Manor PTA Minutes
May 19, 2008, 7:00, Room 401

Present:  Liza Wilkinson, Laurie Phelps, Michelle Quigley, Jackie Andrus, Kathy Dombrowski, Amy West, Denise Zimmermann, Dan McCarthy, Michele Shone, and Sheryl Turner.

Treasurer’s Report:  Denise continues to work on the report.  It looks pretty much as expected and is in line with the budget.  Funds are down to the contingency amount.  The budget for the 2008/09 school year will be very similar to this year’s budget.  Once we see how the Genevieve/Niagara Chocolate fundraiser does in the fall we’ll have a better idea of whether we can increase some budget areas.  Denise asked that check requests be put in the PTA mailbox in the office because she will get them faster that way.

Committee Reports:
1. Staff Appreciation:  The smoothie event went well with the suggestion that more prep be done in advance in the future.  Michele Shone spoke with several teachers who said they appreciate anything we do for them, but that they especially like the lunches. 
2. School Supply Kits:  Jackie Andrus has all the information for a quote.  This year online ordering will be available with delivery directly to the students’ homes.
3. Good Books Good Times:  The suggestion was made that 4th graders count pages for each point next year.  This is the method currently used for the 5th graders.  Used books are being collected for a 4th and 5th grade book cart.
4. Summer Reading:  Ice cream sundaes will be offered again this year for students meeting their goal.  Someone will check with Dipper Dan’s to see if prices went up.
5. Book Fair:  Sales totaled $8,400 ($16,000+ BOGO).  Vouchers totaling $150 were given to the Manor library to spend on books.
6. Square One Art:  Sales grossed $13,000 with a profit of $4100.  A total of 772 pieces of artwork were submitted with 456 orders.  A few mistakes were made and are in the process of being corrected.
7. Grandparents / Senior Citizen’s Day:  A suggestion was made to rename it “Grandparents and Seniors Visit Our Schools Day.”  Manor school will continue to keep their celebration in the spring while Lima will move theirs back to the fall because of conflicts.
8. Science Adventure Day:  This day is planned for 2nd and 3rd graders.  This will be the first year it is held at Manor school.  The theme is “Water” and will be based on questions presented by the kids.  It is held in conjunction with the Rochester Museum and Science Center.  Michelle Quiqley asked that the budget of $250 be increased to $500 because the scuba diver that will be attending costs $235.  Math Action and S.O.A.R. for the 2nd grade are both under budget and will more than cover the additional funds.  The request for additional funds for the Science Adventure Day was approved.
9. 5th Grade Memory Book:  Patty McGuire requested that the cost of the book be increased to $12 to cover the cost of the four extra pages, the full bleed, and the printing costs.  Order forms go out this week in the classrooms and through News Notes.  The request to raise the cost of the Memory Book was approved.

Chairperson Updates:
1. February Fitness Fundraiser:  Dan McCarthy will be announcing an incentive to the students to help get them excited about logging their exercise time.  They will be able to vote online about what they would like to “do to him” (IE: duct tape him to a wall).  We have currently logged about 147,000 miles of our Walk to the Moon. Our goal is 234,000 miles.
2. School Calendar:  We will be alternating family skate and pizza Bingo dates so that there’s only one evening event in each month.
3. Lowe’s Grant:  The Lowe’s Grant for the literacy garden was not approved.  This will be resubmitted in October.
4. Committee Chairpersons for 2008-09:  Laurie Phelps needs a co-chair.  She will e-mail the volunteers that consistently helped her this year to see if anyone is interested.  Other positions that need volunteers are:  building co-chair, secretary co-chair, fundraising (Genevieve’s/Niagara Chocolate), book fair co-chair, roller skating 4th/5th grade, fifth grade yearbook and pizza bingo.

District PTA Updates:  The next meeting will be Thursday, June 12th at 7pm. 

Principal Updates:  PLACEMENT PROCEDURE

During May and June teachers in each grade level collaborate with the principal in setting class lists for the following year.  Much care and consideration is given to this endeavor so that most appropriate groupings are arranged.  Our criteria for placement are the same in grades K-5.  The criteria are outlined for you below.

1. Children are grouped by reading levels in that each teacher receives a high, medium, and special needs group.  Our classes are grouped heterogeneously.

2. Grouping is further influenced by:
a. Special consideration for meeting the social, emotional, and learning styles for all students.
b. Special consideration for grouping of learning center students.
c. Special consideration for grouping of reading groups.
d. Special consideration for cluster groupings of academically talented students.
e. Separation of children with behavioral problems and “nonproductive” student personality combinations.

(In each class there should be a balance of social, academic, and developmental levels.)

3. Teachers and the principal collaborate closely in finding the best classroom environment for each child.

Parents are encouraged to provide me with feedback about your child’s placement needs for next year.  While I cannot accept specific requests for teachers, I am very interested in hearing from parents.

Parents provide important information in the placement process by telling me about their child’s learning style, social and emotional needs, academic strengths and weaknesses.  It is also helpful to know what kind of teacher has been most successful in the past.  Parents may also suggest friends who are helpful to be with as well as those children whose presence may not be as productive.  I must have this information before May 15th.  Late requests will not be given their due consideration, so parents must communicate to me before then.  We begin grouping at the end of May, and the process concludes the last week of school.

Parent communications may take many forms.  Parents may communicate with me by writing me a note or letter, by setting up a meeting with my secretary (624-7161), by calling me at home (242-0822), by setting up a specific phone conference time with the secretary, e-mail, or by faxing me at 624-3722.  Using many varied methods, I try to make myself available to the parents of all the many children attending Manor School.

In an effort to have consistent K-5 Parent Request Guidelines both Lima Primary and Manor Schools will consider a parent’s input, although specific requests for teachers cannot be honored.  It must be understood the Principal and the Superintendent have final approval.

Class lists will be distributed by August 15th.

Next Manor PTA meeting Date:  Friday, June 13, 2008, at 1:30pm.