Calendar

WINSTON CAMPUS ELEMENTARY PTA

GENERAL MEETING

FEBRUARY 9, 2010

TONIGHT’S MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER. PLEASE READ THROUGH THE NOTES ON WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED. I AM LISTING OUR REQUESTS FOR HELP FIRST – PLEASE CONTACT THE CORRECT INDIVIDUAL IF YOU CAN HELP WITH ANY OF THESE.

1. We need a nominating committee. 3 Board Members and 2 general members to search for a slate of officers for next year. The PTA cannot operate without these positions being filled. According to the bylaws we need to post the slate 30 days before we vote for them at the April meeting - which means we need to have the recommended slate of officers by our meeting on March 16^th. We currently have 1 board member willing to help. Please let me know if you can help out on this much needed committee: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

2. Our PTA roller skating party is Monday Feb. 22^nd from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Cindy Plesnicar is looking for volunteers to work at the PTA table during the event. You would be checking that the families are PTA members and accepting memberships from people wanting to join. Please contact Cindy if you can help This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

3. Also on Feb. 22^nd is the district Reflections Showcase and NWSC PTA general meeting. We need 4 delegates to attend this event. From 6:00 – 7:00 is the artwork viewing time and the meeting will start at 7:00. If you were planning on attending this event with your child please consider being our delegate. All you have to do is vote to accept their slate of officers for next year. You must be a PTA member to be a delegate. Let me know if you can help us out with this – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

4. Tuesday Feb. 23rd is Kindergarten registration. We need 2-3 volunteers from 9:30 – 11:00 and from 1:00 – 3:00 to help with this. Let me know if you are available to help This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

5. The Exceptional Child committee needs help. They need volunteers to make the Everybody Counts presentations in the classroom. They usually take about an hour and all the materials are provided. Please contact Kathy Schneider if you can help – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

6. Make A Difference Club will be having a bake sale on Feb 12^th and Feb. 26^th to raise money for the needy families in our school. If you can bake please contact Kathryn Mok at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

7. Our Newsletter chair Kathy Sauerland is busy trying to make our PTA more green and reach out to a larger percentage of Winston Families. She is working to get us connected through Constant Connect. She is asking that all families fill out the e-mail request form that they will be receiving soon and turn it in ASAP. It will be a great way for the PTA and school to be able to reach all families through e-mail. Questions? Contact Kathy at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

SECRETARY’S REPORT – Were previously sent out to Board Members. Please read through them and let me know by Friday, Feb. 14^th if you have any corrections. Thank you.

TREASURER’S REPORT – Were also sent out already. Please read through and advise of any questions or corrections by Friday, Feb. 14^th.

CO-PRESIDENTS REPORT –

• Next Board of Education Meeting is on Feb. 10^th, 7 pm @ Sundling.

• Dr. Lukich spoke at the NWSC PTA presidents meeting last night. They are in the final stages of filling the Asst. Supt. for Business position they have 4 good candidates that they will continue to interview with until a decision is made. The district will be looking for someone who will be able to help them reduce their budget by 4 to 7 million dollars because the State of Illinois is not living up to their funding commitments. They are trying not to cut programs but he did say that if the funding for a program is entirely coming through grants from the State it will probably be cancelled because the district does not have the money to take on the programs funding.

• As we have reported before the NWSC PTA standing fund was once again a major topic of discussion. The money was originally donated by the individual PTA’s as a fund that teacher’s could use to further their education. Changes in the teacher’s contracts that cover these expenses made this fund unneeded. They have been searching for the best way to disperse the funds for the last couple of years.

The option to create a program where PTA’s could request the funds has been withdrawn because they couldn’t get a committee together to decide on the criteria for getting the funds. Two options were presented last night and the option of just dividing the money between the PTA’s is still out there.

The PTA coat closet is reportedly in bad shape, the room is dirty and most coats donated are dirty, ripped or the zippers don’t work. One suggestion was to use the money to move the coat closet to Conyers Learning Academy and spend money to clean any usable jackets and buy more jackets, boots, gloves, etc. Someone is looking into the costs involved for this.

The second request was from the Conyers Learning Academy PTA. They are the school in the district that deals with 4 programs. They have the Behavioral Disorder students that have been removed from other schools because of their behaviors. They also have the multiple needs students – often the children are full-time residents at Little City and are wards of the State. The third group is the EcTech(?) preschoolers that have been identified with early needs – speech, physical therapy, etc. The fourth group is the Early Childhood program for preschool children with more significant needs. They have 400 preschoolers in their school and about 50 K-8 students. Their PTA consists solely of the teachers – parents are not interested in the PTA because they have other children at other schools and they belong to the other PTA’s, or as in the case of the Little City children they aren’t involved. Their PTA president is a teacher that has a child at the school. They are looking for help -- they could afford one assembly this year – a storyteller and that is all. They are looking for money to increase their library and add additional programs. They are asking for help the next 4 years to help fund their programs.

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  • They are also in need of books (preferably hardcover) especially for preschoolers. They also need high interest/low reading level books. The top readers are about 5^th grade level. Could we do a book drive for them or at our book fair could the librarian for CLA have a list of books that she is looking to have donated that parents could choose to purchase for them like we do with the teachers?

  • Any questions or comments about the standing fund please contact me. We are not in direct control of any of the money, but it would help to know what people are thinking when Karin and I are asked to vote on the issue. We welcome any other suggestions that we could propose.

• Our Membership numbers are a little down from last year - about 15% lower. We will be sending forms home to try and get our membership up. Please remember if you are on the board or a head room parent you need to be a member. Please encourage other families to support us by becoming members. Thanks.

• Thank you to the Family Fun Committee for a great Sock Hop. Everything was great!

• Thank you to Cultural Arts Assemby for their great story telling assemblies.

• Thank you to After School Specials Committee – Julie Sciuckas, LaRayne Hamman, Lora Falato, Sharon Meyer, Lisa Rahn you are doing a fabulous job. One down, three to go!

• Thank you to Mary Bauer for her work on the Great America Reading Program. Remember reading logs are due Feb. 19^th.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

• Environmental Ed – Endangered Animal Adoption raised $228.20. They adopted Leah the Bald Eagle, Jackie the Screech Owl, Hudson the Polar Bear and the Naked Mole Rat.

There were a number of gym shoes in the shoe recycling bin that were in good to very good condition. Those shoes were donated to Soles for Souls and will be sent to Haiti.

• Exceptional Child/Everybody Counts – Needs Volunteers!!

• Manna orders – next due date Feb. 22^nd.

• Market Day – Still able to place an internet order until 2/26.

• Membership- we have 421 members.

• Reflections – Showcase at Carl Sandburg Feb. 22^nd.

• Yearbook - order deadline Friday, Feb. 12^th.