PAC CHATTER

A Publication of the CIBA Parent Advisory Council September, 2013

NEXT PAC MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2013 7:00 P.M. CIBA COLLEGE RESEARCH ROOM
Greetings Parents, Guardians, and Friends of CIBA, Welcome! I hope everyone enjoyed a nice break from routine and were able to refresh somewhat before the start of a new year. We here at the Parents Advisory Council are raring to go into another exciting year helping our students get to know one another and enjoy friendships outside of the classroom! We have a full slate of officers here to serve you. If you dont already know, membership in PAC is "automatic"- we do not have membership dues or fees. We do not send home catalogs or candy bars to sell, but rather ask that families make a monetary donation to PAC to help us pay for activities and special events. We meet at 7 PM the first Wednesday of every month in the College Resource Room at CIBA to brainstorm ideas and make plans for activities to promote a positive academic and social environment for our students. Our officers this year include: Sandy Leubner, President, Daughter Megan, grade 12 Nancy Barnwell, Vice President, Daughter Mikayla, grade 12 Sandyha Pai, Treasurer, Daughter Sindoori, grade 11 & Son Shubham, grade 9 Laura Duprey, Secretary, Daughter Jillian, grade 9 Heidi Ellis, Communications Coordinator, Son Connor, grade 11 Jen Oatway, Fundraising Co-chair, Daughter Kevi, grade 12 Laurie Horan, Fundraising Co-chair, Daughter Gillian, grade 9 Alina Bafumo, Volunteer/Hospitality Coordinator, Son John Matthew, grade 10 Activity/Event Coordinator--VACANT Our first PAC meeting of the year was convened on September 4 . We shared info about progress made over the summer to develop a budget and draft bylaws. Look for our minutes and these documents coming to you via email, Facebook posting and posted to the Parent section of the CIBA website (cibanet.org). We approved the budget at the first meeting and will be voting to approve the bylaws at the next meeting so take a look and get us your feedback. The Welcome Back BBQ was held on Friday th September 6 with about 100 people in attendance. We met a lot of incoming freshman families and reconnected with returning students and families. Thanks to everyone who provided a donation at the picnic and who signed up to volunteer in some capacity during the year. We are excited to welcome a very special guest to our next PAC meeting on Wednesday October 2 Superintendant of East Hartford Schools, Nate Quesnel. This is one meeting you wont want to miss - please mark your calendar and plan to attend. We are also looking for questions to be submitted in advance of the meeting, so feel free to submit your question to the PAC mailbox in advance (pac.ciba@gmail.com). In addition, we look forward to hearing from Mrs. Buck and/or a student representative who will talk about the Student Activity Board (SAB) and what they are planning for the year. We also look forward to seeing you at the Open House on September 19 and look forward to a great school year! Sandy
th nd th

We were all extremely saddened this summer to learn of the passing of one of the most positive, upbeat, and kind parents we have ever met. On June 21st of this year Denise McMillen of Tolland, former Secretary and active member of PAC, and Mom of Samantha "Sammie" McMillen, (CIBA 2011 graduate) lost her battle with ovarian cancer. Our thoughts and love go out to Denise's family. Denise was a wonderful person and we are honored to have had her in our lives. The newspaper obituary stated that in lieu of flowers, please send donations to, CuzWeCare, P. O. Box 310498, Newington, CT 06131 or Relay for Life of Tolland County, C/O First Niagara Bank, Attn: Paula Wilson, 215 Merrow Road, Tolland, CT 06084.

Get Connected!
1. Follow us on our PAC Facebook Page! Please like our Facebook page and follow all the PAC activities! Search for CIBA PAC in the search bar at the top of Facebook 2. Follow the link on the New for Families and Parents page in the Parents section of cibanet.org 3. Make sure that we have your information! Help us build our parent database. If you have not already provided it, please send the following information to: pac.ciba@gmail.com Parent/Guardian names Email address(es) Student name(s) and grades(s)

Back to School Dance

Our first dance of the year will be held on Friday September 27th from 6:30-9:30 at Sunset Ridge (on the corner of Silver Lane and Forbes Street. Tickets will be $5 in advance (sold during lunch waves) or $7 at the door. Special thanks to freshman parent Todd Sun, who will deejay this event for us! We will need donations of snacks and bottled water for the dance. These can be dropped off at the school by 3:15 on 9/27 or brought to the dance. Call or text Alina Bafumo (860-593-5344) with any questions.

Nancy Barnwell named CIBA Volunteer of the Year 2013!

We are thrilled to announce that our "own" Nancy Barnwell, Vice President of PAC, was named by Mr. Arpin as CIBA Volunteer of the Year in a ceremony in June for all East Hartford School system volunteers! Nancy has been an amazingly tireless board member for PAC, developing countless organizational documents to add needed structure so that we may plan our activities more efficiently, set aside funds accordingly, and raise funds for even more activities. In other words, to help us develop a plan and a strategy for our yearly activities! Nancy's incredible leadership abilities shine through with every task in which PAC is involved! Nancy was instrumental in the development of the budget and new by-laws for this year, and was a main organizer for the welcome back picnic. Nancy has a busy home life as she and her husband Matt juggle their full time jobs and all the activities of their children Mikayla, (CIBA senior) and younger son Matthew. Nancy works full time as Director, Trust & Third Party Investment Products at Prudential Retirement and also serves on the board of directors for a local charity, planning events and raising funds to help kids with cancer. In her spare time she runs 5Ks, competes in the occasional triathlon, and has been known to ride her bike to work on occasion! We are extremely fortunate to have Nancy as a part of our Board and we are in awe of her energy, initiative and dedication to CIBA-PAC. Congratulations Nancy...and a heartfelt THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!

Save the Dates!

Thursday Sept 19, 2013: CIBA Open House (6:30) Friday Sept 27, 2013: Back to School Dance at Sunset Ridge, 6:30 to 9:30. $5.00 at CIBA- sold at lunch, or $7.00 at the door! Wednesday Oct 2, 2013: Next PAC Meeting with special guest Nathan Quesnell Superintendant of Schools for East Hartford Wed Dec 11, 2013: Barnes & Noble Book Fair

Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming PAC Mtg Dates

October 2nd 2012 November 6th 2012 December 4th 2012 January 8th 2013 February 5th 2013 March 5th 2013 April 2nd 2013 May 7th 2013 June 4th 2013 June 5th 2013

The PAC Leadership Team for 2013-2014: President: Sandy Leubner, Vice-President: Nancy Barnwell, Treasurer: Sandhya Pai; Secretary: Laura Duprey; Communication Coordinator: Heidi Ellis; Volunteer/Hospitality Coordinator: Alina Bafumo; Fundraising Co-Chairs: Jen Oatway & Laurie Horan

CIBA Parent Advisory Council

Dear CIBA Families, Friends, and Supporters, For the past few years in lieu of a fall fundraiser in which we ask you to purchase items that you may not need, we instead have conducted a fundraising appeal to support the Parent Advisory Council and its activities. We asked each family to donate whatever they were comfortable with to the PAC in order to continue to provide outstanding support to our school. The response to this approach has been very positive. We have found that most parents/guardians appreciate this form of fundraising. While we will also conduct a few community event type of fundraisers such as restaurant nights, and a Barnes and Noble in store holiday book fair (where a percentage of sales gets donated to CIBA PAC) the bulk of our funding comes through this appeal process. The PAC will support the CIBA community through (and cover various costs associated with) activities and events throughout the year. Some examples include the Welcome Back BBQ, Student Planners, IB Induction Ceremony, dances and social activities for the students. In addition we will support activities of the CIBA faculty and staff as needed. At the end of the year, we provide senior scholarship awards, and honor the CIBA teachers and staff with an appreciation luncheon. The CIBA Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is open to all parents/guardians/significant adults in the lives of the students who attend CIBA. There are no dues or membership fees and you become a member just by virtue of your relationship with your student(s) and the school. Our community is strong due to your support. We recognize that these are tough economic times for everyone. This is not a requirement nor does it impact your participation as a PAC member or what your student(s) can participate in at school. You can donate one dollar, you can donate one hundred dollars whatever is comfortable for you and your family. And, if you are unable to donate thats fine too. Checks can be made payable to CIBA PAC and sent in an envelope to the PAC attention to the school, or you can bring your donation to the next meeting. Meetings are held at 7pm on the first Wednesday of every month in the College Resource Room. We will also have a donation jar at the Open House. We appreciate all you do for your child and your support of CIBA. For questions, please contact us at pac.ciba@gmail.com or (860) 872-7749 Sincerely,
The PAC Executive Board

Yes, I/we would like to support the CIBA PAC. Enclosed please find our donation of: $______________________

Name:________________________________________________________________________

Email:________________________________________________________________________

Student Name and Grade:_______________________________________________________