PTG Meeting Minutes

December 17, 2007 – Lapham

 

Introductions/Announcements:

§         Sensenbrenner donation of $2,500 to Endowment Fund.  This brings our total to over $51,000 which will allow double the grant awards at each school next year.

§         Common Wealth Development presented the PTG with an award for their work in keeping neighborhood schools open last year; one each for Marquette and Lapham

§         Kudos to Laura Chern for getting the school directories out before Thanksgiving!

§         If you have interest in connecting with the Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association (TLNA) regarding education issues contact the neighborhood rep:  Carole Trone (ctrone@uwalumni.com)

 

Principal Reports:

Anne Fisher – Affiliated Alternatives

§         Not able to make the rescheduled event.

 

Michael Hertting – Lapham

§         Holiday luncheon a success; thanks for all the volunteers!

§         Kids having a great time in snow on the playground; look for pictures near the stairway headed up to gym (the display case was a gift from Affiliated Alternatives)

§         2 major heating issues that are now fixed

§         Laminator is no longer working and using Affiliated Alternatives; will need new one for ~$3-4,000.

 

Andrea Kreft – Marquette

§         Dream Camp starts tomorrow (~ 95 kids signed up); encompasses more than basketball

§         SIP program working on keeping “above the line” program alive; working in classrooms with teachers to keep message alive

§         Geography Bee completed; Spelling Bee starting in January

§         Assisted Tech and Audio logy moving into O’Keefe: will happen after winter break

 

Anita Krasno - Fundraising Report

§         Fundraisers are complete with Innisbrook raising ~$4,000 (~$200 was donated through Innisbrook) and WI Homegrown ~$3,650; Just Coffee is ahead of project goal: raised ~$1,100 of the $1,800 goal

§         Sports swap fundraiser will likely happen in January; info forthcoming

§         Considering a new fundraiser called Simplified SCRIP (refer to the following website for info:  www.schooltimesnet.com/index.aspx).  You purchase gift cards through merchants you already buy (i.e. grocery, bookstore, apparel), then merchants will donate a percentage from each gift card to a designated PTG.  We will be putting together an informational flyer.

 

Matt Calvert - Advocacy Report:

§         Met with Marquette Neighborhood Association; they are organizing a neighborhood education representative; talked about collaborating with PTG/NAs; talked about stress art & music teachers are under (those getting class and a half – too disruptive) – could NAs work with local artists in community to volunteer within schools? Are teachers interested in these volunteer opportunities? 

§         Looking to schedule January issue forum/meeting including Sondy Pope-Roberts (school finance reform), ABC Madison, others to help stay educated on school advocacy issues.

Issues/Discussion/Planning (topics from November PTG Meeting):

1.      Advocacy Action

§         Staying ahead of “keeping our schools open”

§         Maintaining open communication with neighborhood associations

§         ACTION: Want to be more proactive/less reactive; build linkages with other PTGs districtwide, especially those schools that also lost their sage funding; make connections with TLNA and MNA; continue with action on school finance reform, at least getting educated

2.      Diversity of representation of PTG (did not discuss)

3.      Safety at Thorton and Williamson

§         ACTION: concern with elementary/middle kids crossing at intersection without light; want to pull together opportunity for Marsha Rummel to attend February meeting to hear concerns/determine action; maybe get a light moved/change a light for walk only (no right on red); hope to have something in place by spring as more kids are on the bike path; possibly extend crossing times in morning/let out to increase safety

4.      Determine roll for class reps (did not discuss)

5.      Get information on balanced literacy and direct instruction policy

§         ACTION: propose an upcoming PTG meeting for staff members to educate parents on different literacy approaches to better understand the curriculum

6.      Testing (No Child Left Behind) – making a coordinated response (did not discuss)

7.      Learning more about effects of budget cuts (did not discuss)

§         How are teachers managing class size

§         How are Affiliated Alternatives integrating into Lapham/Marquette

 

If you are interested in any of these or other topics, please consider opening a discussion on the PTG website (http://lapham-marquette-ptg.org/) and getting involved!