President, Renee Henry, called the regular meeting of the Middle Paxton School Association to order.
Members Present: Joann Atwell-Knapp, Renee Henry, Cassie Moyer, Kelli Flickinger, Carla Hagy, Deb
Crissinger, Laura Updegrave, Ashley Bullers, Missy Baird, Kim Heck, Shannon Scott, Stacy Tinsley and Mrs.
Lopez.
Recording Secretary – Carla Hagy
February Meeting Minutes – Motion to approve the February 2011 Meeting Minutes was made by Joann AtwellKnapp and seconded by Shannon Scott. Motion stands approved.
Treasurer – Jeff Thrush
February Treasurer’s Report: Motion to approve the February 2011 Treasurer’s Report was made by Cassie
Moyer and seconded by Kelli Flickinger. Motion stands approved.
Report From The Executive Board
Nothing to report.
Old Business:
Skating party was held at Olympic Skating Rink. It was well attended and the kids had a great time. A cake was
provided and each student got a voucher to use at the snack bar.
New Business
Nominations were conducted for the 2011 – 2012 school year Board Member positions. Everyone in attendance
voted in favor to have Shannon Scott for President, Dawn Durham for Vice President, Carla Hagy for Recording
Secretary and Missie Thrush for Corresponding Secretary. There have been no nominations for the open
Treasurer’s position. Nominations will continue to be accepted. Jeff Thrush has agreed to mentor the next
Treasurer.
Mrs. Lopez
March 2nd Middle Paxton celebrated Dr. Seuss’s Birthday. It was initiated by Brenda Blackburn the Central
Dauphin Librarian. She brought 24 student council members and they read to the students. Dwayne Good from
the Upper Dauphin Sentinel came and took pictures. He will be doing an article about the day.
Students were or will be given a bookmark for the Harrisburg Senators Reading program. Parents have to fill out
the bookmark and take it to the ticket office and they will receive free tickets to play in the kid’s zone.
Joe McHugh has taken over as Branch Manager for Mid Penn Bank. He is interested in continuing the savings
program in April for 2nd grade students. He spoke with a financial service representative and is offering a free
seminar on investing for college for parents. Renee and Kathy will discuss and let Mrs. Lopez know when would
be the best time to have the seminar. Mid Penn Bank will have a stand at May Fair. They will be having three (3)
drawings for a $10.00 gift cards. The kids will be able to get a piggy bank and parents can get chip clips.
School will be in session on March 11, 2011.
Spring picture day will be on March 15, 2011.
A Diabetes assembly will be held on March 25, 2011. A walk-a-thon will also be held on April 4th through 8th for
students to participate during recess if they so choose.
Kris Leber from the Central Dauphin School Board will be visiting the school on March 25, 2011. Student council
members will give her a tour of the school and will then eat lunch with her.
The end of the 3rd marking period is March 31, 2011.
PSSA testing will be held for 3rd, 4th & 5th grade students starting on March 16, 2011.
On April 20, 2011 author Darryl Cobb will be coming to speak. A book about pirates can be purchased. The book
has names of teachers/staff from Middle Paxton in it. Orders can be placed to purchase the book.
Kindergarten registration will be held on April 26th. Enrollment looks like there will be two classes with twenty
students in each class.
A Middle Paxton Art Show will be held the same night as the Spring Concert.
Renee Henry voiced concern regarding PSSA testing. Why have two (2) areas of study (Science and Social
Studies) been eliminated for the 3rd marking period to concentrate on studying for the testing? If the PSSA test is
used to judge the yearly progress and where the child or school is at, is it really a valid test if the students are going
over the information they were supposed to have learned? Why is the school not continuing on with the
curriculum rather than reviewing what the students had already learned? Is it really helping those students that
have low scores because our school isn’t getting the help it might need for those students? According to Mrs.
Lopez, the time is used for addressing areas that may have not been covered or renewing what they already
learned. Pennsylvania schools are considered high performing if everyone uses the resources, support and
curriculum to the best of their ability and then therefore the schools don’t need special help from the State. Every
month grade level meetings are held and data is reviewed for reading and math and teachers review the
information to see which students are on the bubble and who can be pushed to proficiency. Mrs. Lopez will have
the teachers send out further information. If funding is needed to help with tutoring for those students in need,
Mrs. Lopez is to present something to MPSA. If we get funding from other organizations, maybe we can have
tutoring year round.
Field trips have not been decided yet, but notification will be sent home.
Spirit day was held, but no one sent notification home and nothing was on the calendar. It started when there was
an assembly for pennies for patients and the presenter said about dressing in green for the day. Mrs. Lopez
indicated that the School Spirit committee could have spirit days twice a month if they would like.
Marcella Wolfe represents Middle Paxton on the enrollment/survey committee, but no other parent/representative
from our school is on the committee. Where is the communication between our representative on the committee
and the parents of Middle Paxton? There is one (1) representative from each school on the committee and it is a
mix of parents and staff.
Committee’s
Book Fair – (Tara Truskey & Ellen Wenrich) – Nothing to report.
Eagles Nest – (Shannon Scott) – Eagles Nest is done and will be going to print shop. The next deadline for the
final Eagles Nest of the year will be around May 27th.
Fifth Grade - (Kim Heck & Barb Beleski) – Had a meeting before this MPSA meeting. A vote was sent out to
pick either the Dauphin pool or Central Penn as the location to have the party. Central Penn won and the party will
be on Saturday, June 4th from 4:30 until 7:30. Swimming, Zumba and basketball will be some of the activities
offered.
Helping Hands – (Dana Lomma) – Pennies for patients is currently being held.
Historian – (Harriet Bull) – Nothing to report.
Hospitality – (Missie Thrush) – Quarter Days kicked off on March 2nd and will continue on Wednesdays for the
month of March during lunch.
April: 12th & 13th is Moms & Muffins. Invitations will be sent home with students in a few weeks. Need dads
and/or grandpa’s to help serve at this event. Interested volunteers can register on www.ptomanager.com.
Instead of a Chicken BBQ sale at May Fair, we will be holding a sub and sandwich sale. The information will be
in the Spring issue of the Eagles Nest. Pre-order information will be sent home with students by the week of
March 28th. All pre-orders and money will be due by April 29th. Delivery will be May 12th. A limited number &
selections of subs and pretzel sandwiches will be available the day of the May Fair.
May Fair – (Renee Henry & Kathy Conway) – The next May Fair planning meeting will be held on March 21st at
7:00. May Fair information will be sent home on April 1st, email for volunteers will be sent home on April 8th,
game check/sign making will be done April 19th, volunteer commitment will be due on April 22nd, a raffle basket
assembly will take place at 6:30 on May 2nd, as well as, the next MPSA meeting to discuss/finalize May Fair, May
Fair set-up will be May 13th and May Fair will be held from 10:00 until 2:00 on May 14th. MPSA would like to
have the back lot open for parking the day of May Fair and will also use the baseball parking field. On May 2nd we
would ask that all committee members come early to assemble raffle baskets and then attend the May Fair meeting
at 7:00.
PAC – (Pat Conway & Jeff Thrush) – Information will be provided at the next MPSA meeting.
Publicity – (Carla Hagy) – Nothing to report.
Santa’s Shop – (Cassie Moyer & Steph McClune) – Still looking for elves for the coming year.
Scholarship – (Kathy Conway) – Two (2) people volunteered to help with the selection process.
School Spirit - (Shannon Scott & Kellie Flickinger) – We earned a profit of around $251.00 from the Texas
Roadhouse gift card fundraiser. March 14th will be the Texas Roadhouse restaurant night fundraiser from 4:00
until 10:00. A raffle will be held for a $30.00 gift card that Texas Roadhouse gave us. Tickets will be available to
purchase that night and is open to anyone who enters the restaurant. We will get the whole profit of what we sell.
The thought for the end of the year gift is to have the kids make their own Sandy Candy tube. Classrooms can sign
up for a time slot to take the kids to make them. A label with the child’s name can be put on the tub and teachers
can collect them and distribute them at the end of the day.
School Store – (Joann Atwell-Knapp) – School store was held in February and there is one (1) more planned on
April 29th.
Special Events – (Deb Crissinger) - Nothing to report.
Student Achievement/Bug Club – (Laura Updegrave) – Vouchers to use at the school store were distributed to
the students.
Ways & Means – (Stacey Tinsley) – We earned a profit of $580.00 from the Thirty-One fundraiser and an
additional $200.00 in free products that will be put into the May Fair raffle baskets. At the April meeting, we will
have a drawing for committee members to win a Picnic Tote that we got from the Thirty-One fundraiser. We will
have a second drawing in May for another Picnic Tote.
Next scheduled MPSA meeting April 4, 2011 at 7pm.
Minutes submitted by Carla Hagy, Recording Secretary