the possibility of bringing back a foreign language afterschool program

• Greening Committee report from Jim Fong: Committee wants to create a Selection Committee to select the Landscape Architect and requested volunteers, kids, faculty and parents to participate. Gary asked for a blurb for the Wednesday envelope.

President’s Report

• Thanked David for stepping into Treasurer’s role

• Officer nominations for PTA for next year requested.

Gary Goldsborough called to adjourn the meeting at 8:40 pm. Robyn Lipsky seconded. Meeting adjourned.