Eakin Room Parent Meeting Minutes

9/1/05

(Minutes not in order of discussion at meeting)

Rooms represented at the meeting: Debord,  CWhite, Grooms, Hagan, Walker, Ashby ,Griffith Quiggins, Light, Bunt, Rosesen, Lomas

 

Welcome & thanks to all that have volunteered to be room parents this year.  A spreadsheet of all the room parents will be created & distributed so we can support each other this year (Get Gwen your info if you have not done so already).  For those unable to attend today, notebook & minutes will be placed in their teacher’s mailbox. 

Room parent meeting will be after drop off in the café 3-4 time throughout the school year (usually before major events).  2 weeks notice will be given so everyone can plan to attend.  It was suggested that Nadia & Gwen post reminder notices on each of the doors into the school before the meetings- will also send out a reminder email a few days before.  Let Nadia/Gwen know of other suggestions to improve communications.

 Post meeting update: the minutes to the room parents meeting will be posted on the website & as will notification of future room parent’s meetings ( none have been set as of yet though)

 

Being a Room Parent

Primary goal is to serve as a support person & coordinator for the teacher and a contact person & volunteer coordinator for the PTO.

Overview of the Room Parent Resource notebook ( will return notebooks at end of end but use what ever you like from the notebooks- has a lot of templates)
Impt Dates ( notebook has description of these events for those new to Eakin)

Landscape day 9/17

Carnival 9/30 (rain date 10/7)

Picture date 10/12

Fun Run 10/14

Eakin on Stage 2/17

Eakin Entertains 5/19

A meeting with your teacher in the next few weeks to talk about expectations can be most helpful & is strongly suggested.  It is also helpful to conduct a parent volunteer survey  in your class to see who is willing to volunteer & what they’d like to do- some parents will help with reading to class, parties etc while other are unable to attend events during the day but will help by bringing in supplies etc.  

 

Student Info Spreadsheet needed for each class

Tania Carter, PTO President has asked that each room parent be responsible for preparing a spread sheet containing information (name, address, phone, email) for each student in their class.  (Template & sample attached) Karen Cronin (chair of directory committee) will use these spread sheets to assist in preparation of the Eakin directory.   We’d like to get the directory out earlier this year & room parent assisting by providing an updated spreadsheet will facilitate this greatly.  Discussed that teacher has much of this info already as well as if parents request that information not be published.  Room parent to discuss with teacher re: getting this info.   Gwen got a list from Ms Ashby collected during orientation & then used last year’s directory to look up info.  For those students ( 2) not in the directory, Ms Ashby supplied info.   It is also helpful to use this info to create an email distribution list so communication with class can be facilitated- those w/o email will need to be called.

 

GET SPREADSHEET FOR YOU CLASS TO TANIA by 9/15.

taniacarter@bellsouth.net

 

Post meeting update:  Tania found out that the teachers have the forms indicating that parents request info not be given out, so ask you teacher for this info to include on your spreadsheet or if you are uncomfortable doing that let Tania know that this info has not been obtained.

 

Carnival

Maria Smith / Catherine Soudoplatoff are chairs of the carnival committee this year; Maria spoke with the group re: the carnival.  It will be held 9/30 (rain date 10/7) & because of the construction all activities will be outside this year behind the school.  There will be a picnic even in the park preceding the carnival- parents may purchase food or bring your own.   There will be giant inflatables, games, face painting/tattoo, dunkin booth etc this year.  No pony rides. 
Room parents need to get volunteers to staff the games at the carnival.  Each class will be responsible for covering 1 hour with 2 volunteers ( could have 4 people doing 30minute shifts but please no 15minute shifts).  If a lot of parents volunteer to help contact Maria & she has plenty of other tasks.  List of games assigned to each class distributed- will send out with minutes for those not present. ( Will come in a separate email) 

 

Contact Dana Mabry with the names of the games volunteers from your class dougdana@bellsouth.net 269-4549

 

Contact Maria Smith if you have parent who wish to help out in others ways with the carnival.  tommariasmith@comcast.net 

 

INVEST IN YOUR CHILD

Denise discussed with group the Invest In Your Child fund raising program. This year the goal is to have 100% participation- no amount is too small or too large (ha ha). Remember the IIYC @ Eakin replaces the need to sell stuff ( wrapping paper, candy etc).  The funds raised will go to purchasing new non-fiction books for the library and buying new playground equipments.  More information will be provided at the 9/8 PTO meeting.   Group discussed ways that room parents could promote Invest in Your Child to the parents in each of their classes.   Denise has asked her teacher if she can have a small portion of the teacher’s weekly newsletter to give room parent updates.  Info re: IIYC will be placed in this section of the newsletter.  Need to make donating as easy as possible- Denise will check to make sure that the form to donate is on the web site.  Also suggested that committee investigate way to do an electronic fund transfer (via pay pal- Rob Nash knows how to do this if web master needs help to do).  Bank draft is possible- must renew the bank draft every year.

 

Denise Sesler (denisesesler@bellsouth.net)

Caroline Shockley ( chair of the IIYC Committee)

 

Fund Raising for Katrina

It was suggested that we investigate ways that the children can help out Katrina disaster victims.   Ms Ross, who is from New Orleans, sent an email ( see Eakin Web site) Below is the red cross website, where you can make a donation.  Ms Ross also said that we will do appropriate fundraisers with the children( not yet determined).  If anyone has other ideas, please let me Ms Ross know

 

http://www.redcross.org/

 

 

NEXT MEETING TBD

 

 

Please contact us for any questions.  

Gwen Holder & Nadia Crank

Room Parent Coordinators

Gwen.holder@vanderbilt.edu or gwen.holder@comcast.net  646-9286 ( home) 516-8710 (cell)

Marco_Nadia@hotmail.com 331-8248; 943-7126