SEPTEMBER 3 MEETING

Attended by Tom Dooher, Peggy Daley, LaChon Richardson, Cindy Philapil, Richard Conway, Elizabeth Ristaino, Monique Perez-Jones, Linda Tashek and Lisa Twaronite Sone.

LaChon: We are going to try to keep all meetings to an hour or less, and try to do all we can by email.

Tom: We have two NEW TEACHERS this year, Kim Orbick, who is our new music teacher from Rhythm and Moves, and will do a spring program and help with the Christmas Faire. Patsy D'Argenio is our new 6th grade teacher and 6th, 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher.

I think our ENROLLMENT is 215-217. I need to go over the list. I already have 9 applications for kindergarten for next year, and this year's 2008-2009 kindergarten looks like a big sibling class.

I'm working with Anita to finish the '09-'10 budget for this year. I've got 14 GRANTS outstanding for things around the school, and most of them won't get decided until November. We got $70,000 in tuition assistance for the Alliance schools, which will be distributed according to need. And all Alliance schools got brand new math books.

Last year's graduating class always comes back, and they make a beeline to Lilia's room and tell her, MATH is so easy in high school. They say math was harder in 7th and 8th grade.

The Crayon Box wanted to use the Little House for their PRESCHOOL. We got clearance to convert its status from non-profit to for-profit, but they thought the kindergarten classroom was also part of the deal. We couldn't do that. I talked to Father about letting us have the convent again, and he [didn't agree with this]. The plan is on hiatus for now.

Social studies BOOKS will cost $12-13,000, and will be the next subject to be upgraded.

Parents' club DUES were collected by the school from each family ($25 per student) and they're being held by the school account. Peggy asks, can we get that money to use as seed money for our fundraisers?

[Introduction of new board members]

Tom: The ROOF is in good shape, and I'll take Richard up to look at it next week.

Cindy: We need more volunteers for the upcoming 8th grade CENTERPLATE on Sunday, and we need more people willing to serve as leaders .

LaChon: Here’s the SCHEDULE of events.

Back to School BBQ Night, Sep. 19th, from 6:00-9:00. Chicken, spaghetti, roll and salad -- $10 for adults, $4 for students, and we'll get it catered.

The next parents' general meeting will be Sept. 25. The Parish Festival will be Oct. 18-19, and the winetasting is scheduled for Nov. 7 [offer to Annette to run?]. Nov. 21 will be sports spaghetti night, and the Christmas Faire will be Dec 5-8. Zydeco will be Jan. 31. February 12 will be second parents' general meeting. Sports will have chili dog night on Feb. 13. Crab Feed will be March 7. Sports will have bingo night March 28, and the last parents' general meeting will be April 23. There might be pancake breakfasts, depending on the Knights of Columbus' schedule. We will be doing another tuition raffle in April.

Bowling -- January 11th? Lisa agrees to book the bowling alley. Movie night - Feb. 6?

Monique: Sees CANDY for Easter?

BOARD MEETINGS set for second Wednesday of each month, at 6:30.

DRAMA PROPOSAL -- The Wizard of Oz, to be done in May, 3-day performance. A director has all the costumes and is willing to direct the auditions, rehearsals and performance and be paid out of the box office. Tom: Let's find out how many parents are interested in this.

Peggy: It would be nice if the 7th and 8th grade kids helped out more with things like making scenery for shows, and also if room parents came to the board meetings and let everyone know what their classes are doing. They used to do this.

Cindy: We need a better system for keeping track of parent hours.

Richard: This room needs new chairs.