Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
Membership Meeting
March 16, 2010
I. Call to Order
The March 16th, 2010 membership meeting of the Gwynedd Square Home and School Association was
called to order at 7:04pm in the library by Sherri Helt
II. President’s Welcome and Appreciation
Sherri welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked the following people:
A. Eileen Sullivan for taking care of the School Sign,
B. Ken Bezar and Mrs. Buckner for all their work on Family Fitness Night,
C. Sheila Bonitz and Kelly Skok for running the Food Drive,
D. Allison Kershner for chairing the Kids Art Fundraiser.
III. Guest Speaker
Dr. Sean O’Sullivan, Penndale’s Principal, joined us to speak about the transition to middle school.
A. He handed out a sheet of frequently asked questions and a Home and School information sheet.
B. The 6th graders went to Penndale to preview the Musical, they will go to visit Penndale in May and
there is an orientation day for them on the Thursday before Labor Day till 11am, where they will
ride the bus to and from school, try out their lockers, visit each of their classes and be able to put
money into their lunch account.
C. The 7th graders have their core classes on the 200 level, the 8th graders on the 300 level and the 9th
graders on the 400 and 500 levels.
D. There are four 7th grade teams and each team’s core classes are all located next to each other.
E. The only class where 7th grade students make a choice is music. They may choose Chorus, Band,
Orchestra or Exploratory Music.
F. There are 7 periods with 4 minutes between them to change classes. The first couple weeks of
school there will be teachers in the hallways to help students, and the students will not be marked
late for classes at that time.
G. Since the lockers are old, there are sometimes problems with them, and students need to inform their
homeroom teachers of any problems that they are having with lockers.
H. Regardless of what parents are told by students, parents are needed to volunteer in Middle School
and the student’s homework cannot be completed in E-3 (study hall).
I. There will be a verification form coming home in the 6th graders report cards showing the level the
parents have chosen for their child’s core classes.
a. If the music class selected needs to be changed use the change letter to make a music change.
b. If a mistake was made in which class or level your child was assigned, please contact the
middle school.
c. If you would like to put your child in a higher level than was recommended for them, you
need to fill out a course over-ride form, and the child cannot be moved to a lower level
during the school year.
d. The last date to make a change in your child’s course selection is June 30th.
e. Children with an IEP should meet with their teacher this year to work on the IEP before they
go over to the Middle School.
f. If once the school year begins, if you think your child needs a course change, please contact
the school immediately.
J. If you have questions, please contact your child’s guidance councilor. Students with last names
beginning with A-R, Ms. Meyer; and S-Z Ms. Simon.
K. Mrs. Justice thanked Dr. Sullivan for all Penndale’s valuable efforts in easing the transition to 7th
grade.
L. Lynda Baer, Penndale’s current H&S President, shared that there are open positions on the H&S
Board at Penndale and a chair is needed for the Book Fair, as well as volunteers for various
activities. She warned us that flyers from school do not make it home, so check the website for
announcements. Please contact her if you have any questions.
IV. Principal’s Report
Mrs. Justice shared the following updates:
A. She thanked all the parents helping on the Young Authors’ Host Committee. The Young Authors’
Conference will be held at Gwynedd Square on March 27th, and Mrs. Justice shared that she is very
grateful for all of Mrs. Buzzard’s hard work.
B. April 16th at 8am is GS’s Breakfast with Dad.
C. April 16th after school is the Hoop-a thon.
D. April 17th at 11am is the International Spring Festival at North Penn High School. GS will have a
table displaying the children’s art work, and if students would like to participate in the opening
parade, they can send in the flyer that comes home in BP Wednesday.
E. April 19th is the 6th grade photo.
F. April 22nd is “Move it Outside” with Mrs. Buckner.
G. April 23rd is the 6th grade field trip.
H. April 29th is the Inglewood Chorus and the GS/Inglewood Orchestra Concert.
I. April 30th Dr. O’Sullivan will visit GS to talk with the 6th graders.
J. The 6th grade teachers are going to try the team concept to teaching the students next year, and they
will be talking about it at the next H&S Meeting. There will be a Coffee for the 5th grade parents to
meet and receive further explanation.
K. The Response to Intervention Program (RTII) will have 3 tiered levels of instruction for students in
grades K-2. This is the model that the state is expected to move to, and there will be 30 minutes a
day where the children receive instruction at their level. Another letter will go home to parents prior
to the students moving into their tiers.
V. Treasurer’s Report
Dona Dyer went over the following items in the Treasurer’s Report:
A. Balance Sheet:
a. The fourth grade field trip expenses have been paid and the field trip occurs next week.
b. The Art Fundraiser has large deposits for the orders that have come in.
B. Revenue Report:
a. We will come in under budget for Box Tops.
b. Acme receipts and the Scrip Program have been discontinued.
c. Target only pays out once a year so we will be under budget in that account.
d. We still have the Spring Book Fair and the Hoop-a-thon this year.
e. We expect to be over budget on the Kids Art Fundraiser.
C. Expense Report:
a. The largest outlay of funds this month is for the Author in Residence visit from Tedd Arnold
this month.
D. Secondary Account:
a. Student Council has a balance of $425.72.
b. We are also carrying the District’s Funds for the Young Authors’ Conference. The funds
remaining after the conference will roll over to the next host school.
VI. President’s Report
A. Social Events and Programs:
a. The Board is continuing to work on the Calendar of Events and the tentative Calendar will be
sent to membership before the next H&S Meeting, where the Calendar will be voted on.
Please email your thoughts and suggestions.
b. Rachael Anderson, who has a kindergarten student at GS this year, would like to start a
Spanish Club at GS next year. Paty Kulatham will join us to teach the children in two 12
week sessions. They will meet before or after school, and payment options are being worked
on. At the end of the year Paty plans to have a presentation for the parents and a Fiesta for
the students.
Science Night will be held on Thursday, March 18th, and still needs 2 more parents to
volunteer as assistants in the workshops.
d. Game Night will be held on May 9th.
e. Rose Freece reported that the Home and School Correlate is working on doing another food
drive to help Manna on Main Street during the summer months when there are not Holiday
Drives happening. They will be looking for a couple of parents to help take the food over to
Manna, after the drive.
Fundraising:
a. There will be a Fundraising Committee Meeting on Monday, March 22nd in the library. If
you are unable to attend the meeting please email your thoughts and suggestions.
b. Nicole Putnam updated us on the Hoop-a-thon:
1.
Save the date flyers will go home in BP Wednesday.
2.
The Hoop-a-thon will be held on April 14th after school.
3.
All students participating will have to send in their permission slips.
4.
Parent Volunteers will stay with the students until the buses leave.
5.
As the date gets closer and once the number of participants is determined, the
decision will be made as to whether the event will be held inside or outside.
6.
Paul Edleman will join us to DJ, and the children will rotate through stations
within grade-groups which will have an assigned t-shirt colors.
7.
A flyer, donation form and permission slip will come home in BP Wed next week.
8.
$25 per family is the goal, in hopes that next year an A-thon could help reduce the
number of Fundraisers necessary.
9.
Walton Farm had a very productive Walk-a thon, and one of their parents worked
at Khols, and they were given a donation of funds and volunteers from Khols.
10. Please email with any questions.
Open Positions:
a. Executive Board Positions that do not have returning volunteers are Corresponding Secretary
and Recording Secretary, due to the term limit, and VP of Social Events. All positions on the
Board are always open to anyone who is interested. Any questions can be directed to
Christie Clemens who is the Nominating Committee Chair.
b. A Co-Chair is still needed for the Water Ice/Dessert Social.
At the end of April Acme will no longer be collecting receipts, so please send in any receipts that
you are currently saving as soon as possible.
Many companies provide matching donations and Dona encouraged everyone to see if their
company provides matching gifts for its employees. You can search on Google or look in the HR
Manual at your company. Matching gifts apply to A-thons as well as donations.
The meeting was adjourned and prizes were given at 8:20pm.
c.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
Membership Meeting
February 16, 2010
I. Call to Order
The February 16, 2010 Gwynedd Square Home and School Association Membership Meeting was called to
order by Sherri Helt at 7pm in the Library.
II. President’s Welcome, Introductions and Appreciation
Sherri began the meeting with introductions and appreciation for many of our volunteers. She thanked Ken
and Barb Bezar, Nicole Daly, Debbie Rosenblatt, Kristy Matulevich, Amy Kirkpatrick and Noelle
McLaughlin for their work on our Winter Festival, Catherine Moore for Chairing Movie Night, and Dona
Dyer and her volunteers for their work on the Corbi Pizza Fundraiser.
III. Principal’s Report
Mrs. Justice shared the following upcoming events at Gwynedd Square:
A. 2/17 – Cas Workman workshop in 5th gr. (may be changed to 2/24) –is scheduled to help students
prepare for writing PSSA’s,
B. 2/19 – School Store,
C. 2/19 - Family Fitness Night at 6:30pm at the North Penn YMCA,
D. 2/22 – 2/26 – Art Goes to School,
E. 3/4 - Museum Night,
F. 3/9 – 6th graders will visit Penndale to see their play,
G. 3/11 – School Physicals,
H. 3/12 – School Store,
I. 3/16 – Home and School Meeting
J. 3/18 – Science Night,
K. 3/27 – Young Author’s Conference, which is hosted by Gwynedd Square this year, and therefore
will be in need of many volunteers,
L. Mrs. Justice mentioned that although many townships are no longer sponsoring the DARE program,
Upper Gwynedd has agreed to sponsor the program again next year,
M. More information about the PSSA’s will be coming home, and Mrs. Justice reminded us that it is
better not to plan vacations during the PSSA Testing, which will take place during April,
N. The second section of the OTL Club (Opportunity to Learn Club) will be tutoring 3rd -6th Graders
after school,
O. The 6th graders are currently beginning their volleyball tournament.
IV. Treasurer’s Report
Dona Dyer showed membership the new format for the financial reports and asked for feedback on any
other information membership would like to see.
A. She pointed out that the Caldera holding account had been closed with a donation to the North Penn
Boys and Girls Club in Anthony’s name.
B. Dona mentioned that 2 checks collected from the Corbi’s fundraiser did not clear, so we have to pay
a $10 fee for each. The bank has a collection agency that will try to collect and has succeeded with
one of the checks, so we will not be charged the $10 for that check.
C. The money for DARE has been paid from the excess funds.
D. We can still make one more submission for Box Tops, so please send in all the Box Tops you have
in a bag with your family’s name on it by February 19th.
E. Since Target now only sends a check once a year in September, that account is closed and will be
under budget.
F. If all the checks clear for the Corbi Pizza Sale, we will come in only $625 under Budget.
G. Dona and Tina are still working on getting the money we are owed from Simplified Scrip.
H. Donations did very well this year and we are still waiting for 2 more company matches. It was
suggested that we try to further promote donations and company matching next year and possibly
send that information home to families after the Green Folder as opposed to in the folder.
I. We discussed the funds for the Young Author’s Conference, and Dona will speak with the treasurer
at last year’s host school to get an accounting of expenses.
V. President’s Report
A. An email has gone out about the Kid’s Art Fundraiser, which offers parents the opportunity to
purchase items such as mugs, stationary, flags, etc. with their child’s artwork on it. Samples of the
products will be displayed in the lobby beginning March 1st, and parents are encouraged to stop in
and see the products. Orders for the fundraiser will be due in on March 10th.
B. Science Night will be on March 18th. North Penn Water Authority, GE and Merck will join us to
share demonstrations. Sherri will send out an email asking for additional volunteers to help that
evening.
C. We are still looking for a co-chair for the Water Ice/Dessert Social.
D. Input on Social Activities and Fundraisers was requested:
1. Hoagie Sale from Gianni’s (sent in before the meeting)
2. Applebees Breakfast
a. Tickets are sold for more than the cost of the buffet breakfast and servers are provided by
the fundraisers.
3. Parents Prom (sent in before the meeting)
4. Lock in for students (sent in before the meeting)
5. Plants for Mother’s Day or Easter
6. Wreath or Poinsettia Sale for the holidays
7. Hayride in October
a. It was mentioned that Montgomery County Community College sponsors a Saturday
Community Day Hayride in October.
8. Consider having a Corbis Pizza Sale in the fall to increase profits.
9. Bowling, Ice Skating and Miniature Golf were suggested for offsite events.
10. Making changes to the Winter Festival were discussed.
11. The “A-Thon” was discussed and Sherri will contact the chair so that a date can be set.
E. Prizes were awarded and the meeting was adjourned at 8:35 pm.
Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
Membership Meeting
January 19, 2010
I.
Call to order and President’s Welcome
The January 19, 2010 meeting of the Gwynedd Square Home and School Association was called to order by
Sherri Helt at 7:07pm in the library, after the Welcome Committee “Meet and Greet” for new Gwynedd Square
families. Sandy Friday introduced the new families and Sherri introduced the Home and School Board
members.
II.
Guest Speaker
We were joined by Kristen Vaszily, Gwynedd Square’s Guidance Councilor, who shared information about our
school’s Bullying Prevention Program, which is called “Steps to Respect”. We appreciate her joining us to talk
about this important subject.
A. The children are taught that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.
B. Mrs. Vaszily teaches the children the 3 R’s of bullying, which are Recognize, Refuse and Report.
They learn the meanings of these terms and that bullying is one-sided. Role playing is used to
help the children learn how to react in different situations.
C. The children are also taught what to do when they are a bystander who witnesses bullying
activities. They are told to not encourage the bullying behavior, change the subject if possible
and report the incident if necessary.
D. Mrs. Vaszily also discusses conflict resolution with the students and meets with the children
when they are having trouble resolving conflicts. The students are taught how to solve conflicts
(where two people want different things) respectfully and in a way that prevents an escalation of
the situation.
E. Mrs. Vaszily encouraged anyone with questions or concerns to contact her.
III.
Principal’s Report
Mrs. Justice updated us on the events coming up at Gwynedd Square:
A. 2/1-2/9 – testing window for Orleans-Hanna Algebra Prognostic Test in 6th grade
B. 2/2 – 7th grade open house & course selection meeting for parents & students at Penndale – 7 pm
C. 2/4 – Fundraiser pick up – 3:30-6:30 pm
D. 2/4 – Prime Time Reading for all grades– 6:30 pm
E. 2/9 – Reading Superbowl – 9:30 am (high school football players read to 2nd grade)
F. 2/10 – Eric Wight assembly (author & illustrator) for Grades 1-5 provided free through Barnes &
Noble – 2 pm
G. 2/17 – Cas Workman workshop with 5th grade (preparing for writing PSSA)
H. 2/19 – Family Fitness Night – 6:30 pm
I. 2/22-2/26 – Art Goes to School in the classrooms
J. 2/26 – HIV/Aids presentation – 4th grade
K. 3/26--Ted Arnold will be the author speaking at the opening presentation at the Young Author’s
Conference, which is being hosted by Gwynedd Square this year. All 4th and 5th grade students
are welcome to come and hear Ted Arnold’s opening presentation.
L. Mrs. Justice shared that RTI’s goal is to have all children proficient in reading by the end of 3rd
grade. The children have completed the Dibbles Testing and the information from the testing
will be used to plan strategies to help the children improve their reading skills. We are one of the
four phase one schools participating in the program to set the model for the district.
M. Mrs. Justice also shared that Gwynedd Square will not be impacted by the potential redistricting.
IV.
Treasurer’s Report
Dona Dyer updated us on Home and School’s recent financial activity:
A. The activity for the Wings game should net out with no impact to the Home and School, since
we were just the administrator for the event.
V.
B. After discussion with membership, the Caldera Memorial Account funds will be donated to the
Boys and Girls Club in his name and a letter will be sent to the family to inform them of the
donation.
C. The Winter Festival accounts have been closed out and came in under budget due to the changes
in the Basket Raffle rules.
D. The Joe Corbi Pizza Sale was at $500 profit as of January 19th, and the budgeted income for the
fundraiser is $2500.
E. The Target Cash Back Program will be under budget due to the change in payment timing from
Target.
F. The Scrip Program has gone out of business and Dona and Tina are working to collect the $192
we are still due to receive from them.
G. There is $245 in matching company funds still pending.
H. We are currently under budget with the school store, with a deposit pending and four sale days
remaining.
I. There is $925 remaining in the Assembly Account that will probably be used for an assembly
next year.
J. We will probably be over budget for field trips this year.
K. The Principal’s Fund was budgeted at $600 and it received about $1000 from Barnes and Noble
Nights and is currently at approx. $77.
L. At the beginning of the year, it was decided that the excess funds would not be spent until we
saw how the fundraisers did, with the exception of the approval to pay for the DARE
Graduation. Therefore we have funds available to cover for the fundraisers that are coming in
under budget.
M. Dona went over the activity in the holding accounts for Student Council and Young Authors.
President’s Report
A. Having a year round Giving Tree at Gwynedd Square to help our families in need was suggested.
Mrs. Vaszily will partner with Sheila Bonitz, our Community Outreach Committee Chair, to help
meet the needs that come up.
B. Volunteers are needed to help on Feb 4th with the Joe Corbi Pizza Sale pick up.
C. Friday, January 22 is Movie Night at 7pm in the gym. The license has been received and the
movie shown will be Ratatouille. This is a free event, and there will be concessions available.
D. Family Fitness Night will be held February 19th at the North Penn YMCA.
E. A co-chair is needed to help with the Kids Art Fundraiser.
F. A chair is needed for the Water Ice/Dessert Social on May 14th.
G. There is a bookkeeper position open for Coordinating Council.
H. NPage will have a guest speaker at the ESC at 7pm on February 8th.
I. Amy Hutchinson then shared information about grants available for building children’s gardens.
She is going to look at the outdoor classroom we have. Also, Mrs. Justice mentioned that the
grants only cover construction, and upkeep is another large component of these projects that
needs to be considered.
J. The meeting was adjourned at 8:20pm.
Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
Membership Meeting
November 17, 2009
I.
Call to Order
Kate Thorson called to order the November 17, 2009 Gwynedd Square Home and School Association meeting at 7:05pm
in the library.
II.
President’s Welcome and Introductions
Sherri Helt introduced the Home and School Board members and thanked Cathy DeSonier for chairing the Kid Stuff
Fundraiser, Donna Gallagher for chairing picture day and retake day, Amy Hutchinson for running Pottery Night, and
Traci Bruno for handling American Education Week. Mrs. Justice shared that Traci is doing a wonderful job with
American Education Week.
III.
Guest Speaker
Linda Abram joined us to speak about healthy snacks for school and overall wellness goals for our students and families.
A. She gave us handouts that shared resources for healthy snacks and encouraged wellness and healthy living. She
encouraged parents to consider offering a healthy snack to the students at parties. The District is trying to reach
out to parents to encourage them to make healthy choices, not only at school, but also at home. Gwynedd Square
is already participating in the Pana events such as Apple Crunch Day, and Linda mentioned that some schools are
starting Wellness Teams which include parents and staff members who work to promote healthy living and
increased physical activity at school.
B. She also shared that the Family Welcome Center is open at the ESC and encouraged everyone to come and visit
the new resource for our new families.
C. Grab and Go breakfasts were discussed as a way for children to start the day with something healthy to eat. The
children pick up the breakfast on their way into school and eat it in the classroom as the day begins.
D. Linda mentioned the $500 Grant that schools can receive to encourage activity and healthy lifestyles, and Mrs.
Justice shared that Gwynedd Square receives that grant each year for the children.
E. Linda reminded everyone to watch the North Penn website for updates on the H1N1 vaccine.
F. She also mentioned that the presentation by Michelle Borba would be shown on NPenn TV. Mrs. Justice shared
that she had purchased Ms. Borba’s book for the Parent Resource Center and parents would be able to check it out
from there.
IV.
Principal’s Report
Mrs. Justice thanked everyone for coming to the meeting, and thanked Linda Abram for joining us. She then shared the
following upcoming events:
A. Mrs. Justice mentioned that the intruder drill, which Gwynedd Square piloted last year, will take place on
November 24th. All buildings will be required to do at least one per year, and Mrs. Justice shared that last year the
children did a wonderful job of moving to a secured location without any trauma involved.
B. 12/4 – the 1st marking period ends, and Mrs. Justice reminded us that everyone should have been invited to their
first conference by this point. She has asked the teachers to schedule at least 2 conferences during the school
year.
C. 12/4 – Winter Festival at 6:30pm, Mrs. Justice shared that she has heard good things about the baskets again this
year.
D. 12/7 – Reading Olympics begins, they will be meeting at 8:30am.
E. 12/7 – Cupstacking will begin meeting on Mondays after school at 3:50pm, and students are still welcome to join
the club.
F. 12/10 – Holiday Book Fair w/GS Select Chorus at Barnes & Noble at 6:30pm, a percentage of book sales will go
to Gwynedd Square.
G. 12/10 – GS/Inglewood Band will play at Inglewood’s Winterfest at 7pm.
H. 12/11 – School Store will be held in the 2nd grade centrum.
I. 12/14 – Student Council will meet at 8:30am.
J. 12/16 – Holiday Chorus Concert at 7pm.
K. 12/22 – Report cards issued
L. 12/22 – GS/Inglewood Band, GS/Inglewood Orchestra & Inglewood Chorus Concert at Inglewood at 9:30 am
M. 12/23 – GS/Inglewood Band, GS/Inglewood Orchestra & GS Chorus Concert at 9:30am at Gwynedd Square and
everyone is welcome to attend.
N. 12/24-1/3 – Winter Holiday
O. 1/8 – School Store in the 2nd grade centrum.
P. 1/8 – Geo Bee will be held at 2 pm at Gwynedd Square.
Q. 1/15 – Taikoza Drumworld Assembly at 1:30 & 2:30pm, parents are welcome and may bring am kindergarten
students. Mrs. Mascaro was very helpful in organizing this assembly.
R. 1/16 – Barb Bezar shared that the chorus will be singing at the Wings game.
S. 1/18 – Martin Luther King Holiday
T. 1/19 – H&S Meeting at 7pm in the library.
U. 1/22 – Movie Night at 6:30pm.
V. 1/28 – DARE Graduation at 1pm. A suggestion was made to contact the families with a “save the date” message
ahead of time, to give them a chance to take off from work if necessary. Also, looking into North Penn TV taping
the event, so families that are unable to attend could see it, was also suggested.
V.
Treasurer’s Report
Dona Dyer shared that there has been a lot of activity this month including:
A. a large deposit for pictures,
B. the expense side of Spirit Wear,
C. and the closing out of the Kid Stuff Books, which is close to budget and we still have a check from the District to
come in.
D. She mentioned that there is $500 pending from BoxTops,
E. that we expect Target to be under budget due to the new way that Target is sending the checks,
F. donation matches from companies are still coming in,
G. a pizza sale is coming,
H. the Winter Festival is in December,
I. and the School Store is under budget, but the School Store will be at the Winter Festival and will have sales
during the rest of the school year, as well.
J. Dona has begun paying for the field trips,
K. and some assemblies have been paid for, and there is about $900 left for assemblies.
L. Excess Funds were used to pay for
a. the art dvd’s that were approved last year and
b. $800 is pending to support the DARE Graduation, since its funding was cut by the District.
VI.
President’s Report
A. Tina Dentner updated us on the Coordinating Council Meeting where the district’s overall school nurse spoke.
She was very informative and discussed how the District is working with the Montgomery County Health
Department. She also discussed the BMI letters, and how the weighing and measuring is done and also the
healthy initiatives that Linda spoke about. The next meeting is November 18th at Gwynedd Square at 7pm, with
Dr. Hassler speaking.
B. Tina also shared Home and School’s plans to compile a Business Directory containing the information about
business run by families of Gwynedd Square. A flyer will come home in Backpack Wednesday to be filled out
and sent in, and the information will be posted on the website as resource for our families.
C. Rose Freece then shared that Paul Edelman and Karen Ghandy are joining her as reps for the School Board
meetings.
D. Rose also updated us on the Home and School Correlate meeting where Mrs. Swavely helped clarify the mission
of the correlate team. Their goal is to create and maintain a family friendly environment to help children reach
their potential. The parent reps are the go between for the parents and the correlate team, and parents are
welcome to mention needs to the reps, to be shared at the correlate meetings. Rose told us that the Correlate will
support the New Family Welcome Committee and is planning to encourage families to be more involved, for
example, by using the Parent Resource Center. She also mentioned the Opportunity to Learn Club, which meets
after school and helps students in grades k-6 reinforce skills that will help them become proficient in math and
reading. Then she mentioned the state grant, which will provide an Intervention Program during the day, for
children in grades k-2.
E. Sherri mentioned the Book Fair and Ice Cream Social which will be held on Friday, November 20th. The ice
cream will be $1.25 and there will be desserts sent in by GS families and coffee to share for free, in addition to the
Scholastic book sale.
F. Sheila Bonitz then updated us on our Community Service Programs:
a. A Gently Read Book Program is currently running until Friday evening. Jessica Hoffner is leading it and
the books collected will be sent to a school in Philadelphia in need of books.
b. A “people helping people” service project is planned for the Martin Luther King Holiday weekend and is
being led by Elizabeth Brougham.
c. Susan Sparkevicius is leading a collection of old sneakers that will be recycled for use as playground
bases. A suggestion was made to take the sneakers to the Nike outlet in Limerick to save the shipping
cost. They are considering partnering this with Olympic Day and then having a “gently used” sneaker
collection partnered with the Walk-a-thon.
d. March 8th a food collection for community housing, lead by Kelly Skok, is planned.
e. A gently used game and sport collection for the Boys and Girls Club is planned in conjunction with Game
Night on April 6th and will be led by Sandy Duplicki.
f. Sandy Duplicki is also planning an Earth Day Service Project in April.
g. Then another Gently Read Book Collection is planned in conjunction with the Spring Book Fair and a
pencil drive for Central Elementary in Gulf Port Mississippi is also planned.
h. The final dates will be posted on the website when they are confirmed.
i. An email to let families know what they can begin saving was suggested.
j. Mrs. Justice mentioned including the Student Council in these projects again this year.
k. Mrs. Justice also suggested creating “Homework Helper Baskets” (which would include items like rulers,
highlighters, hole punches, paper, calculators, etc.) for some of our GS families who could use them.
G. Barb Bezar and Deb Rosenblatt shared information on the Winter Festival:
a. Kristy Matulevich has purchased some great items for the Secret Shop which will probably be on the
stage this year.
b. There will be 15-18 vendors at the event.
c. Dinner will be served, with Chick-Fil-A, West Point Deli, Coffee Head and Maggie Moos joining us.
d. Student Council will sell water and soft pretzels.
e. There will be crafts as well.
f. The Basket Raffle will be at the Winter Festival:
i. A green letter will go home for families to pre-order tickets at a large discount.
Ticket Prices: $1/ticket
35 tickets- $25 ($10 savings)
25 tickets- $20 ($5 savings)
12 tickets-$10 ($2 savings)
ii. Pre-orders will not be taken after November 30th.
iii. The back of the green form has an order form where the committee will fill out your tickets for
you and put them in your basket choices if you are unable to attend the event.
iv. Parents need to fill out the tickets with their name and phone number and the parents need to put
them in the collection containers. Please let your children know that this is the new procedure this
year.
v. The Baskets will be displayed in the library and the office on Monday.
vi. What the baskets contain will be listed on the website.
H. Dona Dyer told us about the Corbi Pizza sale coming in January. The Corbi rep will bring samples to the winter
festival. The sale will run Jan 6th through the 20th, and the products will be picked up at school the first week of
February, before the Super Bowl.
I. Sherri shared that the Hospitality chair position is currently open. This position will involve hosting the Custodial
Dinner in May and the End of the Year Teacher Luncheon.
J. Door prized were given and the meeting was adjourned at 8:25pm.
Gwynedd Square Home and School Association Membership Meeting October 20, 2009 I.
Call to Order Sherri Helt called to order the October 20, 2009 meeting of the Gwynedd Square Home and School Association at 7:05pm in the library. II.
President’s Welcome and Appreciation Sherri welcomed everyone and had them introduce themselves, and then she thanked Donna Gallagher and the volunteers who helped with picture day, Donna McDonnel for chairing Spirit Wear, and Cathy DeSonier for the Kid Stuff fundraiser. III.
Guest Speaker We are very grateful to Ms. Marks for taking the time to join us, and demonstrate the Smart Board and how it is used in the classroom. IV.
Principal’s Report A. Mrs. Justice gave the new regulations for the Basket Raffle to Nicole Daly. B. Mrs. Justice and 7‐8 teachers on the Mise Leadership Team will be going to Princeton to bring new Science Curricula to the classroom. C. She shared that the DIBELS screening has begun for grades K‐2, and that we are a phase one school for RTI. D. The Kindergarten period will be extended so that Title 1 Reading teachers will be able to help Kindergarten students after AM Kindergarten and before PM Kindergarten, if parents are available to provide the additional transportation. E. Math Night has been cancelled, due to an insufficient number of teachers to staff the event. Some grades may have their own programs for parents to attend. F. Mrs. Justice shared that the Family Friendly School’s Welcome Committee has sent out surveys to new families to find out their needs. G. November 4th is the date for Coordinating Council’s Social. H. Gwynedd Square is the host school for The Young Authors Conference this year, so we will need many volunteers for this large event. I. Mrs. Justice reminded us that Red Ribbon week begins October 26 and will include Apple Crunch Day on the 28th. J. November 9th and 12th will be the first Parent‐Teacher Conferences for the school year. K. Mrs. Justice thanked all the families who came out for Principal Story Time at Barnes and Noble, and shared that approximately $500 was earned for Gwynedd Square. L. Mrs. Justice shared a fundraiser idea that Bridle Path and Montgomery are doing with Studio M Caterers in Montgomeryville, which would earn our school 20% of the cost of the meals purchased by Gwynedd Square families. V.
Treasurer’s Report Dona Dyer went over the financial reports with membership: A. There were deposits for the Kid Stuff books, but the check to pay for the books has not yet been written, B. There is $500 pending from SC Johnson’s Dollars for Doers Program, C. Christie Clemens is looking into the$177 pending from the Gift Card Program, D. We have met our budgeted amount for donations and we are still waiting for matching amounts from some companies, E. Dues are within $40 of the budgeted amount, F. We are currently under budget for the Block Party, however, not all check requests are in, G. Some assembly deposits have been made, H. We went over budget on framing artwork, I. The RIF shirts have been ordered and paid for, J. We are not planning to spend from the excess funds account, unless there are unexpected expenses that need to be met: a. DVD’s were approved for purchase by membership last year for the Art Department, but they were not purchased until this year, b. The grant usually received by the District which pays for the Dare Graduation did not come through this year, so membership will need to vote on paying for that event. K. The proceeds from the Student Council water bottle sale were deposited into their account. VI.
President’s Report A. Membership voted and approved the request for $800 to cover the expenses for the DARE Graduation. B. Barb Bezar reminded everyone to send in items for the raffle baskets. 1. Each basket has a theme and there are 2 classes collecting items for each basket. 2. Monetary donations are also welcome and should have the child’s name and classroom included with it, and committee members will shop for items for the baskets. 3. If you have a gift receipt and would like to attach it to your donated item that is always appreciated. 4.
5.
Items of any size are welcome. If anyone knows of a local business that might be willing to donate something to be raffled off, please confirm with Debbie Rosenblatt that someone else has not already approached them, and check with Barb for a letter to give to them. 6. The new regulations will require a detailed description of the items in each basket and an estimated value for the basket, as well as a total of the number of tickets sold for each basket. 7. It was also suggested that parents could get together to purchase a larger priced item for a basket, if they would like to. 8. The items are due October 28th and Barb wanted to thank everyone for all their generous support every year. C. Nicole Daly shared that the Book Fair will be held November 18th and 19th in the 2nd grade centrum and the night of the 20th in the gym and cafeteria with an Ice Cream Social. There will be a charge for the ice cream, and there will also be free coffee for the adults. Parents are asked to send in baked goods, which need to be labeled if they are peanut‐free, for everyone to enjoy. The baked goods a can be brought in that night. D. We were reminded that we can send in Sunny D UPC’s to earn books for the school. E. Pottery Night is Friday, October 23rd in the cafeteria. There will be mugs, bowls and several other pieces to choose from, and the vendor this year is the Mud Room. Christina will have paper for the tables and the teachers will be notified that if they take paper off of the bulletin boards that they do not need, it can be saved for the tables on Pottery Night. F. The following positions are still in need of volunteers, and you can contact Susan Atkin‐Tooley at s_tooley@msn.com or gsehsa@gmail.com if you are available to help or have any questions: 1. Classroom Aides 2. Clear and Focus Correlate – Assembly Committee 3. Safe and Orderly Correlate 4. Safe Schools Task Force G. Sherri then asked if there were any questions or comments: 1. The Directory has been sent to the printer and will be distributed soon. 2. Mrs. Justice mentioned that she would like parent input on the Clear and Focus Correlate, especially since the assemblies are paid for by Home and School, and she encourages someone to join the committee. • Suggestions are also welcome and should be sent to the teacher rep, Cheri Hughes. • There is still $800 in the assembly budget for this year. • Dona will check with Mrs. Hughes about deposit requests for the other scheduled assemblies. 3. A committee met to discuss playground activities for the children. • Project Play Fit is a group who provides ideas for recess games. • Possibility of an assembly on this topic, or a day when instructors are brought in to teach the games to the children. • Barb will forward information about the group that came to her school and taught a teacher in‐
service, and taught the children and then provided a DVD for reinforcement. • Mrs. Buckner is working on a grant to provide activity stations around the outside of the playground for the students. Contacting the Vo‐Tech School to help with the building of the stations was suggested, as well as contacting the Home and School Grant Writing volunteers to help with the grant proposal. 4. It was mentioned that there are Field Trip Grants given out by Target that teachers can apply for. 5. Mrs. Justice shared that she would be on the Safe Schools Task Force with Dr. Hassler and she encouraged parent volunteers to join also. H. Our next Home and School Meeting is on Tuesday, November 17th, and Linda Abram will be joining us to discuss the H1N1 Virus and the District Wellness Committee. I. Door Prizes were awarded and the meeting was adjourned at 8:15pm. Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
Membership Meeting
September 22, 2009
I.
Call to Order
Kate Thorson called to order the September 22, 2009 Gwynedd Square Home and School Association
Membership meeting at 7:06pm in the library.
II.
President’s Welcome and Appreciation
Kate asked everyone to introduce themselves and then she thanked everyone who helped prepare the Green
Folders before school started: Sherri Helt, Debbie Dragwa, Sharon Patterson, Kristen Pawling, Nicole Daly, and
Sandy Brace. Kate also thanked our Kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Hilsey for joining us for this
Home and School Meeting.
III.
Principal’s Report
1. Mrs. Justice shared the following upcoming events at Gwynedd Square:
a. September 23rd Picture Day,
b. September 25th Mrs. Buzzard and Mrs. Hughes will have a Super Summer reading Celebration with
a book chat and refreshments,
c. September 25th Welcome Back Block Party,
d. October 1st and 2nd Math and Reading Benchmarks for grades 3-6,
e. October 13th Kindergarten(am)-4th grade bus safety program,
f. October 15th Principal Story Night at 6:30pm at Barnes and Noble,
g. October 16th Weather Assembly for Grades 4-6,
h. October 19th Bus Safety Program for Kindergarten (pm),
i. October 20th Home and School Meeting at 7pm,
j. October 22nd Parents go to Kindergarten,
k. October 23rd-31st Red Ribbon Week,
l. October 23rd Pottery Night.
2. Mrs. Justice requested parent volunteers to help Christina Hazzard with the gardening on school
grounds.
3. She would also like two parents to join the Home and School Correlate team, which meets on the first
Tuesday of each month from 8:20-8:50am, and plans activities revolving around the Family Friendly
Schools Initiative.
4. Mrs. Justice asked for 1-2 parents to join the Clear and Focus Correlate, which works to find the school
assemblies for the students.
5. Mrs. Justice and Mrs. Marcarelli went to the classes to discuss hand washing and good health habits and
shared a video on hand washing with the children.
6. Mrs. Justice also shared that Response to Intervention (RTI) will enable the staff to begin early
intervention and target students who need extra help by testing children, and then using the data to plan
programs for them which will start in January. Children in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade will be tested
this year.
IV.
Treasurer’s Report
Dona Dyer began by thanking Anna Wright and Christie Clemens for all their help, as she and Tina Dentner
took over the Treasurer and Co-Treasurer duties for this year. She also asked for feedback on the information
she shared and encouraged people to let her know if they had any questions, and if they would like more or less
detail to be shared. Dona then explained the reports for the new families joining us. Next she went over some
of the activity so far this year:
1. Checks were written for the beginning of the year teacher gifts in the amount of $2000, for the Welcome
Back Block Party and for Assembly deposits,
2. The funds that we are holding for the Young Author’s Conference were transferred into their own
holding account to ease accounting for this large event that Gwynedd Square is hosting,
3. Revenue received so far this year includes cash back programs, dues and donations,
4. This year we will not be spending any of the excess funds until we see how the fundraisers are doing,
since there are so many fundraisers in the spring and there are several new fundraisers this year.
Membership will then vote at the end of the year on requests received after the budget has been met.
V.
President’s Report
1. Sherri Helt shared a report on the Coordinating Council meeting. Coordinating Council has
representatives from each of the schools and our representatives are Sherri Helt, Tina Dentner and Karen
Ghandy. They meet monthly and the next meeting is at North Wales Elementary where they will share
their New “Green” Construction. Anyone is welcome to attend these meetings.
2. The KidStuff Books go out on Friday and the sale will run for 2 weeks. If you sell 5 books you get one
free. This fundraiser earns us 50% of the sale price.
3. Nicole Daly and Kelly Johnson will be chairing the School Store, which will be held the 2nd Friday of
each month. Volunteers will be needed from 10:30-2:30 and items will range in price from $.25-$2.50.
4. Christie Clemens reminded us that we can get gift cards from www.simplifiedscrip.com and earn a
percentage for Home and School. She recommended using the program for your regular shopping stops
like Dunkin Donuts and Wawa.
5. Tina Dentner shared with everyone that our fundraising efforts are to raise funds for fieldtrips,
assemblies and other items for our children. Tina reminded us to renew our Genuardi Club Cards school
designation at escrip.com, send in Acme receipts, and register your Target Card and your Target Visa at
Target.com so that a percentage of your purchases will go to Gwynedd Square (1% of Target Visa when
used at Target and ½% when used elsewhere). She also mentioned that the new chair for these cash
back programs is Donna Coyle.
6. Nicole Putnam shared that there will be 3 Box Top Challenges this year for families to participate in.
The first challenge will earn winners the chance to “silly string” Mrs. Justice. Nicole mentioned that
there are fewer families participating in Box Tops so far this year, so she encouraged everyone to spread
the word and ask others to clip for Gwynedd Square.
7. Nicole Daly shared the Spirit Wear items for this fall including sweatshirts and sweatpants. Spirit Wear
is not a fundraiser, it is a service and the items for sale will be displayed on a table in the lobby.
8. Tina shared that Sunny D UPC labels can be collected to earn free books for Gwynedd Square. Nicole
Putnam will send more information to anyone who is interested.
9. Judy Hamilton shared that the Welcome Back Block Party will have a DJ, food and crafts. To avoid
waiting in line you can prepay the $2 per person. Anyone interested in volunteering please contact
Kristen Pawling. Help is needed to set up and clean up.
10. Sherri went over the open party planner positions on the hand out, and anyone interested in the open
chair positions can contact Christie Clemens.
11. Door prizes were awarded and the meeting was adjourned at 8:03pm, and parents were then able to tour
classrooms.