WMS

May: The ninth meeting of the Wickford PTO for the 2004-2005 school year convened at 7:10pm on May 17th, 2005. There were 6 people in attendance.

Treasurers Report

Treasurer Nancy Sherman presented the Financial Report. The May balance in the PTO account was $1,876.02. The goal is to make $1500 on the Basket Raffle.

Review of Minutes

The meeting minutes from the April meeting were reviewed. A motion was made by Nancy Sherman and seconded by Mr. Merkel to approve the minutes.

President April Brunelle passed around some nice thank you notes received from teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week. April and her volunteers did a great job pampering the teachers with food, treats and magazines.

Grant Requests

The PTO received 2 grant requests for “Time for Kids”, a current events newsletter. The requests were for $143.10 each. Mr. Merkel asked that the requests be given to him, as he needs to address the issue of only some students receiving this publication.

Mr. Iadevaia requested funds for the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year to purchase 2 snare drums and carriers. The drums the school has now are very old. The Executive Board agreed to wait and see how much profit was generated by the Basket Raffle before coming to a decision. The request is being held until the June meeting.

Principal’s Report

Mr. Merkel attended the meeting in place of Dr. Mort. He had a draft of a letter to be sent to 8th grade parents concerning graduation. He is planning on getting input from Leadership and 8th grade students as to graduation details. The dance MUST have 8th grade parent chaperones; this worked very well last year to keep behavior in line.

8th Grade Commencement at NKHS (Tuesday, June 21st) will begin at 6:30pm this year. As in the past, the two NK seniors with the highest academic averages will be speakers. Five awards will be given, including the DAR award and the Humanitarian awards. 8th graders are not expected at school on the 22nd.

Class Day for 6th and 7th graders is June 20th. The 7th Grade day at the Town Beach is June 22nd. There is some anxiety about the safety of the walk, as the traffic on Phillips Street doesn’t even slow down at the sight of a large group of students.

Curriculum Changes

There was a short discussion about the fact that French will not be offered next year at WMS. The PTO was not notified, and this information did not go out on List-Serve. Some students are confused as to why it isn’t being offered. Communication seems to be the issue.

Basket Raffle

The Basket Raffle is in full swing. Wickford Lumber donated a gardening cart for the Gardening Basket. Ticket sales are beginning, with planned sales at 6th Grade Orientation, Daves Marketplace and concert events at NKHS.

The Ice Cream Social is planned for Wednesday, June 15th. The Basket Raffle winners will be drawn at the event. Clare Pope will be organizing this event.

Teacher Representatives

Colleen Pickering reported that traditionally, the WMS baseball and softball teams take the ferry to Block Island to play against the middle school there. The issue facing this year’s trip is that of paying for a substitute, as there is currently a freeze on substitute pay due to budget shortfalls.. The baseball coach is a sub, so that is not a problem. However, Mrs. Pickering would need a substitute so she can coach her team. She asked that the PTO consider financing the substitute cost (approximately $75) if the School Administration (Bill Daley) would approve. The Executive Board approved the expenditure, if the School Administration is in agreement.

Other Issues

Secretary Clare Pope will e-mail a flyer to Dr. Mort for distribution announcing the next meeting date (Tuesday, June 14,

7pm) and the need for volunteers for the 2005-2006 PTO. The Ice Cream Social will also be publicized.

A motion was made to end the meeting by Susan Toedt and seconded by Colleen Pickering. The meeting adjourned at 8:00pm.

The eighth meeting of the Wickford PTO for the 2004-2005 school year convened at 7:05pm on April 12th, 2005. There were 16 people in attendance. Karen Forbes, community member of the School Advisory Committee (SAC) was welcomed to the meeting.

Treasurers Report

Treasurer Nancy Sherman presented the Financial Report. The April balance in the PTO account was $1,740.38.

Review of Minutes

The meeting minutes from the March meeting were reviewed. A correction was made in the spelling of Mrs. Covell’s name. A motion was made by Nancy Sherman and seconded by Phyllis McGee to approve the minutes as corrected.

Principal’s Report

Arena scheduling day, with the help of Mrs. Noe and Mrs. Guide, is being worked on. 6th and 7th grade students get to choose three careers to visit; 8th graders have 2 choices as well as an “interview”.

Wendell Minor will be visiting the school for the Cultural Arts program on April 27th. A group of students are being chosen to have lunch with him. There will be a reception afterward for the teachers.

Both the band and the choral group have done very well in competitions. Katrina Clark will be representing WMS at the Geography Bee. Duke Harten was chosen as Student of the Month by the Rotary.

The Leadership group is working on Operation Support for our troops overseas. They have been collecting student donation items to send overseas, and are including notes in each package. They will soon be electing officers. The Leadership students will also be participating in the 6th grade Open House, showing next year’s 6th graders around the school.

The discussion of Wickford’s facility issues began with a slide show comparing WMS to DMS. DMS was built in 1969 while Wickford was built in 1931. DMS has a huge library, a place designed for team meetings, a band room and a stage, while Wickord has a tiny library (shared with a computer lab) and no band room or stage. The science labs are inadequate, there is no place for team meetings, the band shares space with Spanish (classroom time is taken up setting up and taking down the desks and chairs), and ESL and the Physical Therapist meet in the hallways. There are so many obvious facility problems, with inadequate space being at the top of the list.

If NK schools use the Middle School Concept for teaching (teams, more “hand on”, less lecture), then the school facility must support this concept. WMS does not. This effort is being compromised and thus our children are being done a disservice. Additionally, there are safety issues involved with the entrance to the school. A visitor can either go up or down upon entering the front door and there is no way of monitoring this.

The teachers at WMS are doing a great job with what they have, but they want to, and could do, so much more if the facility issues were addressed.

These problems need to be brought to the attention of the public, especially the Town Council and School Committee. In this time of budget constraints and high taxes, this is difficult. If the conception is that WMS is looking for a “Cadillac” in school renovation/additions, then efforts will go nowhere. The public needs to understand the educational problems caused by the facility problems.

Comments were made about the $9 million school bond passed recently; Dr. Mort explained that this would address such emergency problems as the septic system repair. It was also noted that there has not been consistency in WMS principals over the last several years, and with a school population that stays only three years, it is hard to get momentum that lasts long enough to make a difference.

Ideas to move forward include showing the slide presentation to Dr. Halley and School Committee chairman Don Defedele. Press coverage would help out also. The goal would be to move WMS renovations higher on the priority list without driving a wedge between the North and South ends of the town.

Other Issues

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 1st – 7th. A volunteer is needed to chair the committee.

The Basket Raffle is taking shape. There will be an Ice Cream Social on June 15th at which the raffle winners will be chosen.

A motion was made to end the meeting by Nancy Sherman and seconded by Ann Joyce. The meeting adjourned at 9:00pm.

The seventh meeting of the Wickford PTO for the 2004-2005 school year convened at 7:10pm on March 16th, 2005. There were 15 people in attendance.

Treasurers Report

Treasurer Nancy Sherman presented the Financial Report. The March balance in the PTO account was $1,715.15. Monies were spent on grants for Destination Imagination, a Cultural Arts program featuring author/illustrator Wendell Minor and Special Education, as well as birthday ice cream passes. Dr. Mort mentioned that as part of a literacy initiative, there will be a focus on books and perhaps more authors could be brought in.

Review of Minutes

The meeting minutes from the February meeting were reviewed. A motion was made by April Brunelle and seconded by Denise Slade to approve the minutes.

Principal’s Report

“Pennies for Patients” for students with leukemia has had a slow start. The purple bracelets will not be sold after all.

There are 495 students currently at WMS. Articulation meetings are going on with DMS, Jamestown and NK High. The idea is to make sure there is horizontal and vertical consistency in Social Studies, Language Arts, Math and Science.

The mural in the gym lobby will be started on March 18th. Mrs. Kovel is putting a primer on the wall, then 10 students at a time will volunteer to do sketches and silhouettes.

The Read 180 computers have arrived (paid for with a grant). Read 180 will help students who are reading below grade level. Mrs. Klose will be working with 7th graders, while Mrs. Beveridge will work with 8th graders. 6th grade is still being organized.

There are German students spending time at the high school. On the 22nd, they will visit WMS, participate in classes and learn about the middle school experience.

Author/Illustrator Wendell Minor will be here on April 27th, to give a presentation to each grade.

WMS cheerleaders have worked very hard this year. They have participated in a number of competitions and have done very well.

The 7th grade Student Advisory has kicked off. There will be 10 sessions, on Wednesdays, during silent reading time. There are 10-11 students in each group. Issues such as peer pressure and decision-making will be discussed. Teachers, paras, clerks and secretaries have all volunteered. Some even volunteered for training over the summer. They planned topics and developed packets for the program. If this pilot is successful (evaluations will include student input), it will be expanded to the other grades. DMS already has a program in place.

Dr. Mort reported that some students are “erasing” the top of their hands until an abrasion is created. This is done on a dare; students are doing it to each other to be cool (leave a scar). Parents need to be aware of this.

Seventh grade parents will be in charge of the decorations and setting up for the dance on Tuesday, June 21st. Barbara Greene volunteered to help out with flowers. Ginger Fields, Regina Eaton, Teresa Sheldon and Fran Fogerty will work together to chair the committee.

Mr. Merkel will coordinate the dance as he did last year. He will meet with 8th graders to get their input on the theme, music, dress code, etc. 8th grade parents (especially dads) are expected to chaperone the dance as well as any class trip that is organized. Clare will e-mail Mr. Merkel to touch base about anything PTO can do to help him.

Basket Raffle

Kim Bragan will chair the Basket Raffle again. Baskets will be put together by teams. The staff may also participate (they had an awesome chocolate basket last year!). There are a number of concerts at the High School at the beginning of June that would present opportunities to sell lots of tickets. Tickets will also be sold outside of Ryans and Daves if it can be coordinated.

An ice cream social was suggested as a great way to finish off the raffle. This community event would feature choosing the winning raffle tickets.

Donations of big baskets are requested. It is just about time to begin requesting basket items.

Teacher Representative

Colleen Pickering attended as Teacher Representative. She mentioned that, via teacher recommendation, students are working on and maintaining their team websites.

WMS has a track team this year; it is being privately funded at both WMS and DMS.

Students have been participating in the Duck Stamp program, a federal program focusing on the native United States duck. Students learn about the duck and its habitat and draw a picture of it. The drawings will be judged by an artist and a biologist; the pictures must have correct features as well as the appropriate habitat. The pictures are currently at the State House. State winners go to Washington DC; the winning picture will be made into a stamp! Jaguars, Bobcats and some art students are participating.

Other Issues

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 1st – 7th. A volunteer is needed to chair the committee.

If any parent is interested running a fundraiser such as a carwash, they need to contact the SAC.

Dr. Mort was asked about sponsoring Parent Evenings. Perhaps an evening meeting with Guidance or staff would be helpful so parents can be educated on what is going on at WMS. Issues such as the self-mutilation problem, curriculum issues and the dress code could be addressed. At this time, no meetings are scheduled.

The SAC will meet with the PTO Board on March 23rd to discuss the facility shortcomings at WMS and how education is being affected. A PowerPoint presentation has been developed; eventually it may be shown to the school committee.

A motion was made to end the meeting by Denise Slade and seconded by Barbara Greene. The meeting adjourned at 9:00pm.

The sixth meeting of the Wickford PTO for the 2004-2005 school year convened at 7:10pm on February 15th, 2005. There were 5 people in attendance: President April Brunelle, Secretary Clare Pope, Treasurer Nancy Sherman, Principal Kathy Mort and teacher Donna Berg.

Treasurers Report

Treasurer Nancy Sherman presented the Financial Report. The February balance in the PTO account was $2,740.94. Box Top revenue in the amount of $51.90 was received in January.

Review of Minutes

The meeting minutes from the January meeting were reviewed. A correction was noted: under Other Issues, the $700 of available funds is the Kidsucation money, not additional available money. WMS and DMS will split the funds, so WMS should receive $350. How this will be spent has not yet been determined. A motion was made by April Brunelle and seconded by Nancy Sherman to approve the minutes as amended.

Grant Requests

Teacher Donna Berg (Jaguar team) submitted a Grant Request to help fund a school-wide presentation by Author-Illustrator Wendell Minor on April 27th. The cost is approximately $2000; the request was for whatever the PTO could afford to contribute. Mr. Minor would give a presentation to each grade. Currently, he has a book on Buzz Aldrin coming out. Many of his topics deal with nature and science. The students would be prepared to ask questions. Ms. Berg hopes that a visit by an author or illustrator will become an annual event at WMS.

A second Grant Request was submitted by Susan Schwab and Judd Silvia of the Special Education team. The request is for $300, to pay for transportation expenses in connection with community outreach programs the students participate in. The goal is for the students to generalize essential social and life skills taught within the classroom.

After examining the projected expenditures and revenues, the Board decided to grant $600 for the Author-Illustrator request and $300 for the request from the Special Education team. Since there were no PTO members present at the meeting other than the Board, members were contacted by telephone for votes of approval.

Principal’s Report

In March, a mural will be painted in the gym lobby. This project will be done by parents and teacher Janice Strain. School activities will be featured via silhouettes.

The 7th grade will participate in a Student Advisory one day a week, during silent reading time, beginning in mid-March through the end of the school year. Topics such as responsibility and planning ahead will be discussed with small groups of students. Teachers will lead these discussions every Wednesday, when 7th graders have last lunch. If this pilot is successful (evaluations will include student input), it will be expanded to the other grades. It is expected that at some point the state will mandate Advisories in middle schools. DMS already has a program in place.

In March, the Leadership team will focus on “Pennies for Patients” for students with Leukemia. The Puma team will also participate with the help of Health specialist Jessica Giguere. In order to concentrate on this activity, Culture Night has been cancelled. Purple bracelets will be sold for $2 each as part of the fundraiser.

Guidance is busy meeting with the 6th grade and talking about career awareness. The 8th grade is beginning to concentrate on the transition to 9th grade and high school with the help of Mrs. Guida. A Career Day is planned for the spring.

The SAC is looking at the Middle School Concept. A meeting with the PTO Board is planned to address the physical needs of the building.

The end of the grading period is March 15th, with report cards coming out on March 30th.

A motion was made to end the meeting by Nancy Sherman, and seconded by April Brunelle. The meeting adjourned at 8:00pm.

The fifth meeting of the Wickford PTO for the 2004-2005 school year convened at 7:10pm on January 18th, 2005. There were 5 people in attendance.

Treasurers Report

Treasurer Nancy Sherman presented the Financial Report. The January balance in the PTO account was $2,679.47. In light of pending grant requests, the allocation of the PTO money was discussed. After taking into consideration anticipated expenses such as 8th grade graduation, Teacher Appreciation, ice cream and Student of the Month, it was estimated that there would be about $500 remaining for grants.

Teacher Representatives

Review of Minutes

The meeting minutes from the December meeting were reviewed. A motion was made by Kathy Brown and seconded by April Brunelle to approve the minutes.

Fundraisers

The Leadership Team’s Pasta Dinner to benefit the Tsunami victims was discussed. There have been donations from Ryans and Daves. Rich Kelley volunteered to be in charge of cooking the pasta. There was a question as to whether a cafeteria employee would be required to be there and be paid by the Leadership Team.

Principal’s Report

Kathy Brown led a discussion about both available money for WMS and the Asset Management/$9million bond issue.

WMS could benefit from the Kidsucation clothing donation boxes that are placed around town. The proceeds are given back to the community and some portion comes back to the schools. There is $700 available; WMS and DMS will split these funds. It has not been determined how the funds will be spent. Davisville has already sponsored an anti-bullying program with their portion of the funds.

The School Committee agreed that the $9 million bond money should be spent as the Asset Management Committee outlined. WMS should see $1.5 million plus planning and design for items such as Septic system repair (highest priority), playground repair, heating system repair, a fire suppression system and masonry repairs. These are considered necessary repairs and are not related to any renovation or additions to WMS.

There was more discussion on the Sunshine Committee. The term, as the PTO would like to apply it, should be Social Committee. The mission of this committee would be to try and create a family atmosphere through social activities, such as movie nights, ice cream party, etc. If WMS can cultivate more of a community feeling, it will be easier to fight against things like budget cuts and for better programs, funding, etc.

A motion was made to end the meeting by Nancy Sherman, and seconded by Cynthia Kelley. The meeting adjourned at 8:00pm.

The fourth meeting of the Wickford PTO for the 2004-2005 school year convened at 7:05pm. There were approximately 7 people in attendance, including Dr. Mort and teacher rep Monica Clays.

Treasurers Report

Treasurer Nancy Sherman was not present; President April Brunelle presented the Financial Report. The December balance in the PTO account was $2,814.19.

Teacher Representatives

Teacher Rep Monica Clays thanked the PTO for its grant to Leadership. The Alton Jones training session was a great success. Many skills were learned, including problem solving.

It was also reported that the December 10, 2004 dance was very successful. Over 300 students attended, and $1,400 was raised! Funds raised will go to Leadership, Youth to Youth and the Robotics Club. It was mentioned that picking up the students after the dance was chaotic; some kind of traffic plan is needed to smooth out the process.

Review of Minutes

The meeting minutes from the November meeting were reviewed. Two corrections noted: under Fundraisers, April brought a shopping “bag” full of fundraising suggestions. Additionally, Dr. Mort removed the statement “met all standards” under Principal’s Report, as it was incorrect. Motion to approve by Ann Joyce, seconded by Kathy Brown.

Fundraisers

Mr. Merkel is reviewing the proposed “Pennies for the PTO-Give from the Heart” fundraiser.

Grant Request

Gail Salzberg, Destination Imagination Coordinator, submitted a grant request for $190. This would cover both the national registration and state fees for a team of 7 students (6th and 7th graders). There is still time to register and receive training. Motion to approve was made by Clare Pope, with Cynthia Kelley seconding.

Principal’s Report

The Turkey Trot was a great success, despite the rain! $2,583.25 was raised for the NK Food Pantry. Congratulations to Head Turkey Mr. Lane!

The school has been very busy! Winter concerts, basketball and cheerleading are taking place. Leadership made poinsettias for the staff. Mrs. Klose is teaching students how to make books. Mrs. Langlois’ students were having “roller coaster races”, studying motion and energy.

There is a new program being implemented, called READ 180, for students who need help with reading. It is an intensive reading program, funded by a grant, requiring a daily ninety-minute class period. Students will have a Personal Literacy Plan. Though this program will benefit those who participate this spring, in the future it will be used for students who are reading below grade level. Mrs. Klose and Mrs. Beveridge will be teaching the program this spring. Additional teachers will be trained.

Report cards will go out December 15th. On December 22nd, the students in Mr. Silvia and Mr. Schwab will coordinate a luncheon for the staff as part of a learning experience. The students will shop for and prepare the food; the staff will pay as if it was a restaurant.

Cynthia Kelley researched how the staff’s Sunshine Committee worked. At the beginning to the year, each staff member donates $25 to a kitty, to provide things such as cards and flowers as needed. The PTO needs to decide if we want to do more; one idea was to recognize teacher accomplishments. This will be discussed at the January 19th, 2005 meeting.

Kathy Brown brought up the Capital Improvement Program/$9 million bond that the town approved. Dr. Mort said that WMS will only get septic and fire improvements under the School Committee plan. More improvements had been on the Asset Management Plan-why isn’t WMS receiving the additional funds? Kathy Brown will discuss this at the January 19th, 2005 meeting. It was noted that the facilities at Davisville Middle are head and shoulders above ours; Dr. Mort said that there is no space for teams to meet, no place for plays or performances.

Security was discussed. A camera at the front door, with a TV in the office, might be helpful. Presently it is possible to access the school without permission, and this is potentially dangerous.

Additional issues that will be discussed at the January 19, 2005 meeting will be the Trimester system and traffic plans for dances.

The third meeting of the Wickford PTO for the 2004-2005 school year convened at 7:05pm. There were approximately 16 people in attendance, including Dr. Mort and teacher rep Tanya Signore.

Treasurer Nancy Sherman presented a Treasurer’s report, which included expenditures for the 2003-2004 school year. The balance in the PTO account was $3,146.51, with an outstanding commitment to the Leadership group of $500. It was noted that additional donations had been received, in response to the flyer sent out updating the school community on PTO donations and activities. Since there have been no additional grant requests, President April Brunelle and Secretary Clare Pope will attend the January 5th, 2005 faculty meeting to promote PTO grants.

The subject of Destination Imagination came up. No one has taken charge this year. A leader needed to be found very soon.

The meeting minutes from the October meeting were reviewed. One correction noted: Dr. Mort would like to see 100% participation in the SALT survey. Motion to approve the corrected minutes was made by Fran Fogarty and seconded by Regina Eaton.

The meeting schedule for the rest of the year was reviewed and the following schedule agreed upon:

Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Secretary Clare Pope will provide these dates to Dr. Mort for distribution on the List Serve.

President April Brunelle brought a shopping bag full of fundraising suggestions. Regina Eaton volunteered to go through and organize the materials. April would like to see a WMS Family night or some other event that, while not necessarily raise funds, will promote the community spirit.

The idea of additional fundraising for a trophy case is still on the table. Miss Signore suggested that money raised on one of the teacher “dress down” days could go to the PTO. Regina Eaton had an idea for the Valentines Day timeframe: Pennies for the PTO-Give from the Heart. Money could be collected at lunch. There would be no pressure, no door-to-door. There could be a contest associated with this fundraiser such as guess how much is raised, with a party in the winning child’s homeroom. Other ideas included some kind of a raffle, or coupons for haircuts at a local salon, with a portion of the fee donated to the PTO. Dr. Mort will look into the legality of this kind of fundraising.

Chris Maybach expressed concern about the proposed fundraiser involving Rockland Financial Mortgage Company. A few years ago, there was a problem with a Target fundraiser. The issue is a concern about money coming in when a WMS parent is personally benefiting. This led to a question by parent Steve Colucci about the mission of PTO-fundraising, education, promoting the well being of children? WMS PTO used to be much more active, with emphasis on community and enrichment. WMS PTO needs to redefine our mission, beginning with an examination of our bylaws. April asked for volunteers to undertake this task.

The issue of whether or not the SAC should take part in the approval process of PTO fundraisers was brought up again. Dr. Mort is looking to the SAC to provide advice and help her coordinate the various fundraisers undertaken by both staff and PTO. She would give the final decision after listening to the SAC’s recommendations. PTO would be required to submit a fundraising request form. April felt like this was an extra step that would complicate the process. She suggested a central calendar for fundraisers; when PTO wanted to do a fundraiser, a rep would meet with Dr. Mort, look at the calendar and choose an appropriate date. Dr. Mort indicated she wanted the SAC involved but was willing to review different ideas. No decisions would be made at the meeting.

Parent and SAC member Steve Colucci agreed with Dr. Mort that the extra step (going to the SAC for guidance) was a good thing. It would give parent input. A big concern about the Middle School sports carwash was who would be liable in case of a problem?

Finally, the idea of more “social” fundraisers was discussed. If there were such events on a regular basis, money could be raised while at the same time improving the community spirit.

Because the School Committee voted to restore funding for all Middle School sports, the money raised will be returned.

A Parent Center has been set up in the office, with copies of everything that goes home in backpack mail.

Parent/Teacher conferences were held. Some team teachers met with parents together, others had one-on-one conferences. The teacher nametags were helpful.

School Report Night attendance was only 10 parents. Despite how well WMS did this year on the State testing, Wickford Middle is classified as a School In Need of Improvement/Making Insufficient Progress. This was due to how one group was classified-basically a statistical problem. WMS actually did better then Davisville. Unfortunately, an appeal was thwarted. The School Committee will be issuing a press release explaining how Wickford Middle is really very successful.

The school musical, “Once Upon an Island” will take place November 19th and 20th at Hamilton.
The Book Fair was successful.
The Salt Survey would come out in January, 2005.
Math Night will be held on Thursday, November 18th.

Other Issues
It was emphasized again that the bylaws, function and future of the PTO needs to be examined.

Clare will send out a flyer before the December meeting asking for volunteers in areas such as Destination Imagination, Cultural Arts and 8th grade graduation.

The second meeting of the Wickford PTO for the 2004-2005 school year convened at 7:07pm. There were approximately 16 people in attendance, including Dr. Mort, teacher reps Colleen Pickering, Monica Clays and Denise Mancieri.

Treasurers Report

Treasurer Nancy Sherman reported that the balance in the PTO account is $2,576. Nancy noted that President April Brunelle has asked her to provide a report of where PTO funds were spent last year. An effort will be made to upgrade and improve the reporting of PTO financial information. An update will go out with report cards in November, including a thank you to those families that have donated.

Review of Minutes

The meeting minutes from the September meeting were reviewed. One correction noted: Monica Clays should be addressed as “Ms. Clays”. Motion to approve the corrected minutes made by Nancy Sherman, seconded by Regina Eaton.

Fundraisers

The discussion on fundraisers included a number of topics. First was the subject of Communication. It would be helpful to students and parents to know what the money raised will be used for. The QSP Magazine drive has begun; many were questioning where those funds were going. Dr. Mort said that this drive is school-wide and the funds would go into the school’s Student Activity Fund. This fund purchases books, calculators, etc, and subsidizes student activities. It was mentioned that Mr. Merkel needed help with the QSP drive.

A discussion followed about PTO taking back some of the fundraising responsibilities. The teachers could provide an idea of how much was needed and then PTO could work on fundraising that amount. Mrs. Pickering pointed out that with the turnover of teachers at WMS, many did not know where to go to look for funds. Sources such as the Student Activity fund or PTO need to be better publicized to the teachers. The idea of PTO fundraising and funding sources would be brought up in the Leadership meeting on October 20th. Secretary Clare Pope would make a letter and PTO grant request form available to Dr. Mort to send out to the teachers.

A question was asked about whether or not the School Advisory Committee (SAC) had to approve PTO fundraising. Dr. Mort explained that due to the many complaints she had received about the disorganization of fundraising at WMS, the SAC would need to approve fundraising. This had been mentioned at the September PTO meeting, but in the context of teacher fundraising. April said there had been no dialogue with the PTO about this issue, and no other PTO she knew of had to have the approval of the SAC, which is an advising body. It was agreed that there needed to be more communication and dialogue on this issue and it would be on next month’s agenda. One good suggestion was made: have a master calendar in the office for everyone to sign up for fundraising. It would then be obvious who was doing “what, when”.

Parent Comfort Okere, WMS parent and Rockland Financial Mortgage Consultant proposed a fundraiser to benefit WMS. For every loan originated by a WMS parent between now and February, 2005, $200 would be donated to the PTO. This will be discussed at the next PTO meeting; April asked Ms. Okere for recommendation/referrals so PTO could see how this has worked in the past with other organizations.

Regina Eaton has been looking into corporate funding programs but has found that most are directed to the high school level.

Middle School Sports

Robin D’Errico has received $5000 in response to the letter sent out asking for support for Middle School Sports. A Follies/Adult night is being jointly planned with Davisville Middle School. Another fundraising idea was to have Sports Camps during student vacations; Keith Kenyon didn’t want to impose in NK Recreation and Al Southwick.

There is a possibility that the School Committee may restore full funding ($17,000 was restored, for a total of $42,000 of the original $58,000 budget). If so, the extra money raised will probably go back to the NK Boosters.

Principal’s Report

Dr. Mort reported that a number of dances were approved: Halloween, Snowball, Valentine and Spring Fling. Activity nights were also approved.

There will be a Parent Corner set up in the Main Office to improve communication with parents. There will be magazine racks on the wall containing all the information that goes home in backpacks.

The Salt Survey date is not known. Dr. Mort stressed the need to respond to this survey as important decisions are made based on the results. She would like to see 100% response.

The results of the Mathematics New Standards Reference Examination (last year’s 8th graders) and the Rhode Island Writing Assessment (last year’s 7th graders) were shared. WMS did very well. Dr. Mort stressed that when the results are examined to remember that every year is different (population, seriousness in which the test was taken, etc). She would be explaining these results in further detail at the Report Night scheduled for Monday, October 25th at 7pm.

Teacher Representatives

Mrs. Mancieri presented a grant request for $1400 for the Leadership team to spend a day at the Alton Jones Campus at URI. The Leadership team was created to be the pulse of the students at WMS and this training would allow them to become a more cohesive group. The request covers the Alton Jones fee, lunch and transportation. The PTO approved $500 of this request, with Fran Fogarty motioning, and Colleen Pickering seconding. It was suggested that Mrs. Mancieri try to get this activity publicized as it is a good reflection of WMS.

Other Issues

The first meeting of the Wickford PTO for the 2004-2005 school year convened at 7:03pm. There were approximately 30 people in attendence, including Dr. Mort, teacher reps Colleen Pickering, Monica Clays and Denise Mancieri.

President April Brunelle welcomed everyone and stated that PTO is still looking for another Co-President to work with her. She also stated that she will try to conduct short, efficient meetings.

Treasurers Report

Treasurer Nancy Sherman reported that the balance in the PTO account is $2,416.08. She had recently received a 2004 8th Grade Graduation bill for flowers; the balance reflects that this bill has been paid.

Review of Minutes

The meeting minutes from the last meeting of the 2003-2004 PTO meeting were not available. It was mentioned that the last meeting dealt mostly with the 8th grade trip and graduation, which went very well. Thanks to the 7th grade parents, who were in charge of the graduation.

Fundraisers

It was explained that the PTO membership drive was one of two major fundraisers done by PTO. If the drive is successful, there won’t be a need for many others. Each team, as well as PE, conducted it’s own fundraising. Everyone is encouraged to join, both financially and through volunteering. Dr. Mort pointed out that the parent component was very important, and asked that lots of Dads get involved.

In addition to the classroom grants that the PTO typically fund, Dr. Mort and April have discussed additional fundraising for the purchase of trophy cases, to highlight both sports and academic trophies. Another idea was a permanent sign for the front of the school to announce news or activities. Wickford Middle doesn’t seem to get the publicity and recognition that it deserves; this sign and other PR would help.

Mrs. Pickering would like to see money put toward educational assemblies on such issues as bullying and making good decisions. Dr. Mort told the group that in years past, the PTO has funded the popular Ice Cream pass for birthdays. Money has also been given for Science Olympiad and Destination Imagination.

Other suggestions for fundraisers include corporate matching, continuing the basket raffle, and Entertainment books if the Pumas weren’t doing it. Dr. Mort explained that fundraising plans needed to be proposed to the SAC for approval. Fran Fogerty and Regina Eaton are interested in helping with fundraisers.

Middle School Sports

Robin D’Errico spoke to PTO about the fundraising plans to support Middle School Sports. The School Committee originally cut $50,000 of the $58,000 2004-2005 budget for sports. Through donations such as sports camps ($10,000), Boosters ($5,000), and town businesses ($2,000), as well as the proposed reinstatement of $17,000 of the original cuts (to be voted on by the School Committee on September 22), the deficit is now about $16,000. It was pointed out that if you attended the School Committee meeting when the $17,000 reinstatement was discussed, you were given the impression that sports would be “whole” and additional fundraising wasn’t needed. This is not the case. If more funds aren’t raised, the program will be “bare bones”, necessitating elimination of non-league games and choosing who can go to what (insufficient transportation budget).

Many ideas for fundraisers were discussed, including a games night, carwashes, a “Taste of NK” and dances. Davisville Middle is having a carwash to raise money. It was suggested that if you have children in the elementary school, pass the word on about this issue, as Middle Sports funding will probably be an issue every year.

An initial concern is getting all the Wickford kids to the first cross country meet, as there is only money for one bus, and there are 90 kids participating this year. An emergency meeting for Middle School Sports supporters was scheduled for Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 7pm.

Principal’s Report

Dr. Mort reported that the Open House is scheduled for 7pm on September 22, 2004. There are 374 recipients of the List Serve. The new Student Information System was brought on line 2 weeks before school started and offered some interesting challenges. Team Progress Reports will be sent electronically.

This year Wickford Middle is piloting a trimester schedule. Due to the size of the 6th grade (the “bubble” class), there is different format. The Bobcats have 4 core teacher and the Jaguars have 3. Ms. Clays is teaching math to both 6th and 8th grade; Mr. Graham is teaching 6th and 8th grade science.

7th grade has one big team-the Lynx. It is important to keep the team identity. There was a Lynx Ice Cream Social on September 14, which was well attended. This year there are two 8th grade teams, the Tigers and the Pumas.

Dr. Mort will report the testing results and Revised School Improvement Results at the October meeting.

The ceiling tiles have been removed from the cafeteria, so the kids are able to eat there. The cafeteria is an “echo chamber”; there is currently no money for tile replacement.

Teacher Representatives

Mrs. Mancieri outlined a new program she is spearheading called Student Leadership Team, which will be offered in lieu of Student Council. This concept will be developed with input from participants. Subjects to be addressed include respect, service, educational experiences and student recognition. The meetings will be on Tuesday afternoons. The group will break up into committees, so meetings won’t necessarily be weekly. Mrs. Mancieri will need parent involvement to make this work.

Mrs. Pickering offered to put a sign up sheet in the Teachers Lounge for Teacher Reps to attend the PTO meetings.

Other Issues

The third week of the month was chosen for PTO meetings. The night will alternate between Tuesday and Wednesday. The next meeting will be Tuesday, October 19 at 7pm.

PTO Meeting Minutes 2004-05

Treasurers Report

Review of Minutes

Grant Requests

Principal’s Report

Curriculum Changes

Basket Raffle

Teacher Representatives

Other Issues

Treasurers Report

Review of Minutes

Principal’s Report

Other Issues

Treasurers Report

Review of Minutes

Principal’s Report

Basket Raffle

Teacher Representative

Other Issues

Treasurers Report

Review of Minutes

Grant Requests

Principal’s Report

Treasurers Report

Teacher Representatives

Review of Minutes

Fundraisers

Principal’s Report

Teacher Representatives

Review of Minutes

Fundraisers

Grant Request

Principal’s Report

Treasurers Report

Review of Minutes

Fundraisers

Middle School Sports

Principal’s Report

Teacher Representatives

Other Issues

Treasurers Report

Review of Minutes

Fundraisers

Middle School Sports

Principal’s Report

Teacher Representatives

Other Issues

PTO Meeting Minutes
2004-05