Hopkinton PTA

Minutes for the meeting of September 7, 2006

(Subject to approval at the October 5, 2006, meeting)

Present: Kathy Donohoe, Julie Morris, Joyce Rose, Nancy Skarmeas, Michelle Benson, Bill Carozza, Mike Bessette, Steve Chamberlin, Brian Blake, Tammy Ehrmanntraut, Julie Guarente, Sarah Murdough, Sally Turcotte, Vickie Baronas, Marcia Clarke, Trish Underwood, Eileen Moore, Kelly Heitz, Steve Crawford, Breckie Hayes-Snow, Jill Reynolds, Eileen Reinacher, Kathi Echelberger, Sue Batchelder, Larry Patz, Marilyn Patz, Jens Dinter, Ingrid Dinter, Karen Mayo, Scott Mayo, Elizabeth Ridinger

Motion made by Sally Turcotte to approve June 2006 minutes; seconded by Trish Underwood. Minutes approved.

Summer Activity

New president Kathy Donohoe gave a recap of the PTA’s summer activities. The new fourth-grade social, held at MSS the week before school, was organized by Michelle Benson and Kelli Cyr. Approximately half the incoming fourth-grade class attended. Ice cream socials for grades K-3 were held at Beech Hill Farm; also, PTA volunteers left apples on the desks of  all teachers and staff for the first day of school.

Budget

Treasurer Joyce Rose presented the budget for the 2006-2007 school year.  Voting on the budget will take place at the October 5th meeting.

Funding Requests

1. Kathy Donohoe presented a request for $1,000, submitted by HMS first-grade teacher Maddy Kaplan on behalf of the Author Committee, to help pay for this year’s visiting author, Maryann Cocca-Leffler. Motion to approve made by Trish Underwood; seconded by Eileen Reinacher. Request approved.

2. Art teacher Sue Batchelder made a request for $300 to buy supplies for the middle school art club. She explained that the club operates on a drop-in basis on Monday afternoons throughout the school year and serves up to twenty kids every week. Motion to approve made by Steve Chamberlin; seconded by Eileen Reinacher and Karen Mayo. Request approved.

Fundraising

Kathy Donohoe reported that the Cherrydale fundraiser packets are being distributed this week.  Suggestions were made for new fundraisers. Trish Underwood presented the idea of selling items featuring children’s art; Julie Morris volunteered to look into this possibility. Kathi Echelberger suggested a game night; she will provide more information at a future meeting. 

Other matters

Forms are being collected for the HMS and MSS telephone directories. Thanks to Hopkinton parent Nichole Thomas, these will be printed this year by Town & Country Reprographics at a significant discount.  Breckie Hayes-Snow volunteered to input PTA membership names into a data base. 

HMS Volunteer Coordinator Marcia Clarke gave an overview of the HMS Halloween party. The event is planned for Saturday, October 28. Karen Mayo asked that a more detailed description of the event be included in the flyer this year. The question of candy as an acceptable trick or treat item was raised. Vickie Baronas spoke in favor of preserving the event—candy included—in its current form. Marcia Clarke said that no changes had been made to the event, and that parents were welcome to donate candy or other items for trick or treating.

Upcoming events:

A Family Night at the Manchester Monarchs will be planned for Saturday, November 18. Kathy Donohoe will organize. Trish Underwood volunteered to organize movie nights for HMS and MSS. Three movie nights, all to be held at MSS, will be planned for each of the schools this year.

Several suggestions were made for possible new events, including a family night at the Kalediscope Children’s Museum in Concord, rock climbing at Vertical Dreams for MSS and the middle school, a Manchester Wolves indoor football game, and tubing at Pat’s Peak. Several volunteers offered to investigate these ideas and present more information at future meetings.

The meeting ended with comments by new superintendent Brian Blake. 

Submitted by Nancy Skarmeas, PTA Secretary