Gwynedd Square Home & School Association Meeting
September 21, 2010
Meeting Summary
Introductions: The meeting was called to order by Sherri Helt, GS Home & School
President, who welcomed all attendees to the meeting. Introductions were made for those
in attendance at the meeting.
Notes of Appreciation: The following acknowledgements of appreciation were noted
for the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 school year.
– 2009-2010 Olympic Day Organizers and Volunteers: Mrs. Buckner, Karen Ghandy,
Ken Bezar and the many parent volunteers who gave of their time that day. A special
thanks was given for all those who provided flexibility in their schedules in order to
participate in the day, as due to whether the date for Olympic Day was changed
several times.
– 2009-2010 EOY Teacher Luncheon: Cathy DeSonier for organizing the luncheon.
– 2009-2010 School-wide Picnic: Kristen Pawling for organizing the event, and for the
many volunteers who gave of their time to help on that day.
– 2009-2010 6th Grade Party: Maryann Kelly and Joan Sweeny for organizing the party,
and all of the volunteers who gave of their time to plan and host the event.
– 2009-2010: All of the Gwynedd Square families, volunteers, and faculty for a
successful year.
– Stuffing of 2010-2011 School Year “Green Folders”: Sharon Patterson, Debbie
Rosenblatt, Sandy Brace, Cathy DeSonier, Eileen Sullivan, Laura Thompson, Tina
Dentner, Kristen Pawling, Amylyn Criger, and all of the GS kids who also helped on
that day.
Administrative Updates & Announcements:
– Agendas and minutes for Gwynedd Square Home & School Association meetings
will be distributed electronically to the Home & School Membership. H&S members
should feel free to submit items/ topics for future agendas. All suggestions and ideas
should be e-mailed to GSEHSA@gmail.com. Anyone who wishes to receive e-mail
updates throughout the school year, and who is not already receiving them, can also
send an e-mail requesting that their name be added to the H&S e-mail distribution list.
Additional information about H&S business and activities can be found posted to the
Gwynedd Square H&S Association website:
http://www.npenn.org/5577609301071/site/default.asp
– Minutes from May 2010 GSHSA meeting were recommended for approval as written,
by Nicole Daly, and the motion seconded by Brenda Vanslembrouck.
Principal’s Report: The following information for the upcoming academic year was
provided by Mrs. Justice.
– Parent members of the Gwynedd Square Home & School Correlate Team are being
sought for the 2010-2011 school year. Correlate teams are comprised primarily of
Gwynedd Square faculty and staff members, and the use of these teams allows Mrs.
Justice to utilize shared leadership of initiatives with the faculty and staff at Gwynedd
Square.
– Gwynedd Square is an RTII (Response to Instruction and Intervention) school. RTII
is a comprehensive, multi-tiered regular education intervention strategy to enable
early identification and intervention for students at academic risk.
– Gwynedd Square continues as part of the MISE (Merck Institute for Science
Education) program/ partnership. In October, several teachers from Gwynedd Square
will travel to New Jersey to participate in the annual training and workshops provided
by MISE.
– Gwynedd Square will be a participant in Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
(OBPP) program. All faculty and staff (including cafeteria, janitorial, nursing and
administrative support staff) will undergo two full days of training in October. OBPP
is on of the best-known bullying prevention programs, and has been proven to prevent
or reduce bullying. The goals of OBPP are to reduce bullying problems and prevent
new bullying problems from happening. The program also works to make
relationships better among students.
– Gwynedd Square is expecting to receive 66 new Netbook laptops within the next
couple of weeks. The school is also expected to receive three new smart boards,
which are expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2011.
– The following are upcoming key events. Please check the Gwynedd Square website
for additional information.
 10/5 – Odyssey of the Mind Informational Night at BP for K-6 – 7 pm
 10/6 – Walk at School Day
 10/8 – Bus Safety Assembly K-4 – 9:45 am
 10/11 – Teacher Inservice
 10/13 – 6th gr. field trip
 10/14 – Parents Go to Kg. – 7 pm
 10/20 – Hearing Screening K-3
 10/20 – RtII FACE Presentation – 7 pm at ESC
 10/27 – Apple Crunch Day
 10/28 – Principal Storytime at B&N* – 6:30 pm
 10/29 – Early dismissal – 12:30 pm – AM Kg. reports
*Please note that the Home & School Association will also be hosting an Applebees Dine
around at the Applebees next to Barnes & Noble that evening.
Treasurer’s Report: The following update was presented by Dona Dyer, Treasurer, GS
Home & School Association.
– The attached report was presented for membership review. A committee has been
formed to gather and prioritize ideas for use of the $8541.14 balance of excess funds,
which currently exist in the H&S account. Ideas/ inputs will be solicited from
Gwynedd Square families, faculty and staff, and reviewed at a future Home & School
Membership meeting.
Treasurer
Report_9-13-10.pdf
– A special note was made that a completed check request form must be provided for
all reimbursement or invoice payment requests made by parent volunteers, faculty
and staff. This serves as part of the source documentation in the event of an audit.
Check request forms can be found on the Gwynedd Square website, and hardcopies
can also be found in the purple folder in the Home & School mailbox in the main
office.
President’s Report: The following update was presented by Sherri Helt.
– Hearing Tests: Susan Tooley is in need of two volunteers to assist with hearing tests,
which will be administered at the school on October 20th, from 1:00-3:15 p.m.
Volunteers should contact Susan at s_tooley@msn.com, or call 610-222-9058 if
interested in helping.
– Spanish Club (updated provided in writing by Rachel Anderson, parent coordinator
for the Spanish Club): As of September 17th, 78 students had been registered for the
Spanish Club program. With such a large turnout, the teacher for the club, Patty,
agreed to make room in her schedule for additional afternoon sessions. The goal is to
keep the sessions to a manageable number of students (~13). The organizing team for
the Spanish Club is checking with the district to secure availability of the upstairs
centrum for additional sessions. Morning sessions will likely run from 8:30-9:00 a.m.,
and the afternoon sessions from 3:40-4:10 p.m. The club is expected to begin the first
12-week session in mid-October.
– School Directory: The NPSD has decided that for the 2010-2011 school year, there
will not be a charge for copying school directories, despite continued efforts to reduce
copying costs within the district. The H&S Association is evaluating opportunities
for making the directory available electronically, as well as in hardcopy. Should
there be copying charges in future years, there may be a need to charge a nominal fee
for directories to cover the copying charges.
– Homeroom Parents: A change for the 2010-2011 school year is that 1-2 Homeroom
Parents will be assigned per classroom, versus the practice of assigning party planners
in past years. The selected Homeroom Parents will be in charge of assigning and
coordinating volunteers for all classroom parties (fall, holiday, and end of year), and
will serve as the primary liaison with teachers for classroom volunteer and/or supply
needs. Plans are to maintain a list of parents selected as Homeroom parents on a
yearly basis, to insure that equal opportunities for the role are available to all parent
volunteers.
– Coordinating Council – Two representatives from Gwynedd Square attend the
monthly meeting of the North Penn Coordinating Council (NPCC). The idea is to
promote communication between Home & School Associations and the NPSD. Last
month NPSD Manager of Technology, Robin Lutcher spoke about the technology
program within the district. All parents are welcome to attend the first half of a
NPCC meeting. At the October meeting, Bert Hynes will be the speaker at Pennfield
Middle School.
– GS Home & School Association By-Laws: New by-laws need to be updated and
approved by the end of this year 2010. Per NPCC guidelines, H&S associations are
required to renew the by-laws every two years, so as not to compromise our taxexempt status. The Executive Board is in the process of updating the by-laws. When
complete, the by-laws will be e-mailed to the Home & School membership and
posted for a 30-day review. Plans are to vote on the revised by-laws at the November
Home & School Association meeting.
Fundraising Updates: The following updates were presented by Tina Dentner, GS
Home & School Assoc. VP of Fundraising.
 KidStuff Fundraiser: The annual KidStuff fundraiser will begin the week of
September 27th. As in past years, a KidStuff book will be sent home with the
youngest only children, and payment is to be made (or the book returned, unused).
For those that sell additional books, one free book is received for every 5 books that
are sold.
 School Store: Nicole Daly (School Store Co-Chair) updated the membership that
School Store will occur the first Friday of every month starting in October. October
1st is the date of the first school store. Students will be allowed to shop during
specified school hours, and prices for school store items will again range from $0.252.50.
 Cash Back Programs:
o Much of our budget comes from the cash back programs. Please support these
programs, such as BoxTops and grocery cash back opportunities (e.g.,
Genuardi’s). It was acknowledged that the closing of Genuardi’s at
Towamencin Village, on October 13, might impact our ability to meet our
fundraising goal. If there are other grocery stores or places that GS parents
frequently shop, such as Redner’s or Foodtown, please let us know so we can
approach those places to participate in similar cash back opportunities.
o We are also looking for a volunteer to chair our printer cartridge recycling
program as the last partner that the school was working with has discontinued
their effort. If you are interested in volunteering for this opportunity, please
contact tina.dentner@comcast.net
H&S Event & Program Updates: The following updates were provided by Noelle
McLaughlin, VP of Social Events.
 Friday, September 24, 2010, from 6-8 p.m., is the Welcome Back Block Party, which
is being chaired by Judy Hamilton and Kristen Pawling. There will be a DJ, food,
arts and crafts, and many fun activities (and three lucky children will be silly
stringing Mrs. Justice). Cost is $2 per person. Participants can pre-pay or pay at the
door.
 A Hayride, being chaired by Nicole Daly, is scheduled for Friday, November 5th, at
Merrymead Farm. The cost will be $4 per ticket, and the hayride at 6 p.m. A flier for
the event will be sent home in a future Backpack Wednesday.
 Open Chairperson Positions: A few positions remain open and in need of a
chairperson(s), including, Overall Coordinator for the Winter Festival and the A-thon.
Helpers and co-chairs are always welcome. An e-mail will be sent to membership
highlighting the remaining, open positions. Please, consider getting involved!!
The GS Home & School Meeting was adjourned at 8:05 p.m. The next meeting will
take place on Tuesday, October 19, 2010, in the library.
Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
Membership Meeting
October 19, 2010
I. Call to Order
Sherri Helt called the October 19, 2010 membership meeting of the Gwynedd Square Home and
School Association to order at 7:02 pm in the library
II. President’s Welcome, Introductions and Appreciation
A. Approval of the meeting minutes from the September 2010 GSHSA was given
B. Sherri relayed the following notes of appreciation from within the school: Donna
Gallagher for chairing/coordinating Picture Day; Judy Hamilton/Kristen Pawling/Kelly
Ann Johnson plus all the helpers and volunteers who help make a great night of fun for
our students at the Back to School Block Party. We would like to especially thank Mrs.
Justice for allowing herself to be covered in "Silly String". Thank you to all of the
parents who sent in BOX TOPS and GS custodial staff for helping us set up for the event
as well as clean up. Thanks to Cathy DeSonier and team for coordinating Kid Stuff
Books, our first fundraiser of the year. Sherri also thanked all the many parent volunteers
that helped our students paint the new mural in the library as well as Joe Low for being
our Artist-in-Residence. A special thank you to Sharon Patterson & Kelly Ann Johnson
for organizing the Homeroom Parent volunteers (new this year). Thanks to Christie
Clemens for chairing the Nominating Committee - filling the chair positions as well
as reaching out and finding the 2010-11 Board Members. Thanks to Rachael Anderson
and Monique Gibson for all their efforts for in forming/organizing the Spanish Club (new
this year). Finally, Sherri thanked Laura Thompson for taking over the 'Around the
Square' newsletter.
III. Treasurer’s Report:
a. Register report: Donna Dyer shared that a lesson learned was that this is the first
year that we have a large payout for a field trip for the beginning of the year, and a
large payment for Artist in Residence. As we have budget discussions in the spring,
we need to be aware for next year to carry over funds. Mrs. Justice thanked the
membership for the field trip for the sixth graders.
b. Income report: overall budget is $34,500. KidStuff sales are a bit behind compared
to previous year. A check from District sales will be received in December. No
changes in dues/donations since last month.
c. Expense Report: $85 deposit is for hay ride/bonfire, Welcome Back Block Party is
under budget.
d. Education Support: There is a balance of $600 currently and we are expecting
another $200 to be returned, but a balance of $700 will be left as $100 is spoken for
to provide gift cards for other teachers.
e. Request has been made for fifth grade field trip, fourth grade field trip deposit has
been paid, and tip to bus driver for sixth grade field trip will need to be paid.
f. The Treasurer’s Report was motioned and approved.
IV. Principal’s Report
Mrs. Justice shared the following updates:
a. 10/25-29 – Red Ribbon Week activities-This year’s theme is “100 % drug free is the
way to be!”
b. 10/27 – Apple Crunch Day: Healthy eating will be encouraged, Mrs. Justice
suggested using her Principal’s home and school funds to make sure all of the
children have an apple to eat that day.
c. 10/28 – Principal storytime @ B&N – 6:30 pm, children will get no-homework
permits if they attend.
d. 11/1 – Picture retakes – 2 pm
e. 11/2 – No school – inservice
f. 11/8 – No school – conferences
g. 11/9 – Early dismissal – conferences PM
h. 11/11 – Parent/Child Literacy Night – 7 pm: children may attend/participate
i. 11/15-11/19 – American Education Week (visitation Tuesday, Wed & Thursday)
j. 11/17 – RIF Day for the 1st grade in the a.m.
k. RTII Training is completed for Phase 1 School. A letter will go home regarding to
parents regarding the tiers. RTII Parent Meeting is 10/20/2010 evening at ESC.
l. Anti-bullying training for teachers is complete and will continue in November.
m. Math Night has been cancelled
n. 60 mini-computers have arrived and security for them is being organized
V. President’s Report
A. Old Business
a. By laws need to be reviewed every 2 years. They have been revised by Executive Board,
and Sherri will send them to the membership for review and hopes for a vote in January.
b. The Gmail account is still having issues.
c.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Tuberculosis testing is required for all school volunteers. Forms were provided at this
meeting. The testing is required is for daytime school volunteer once during the
volunteering time. Testing is done at NPHS and no appointment is needed.
d. School directories are not in yet. Mrs. Justice did not approve the final copy, however it
is expected that the directories are already in print
e. On behalf of the school/Mrs. Justice, no siblings are allowed during school volunteering
due to disruption to the school day.
f. Odyssey of the Mind- Jane Toscano and Sophia Khwaja were present at the meeting and
are hoping to plan an info session with Amy Faga regarding OOTM. GS is trying to get a
feel for how many children/families are interested. 7 kids/team, must supply 2 judges
(Nov. 20th is judge training) and each team needs at least 1 judge. Jane Toscano attended
an informational session and is garnering interest. OOTM will ask for funding from
H&S. Fee is $135 (covers 10 teams) for the school and each additional team is an $60.
This would be an unbudgeted request and vote from the membership would need to be at
the November meeting. Teams would need to meet at a member’s home. Parents will
need to be involved and this is not a drop activity. Most teams meet 1-2 times/week,
more often as competition approaches. Christie Clemens raised concerns about how
children will be selected for the teams to make this a fair experience; Sherri Helt will
send an email regarding this from the H&S to inform parents about OOTM; Concern
was raised that regarding OOTM teams dissolving after being funded by the Home and
School Association. It was suggested that the families fund the OOTM for the team fee
of $60. Each problem will also have a cost between $100-$150 to fund the solution. Mrs.
Justice offered support of principal’s fund from B&N Night. February 12 th is Judges
training. March 19th is regional, state is in April, and world competition will follow.
New Business
i. Home and School Fundraisers: Time For Kids was voted upon for fifth and
sixth grade from the educational grants for $635. Teachers use TFK as a
supplement to news/current events/social studies. The motion was approved.
ii. Fundraising
a) Applebee’s Dine Around in Montgomeryville(10/28)- 10% of dine
around will go to GS, take out is offered as well; A flyer is required to
have the monies go to GS; Coupons for BN Night will also provided to
ensure funds go to GS.
b) Fall Book Fair (11/17-19): this is during American Education Week
and is on schedule
c) One for Books will be promoted to raise money via Scholastics to buy
books for families in need. Volunteers are needed to help during the
school day.
d) Winter Festival Basket Raffle: Debbie Rosenblatt discussed collection
of items from families for their children’s class theme. Outside
businesses are also solicited. All donations are accepted from families.
November 3rd is the deadline. Presale of raffles will be done.
H&S Events/Programs
i. Hayride (11/5) - at Merrymead, Nicole Daly is chairing; there is a bonfire from
7-8pm, hayride is 6-7 pm. A bake sale will be held. Tickets must be prepurchased. October 29th is deadline for purchasing tix ($4). Money will be
refunded in the event of rain.
ii. Ice Cream Social (11/19): Is in conjunction with book fair. Ice cream price via
DQ has gone up.
Open Positions: Winter fest chairs have been found as well as Athon chairs. Wendy Edelman
has accepted the chair position for Game Night. Open positions include family fitness night and
teacher appreciation week. Sherri thanked the parents for volunteering.
Announcements/Comments/Concerns/Ideas
a. Bus to the Future is planned for November 12, 2010.
b. Paul Edelman suggested contacting Nicole Yeder as a speaker for Olweus anti-bullying
program. He also inquired to the feasibility of uniforms in the NP School District and
encouraged discussion among the membership.
The next meeting is to be held on November 30, 2010 in the library. The meeting was adjourned
at 8:02pm.
Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
Membership Meeting
September 21, 2010
VI. Call to Order
Sherri Helt called the January 25, 2011 membership meeting of the Gwynedd Square Home and
School Association to order at 7:07 pm in the library.
VII. President’s Welcome and Appreciation
A. Approval of the meeting minutes from the November 2010 GSHSA was given
B. Sherri thanked the following for their efforts in helping out with the Winter Festival:
Kristine Harkins (Overall Coordinator), Debbie Rosenblatt & Barb Bezar (Basket Raffle),
Amy Kirkpatrick (Dinner), Catherine McGeehan (Crafts), Kristy Matulevich (Secret
Shoppe),
Barb Bezar (Vendor Tables),
Nicole Daly (Volunteer Coordinator) and
Paul Edelman (DJ)
C. Guest Speakers
Nicole Yetter, NPSD Guidance Counselor/Safe Schools Coach: Nicole joined
membership to provide valuable information about the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.
At the end of
this year, 13 buildings in the NPSD will be trained on the program.
The program is based on
research from past 30 years on approximately 75,000 students
and five longitudinal studies. The
main component of the program is classroom
meetings with the teacher about once per week, focusing on bullying and how to address it,
empathy training, diversity, friendship, etc and spreading this culture throughout the school.
There is a core committee at GS of parents/support
staff that participated in 2 day
training and then trained the entire school staff for ½ day. The
Olweus kickoff is
scheduled for March 4th for the children at GS. The basis of the program is a
proactive approach to build a community in which all feel safe at the school. Trend
reports will be generated based upon surveys of children and staff and the program has been
very welcomed
by all. Five rules of bullying will be reviewed with GS classrooms at
the beginning of the program and classroom meetings have already begun. The GS theme
for the kickoff is “I AM
THE Solution” and a pep rally including the parents will be
held at the end of the kickoff day,
with an assembly/celebration held during the school
day. Bullying on school buses was
discussed and concerns were raised by parents
regarding how bus drivers are instructed to
handle situations. Paul Edelman raised
request for H&S to fund t-shirts- Mrs. Justice has
been
soliciting donations, and
Sherri Helt shared that the t-shirts were not budgeted for this year. Post
meeting note:
Mrs. Justice did not receive a donation of t-shirts from Hanes for the program.
D. Robin Lutcher, NP Manager of Technology: Robin joined the membership to provide
an update on the status of technology within the NPSD, as well as at GS specifically.
The technology program is in the 3rd Year of current Tech plan (the first of a two <three
year each> part plan ending in 2014). Mini computers were added at GS because two
mini laptops could be purchased for the price of one laptop. Currently there are eight
Smartboards, a document camera, etc. GS is currently in the process of moving to
Microsoft 7 and processes are being tested for compatibility. Robin shared that the
technology program is looking forward to increasing inventory, professional development,
increased storage, virtualization, etc. The program is planning to do a pilot with RTII
with the Ipads focusing on grades 1-3. Classroom Performance Systems have just arrived
at GS and are now available for the teachers to sign out for use. Smartboards have not
been ordered this year although they are in the budget. The NPSD Superintendent and
Business Director have asked Robin to wait on ordering the components, although she
has recommended moving forward. Membership raised concern regarding equity issues
among elementary classes for distribution of the Smartboards. Robin shared that the
current plan is to install and train the teachers on the Smartboards over the summer- GS
will have 3 Smartboards coming for next year, plus more are planned for orders next
year; H&S can purchase Smartboards at any time (~$3800/Smartboard) by working with
Mrs. Justice (A maximum of 2/year donated by H&S is allowed because of facilities
resources needed for installation). Paul Edelman raised concerns about fairness of lack of
Smartboards in many classrooms.
VIII.
Principal’s Report
Due to time constraints, the following events were provided to Elinda Kormann by Mrs. Justice
following the meeting:
2/3 –
Family Game Show Literacy Night – 6:30 pm
2/3 –
Course Info & Selection Mtg. at PD for 6 th gr. – 7 pm
2/18 – RIF in 1st grade
2/21 – President’s Holiday – No school for students
2/24 – School Physicals
2/24 – Science Night – 6:30 pm
2/25 – CAS Workman in 5th grade
OTL Club begins February 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22 and 24
IX. Treasurer’s Report
A. Dona Dyer reviewed the budgets (see Home and School website for complete budget updates)
B. Strategic Planning Committee Update: Nicole Putnam discussed the excess funds that have
been collected; 131 votes were received in regards to the desired use of the excess funds. The
top votes were given on a point system and most votes were received for Smart Board
technology, playground equipment improvement and playground grounds improvement.
Nicole met with Mrs. Buckner regarding what could be done to make improvements to the
playground; she also mentioned that the money will be focused proportionately on where the
votes were received and will prepare suggestions for the Executive Board to bring to
membership vote; Nicole will provide more information in February membership meeting;
Mrs. Justice has requested for the past four years for the playground to be re-paved and relined, however with upcoming budget cuts, she does not foresee this being completed.
C. We are about ½ through the budget cycle for the current year; 1099 forms have been
completed and mailed; 1096 has been submitted; Coordinating councils six month report has
been completed; Mrs. Justice noted that a $200 donation was made for the Olweus banner.
The Treasurer’s Report was motioned and approved.
X.
President’s Report
A. Old Business:
1. Membership is not voting yet on by-laws yet; an incident occurred at Winterfest of
~$600 missing from cashbox and by-laws and chairpersons’ packages are needed to
be updated accordingly to address handling of monies and chairperson
responsibilities.
2. Nominating Committee: Laura Thompson and Nicole Daly are soliciting volunteers
for any Executive Board
3. Calendar of Events: Noelle McLauglin will be soliciting information/opinions from
parents regarding events to do for next year
4. In April membership will review the Fundraising Plan and Calendar of Events Plan
5. Votes for Executive Board Membership will be held in May 2011. Sherri Helt
announced that she will not be seeking the President position as her tenure is
expiring.
6. Pam Gallagher, Director of Food Services, forwarded her apologies regarding
changes made to lunch menu and not communicating to the parents; The next
month’s menu will be posted by the 15th of the previous month
B. New Business:
A. Science Night (2/24): Sofia Khwaja and Elizabeth Broughman are chairing; Mad
Science stage show will be held as well as a display of student projects; a flyer will
be send via BPW and monthly newsletter; No theme this year.
B. Variety Show (3/25): Brenda Dougherty/Laura Thompson are chairing; Volunteers
will be solicited to assist because this is a large event, an extra room will be used
this year. Flyers will be sent out, a meet/greet for the kids will possibly be held so
that kids can coordinate their acts. Children will be informed as to appropriate
dress/lyrics for the event
C. Spirit Wear: Sherri Helt raised the Executive Board’s proposal of adding a dollar to
cost of clothing to help meet budget this year; The Spirit Wear sale will not be held
until mid-late March; Paul Edelman raised concerns about lack of monies and
suggested that Home and School directly reach out to parents for extra donations;
Sherri mentioned that the A-thon will be a direct donation fundraiser; Laura
Thompson suggested providing parents with more frequent review of breakdown of
costs associated with certain events in order to hopefully solicit larger donations
from GS families to the Home and School Association.
D. H/S Fundraisers
Original Art/Kid Art: Children are currently working on the art and it will be
bundled/packaged/distributed in March.
The meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be held on February 15,
2011.
Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
February 15, 2011
Meeting Minutes
I.
II.
III.
Call to Order: Sherri Helt called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.
President’s Welcome, Introductions and Appreciation
a. Approval of Minutes – January 2011, motioned by Sheila Bonitz,
seconded by Wendy Edelman
b. Sherri Helt recognized the following individuals for their contributions:
Dona Dyer for chairing for DARE along with her volunteers; Eileen
Sullivan for Lost & Found; our speakers last month Robin Lutcher and
Nicole Yetter, as well as our Home and School Association parents for
staying longer than normal.
Principal’s Report
2/24 – School Physicals on 9-11 am & Science Night – 6:30 pm
2/25 – Cas Workman PSSA workshop in 5th grade to work on writing with
students
3/1 – 6th grade to attend Penndale play – 12 to 1:30 pm
3/3 – Museum Night – 7 pm under Mrs. Dischell’s direction
3/4 – Olweus kick-off day – Assemblies at 9:30 am for grades K-3 &
10:30 am for grades 4-6; classroom meetings/banner creation/Penndale
Puppets show will also be held this day; Pep Rally will be held at 2 pm which
parents can attend, as well as either of the assemblies.
Mrs. Buckner is focusing on Heart Healthy Month in February, Hat Day is
February 18th to raise money for Heart Healthy Month; An IMAT computer has
been received as a grant- six staff members have been trained- can possibly be
used as a television for morning announcements
PSSA testing Gr. 3-6 – March 14-25
PSSA Writing Gr. 5 – March 28-April 1
PSSA Science Gr. 4 – April 4-8
Mrs. Justice met with North Penn Education Foundation regarding grants
(principal can assist the Home and School Association in composing a
grant through a staff member working with HSA correlate team member)there is a silent auction and a luau at Pinecrest Country Club coming upshe would appreciate any donations for a “pamper yourself” basket proceeds go to NP Education Foundation on Apr 10, donations needed by
March 21st. A list of grants can be found on the district’s web page.
IV.
Treasurer’s Report
a. Minimal transactions since last meeting
b. Dare T-shirts shipping is actually for cupcakes provided by Dona Dyer
c. See website for updated budget transactions
V.
President’s Report
A. Old Business
1. By-laws: Update will be sent out prior to March meeting
2. All positions for executive board are open for next year (20112012): See Laura Thompson/Nicole Daly if interested, also any
interested parties are welcome to attend Exec Board meetingssee Sherri Helt
3. Community Outreach Adopt a School Program will be held in
March: requesting donations of supplies for GS families as well
as a school in Philadelphia
B. New Business
1. Open Positions
a. Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week*: May 2 nd through May
6th, budget is $600; Chairperson is still needed for this
event
2. H&S Events/Programs
a. Science Night (2/24): Volunteers are still needed, no
theme, Mad Science presentation
b. Variety Show (3/25): First rehearsal is 2/23; looking for
a sixth grader to emcee the event; all grade levels are
invited to participate; parents may stay at rehearsals if
they choose but not required
c. Social Events:
i. Welcome Back Block Party: Chairs are needed
for next year
ii. Noelle provided a prototype draft calendar of
events that will presented in March, voted upon
in April; this was created based on the survey
sent out to families regarding school events
3. H&S Fundraisers
a. Cash Backs: Tina Dentner provided an update and a
reminder that box top submission deadline is end of
February. Tina presented a variety of products that
carry the Campbell’s labels (i.e., Pepperidge Farm, Pop
Secret, etc.); Wendy Edelman requested parents please
send labels in envelopes or baggies; Tina discussed
registering her Genaurdis card at
labelsforeducation.com to increase point values for
items purchased. Mrs. Justice offered Student Council’s
and the After School Program’s help to Mrs. Edelman
with the label preparation for submission. Dona Dyer
asked if an internet connection could be provided at
school events (i.e., Welcome Back Block Party) to sign
up families live for cash back programs with Home and
School Association’s assistance. Christie Clemens also
suggested checking with the cafeteria staff for any
Campbell’s products.
b. Capri Sun juice pouch collection for cashbacks: Needs
to be discussed with cafeteria staff regarding a recycling
bin for the items. Wendy Edelman offered to look into
furthering the initiative. Christina Hazzard is also
assisting with this initiative.
c. Paul Edelman passed out his petition for NP School
Board asking members to sign.
Spirit Wear: This item will be discussed at the March
2011 meeting
4. Announcements/Comments/Concerns/Ideas
a. Nancy Witta is retiring as of April 1, 2011
d.
VI.
Adjournment –
a. Next Meeting, March 22, 2011
1. Guest Speaker: Dr. O’Sullivan, Principal Penndale
DID YOU KNOW?
 Any parent interested in joining the 2011-12 GS Executive Board, please email Laura
Thompson at laurat164@yahoo.com or Nicole Daly at daly916@comcast.net. All
positions are opened.
 At March’s meeting – presentation of the 2011/12 Calendar of Events and Fundraising
Plans.
 Our Fifth Graders had their DARE graduation and reception on February 4th. Each
received a certificate and DARE t-shirt funded by our H&S.
 Check out www.NorthPennUnderTen.com . Family events happenings in the Lansdale,
Hatfield, North Wales, Montgomeryville, Colmar, Towamencin, Upper Gwynedd areas.
Dates to Remember:
2/21 – No School
2/24 - Science Night, 6:30pm
3/3 – Museum Night, 7pm
3/22 – H&S Meeting, 7pm
3/25 – Variety Night, 7pm
Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
April 26, 2011
Meeting Minutes
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:04 p.m. by Sherri Helt.
President’s Welcome, Introductions and Appreciation
a. Approval of Minutes – The March 2011 minutes were approved by the
membership.
Guest Speaker – Steph Simon, NP Education Foundation spoke to the membership.
The NPEF is a group made primarily of volunteers from the business community
and volunteers that support efforts not covered by normal funding. Key members of
the district serve as well (ie, Superintendent, board member, etc.). The NPEF’s
purpose is to raise funds for teachers/administrators’ grants. There is a grant review
system. For varying reasons, they have branched out beyond grants to other
initiatives to items such as the welcome center at the ESC. Funds are raised in a
few ways: silent auction, luncheons at area restaurants, staff tribute program, and
corporate sponsorships. Steph provided a list of the types of grants provided in the
past as well as a copy of the past annual report. Mrs. Justice and Steph thanked
the membership for the donation of the basket for the recent fundraising luau. Dona
Dyer let Steph know that GSHSA did not receive a request for a donation from the
membership however funds have been set aside. Steph will look into the matter.
Principal’s Report
a. Mrs. Warbrick presented the Elmo Doc Projector for the membership.
She highlighted the use of the machine in the classroom for the group.
There was discussion among the group about the use of the Elmo vs.
Smartboards. Use of and Elmo requires a projector, however this
projector is the same that is needed for use with the Smartboard.
b. Donuts with Dad: Mrs. Justice sent email to head of nutrition letting her
know of nutritional concerns of parents regarding this event.
c. Staff Appreciation Week is coming along nicely
d. Band Assembly is going well
e. See attached document for Principal’s Report on list of upcoming GS
events
XI.
Treasurer’s Report: Please see website link
a. 2011/12 Budget preview:
A. Kids Art is paid for, as well as all assemblies and field trips
B. We will achieve targets for all cashback programs
C. Athon is ongoing and we are still behind target
D. Bookfair is upcoming and will hopefully be successful
E. Spanish Club holding monies have been dispersed
F. Draft budget was also discussed that was prepared by the Executive
Board. This was provided to the membership. If membership has
concerns, please send a note to Dona Dyer or Sherri Helt in advance
of the next membership meeting, at which time a vote will take place.
Sherri pointed out that funding of classroom parties was removed for
next year.
XII.
XIII.
President’s Report
A. Old Business
1. Vote
a. Bylaws (revised) were voted upon. The Bylaws were
approved by membership.
B. New Business
1. Vote:
a. Sign letters are cracking and need to be replaced - $146
is the quote; membership voted to purchase new letters.
b. 2011/12 Social Events were presented by Noelle
McLauglin (see attached): Fitness Night was put back
into schedule instead of Movie Night, Game Night was
put into schedule for February; The calendar was
approved by membership.
c. 2011/12 Fundraising Plan was presented by Tina
Dentner (see attached). Tina discussed the Race for
Education program and the need for Mrs. Justice’s
support as it is a daytime event; however, Mrs. Justice
noted she already investigated that she did look into the
matter and it goes against administrative regulations.
She noted that membership may want to contact
Christine Liberaski. Sherri will follow-up with Dr. Dietrich
at a meeting on May 2nd. Tina noted that there is a
parent interested in chairing a clothing drive as a
fundraiser. Mrs. Justice suggested utilizing staff as
chaperones for off site events. The fundraising plan was
approved by membership.
2. Announcements/Comments/Concerns/Ideas
a. Dona Dyer raised concerns about the cookbook
recipe/artwork collection. She asked Mrs. Justice to
send an email requesting more recipe submissions and
for teachers to have children to work on artwork
submissions. Recipes and artwork are needed by
Monday, May 2nd.
b. Sherri Helt raised the idea of moving membership
meetings to 6:30 p.m. next year. A vote will be taken at
the next meeting.
Adjournment
a. Next Meeting, May 24
1. Vote: 2011-12 Budget and Officers: Nominees will be posted a
week prior to the meeting and nominations will be taken on the
floor the night of the meeting as well.
H&S Dates to Remember:
4/29 – Dance A-thon, 3:45pm
5/2-6 – Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week
5/19 - Spring Book Fair & Water Ice and Dessert Social, 6:30 – 8:30PM
DID YOU KNOW?
Our 5th & 6th graders participated in the Reading Olympics, held at Colonial Middle School; each
team received a blue ribbon. Congratulations!
The 6th grade group photo has been rescheduled for May 16th.
Last day of school is Thursday, June 16th.
The Calendar dates for the 2011-2012 school year can be found on the North Penn website. The
calendar indicates the first and last days of school, in-service dates and holidays.
An Innovation Celebration will be held at Penndale Middle School on May 2 at 7pm. This event
will feature 40-plus displays of efforts related to cost curtailment, revenue enhancement and
investments in productivity. This is an excellent opportunity for community members to see the
cost saving efforts that are currently underway as well as ideas that are under consideration that
need more input.
Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
April 26, 2011
Meeting Minutes
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIII.
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:04 p.m. by Sherri Helt.
President’s Welcome, Introductions and Appreciation
a. Approval of Minutes – The March 2011 minutes were approved by the
membership.
Guest Speaker – Steph Simon, NP Education Foundation spoke to the membership.
The NPEF is a group made primarily of volunteers from the business community
and volunteers that support efforts not covered by normal funding. Key members of
the district serve as well (ie, Superintendent, board member, etc.). The NPEF’s
purpose is to raise funds for teachers/administrators’ grants. There is a grant review
system. For varying reasons, they have branched out beyond grants to other
initiatives to items such as the welcome center at the ESC. Funds are raised in a
few ways: silent auction, luncheons at area restaurants, staff tribute program, and
corporate sponsorships. Steph provided a list of the types of grants provided in the
past as well as a copy of the past annual report. Mrs. Justice and Steph thanked
the membership for the donation of the basket for the recent fundraising luau. Dona
Dyer let Steph know that GSHSA did not receive a request for a donation from the
membership however funds have been set aside. Steph will look into the matter.
Principal’s Report
a. Mrs. Warbrick presented the Elmo Doc Projector for the membership.
She highlighted the use of the machine in the classroom for the group.
There was discussion among the group about the use of the Elmo vs.
Smartboards. Use of and Elmo requires a projector, however this
projector is the same that is needed for use with the Smartboard.
b. Donuts with Dad: Mrs. Justice sent email to head of nutrition letting her
know of nutritional concerns of parents regarding this event.
c. Staff Appreciation Week is coming along nicely
d. Band Assembly is going well
e. See attached document for Principal’s Report on list of upcoming GS
events
Treasurer’s Report: Please see website link
a. 2011/12 Budget preview:
A. Kids Art is paid for, as well as all assemblies and field trips
B. We will achieve targets for all cashback programs
C. Athon is ongoing and we are still behind target
D. Bookfair is upcoming and will hopefully be successful
E. Spanish Club holding monies have been dispersed
F. Draft budget was also discussed that was prepared by the Executive
Board. This was provided to the membership. If membership has
concerns, please send a note to Dona Dyer or Sherri Helt in advance
of the next membership meeting, at which time a vote will take place.
Sherri pointed out that funding of classroom parties was removed for
next year.
XIX.
XX.
President’s Report
A. Old Business
1. Vote
a. Bylaws (revised) were voted upon. The Bylaws were
approved by membership.
B. New Business
1. Vote:
a. Sign letters are cracking and need to be replaced - $146
is the quote; membership voted to purchase new letters.
b. 2011/12 Social Events were presented by Noelle
McLauglin (see attached): Fitness Night was put back
into schedule instead of Movie Night, Game Night was
put into schedule for February; The calendar was
approved by membership.
c. 2011/12 Fundraising Plan was presented by Tina
Dentner (see attached). Tina discussed the Race for
Education program and the need for Mrs. Justice’s
support as it is a daytime event; however, Mrs. Justice
noted she already investigated that she did look into the
matter and it goes against administrative regulations.
She noted that membership may want to contact
Christine Liberaski. Sherri will follow-up with Dr. Dietrich
at a meeting on May 2nd. Tina noted that there is a
parent interested in chairing a clothing drive as a
fundraiser. Mrs. Justice suggested utilizing staff as
chaperones for off site events. The fundraising plan was
approved by membership.
2. Announcements/Comments/Concerns/Ideas
a. Dona Dyer raised concerns about the cookbook
recipe/artwork collection. She asked Mrs. Justice to
send an email requesting more recipe submissions and
for teachers to have children to work on artwork
submissions. Recipes and artwork are needed by
Monday, May 2nd.
b. Sherri Helt raised the idea of moving membership
meetings to 6:30 p.m. next year. A vote will be taken at
the next meeting.
Adjournment
a. Next Meeting, May 24
1. Vote: 2011-12 Budget and Officers: Nominees will be posted a
week prior to the meeting and nominations will be taken on the
floor the night of the meeting as well.
H&S Dates to Remember:
4/29 – Dance A-thon, 3:45pm
5/2-6 – Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week
5/19 - Spring Book Fair & Water Ice and Dessert Social, 6:30 – 8:30PM
DID YOU KNOW?
Our 5th & 6th graders participated in the Reading Olympics, held at Colonial Middle School; each
team received a blue ribbon. Congratulations!
The 6th grade group photo has been rescheduled for May 16th.
Last day of school is Thursday, June 16th.
The Calendar dates for the 2011-2012 school year can be found on the North Penn website. The
calendar indicates the first and last days of school, in-service dates and holidays.
An Innovation Celebration will be held at Penndale Middle School on May 2 at 7pm. This event
will feature 40-plus displays of efforts related to cost curtailment, revenue enhancement and
investments in productivity. This is an excellent opportunity for community members to see the
cost saving efforts that are currently underway as well as ideas that are under consideration that
need more input.
Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
May 24, 2011 Meeting Minutes
XXI.
XXII.
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:04 p.m. by Sherri Helt.
President’s Welcome, Introductions and Appreciation
a. Approval of Minutes – The April 2011 minutes were approved by the
membership
b. Thank you’s:
c.
XXIII.
XXIV.
XXV.

Kristine Harkins, Jane Toscano, Gabrielle Dion (& their
many volunteers and GS staff) for The Dance Athon;

Tina Dentner – Spring Book Fair & Kristine Harkins –
Water Ice Social (plus many volunteers);

Kelly Ann Johnson & Nicole Daly – School Store; Christie
Clemens – Alumni Scholarships;

Rose Freece – H&S correlate rep.;

Nicole Daly and Laura Thompson – Nominating
Committee;

Paul Edelman – School Board Rep.;

Kristina Huzar, Lisa Natrass, Kristen Pawling, Nicole Daly,
Laura Thompson, & Margaret Deddy for 6th grade party;

Judy Hamilton – Student Council – Parent rep.;

Catherine McGeehan & Nicole Daly – TSAW;

Board members – for devoting their time this year;

Mrs. Justice & her staff for the Volunteer Tea this morning;
and for all our parents for helping in many ways to make
this a wonderful year.
Please visit the H&S tent at Olympic Day for snacks, drinks and a small
token of our appreciation.
Principal’s Report – Mrs. Justice
a. Mrs. Justice gave an overview of the remaining field trips, assemblies,
class activities and school wide activities that will be occurring during the
last 4 weeks of school.
Treasurer’s Report – Dona Dyer
a. Please see website link
President’s Report
1. Vote: Budget 2011/2012
a. Approved
2. Vote: Excess Funds
The following items were voted on and approved at the
meeting:
a. Technology:
i. 1 SmartBoard $1360 (for IMC)
ii. 2 Elmo Doc (Price Per Elmo Doc: $614.95 +
~$24.75 s/h)
iii. 2 Projectors (Price Per Projector: $399 +
~$50s/h
Playground:
i. Tai Chi Spinners $697
ii. $773 to be spent in the 2011/2012 school year
for playground equipment; Next year’s Home &
School Association will vote on how to spend the
remaining excess funds allocated for playground
equipment.
3. Vote: H&S Officers 2011/2012
The following people were voted in as our 2011/2012 Home
& School Board:
b.







President - Nicole Daly
Vice President of Social Events - Kristine Harkins
Vice President of Fundraising - Paul Edelman
Treasurer - Sofia Khwaja
Co-Treasurer - Sue Ellen Marett
Recording Secretary - Amy Lynn Criger
Corresponding Secretary - Laura Thompson
4. GS Odyssey of the Mind team presentation
a. Please see the next page for recommendations given by
Jane Toscano
5. Comments/Concerns/Ideas
a. Mrs. Justice thanked the outgoing Home & School Board
for their dedication and service.
XXVI.
Adjournment
1. Next Meeting, September 2011
Have a safe and wonderful summer!
OotM Helpful Hints for Future Coaches
1. Base your practice schedule on your team goals. Are you going for
fun? 1x week is enough (1.5 - 2 hr session). Do you want to place well? You'll
need 3-4 hrs per week.
2. Get to forming the ideas for the skit as soon as possible. It allows for
everything else to fall into place so much more easily. We didn't do this and we
ran out of time because of it.
3. Read the applicable year's Program Guide and your FULL problem
statement MANY times over the course of the months you are working on
the solution. 10 times was recommended during coaches training and I wish I
had followed it. Reading them 2 or 3 times was not enough. Getting the whole
team (and the team members' parents if they are providing any input) to read
them would have been very helpful. Our team did not understand the time
commitment needed for this whole effort and was not successful in getting all the
members and parents to read all the information.
4. Teams have 8 minutes to move all their props from the staging area to
the competition area AND present their skit. The 3-minute rule is separate
and is for moving from pre-staging to staging - parents can help so this rule is
very easy to achieve.
5. Coaches should talk one-on-one with someone who has coached before,
as soon as possible after team formation. This is in addition to the first time
coaches training that is required by SEPOM and any informational sessions that
Amy Faga may continue to provide. We didn't understand helpful hint #4 until
right before the competition and it caused our team to run out of time and get
fewer points than they would have otherwise. We might have known/understood
this much sooner had I talked to a previous coach. This will be easier for GS
families now that there are 2, possibly 3, GS parents who have coached and
been to competition.