PTA Meeting, February 5, 2013 --Staff Gift Fund: 64% of staff wants end-of-year lunch; 64% of staff wants

gift cards ($20 limit); about $5,000 has been collected --Request for Mobile Science Lab (will be used by all grades); cost is $900; motion to approve; motion passed --Mini-grant applications: 1) Mr. Brinson requests $200 for the Patrol Picnic; motion to approve; motion passed (make line item in next year's budget) 2) Mme. Falloux requests $85 for a traveling trunk artifact to be used in 5th Grade lessons; motion to approve; motion passed --Discussion of need to spend budgeted money; many teachers have not spent their allotment --Promethean boards being installed in February; may involve some upkeep costs --FI/Academy trip funds: PTA has kept FI trip funds in past, as a pass-through; PTA will look at whether any additional reporting or liability requirements come into play and will discuss at April Exec. Bd. mtg. --Academy trip: inaugural year; 20 of 35 students have already committed --Michael Robbins (parent) described efforts to improve parent/staff communication; attended staff development session; referenced Flamboyan Foundation, which is working in this area; need for collaboration and cooperation; two areas that SCES teachers were interested in -- 1) teacher home visits and 2) re-making Literacy Night and Math Night --Class Dojo (being piloted in one classroom with one student -- Michael Robbins' son): classroom behavior mgmt; real-time, one-way info from teacher to parent; updated throughout the day --Michael Robbins and PTA targeting next fall for implementation of broader parent/staff communication changes (perhaps after larger PTA meeting) --Discussion about lack of comments in new report cards --Discussion about the use of "contracts" for children in certain subject areas (being used by some teachers, not behavior-related) --Notice about Academic Family Fun Night (combo of Literacy and Math), 02/20 for Grades 3-5; 02/27 for Grades K-2 --Notice about Career Day and Pajama Day --Stuart Kern is doing weekly check of Science Lab ###