Parent Teacher Organization
PTO Minutes
Tuesday January 8, 2013
1. Call to order and approval of last meeting minutes
2. Attendance meeting sheet, please sign and pass on
3. Financial Report, Egle Degutiene: Family skating day made Ls130.
The school supported the event and allowed the PTO to keep the
money for future events. Our current balance is Ls576.71.
4. Randal Eplin updated us about accreditation week--February 11-15.
We are accredited by three different organizations: International
Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), Council of International Schools
(CIS), and New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Usually, they are each on their own schedule for visits. But this year it
will be a cross-organization accreditation because we will be visited by
all three of the organizations at the same time. In this way, we will be
fully accredited and will not have to prepare for another visit for 5
years. The staff has been preparing for this visit for the last 1.5 years.
They have been addressing ideas and concerns that were collected
from the surveys that all parents, teachers, and students completed
last year. More information about the visit will be sent to parents
before Feb. 11.
5. Reading week will be Jan 21-25. Ligita Callaway, our worthy librarian,
gave us an overview of the events that will take place during this
week. There are two Reading Weeks every year and one Mother
Tongue Week. During this week, Mrs. Callaway would like to have
volunteers come into the classrooms to read a story to students. The
Homeroom parents for grades 1-6 will contact parents to encourage
their support and involvement. Reading Week is focused mainly on
reading in English. During Mother Tongue week, the children are read
to in their mother tongue languages. Readers are welcome to borrow
books from the library.
6. Latest PTO News:
The Family Skating Day on December 8 was a huge success! A great
time was had by everyone! Sixty-five brave skaters joined us at Volvo
skating rink. There were plenty of skates to rent, in addition to a play
area, a changing area, and a café with a view of the rink. It was a
great event! See you next year!
7. January Events:
Everything is ready for our Family Hockey Night on Friday January 18,
7:30 pm at Arena Riga. The game is between Dinamo Riga and
Torpedo (Nizhny Novgord). Tickets will be sent home this week.
Remember to wear ISL colors!
8. February Events:
The “Valentine’s Dance” will be held on February Friday 8, 3:455:00pm. We will need parent volunteers to chaperone. Chaperones
will mostly stay outside of the dancing area so that the kids can have a
little freedom.
The event will be in the cafeteria. The PTO will arrange the pizza sale,
decorations, and music by a DJ. The Student Council will advertise the
event and sell the tickets and drinks (juice boxes). There may also be
a small dance for the preschool and kindergarten kids in the library.
“Chinese New Year Celebration”
Activities will be held at school and organized by volunteer parents and
teachers. Nina Stutzman is coordinating the event. Volunteers are
needed. It will follow the agenda of last year with a craft day on Feb.
7. Those crafts will be used to decorate the school. On Monday, there
will be a lion dance/parade, drumming, etc. Lunch will be Chinese
food with chopsticks. Perhaps we can Skype Kyra in China? The
upper school kids will have guest speakers to talk about their
experiences with Chinese New Year in places where they have lived.
We will have a meeting to organize this event and the Valentines’
dance.
9. Date and time for next PTO meeting: Tuesday February 5, 9:00am.