september 12th, 2018 - PTO meeting summary

ACMS PTO Meeting Summary

September 12, 2018 7:45 .m.

Introductions
Present: Hien Larson, Stephanie Bragg, Coral Cavanagh, Susie Overall, Yvonne Moore, Marie Desmond, Stacy
Russell, Raughley Koehler, Marcy Dolan, Stefanie Deuber, Birgitta Depaoli, Heather Spear
PTO Roles
• Stephanie Bragg is President, Coral Cavanagh is Secretary
• It was duly moved, seconded, and passed by vote that Susie Overall would be Vice President, in addition to
her role as Social Media Chair.
• Stefanie Deuber agreed to assume the role of fundraising chair.
• Treasurer Needed. Events Chair(s)?
Treasurer’s Report
• $3,889 current balance
• School kit sales net profit was $1,346

o Our cost was $13.84/kit. Office Boss sold us the materials at cost and a local Girl Scouts chapter
donated the spiral notebooks. We sold the kits for $45 each. We owe Office Boss $1,384.

• We need to raise about $10,000 this year to cover the things we fund:

o Shady Creek field trip (6th grade) – part of transportation costs. (~$3,000)
o Ropes Course field trip (7th grade) ticket costs. (~$2,000)
o Wild Island celebration day (8th grade) costs. (~$3,500)
o Conference week meals for the staff. We ask for food donations, and we spend about $200 on
supplies and additional fool.
o Additional items for the school, such as playground equipment.
o Larger and additional items will require higher fundraising goals

• The amount we need to raise is a small amount compared to some schools, but we still have a challenge in
raising that amount:
o Many schools and nonprofits in town
o All local people and businesses get tapped frequently for donations

Measure AA
• Measure AA is on the ballot this fall. If approved, it would continue funding TTUSD P.E., band, art, libraries,
library books, AP classes, and salaries for 55 teachers and staff throughout TTUSD.
• Measure A is a current property tax of $135 per year and it is expiring. Measure AA would renew this tax.
o Raises the household tax from $135 to $148, and the tax would be approved to run for 9 years.
o Affects homes in parts of Placer, Nevada, and El Dorado Counties.
o Pays for 55 TTUSD staff members who would lose their jobs if Measure AA does not pass.
• Two-thirds of the 17,000 registered voters in the applicable geographic area need to vote “yes” to approve
Measure AA. There is no opposition vote.

• Coral moved, Raughley seconded, and the group approved the ACMS PTO officially endorsing Measure AA.
• PTO members can help pass Measure AA in many ways:
o Vote for Measure AA and encourage others to do so.
o Nevada County voters, who all vote by mail, can help the campaign by voting early, so that “yes”
votes can be counted early and campaign activities can be planned as needed.
o Volunteer to work at the phone bank, share info, and/or display signs.
o Spread the word at schools, preschools, and day care facilities.
o Follow the campaign on Facebook and Endorse the measure online.
o Be the ACMS site rep - coordinate signs, sign-up volunteers.
o Get students involved (just not during school hours).
o Donate to the campaign, as an individual or company.
o Encourage corporate donations and endorsements .

Escrip Report
• We have earned $762 to date via the Savemart program with 68 supports signed up
o Yvonne is spearheading the effort to get more signed up and using this program.

• We have earned $187 this year from Amazon Smile
o We need to increase exposure/sign-ups
o We need to remind people to use this
• Get more subscribers. Get business subscribers.
• Reminders/ instructions for these will go out in Cougar News (Coral) and a new, monthly newsletter (Susie)
Fundraising
• We have a set of Disneyland tickets to raffle off

o We earned these by documenting occurrences of our kids volunteering.
o Need 15 people volunteering
o Any time we can document our kids participation in volunteer efforts, record it and take photos.
We can use that documentation to support a bid for additional Disney Tickets
o Online raffle?
• Our Silent Auction and Kermés dinner (Thank you, ELAC!) was a very successful fundraiser last spring.
• We collect box tops. Marie will prepare our current batch for submission.
• Other fundraising ideas

o “Instant Wine Cellar” or “Win a Beer Cave”
o Snow removal, driveway sealing, etc.
o Special Dinner (e.g., Bavarian Dinner) at a set price for 20 people
o Park a Food truck and take a percentage
o Progressive Dinner
o Repairing outdoor gear (volunteers brought sewing machines) raised $2,000 for winter gear at a
school in Alaska
o Litter removal. Do something with the ids. Maybe get parents to commit to pay $/pound for the
amount that the kids pick up. Spring, early, when the snow starts to melt.

Principal’s Report
• New Grading System

o Goal – Get all kids to proficiency

o ACMS is the last school in the District to switch to the new grading system
o Have been piloting the system, now implemented schoolwide
o Teachers have been through conferences and workshops on this through professional
development pursuits.
o Looking at grading by the trimester, and the goal is to get all kids proficient
o Our ultimate goal is for all kids to have 3s and 4s by the end of the trimester.
o Parent info night October 18
o High Schools are going to this system, too.
o Discussion - How is Distinguished Scholar achievable?
o Class rankings are going away.
o How do we recognize kids for their achievements? For citizenship? For effort? How do we honor
that?

• Excellence in Education is a foundation that supports TTUSD schools. Their “Dining for Schools” cards are
out. These give the cardholder 50% off entrees at area restaurants.
• Boys and Girls Club is coming to ACMS starting in mid-October
o Tues-Thurs after-school program.
o This is a pilot year.
o Activities! Robotics, theater, and more for $120/year
• First School Dance September 28 from 6 to 8 p.m.
o We have 5 dances per year
o Looking at how to have a game room alongside where kids can hang out.
• Maybe not for the first dance, but for the remainder, we hope.
o Need PTO parents to help with supervision if a “hang out” room is added.
• Need two 6th Grade Site Council members.
o $250k raised by Ex in Ed, and Site Council decides how it gets spent.
UPCOMING DATES
• October 1 there is no school. TTUSD is meeting at ACMS on proficiency scales/grading.
• Conference week is Oct 22-26.
• Shady Creek coming up October 2.
• Suggestion – remind people about other dates, such as “register to vote,” or “sign up for Amazon smile.”
• Our meetings will generally be on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7:45, in the ACMS staff room.

Meeting adjourned at 9:00 a.m.

Next meeting is October 9 at 7:45 a.m.