Christ the King-PTO

CKS PTO Board Meeting

MINUTES

April 15, 2014, 6 p.m.

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People in attendance: Katherine Marsella (President), Kathy Mumma (Vice President), Mary Ann Lickteig (Secretary), Tara Banks, (Treasurer), Angela Pohlen (Principal), Odile Steel (Associate Principal), Jon Hughes (Advancement Director), Tracey Whitney (Administrative Rep.), Terry Benner, Ellen Cislo, Alexis Handy, Debbie Byrne, Ryan Lyford, Max Holzman, Laura Benner, Courtney Lamontagne, Arline Duffy, Tracy Towers, Karen Marcoux, Amy Langevin, Karen E. Moynihan, Sandy McGuire, Natalie Byrne, Jennifer Pizzagalli, Nancy Viner, Traci Griffith, Toni Sneddon, Anthony Neri, Mary Farley

Meeting started at 6:01 p.m.

1. Opening Prayer

2. Accept minutes from February meeting -- Katherine Marsella moved to accept, Tara Banks seconded. Minutes were accepted.

3. Public Comment

a. Karen Moynihan complimented Cabaret.

b. Nancy Viner expressed concern for children’s safety at dropoff and pickup due to speeding drivers. Concerns voiced by others include parents dropping off kids on the street and parents driving onto the playground for drop-off or pick-up when kids are still on it. Principal Angela Pohlen said that she is aware and considering options, such as a car line, in which cars file through an established route and take turns dropping off students. Tracey Whitney said suggestions are available in a study done several years ago under the state’s Safe Routes to School program.

4. Treasurer’s Report -- Tara Banks reported that the PTO has made $50,817 so far this year, exceeding our $46,000 2013-2014 budgeted goal. Preliminary Cabaret/Silent Auction profit stands at $24,000. The PTO’s final fund-raiser, Spring Challenge, typically makes between $14,000 and $15,000 and is still to come.

5. New Business

a. Discuss Possible Uniform Additions

1. Angela Pohlen and Anthony Neri, owner of New Horizons Embroidery & Screenprinting, showed samples of a plaid fabric, cardigan, P.E. shirt and spirit wear, which the school may add as uniform options. Neri is a distributor for Elderwear, a St. Louis-based uniform company.

2. Angela said she likes the fact that Elderwear is in the uniform business, which means they make clothes truly designed to last for years with durable fabric and ample hem allowance.

3. Rather than offering strictly mail-order, New Horizons has a store in Essex, where students could try on uniforms to determine their correct size.

4. The new uniforms would feature a new logo, which still is being developed to celebrate the school’s and parish’s 75th anniversary.

5. Angela would like to offer middle school students their own alternatives to set them apart from elementary students.

6. Angela said she is considering adding a P.E. uniform to cut down on class time lost as well as other issues with kids changing for gym. Students would be required to wear a P.E. uniform shirt and any black shorts. They would be allowed to wear gym uniforms all day on gym days, unless they have a school Mass.

b. Preview of fall Genevieve’s fund-raiser

1. Katherine Marsella said the PTO plans to run this wrapping paper/gift item sale, which made $9,771 this year. Perhaps, middle school students will sell something else, such as a coupon book that offers discounts to local and national merchants.

2. Karen Moynihan and Amy Langevin suggested selling scrip. Odile Steel mentioned said that her former school, about the same size as CKS, raised at least $33,000 selling scrip. Angela welcomed the idea, noting that dollars spent on scrip would be spent at participating stores anyway.

c. Discussion of Middle School science (This item was added to the agenda.)

1. Angela Pohlen said that she is working with middle school science teacher Vidula Srivastava to add lab activities to get kids excited about science, give them hands-on experience and connect science to the real world.

2. The school hopes to complete a memorandum of understanding next month for the Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education, which partners with middle schools to improve the education of young Vermonters through technology-rich learning. The Tarrant Institute has accepted CKS into its three-year, funded program, which, Angela said, will give teachers professional development and help us enrich our technology curriculum.

d. Discuss PTO Nomination process and possible candidates

The vice president and secretary are up for election. Nominations should be made to Tracey Whitney this month and the election will be in May, possibly on Survey Monkey.

e. School Board Report -- Jon Hughes reported that, at its last meeting, the school board discussed:

1. Writing a vision statement to outline how the school defines itself and where we see ourselves in the future.

2. The future of St. Anthony’s.

3. The Tarrant Institute.

4. Ideas for the 75th anniversary celebration, which include a black-tie gala, a cruise on the Spirit of Ethan Allen and reuniting alumni of CKS and St Anthony’s school as well as former priests and sisters who served here.

5. Replacing the school roof, which is scheduled to happen this summer.

6. Old Business

a. Cabaret-Silent Auction Report -- Katherine Marsella said that she and Jon will analyze the auction to determine most popular/profitable items.

b. Spring Challenge Update

1. Kathy Mumma said that the kid’s fund-raising letters will go out this week. Vendors are secured and the event will be held on the lower field at Calahan Park.

2. The committee would welcome ideas for games, especially for older students.

3. Courtney Lamontagne suggested that eighth graders could run games.

c. Annual Campaign/Excellence in Education Foundation Update -- Jon Hughes said we have reached our $74,000 goal for the annual campaign. An effort is under way to find eight more donors to donate $500 to the annual campaign and $500 to the foundation in order to meet a challenge, which would bring an additional $13,000 to the foundation.

d. 75th Anniversary Update -- Covered earlier

e. Parent Social Update -- Katherine Marsella said that the May 3 event will include a DJ and food. It’s a community builder, not a fund-raiser.

f. Teacher Appreciation Week Update -- Event Chair Jennifer Pizzagalli explained that events have been going on all year and that the actual week -- May 5-9 -- will include, among other things, daily breakfast or lunch for teachers and cleaning the teachers’ lounge.

Meeting adjourned around 8:10 p.m.