January 2015 meeting minutes

Here are the minutes recorded at our January 8 meeting.  Financial balances have been omitted in the online version, however, email the PTA at any time with questions at woolwichptc@yahoo.com.

Meeting Minutes-Woolwich PTA

January, 8 2015                                                                                                                                                           6:00

In attendance-Lorna, Sarah, Mona, Debbie, Alaine, Kristen, Beth, Stacey, Amy & Dena

Treasurers Report-

Sarah reported a balance of $XXXXXXXXXX as of November 28, 2014

STUD Fair brought in approximately-

·       915.00 Table rental

·       447.00 Goody Walk

·       617.00 Book Fair

Box Tops-Check received for $1273.10.

Bath Savings Institution-$25.00 for a customer opening an account and choosing WCS as their non-profit of choice.

Box Tops-This drive ends next Thursday. Stacey reported that the next drive will be for a visit from the Morse football team to visit and do a clinic/demonstration for the winning class. Last year Stacey provided snacks.

Family Literacy Night-

Lorna, Kristen, Allison, Jeannie & Mona attended a meeting at Dike-Newell  School to outreach and offer help with an upcoming Family Literacy Night to be held at Dike-Newell School on February 5th from 6:00 to 7:30.

Rosalie Perkins, RSU 1 Choices Program Director is planning this event for existing Choices students and families.  Tri-County Literacy Read With Me will have an area set up for read aloud to children.  Sharon Pyne will have a room for holding a mini Music Together activity and there will be a craft/art station as well as snacks. Rosalie would like volunteer helpers for this evening and possibly extra help when details and projected turnout is known.  The PTA plans to have a PTA info sheet in the take home packet for the students.

Square 1 Art- Mrs. Devin is beginning preparation to have all WCS students create a piece of art to be put on a number of fun items (coffee mugs, clothing, wall art, stationary, etc)  We will plan for the items to be delivered just before Mother’s Day.

Close Buy-We had no major issues with this fundraisers.  We had one order not received that was quickly shipped by Close Buy so the person got it in time for Christmas.  One person had an issue accessing their Winter Kid pass but it was easily solved.  We will review the catalog in the Spring and make a decision regarding using this company again next Fall.  We would like to get the display items for a longer period if possible.

Wellness- Weather conditions (freeze, snow, melt & slush) have prevented the ice rink opening.  Beth Harrington is hoping to have it flooded again and have it ready soon for a community opening.  Beth also received a grant from Fuel Up To Play in the amount $2750 that she plans to buy a smoothie machine and some playground material.

Bylaws-The PTA board will plan to go over the Bylaws and amendments to the bylaws which clarify timing of the annual audit. Membership will receive a copy of the proposed amendments for a vote at the February meeting.

Non-Profit Status-Dena and Lorna continue to check up with the IRS to see if we are recognized as being reinstated online.  This needs to show up online for Amazon to recognize us as a 501c3 organization to sign up for Amazon Smile program.  We know we are in compliance but the monumental backlog at IRS is prohibiting recognition online.

Adjourned-6:50

That was a "doozy" of a break!

Happy New Year from your Woolwich Central School PTA!  We hope your Holidays were happy and healthy.  And how about that two week break?  Whether you spent most of those two weeks with your kiddos,  or had to reorganize your child-care plans, consensus has been "love my kids...but, phew, that was a "doozy".  The day after Christmas, my son had the nerve to say "I'm bored..." (enter an epic squinty-eyed glare from Mom) 

Before we move on to 2015, we owe a big THANK YOU to all of our PTA members who helped coordinator, Karen, at our Shop Till U Drop Craft fair, Bookfair, cocoa/coffee table and Goody Walk!  Despite the weather, everyone pulled together and made it a terrific success!  This is an excellent example of diverse membership involvement, as many members who can not make our meetings stopped by to move tables, deliver baked goods, help with social media promotion, or cover the concessions.  Again, thank you for all you do!

8th grader, Bobby, cleaned house with his fudge bites at the Craft Fair

We had our January meeting last week and have plotted the beginning of 2015, which shows more exciting events and support from the PTA, and potential changes for RSU#1. Full minutes will follow, but here are a few highlights.

Thursday, January 15, WCS will be hosting author Sarah Albee who has written many non-fiction books, and plans to spend some time with each class.  The WCS PTA was happy to provide the funding and we thank Mrs. Luchies for arranging this for our school.

Saturday, January 17, The WCS Wellness Committee will open the skating rink!  A "ribbon cutting" ceremony of sorts will happen at 1:00pm. Thank you to two of our PTA members, Deb and Lanie for sitting on the Wellness Committee and helping bring the vision to reality!  Mrs. Harrington and her wellness team are amazing.

Thursday, February 5, the WCS PTA, with others, will be assisting CHOICES PreK parents and students at a district-level open house and activity night at Dike-Newall School promoting literacy and phonological awareness through music, reading aloud and take-home activities. The program runs from 6:00-7:30 and will serve all enrolled PreK kids and their families.  This outreach from school to home is so important and we are honored to be piloting this with the CHOICES program.  Volunteers, please email us with any interest at woolwichptc@yahoo.com

Baby it's cold outside and yet the Lost and Found is overflowing with warm clothes and boots!  Here is a photo from today; anything look familiar?

Thursday is also the last day for this BoxTop Race!  Winning class will get a 'skills clinic' from Morse HS Football Players! We are also hoping to arrange another "up close" experience with a race car.

As I write this, votes are being counted to determine if the Town of West Bath will leave our district.   The history is far too extensive and complicated to cover in this post; however, what will be important to seek out as the morning hours approach is whether or not enough voters turned out to make the decision valid (whether "yes" or "no").  That's 560 folks who need to vote.  Is it bad if they leave?  It depends on whom you ask and it's not the PTA's goal to take a position/opinion either way. What is real is that West Bath leaving the district will result in some reduced expenses, but also some revenue loss for the district (exact numbers are not known) and that revenue loss will need to be dealt with in the budget.   As budgets are squeezed, programs are as well, and it's important for our PTA to be ready to respond in the event detrimental affects of any departure of district towns trickle down to our kids.  Here is a recent editorial from the RSU#1 School Board . http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODE/CoastalJournal/Default.aspx?href=MTCJ%2F2015%2F01%2F08&pageno=31&view=document

But more importantly, a withdrawal will mean some changes in the West Bath School Community which currently consists of a wonderful mix of West Bath and Choice students - and while those choice students currently enrolled will be able to finish their time at West Bath, the West Bath PTO, over time, will loose some wonderful parents who have helped in countless ways.  We wish our fellow West Bath school community the best, no matter what the future holds.

In closing, let's all keep an eye on our friends and neighbors (human and pets alike) during these frigid temperatures, and consider that school buses may start a little rough some mornings, and faces and toes may need a few more layers.  We are from Maine, it's how we roll, but it certainly helps to stick together through the darker days of winter.  Stay toasty!  As always, email us at woolwichptc@yahoo.com