The next PTO meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 in the MPR (Multipurpose Room) at Lionsgate Academy from 6:30 to 8:00.
March meeting agenda - March 2, 2010, 6:30 pm
Welcome/Time Start:
Introduce ourselves
PTO Officers:
Co-President – Alix McDowall
Co-President – Kelly Dorsey
Interim Secretary – Nicole Cleland
Interim Treasurer – Kathy Hennen
LGA Representative:
Special Ed. Director - Carolyn Carritt
Hear from:
· Meta Pautsch – Art Teacher
Secretary’s report from Nicole Cleland
· February 9th meeting minutes review
Treasurers’ report
· Business checking account for PTO
Old business:
Thank you to Nicole Cleland for bringing the wonderful snacks of stuffed olives, salami and crackers. The drinks were graciously provided by Lakshmi Rambhalta and Kelly Dorsey.
· Stan Hacker gave Director’s report
· January 19th Minutes approved with revisions
· Topics of discussion of possible events for LGA:
· Passed for Kathy Hennen to research into a separate website for PTO
· Update for March Parent/Teacher Conference potluck – all arranged
· Try to have live-stream PTO meetings and passed to have video conferencing trial done for viability
· Box Tops Flyers went out for February and ended February 27, 2010
· School Store – Named: Lions Treasure Trove
Student: Cody Baker
Teacher: Tracy May
PTO sub-committee: Kelly Dorsey and Alix McDowall
· PTO By Laws presented by Kelly Dorsey & reviewed with changes
New business:
· Parent/Teacher Conferences: set up table for PTO to get info out
· PTO By Laws presented by Kelly Dorsey
· Arts Showcase: Friday March 26, 2010
o Tickets-how much should the tickets price be?
o Ticket sales will go to: Teacher supplies needs
· Lions’ Treasure Trove
1. Alix McDowall
Purpose of store
What is to be sold
· Fidgets
· School supplies
· Snack items
2. Kelly Dorsey
§ First sales for “Lions’ Treasure Trove”
· Everyone’s reactions
· Total Sales
· Presentation by Kelly Dorsey
o Steps of Hope
o Autism 5K – May 15, 2010
· Any new committees?
o Name of committee’s
1. Committee leaders
2. Responsibilities
· PTO April Meeting is on the 13th of April not 6th.
Treats for future PTO meetings are available for sign up
*Everyone signed up will be emailed a reminder a week before their turn
Vote for Adjournment
Time of Adjournment:
Unapproved Articles of Incorporation - Bylaws (Coming)
PTO Unapproved Minutes of Meeting of February 2010
PTO Appoved Minues of Meeting of January 2010
PTO Meeting of December, 2009 was canceled
PTO Unapproved Minutes of Meeting of November 2009
PTO Minutes of Meeting of October 2009
Mission Statement of Parent Teacher Organization (PTO):
The mission of the Lionsgate Academy (LGA) PTO is to promote communication and social connections between parents, teachers, staff and students and community partners of Lionsgate Academy for the purpose of enhancing and maximizing the education of every student attending Lionsgate Academy."
In support of this mission, the LGA PTO will provide assistance to teachers and staff, hold fund-raisers for supplimental educational materials and experiences and provide a forum for sharing information on issues that impact the LGA student body.
Join Us!
Meeting Times are the second Tuesday of every month at Lionsgate Academy from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Next meeting is March 2, 2010.
If you would like to be involved in PTO email Wendy Fields at wagf55@comcast.net for more information, or call Wendy at 612-805-0406.
In Attendance:
Co President Alix McDowall, Co President Kelli Dorsey, Interim Secretary, Nicole Cleland, Interim Treasurer Kathy Hennen, Lakshmi Rambhatla, Gail Nylin, Joy Huffman.
Staff member(s) in attendance: Stan Hacker.
Welcome
Thank you to Nicole Cleland, Alix McDowall, Kelli Dorsey and Laskshmi Rambhatla for providing snacks/beverages.
LGA Director’s Report
Stan Hacker provided the following information and updates:
· Conferences will be held the first week in March with the same format at the last conferences. Case Managers will set up appointments with families.
· Science Fair will be Wed March 11th from 3:30-5:00 with an Awards ceremony at 5:30.
· The Art Showcase will be held in March, exact date still TBD, but most likely will be on a weekend.
· Three new staff have been hired, two special education teachers and one occupational therapist.
· Classroom Management – if behaviors are not able to be addressed in the classroom, the Classroom Management Team will be called in to work with the student. The primary goal is to identify what is causing the behavior, provide support to the classroom teachers and get the student back in the classroom as quickly as possible. In school suspension is being used more and is held in the coffee room where the students spend time working on academics.
· The SnowBall Dance was a success. There were 62 students and 40+ staff in attendance. Overall it was a great event.
· Transitions – the first committee meeting was last week and they are breaking into subcommittees. Primary focus will be with the junior class, then sophomores. The program will continue to grow next year. The committee includes parents as well as Joe Timmons from the UofM.
Review and approval of January 2010 Minutes
A motion was made that the Minutes be approved as corrected.
· Revise the Welcome section to show Kelli Dorsey provided cheese, crackers and beverages and that Alix McDowall provided meat and olives.
· Going forward names of those who motion and second motions will be included in the meeting minutes along with the number of yea and nay votes.
Treasurer’s report from Kathy Hennen
$2.081.50 – Balance
$125.00 – Dues Paid Deposit
$148.20 – Box Tops for Education Deposit (10/28/2009)
$(125.00) – Payment to John Merges
$(25.00) – Payment to Kathy Hennen (amount she used to open the account initially)
$2292.70 – New Balance
· Wendy Fields opted to donate to the PTO fund the $25.00 she deposited when the initial account was opened.
In order for PTO to payout/reimburse, receipts must be presented
Meeting called to order at 6:40 p.m.
In Attendance:
Interim President Kathy Hennen, Interim Treasurer Kristan Bothum, Interim Secretary Wendy Fields, Alix McDowall, Nicole Cleland, Gail Nylin, Kelly Dorsey, Joy Huffman, Joan Mondale, Sue Perra, Tamara Phillips, Lakshmi Rambhata, , Lorrie Ghose and Chris Cook Johnson.
Staff member(s) in attendance: Karen Callis.
Welcome
Thank you to Kelly Dorsey for providing fresh fruit, vegetables and water and to Lakshmi Rambhata for providing apple cider.
LGA Director’s Report
Director Stan Hacker was ill and was not able to attend the meeting.
Review and approval of October 2009 Minutes
A motion was made that the Minutes be approved. The motion was seconded and opened for discussion. The Motion was discussed, a vote was taken and the motion was carried.
Unfinished Business
Update of non-profit organizational status – Kathy Hennen has asked parent and attorney Joan Steinmann to look at the PTO’s the 501(c)(3) application documents.
New Business
PTO Officer Elections – President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer – Alix McDowall was nominated for President, Kelly Dorsey was nominated for Vice President, Wendy Fields was nominated for Secretary and Lorrie Ghose was nominated for Treasurer. A vote was taken and all the nominations were approved.
Fundraising - Box Tops for Education, Campbell’s Soup labels, and Kemps Milk Caps – LGA parent Theresa Belknap has begun collecting Box Tops for Education, Campbell’s soup labels and Kemps milk caps at LGA. She would like to know if the PTO would like to support these fund raising efforts. A motion was made for the LGA PTO to support the named fundraisers. The motion was seconded. There was discussion, a vote was taken and the motion was approved. LGA parent, Nicole Cleland agreed to assist Theresa in this effort.
Speaker’s Bureau – LGA parent, Joan Steinmann spoke to the PTO about the possibility of a Speaker’s bureau where young adults who are on the autism spectrum and have transitioned beyond high school could be invited to speak to LGA students, staff and parents. A possible name for the Speaker’s Bureau would be “I Did It!” Parents Joan Mondale and Tamara Phillips volunteered to help Joan. Anyone with ideas on either speakers or topics should contact Joan.
Member Discussions (members share ideas, concerns, and opportunities) – items discussed during this time are as follows:
- There was agreement that the Fall Ball was a big success.
- There was discussion on the possibility of a family night which would include carnival like activities with each Pride being in charge of one room and the games held within that room, along with a silent auction.
- Another possible family event would be a family sledding party. Sue Perra will look into this.
- Parent Zadee Belcher is working on a down hill ski club.
- A fancy black tie fund raiser was discussed.
- Another parent mentioned that at the next PTO meeting committee structure would need to be discussed.
Adjournment–The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:00 p.m.
MINUTES - LIONSGATE PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION MEETING – February 9, 2010 - 6:32 pm
MINUTES - LIONSGATE PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION MEETING – OCTOBER 14, 2009
Meeting called to order at 6:30 p.m.
IN ATTENDANCE:
Interim President Kathy Hennen, Interim Treasurer Kristan Bothum, Interim Secretary Wendy Fields, Nicole Cleland, Gail Nylin, Kelly Dorsey, Lynn Olson, Lakshmi Rambhata, Curtis Wenzel, Zadee Belcher, and Chris Cook Johnson. Staff members in attendance Sarah Prill, Karen Callis and Stan Hacker
STUDENT COUNCIL REPORT:
Sarah Prill reported that student council voting will take place on 11/5/09. There will be one Student Council member from each PRIDE. The current intention is that the representative will serve for the whole year, but it may change from quarter to quarter to allow for more representatives. The PTO would like to have student council members serve on the PTO.
LGA DIRECTOR’S REPORT:
LGA Director, Stan Hacker reported that LGA has great students and great staff. The December conferences will cover 2 evenings and one day and will allow parents to sign up for specific times in which to see staff. A scholarship fund is needed for students who cannot afford items such as year books and field trips. It was discussed that this would be an appropriate project for funding by the PTO. The game Bakagon is only going to be allowed after school. There is a need for an additional Speech Therapist and a Transition Coordinator on the LGA staff. These positions have been posted.
REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 2009 MINUTES:
A motion was made that the Minutes be approved. The motion was seconded. There was discussion concerning typographical errors. The minutes were approved with typographical corrections.
TREASURER'S REPORT:
There are no working PTO funds at this time so there is no Treasurers report.
REPORT ON LGA MISSION STATEMENT:
The LGA Mission Statement was approved by the LGA Board of Director at its September meeting.
UPDATE ON STATUS OF FINANCIAL OPERATION OF THE LGA PTO:
The following actions are in process:
• Filing for corporate and tax ID number with the State of MN
• Putting into place a Fiscal Agreement Autism Society of MN
• Opening checking account
UPDATE OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS:
Due to the complexity of this process, an attorney will sought on a pro bono basis to assistance in obtaining 501(c)(3) status for the LGA PTO.
REPORT ON REGULATION PRESENTATION BY JOHN MERGES:
The presentation was very good and well attended. It was suggested that this presentation be made on a yearly basis as it is material that is used with the entire LGA student body.
REPORT ON FOOD PROVIDED FOR SEPTEMBER PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES:
Food for conferences went well and there was plenty of food. Specific item, along with specific numbers of those items will be asked for at the December conferences.
FOOD FOR THE FALL BALL:
A motion was made that a list be sent out to the school at large requesting specific food and paper items to accompany the dinner food for the staff and adult volunteers who are setting up for the Fall Ball. The motion was seconded and opened for discussion. The Motion was discussed, a vote was taken and the motion was carried.
BANK POSSIBILITIES FOR THE PTO CHECKING ACCOUNT:
Zadee Belcher reported on the banking research she looked at for possible places for the PTO open its checking account. Non-profit 501(c)(3) status is not needed to open the checking account. Treasurer Kristan Bothum will use this information to open an LGA PTO checking account.
PTO MEMBERSHIP:
A motion was put forward for a $5 one time or $1 annual LGA PTO membership fee. The motion was seconded and opened for discussion. It was discussed that an email should be sent out to notify parents if the Motions is carried. A vote was taken and the motion was carried.
PTO OFFICER POSITIONS:
The open PTO Officer positions that will be voted on at the November meeting are: President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. Kelly Dorsey expressed interest in running for Vice President and Wendy Fields expressed interest in running for Secretary. A Motion made that an individual has to be a member of the PTO to run for the Board and to vote for the board positions. The motion was seconded and opened for discussion. The Motion was discussed, a vote was taken and the Motion was carried.
POSSIBLE PTO COMMITTEE STRUCTURE:
A motion was made that discussion on the committee structure be moved to the December 8th meeting. The motion was seconded and opened for discussion. The Motion was discussed, a vote was taken and the Motion was carried.
SPEAKERS BUREAU DISCUSSION:
Joan Steinmann will be asked to talk at an upcoming PTO meeting about possible PTO support of a Speaker’s bureau.
Adjournment
Submitted by Interim Secretary, Wendy Fields
Buffalo Wildwings Info:
Parents who would like to meet and socialize during the snowball dance may go to Buffalo Wildwings in Crystal. An added bonus is that 15 percent of profits will go to LGA PTO!
Old Business
PTO Request From – Kelli Dorsey has forwarded to Kathy Hennen to post on school website so teachers can begin using to submit requests.
School Staff participation at meetings – Alix McDowall will talk with Stan to ensure there is someone present for the entire meeting.
PTO Website on School Website vs. Separate Website – The school site limits us to one page with no formatting. Kelli Dorsey made a motion that Kathy Hennen continue to research the best solution for a PTO website including blogging and webcast features. Alix McDowall seconded the motion and was opened for discussion. No discussion was had; a vote was taken and passed with 6 yeas and 0 nay votes.
Update on food for staff during conferences- The PTO will provided food for Monday and Thursday evenings during conferences. Nicole Cleland will coordinate with Chris Cook Johnson.
Buffalo Wild Wings Fundraiser – Total amount raised still unknown. At the time of this meeting, $70.00 had been raised, but additional funds may be outstanding. Alix McDowall will be following up with Buffalo Wild Wings and will report back at the next PTO meeting.
New Business
Possibility of Video Conferencing – Motion was made by Kelli Dorsey to pilot voice conferencing for PTO meetings and if successful the PTO would look into the possibility of video conferencing, which may carry some expense. Kathy Hennen seconded the motion and it was open for discussion. One parent commented that we needed to pay attention to “tone” when PTO meetings are not held face to face. A vote was taken and passed with 7 yea and 0 nay votes.
Ideas for Fundraising during upcoming school activities –The PTO would like to coordinate with planned school events to hold fundraisers. A motion was made by Nicole Cleland to concentrate the PTO’s attention on the upcoming March events only. Kelli Dorsey seconded the motion, there was no discussion and the motion passed with 6 yea and 0 nay votes.
March 11, 2010 Science Fair – A motion was made by Alix McDowall that Kelli Dorsey and Alix would work with school staff to discuss bringing in Pizza Hut pizza for the Science Fair along with pop, water, chips and cookies to be sold for fundraising. The pizza would not be sold, only the additional items. Kathy Hennen seconded the motion, there was no discussion and the motion passed with 6 yea and 0 nay votes.
March Arts Showcase – The Art Showcase is being planned for a weekend day, final date TBD. The showcase will include drama and music by the students. A motion was made by Alix McDowall that admission tickets for $1.00 would be sold with proceeds going to support the teacher’s wish lists. Kelli Dorsey seconded the motion, there was no discussion and the motion passed with 6 yea and 0 nay votes.
Fundraising - Box Tops for Education, Kemps Milk Caps and Target Take Charge of Education– There are a number of possible ideas to help engage students in this type of fundraising, including Pride room parties. A motion was made by Kelli Dorsey that a sub-committee be formed to handle this. Nicole Cleland seconded the motion, there was no discussion and the motion passed with 6 yah and 0 nay votes.
School Store – Kelli Dorsey purchased a cash register to be used at the school store. Parent volunteers are needed to take care of the money. A motion was made by Kelli Dorsey that Alix McDowall will work on a flyer to ask for volunteers. The flyer will be sent home with students and also sent via email by Nicole Cleland. Lakshmi Rambhatla seconded the motion, there was no discussion and the motion passed with 6 yea and 0 nay votes. Prior to the full store being up and running, Kelli Dorsey and Alix McDowall are organizing flower sales on Friday 2/12/2010.
PTO ByLaws – Kelli Dorsey presented a draft of the PTO Bylaws for review and input. Prior to the 501c being completed the bylaws will need to be approved. Voting will take place at the next PTO meeting to allow time for review. The draft version of the bylaws will be posted to the website for review in addition to being handed out to those present at the meeting.
Adjournment –The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:10 p.m.
