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Parent Organization Meeting
St. Richard's School Parent's Organization Virtual General Membership Meeting October 19, 2007
Welcome to the first St. Richard's School Parent Organization Virtual Meeting. The fall general membership meeting is an opportunity for the PO to share information about what is happening at the school and to preview some upcoming events and opportunities that might be of interest to you. We appreciate that time is precious and wondered if there might be an efficient way to share this information with you without adding one more date to your calendar. From this desire, the PO Virtual Meeting was born. The PO will hold "live" meetings this year. The State of the School meeting will be held in January, with both a morning and evening session. This meeting gives you a chance to hear about the school's current health and future direction. The spring meeting, which includes the election of PO officers, will take place in May. Meetings, of course, are intended to be interactive. We do not intend to use this format to preclude an exchange of information. The PO Executive Committee invites your comments, questions, and concerns. Feel free to contact any of the PO Executive Committee members. They are listed at the end of this document as well as in the school handbook. Or, you can contact me, Suzann Lupton, President of the Parent Organization, at suzann.lupton@bakerd.com. We look forward to hearing from you. And please, enjoy the meeting. Agenda I. Headmaster's Report A report from our Headmaster, Peter Cheney, is attached to this document. II. PO Treasurer's Report A report from the PO treasurer, Marlene Marchesani, is attached to this document. II. Old Business A. PO Activities to date PO activities started before classes began. The PO hosted an early used uniform sale. This late summer event responded to a request from parents interested in completing their uniform purchases before the traditional sale that takes place during the ice-cream social. Many parents took advantage of this opportunity, and it was successful in generating extra funds for the Faculty Grant Program. The back-to-school ice cream social is an annual PO event that is eagerly anticipated by parents and kids alike. We served several hundred hot dogs and ice cream treats. Students and teachers attending the ice-cream social also received a special gift – a “Year of the Dragon” tee-shirt. These stylish shirts have been spotted in parks, stores, and at athletic events all around town. Others are wearing new St. Richard's gear purchased through the PO sportswear sale. For the first time, the PO is also offering uniform approved sweaters and vests. These will be delivered before fall break. All money earned from the PO sportswear sales is used to support the PO Faculty Grant Program. In September, the PO honored 6th through 8th grade students who received academic honors during the last term of the 2006-2007 school year at an Honors Breakfast. Congratulations to our students for their fine academic performance.
B. Money Matters 1. Development Office Report. PO assists the school in many ways, including supporting development efforts. To learn more about ways that you can choose to help, please see the attached report from the Development Office. 2. Affinity Programs: How to benefit the school without even trying. The PO offers several ways for you to support the school through your routine purchase. These include Target credit cards. A portion of every purchase you make using the card goes to the school. Applications are available at any store or near the SRS front office. We are also collecting Campbell's Soup can labels; Tyson Chicken labels and Box Tops for Education, which appear on all General Mills' products. Collection containers for these items are located at the front office. 3. SRS Magazine Sales go Online. If you or members of your family are magazine readers, please consider renewing your subscriptions through the SRS magazine program. You will be able to renew subscriptions or add new ones online. Watch the electronic Friday Folder for more information.
C. Headmaster Search Committee Report A report from the Headmaster Search Committee is attached. The report outlines the committee's progress and plans. On behalf of all parents, we offer our sincere thanks to all involved in that important effort. III. New Business A. Kenya Shoe Drive Have you seen the big shoe in the lobby? PO is honored to sponsor a drive to collect used shoes that will be delivered to a village in Kenya. We are even more honored to have the help of a dedicated group of SRS Middle School Students. Please see the attached memo on the Helping Claws to learn more about these students. This effort helps us to model charitable practices for our children and reminds all of us that the world is small and we can help others in many, often simple ways.
B. Grade Gathering Parties Recently, parents of students in the 6th grade enjoyed a grown-up evening at the Rathskeller. Parents of 2nd graders are looking forward to an all class party at the home of generous parents. Would you be willing to organize or host an activity for your child's grade? These are voluntary and casual events designed to allow parents the chance to mingle, and it would be great to see one take place in every grade. They can be sponsored or pitch in events, fancy or casual. If you are interested in organizing an event and want suggestions, please contact Marlene Marchesani at marchesani@comcast.net.
C. Note to Room Parents Thank you to all parents who have volunteered to be room parents or to assist with specific events or needs in your child's class. The room parent's job is to assist the teacher in a way that best suits the teacher's needs. This means different things in different classes. Occasionally, the PO asks for your help in carrying out some of our traditional activities, including the Gift of Time. Please watch your e-mail for a letter that will describe Gift of Time and include information on how to ensure that your class has enough parent volunteers on these date. If you have questions, please contact Suzann Lupton at Suzann.lupton@bakerd.com.
D. Upcoming PO Events 1. Sock Hop and Chili Supper: The St. Richard's Parent Organization is sponsoring a chili supper and sock hop on Friday, November 16, 2007 in the Gym. Join us for dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the gym. The Sock Hop, a favorite event for early childhood and lower school students, begins at 6:30 p.m. and lasts until 8:00 p.m. The cost, including dinner, is $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for children. A flyer will be sent home with your children on October 26 with RSVP information so be on the lookout for it. The PO is looking for volunteers to work the event. If you are interested, please contact John Papageorge at 713-3627 or jdpslp94@yahoo.com. Hope to see everyone there.
2. Shopping in the Windy City. The SRS bus trip to Chicago is back by popular demand. Get an early start on your shopping, or relaxing. More information will be coming soon. Until then, save the date, Monday December 3rd and get to making those lists IV. Thanks, Thanks, Thanks To each and every parent who has volunteered their time to assist our teachers, students, and Parent Organization please accept our thanks. To every Scout leader, coach, event volunteer, library book sale clerk, picture day assistant, room parent, and cookie baker, thank you. To the parents who sold trash bags and distributed ice cream thank you. And to the PO executive committee and our faculty representative, Tracy Hopkinson, thank you.. V. Adjourn On behalf of the PO Executive committee, thank you for your time and attention. 2007- 2008 Executive Board President: Suzann Lupton |