October 17th, 2019 - ACMS PTO Meeting Summary

Alder Creek Middle School
PTO Meeting Summary
October 17th, 2019
7:40 am, ACMS Staff Lounge

Welcome and Introductions. Meeting Attendees: Susie Overall, Yvonne Moore, Val Fletcher, Stefanie Deuber, Edyta Meyer, Rosa Davis, Celli Baker, Raughley Koehler, Jenny Berger, Stacie Krenicki, Katie Flynn, Lori Clemente, Emily Rubio, Jennifer Standteiner, Hien Larson

Principal’s Update, Mrs. Larson:  
First Trimester Progress Reports are coming out this week. 
The Site Council meeting is next week, October 24th at 7:15 am. There is an ELAC Committee meeting today, October 17th. 
Discussion on Digital Management Resources - blocking phones, checking screen time. Propose a possible presentation by Athletes Committed. Kids tend to listen to them, perhaps they could come and talk about digital management.
Boys’ Basketball teams are being posted today. 
Parent Conference Week is the last week of this month. Parents and students will meet with their Foundation teacher. The focus is on self advocating - students need to be responsible for their learning.
Grading - benchmarking vs. standard reference. There’s a committee to determine what to do.

Associated Student Body (ASB): Emily Rubio attended our meeting - thank you! 
The ASB is starting a Wellness Club on Wednesdays with Jill Wessler from TFHD. They will add tips to the daily bulletin. The Green Team - SWEP could help get this started. 
The recent dance was the largest ever, with over 500 students. 

President’s Update, Yvonne Moore: 
Spanish Enrichment - the PTO helps sponsor this class. It is intended for more advanced Spanish speakers. This after school class will be held once per week each trimester and is run by Sarah Adams. We will review the need for scholarships and consider increasing the cost. 
Cross Country Concession Fundraiser - we took this task over from ASB. We earned $240 for three hours of selling. We will do this again in the spring, we can consider increasing prices and adding more items. 
Honor Roll Breakfast - Courtney and Rosa did a great job organizing, it ran smoothly. The PTO spent $89 on coffee etc. and parents provided the food. The next breakfast is for first trimester 2019-20 and will be in January.

Conference Week Staff Meals: We provide meals all week for the staff during conference week, October 28th - November 1st. Teachers have a long day without lunch so we help. The Sign Up Genius link will be in next Cougar News. We will send out a reminder to sign up on October 24th. 

Budget Review: The PTO Board met for four hours to create the budget, we now have something to follow. The biggest expense items are buses for field trips. The 6th grade field trip may be less as it’s closer (Portola) and they’re splitting classes - drop off and pick up could overlap the two groups. Wild Island for 8th graders is a tradition, students look forward to this. We need to ask for more money from parents, the amount ($35) hasn’t changed for years. We will also add an item “Sponsor a Buddy” to collect money for scholarships. The goal is that everyone is able to go.
Taxes - we have filed these, Stephanie Bragg will help with this year. We don’t need to hire an accountant.
Insurance through PTO Today - we can get this through the District for $50 instead of $450. Any liability at events on campus is covered. We’ll get proof of insurance from TTUSD so we have have this available. We will confirm at PTO Summit event in November.


Grant Requests:  Any reimbursement requests or grant requests need to go through the Google Form.
SWEP Funding - $900 for programming which includes eco club, family science night, and field days for 7th and 8th graders. We will request the possibility of sharing this expense with ASB. Susie motioned, Stacie seconded. Voted to pay for ½ of this for now.
Snacks for students - Megan Alexander said some students are coming to school hungry and asked if we can help supply snacks. She said they aren’t hungry when they have to get up so early and end up not eating. Some ideas - buy items from Costco, ask parents to supply more snacks, make sure parents know about breakfast served at school, approach parents to donate via Sign Up Genius. Megan will provide us with a list of items she would like. Celli has a contact with Whole Foods wholesaler, she can possibly get us a big discount with them.
Spanish Enrichment Scholarship - Reini Jensen to submit grant request. We should budget for two kids per semester. We will also ask parents for additional donations. We will speak to Mrs. Adams to see if she’s willing to take on some pro bono work if we also provide scholarships.

Fundraiser Ideas: 
Edyta Meyer - Embroidered Jeans. Edyta does embroidery, she has the machine. Jeans must be prewashed and new. Seams will need to be unstitched. $30-$40 for “plain”, more for intricate designs. Edyta is donating her equipment and time, she will work with parent/student on what they want. She can also do holiday scarves. Tuesday November 12th at 2 pm - Edyta will come to school with samples and set up a table for display and sign ups. Raughley, Celli, Edyta and Jennifer S. will work on this.
Touchdown Tamales Fundraiser - Tamale raffle for Super Bowl, need to find out if tamale maker is willing to continue to support this.

Calendar of Events/Event Ideas for Upcoming Year: 
Movie Night - Schedule for Friday, December 13th? Possibly pair with Kermes dinner and Disneyland Fundraiser. Coincide with a night parents can shop or dine out.

New Recess Equipment: Tabled due to time constraint.

Adjourn: 9:20 am

The next meeting will be Thursday, November 14th at 7:40 am in the Staff Lounge.