LWE PFT Board Meeting: January 10th, 2008

In attendance: Diane Nelson, Emily Moore, Ken Rubin, Christine Kolstoe, Laura Johnson, Mary Johann, Marla Little, Chris Lindblom, and Ilene Jaffe

Budget Review: waiting on 6 th grade camp invoice from Rita. Confirmed the budget has been approved and staff allocation was distributed. We allocated for a total of 24 teachers. We may want to look at increasing this in the future.

Radios: School has purchased six new radios. Mary would like to see us purchasing 4 this year. Confirmed there is no money in our current budget for this, would need to allocate from another budget item. Then purchasing another four radios next school year. Radios are about $250 a piece. Radios are being used at recess and have a wide range. The new radios are much better and are clearer. The goal is to have 12 radios total. We should make a note in the newsletter about parents donating items to the school. Include in the school newsletter about how much money we have raised, recognizing the PFT for the hard work. Inform the parents what the money will go toward; keep the statement general. Ask Rita to spell out PFT in the newsletter.

Diversity Committee – Ken Rubin and Ilene Jaffe

Discussing FAME - this June will be the 3 rd annual FAME. The diversity committee has been taking on this responsibility for the past two years. The event is focused on families. How can we get more parents involved in FAME. They would like to find out ideas as how to get parents involved. They send out newsletters asking parents for specific help with FAME. Asking for assistance from the PFT on the form to help organize the food and bazaar by calling and contacting the parents who signed up. Laura would be willing to call up Caroline as she showed an interesting in something similar. Phoning volunteers to try and help. What would the PFT like to help take charge of, i.e. the bazaar. Or helping call up the volunteers as to what type of food they would like to bring. Give reminder calls regarding bringing food or bazaar items. If it is a vendor we would need to find out what they need help with (i.e. how many tables.). The food and vendors is what they would mainly like help with. Do they need help with cookbooks? Should we edit people’s recipes that come in, correct mis-spelling. Volunteer to do data entry of the recipe forms, Marla though she could help with data entry. Could the cookbook be a fundraiser for the PFT if we took it on? Last year the book was $5.00 and the teachers couldn’t make a profit on it so it was difficult to produce. Is there a template of the cookbook we can use to help? How can the diversity committee make it so working parents can try to make it to the meetings? Diversity committee meets every 2 to 3 weeks. Trying to get more parental involvement. The volunteer form will go out in February. Normally they meet at 8 or 8:30 a.m., they are flexible to meeting in the evening. Kids are welcome to come if needed. Christine brought up making a writing project for the school for the FAME cookbook. Using the cookbook as a fundraiser for a statement as to who we are. Only sold approx 50 cookbooks, it would have to be run along another fundraiser. Having cookbooks available at FAME for sale. If they were for sale at the night off they wouldn’t have pictures in it. Ken would like to have the PFT take over the cookbook portion. Put out to the whole community for recipes. Have 2006 books for sale. The diversity committee has less the half a dozen people currently helping on FAME. It is open to everyone for joining. Meetings will be changed to Thursdays. Ken wants to know if we can take on the CB and the vendors, food, volunteer calling. Everyone who brought food assumed that they needed to just bring the food. Possibly hold FAME in the fall? Does the diversity committee have people they could call from last year to help out be a liaison in the community?

Ilene spoke about the ELL information Night, Jan 29 th; about ½ of the students have another language at home. There is going to be an information night with translators to help communicate. Asking the PFT to come and describe what we do while it is being translated. Helping to find key people at the program to help bring things to their community. Chris has someone to help be the Russian liaison. There are plans for three information nights. This would be a great opportunity for the PFT to come and talk. The event is at 6 or 6:30 p.m. Keep the talk concise and use common language, as it will be translated. Do it like a show n tell, bring props. On movie night we could put the Spanish language on the bottom of the movie. Letting the parents know that the event is free, timing at the speech for PFT is 15 minutes. Laura is going to speak at the event. Discuss fundraising, family night, what the money goes to. How they can contact the PFT. Have the FAME info out on multicultural evening.

Possibly have an espresso machine at an event for a fundraiser. Selling pop/water/juice at the FAME event to help raise more money. Fame reaches out to a lot of the parents. The diversity committee made sure they had extra food on hand in case not enough showed up. Purchased food from a local restaurant to help out.

Costco likes to help, need to write letters and could possibly get help from three different Costco’s.

MOTION

Laura brought a motion to help diversity committee with FAME in varying capacities.

Vote: PFT helping the diversity committee with FAME on: the cookbook, bazaar (vendor), food, and volunteer calling. Marla seconded the vote and it was approved.

Swim Night:

$240 to rent the whole pool at Mountlake Terrace. We are going to table the swim night for now. We are doing the end of the year swim party. The end of the year party was not in the budget.

Movie night:

Friday, April 11 th

Caroline would like to bring a snack on movie night.

Fundraisers:

Fun run – keep the fun run Mary feels we could raise more money if we start it earlier this year. Try to designate the money raised is for safety equipment.

Raffle/Silent auction – we are not doing this fundraiser

Escrip – need to get people signed up

Discussed the “Raising money raising consciousness” article that Ken dropped in our mailbox. Bringing out ways to raise money by using more fair trade companies.

Cookie Dough – discussed our pro/con list. Try to do this as a spring fundraiser.

Mary moved to vote to sell the cookie dough. Try for material to be sent home on Feb. 13, a Wednesday. Then they have the weekend to sell. Have a three week turn around. Approximately a 3-week turn around for Elliott bay for the cookie dough. Turn the orders in Feb. 29 th. Deliver by the 21 st of March. This is replacing the raffle/auction.

PROS Historically we have raised approximately $3,000 EB has offered freezer space for unpicked up orders Other organizations have advertised unpicked up dough will be donated to a food bank In place of auction

CONS Not healthy Difficult to distribute Timing for parent pickup

Decision for cookie dough fundraiser: Orders of one to three will be sent home. Four or more will be parent pickup

Open up play area for parking in the afternoon and have pick-up in the music room

Voted for the cookie dough fundraiser through Elliott Bay. Laura will call to setup a date.

Skate night is March 13 th and May 8 th

Caroline would like to have word sent out to parents telling about the Campbell’s soup labels. Give the teachers an envelope for the teachers to put all the labels in. Caroline would like to bring a king cake for the winning class February 6th. Marla is going to distribute a flyer to the classes.

Chris is going to try and do an easy spirit day activity.

PFT meeting Feb. 21 st with Nick B. our PFT meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Submitted by

Molly O’Brien