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Item Discussed

Actions/Next Steps

Call to Order

• Approved minutes

Turkey Trot

• Elsie shared that preparations are going well.
• Discussed tracking down someone to wear the turkey costume.

• Tiffany, or Adi will ask Elizabeth’s Husband Jordan Ghostbuster roof decorations for Halloween

• Still need bibs.
• Other supplies are ready.
• Put volunteers on spreadsheet

• Kelly, Becky, Erin, Caroline will do baking.

• Find a turkey-costume wearer (Adi)
• Follow up on the volunteer spreadsheet, add names (Elsie)

Debrief

• The meal support at the open house (10/30) went well, according to Caroline.

• Got sandwiches from All Star. Tidying up is the largest part of that job.

• List of email sign up sheets from Open House are still being tracked down.  Generally were given to room parents.

• We can add those parents to the PTO email list.

• Erin will collect and share email lists from Open House. (Erin)

Room Parents and Finances

• Erin wants to separate the two, and make sure Room Parents no longer are ‘on the hook’ for funds.
• Kelly shared that the goal is to build a thoughtful plan for where funds come from for various items/gifts.

• Build shared expectations.
• Parents might not understand which resources are their responsibilities.

• Erin: Gifts / spring fling baskets are a key issue.
• There is an imbalance between classes - some even have surpluses.  How can the PTO help alleviate this.
• Should there be a Room Parent meeting to help coordinate and communicate some of these issues of “best practices.”

• Make this meeting open to parents beyond just current room parents, to allow others to understand the role better.

• Kelly shared from a file that she had written summarizing where funds should come from.

• Room Parent Handbook
• Setting up guidelines for room parents.
• Made a note to double check the gift-limits.
• Made a note to edit some of the grant descriptions.

• Set up room parent info session? (Kelly + Erin)
• Quick checks of Room Parent Handbook for gift limits and grant descriptions, and removing old email list (Kelly)

Holiday Gift Cards

• For Thanksgiving we’ll be giving Market Basket gift cards.
• Might be too late to find businesses to donate.
• Kristen will get a list of families.
• Our donation goal is $4,500.

• We have a “thermometer on the website”
• Can we include where we’re at when sending out emails?

• Can we be more specific with how much we’re giving - perhaps sharing the statistics from our impact statements from the previous year.

• Last year $65-165 per family, 49 families.

• Got feedback on a draft email to families to solicit donations.
• Questions of how to use the different channels of communication

• Kelly prefers to use the PTO newsletter to ask for donations, vs. ParentSquare (school) for events.

• Get list of families to receive gift cards (Kristen)
• Rebecca will send out email for gift card donations (Kelly)
• Attend Farm School meeting (Kelly)

Farm School

• Room Parents and 5th grade

• How can we help enhance the room parent role for 5th grade parents.

• Should they focus on Farm School?
• Do they need support about transitioning to middle school?

• There’s an event coming up about the transition to middle school, could be a good event to coordinate with.
• Similarly for an upcoming meeting about Farm School.  Kelly will be there.

• Farm School fundraising ideas: Ginger Time!

• Could kids make crafts together at some community location, then sell them.
• Selling custom candles/other objects.  Keepsakes.
• There are many ideas from the past.  Some worked better than others…

• A lot of the ideas from the past heavily involved teachers.  Kelly is curious if they are still interested in taking on this role.
• Fundraising concerns from families about costs for everyone vs. costs for families with specific need.

• The fundraising’s goal is to make it equitable, as opposed to bringing down the cost for everyone.
• Caroline shared that on average we support ⅓ of families.

• Kelly sees the fundraiser as a chance for the 5th graders to come together as a community.
• Some discussion about calendar sales, which did well in previous years.

• We got the printing donated previously.
• Could sell them at all school shares.

• Farm school cookbook?
• Ginger has more interest in fundraising activities that involve the kids.

• A service project that connects with the farm in previous years.  4th graders, etc.

• Should we have a farm school parent that coordinates it all?

Wrap up

• Dolores has helped submit 3 grants already.
• Rebecca asked about how to move the author grant forward.

• Genteen shared that Rosalie should participate and see what connections she can make to the library curriculum.

• Keep working with Rosalie about school visits (Rebecca/Dolores)