meeting minutes - april 2024

MINUTES 4/16/24
ELAC Crossover Meeting at ACMS, PTO joined @ 6pm.
PTO attendees: Brandy, Saira, Kate, Laurie, Hien, Hilda Vazquez (ELAC-PTO liaison)
Hien Larson:
Principal’s Update:
-Excited to have a crossover meeting. Haven’t had one since before Covid.
-The schoolwide assembly with Kevin Bracy was a big success. It was all about kindness and community, and it really impacted the whole school. Students and staff were all speaking the same language. Feedback from Bracy and his crew was that they couldn't believe it was the first day back from vacation, and the kids were all so respectful and engaged. Students wrote postcards and posters with positive messages that will be posted all over the school.
-What does the PTO do? The PTO helps support Field trips for AVID kids. Today, we had a Site council meeting to review Excellence in Education grant requests from teachers. The PTO stepped up and paid for several smaller teacher classroom grants so that ExinED could focus on the larger ones. The PTO has also paid for the ELAC meeting dinners this year. If ELAC needs anything for the English learners' classes, they can ask the PTO.
Ivana Cobos:
Open House Kermes:
-Last year, we served one plate: tacos, rice, and beans. The PTO helped pay for the ingredients and sold tickets for the plates. Most people wanted chicken tacos and/or rice and beans. Maybe we should add pozole, elotes, and jello this year. We need ELAC volunteers to sell food in shifts so that everyone can go to their kids' classes. I’ve already sourced tacos al pastor, pollo asado, ice machine for snow cones & water. Can we advertise the Kermes outside of ACMS parents so we make more money?
Hien Larson:
-Yes, Kermes will be outside so more people can gather. Kermes will be advertised in the principals’ newsletters at other TTUSD schools. Would be great to have more options. At Glenshire, there was a tamale and torta area. ELAC will have access to the kitchen. PTO will need to pay someone to monitor the kitchen. PTO will sell tickets. How many volunteers do we need? PTO may have to adjust the budget to accommodate a bigger, more elaborate kermes.
Kermes will run 4:30-7.
Classrooms open 6-7.

PTO Meeting started at 6:52 PM
Present: Laurie K, Kate L, Saira W, Hien L, Brandy C, and Hilda V (our new ELAC liaison!)
Not present: Yvonne M
Quorum present?: Yes
Intro/Welcome:
-The March 2024 meeting minutes were approved at 6:55 PM
-Hilda Vazquez (has a 7th grader) volunteered earlier in the year to be a liaison between ELAC and PTO.  Laurie will get her email and keep her in the loop of all of our happenings.
Treasurer’s Report:
-Kate reviewed the budget and all updates concerning finances and Hien provided receipts for reimbursements. Our current bank balance is $33,776.54
Spirit Wear
-We were able to sell a small amount of spirit wear, but much remains.  We are trying to brainstorm times to sell it successfully.  Cougar Days is the best option, and it was discussed selling it at Spring Open Houses at the Elementary schools.
-We decided that due to our overwhelming Sponsorship success, we don’t need to worry as much about other, smaller fundraisers (such as spirit wear) that take a lot of time and effort to run.
Grants
-2 Grant requests came in after the site council meeting today and were approved by Laurie Kuntz.  Pam Hamilton asked for just under $100 to buy new scissors, and another one just under $200 to purchase headphones
Staff Appreciation Week is being run by Kristin Cooksey.
-Lifeguard hats with ACMS patches have been ordered and assembled by Yvonne’s contact at Tahoe Dave’s. 
-The Silent Auction starts the night of open house and will run until the following Friday. Yvonne and Erin have been collecting items.  Only a handful of teachers have sent out the auction item request letter.
-Hien has a tight Sunnyside connection and she will ask them if there is anyway we can get a meal donated.  The sun hats were $1000 and will use up most of the money we had set aside ($1250) We have 75 staff members and the timing is quite tight between the Open House Silent Auction and Teacher Appreciation Week, so it will be hard to solicit $ donations from parents for both events back to back.
-Hien also bought beach towels to go with the sun hats.
-We have not paid for staffroom snacks recently, so it might be possible to transfer the money set aside for that to help cover some of these extra costs. The Flex fund is designated to cover reimbursements, etc after the budget closes.
Graduation
-June 18th at 6:00 PM is Graduation. It will be $20 per kid to attend the party afterwards. 165 graduates/  So far they have an ice cream truck, photobooth donated by West Orthodontics, Raleys has provided a $700 food credit, the Lion’s Club will have dinner (not big items, more snacky fun things like sliders), and Alex Tippet will be the DJ ($150)
Meeting Adjourned @ 7:34 PM
Next meeting, May 7, 2024, 6:00pm at Raley’s One Loft, Truckee.
Minutes Submitted by President, Laurie Kuntz and Vice President, Saira West