PTO Meeting Minutes 9/18/02

 

Jamie Freed, PTO co-president, opened the meeting with a welcome to new and returning parents and introductions around the room.  Thank you to Lucy Norvell and Maria Albanese for organizing the coffee social prior to the meeting.

 

Principal’s update:  Cindy Bencal welcomed the PTO to the 2002-3 academic year. Burr school is exactly 300 students this year, six more students than last year, but 30 more students than 2 years ago.  There are 15 regular classes this year, 1 job share and a new co-teaching model. Cindy also described class sizes and the composition of the student body.  Standards-based education this year focuses on literacy and respect for human differences.

 

PTO Business: 

The 3 functions of the PTO are:

  1. Physical support of the school.  Room parents, volunteers for library, color day, art show.
  2. Fundraising efforts.  Bulb fundraiser, wrapping paper fundraiser, May fair, and Fun run, Election Day bake sale.
  3. Community Building activities.  Family Fun night. 

 

Garden Classroom project update, Laya Steinberg, help is still needed in producing a newsletter, photos are needed, and there is a request for poetry and drawings from the students.  This is a vehicle to formally thank the companies who donated to the classroom as well as informing parents of how curriculum is being applied to the garden classroom.  Help is also needed at harvest time, and for the spring planting.  Feedback and suggestions are welcome.  Roberta Whalen, PTO co-president presented Laya Steinberg with the Bronze spade.

 

The PTO would like to encourage all new and returning families to become involved this year.  There are still many committees that need your help, especially, the fall events that are getting underway.  Upcoming events include:  Wrapping paper fundraiser, Halloween Family Fun Night, and the Election Day Bake Sale.  Thank you to Nancy Goldberg and Donna Gulotta for producing this year’s calendar (coming soon), also thank you to Lisa Mirable for producing this year’s Burr School directory (also coming soon).

 

Box Tops For Education: The PTO will continue collect Box Tops throughout the year, if you log on and register at www.boxtops4education.com to support Burr Elementary School you can receive discounts (from 2 ½ to 7 %) when you shop at the links on their site (such as llbean.com and amazon.com).  Registering also gives us a chance to double the money we raise. 

 

METCO and Burr will continue to expand the partnership with more community building events.  Social Action committee and Good Neighbor committee are going to be “project based” this year.  There is an ACS Relay For Life Movie night at the West Newton Cinema.  Please let us know if there is a project you would like to implement.  

 

Holli Roth, outgoing PTO Treasurer, recapped last year’s fundraising activities, and submitted this year’s budget.  There was a motion and a second to accept the budget it was voted into approval.  The budget will be posted on the PTO bulletin board.  Burr school now has a tax id number. 

 

The fundraising committee is looking for new and creative ideas.  Nancy Goldberg has put out a request for the Understanding Our Differences Program.  12-16 volunteers are needed per workshop.

 

Submitted by Kelly McDade