General Meeting Minutes - Feb. 7, 2024

Board members in attendance: Hadar Ferris (chair), Jen Kallam (co-chair), Kimberly Felton (secretary), Heather Vergason (treasurer) 

Parents in attendance: Elisa Graybill, Tamra McVey, Shannon Moorman, Jen Crosby

Hadar called the meeting to order at 6:00pm.  

Approval of minutes from 1/10/24: Hadar motioned to approve minutes. Kimberly seconded. Minutes approved. 

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER
Tomorrow is kick-off of HEART week. Encourages parents to get involved at home.
New science teacher is off to a good start.

• Question from parent: What props are not allowed? Answer: No weapons.
• Question from parent: Tell me more about Honor Society, about student involvement & collaboration. Answer: Referred to Miss Elise. Usually a number of school-wide opportunities for projects.
• Question from parent: Possible for parents to bring extra lunches for kids who are unable to bring their own lunch? Answer: Because of food allergies, possibility of food poisoning, etc., we cannot let people donate food from home. Working with the school district has not worked out. I continue to look into opportunities. Parents who are interested in helping solve this dilemma may email Ms. Raboli.

TREASURER REPORT
Chase account: $16,803.21
BottleDrop: $541.26
PayPal: $247.47

These totals do not reflect expenditures from Bingo Night; receipts are needed.

NEW BUSINESS    

Dining Night Out: 2/21 – Chipotle, Sherwood (4-8pm)  

School garden: The committee is meeting this Friday. Miss Elise has asked to incorporate the garden with Honor Society and/or Student Council.
Parent comment: Sherwood has a garden club of retired women who may want to help; the senior center in Sherwood may also be interested. 

Al’s Spring Baskets: PAC will sell vouchers for baskets, which buyers redeem at Al’s: 12-in basket voucher (PAC pays $27; will sell for $40); 10-in basket voucher (PAC pays $17; will sell for $30). PAC also can sell Al’s gift cards; a percentage of gift card sales will go to PAC. Proceeds to benefit school garden. 

Read-a-thon: This is our 6th year. Over the first 5 years, the read-a-thon earned $10,000. But once the fundraiser began making a profit, the school asked PAC to pay for the library software (which the school initially covered). Now, all fundraising proceeds pay for library software, which is $1300/year. So the library is running out of money. Read-a-thon awards used to include pizza parties, encouraging kids to read. Now all PAC can afford is free dress days…because they’re free. The library fund also have less for buying new books, due to covering the software. The school has a literacy grant; can that help pay for the software? 
   Question from parent: Any way for parents to contribute books? Answer: Library has Amazon list on website; promote to parents.

OBOB: Practice battle next Tuesday, during lunch. Friday the 23rd is the in-school OBOB battles. Winners go on to regionals. SCS is hosting the middle school regional battle: March 9 – need volunteers. Elementary regional battle: March 16. 

Book Fair: In March, a week after Read-a-thon. 

Harvest Festival: Need to put together a committee if we’re going to do it next year. 

Teacher/staff luncheon updates: Apr 5 – need 2nd grade host. 

Teacher Appreciation: Jen Crosby coordinating. Need teacher likes/dislikes spreadsheet updated; Kimberly F has contacted office re: updating.  

Winter Bingo night (1/25, 6-8pm): Went very well; 109 attended. 

Decades dance: PacMan, Rubiks Cube, glow-in-the-dark paint & tape, etc., for decorations. Roxie making flyer; hope to put into backpacks tomorrow (2/8). Hadar will ask to make an announcement Monday morning to students. 

Kids at PAC meetings? Some parents cannot come to PAC meetings because of needing childcare. Should we provide childcare? Complicated to figure out room & volunteers for childcare. Perhaps offer Zoom instead; would need to work out details.
   Parent suggestion: Any way to survey parents of children, to ask if they would utilize childcare or Zoom, before figuring out how to provide this? 

80s game & prize winner: PAC hosted an 80s trivia game at the end of the PAC meeting. Heather Vergason won a pair of 80s leggings, but graciously gave them to Elisa Graybill, who came in at a close second place.

Upcoming events:
February 15: Decade’s Dance (6-8pm)
February 21: DNO: Sherwood Chipotle (4-8pm)
February 15-29: Read-a-Thon fundraiser
March 6: PAC General Meeting (6pm)

Meeting adjourned at 8:10 pm.