PTA General Meeting #2

1. PTA General Meeting #2 November 8 2012 Agenda Budget Fundraising Upcoming Events Volunteer Opportunities Administration Update Roundtable Discussion www.swansfieldpta.org

2. PTA General Meeting #2 November 8 2012 Agenda Budget Fundraising Upcoming Events Volunteer Opportunities Administration Update Roundtable Discussion www.swansfieldpta.org

3. Budget Report

4. Fundraising Update • Membership and Direct Donation Campaign Continues • While our fall push is over, we would like to continue to be visible to parents and extended family and to be able to answer questions. One way is to have a PTA table during parent/teacher conferences and during American Education Week. • If you are interested in helping out, please contact Tanya Anderson ptavicepresident1@swansfieldpta.org. We could use you! • Membership Update -- 200 Parents and 42 Teachers/Staff have become members!

5. Upcoming Events • American Education Week November 12 - 16 • Swansfield Swings November 15 (Need volunteers!) • Teacher Conferences November 19 and 20 • PTA Hosted Dinner for Teachers and Staff November 20 (Need cooks!) • Mighty Men Kick-Off Tuesday November 20 7 PM in Media Room • Thanksgiving Holiday November 21 – 23 • Note: Book Fair moved to January or February • Best Family Recipe Day November 27 (Need cooks!) • Symphony of Lights December 5 • Winter Chorus and Band Concert December 11 • Soup Day December 18 (Need cooks!) • Strings Concert January 8 • Salad Day January 15 (Need cooks!)

6. Swansfield Swings Night! • Don’t Miss Out!  Reserve Your Seats for a Great Night of Motown music! Come enjoy Motown music at the 11th Annual Swansfield Swings featuring The Exclusives. This is an event you don't want to miss! This year’s fundraising concert will be held at Harpers Choice Middle School on Thursday, November 15th at 7:00 PM.  Forms can also be downloaded from our website http://www.swansfieldpta.org/. All proceeds benefit the Music Department. Volunteers needed: • 2 people = provide popcorn, packaged bags to for $1 • 3-4 people = provide baked goods packaged to sell for $1 (for example, 3 cookies or 2 brownies) • 4 people = check people in at the door from 6:15 to 7:00pm • 2 people = set up from 6:15 to 7:00 • 4 people = sell refreshments from 7:00 to 7:45 • 4 people = sell refreshments from 7:45 to 8:30 • Contact Jenny Fetters at jenny_fetters@yahoo.com if you can help out!

7. PTA Family Fun Night - Walk through the Symphony of Lights on Wednesday, December 5th! • Symphony of Lights is a spectacular display of 70 larger-than-life, animated and stationary light creations.  It is a long-standing community tradition and a "must-see" during the holiday season. Come support Howard County General Hospital and enjoy a healthy and seasonal community event with your school community! • PTA pays so it is free to Swansfield Families! The group tour is on December 5 at 5 PM, and in order to finish on time (5:45 PM) participants must start promptly. Cars begin to take the course at 6:00 PM. • Each person walking must have a signed, completed waiver in order to participate in the walk. Families can use one waiver per family. An adult must accompany all children, and every walker must be listed on the waiver turned back into the school. • Meet at the parking lot located at the intersection of Broken Land Parkway and Little Patuxent Parkway. The registration/check-in tables will be located at the entrance of the course. • Join us for a wonderful, free family event!

8. Cultural Arts • Check out the fantastic work of our Cultural Arts Chair, Freny Jani, putting your direct donations to work! • The World Music Concert with Nada Brahma on January 4, 2013 during the school day • Flow Circus Juggling Arts on Friday, January 25, 2013 at 6:30pm.  • http://www.flowcircuskids.com • “Around the World” Storyteller on Thursday, March 21, 2013 during the school day • Grant funded (rather than PTA funded) Artist in Residence in April • `History Alive'  by Mary Ann Jung on May 16 during the school day • Chinese Acrobats on May 17 at 7:00pm!!!

9. Volunteer Opportunities • STRIDERS – Now Fitness Fridays!!! • Striders is a recess time activity where the students walk or run the 1/4 mile loop at the school to earn token prizes. • We need at least 1 or 2 volunteers for 30 minute blocks between 11 and 2 on Fridays to encourage the students, manage the tracking cards, and hand out prizes. • The Ben Carson Reading Room – the only one in Howard County! • Ben Carson Reading room is a place where small groups of students can go during the day and read or be read to by a parent volunteer. • We would love to have parents, grandparents, or guardians spend 30 minutes per week or every other week to either read to (Pre-K - 1st grades) or monitor 3-8 students as they read quietly to themselves (grades 1-5).

10. Administration Report • Explanation of New Staff Member: Amanda Miller • Has worked in Title I Schools in primary and intermediate grades. • Will serve in an Intervention Position and work with 5th Graders as Teacher of Record. Heather Moraff will co-teach initially to articulate • Ms. Miller will also help in 5th Grade Writing and cross serve to support primary math classes. • Sharing of School Improvement Plan- SNAPSHOT • Our High-Leverage Strategies for the year and why we chose them. • This also appears on our web site under Parent Communication • Feedback on Date for 40th Birthday Celebration • Looking at February 8, 2013 • Would help us promote Conferences the following week as well. • Many parent events in January • International Night in March • Information on Mighty Men and its Implementation (See attached slides from Lenore)

12. What is the Mighty Men Program? Mighty Men is a Swansfield school initiative that involves fathers and father figures to create a presence in our learning environment and increase school involvement. 1) To provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important. 2) To provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance our safe and nurturing environment and reduce bullying. Program Goals

13. A Typical Day • Arrival & Dismissal - Greet students at the car loop and bus loop, help at the end of the day • Classroom - small group work, flash cards, individual student tutoring, homework or class work completion, or simply participate in the class instruction. • Lunch - Eat lunch with students, monitor the lunch line, help with lining up for recess • Recess - Monitor recess, play with small groups, organized game, help with at risk child • Related Arts - Help with any of the related arts classes

14. Roundtable Dialogue – Annual PTA Legacy Gift • Each year the PTA contributes to the success of our school with support to teacher and staff, organizing family events, and cultural arts opportunities. • In addition, many years the PTA has contributed to improvements at the school such as bike racks, walking path around the fields, and a computer. • What criteria might be important when considering an improvement for the school? • Legacy • Sustainable • Tied to school objective (wellness, communication, etc.) • What improvements should we consider? • One example might include • http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com

15. Thank you • Don’t forget! • American Education Week November 12 - 16 • Swansfield Swings November 15 (Need volunteers!) • Teacher Conferences November 19 and 20 • PTA Hosted Dinner for Teachers and Staff November 20 (Need cooks!) • Mighty Men Kick-Off Tuesday November 20 7 PM in Media Room • Thanksgiving Holiday November 21 – 23 • Note: Book Fair moved to January or February • Best Family Recipe Day November 27 (Need cooks!) • Symphony of Lights December 5 • Winter Chorus and Band Concert December 11 • Soup Day December 18 (Need cooks!) • Strings Concert January 8 • Salad Day January 15 (Need cooks!)

16. Contact Committee Chairs to Learn More www.swansfieldpta.org