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Co-President: Melissa Bourque, president@jamaine.org Vice President: Linda Braley, lsbraley@yahoo.com Treasurer: Jen Southard, jsouthard@mainecf.org Co-Secretary: Martha Sheils, msheils@maine.rr.com Co-Secretary: Linda Pinkham, lpinkham1@maine.rr.com |
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Nathan Clifford Twelve parents were in attendance. Financial Our PTO currently uses Portland Partnership to manage our checking account. Portland Partnership has no paid staff to do this and a Portland Partnership volunteer has been doing this for us. We have been notified that the Partnership will probably not be able to provide this service in the future and an alternative should be found for the 2009-2010 school year. Four options were presented for discussion. Options Considered: After discussing the pros and cons of each option the PTO voted to accept the following recommendations: 1. Apply by June 30th for a federal employee identification number (EIN) as "Friends of Nathan Clifford School" (this is free) and set up a bank account at an area bank/credit union and move all remaining funds at the Portland Educational Partnership to this new bank account. Continue to give the PTO Treasurer and President signature responsibilities for this bank account and require monthly updates to the PTO on revenues/expenses. Share with potential donors (mostly parents and teachers/staff) that we are not a 501c3 organization. For people/businesses making individual gifts of $250 or more who would like the gift to be tax deductible, ask the Portland Educational Partnership if they'd be willing to accept and process these gifts so that the person/business can make a tax deduction. In my experience, we rarely receive gifts of $250 or more, except for the auction. In those cases, purchases made at the auction are not tax deductible unless the amount paid exceeds the value of the good purchased (i.e. if the item is valued at $100 and someone pays $125, only $25 is considered a charitable gift). I am not sure how many businesses might not make donations to the auction based on this change in status, but last year only 2 businesses to my knowledge requested a Nathan Clifford 501c3 identification number before donating an item. Mary Gross, a Nathan Clifford parent, is one of the remaining Portland Educational Partnership board members and indicated that she'd be open to this option. I also contacted the IRS Employee Identification Number helpline and explained what we were trying to do and the person said that we could apply for an EIN under the category of "nonprofit" (which is where clubs fit too) and she was not aware of any other filing requirements we would have. I'm not an expert in the area of filing requirements, so others may want to explore this further. 2. Consider next fall whether the PTO would like to make the transition to a PTA after the new officers have been elected and there's been a chance for more discussion about the pros/cons of this approach. On the plus side, our organization would have nonprofit status and inexpensive insurance (which we do not have now). There are no requirements regarding the minimum number of members (existing PTAs in Maine range from 10-100 members) and in the initial application, only the officers (they require at least 3 officers Pres, Treasurer, Secretary) need to pay. A down side is that only paid members can technically vote, which is not how we currently operate. We could create a budget line to pay membership dues on behalf of all or some members as needed. We also would need to create bylaws, which we don't have and may take some time to put together. The only PTA in Portland is Lyseth Elementary, and I've requested a copy of their bylaws. The contact for all Maine PTAs is Tammie Breen in Bangor (852-6683, tbreen@zoneradio.com and there is a website [www.mainepta.org] that details the reporting requirements and application process. When I spoke with Tammie in mid April, she was not concerned that we might only be a PTA for 2 years and said that after receiving a copy of our bylaws and list of officers (and associated dues) she could process our application in a few weeks. We would also need to have a federal employee identification number, so the first recommendation would be a step in this process as well. 3. Consider over the next two years whether a different structure makes sense for the new Ocean Avenue School, including using the school activity account. Officers Discussion centered on changing the make-up of the PTO for
the 2009-2010 school year. Participants liked the idea of an
Executive Committee which would include parents and teachers.
A group of two or three parents from each grade as well as some
teachers working together within the grades to boost participation
and to act as an Executive Committee of the PTO. This Executive
Committee would decide how they could function and perform the
work that has traditionally been done by the PTO officers. Teachers could help a Nominating Committee identify interested parents to participate. This Nominating Committee will try to have parents identified and recruited by the June 4th PTO meeting. Upcoming Events: The Spring Fair is scheduled for May 16. This takes many volunteers to pull off. With everyone pitching in, the event runs smoothly and everyone gets to help out for an hour as well as enjoy the event with their family. A Greening Day to spruce up the playground is scheduled for May 9, 9 a.m. to noon. The Nathan Clifford Fun Run is scheduled for May 19th with a rain date of the 22nd. Clink bags are available in the office for bottle returns. The money raised helps pay for the t-shirts each student receives. Mrs. Cohen is planning to run the clink bag bottle drive year round. The popular egg drop is scheduled for June 5th. The 2009-2010 Back to School Barbeque will be coordinated by Kathleen Kurr. Let Kathleen know if you would like to assist her. The 2009-2010 Fall Gift Wrap fundraiser will be done by Melissa Bourque. Ocean Avenue School Update The ground breaking/demo of existing building will begin in June 2009 and the school is scheduled to open in September 2011. Sixteen contractors have qualified to submit bids in May. With the existing economy and the number of contractors qualifying the cost could come in lower then expected. The public phase of the project is completed, for the most part. The principal and teachers will be thinking about how to get the students involved as a learning process. One idea is to document the building of the school and the moving in for Channel 3. The process for choosing the curriculum as well as staffing will be done after the new principal is hired. The next PTO meeting is scheduled for June 4th at 6:30 p.m. Sixteen parents and three school staff were in attendance. Financial Jen Southard reviewed the financial statement and enrichment activities. We have two fundraisers left this year the dance and the spring fair. Projected income is on track for the year. On the expense side we have a request to provide an additional $100.00 in scholarship funds for Improv. This request was approved. Enrichment activities were reviewed. It was mentioned that the list of enrichment activities funded by the PTO is very impressive and represent opportunities that our children would not have otherwise. Back to School BBQ, Ruth's Recycling and MSBA Books are expense items that are needed at the beginning of the school year. The PTO needs to carry enough money over to cover these items. Our PTO currently uses Portland Partnership to manage our checking account. We have been notified this service will no longer be available and an alternative will need to be found for the 2009-2010 school year. Four options have been identified and will be discussed further at May's PTO meeting. Upcoming Events: The Spring Fair is scheduled for May 16. This takes many volunteers to pull off. With everyone pitching in, the event runs smoothly and everyone gets to help out for an hour as well as enjoy the event with their family. The science night was a huge success and we are considering holding the event twice next year. There was a lot of student participation, parent volunteers and the cost was very low. The last day of school is June 17. We need to schedule a couple of greening days to spruce up the playground and field. Some of the amphitheater blocks have been removed and some of the garden posts are loose or broken. One day is needed to clean up, replace items and mulch. On that day we can also aerate, reseed and cover the field. This will allow the grass to grow in over the summer. Before school begins in the fall we will schedule another day to do a general clean up before the back to school barbeque. Meet Dr. James Morse Nathan Clifford parents are invited to meet the new Portland
Schools Superintendent, Dr. James Morse, May 12, 6:00 p.m. at
King Middle School. King and Reiche parents will also be in
attendance. If you can not make this meeting, you could attend
April 28 at Lyman Moore, May 8 at Presumpscot, or May 21 at Deering. Fostering Communication and Strengthening the Partnership between Teachers and Parents at Nathan Clifford How can we get more parents involved in the PTO recognizing
that transportation, language and babysitting are all barriers
to attendance? Some suggestions were to: Suggestions for fostering parent/teacher communications follow: The above ideas will be discussed and prioritized at the next
PTO meeting. Bullying Marysue Morrison provided a handout addressing concerns expressed by parents about the playground. Staff has just begun to meet and review the issue as they do periodically. Included in the handout were ideas for structuring play, safety policies and equipment use. Be a Buddy - Not a Bully program and implementation ideas are also included in the handout. The information will be added to the school web site and will also be available at the academic fair on April 16th. The next PTO meeting is scheduled for May 7th at 6:30 p.m. MINUTES Seventeen parents and four teachers were in attendance. Mission Statement Update and Discussion Linda Braley and Jen Southard shared that they had met with teachers in early February to discuss a draft letter requesting help to update Nathan Clifford's mission statement. Based on feedback from teachers the letter was never sent, but instead time was devoted to this PTO meeting to share and discuss the mission statement. Jane Cahill and Cheryl Shuttleworth talked about how the current statement was developed as part of a city-wide process involving students, teachers, parents and the Central Office. Portland schools had an overall mission statement and each school was asked to develop their own mission statement to support the broader mission of the entire school district. They commented that the success and strength comes from that group effort. In an open letter from Marysue Morrison to the PTO, she shared that once the school population is identified for the Ocean Avenue School the process will begin again. Everyone in the building is part of the educational process not just the teachers. We are a total school community constantly growing. Some Nathan Clifford parents thought that by parents and teachers working together on a mission statement that process could be a possible vehicle to find common ground. Ms. Shuttleworth commented that there is some confusion on the part of the staff about what specifically is being requested and how or what is needed from them. The following feedback was provided by attendees: An overview for new parents, similar to the kindergarten open
house, that included the mission statement would be helpful Three members of the Ocean Avenue School Committee were in attendance Carlos Gomez, Melissa Bourque and Linda Braley. Each member serves on a sub committee for the new school. They provided an update. Carlos is on the technology sub committee. This committee is deciding what technology will be available in the school. Linda is on the entryway and interior as well as the art sub committees. This committee is charged with picking the artist and art for the school as well as where is will be placed. Melissa was on the naming sub committee. The new school is the Ocean Avenue Elementary School. Many attendees expressed the feeling that the process has not been open to the parents and staff that will be utilizing the new school. Is it possible to discuss items not already decided on and get regular updates at the PTO meetings? Parents requested that the PTO take on the task of advocating for transition to the new school. For up-to-date information on the Ocean Avenue Elementary School go to www.portlandschools.org and click on Ocean Avenue School. Bullying Tracy McGhie and Carolyn Cohen shared in writing and through discussion some specific steps that the teachers are taking to address some concerns about bullying, particularly on the playground. The information and suggestions were well received. In order to foster and maintain a positive environment on the playground the staff has decided to have graded structured activities. A third four square will allow each grade to have access to one. For basketball and the field there will be a rotating schedule which will allow for each grade to have equal access throughout the week. USM nursing students will be helping with some supervision of the games. The group of students (guided by Tracy McGhie) that worked on Random Acts of Kindness will continue their work with "Be a Buddy Not a Bully". Some suggestions for this include a poster contest, buttons, role playing, etc. It would be helpful if the PTO could sponsor maybe the poster contest. The PTO also agreed to provide funds to purchase a button machine. Recently staff announced to students that the class that lined up the fastest and quietest after recess would receive a token. That was all it took. The classes have been very proud to present the token to their teachers for doing the best. The classes that receive the tokens are announced each day before the busses are called. The staff would like to have a large visual in the front hall tracking the classes and their progress. There would be some incentives for this as well. Maybe a class could win playground equipment. PTO support for this would be appreciated. The playground rules have been streamlined to make them easier
for students to remember. Many of the rules from the student
handbook have been moved into the area of policies. These
involve use of the playground equipment, types of balls, games,
and appropriate clothing. These will be reviewed with all
the classes as well as the rules for games like four square,
kick ball and basketball. The following are the current
rules for the playground and it would be helpful it they were
posted on the playground for all to view: The school also utilizes the Second Step program. Every class incorporates the program into their day. Parents requested that they be provided with information about the program that they can reiterate with the students at home. New Business Jennifer van Voorst van Beest explained that she is a child and family therapist. She was surprised to discover that there are no groups offered to students at the school. Many of the other schools in the district provide this service to students. Children experiencing difficulties can get together with other students experiencing the same difficulties. Some examples are making friends, building self esteem or divorcing parents. The reason appears to be that there are no funds available for groups. We all want happy well socialized students. The challenge is can we make this happen. Many schools use interns supervised by the school social worker to provide this service. This is an accepted practice in the Portland Schools. This will be discussed further with the school social worker. Next Meeting The next PTO meeting is scheduled for April 2, 2009 at 6:30
p.m. MINUTES Seventeen parents and four teachers were in attendance. Financial Review The budget is on track as fundraisers have come in as projected. The $7,000 line item for Arts and Enrichment will be used with the current planned activities. The PTO approved $75.00 to purchase cookbooks to hand out at the Nathan Clifford Health Fair April 15 . Sylvie Montello, NC Partnership Developer, secured a $300 grant to cover the additional cost of the cookbooks. The PTO sponsors a healthy snack table at this event. If you are available on the 15 th for and hour or two between 8a.m. to 3:00p.m, and could help staff the table, contact Laurie Williamson ( lwilliamson@hannaford.com ). Also approved was $100.00 to purchase warm cider and snacks for the upcoming Nathan Clifford WinterFest. The students will be having gym and art outside. In addition, $250.00 was allocated from the PTO budget for the following event. Family Science Night, March 20, 6-7:30 p.m. , is being coordinated by Carol Hager (Grades 1-5 Science Resource Coordinator/Middle School Chapter 104 Sceince Consultant). UNE graduate students (in the science methodology course) bring half of the planned activities and Nathan Clifford volunteers provide the other half. If you are interested in helping plan the activities or volunteering to staff an activity, contact hagerc@portlandschools.org . No science experience will be necessary to volunteer. The activities will be appropriate for all elementary age children. Upcoming Events Family Science Night, March 20, 6-7:30p.m. (see above) Nathan Clifford Student Health Fair, April 15, 9a.m.-2p.m.
(see above) Martha Shiels, Night Sky, is going to talk with the 4 th graders about the night sky and basic astronomy. The students will learn how and where to find the Orion constellation. The students can then access a web site and input information with people all around the world. K 2 Talent Show, Friday, March 13. The 3 5 grade show was a great success. The school is participating in Random Acts of Kindness week February 9-13 th . Classrooms as well as schoolwide events are planned. Upcoming Fundraising Events WinterRush, February 8, 4-8p.m. Nathan Clifford will team up with Lyseth and staff a concession stand in Lincoln Park. This is the first time the city has held this event. This opportunity could generate some unanticipated revenue. Family Dance, April 3, 6-8p.m., at King Middle School. Spring Fair, May 16. Vision Statement Project Update Jen Southard and Linda Braley met with teachers yesterday to discuss the project. It was decided that revising the statement was not the right vehicle for what we are trying to do. We need to think about the next step which could possibly involve the educational modelfor the new school. This could be a good vehicle to help people transion. Jill Wheaton, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor Jill provided a presentation on college savings plans. In addition she had the following advice: set goals (determine how much you will need), determine the appropriate investment vehicle, start saving, evaluate your progress annually. Other Several parents requested that we dedicate a PTO meeting to talk about bullying and how the PTO can provide support to the school, parents and students. MINUTES Twenty-two parents and nine Nathan Clifford staff were in attendance. Also in attendance was Michael Johanning (WBRC architect), Jill Blackwood (Assistant Superintendent), Doug Sherwood (Facilities Director, Portland Schools) Financial Review Nathan Clifford PTO has been invited to participate in the City of Portland's Winter Fest. We have been partnered with Lyseth to staff and provide food for a concession stand. We will have a four hour time slot on one of the following dates: February 6,7,13 or 14th. As soon as our date and time have been confirmed, volunteers will be needed to coordinate and staff the stand. This opportunity has the potential for additional income. Enrichment Review Introduction of Nathan Clifford's Partnership Developer Sylvie Montello talked about her role bringing staff, parents, students and the community together to enhance the current learning. This is done in three ways: 1) Promote, recruit, screen and place volunteers. Sylvie highlighted successful examples of the above three areas that have been accomplished this school year. Nathan Clifford Mission Statement With the new school in the process some parents have expressed an interest in revising the existing statement to reflect current thinking. Our community has a bright future in the new school and we are looking at ways to get from here to there positively. The process would look for participation and feedback from all interested parties i.e. school staff, students, parents and other stakeholders not yet identified. The current mission statement, vision statement and belief statement will be sent via backpack mail. Included will be an opportunity for people to provide feedback. Discussion followed with positive information and comments
being provided by both parents and school staff. Plans for Ocean Avenue School The following is the time line for the new school: January 2009 to February 2009 - General Contractor Pre-Qualifications
Michael Johanning, WBRC architect, reviewed the above time line and the site plan. Highlighted from the site plan were traffic flow, parking, play areas, existing wooded trail system and bio retention beds. The floor plan was also reviewed. The project is aiming for a LEED certification. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Some of the ways the school will achieve the certification is with open spaces, bio retention beds and a green roof on portions of the building (both to aid with storm water removal), and using local and regional as well as recycled materials. Forty-five thousand dollars has been alloted for regional artists to design, create and install art work. Materials recycled from Baxter School will be made available for this project. A solar hot water heater (donated by Fred Pedula, USM Muskie Institute),occupancy sensors, sky lights and light shelves will be installed. The Design for the Ocean Avenue school is inspired by the ocean, agriculture, forest and mountains. Flooring and finishes were outlined. Jill Blackwell explained that, with the LEED certification, the school gets points for each green idea used in construction. These points add up and can be used to obtain curriculm which would teach students about the green features of the building and how they work. Jill also said over the next two years there are opportunities for people to get involved. Teaching models as well as social models for the new school are yet to be developed. In addition, TV3 has expressed an interest in documenting the development of the school from beginning to end. A question and answer session followed. For more information on the Ocean Avenue School visit www.portlandschools.org and click on Ocean Avenue School. The next PTO meeting will be held on February 5, 2009, at
6:30 p.m. MINUTES There were approximately 20 parents in attendance. Sylvie Montello could not attend the meeting. She will be at our January meeting. Sylvie is the school's Partnership Developer. She works every Friday and has an office on the third floor of Nathan Clifford. Enrichment Activities K/1st grades attended the Nutcracker. Other activities may include the Childrens' Theater coming in the spring, attending a DHS drama program and a visiting Maine artist/illustrator. 2nd grade has the Chewonki Foundation's bat program. They are also looking into David LaGraffe/Play Back Theater doing something with the students as well as Hannaford and DHS Drama program. 3rd grade will be participating in the theater program with Gretchen Berg. 4th grade is interested in a visit from Gordon Corbit (space/NASA) again this year as well as potential programs with the Telling Room and a Native American speaker. 5th grade attended The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe presented by the DHS drama class. They also need financial help with the Boston trip as well as a trip to the Well's Estuary. The enrichment volunteers will firm up the budget and get teacher feedback/confirmation. Fall gift wrap fundraiser Linda Pinkham reported that some of the order forms had been misplaced and the orders were not processed. The orders have been found and processed. It's My Art Work fundraiser Amy Homans reported that $1,000 was raised ($150.00 over budget). Auction - $9,000 worth of goods and services have been donated for the auction being held on December 8, at Chef et al on Forest Avenue. There will be free appetizers, entertainment by Kristin McKillman (Nathan Clifford Parent) and 10% of sales that night will be donated to the PTO. Other Business The subject of bullying was raised as well as questions about what the school has in place to address this issue. A couple of years ago the PTO had a Healthy School Climate Committee. This committee looked into what was being done by the school and ways to enhance the activities. At that time, the school had the Responsive Classroom program and it was up to the teachers if they wish to incorporate it into their curriculum. There were also a couple of assemblies a year dealing with this issue. The PTO hired USM to provide and compile results of a bullying survey. The 3rd, 4th and 5th graders took the survey. The survey indicated that there was bullying going on and that some of the students felt unsafe at the bus stop, on the bus, on the playground and in the restrooms. Current playground issues were discussed at length. Kitty Purington volunteered to contact Catherine Haas (NC Social Worker) to find out what rubric is currently used by teachers as well as what the school is doing to educate students to the issue of bullying. Most in attendance expressed that this issue needs to be incorporated into the culture of the school in order for programs to be effective. Math Team had a meet today. There are eight 4th and 5th graders participating and they worked very well together. Although the team did not win it was an exciting and positive experience for all. Talent Show the 3rd5th grade show will take place on January 23. The K2 grade show will take place on March 2o. If you are interested in helping with the event, contact Bridget Bowden. The next PTO meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 8, 2009, at 6:00p.m. MINUTES Present were 17 parents, 10 teachers and Principal Marysue Morrison First we reviewed the agenda, and last months PTO minutes were adopted. Budget: Treasurer Jen Southard reported that the artwork fund
raiser Arts and Enrichment budget: We talked about increasing the Enrichment budget, but decided to hold off on any definitive recommendations until after we know how much the silent auction will bring in. Until then, teachers can think about which enrichment activities they would like to have. Enrichment: We hope to have the joint ideas of both teachers
and There will be a "Big Arts Festival" downtown
a program that will We received a school wide arts grant from the Maine Community Fund raising: The 5th grade class trip is always a funding
issue, Donorschoose.org is a website that allows parents to give
targeted Math Team: Miss Hillman reported that out of 29 schools that Parent Portal: Power School features a parent portal that
every parent Silent Auction: Our 5th annual Community Night and auction will take place on December 8, 2008 at Chef et al restaurant in Portland (one block down from the BreaLu café) from 6- 7:30. As a special treat, Nathan Clifford parent Kristin McKillman will perform songs during the first hour. There will be Hors d'oeuvres, lots of wonderful items for the holidays and beyond. A new item just added to the list includes every teacher at Nathan Clifford. Every teacher has agreed to be a raffle item for being a kid's companion for lunch! Thank you teachers that is truly a big deal and a treasured dream for many kids. Talent Shows: We need parental volunteers to both take charge and to help out. We need someone to help organize, coordinate, and execute the talent show. The date of the talent show will be solidified after consulting with Mr. Drobinsky regarding the Spring music show dates. Summer Champs: We recently learned that 3^rd graders will
no longer be eligible for funds from Summer Champs. You may contact
Kimberly Curry at United Way with any further inquiries at kcurry@unitedway.gp.org
or at 874-1000. MINUTES Present were: 18 parents and no teachers. Marysue Morrison was not ableto attend due to a family health issue. Introductions were made and minutes of the September meeting
were Budget: The aim tonight was to approve the broad framework,
so * The magazine fund raiser usually brings in about $4,500 to $5,000. This year we raised about half of what was raised last year. The final number is $4,566.00 of which we will receive approximately half, and we had direct donations of $35.00. So Nathan Clifford PTO made approximately $2,300. * It's My Artwork: Packets were recently sent home and are
due back with payment on October 28. Your child's original artwork
or * Silent auction: We are currently soliciting gifts to auction
and
* Spring Fair: This event is a mix of games, plant and book
sales which brought in $2,300 last year. * Printer cartridge recycling: a good cause that made us $300 last year. Because there are few discretionary funds in the school system, we try to put funds into enrichment evenly for each grade, about $1,000. The difference this year is that our Principal, Marysue Morrison has asked the PTO to donate an additional $1,500 for field trips. Much of this increase is to cover the cost of gas. Thus this year the specific amount will not be an automatic allocation for each teacher, but as need arises. Potential programs: Teacher's wish list: A parent pointed out that other Portland
school 1) teachers to submit a wish list of 5 items that could be
useful in 2) teachers can post a wish list on a bulletin board at Christmas time, and parents can voluntarily fulfill these requests. Video Club: Mary Gross has offered to run this club for a small fee. The result would be documentary of Nathan Clifford's past and future. Cultural events (music and dance): Tango dancing and presentations
that can be integrated into the Spanish instruction. This can
be grade Discussion: *Math:* "Maine Master Teachers of Math" has a new website designed to help parents help their kids with math. You can access the site at http://www.igetitmath.com. There will also be a link on the Clifford home page for this. There will be sessions for parents on this site (click the parents button) and follow the instructions to view the session. The first session was posted on October 6, and will remain there so it can be accessed at any time from a home computer, using QuickTime. No password is required - access will be public. The first Parent session focuses on learning the basic facts. It looks at the advantages of learning them conceptually, why it makes sense and how you can help your child toward greater fluency. It includes some exploration of patterns, use of manipulative materials in comprehension, activities to try and a game to play with your child. Tips on including math facts in everyday contexts are also be included *Enrichment:* The PTO is looking for a small group of parent volunteers who would work with the teachers and parents of specific grades to explore the enrichment wishes of each grade. If you are interested in helping out with this task, or to learn more information about enrichment possibilities and plans, please contact Jen Southard at jsouthard@mainecf.org. New ideas and programs are always welcome. Don't forget to send in your Shaw's and Hannaford's slips. A group wish is to invite Sylvie Montello, our new outreach
coordinator, to the next PTO meeting. Our next meeting is scheduled
for Thursday, November 6, at 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Again, bay-sitters
will be on hand, and we hope to see parents and teachers there. Introductions were made. Present were 23 teachers and 27 parents,
a Co-Presidents Melissa Bourque and Amy Homans gave an overview for new parents: The Nathan Clifford PTO provides: * fundraising used for field trips, extra teacher needs,
enrichment programs Office nominations: This year's nominee for Treasurer is Jen
Southard, who would be willing to give up the post if a new person
wanted to step in. There were no volunteers at the meeting, and
Jen was approved. Jen is open to having an assistant Treasurer
who would like to learn the duties. Anyone interested can send
Melissa Bourque or Amy Homans an email expressing their interest
at president@jamaine.org or amy@maine.rr.com Linda Braley volunteered to be Vice-President for the year,
and was Math Team: Ms Hillman, described the program. It is for grades 5 and 6 in surrounding communities with a get together at the Expo in Portland. Parents and teachers were asked to volunteer help coach a team at Nathan Clifford. It would entail practicing problem solving one day a week (maybe an alternative recess) and attending 4 meets with the kids. Six kids would be on each team. Line Pelletier volunteered to co-coach with Victor Serio. Ms. Hillman also spoke about a new way to help your kids with math. This summer a Dept of Ed Grant taught teachers how to more effectively teach math in the classroom. Part of the program provides four "parent hours" that focuses on how parents can help their kids with math. Times and locations will be posted on clifford.portlandschools.org Budget: Our starting balance this year is $8, 196.74. Income last year came from the following activities: Gift wrap sales, silent auction, It's My Artwork, school dance, Spring Fair, Flatbread night, and cartridge recycling. Expenses were: Spring Fair, Back to school BBQ, dance, bingo night, teacher appreciation, health fair, teacher support and miscellaneous PTO expenses. Some enrichment activities that the PTO sponsored last year
includes a visit by the Chewonki Foundation, attendance to the
Nutkracker, This year's enrichment activities are yet to be determined,
but will We are also looking for volunteers to lead alternative recess
clubs. Just a reminder that parents are always welcome to volunteer
in the We have a new "cookie brigade" which consists of
parents who volunteer to bake for school events. If you join
the brigade you will be asked to bake no more than 4 times this
year, and probably less than that. If you would like to join
the cookie brigade please contact Martha Sheils at msheils@maine.rr.com
This is an easy and Parent Jackie Chait spoke about upcoming "Real Life/Real Talk" lecture series events. The first of four (4) lectures will be on October 23. These lectures are a great way for parents or caregivers to learn about child behavior and how to talk to kids about sex. Look for notices of these events on the List serve. Questions/comments/suggestions: Ms. Hillman said there will be a great conference at Bates College on November 8 entitled "Girls Get It Math and Science Fair". Check out Clifford.portlandschools.org for more information. At the next PTO Ms. Hillman will talk about the student information program for Portland schools called "Power School", which is has as on-line parent tool that provides a unique identification and password for each child in the Portland public school system which parents can tap into for testing history, past report cards and even current grades for High School kids. Line Pelletier mentioned that she would like to have Inez Dudley back for a parent lecture on how to keep kids safe on the internet. We are looking for volunteers to help with the December silent auction. We are also seeking donations for the auction. It entails a few weeks of commitment but is very satisfying and fun. If you would like to donate any items or services please contact Renee Serio at serior@portlandschools.org Just a thought: if you are a great knitter you may consider offering a knitting lesson as an auction item. Or if you are a skilled cook, some cooking classes or a home cooked dinner for two. If you are a massage therapist or a lawyer, offer a special one time service. If you are an artist, how about a free lesson for an aspiring painter? We welcome your ideas and help with this event. Thanks!!!! MINUTES Treasurer Report There is more than enough money to cover expenses to year end. The PTO will carry between five and six thousand dollars over to next year. PTO Project Planning and Updates A Dig Day is scheduled for May 3 (May 10 rain date). Mulch will be requested from the city, coffee will be provided. Five hundred dollars has been budgeted for this. It was suggested that maybe the students could pick up the trash at recess before May 3 and then Dig Day could concentrate on the planting beds. Ms. Drolet said the second grade plans to plant the butterfly garden again. Participants should bring water and garden tools. Some volunteers from the Master Gardner Program may be on hand to help. Coordinators Barry Hosmer, Kate Snyder, Martha Sheils, Linda Shary Teacher Appreciation Day is scheduled for May 5. The annual staff luncheon will be hosted by the PTO again this year. There are a number of volunteer opportunities for this event (providing a dish for lunch, set up/serve/pick up lunch, staffing the cafeteria and playground and many more). Coordinators Melissa Bourque, Paula Ashton The annual Fun Run is also scheduled for May 5. There are also a number of volunteer opportunities available for this event. Coordinator Mrs. Cohen The Spring Fair is scheduled for May 17. There will be no yard sale this year. However, donations of plants, gently used children's toys and games as well as books for all ages will be accepted and sold. Some ideas for events are Spanish bingo, scavenger hunt, cake walk, -raffle baskets, pony rides, moon bounce and craft table. Coordinator Jane Wellehan A Parent Education Night is scheduled for June 3rd from 6:30 8p.m. at Nathan Clifford. Pam Leo will present Sex Ed for Parents: Communication that Builds Relationships. The Real Life Real Talk Program offers a number of free workshops on how to talk with your children about sex. Coordinator - Jacqui Chat Field Day will take place in June (date to be determined). The 3rd, 4th and 5th grades take part in a number of events at Douglass Field. This is an all day event with a picnic lunch. Parent volunteers are needed. Coordinator Mrs. Cohen Egg Drop Science Challenge is scheduled for June 18th. This is the last day of school and open to all. You will be receiving e-mail and back pack mail with details. This event has a lot of student participation and is really fun to watch. Coordinator Amy Homans PowerSchool Parent Portal Peg Hillman provided information and a demonstration on the Parent Portal of PowerSchool. This is a web-based student information system that will allow parents on-line access to attendance and other student information. The elementary schools are not yet using all the functions on the Parent Portal. As teachers are trained in functions, the functions will become accessible to parents. The functions currently available to parents are Grades and Attendance, Attendance History, E-mail Notification, Standards, and Test Scores. You will be receiving additional information along with a username and password. Officer Elections The following officers were elected for the 2008 2009 school year: Amy Homans Co President The PTO is in need of volunteers to serve as Vice President, Treasurer and Co Secretary. If you have an interest or would like to find out more about the positions please contact any of the above officers. Jeannie Whynot-Vickers Ms. Whynot-Vickers was in attendance to answer any questions people have regarding the School Department and budget. She reminded all that the school budget will go to the voters for approval on May 13. Kate Snyder, School Committee member, also spoke about the budget and gave her support. Justin Alfond Mr. Alfond is running as a Democrat for Portland's District
8 Maine Senate Seat. He provided campaign material and talked
briefly about his background and motivation for seeking a seat
in the Senate. Kate Snyder introduced and supports Justin Alfond
for the state senate.
NATHAN CLIFFORD PTO MINUTES Treasurer Report The dance made over $700 this year and a good time was had by all attendees. Funds to help pay for Fun Run t-shirts, should the bottle drive and sponsors fall short, were approved. It was decided that the PTO would not sponsor a book fair this spring. There was discussion around some students not being able to afford to purchase a book and how the PTO could help with that. There was an interest in providing a scholarship pool next year for this type of circumstance. PTO Project Planning and Updates The Health Fair is taking place on April 16, 9am to noon. The PTO and Oakhurst Dairy are sponsoring a smoothie table. Coordinator - Linda Pinkham The Chain Reaction Contraption Science Challenge is scheduled for April 17. Each student that participates will receive a certificate of participation, have an opportunity to demonstrate their invention to other students and have their invention displayed as part of the Academic Fair. Participation is optional. Possible dates and times were also discussed for the Egg Drop Science Challenge. Coordinator Amy Homans A Dig Day has been scheduled for May 3 (May 10 rain date). Mulch will be requested from the city, coffee will be provided. Five hundred dollars has been budgeted for this. It was suggested that maybe the students could pick up the trash at recess before May 3 and then Dig Day could concentrate on the planting beds. Ms. Drolet said the second grade plans to plant the butterfly garden again. Participants should bring water and garden tools. Some volunteers from the Master Gardner Program may be on hand to help. Coordinators Barry Hosmer, Kate Snyder, Martha Sheils, Linda Shary Teacher Appreciation Day is scheduled for May 5. The annual staff luncheon will be hosted by the PTO again this year. There are a number of volunteer opportunities for this event (providing a dish for lunch, set up/serve/pick up lunch, staffing the cafeteria and playground and many more). Coordinators Melissa Bourque, Paula Ashton The annual Fun Run is also scheduled for May 5. There are also a number of volunteer opportunities available for this event. Coordinator Mrs. Cohen The Spring Fair is scheduled for May 17. There will be no yard sale this year. However, donations of plants, gently used children's toys and games as well as books for all ages will be accepted and sold. Some ideas for events are Spanish bingo, scavenger hunt, raffle baskets, pony rides, moon bounce and craft table. Coordinator Jane Wellehan A Parent Education Night is scheduled for June 3rd from
6:30 8p.m. at Nathan Clifford. Pam Leo will present
Sex Ed for Parents: Communication that Builds Relationships.
The Real Life Real Talk Program offers a number of free workshops
on how to talk with your children about sex. Coordinator -
Jacqui Chat Reconnecting and Moving Forward (Sharing and Brainstorming) At the end of the day, everyone may not agree with the outcome of the process to decide Nathan Clifford's fate, but we all share wanting our children to be successful. It was suggested that the Fun Run is a great day for the school community to come together as well as the Spring Fair. It has been a hard winter and people are looking forward to events that bring us all together in a positive atmosphere. These two events give an opportunity to move on and be cheerleaders for our children and our school. Decisions are being made now regarding the future of Nathan Clifford and a new school. People need to be talking about this and become involved in the decision making process. Nathan Clifford staff has been involved (some more than others) in discussions regarding a new school. It was expressed that newer parents to Nathan Clifford are excited about the community (staff, students and parents) not the building. Teachers' Contract Kathleen Cassasa, who represents the Portland teachers' union,
shared some information regarding the proposed teachers' contract
and answered questions of those present. If you would like to
know more about the contract, you can find it at www.portlandschools.org/Pages/HR/PEAstuff07/PEA07.pdf.
NATHAN CLIFFORD PTO Jen Southard introduced Jeanne Wynot-Vickers (Interim Superintendent of Portland Schools) to the meeting. The attendees were then provided an opportunity to ask questions with the focus being on the future of the school not the past. Where we are now and what are the next steps in the process. Ms. Wynot-Vickers discussed the time line for construction of a new school (see below). Currently, Portland has two elementary schools in dire straights. There is so little money in the budget that capital improvements on the facilities are not being kept up. All choices made going forward are going to impact the Nathan Clifford Neighborhood. Now is the time to think about helping each other through the up coming process. It was difficult for the East End Community to transition into a new school too. However, they have made a new community with new and existing people. The architects will design how the building will come together and what design elements are needed. The new building will not be a community building like Riverton and the East End but will have spaces for public use. Deciding what infra structure is needed for the community that will be using the building is the fun part. Teachers can be thinking about creating culture in the shell of the new building. How will people be welcomed? What new programs could be done in a new structure? The PTO can provide ideas on how new families can be welcomed. When the size of a school doubles, anything is possible. There will be another straw poll in March for community members to approve the concept design for the building. The March 15 State Board of Education meeting is the deadline to get state approval for funding. The Portland City Council would then need to send a bond issue to the voters in June. Assuming the bond issue passes, in February of 2009 the project would likely go out to bid with construction starting later the year. It is projected that a new school would be ready for students as of September 2010. When asked if the straw poll was just a formality, Wynot-Vickers said the results do matter and the fact that the last straw poll was a 50-40 vote was discussed by members of the State Board of Education. The straw poll is just one piece of the puzzle. The straw poll also helps make sure communities know what is happening. What if voters decided not to fund the school? The money would
be gone and we would not be on the next cycle to receive funding.
A lot is happening at a statewide level with the school district
consolidation act. Schools that can show they are saving money
will get priority on the list. It was suggested that it could
be 10 years before Nathan Clifford would be placed back on the
list. When asked if we could switch places with another school that is behind us on the list, Wynot-Vickers said that two schools have already moved ahead of us on the list. That is not really a realistic option. The next question was about consolidation and if the middle schools would be affected? Wynot-Vickers believes that it is unlikely the middle schools would be affected. Nothing has been done regarding redistricting at this time. Next month they will be looking at how to keep the neighborhood intact and how they can keep the 40/60 range of demographics for a healthy school. There are city-wide programs that could be placed in the new school to help with increasing enrollment. In response to the questions of the children at the new school attending King Middle School, the answer was yes. When asked, Wynot-Vickers reiterated that the discussions around redistricting will begin in February 2008. Who in the community is involved in the redistricting process? Also, how and will the discussions be communicated to interested parties along the way? The Portland School Board will be making the redistricting decisions. The school transportation department has run numbers based on where the children are in the city. A committee of school department and community members will be created to make recommendations about restricting for the new school. What is the best way to recruit for smaller planning boards to help shape the new school? It was mentioned that many parents are troubled with the process to date. This may make it difficult to engage them again. Not one of the families in the room tonight can walk to the Baxter site. Whynot-Vickers reinforced that the wonderful thing about having a new school is the whole community can become involved in the process and make it what they want. One parent stressed that if people have a problem trusting
the process, how can they trust for sure that their children
will be attending the new school. The balance of a successful
school is 40/60 free and reduced lunch population as it is city-wide.
Numbers are only numbers. The Nathan Clifford community needs
to provide the heart of the school. Wynot-Vickers said she realizes
there have been a lot of mixed messages. She knows what it is
like to receive mixed messages. Marysue stressed that we need
to move on, get more people involved and have trust now. Wynot-Vickers
also stressed that these are hurdles we can cross. The city has
been through this before. School staff and parents are capable
of extraordinary things. We can do this. We can move forward
and achieve great things. When asked what would happen to the building, Wynot-Vickers said the building could not be used by the school department, it would be returned to the city. It was asked if there is a chance voters will vote not to spend the money in June. Wynot-Vickers felt there is a chance and that is why we need to get more people excited about a new school. It was noted that the presidential primaries will be on the June ballot along with the Nathan Clifford bond question. Therefore a large turnout can be expected. This also means that a lot of education needs to be done so voters are making an informed decision. Jen Southard thanked Jeanne Wynot-Vickers for coming and suggested that we spend some time at the February PTO meeting discussing how we can participate in the upcoming process. BUDGET Income is healthy due to strong spring fund raisers and donations. We currently have over $20,000 in the bank. Upcoming expenditures were reviewed. The $75/per teacher allotment has been utilized by some. We hope all the teachers will participate. There was discussion around the Healthy School Committee working with Clara Porter again to structure a workshop for the K-2 grades. Most teachers present felt if it were to happen it should be offered as an alternative recess rather than in the classroom. There was also discussion of having signs with positive messages posted around the school to reinforce healthy interactions. Another idea was to have a former Maine poet laureate work with the children on poetry. Martha will share the person's name with the Arts & Enrichment Committee. A big thank you goes to Peter Eglinton for donating the balance of his school committee campaign funds to the Nathan Clifford PTO. Peter wants the funds to be used where there is the greatest need. The PTO was encouraged to dream big when deciding how to spend funds. One idea was the need for new text books. UPCOMING ACTIVITIES Junior Achievement - volunteers are needed to bring Jr. Achievement to the classrooms. The time commitment would be a one hour session per week for five weeks as well as one hour of on line training that will prepare you for teaching in the classroom. There is also a workbook detailing each session and all needed materials are provided. You can also team up with another parent to co-teach or trade off weeks. A volunteer sign up sheet was passed around. If you are interested in volunteering in your child's class or another class contact Melissa Bourque (president@jamaine.org). Talent Show is scheduled for Friday, February 8th. There will be a matinee show 1:30 2:30 p.m. for the children and the big show 6:30 8:00 p.m. for everyone else. If you have a talent, please see Mrs. Hurd for sign up. Everyone can help by getting the children excited about the show. Teachers and parents are also welcome to participate. If you have questions, or would like to volunteer to help, contact Helen Gorgas Goulding (gorgas@usm.maine.edu). Bingo Night - is scheduled for January 25. This year it will have a Spanish flair. Melissa McStay and Carlos Gomaz are coordinating this event. Dance the annual dance is scheduled for March 7. Carter Friend and Amy Homans will be working on this event and other parents will be invited to help out. MEA Snacks each March the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades take the MEA test. The PTO provides a case of water to each class as well as healthy snacks. If you would like to provide a healthy snack for you child's class please contact Linda Pinkham (774-0859 or lpinkham1@maine.rr.com). Improv Classes there has been interest in providing a second session for the 3 5 grades. If your child wants to attend another session or participate for the first time, contact Jen Southard (jsouthard@mainecf.org) so she can determine if there is enough interest. Other Spring Fair: Start thinking about the Spring Fair May will be here before we know it!! Parents' Night Out: There was discussion regarding a parents' night out. Two comedy options were discussed: The Comedy Connection, Bob Marley or The Gold Room, comedy night. The Gold Room does their comedy night as a fund raiser the Comedy Connection would be for enjoyment only. After some discussion it was decided to make the night for fun not fund raising. Dana Dumond will firm up the plans. USM: USM's Foreign Language Department has chosen 5 interns to work with Nathan Clifford's grades K 2 for the remainder of this year and next year as well. It is undecided at this time if a new school would be a Language Immersion School. Next Meeting: The next PTO meeting is scheduled for
February 7th at 6:30 p.m.
NATHAN CLIFFORD PTO December 6, 2007 MINUTES Introductions were made. The Nathan Clifford Auction was very successful, bringing
in $5,200 so far, not counting the 10% we will receive for any
dinners that were *Improvisation:* David LeGraff of the Playback theater will
teach 2 *Highland Soles:* A Celtic Dance Group will perform at a school NATHAN CLIFFORD PTO November 1, 2007 MINUTES Jen Southard, President of PTO welcomed the attendees. Present were 6 teachers and 23 parents. *Committee review: * Amy Homans reviewed the Art fund-raiser. The goal was to raise about $800, and it looks like we came close to meeting it. Helen Gorgas Goulding reviewed the upcoming Nathan Clifford talent show, which is seriously being considered this year. She passed around a sign up sheet for parents willing to help out. If you were unable to come to this meeting, please let Helen know if you would like to help at: Gorgas@usm.maine.edu<mailto:Gorgas@usm.maine.edu>. Some dates mentioned were February 1, or February 9 (Friday). There was some consensus built around a premier during the day for the school kids as well as a night-time show. Auction: The auction was moved to December 3 and will be held
at a Local 188, a restaurant on Congress Street in Portland Items
are coming in but donations are still welcome. Please contact
Renee Serio at: Arts and enrichment: Jen Southard stated that $1,000 from
the PTO budget will be dedicated for enrichment for each grade,
with a focus on arts (music, drama) for the younger grades, and
hands-on types of enrichment programs for the older grades. Some
initial brainstorming of ideas has been done, but additional
ideas are welcome and can be directed to one or all of the parents
listed below, who have agreed to coordinate ideas by grade: There is also an additional $1,200 available as discretionary funds. Ed Suslovic mentioned that the discretionary funds are there for other programs (like physical education, art, etc.) and teachers should feel comfortable approaching the PTO for funds. Jacqui Chait talked about a new program that was started by two Nathan Clifford parents, the "Telling Room" which is a free after school writing program. You can read about it at: www.tellingroom.org <http://www.tellingroom.org/> *Healthy Schools Presentation and Discussion* Leanne Walker talked about the survey that was administered to the 3rd, 4^th and 5^th graders at Nathan Clifford. You can get a copy of the survey results by calling Leanne at 780-0028 or by writing to Linda Pinkham at pinkham1@maine.rr.com. The survey was analyzed by Prof. Pamela Anderson of USM. Leanne became interested in what goes on in younger grades to alleviate bullying in the older grades and in high school. Leanne discussed the survey results. Overall Prof. Anderson was positive about the school. The survey showed that the majority of kids feel safe, but confidence decreases in places where they're less supervised. "Feeling safe" is different from " bullying," bullying and mean words increase as grades go up, getting worse in 5^th grade. The survey is valuable because it points out areas to work
on: Jacqui Chait said that the purpose of the survey was to confirm whether there was a problem at Nathan Clifford and to identify those areas that we can work on. Several options have been generated and Marysue Morrison has shared these options with the teachers and is awaiting their responses. Below is a partial list of ideas mentioned: * A USM program that facilitates the teachers
to come up with solutions.
A discussion followed about the fact that most of the bullying
and Leanne Walker: lewalker@usm.maine.edu <mailto:lewalker@usm.maine.edu>
Renovation/rebuilding Clifford: * With new elections there is hope that a united School Committee and City Council can get an open and honest discussion going locally and at the State level. New statistics show that the Libbytown neighborhood has become less affluent since 2000, and is now eligible for Community Block Development Grants, and that East Deering and some of the Back Cove area has become more affluent since 2000. This can be a compelling reason to keep the school in its current neighborhood, instead of closing a school in a less affluent neighborhood and placing it in a more affluent neighborhood. NATHAN CLIFFORD PTO October 4, 2007 MINUTES
There was a lot of support for the idea to divide the $7,200 for arts & enrichment by allocating approximately $1,000 per grade ($6,000) with input from parents and teachers about how those funds might be used, while still leaving a small amount ($1,200) for discretionary purposes. Arts & enrichments funds could be used to cover field trips, bringing programs into the classroom/school, etc. The group divided into two parts - K/1/2 parents & teachers and 3/4/5 parents & a special education teacher. Some time was spent brainstorming ideas about how the money might be used. K/1/2 ideas included a focus on music, arts and drama (Kinderconcerts, Children's Theatre, Nutcracker, local musicians) . 3/4/5 notes to follow at a later date. Please contact Jen Southard is you have some ideas or would like to be involved in this process. Marysue Morrison and Jen are jointly compiling a list of ideas (with estimated costs) for teachers & parents review. The $2,000 in additional school support is meant in part to address some of the "wish list" shared by Marysue on behalf of the teachers and staff and a recognition that budget cuts have impacted the resources available to teachers and the school. There was general agreement that these funds should be available to classroom teachers and specialty teachers (art, gym, music, library, special ed). An estimate of approximately $75 per teacher, would leave a small amount of funds to help cover requests that would serve the entire school (computer, whiteboards, etc.). Marysue Morrison will talk with the teachers further about this resource. This money is intended to be used for classroom projects or resources (books, games, special projects supplies) There continues to be an interest in drama-related activities, which would be new activities for the PTO and school. If anyone is interested in helping work on a talent show, drama improv, please let Jen Southard know. After the PTO meeting adjourned, a group of parents and interested
parties stayed to hear Peter Eglinton and Ed Suslovic share their
perspective on the recent School Board vote to accept the recommendations
of the 3 x 3 committee and the upcoming vote of the City Council
on this same topic. The group agreed that the upcoming
City Council meeting & vote was a critical one for Nathan
Clifford and therefore we should communicate with parents &
friends and ask them to be present at this meeting and/or communicate
with City Council members with their opinions.
NATHAN CLIFFORD PTO September 13, 2007 MINUTES Jen Southard, President of PTO welcomed the attendees. PTO meetings will take place every 1st Thursday of the month. There will be babysitters provided during the meetings, which may allow more families to participate regularly, and to get involved with some committees. Jen briefly stated the goal of the PTO this year, which is
to repeat some events from the past that were successful, and
to add new ones this year. She mentioned that one difference
this year, with Nathan Clifford in the center of the larger policy
local school consolidation issue, is to keep the PTO non-political.
Instead, at the end of each PTO, there will be a short meeting
(1/2 hour) for those interested in staying and We broke out into groups and were asked to discuss what we
would like to see accomplished by the PTO this year. · Link enrichment opportunities with class curriculum work with teachers to identify grade-specific themes and match those themes with PTO-sponsored activities · Help with budget at the school level (supplies, bussing to field trips, admission to field trips). · Increase Principal's communication with the Nathan Clifford community by increasing the frequency of the newsletter. Include "healthy tips" in these letters. · Parental outreach make it a safe and inviting experience for a diverse parent group. · Highlight language and cultural diversity of the school, especially with new Spanish immersion program. Ideas included and International food festival, copy King Middle School's "Around the World in 80 Minutes" and/or educational field trips like the new Freedom Trail in Portland, Fred Lipp (author) · Continue FUN-raising activities: game nights, BINGO night, movie night. · Continue school beautification efforts. Partner with SPIRAL Arts to create a hands-on project inside the building to perk up tired areas (suggestion of a mural like in the Barbara Bush wing of the Maine Medical Center, an artist to help the children with a large art installation). · Take advantage of the new stage - drama club, talent show · Continue and expand hands-on science-related activities: science challenge, egg drop, Chewonki visits, and find other science related field trips or interns to come to the school. ). · Continue the playground greening efforts. At the next PTO we will re-visit these objectives and gauge where the energy is and line up the funds that will support these objectives. Following are reports from PTO officers: Melissa Borque, Treasurer: We changed our PTO checking account
system. Now we work through the Portland Education Partnership
Fund. Checks should be made out to "Portland Education Partnership
Nathan Clifford PTO" and be given to Melissa, or placed
in the PTO mailbox that is in the front office. Receipts that
need reimbursement should be placed in The PTO's balance, after the back to school barbecue is $7696.00.
Ruth's Resources membership will cost $600 for the year. Next
meeting we will discuss a draft budget for the year ahead. Amy Homans reported on the silent auction for Nathan Clifford
this year, which will be on December 4 at the Local 188 restaurant.
Owners of the restaurant (Nathan Clifford parents) have generously
offered the use of this fabulous restaurant for the auction,
and will donate hors d'oeuvres PTO decided to host a candidate's night for the school committee
candidates in mid-October. Ed Suslovic will coordinate the planning
for this activity. NATHAN CLIFFORD PTO APRIL 3, 2007 MINUTES WELCOME: Jane Wellehan welcomed about 13 parents and Marysue Morrison to the meeting. She thanked the parents who brought refreshments for the students during the MEA tests. The students really appreciated it, and the extra nourishment is thought to improve test scores. Jane also mentioned that Marysue Morrison communicated how very grateful she and the teachers are for all of the parents' efforts to support the school. Marysue mentioned that the school expects an additional Kindergarten class next year, to accommodate the new students from St. Patrick's. Unfortunately, the school will have to end its preschool program, which has upset parents who planned to send their younger children. SECRETARY'S REPORT: Peter Eglinton sent the notes from the March meeting to the Yahoo! Group e-mail list and will post copies in the teachers' room, and on the PTO Web site (http://clifford.portlandschools.org/pages/pto.html). TREASURER'S REPORT: Jen Southard reported that the PTO's has spent approximately $11,827 so far this year, with an additional $4,700 of encumbered expenses. We have raised $10,354 and have $4,700 from a Lowe's grant for the stage project and $8,150 as carryover from last year. New items since the last PTO meeting include income from the family dance and expenses for a second opportunity for all grades to participate in the Chewonki program. Jen also presented her rough projections of expenses for next year, with an estimated carryover of $5,000 in funds from this year. Jane and Martha Sheils said that the information on spending is helpful. Jane suggested waiting until the new PTO group is in place to allow them a chance to decide on their priorities. She said she would send out a PTO newsletter describing what has been happening this year. COMMITTEE REPORTS: Arts and Enrichment: Ellen Monaghan said that the committee has arranged for an artist-in-residence program on storytelling (Antonio Rocha) for the second graders in May. The performance artist did a program at the school about 10 years ago and the teachers said it went well. Healthy School Climate Committee: Caitlyn Blodget briefly summarized plans with the University of Southern Maine (Pam Anderson) to conduct a healthy school climate survey, which would explore how safe students feel in the school. Marysue will compile the results over the summer, with possible programming changes made in the fall. Meanwhile Jacqui Chait is working with the Kindergarten classes to make posters with anti-bullying messages. Another idea that has been discussed is to invite Deb Landry, an author, to read and discuss her children's book on bullying prevention to fifth graders, and then come up with a play on the concepts. She charges $800. Given the Fun Run, Chewonki program, many field trips, and other activities that are coming up, Marysue suggested postponing Deb Landry to the fall (when the healthy school climate survey results will also be available). Fun/Fundraising: Helen Gorgas Goulding said that the all-school family dance was a success and the DJ (Derek Pierce) was great. Besides being a fun event, the dance raised $560. Participation was somewhat lower due to the loss of 70 kids when East End Community School opened in the fall. Teacher Appreciation Luncheon: Melissa Bourque reported that she spoke with Marysue Morrison and picked May 9 for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. Melissa also received a folder from Helen with information from past events. Melissa said she needs many volunteers to help make and serve food, clear tables, and staff the lunch room and playground. She is also looking for guidance on teacher gifts, especially given that there will be 55 staff at the event. One idea would be to put together a movie package, including movie ticket, popcorn, and a chocolate bar. Other items from past luncheons some of which were raffle items include votives, framed poems, and flower center pieces and seated massages. The Christmas Tree Shops can be a good place to look for small gifts. Helen suggested that Melissa remind food volunteers that they are cooking for a large crowd (some donations in past years only fed a few teachers). Health Fair: Martha said that the PTO will have a table at the health fair food donated by parents and Wild Oats. She also asked Hannaford's if they would be willing to help. Martha said the table will have smoothies, pita chips and hummus, raisins, pretzels, and graham crackers. School Fair: Jane said that the school fair is scheduled for May 19. She encouraged parents to sign up to share their talents with kids as part of low-cost activities at the event. A new item at the fair will be pony rides. The fair will continue to include a plant sale, toy/book sale, and gift basket raffles. Jane suggested that parents interested in planning the event meet during vacation. Helen and Hallie Gilman volunteered to meet. Other: Martha said that Maryjane Johnston worked with the students to make signs for the school grounds on picking up after dogs, staying on the trail, etc. Martha asked for help to shellac the signs and put them out. Ellen and Jane volunteered. Melissa Bourque asked for volunteers to help with the Junior Achievement program for the fourth grade, which will involve 5 half-hour lessons. Junior Achievement works with grades K-12 on issues related to entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. She conducted the program for the Kindergarten classes and has materials (including detailed curriculum) to share with interested parents. Although the priority at the moment is an instructor for the fourth grade, Melissa would welcome volunteers for other classes as well. CALENDAR/UPCOMING EVENTS-- 4/11, Health Fair 4/12, Academic Fair- 5/9, Teacher Appreciation Luncheon 5/14, Fun Run (bottle donations welcomed!) 5/19, Spring Fair NEXT PTO MEETING The next PTO meeting will be held on May 1 (Tue) at 6:30 p.m. NATHAN CLIFFORD PTO MARCH 6, 2007 MINUTES WELCOME: Jane Wellehan welcomed about 15 parents to the meeting. SECRETARY'S REPORT: Peter Eglinton sent the notes from the February meeting to the Yahoo!Group e-mail list and will post copies in the teachers' room, and onthe PTO Web site (http://clifford.portlandschools.org/pages/pto.html). TREASURER'S REPORT: Jen Southard reported that the budget is about on target. Most of the expenses for February were associated with the 100th anniversary celebration, although the PTO was successful at getting several sponsors to offset the costs. Jen mentioned that the status of projected expenses is uncertain. She plans to put together a preliminary list of typical budget items for next year. She noted that a portion of this year's funding is from last year, so the level of fundraising required to support PTO activities is somewhat skewed. Ellen Monaghan said that the Arts and Enrichment committee has a few new requests. The second grade teachers have asked for an artist-in-residence program on storytelling (Antonio Rochan). The cost will probably be around $1,500, but might be negotiable (particularly if the program is only part of the week). The artist-in-residence program is currently in the budget at $1,200. Ellen mentioned that, historically, the PTO has not provided much programming for second graders. The teachers have worked with the storytelling artist about ten years and would be excited if he returned. Jen said that the PTO might want to consider other programs (like Chewonki) that could provide broader participation for a similar cost. Ellen said that the committee is currently setting dates for the Chewonki program, which would cost about $1,300 and is not in the budget. Jen said that doing both programs would use up the surplus in the budget, even after accounting for fewer expenses associated with the stage project. Helen Gorgas Goulding mentioned that the PTO might not pursue a program with the University of Southern Maine (USM) Chemistry Club this year, due to mixed success last year. Ellen recommended that the school consider a science fair. Jane reported that Peg Hillman has asked the PTO if it could buy a new color printer for the school. The current one is broken and the school budget is frozen. Jane asked whether a color printer is necessary, and added that Marysue Morrison thought she could buy one next year. Although the PTO helped to get a couple computers last year, a parent suggested that the PTO fund activities rather than supplies. Jane proposed asking parents whether anyone has an extra printer at home that they could donate to the school. COMMITTEE REPORTS: 100th Anniversary: Jane led a round of applause for the successful 100th Anniversary Celebration. Enrichment: Leanne Walker reported that Marysue Morrison has scheduled a time with USM to conduct a healthy school climate survey, which would explore how safe students feel in the school. Marysue has been supportive of the effort, and has done similar surveys of the teachers in the past. The healthy school climate survey would be written in kid-friendly language, with results shared with teachers in a meeting with Pam Anderson (USM) in May. A few parents suggested that teachers be fully briefed on the effort up front as well, so that they can buy in to the survey and its subsequent action items. Cost is also a potential issue, with a $350 fee for the initial survey and additional expenses for follow-up activities. Leanne will investigate next steps. Dana Dumond said that Michelle Dumond has the materials from the last anti-bullying program and that several parents and teachers assisted with the course the last two times it has been delivered. He suggested that the PTO could run the course itself, without needing to pay for someone from the outside as a trainer. Leanne mentioned that Maryjane Johnston is working with the students to prepare posters around appropriate school behavior. The posters should be doable with only a minimal supplies cost. Fun/Fundraising: Helen Gorgas Goulding said that the school's family dance is scheduled for March 9. Updates have been sent to the NathanCliffordParents e-mail group, and enough folks have volunteered to help. Derek Pierce will be the DJ. To address issues from previous events, parents will not be allowed to drop off kids and someone will be assigned to patrol the bathrooms. PTO CALENDAR:-- 3/9 at 9:15 a.m., discussion with Rich Pattenaude about the partnership between USM and Nathan Clifford 3/9, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., family dance 4/12, health fair 5/19, spring fair Jane asked for volunteers to organize/coordinate the teacher appreciation lunch. Martha Sheils and Melissa Bourque offered to help. Additional volunteers will be needed for the event itself, covering tasks such as making sure enough food is provided, getting floral arrangements for a raffle, and overseeing the lunchroom and playground while the teachers are having lunch. Martha asked for ideas for what to show at the health fair. She plans to have a table with healthy food that kids can make at home. Carlos Gómez announced that the De Colores language immersion program would be featured as part of the Superintendent's report to the School Committee on March 7. Teachers seem very supportive of the program. CLIFFORD SCHOOL RENOVATION/REBUILD (3x3) CALENDAR: 3/8 at 6:30 at Lyman Moore Middle School public meeting to review existing facilities survey results-- 3/15 at 6:30 p.m., City Hall, 3x3 committee meeting-- 3/22 at 6:30 p.m., City Hall, 3x3 committee meeting. Several parents mentioned the importance of having parents attend the 3x3 meetings, to show that the Nathan Clifford community is paying attention, to hear what the plans might be for the school, to speak up with any comments on the deliberations, and to talk one-on-one with 3x3 members before and after the meeting. The 3x3 is getting close to a decision. NEXT PTO MEETING: The next PTO meeting will be held
on April 3 (Tue) at 6:30 p.m. Please forward suggestions for
agenda items to Jane
NATHAN CLIFFORD PTO FEBRUARY 6, 2007 MINUTES PRESENTATION: 30 minutes presentation by Laurie Davis and Mike Clifford (Portland School District employees) on "Parenting and Development Assets". Handouts included "40 Developmental Assets for Middle Childhood" created by the Search Institute and "150 Ways to Show Kids You Care." Focus on the building blocks of healthy development (family support, positive peer influence, reading for pleasure, etc.) that help young people grow up health, caring and responsible. SECRETARY'S REPORT: Jen Southard served as acting secretary for this meeting. Peter Eglinton sent the notes from the January meeting to the Yahoo! Group e-mail list and will post copies in the teachers' room, and on the PTO Web site (http://clifford.portlandschools.org/pages/pto.html). TREASURER'S REPORT: On the revenue side, Flatbread money is in. On the expense side, several expenditures related to the stage project and 100th birthday celebration and the fourth grade trip to the State Capitol and some food gift certificates for 3 needy families also covered during the past month. Expenses and revenues related to budget appear to be on track. Jane Wellehan requested ideas for additional PTO-financed projects as budget permits. Items mentioned included some focus on program for second graders (Miss Harkins will address at upcoming teacher in-service day), a writer (Ella?), fiddler, poet laurete that Martha Sheils knows, Fred Lipp (retired pastor & writer), return of the Chewonki program. COMMITTEE REPORTS:Parent Education: Leanne Walker said the committee has changed its name to "Healthy School Climate Committee". Have spoken with a number of parents from Hall, Presumpscot, Riverton, Breakwater, and Marysue Morrison about this topic and how PTO can support teachers working with our children. Have narrowed ideas to a few areas: create/conduct a survey for kids (working with Pamela Anderson from USM); have a play/assembly for a larger group of students; invite Amy Homans and another staff member from the Attorney General's office to conduct some civil rights training for grades 3-5. Teachers will be asked for their opinion at the upcoming teacher in-service day. Some discussion of bullying issues among the fifth grade girls the _book "Odd Girl Out" recommended as reading by Miss Morrison. Stage project Jane Wellehan said that work is complete except for hanging of curtain. This will be done by professionals and should be complete in about a month. Over 170 volunteer hours devoted to this project. Jane has submitted some reports to Lowe's regarding the grant. FUNraising BINGO Night. Lots of fun, but lower attendance than in the past. Next BINGO night is March 2. DANCE is scheduled for March 9 from 6-8 p.m. Helen Gorgas Goulding is in charge. Looking for volunteers of all kinds. Watch for e-mail messages. 100th Anniversary Linda Braley reported about the numerous activities planned for the event. Wild Oats is donating food for 400, Mary Gross is working with the video club to video alumnae who attend the event, Justin Van Soest will have his photos on display and for sale. Food preparation starts on Friday and the proclamation will be read around 7:00 p.m. CALENDAR-Upcoming Clifford School renovation/rebuild calendar (3 x 3 _committees):-- 2/15 at 6:30 p.m. at Nathan Clifford to review Clifford conceptual plan-- 3/1 at 6:30 p.m. at King Middle School public meeting to review existing facilities survey results-- 3/6 at 6:30 p.m. at Lincoln Middle School public meeting to review existing facilities survey results-- 3/8 at 6:30 p.m. at Lyman Moore Middle School public meeting to review existing facilities survey results-- 3/15 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall 3x3 committee meeting-- 3/22 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall 3x3 committee meeting Other Nathan Clifford events:-- Bingo Night, 3/2 - Family Dance, 3/9, 6-8 p.m. -- Talent Show, 3/31 NEXT PTO MEETING;The next PTO meeting will be held on March 6 (Tue) at 6:30 p.m. Please forward suggestions for agenda items to Jane.
JANUARY 9, 2007 MINUTES WELCOME: Jane Wellehan welcomed about 22 parents and teachers to the meeting. She shared the "thank you" notes from the fifth graders who went to the Nutcracker. She added that the students were excited to go. Jane also mentioned that Maryjane Johnston had her class write about the photography project she led. SECRETARY'S REPORT:Peter Eglinton briefly summarized the main discussion topics covered at the December PTO meeting. Notes are posted to the Yahoo! Group e-mail list, in the teachers' room, and on the PTO Web site (http://clifford.portlandschools.org/pages/pto.html). TREASURER'S REPORT: Jen Southard said that the budget is on target and provided copies of the projected expenditures, year-to-date revenue and spending, and the remaining balance. The PTO is planning on spending a total of $19,656, with income of $25,320 (including $8,150 from last year and a $4,700 grant from Lowe's for the stage project). She asked whether anyone had any questions. Several of the Kindergarten and first-grade teachers said that they did not see the anti-bullying program as a priority, especially given the share of the budget that it represents ($1,800). They mentioned that the lessons from last year's anti-bullying program are still being applied and that other options exist (including the "Second Step" program). Some parents expressed the need for continued attention to anti-bullying messages for all grades, to foster a shared language of respect and proper behavior. Michelle Dumond said that Hall Elementary School has signs throughout the school that provide such messages; the Nathan Clifford teachers thought the idea could work at our school. The teachers suggested that they would raise the option at their meeting on January 10. Amy Homans and Jane asked that the school consider using more effectively prime locations in the school for displaying the signs as well as other artwork. One teacher suggested PTO assistance with sign materials, including poster board and lamination. Jen said that $500 was added to the budget to pay for costs associated with the school's 100th anniversary celebration. Linda Braley thought that amount should be sufficient. COMMITTEE REPORTS:Fun/Fund Raising: Flatbread night raised approximately $4,671, including $3,834 from the silent auction, $105 from the 50/50 raffle, a $14 donation, and $718 from our share of pizza sales. Jane thanked everyone who helped with the event or donated an item or service. She said that next year the PTO could consider holding the silent auction at the school, to accommodate more people, items, and time for folks to review and bid on the items. Jane suggested that planning start for a dance in March. Helen Goulding offered to chair a group to prepare and run the event. Jane will check with Gretchen Berg to see if she can lend audio equipment, as she has done in the past. Jane will also confirm possible dates with King Middle School. Amy Homans met with Mick Goulding about setting up family bingo nights at the school. The first one is planned for February 2 (Fri) from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with other nights possible on the first Fridays in March and April. Arts and Enrichment: Nothing to report. Helen and Ellen Monaghan will meet to discuss possible programs for the coming months. Helen said she talked to Marysue Morrison about the chorus Mr. Dobrinski is reportedly starting in January. Eduction/Parent Education: Nothing to report. 100th Anniversary: Linda said that invitations have been prepared for the anniversary celebration and concert on February 9. PATHS will be printing 4,000 one-color copies of the invitation, and a press release will go out to the media. Before that event, there will be a mayoral proclamation on January 17 at the beginning of the City Council meeting. The proclamation will also be read at the February 9 event, along with a state legislative sentiment. A birthday cake will be served._Linda said that an architectural photographer (Justin Van Soest) has been asked to show his work on the school; he thinks the building is "phenomenal" and is thrilled to participate in the event. Maryjane asked whether the students could also take and display pictures of the school. Jane noted that Walmart, Shaws, and other businesses might be willing to donate items for the celebration. She also mentioned that Springer's jewelers usually does a landmark Christmas ornament each year, and that the ad-hoc 100th Anniversary committee might be able to nominate the school for this year's ornament. Linda said that many volunteers will be needed, to distribute invitations and work at the event (for example, greet and direct people, provide refreshments, and cut the cake). Jane suggested that someone check with Marysue about the maximum capacity of the auditorium. Talent Show: Jane said that Jolene McGowan is hoping to have a _alent show in March. No further details were available on the status of planning for the event. Stage Project: David Ruff said that the stage project is off to a "roaring" start. At the first workday, 17 people provided a total of 66 hours of labor, including scraping, sanding, and cleaning surfaces; repairing the ceiling; patching; etc. Two more Saturday workdays are planned to finish the painting and to hang curtains. Ultimately, the ceiling will be black; the back wall will be light blue with slightly darker blue chair and picture rails; and the columns will be dark blue with light blue interiors and gold accents. David expressed particular appreciation for Michelle's help in getting paint at a significant discount. NEW BUSINESS: Anne Colluci is looking for parent volunteers to help with the Healthy Food fair in early April. Tasks include cooking/preparing and serving food. Martha Sheils offered to help. Jane said she is planning to step down as PTO President next year and welcomed nominations/volunteers to replace her in time to have a smooth transition. One option could be to have co-Presidents, which other schools do. Elections will be held in May. Martha talked about plans to set aside an area of the playground for fairy houses. Currently, older kids tend to demolish houses built by younger ones. A sign would be prepared similar to the one on Mackworth Island. An alternative recess program could also be organized. She raised the possibility that the houses or the accumulation of natural materials to make them would cause debris that the janitors would need to clean. She said that the houses would only be built on ledges around the playground. Kate Snyder expressed concern that the field is becoming damaged due to a warm, wet December. She asked whether a fence could be raised to keep kids off the field, at least until the area is reseeded in the spring. The teachers said that an announcement could be made during school, but Kate mentioned that a bigger problem might be activities after school. A fence would help. Some parents recommended asking the city to help, while others said that parents would likely need to step in. Jane asked whether any parents or teachers would be willing to conduct an alternative recess on knitting. Jane, Kate, and Martha said they could come in a few times to help. Jane said that the school has a Brownies group, which will be selling cookies soon. Jane mentioned that Peter Eglinton will be running for the District 3 School Committee Seat left vacant by the recent resignation of Jason Toothaker. Ed Suslovic suggested that parents contact the City Council to encourage them to hold a special election to fill the seat, which could occur 120 days after nomination papers are made available. He said that other statewide issues might require a special election anyway. CALENDAR: January 10: Reiche Community School PTO Nutrition Panel Workshop/Discussion January 18: Next Elementary School Facilities Committee (a.k.a. "3x3") meeting at the new East End Community School (tour at 5:00 p.m., meeting starting at 6:00 p.m.) February 9: Kickoff of the 100th Anniversary Celebration, with entertainment from the African Gospel Group NEXT PTO MEETING: The next PTO meeting will be held on February 6 (Tue) at 6:30 p.m. Please forward suggestions for agenda items to Jane. |