Let's Do the Numbers

With this gem-of-a-summer-like day served up to us, it's likely evening plans include some time at the ball field or in the garden, and the notion of attending a district meeting are low on the radar.

On the other hand, it's worth a reminder that the last opportunity to weigh-in on the Woolwich School Budget for next year (16-17) is 6:00PM tonight at Bath Middle School.

 Really Helpful PDF with Budget Info Here

Some Key Points:
-The school budget approval is a two step process.  FIRST: Tonight is the DISTRICT meeting. All towns who are members of the district are invited.  Registration begins 5:15.

-Residents will vote on each Article, in 11 areas of spending. BEFORE A VOTE, RESIDENTS CAN RAISE THEIR HANDS TO MAKE COMMENTS/ASK QUESTIONS.  And, yes, being present can make a difference.  Last year, an increase to the Woolwich Art program was made only by residents being present.

-Pages 13 and 14 have valuable graphs and worksheets to help summarize the budget.

-At this meeting, residents will be asked to vote to raise funds to help meet this budget through local contribution. (property taxes)

-Costs per student is $13,351 (the PDF in the link above explains how this figure is reached)

-Budget is based on May 1 enrollment of 2125 for the district, 431 Woolwich PreK-12 students (378 at Woolwich Central) and 300 staff.


BUDGET WITH PROPOSED ADDITIONS ON LAST PAGE HERE

SECOND:
The ENTIRE budget will be validated in EACH TOWN by referendum on JUNE 14.  You will then go to the polls to vote - 8am to 8pm as in any standard election.  At this point, any particular issues you have with the budget can not be discussed.  Either the entire budget is approved in entirety, or, it is not.

You don't need to be an expert in finance to either attend, or participate.   We are fortunate to have this opportunity to be involved. For or against, your attendance is encouraged and welcome.

Minutes of March 17, 2016

-->

Woolwich Central School PTA

Minutes of March 17, 2016

Meeting was called to order at 6:05pm – Lorna took minutes, as Kristen

was unable to attend.

February minutes were voted as APPROVED

Treasurer's report of checkbook balances ending in February can be requested from woolwichptc@yahoo.com.  Expenses paid in February were $120.94 for the Rocky Ridge field trip for K. $98.75 for transportation of 6^th grade to Bowdoin College and $220.94 for 4^th Grade to Bay Day.  All expenses were approved in prior meetings.

Members went over the timeline of upcoming events.

RSU #1 5^th Grade dance- scheduled for May 20.  Romy offered to re-design the LOGO.  Membership discussed costs for T’s last year.  All agreed Woolwich should have a T, we will stay in touch with Bath PTA over costs of T’s for this year.

PTA parent/caregiver survey was discussed.  Lorna advised Mr. Libby had approved the survey.  Membership discussed having them at FAN, and other suggestions included having them available at parent-teacher conferences in April.  Lorna will get approval from Mr. Libby.  Dena will re-format to make form more user-friendly/graphically pleasing.

Sub-committee appointments:

-Recruitment/membership.  Given some members who where interested in this committee earlier were not present, appointment to this committee was tabled.

            -Class Fund/Budget: Mona, Stacy and Lorna agreed to serve this committee.

Other reports:

            -Box tops – WCS PTA will receive $875.00 for the April disbursement.  $10 scholastic dollars will be donated for a winning class for future race. YMCA day passes will also be considered (YMCA had already agreed to donating one for each member of winning class)

            -Amazon Smile – to date, WCS has received -$0.  We need to research why/when checks are sent and where.

            -Clynk has over $60 in WCS PTA Fund.

            -Logo wear– there was brief discussion on placing another order.  Membership decided to wait until Fall 2016.  Leslie Gallant showed interest in being chair for this for next year.

            -Gelato Fiasco – set for April 12.  Flyers will go home with students at FAN, and in the backpacks the week prior.

Meeting was adjourned at 7:20pm.

Somewhere over the Rainbow...

 Today is the kick-off to one of our favorite events.  The Woolwich PTA partners with the Wellness Committee in a week-long celebration of healthy eating, each day representing a color of the rainbow.  Sound boring? No way.

For starters, classroom teachers and their students have been scheming for the "Decorate your Door Contest".   For the week leading up to this event, entries to each classroom (and even the offices) are "a-doorned" with cutout fruits and veggies, tid-bits of nutrition trivia and other surprises.  Mrs. Babcock's class is ramping up to hold their title!

Wildcat Mom, and PTA Volunteer Blueberry B.

Mrs. Devin's Art classes are churning out colorful masterpieces for the hallways, and Mrs. Luchies has carefully selected a pallet of books to display from the library collection.  Students and staff will dress the "color of the day" and the Joanne and staff will decorate the cafeteria for lunch and breakfast - which includes place cards detailing the featured fruit or vegetables of the day.

But how did this all come to be?  Mrs. Harrington, Nurse Sherwood and the wellness team decided to expand the Eat the Rainbow week 6 years ago to include serving snacks to students which would provide samplings of a fruit or vegetable never tried before.  The initial year was funded by a local sponsor with $500 seed money.  Since then, Fuel Up to Play grants have continued to support it.   The team also partners with the Midcoast Hospital 5210 Program.

Through these funding streams, the team, along with PTA volunteers, preps dozens of trays with samples for every student, PreK-8, every day of the week.  (nearly 400 kids!) Wellness team members of middle-school students deliver the trays to each classroom, each server smartly dressed as a fruit or vegetable (costumes donated by Midcoast hospital)

Ready to Serve!

Some teachers also record and graph some of the favorites that students sample throughout the week.  The students also provide feedback on foods of "favored firsts"  Fennel, pomegranate, cilantro, mushrooms, mango, broccoli, and veggie straws are the most popular.

Here is the color key for the week.  Purple socks? Green tie? Red for upcoming Valentine's Day?  Go for it!  And in case you are wondering, the trays ALWAYS come back empty!  Happy snacking!

Monday = Blue/Purple

Tues. = Green

Wed.= White/Brown

Thurs = Yellow/Orange

Fri. = Red (for Valentine’s on Sunday!)

Meeting Minutes December 2015

Meeting Minutes-Woolwich PTA

Holiday Social-December 10, 2015

Meeting at Lorna’s home:

In Attendance-Molly (Casco Bay Glass on Nequasset Road-New WCS Family), Dena, Romy, Alane,

Debbie, Amy, Sarah, Lorna, Stacey & Kristen )

A brief business meeting was held:

STUD-(Shop-Till-You-Drop Craft Fair) Group discussed providing food for vendors next year. Possibly approach the 6th grade to do

this? Goody Walk was successful bringing in $705.

Treasurers Report- For Account Balance please email the PTA at woolwichptc@yahoo.com

Molly told us that in her children’s prior school they had a "Popcorn Friday" fundraising event where kids pay ahead of time to take a sealed bag of popcorn home at the end of the day

Concerns...will would bags stay sealed on bus?  Fresh idea we can research.

There were no financial requests to authorize.

Meeting Minutes November 2015

-->

Meeting Minutes-Woolwich PTA

November 12, 2015                                                                                              Meeting called to order-6:08PM

In Attendance- Dena, Carly, Melissa, Romy, Stacey, Lorna, Debbie, Alane, Amanda & Kristen

Treasurers Report-

For account balance, please email the PTA at woolwichptc@yahoo.com

We have received $510.00 in checks for STUD and we have $225.00 additional coming in from vendors.

We have approx. $116.00 to be deposited for logo wear (ending tomorrow Nov. 13) and made $146.00 from sales of the Booster.com t-shirts.

Shop Til U drop Craft Fair-

We have 53 Tables booked

33 paid vendors

10 -Teachers & PTA

10 - 8th graders

2- Tables for Book Fair

2- Tables for Goody Walk

Tables-Tables reserved with Taylor Rental.  Discussion- Should we find volunteers with pickup trucks to transport 30 tables from Brunswick to Woolwich or pay the fee to have Taylor Rental deliver and pick up? 30 tables @ $8 per table = $240 + delivery ($100)=$340   The majority feels that it will be hard to secure enough volunteers on Friday with pickup trucks to transport tables and that it will be worth it in the long run to have them delivered and picked up.  VOTE-ALL IN FAVOR OF FUNDING TABLE DELIVER CHARGE-UNANIMOUS

Volunteer Site will be set up and set-up will begin @ 4:00 on December 4th.

Raffles-We will fund the 3 fair punch card prize along with WBS PTO and Phippsburg PTA.  $33, $33 and $34 fir WCS PTA.  VOTE-All in favor of funding $34 to go towards raffle prize. UNANIMOUS

Dena has two Scholastic Book Fair T-Shirts to raffle off as well as Scholastic books. Possible Pie Raffle?

Advertising-

STUD will be featured in the Coastal Journal, Old Fashioned Christmas in Bath Pamphlet, Maine Street Bath Website and publications and on Craigslist.

Book Fair- (Separate report from Dena) we all agreed that Book Fair workers should still receive $25 gift certificates for books.  (No official vote, just discussion)

Grandparents Day- 200 grandparents are registered.  Volunteers are all set up for greeting, check in, navigation to classroom and food prep help.

Close Buy- Sales were down 30% form last year.  We will further discuss this in future meetings.   Possible Scripts gift card fundraiser?  Melissa will gather more info.

Spooktacular Dance- Huge success, no complaints.  Raised $800 for the backpack program plus all for the canned good donations.

Paint Nite- Amy checked with a rep from Paint Nite about a possible paint night fundraiser at the Montsweag Roadhouse.  She can do any Wednesday night.

December Meeting will be Thursday, December 10th.

Meeting adjourned- 7:05PM