Sept. 30, 2010 Grade 5

Reading    none

Lang. Arts   Vocabulary test tomorrow,  study vocab 3 list

Social studies: None

PTO Meeting Minutes – September 14, 2010

Richmond Consolidated School

PTO Meeting Minutes

September 14, 2010

By: Tracy Olsen Crawford

Attendants:

Jayson Tanzman, Jim Biancolo, Tracy Olsen Crawford, Grace Daley, Pam Glass, Vicky Layden, Cathy Gamberoni, Bianca Daigle, Michelle Smith, Shannon Smith, Kara Smith, Jen Yohalem, Sarah Hogue, Bill O’Gara, Bill Travis, Louise Brogan

Treasure’s Report

Per Grace Daley there is $15,866.94 in the current budget to date.

A line item should be added into the budget for each class as to what their spending needs are for the year, Grace will use last year as a guideline.

Grant money has been given to Kindergarten and 3^rd Grade, that money must be used for those grades.

Fundraising

Jayson Tanzman gave some background information on the issue of consolidating all class fundraising under the umbrella of the PTO.

Last year the administration asked the PTO to take over fundraising for RCS make it school wide, each class would no longer be responsible for their own fundraising.  The idea being that each class would no longer be doing something different creating less over all fundraising.  This would remove the burden on teachers, room Mom’s and parents.

We currently have about $15K but need $19 for the year; our goal is to be fundraising for the following year.  If we end up with extra money in the budget then the PTO would like to ask teachers/staff if they have any needs for their class.

The biggest concern on the table is that each class has always had its own budget and should fund their specific events.  Would the fundraising now be school wide?  How does each class get its money?

The question was raised by Cathy Gamberoni and others was how the budget would be handled for the 7^th and 8th grade classes as their needs are so much larger than the other classes.  The 7^th & 8^th grade trip is not included in the PTO budget and therefore they would need to raise money for those events.

The 5^th and 6^th grade classes have already started their annual magazine drive.

How will the fundraising be handled this year?

Each class is welcome to run a fundraiser but all money raised will fall under the PTO with each class having a budgeted line item based on the teacher’s requests.

The PTO feels that this issue was not communicated clearly enough to the staff and parents.

Dr. Travis said he would bring this up at the next faculty meeting and ask teachers to supply a breakdown of their budgetary needs for the year as well as an inventory of any current fundraisers they have planned and all past fundraisers that they have done in the past.

Principal’s Report

Dr. Travis said that the new Kiss & Ride was a work in progress and that plan A had been attempted…there is a plan B & C that may be tried soon.

The Math night was cancelled due to too many other conflicting local events, it will be rescheduled.

BBQ

Dr. Travis mentioned that there was an issue with a refrigerator being turned off at the BBQ and $75 worth of food was lost.  Dr. Travis feels that the PTO should reimburse the kitchen?  A vote was taken and all agreed to pay the $75 to the kitchen.  An email from Tammy to Dr. Travis will serve as an invoice to Grace.

Overall the PTO feels that the BBQ went well and seemed to have a good turn out.  A big thank you to all for your efforts and hard work.

The issue of the night seemed to be how to move people more quickly through the food line…it was mentioned by many that the condiment station was were the line got backed up.  An idea for next year would be to move that station or place the condiments on the picnic tables.  Another idea would be to have double lines through the salad station.

Fund Raising

Grace Daley who ran the bake sales said she is willing to have them for the school instead of just for the class.

The PTO agrees it would be good to have more fundraising events for parents and kids and less selling of merchandise.

Bianca Daigle will put up a sign in the Teachers lounge and the school lobby to announce the date of the next PTO meeting each month.

Craft Fair

There will be a separate meeting to discuss the craft fair on Tuesday, September 28^th at 5:15pm…please join us as people are still needed to help run and volunteer at the event.

Fall Fundraiser

Joe Corbi Catalogue is in; Jayson Tanzmen is in charge of this fundraiser.

The room parents will be responsible for getting the materials out to their classes.

The direct donation letter will go out with this fundraiser.

Spring Fundraiser

The PTO will be doing a spring fundraiser but nothing has been set at this point.  Ideas still need to be discussed at later meetings.

Parent Enrichment Committee

Cathy Gamberoni spoke to the PTO about the objective and the goals of the PEC; the goal is to promote social and educational events for the school (speakers, a presentation on the responsive classroom etc.)  It was set up a last year and the attendance has been very low.  There was a wonderful presentation with the Pre-K through 4^th grade and only a few people showed up for the event.

The idea is to merge this program with the PTO to help with input and attendance.  The hope of the PEC committee is to put on a fall and spring event (such as the Dr. Johnson round table discussion this fall)

A great idea was to mix a PEC event with a movie night.  On a bigger scale it would be interesting to collaborate with other schools to bring in bigger events that can possibly be used as a fundraiser as well.

Room Parents

Cathy Gambeson said that we have representation for all the classes.  Thank you to Cathy for handling this for the year.

PTO Closet

There is a PTO closet that Tammy showed to Jayson at the BBQ and it needs to be cleaned out.

We need a person to handle cleaning out the closet once a year, Jen Yohalum volunteered for this year to work with Tammy to make this happen.

Babysitting at PTO meetings

Babysitting will be available at all PTO meetings; our goal is to make it accessible for anyone to attend.

It will cost $2 per child with a max of $5 per family.

It was agreed that the PTO will guarantee each Babysitter a minimum of $10.

Cathy Gamberoni will try to get a count on the number of kids attending for each PTO meeting.

The next PTO meeting will be Tuesday, October 12^th at 5:30pm

Mon.Sept 27 Grade 6

Social Studies   Read p. 77-81 in green book

Mon. Sept. 27 Grade 5

Reading:  complete paragraphs  comparing and contrasting you with a character in Seedfolks, if not done  already.

Lang. Arts: Study Vocabulary 3 words Test on Thursday

Social Studies: none

Friday, September 24th

Calendar of Events

9/29 Open House 6:30 pm

10/18 Picture Day make up

OPEN HOUSE- SEPTEMBER 29

FORMAT for OPEN HOUSE
6:30- 7:15 PM  Presentations by teachers in grades Pre-K to 4. 
There will be 2 @ 20 minute presentations in each of these classrooms.  Parents with children in more than one PK-4 class will be able to move from one to the other.
7:20- 8:00 PM Informal meeting with teachers in grades 5-8.
A parent with a child in PK-4 and another in grades 5-8 can come to the second PK-4 presentation and stay for the 5-8 gathering.
Specialists in Art, Music, PE, Foreign Languages and Special Education will be available in the 7:20- 8:00 PM time frame.  The format of the grade 5-8 gathering will be such that parents can move easily from one grade or specialty area to another.
We look forward to welcoming all parents on September 29th.
Notes from the Kitchen

We have brought back Salad Bar day hoping that some students who seem to be vegetable phobic may venture over and realize how much there is to enjoy. Also some students have mentioned that their parents have washed their ID tags, let’s all work together to avoid that and keep the tags at school.  This year’s tags have arrived and have been handed out, please note that we do charge when we have to replace them.

Flu Clinic

To all Parents/Guardians, The Community Health Assn. will be holding a school based flu clinic this fall. This year’s supply will contain both seasonal and HINI vaccine.  There will be no cost.  Students and or siblings will need to have a parent or guardian present in order to receive the vaccine. Please note that CHA will not have the flu mist nasal spray, they are only offering the vaccine in shot form. The clinic will be scheduled as soon as the vaccine arrives and it will most likely be held in beginning of November. Please call your Pediatrician’s office in regard to their vaccine availability because they may have the vaccine much sooner.  If you are interested please respond to emilie@charws.com so that the needed amount can be ordered.

After School Program

Please join us for K & 1*After School Fun, Mondays from 3-4:30 p.m.
Meet in the gym for after school indoor and outdoor games.  Please let the school know that your child will be staying!   We cannot allow your child to stay after school without a note from a parent! For more information, or if you want to help out, please contact Ruth Hanavan: 413-822-1460 or ruth@thehanavans.com.

Musical Notes from Mrs. Mullen

Forms for instruments are due on Monday.  Thank you to the following students for helping on instrument night:  Justin Bartlett, Micaela Bartlett, Jordan Begley, Alyssa Flood, Julia Murphy, Braxton Vittori and Victoria Vittori.

Baby News

Peter and Kristin (our school librarian) Smith welcomed their daughter Meryn into the world Monday at 8:01, at 8 lbs, 11 ozs and 21 inches long. Both Mom and daughter are doing well. Big sister Sinaia promises to bring in pictures soon. I’m sure you join us in wishing the family well.

Robotics

Robotics club parents’ meeting: Thursday, Sept 30, 7:00-7:30 in the cafeteria.  All students who intend to participate should have a parent or guardian in attendance.  Details to follow via email.

Calling all parents!!

The Richmond School PTO needs your help to gather items for the Silent Auction piece of the Craft Fair that is taking place on November 6th.  Last year parents did a great job contacting local businesses they know and getting items donated for the auction which resulted in thousands of dollars being raised for the school.  If you work at or have a connection at a local business that is willing to donate an item or gift certificate we would appreciate you contacting them and having them mail the item or dropping it off at the school office.  Please remember to keep yourselves in mind as well.  We know there are many talented parents in the school community who may run a small business (construction, building etc.), sell Avon or Pampered Chef, or do crafts like jewelry making, basket weaving or canning on the side.  Any and all donations to the silent auction raise much needed monies for the students and teachers at the school as well as bring attention to the many small businesses in Richmond.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact Shannon Smith at 413-883-7231 or ssmith@leeregionalvna.com.

Wanted:  Election Signs for Craft Fair

The PTO is looking for left over election signs that parents would like to donate to be recycled and used for signage at the craft fair.  Donated signs can be dropped off in the office.

THE GREEN TURTLE – Children’s Eco Boutique 2010 Fall/Winter Consignment

Join us at The Green Turtle’s 2010 Fall/Winter Consignment Sale Saturday, October 9th at Richmond Town Hall from 10am – 5pm.
The Green Turtle is a semi annual Upscale Children’s Boutique showcasing high end gently loved items ranging from clothing (newborn to preteen); including specialty boutique apparel, shoes, accessories, books, toys, CD’s and DVD’s, baby and kids gear, furniture, décor, hand crafted items and more. All items are hand picked to ensure only the best quality. At The Green Turtle the goal is to help families make money and save money while doing your part to save the planet.

Earn up to 70% to clean out your kid’s closets!  Still looking for consignors.

Contact us for more information or to Register to consign… greenturtlekid@gmail.com

Berkshire Botanical Garden Harvest Fest

October 2 & 3–The public is invited to join the pumpkin art show for all.  Pumpkin art will be displayed during Harvest Festival weekend in the garden’s historic herb garden.Drop off your pumpkin creation on Friday, Oct 1^st, noon to 6:00 at the admission office, routes 102 & 183 in Stockbridge. Pick up after 4:00 Sun – Wed, Oct. 6^th. For more info call 298-3926 x 16.

3v3 Basketball House League

Last call for 3v3 basketball house league, grades 6-8!  This co-ed league will begin play after school on Oct 6 and continue for 6 consecutive Wednesdays, 3:00-4:30.  Please sign up to join the fun if you have not done so already.

Richmond Youth Basketball 2010-2011!

Richmond Youth Basketball 2010-2011 season begins in November! For more information, go to http://www.richmondbasketball.org or call Ruth Hanavan at 413-822-1460.

RICHMOND CULTURAL COUNCIL:

Richmond Cultural Council is seeking funding proposals for community-oriented arts, humanities, and science projects.  Grant applications must be postmarked by Oct 15.  The Council will also consider funding proposals from schools and youth groups through the PASS Program, a ticket subsidy program for school-aged children.

Application forms and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available on the web at www.mass-culture.org/lcc_public.asp or at Richmond Town Hall, Richmond Public Library and Richmond Post Office.  PASS and grant applications will be available at Richmond School. Please send completed applications to Kathleen Basile, 41 East Road, Richmond, MA 01254.  For information, contact Ms. Basile 413-698-3143 or rbasile@berkshire.rr.com.The Richmond Cultural Council’s  LCC Grant Applications are available in the office at Richmond Consolidated School.

Sept. 21 Grade 6

Social Studies:   study for test on Monday,   5 Themes of Geography, P. 10-14 in book.

PTO Meeting Minutes – August 31, 2010

Richmond Consolidated School

PTO Meeting Minutes

August 31, 2010

By: Tracy Olsen Crawford

Attendants:

Jayson Tanzman, Grace Daley, Jim Biancolo, Tracy Olsen Crawford, Michelle Smith, Bill Travis, Kara Smith, Bianca Daigle, Wendy Laurin

Attendance and Introductions

1. BBQ

Date is set for September 7, 2010 at 5:30pm

Jayson will get in touch with Tammy on September 1^st to discuss the details and ask how the PTO can help with this event.  Do we need to provide any food or other items and does the PTO pay for it?

Jim will email the PTO members asking for volunteers for 5pm.

Wendy suggested getting a head count.

Bianca will do a sign for the BBQ promoting the next PTO meeting; she will also handle the sign up sheets for volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

5. Craft Fair

The date of the Craft Fair has been set for Saturday November 6th.  The name of the event is the Richmond Craft & Country Fair.

The Craft Fair is the largest fundraiser of the year and should make a profit of about

7-10K for the PTO.  All of the crafters will be set up in the Gym and the new “kids section” of the fair will be in the cafeteria.  The Book fair will be set up on the stage in the Cafeteria and the silent auction will be in the hallway.

Bianca is handling the volunteers for the event.

Pam is on target with publicity and media, she will also be in charge of ordering tables which are donated by John Heaton who will drop off and pick them up.

Vicky is in charge of the book fair.

Jim Biancolo is waiting for the permit from the town.

Tina is doing the posters for the event (100) and will need help from volunteers in getting them put up around the surrounding towns; the advertising is integral to our success.

Tracy has sent out letters to crafts people and has about 20 tables already reserved for the fair at this point…our goal is to have 50 crafters this year.  Wendy is making some calls to people who have not responded and have done the fair in the past, we will also send out more letters.  If anyone knows of any good crafts people, especially local, with a price range of no more than $100 please contact Tracy.  Wendy expressed another idea for the fair; get local shops and/or craft people ie: Museum Facsimile in Pittsfield to have a table which would be run by a volunteer.  The PTO would get the table fee and/or a profit of sales?  This should be discussed in more detail.

The Silent auction is a huge part of the event and the letters need to go out NOW in order to start getting donations.  There needs to be at least 80 items with no more than 100.  Grace and Michelle will check in with Shannon Smith to make sure this is happening.  Grace is also going to get items herself and the PTO can ask for parents to generate items.

A Thank You brochure needs to be made thanking all the people/companies who have helped with the fair.

The PTO will talk with Tammy about her food tables and what she needs at the fair.

Kids Section of the Fair

We are still looking for volunteers to take on the roll of overseeing the kids section of the fair.  Two ideas were discussed; having vendors (they will rent a space for $35 and charge their own prices for services) and/or each class running a game or activity.

Can we use existing games such as Plinko and Probability?

Grace will call her contact to check on the possibility of a bounce house.

The Foreign Language dept. may still want to do a fundraising table at the fair this year…the PTO does not have a problem with this and can have one table with some restrictions.

All Room Mother’s will need to be contacted to let them know that in lue of individual fundraisers each class can contribute by running a game or activity.

Some type of admission will need to be charged for the kids section of the fair, this will be done at the front table.

There is a $1.00 admission to the Craft Fair for adults

$2.00 admission to the kid’s activity section

($2.00 per child with a $5.00 cap per family)

Grace will need 3 banks and need to provide change for vendors if needed.

Fund Raising

The direct fund raising letter was presented to Dr. Travis and he had no objections to the idea.

The letter will go out at the BBQ as well as with the Joe Corbi catalogue.

Michelle has requested that if parents choose to do a direct donation and not use the Corbi catalogue to please return it to school.

PTO meetings will be the second Tuesday of every month at 5:30pm.  The next PTO meeting will be Tuesday, September 14, 2010.

Friday, September 17th

Calendar of Events

9/21 Band Parents Night – Café 6:30 pm

4^th Grade Open House

9/24 ½ day Teacher In-Service

9/29 Open House 6:30 pm

10/18 Picture Day make up

From the Principal’s Office:

Activities at Richmond School are in full swing.  The band and chorus are rehearsing and the CAP Program and Art have engaged students in dance, field trips and mask making projects. We have applied for a small rural school Technology Grant and are hopeful that we can enhance students’ and parent’s access to new software programs from school or home if successful.  The first grade hosted Grandparents’ Day on Friday.  There was a great turnout.  The excitement generated by the event was wonderful and a good time was had by all. 
The Department of Education has released the results of last spring’s MCAS Tests.  Results for each student then in grades 3-8 will be mailed out this weekend.  Please read the Parent/Guardian Report that accompanies each child’s test results.  The report references several resources you can go to to find everything from the actual tests taken to additional information about how each test measures knowledge and skills.  This year a new report is included: the Growth Percentile Scores.  This new feature will be helpful in learning more about the type of progress your child makes from one test year to the next.  The most useful resource I can recommend for more information is: www.doe.mass.edu/MCAS/parents .  Every school and district in Massachusetts receives a rating toward meeting annual yearly progress [AYP] goals set forth by the Department of Education.  Richmond Consolidated School has received a status of Very High Performance in the area of English/ Language Arts [ELA] and a Moderate Performance in the area of Mathematics.  The overall performance ratings in both areas exceeds the state average and ranks among the highest in Berkshire County.  In both test areas, however, Richmond School has failed to meet the new target score set for us by the state.  We missed our ELA target by two-tenths of one percent [90 vs. 90.2]  We missed our Math target by 4.7 points with a 79.6 vs. the state target of 84.3.  Every year the state increases its target scores until in the year 2014 when 100% of schools in the state must have 100% of all students scoring at the Proficient or Advanced levels.  Having missed out target score, the faculty at Richmond Consolidated School will examine our grade by grade results and identify specific curriculum modifications that can be taken to better achieve our goals.  Our half-day of Professional Development on September 24th will focus on ways to reinforce strengths and target weaknesses.  We will share more of what we plan at upcoming meetings.

Bill

Open House

Open house for parents is now scheduled for September 29^th starting at 6:30.

Richmond School Election Results

8^th Grade

President             Mollie DiNicola

Vice-President     Mia Smith

Secretary             Allie Glass

Treasurer             Ceci Reynolds

7^th Grade

President              Bennie Lopez

Vice-President     Karli DiNicola

Secretary              Justin Bartlett

Treasurer             Theo Burns

6^th Grade

Student Council   Tyler Harrington

Brooke Volastro

5^th Grade

Student Council    Micaela Bartlett

Kyle Stasiewski

Magazine Drive

Please send in all magazine drive forms and money by September 22^nd.

Notes from the Kitchen

Did you know that our Kitchen makes whole wheat challah bread for the French toast and we make the pizza crust as well!!

Our computer system works with student ID badges that have barcodes on the back.  We would appreciate parents help in making sure students do not leave their badges at home.  Students without their badges will have to be the last in line.

Flu Clinic

To all Parents/Gaurdians,

The Community Health Assn. will be holding a school based flu clinic this fall. This year’s supply will contain both seasonal and HINI vaccine.  There will be no cost.  Students and or siblings will need to have a parent or guardian present in order to receive the vaccine.  If you are interested please respond to emilie@charws.com so that the needed amount can be ordered.

After School Program

Please join us for K & 1* After School Fun, Mondays beginning September 20, 3-4:30 p.m.
Supervised after-school games, including playground time, kickball, wiffle ball, races and more!  Rain?  No problem. We’ll play in the gym.  We will provide after school snack, beverage and adult supervision.  Please provide your child with a warm jacket and a snack donation.  ($1 suggested)  
Please let the school know that your child will be staying!   We cannot allow your child to stay after school without a note from a parent! *This after-school activity is limited to children in Grades K & 1; however, if you would like to be a parent chaperone, you are welcome to bring your younger or older child to participate in the games!  For more information, or if you want to help out, please contact Ruth Hanavan: 413-822-1460 or ruth@thehanavans.com.

Musical Notes from Mrs. Mullen

Each year the Richmond Consolidated School offers beginning instruction on various wind instruments to students in grades 4-8. Students who enroll in the program will take weekly group lessons and will have the opportunity to play in one of our school bands. For all those students who wish to start an instrument this year there will be a parent-student meeting on Tuesday evening, September 21st at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. At that time, we will give an overview of the program, display the instruments, and explain a rent-with-option-to-buy program, through which you can obtain an instrument. In addition your child will have an opportunity to try the various instruments.

The schedule for the evening will be as follows:  6:30-7:00 students will try instruments in the cafeteria. Fourth grade parents will meet with Mrs. Manzolini in her classroom. This meeting will replace the open house meeting on September 30th.  7:00 p.m. – Parents will join us in the cafeteria for the details of the band program.

We look forward to seeing you on the 21st.

Robotics

Students in grades 4-8 are invited to join the Richmond Robotics Club.  The club will meet on Mondays after school, starting in October.  The club will compete in the Berkshire Robotics Challenge at Lenox High School in March 2011.  Interested students should submit their name, grade, and email address to the office by Sept 22.  A parents’ meeting with more details will be scheduled for late September.  Contact Chris Begley (christopherbegley@mac.com) for more information.

Wanted:  Yoga Mats

The PreSchool is looking for Yoga Mats for rest-time.

3v3 Basketball House League

Students in grades 6-8 are invited to participate in our early-season 3v3 basketball house league.  (Basketball programs for younger students and travel teams will start later in the year.)  This will be a 3v3 co-ed league starting Oct 6 and running for six consecutive Wednesdays after school in the gym.  Players will be assigned to teams.  No experience necessary.  Interested students should submit their name, grade, and email address to the office by Sept 22.  Contact Chris Begley for more information: christopherbegley@mac.com.

Richmond Youth Basketball 2010-2011!

Richmond Youth Basketball 2010-2011 season begins in November! For more information, go to http://www.richmondbasketball.org or call Ruth Hanavan at 413-822-1460.

Berkshire Hills Youth Soccer House League

Please call or e-mail Susan Higa for more information – 528-3260 or higasq@gmail.com

GOLDEN KNIGHTS GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

2010-2011 LEAGUE SIGN UPS

For more information, call Terry Chamberland at 528-3730 or John

Lucey at (413)329-8086.

Golden Knights 5th & 6th Grade Travel Team

To sign up or for more information, please contact Terry Chamberland (413)528-3730, John Lucey (413)329-8086 or Diane Fogarty

(413)298-0041.

Gymfest of the Berkshires

Gymfest flyers are available in the office, please let Darlene know if you would like one sent home.

Thank you to the Richmond Record

for donating a computer to the Richmond Consolidated School.

RICHMOND CULTURAL COUNCIL:

Richmond Cultural Council is seeking funding proposals for community-oriented arts, humanities, and science projects.  Grant applications must be postmarked by October 15.  The Council will also consider funding proposals from schools and youth groups through the PASS Program, a ticket subsidy program for school-aged children.

Application forms and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available on the web at www.mass-culture.org/lcc_public.asp or at Richmond Town Hall, Richmond Public Library and Richmond Post Office.  PASS and grant applications will be available at Richmond Consolidated School.

Please send completed applications to Kathleen Basile, 41 East Road, Richmond, MA 01254.  For additional information, contact Ms. Basile at 413-698-3143 or rbasile@berkshire.rr.com.

The Richmond Cultural Council’s  LCC Grant Applications are available in the office at Richmond Con

Sept. 15 Grade 6

Social Studies: answer questions: show 2a, 2b, 2c on map, write full sentences answering questions 3,4,5 on page 42.

Sept. 15 Grade 5

social studies:   none

reading:   read p. 51-58  Curtis,  some students will also read a Greek myth

lang. arts:  analogy paper p. 5  due Thursday

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