PTO Board Meeting, June 3, 2008

Incarnation School PTO Board Meeting Minutes

Members Present: Father Paul, Olivia Carrillo, Greg Dumansky, Joe Chavez, Juliet Mendoza, Alex Perez, Maribeth Spensiero, Jimmy Mueckay, Phil Le Franc, Jennifer Bunt ,Angie Gonzalez, Doug Bennett, Tom Olona, Ann-Marie Smith and Madeleine Viole. The meeting began at 6:35 p.m. and adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Absent: Robert Mahan and Diana Girskis.

Opening: Father Paul opened the meeting with a prayer. The minutes from the May meeting were reviewed and approved.

I. Father Paul:
a) PTO Board Members: Father Paul thanked the outgoing members and welcomed the new members to the board.
b) Congratulations: Father Paul congratulated Ms. Carrillo for a great first year.
c) Pre-School Update: The hope was to have the pre-school opened by the fall; however, due to the many State requirements the process for licensing is taking a little bit longer than anticipated. The good news is that work is proceeding and will continue throughout the summer months.
II. Principal-Olivia Carrillo
a) Olivia thanked the PTO Board for their assistance during her first year and also welcomed the new board members.
III. President-Greg Dumansky:
a. Auction Recap: Almost everything has been completed for the Auction Dinner. The thank you letters have been sent out. There was a small program glitch that Jim Thiering is working to correct. There are five items that need to be reconciled once the computer program is able to print the final document.
b. Electrical Upgrade: The electrical upgrade has been approved by the Archdiocese.
c. PTO Board New Members: Welcome to the new PTO Board Members.
d. Gym Logo: Greg met with Rita regarding the logo colors etc. Final steps are to review the logo again with Mrs. Ghantous and the project can begin in August.
e. Scrip Coordinator: Reminded everyone again that Jenn will be taking over as the new Scrip Coordinator. Greg and Jenn are hoping to meet with Rosanna this week. Greg reminded Jenn to get the banner back from Rosanna. Greg mentioned that the goal for scrip will be to develop a manual including the step by step process so that in the future anyone can pick up and take over the program. Greg and Jenn will be working on this together. Joe mentioned that it’s very important to reconcile the figures with Rosanna before beginning the new program.
f. Disaster Drill: The drill went very well, a few minor changes are needed but overall the drill was successful. Phil mentioned that Nestle is working on a recap and suggestions for improvement. Further information to follow regarding improvements (tent, tarp, maybe adding holes in the yard to make the tarp more secure).
IV. Parent Involvement: Angie Gonzalez:
a) Hope for the Pope: The free dress day earned $760.50. Angie will be presenting a check to the Glendale Red Cross. A certificate will be given to the school showing their appreciation.
d) Altar Server Picnic: The picnic went very well, about 30 students attended. Father Tim attended and thanked the altar servers by presenting them with a gift.
e) Home Room Sign-up Sheets: Home Room sign up sheets were available at the last General PTO meeting. Some parents signed up, but overall participation was low. The sheets will be available again once school starts.
V. Vice President-Juliet Mendoza:
a) Swim Team: Juliet mentioned that the school swim team is not able to practice as the school’s insurance policy does not include liability insurance while the swimmers are practicing at another pool (i.e. YMCA, Chevy Chase etc.). Jimmy will look into what other schools are doing for practice and if a waiver policy can be purchased. Fundraising events to pay for the policy could be an option.
VI. Athletics: Jimmy Mueckay:
a. Coaches Code of Conduct: Jimmy and Olivia will meet once school ends to review a manual/code of conduct for the coaches.
b. Sports Banquet: The Spring Sports Banquet went very well, many families attended. Thank you to the volunteers that helped.
VII. Maintenance: Phil Le Franc
a. Nestle: The City of Glendale is requiring that the container be placed in the same location that it was before. This is a concern as there are power lines above the location that could come down in the event of a major earthquake. Father Paul gave approval for the location and would like to move ahead. Father Paul asked that Nestle continue to work on a solution regarding the power lines above the metal container. Phil mentioned that Nestle is working with their specialists to see what solutions are available. Phil also mentioned that Nestle has been a great partner, they have acted in good faith, delivered what they have promised and allowed us access to their internal communication system. Hopefully in the future this will aid in our fundraising events as we are able to notify the employees of raffles etc. They also donated $500 for the Auction Dinner.
b. Carpool: Phil does have a parent to assist with putting out the cones in the morning. This prevents parents from leaving the parking lot at an angle. Phil would like the parents to have signs for kinder and first grade so the carpool volunteers know these children will need extra assistance. Angie will print the signs and give to the office so the signs can be included with a mailer going out in August. Phil also requested that the volunteers be given yellow vests/jackets so that they are clearly visible in the parking lot. Also an idea is to have the volunteers be given stop signs in an effort to prevent the parents from walking the students across the carpool lanes in the morning. Question also came up about when does the carpool end? The carpool ends by 8:10 when the gates are closed. Any cars left in the parking lot will need to go to the office to be let out of the gates.
VII. New PTO President-Joe Chavez:
a) Auction Recap: Joe hopes to get the final numbers by the end of the month. The winner of the car attended the 12:00pm Mass on May 25th and was introduced to the parish members.
b) Looking Ahead: Joe is hoping to get the parishioners to look ahead to next year’s raffle prize. Idea is to have parishioners save a quarter a day so that when the raffle comes around they will already have the money saved. The goal will be to have school families increase their sales above the $100 requirement. A chairperson is already in place for next year and is already looking into locations. The date for the event will be April 25th not April 4th as Father Paul would prefer the event be held after Lent.
c) New Board Members: After the old Board Members left Joe summarized his plans/thoughts to the new Members. The plan is to have meetings start at 6:30pm and end at 8:00pm. This will keep the meetings on track and focused. The nature of the positions were reviewed as a group and thought given to who would be best suited for each position. It makes sense to separate some of the positions for two people to handle, this way every effort will be made to reach out to the parents and strive to get their involvement and participation. As PTO Board Members our efforts should be to increase our fundraising efforts and to continue to get all families involved. Focus will also be placed on the carpool so that safety is a first priority. Reviewed with Ms. Carrillo what positions are open for next year. Ended the meeting with JustFaith Group Guidelines, which indicate that we should honor differences, listen to others with respect, give everyone an opportunity to speak and to fully participate.
The next meeting will be on August 5th at 6:30pm.

Important Upcoming Events

August 18: New Parent Social-Orientation Meeting
August 24: Kinder Picnic at Nibley Park

September 2: First Day of School
September 16: General PTO Meeting
September 18: Back to School Night-Kinder-5th
September 25: Back to School Night-6, 7 & 8
September 27: Back to School Hop and Book Fair Opens

Note: These notes are subject to change after review by PTO Board at upcoming board meeting.

Incarnation School PTO Board Meeting Minutes, May 6, 2008

Members Present: Olivia Carrillo, Greg Dumansky, Joe Chavez, Juliet Mendoza, Alex Perez, Maribeth Spensiero, Jimmy Mueckay, Phil Le Franc, Robert Mahan, Jennifer Bunt, Angie Gonzalez and Diana Girskis. The meeting began at 6:35 p.m. and adjourned at 9:35 p.m. Absent: Father Paul

Opening: Ms. Carrillo opened and closed the meeting with a prayer. The minutes from the April meeting were reviewed and approved.

I. Principal- Olivia Carrillo:
a) New School Year Calendar: Olivia handed out the school calendar for next year. Dates were completed for kinder picnic, orientation and new parent meeting, General PTO meetings, Sports Banquets, etc.
II. President-Greg Dumansky:
a) Auction Recap: The final dollar amounts are being finalized, but overall the results from the silent and live auction and raffle tickets look positive. Money is still being collected including the money for those parents that bid on the gym logo. A letter and invoice will be sent out to the parents who bid on the logo so they can send in the amount owed. Greg suggested a de-briefing meeting be held so we can start planning ahead for next year. This will help the committee members to see what worked and what would need to be revised for future auctions. Jenn mentioned that the children had a great time selling the tickets. Six awards were given to the children since the final ticket sales were very close between a few children. Jenn mentioned that it may be a good idea to continue the incentives next year and maybe even add a cash prize for the most tickets sold. Joe asked that any comments or concerns from the evening be sent to Georgette’s attention so they can be reviewed with Brandview. Joe reminded us that 15% of the auction proceeds will be given to the church building fund.
b) Electrical Upgrade: The first phrase of the electrical upgrade has been approved and will be sent out to bid.
c) PTO Board Elections: The next PTO meeting is scheduled for May 13th. New board members will be elected.
d) New Property Gym Usage: Usage for the gym at the new property should be coordinated through Olivia. Coaches will be updated so they know to schedule through Olivia.
e) Scrip Coordinator: Starting with the new school year Jenn will be taking over the scrip program. Announcement will be made during the next PTO meeting. Jenn mentioned that she would like to have a co-coordinator to help with weekend sales. Angie will check with a parent to see if she is interested.
f) Disaster Drill: The drill is scheduled for May 16th. Specific details will be reviewed during the General PTO meeting on May 13th.


III. Fundraising-Joe Chavez:
a) Auction Dinner Dance: Final numbers are being calculated. Joe has spoken to the raffle winner, she is deciding if she would like the car or the cash option. Any comments or concerns can be sent to Joe or Georgette.
IV. Secretary/Public Relations: Maribeth Spensiero:
a) Spaghetti Dinner: There was a profit from the spaghetti dinner that is available. Olivia suggested that the money could be used to upgrade the school email system. All members agreed to this suggestion.
V. Student Affairs: Jennifer Bunt:
a) Student Council: The students were able to participate in “Glendale Clean and Beautiful” week by planting trees.
b) 8th Grade Graduation: Jenn mentioned that she has not been asked for help with the graduation, but is available if needed. Jimmy indicated a meeting was recently held so Jenn maybe contacted soon. Availability of the new property gym was in question due to construction that will be starting prior to the graduation.
VI. Parent Involvement: Angie Gonzalez:
a). Teacher Appreciation Week: This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Two gifts from the PTO Board Members will be passed out during the week.
b). Uniform Sale: The uniform sale went very well. $219 was earned and will be used for the 7th grade lunch/brunch. The lost and found stack is starting to pile up again so the 8th grade may want to hold another sale.
c) Hope for the Pope: The free dress day earned $382 for the Holy Childhood Association. The next one is scheduled for May 23rd.
d) Altar Server Picnic: A picnic for the Altar Servers will be held on May 30th in the church patio. Information was sent home in the Home Messenger.
e) Home Room Sign-up Sheets: Angie mentioned that the teachers have asked if a sign up sheet for those interested in being a Home Room parent could be completed at the last General PTO meeting. This way the teachers will have an idea in advance of who is interested. Jenn and Joe also mentioned that sign up sheets for the auction and sub-committees should also be available so that planning for next year could begin.
VII. Athletics: Jimmy Mueckay:
a) Sports Banquet: The Spring Banquet has been scheduled for May 29th at 6:00pm. Jimmy will let the board members know what help he needs.
b) Sports: Confirmed that Jimmy will remind the coaches that scheduling is done through Olivia.
VIII. Maintenance: Phil Le Franc
a) Nestle: The relationship with Nestle is a work in progress. Nestle does have wonderful programs available for the community and schools. Phil will continue to work on the relationship and hopes to have a long successful relationship. Nestle will be in attendance for the Disaster Drill on May 16th.
b) Carpool: Phil found a parent to assist with putting out the cones. This prevents parents from leaving the parking lot at an angle. There is one additional sign (“no cell phone use”) that needs to be visible. Phil suggested that the sign be placed on the gate. A safety concern was raised about the number of parents walking their children across the carpool lanes. Many parents are parking their cars and then walking across, this is a huge safety issue that needs to be addressed. Parents will be reminded again during the General PTO meeting that they must drop their child off first and then if they have business at the school they can park.

IX General Comments:
a) Jenn asked if there is away to eliminate the number of flyers that are included in the Home Messenger each week. She suggested that parents are given the option to receive the information via email instead of paper. Olivia also suggested that the information is included in her letter instead of on a flyer.