March PTO Minutes

PTO Meeting Minutes– 3-10-15                                                                                                   

Treasurers Report

•  Still finalizing bowl-a-thon #'s, but raised over $3,000!

•  Many fundraisers coming up--dynamic dates, red wagon, hannafords $ (did not receive 1k bonus this year)

•  Fundraising/spending very close,  and we have a good amount in the bank.

Fundraising Update                                                                                                                                                                                             

•  Dynamic Dates - will take place March 9-16 and winners announced on March 17 

•  Red Wagon - packets distributed March 30, orders due back April 10, pick up May 15 (1 week earlier than last year)

•  Good Comida Mother’s Day Treat Sale – flyer distributed April 17^th, orders due back May 1^st, orders picked up May 8^th

•  Shelburne Community Night at the Lake Monsters -- last year (our 1st yr participating) we sold 100 tickets.  This year, we will stick with an end of school/beginning of summer date.  Monday, June 22 is available.  In addition to earning $2.50 for each ticket sold, we can run a 50/50 raffle at the game and keep the profits!  Courtney will try to reserve the 6/22 date.

Mark Your Calendars                                                                                                                   

March 12^th                             Shelburne Community Days – SCS Dine Out Day at La Villa Bistro—take-out orders included!

March 17^th                             Dynamic Dates Drawing

March 25th                          Fundraising Committee meeting--please let Courtney or Randy know if you'd like to join us!

March 30 – April 10^th    Red Wagon Plant Sale

April 8th                               Spring Grants meeting @ 3:15pm.  Please join us to help distribute our money to our teachers!

April 14^th                                PTO Meeting

Help Wanted                                                                                                                                              

•  Help unloading Red Wagon order – Thursday, May 14th (contact – ctharpe25@gmail.com)

•  Help distributing Red Wagon order – Friday, May 15^th between 1 – 6 pm (contact – ctharpe25@gmail.com)

Other Business/Discussion Items                                                                                                         

•  Playground Update--Lisa Williams & Valerie Richardson are happy to talk to anyone about this project if you'd like an update, and also if you'd like to help!  The overall goals are to create a new play structure that is accessible and inclusive with natural elements.  The committee is currently applying for a state grant, and has already raised a substantial amount of money through other various grants and in-kind donations.  Thank you to those on the committee for your continued hard work!

•  End of the Year Fundraisers--Spring fundraisers include dynamic dates, red barn, good comida, jogathon, community days--it's a lot!  Is this a bad thing to have so many fundraisers in a short time?  We'd love feedback in advance of the fundraising committee meeting.  Thoughts from the group:  Very diverse, local things, things we do anyway (plants etc), kid centered (dates, jogathon).  Teacher feedback?  Any objection?  Not in spring, but gift wrap/catalog fundraiser may be too much in fall--a time when teachers are just getting to know the kids.  Don't object to catalog stuff, but don't get really excited about it...Really like the spring things--getting everyone involved.  Bowling went very well.  How about a fall community event?  Courtney is trying to work on something at Bread and Butter Farm (for the past 2 years).  Craft fair teacher discussion--could we go back to having a 'winter carnival'?  2 separate events--winter carnival and craft fair.  Please email Randy or Courtney your thoughts!!

•  Like us on Facebook!

Principals Report                                                                                                                          

•  'Zero the Hero' (aka Chris Danforth) helped k-3 classes celebrate 100th day of school with classroom visits, books, and real world math examples.

•  Congratulations to Tim Buckingham and his music students for a fun night of great music on Monday!  5th grade concert band, 7th/8th grade small ensembles, and Jazz stage band performed.

•  Congratulations to spelling bee marathon winner Lena Kerest.  She and runner up Neva Williams spelled for 70 rounds!

•  Each year, students create valentines to send to our veterans overseas.  This year, SCS received a lovely thank you note from one of the veterans!  Great for the students to hear how much their effort was appreciated!

•  Thank you all for helping make this our most successful book fair ever! (over 3,400 books sold!!)

•  Read Across America--K-5 gathered in the gym on March 4 (wearing costumes, 'cat in the hat' bows, hats and whiskers) to celebrate RAA day and listen to teachers read "Oh the Places You'll Go".   

•  SBAC testing begins next week, and will continue through May.  Please ask if you have any questions about this new test!

A quick peek at what's happening around SCS...                                                                                           

Winton House (6-8)--Capped off a great February with an awesome day of ice skating at Cairns Arena!

5th grade SLC's 2nd social of the year will raise $ to construct picnic tables for playground and buy blankets for COTS

Kelsh (music)--shared video of Alpha 6th grade using Orff instruments (funded by PTO grant!)

Buckingham (music)--SCS Band Winter Concert was a great success!  Cabaret night is April 10--performances, food, silent auction

Treehouse (K)--Preparing for a trip to the Flynn to hear the VSO!  Studying science of musical instruments, math patterns of music.

Davenport (5)--Studying Abraham Lincoln's leadership and life.  Writing short responses and long projects citing multiple sources.

Kaleidoscope (1)--Reading the new Red Clover books and doing projects to go along with them!

Southworth (6-8)--8th graders researching topics of the 20's & 30's, 7th--researching famous explorers, 6th--biomes

Garvey/Niles (2)-- 3 Flynn wkshps:  day/night, Red Clover books, book character opinions. Next topic--place value in math!

Team Dreams (2)--Prepping for upcoming author share.  Opinion writing unit.  Loved our sugaring field trip to Shelburne Farms!

Kindergarten--All 5 classes completed their sea creature unit.  Visited all classrooms, sharing reports and artwork.

Art--Select K-8 artwork is displayed at the Umall through the end of March--check it out!

Wonder (5)--Flynn workshops include: short play involving the planets; Scenes of causes of the American Revolution

West (3)--Participating in 'Trout in the Classroom'--raising eggs to the parr stage, then releasing them locally in May.

Believe (3)--Month of inquiry and investigation.  Forces and Motion experiments; theories about connections between mult & div

Student council & LEAD (6-8)--while at VAMLE conference, students worked on leadership skills and school action plan for change

Rachel Petraska--(5-8 guidance) 8th grade just finished 4-session suicide prevention curriculum.

Burritt (music)--k/1 creating 'good food groove'; 2nd creating melodies using frets on guitar; 3rd learning the recorder; 4th collaborative unit on Vermont history; 5th creating rhythm patterns to perform in groups of 4

Endeavor (4)--Learning history of town meeting day!  Even held their own town meeting, debating issues and using a voice vote.

Thank you to:                                                                                                                                                                                                               

•  Everyone who helped with the Get out the Vote Calls