October 16, 2008
PTA Meeting
Attending:
John Wong, Jim Thirtyacre, Brad Kaplan, John Olden, MJ Call, David McIlhenny, John Rothmann, Gary Goldsborough, Meserve Platt
Absent:
Nancy Sur, Cari Gennarelli, Robyn Lipsky
Mr. Hack: Administrative rep
Stacy Heniser: Middle school teacher rep
Meeting called to order at 6:35pm
Minutes from September read by MJ Call, John Wong moved to approve, Dave McIlhenny seconded, approved unanimously.
TREASURER REPORT
Record amount of PTA membership – 51 ½% totaling $66K. John wants to push drive to Dec 1. Working toward 75K challenge grant. John R suggested advertising membership at Halloween parades. Jim T. suggested using room parent email list to blast parents about membership.
Record parking fee profit from Fleet Week weekend totaling $8,005
New income item – the Gift Card program, already has brought in $1,465
Raised $17,471 profit so far this year, more than expected and ahead of schedule
Cash in bank $152K
Discussions continued on how to best capture parents to promote PTA membership participation.
Question about being more equitable about outdoor ed by grade. Task force looking into issue.
WILLIAM HACK REPORT
CL’s school building relationships continues through Tribe programs, and personal narrative with staff
CL also continues to strengthen its parent/school relationship by hiring parent to fill open positions, despite the difficulty in doing so due to current teacher’s union contract. Those three new hires includes However, three new hires includes moving parent Arlene Hernandez into Gary Battaglia’s old position of Elementary Advisor and Test Coordinator, Teresa Young as a paraprofessional to take Arlene Hernandez’s place, and Maria Hogan been hired as Noontime Monitor.
Letter from mayor thanking CL for being a community hub. This refers to our decision to open up the Scott playground over the weekends. There have been minimal problems with this, which is supervised by SFPD.
Korean dignitaries recently visited. Mrs. Lee helped host them
CL middle school baseball team is #1 haven finally beaten Giannini 2-1. There’s one more game on Tuesday. John R. says this is an incredible feat and PTA should thank coach, kids and Ms. Hadley.
We now have our school general fund and restricted budgets, based on enrollment figures, which we have been working on reducing. Therefore, budget is smaller. However, it still covers basic staffing of Mr. Hack, Ms. Block, Candy and Kathleen, as well as two new half time positions. 26.6% of entire budget goes toward staff health insurance - leaving us with a balance of $5,291 left for remainder of year. Mr. Hack says we are solid and have enough money to operate, including paying for subs when teachers are gone on outdoor ed trips. Music, librarian 3 days a week plus materials and art covered by Prop H money.
Outdoor Ed meeting for 6th grade was held to discuss options. They will be going back to Marin Headlands Institutes due to deadline restrictions, but program may change next year to a new Marin Headlands program that only costs $70 per child, compared to $270 per child it costs now.
Holiday planning is underway. Halloween parades at each campus are staggered this year so parents can go to both.
Regarding Songfest at the December holidays. Mr. Hacks wants to find a big enough space without anybody in balcony – as Marina Middle School is unavailable this year due to a conflict. In order to control crowd and make it a more pleasant event for parents and kids, Mr. Hacks wants to issue clear guidelines about talking and audience behavior and volume prior to the event. He’s suggesting perhaps a separate talent show for middle schoolers during the day and a songfest just for K-2 in the event.
John R. asked if there would be a Thanksgiving “feast” this year. A coordinator has volunteered to work on this.
Madison incoming Kinder parents tours begin Oct. 30th. and are held weekly on Thursdays at 9am. John R. suggests there be a parent volunteer at each tour. Enrollment fair held Nov. 8th
COMMITTEE REPORTS - AUCTION
Mass solicitation mailing going out tomorrow to 500 former and potentially new donors. Smaller mailings to other new businesses will follow
Ad sales will begin at end of month targeting neighboring businesses such as accountants, dentists, financial advisors, contractors, realtors, etc…who traditionally do not have services to donate.
Auction Co-Chair Cynthia Hogan has begun reaching out to deep pockets looking for corporate underwriting of event
First auction newsletter going out to parent community next Wednesday via envelop, google group, room parent email tree, which will outline theme of donation campaign and auction “Power of Community.” Will also ask them to reach out to businesses for donations. Will NOT be providing each parent with letter/triplicate in order to save money. Will send them instead to PTA offices or the website to download letters & form.
Kindergarten parent David Fox has volunteered to put the auction online
Gary G. proposed naming the Scott Auditorium after Carol Munch as a way to honor her service to the school over the years as Quilt Queen. John R. moved to pass, seconded by John W., passed unanimously. Gary also volunteered to handle a ceremony at the auditorium naming featuring the mayor or a city rep, etc., which will be planned for the days immediately prior to this year’s auction. Carol will also be honored at the auction.
ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS/GREEN ZEBRA
No report, but MJ mentioned that economic conditions might result in bigger sales and this should be a sales point made to parents
MERCHANT REBATES AND OTHER FUNDRAISERS
Dave McI. Spoke for Robyn L who was absent.
Time to renew Safeway card eScrip.
NERT Earthquake Training and Kit next week is scheduled for next Thursday, Oct. 23rd. at 6:30 in the Scott auditorium. So far sign-ups for event are under-whelming. Sponsored by SFFD Neighborhood rescue folks. Even if you don’t attend you can purchase an emergency kit.
The Sports Basement fundraising day is in works, preferable before holiday.
Gift Cards: Please urge parents to use this for holiday…go to website. Kudos to Stella Kim for coming up with this fundraiser and running with it.
FALL FUNDRAISER
John says his committee has committed to a Texas Hold ‘Em Poker event scheduled for Nov. 14th Friday 7 to 11. It will be held in a room at Marin Day School at the USCF California & Presidio campus – given to us for free. Hoping to sell 150 seats at $150 each. Grand prize, $3500 and an AMEX gift check. Second is $1000 gift check. Advertising is viral with a …downloadable flyer and registration form on the website. Calling it the “first annual” with hopes it will be a yearly event. John hopes to lure poker players from outside the CL community.
John R. mentions a number of local schools have been holding successful Bingo nights to raise money.
CLAIREWEAR
Brad K. and Laurie Gallant been thinking about ways to increase sales. Options include expanding line of products to include canvas reusable grocery bags. Brad is working with Mr. Hack to find a space to open up student store, and asking middle schoolers to run it. Discussion about a new single, CL brand logo. Does it need re-design, do we go for multiple logos? Brad would like to have a student logo contest. Mr. Hack will take idea to faculty meeting.
GREENING
Jim Fong says he posted a notice on our Google group about the Green My School Contest sponsored by the CBS and EcoZoneMedia’s Green School Initiative. Prize is $250K to green a school. Susan B. volunteered to help coordinate writing our contest entry. Meantime, Mayor Gavin Newsom and Superintendent Carlos Garcia launched the
Environmental Service Learning Initiative (ESLI) in San Francisco’s schools. ESLI will encourage students to become engaged in environmental justice issues. Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with
instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience and teach civic responsibility.
Mr. Hacks says plan for front planters at Scott campus are waiting for bids form contractors and then ground will be broken this spring. Maria H. is working on troughs. John W. asked about cleanup or community involvement work days, Pam Go. says we need a schedule first.
TECH REPORT
This Saturday is e-waste event at Scott campus lot from 9 to 4. We get paid about 5-cents per pound. We haven’t done a lot of publicity. Need more volunteers to get paid more per pound.
Also bought 10 Mac Books out of computer replenishment fund.
Gary G. announced next car wash is at Scott campus November 1.
John R. announced Claire Lilienthal’s (the person) birthday is March 5th and we all should know more about this extraordinary woman for whom our school is named
NEW BUSINESS
Laurie Nelson says she gets two of everything in Wednesday envelope – is there any way to reduce this waste?
MJ Call proposed a new fundraising idea: a CL community rummage sale held on the Scott campus – in which parents bring and are in charge of selling their gently used goods. This would draw in the community especially in this economy – IF it’s well advertised in advance. Participants would be given the option of donating 50% or MORE of their take to the school.
John W. called to adjourn the meeting.
John R. moved to adjourn. Brad seconded it. Meeting adjourned at 7:57pm.