Details
- Location: Field Elementary School Library
- Date: Jan 15, 2020 @ 5:30pm
Agenda
- Agenda Review & Welcome-
- Quick review of upcoming events and breakout sessions to discuss Spring Gala planning
- Quick review of upcoming events and breakout sessions to discuss Spring Gala planning
- Treasurer’s Report –
- Ingrid McNeil- Major expenditures this month are Arts Initiative monthly fees and the new Outdoor Deck/Reading space under construction (Grant funded).
- Work Day-
- Jan 25th: Linda provided an update on the Playscape scope underway (deck) and scopes for the workday include:
- Sealing/Staining that deck
- PE room bathroom improvements
- Turf clean-up (rake/blow leaves before professional “Deep Brush” by contractor the next day)
- Running track weeding along edges with grass
- Trash pick-up
- Shovel sidewalk silt/mud where it’s accumulated along walkways
- Garden shed and garden bed improvements if there’s time and manpower
- Volunteers still needed; Bring your leaf rakes, flat nose shovels, leaf blowers, painting muscles, etc; Ingrid to pursue sealant donation from Sherwin Williams
- Kid care available for 5 and ups. Email Ingrid McNeil/Linda Peche for details
- Jan 25th: Linda provided an update on the Playscape scope underway (deck) and scopes for the workday include:
- Binglow Update-
- Jan 31 – need volunteers for set up and concessions
- Valentine’s Dance-
- Presently envisioned to be one day…two separate parties (Kinder-2nd and 3rd – 5th)
- Need volunteers for passing out treats/beverages, keeping a little order (it’s great fun for the kids, but can be rowdy), and cleaning up mini-messes for a safe event.
- Pre-Kinder/Kinder Round-Up–
- Key message- IT’s NOW ON FEB 6th 3:30-5pm.
- Critical that ANYONE (unzoned) interested in a TRANSFER into Field, must attend and register. Deadlines for transfers are Feb 13.
- Zoned families are encouraged to attend as well to meet the teachers and ask any questions about registration for next year.
- Spring Gala-
- Distributed Sponsorship letters for families and businesses with the request to pull in donations for the Auction itself or sponsorships for the event (bar, décor, service staff, event location, etc)
- All folks chasing sponsors are asked to keep a copy of the link in the form to indicate WHO they’ve spoken to and what they’ve received.
- Keeping track gets challenging and making sure we don’t hit up the same company twice, and look disorganized is important!
- Discussed Budget with full transparency that the goal was to get sponsors AND the potential income from the event, being our first, is uncertain.
- $8-$10k estimated; Full PTO voted, with the majority approving up to $10k for the expenses to host the event.
- Healthy Engagements w/ Teachers and Admins-
- Ingrid McNeil had the floor for a few minutes to hit on the following reminders and requests for PTO members to consider and advocate with new and old parents at the school alike:
- We delivered this message as it is our role as a PTO to support our teachers and our school in their objectives to educate and enrich our kids’ lives. We have some experience in our midst on how and how not to create change in the school/HISD. We take care with our relationship and we do not set policy or curricula, dictate technology; we offer suggestions and assistance.
- The PTO is sensitive that parent complaints can appear to be FROM the PTO when those Parents, who are very active on the PTO, are the one’s passing the message.
- It’s very common to have things in a public school that you don’t like as a parent; when it’s your kid, there can be a lot of energy around that subject. If you have energy to act, first seek to understand, with the teacher why a course of action was taken or policy exists. Raise your concerns. Assume the best of their intentions and capabilities first, before concluding the worse. This includes understanding the history at the school as well. This approach keeps teachers’ and administration ears open to your issues and recommendations. Escalation to principal should be a last resort, not the first (security/safety/highly sensitive issues not withstanding)
- Reminder: No one person is entitled to speak on behalf of the PTO on an issue without express permission from the Officers.
- We delivered this message as it is our role as a PTO to support our teachers and our school in their objectives to educate and enrich our kids’ lives. We have some experience in our midst on how and how not to create change in the school/HISD. We take care with our relationship and we do not set policy or curricula, dictate technology; we offer suggestions and assistance.
- Ingrid McNeil had the floor for a few minutes to hit on the following reminders and requests for PTO members to consider and advocate with new and old parents at the school alike:
- BREAKOUTS–
- The PTO group split into two groups and discussed Spring Gala Auction/Sponsorships and Food/Beverage.
- Officers agreed after the meeting to use more of the February meeting to breakout sessions, which proved to be very interesting and effective but WAY too short this time. All the officers appreciated the participation!
- Upcoming Events
- Workday – Jan 25th, 2020
- Binglow – Jan 31st, 2020
- Valentine’s Day Party – TBD
- Spring Gala/Auction – May 16th, 2020- SAVE THE DATE
PTO Asks
- Committee Time
- Volunteers needed to help with Workday, Family Binglow, Valentine’s Party and Spring Gala
- Sponsorships Needs
- Sponsors needed for Binglow Supplies, Spring Gala
Next Meeting
- February 12, 2020 @ 5:30 pm Field Elementary School Library