PTO Meeting Agenda

Monday, September 28th, 2020

6:30pm

 

Attendees: Phil Moore, Sarah Smith, Stephanie Eddy, Jamie LaVelle, Erin Stacey, Ali Houchin, Jodi Adler, Nikki Tourdot, Sarah Binversie, Jessica Grandt

 

1.    Welcome and Introductions

 

2.    Principal Update

a.    Dr. Grandt thanked the parents for their incredible support to start the school year and briefly updated the group on the changes that have been implemented to keep students and staff as safe as possible given the current pandemic. She also thanked the PTO for their support of the electronic sign, which was installed in front of the school last week.

b.    Parent/teacher conferences will be held on Oct 21 and 22. There will be no school on Oct 22 and 23. This year parents will sign up for a conference slot using sign-up genius. More info will be coming home on that soon. Families will also have the option to do their child’s conference virtually, face to face or by phone. Note: the book fair that we usually hold during conferences will take place solely online this year for safety reasons.

c.     Our first Scoopie night of the year will take place on Oct 28. For health/safety reasons, staff will not be working in the restaurant. However, Culver’s is still going to give 10% of sales that night between 4-8pm to Harrison School, so please consider picking up an order to go that night. The class with the highest percentage of participation will still receive a prize from Culver’s.

d.    Picture Day will be Jan. 26. Yearbook orders will be done online through Lifetouch.

 

3.    Staff Updates

a.    Mrs. Adler, Mrs. Tourdot, and Ms. Binversie each gave a brief update on the start the of school year. Each teacher commented on how well the students have adjusted to the changes for this year and how grateful we all are to be back doing face to face instruction with our kiddos.

 

4.    Membership

a.    The PTO membership form will be going home soon. Membership is $5.00 per family and includes a student directory. Erin Stacey has offered to help with membership and the directory.

 

5.    Treasurer’s Report

a.    Phil Moore is the PTO treasurer. He shared that the PTO’s current balance is $12,543. However, we have not yet received the bill for PTO’s portion of the sign purchase.

b.    Dr. Grandt and Mr. Moore will meet before the October PTO meeting to review expenses and revenue and put together a draft of a 2020-21 PTO budget to share with the group.

c.     Mr. Moore submitted paperwork to renew Harrison PTO’s raffle license and our annual 501c(3) report. 

d.    Two budget items were approved by the PTO members in attendance:

        i.    $50 reimbursement to staff for purchases they have made for their classroom. Teachers need to submit receipts to Mr. Moore by December 1 for reimbursement. Staff eligible for reimbursement are: the homeroom teachers (12), Special Area Teachers (4), English Language teacher (1), Special Ed Teachers (4), Academic Learning Coach (1), Interventionist (1), and Innovation Specialist (1). This item will cost $1200.

          ii.    A boxed lunch from GRs was approved to serve staff during conferences. Approximate cost will be $200.

6.    Fundraising

a.    Historically we have had one major fundraiser each year. Last year that was our incredibly successful Color Run. For health/safety reasons, we can’t do that this year. However, there are other options that we could do instead if fundraising is needed this year (e.g. a family scavenger hunt that is completed on their own time). We will review fundraising ideas again next month once we have a better sense of the budget and what the expenses for this year might be.

b.    We will be asking parents to submit their box tops online again this year, which is a great fundraiser for us. Jenny Kallio will be putting together a note about this to go home to parents. A parent mentioned that there is a way for families to scan their online receipts, as well.

c.     A parent suggested that Dr. Grandt add a reminder to our FB page about our Amazon Smile account as this is another simple fundraising idea.

 

7.    New Event Ideas for this year?

a.    Several of our usual PTO events will not be held this year due for health/safety reasons (e.g. the Halloween Party). Please feel free to share other ideas that you think would be fun for us to do virtually this year, instead.

 

8.    Odds/ Ends

a.    Dr. Grandt reminded the group that the SDJ has two referendum questions on the November 3rd ballot, a capital referendum and an operational referendum. Neither of these are “bells and whistles” referendums, but more maintenance in nature. For example, new boilers for Harrison are on the list of improvements if the referendum passes.

b.    In order to communicate with parents and the community about the ever-changing health situation, the SDJ has added a Covid-19 dashboard to their website. It is updated weekly.

 

Next Meeting: October 19 at 6:30pm

 

PTO Meeting Minutes

Monday, October 19th, 2020

6:30pm

 

Welcome and Introductions

1. Members in attendance: Phil Moore, Jamie LaVelle, Jessica Grandt, Megan Schultz, Dave Martin, Andrea Schmaling

 

2. Principal Update

a.Parent/teacher conferences are this week, October 21 and 22. Due to the pivot, all of the conferences will be held virtually or by phone.

b.Scoopie Night will be October 28th at the Milton Ave Culver’s. We get 10% of all drive-thru sales, so please make sure to stop by!

i. 

3.Staff Updates

 .Primary Unit (Mrs.Schultz)

a.Intermediate Unit (Mr. Martin)

b.Upper Unit (Ms. Schmaling)

 

4.Membership/ Directory Update

a.So far we have 49 families who have joined the PTO. We will do one last reminder the week of 11/2 to see if we can get any more families with a deadline of Nov. 6. We budgeted $250 for membership, and so far we are at $245. So this is good!

b.Mrs. Wellnitz will be putting together the directory for any of the families who joined, and we will get that out to families after Nov. 6th. 

 

5.Treasurer’s Report

a. Phil and Jessica worked on a draft of the budget, which was shared out at the meeting. Based on current projected expenses and revenue, we are at a deficit of $1,250. The biggest reason for the projected shortfall is because we were not able to have our Color Run this year, which is the biggest fundraiser we have. The budget was approved as is, knowing that adjustments can be made mid-year if needed.

b. Phil paid out $227.12 for the GRs conference meal for teachers.

c. We are awaiting the bill for the sign from the SDJ.

 

6. Fundraising

a. Since we do currently have a budget deficit, we do need to get creative about fundraising. The group talked about adding some more restaurant fundraisers since takeout is still something that families can do safely.

i.MOD Pizza - Ms. Schmaling looking into this

ii.GRs - Ms. Schmaling looking into this

iii.Papa Murphy’s - Mrs. Eddy looking into this

b.We also talked about looking back into Scrip cards since they now do them more online. Mrs. LaVelle is looking into this.

c. We also really need to publicize the fundraisers we are doing:

 .Scoopie night next week

i.Amazon Smile

ii.Box Tops

 

7. Interactive Scavenger Hunt Fundraiser

a. The group liked the idea of doing an interactive family scavenger hunt as a spring fundraiser. We are looking for two people to co-chair this committee.

 

8.Parent Questions

 

9.Adjourn Meeting

 

Next Meeting: November 16 at 6:30pm

 

PTO Meeting Minutes

Monday, November 16th, 2020

6:30pm

 

Members present: Phil Moore, Sarah Smith, Jamie LaVelle, Erin Stacey, Ali Houchin, Stacey Starks, Ashley Fielhauer, Jessica Grandt

 

1. Principal Items

1. 1. Virtual Conferences

1. 1. 1. Thank you to PTO for the amazing conference dinner from GR’s!
      2. Parents shared the following feedback from the virtual conferences:
         1. It was nice that parents didn’t have to wait. They simply logged in at their scheduled time.
         2. The virtual conferences made it easier for parents to attend in terms of not needing to find childcare and even being able to Zoom in from their workplace during the day.
         3. There were a few technical difficulties, but these were problem-solved fairly quickly.
         4. One parent mentioned being a little sad to not be able to see her child’s classroom like she would’ve been able to if the conferences were held F2F. 
   2. Pivot to Virtual Learning

1. 1. 1. Parents shared the following feedback from our October pivot to virtual learning:

1. 2. 0. 1. There was consensus from the parents that the virtual learning provided this year was an improvement over the emergency distance learning that we provided last spring.
         2. Parents really liked the set schedule because they could plan when their child would need their assistance and when they would be able to work independently.
         3. Ending at 1:45 each day was mentioned as a benefit of this schedule so kids weren’t in front of their screens for the whole day.
         4. Parents also liked that all students ate lunch at the same time. This was really helpful for families with more than one Harrison student.
         5. One suggestion was to make the lunch hour a little bit longer. If parents were helping their kids right up until lunch time, then they weren’t able to prepare lunch until ahead of time. And then this resulted in kiddos sometimes still eating when their afternoon classes started.

a.    A related suggestion was to have the afternoon start with an independent activity instead of direct instruction. That way if a student needed a little more time to finish eating, s/he could do that and then just do the independent activity later without missing the instruction.

6.    Parents were very happy to have the live instruction pieces and that teachers were available for questions and assistance as needed.

7.    Kids did a great job of navigating the technology.

                                  i.    HUGE thank you to our parents, families, grandparents, and other childcare providers who partnered with us to help make our short pivot to virtual learning such a success!

c.     Online Book Fair

                                  i.    Our online Scholastic Book Fair is now open. Books will be shipped directly to your house and should arrive in plenty of time for the holidays. Harrison receives 25% of the sales, so this is a great way to encourage students reading and support our school at the same time!

d.    There is no PTO meeting in December. The next virtual meeting will be on January 11th.

e.    Our first Scoopie Night will be held on December 15th at the Milton Ave. Culver’s from 4-8pm. We will receive 15% of all sales during this time frame, so please come out and support Harrison School! (Note: for safety reasons, staff will not be serving in the restaurant this year.)

f.      Parents should have received an email in Infinite Campus on 11/16 re: their selection for their child’s education setting for second semester. The window to request changes is open now and will close on December 4th.

g.    Rock County has recently moved back into Phase 1. The SDJ Board of Education will convene in a special meeting on Wednesday, 11/18, at 6pm to discuss what this means for our district. Parents and staff are encouraged to tune into that meeting which is broadcasted live. The link can be found on the SDJ webpage.

 

2.            Staff Updates

2. 1. Mrs. Houchin provided academic updates from the primary unit. Our kinder and 1st grade students are finishing up their trimester one checks and are learning about safety in guidance.
   2. Mrs. Starks provided academic updates from the intermediate unit. Our 2nd and 3rd grade students are working on their opinion and persuasive writing. Mrs. Tourdot’s class even persuaded Dr. Grandt to give them an extra recess last week because their arguments were written so well!
   3. Ms. Fielhauer provided academic updates from the upper unit. Our 4th and 5th graders have also been working very hard on writing, editing, and publishing. 

 

3.            Membership/ Directory Update

3. 1. 61 families joined our PTO, which raised $305 for the PTO.
   2. Mrs. Wellnitz created and distributed the PTO directory to members earlier this week.

 

4.            Treasurer’s Report

4. 1. Phil share out revenue/expenses from the last month

4. 1. 1. For revenue, the PTO collected $305 from members.
      2. For expenses, the PTO paid out two teacher reimbursements for a total of $100.

4. 1. 1. 1. Receipts for teacher reimbursements are due on December 1st. Any money in this account that is not spent will be reallocated to other PTO expenses after that time.

a.            Budget requests

4. 1. 1. There were no budget requests at this time.

 

5.            Fundraising

5. 1. The group discussed the various restaurant fundraisers that are available in addition to Scoopie night. After the discussion, the group decided to move forward with setting up additional fundraisers at GRs and Papa Murphy’s. Dr. Grandt will follow up with those establishments and add them to our Harrison 
   2. Jamie has collected some initial info on Scrip, but will continue to research this idea and then report back to the group.

 

6.            Parent Pot Pourri

6. 1. A parent mentioned that she has noticed the new features on Harrison’s FB page, like the #throwbackthursday and #wednesdayrewind, and she thinks they are great.
   2. A parent reminded the group that box tops can be “collected” even when you grocery shop online. This is a great way to raise money for our school.
   3. Another parents reminded the group about how easy it is to sign up for Amazon Smile, which is another great way to support our school.
   4. A parent asked if there will be spring sings this year. At this point, due to the CDC safety recommendations, students are not able to sing here at school for health reasons. But if this changes, we will definitely let families know!

 

Next Meeting: January 11th at 6:30pm

PTO Meeting Notes

Monday, January 11, 2021

6:30pm

 

Members Present: Sarah Smith, Emily Arndt-Rein, Erin Stacey, Jane Anderson, Phil Moore. Gina Heine, Jenny Kallio, Lynn Sarauer, Jessica Grandt

 

 

1. Principal Update
   1. December Scoopie Night proceeds were almost $1000! YAY! The next Scoopie night is scheduled for 1/12/21.
   2. GRs Update - Two GRs nights have been scheduled: 3/10/21 and 5/12/21. Harrison will get a percentage of sales from 4-8pm on those dates.
   3. Papa Murphy’s Update - Two Papa Murphy’s days have been scheduled: 1/21/21 and 4/29/21. Harrison will get a percentage of sales from all day on these two dates.
   4. Picture day will be held on January 26th. All orders must be done through Lifetouch online. We cannot accept any payment here at school.
   5. Mrs. Adler has accepted a position as a reading interventionist at another school. However, she will stay on at Harrison until a replacement for her has been hired. Mrs. Adler is a fantastic teacher and a wonderful person who will be truly missed. We wish her the best in her new role.
   6. Parent/teacher conferences will again be virtual for health/safety reasons. These will take place on March 3rd and March 4th. There will be no school for students March 4th and 5th.

 

2. Staff Updates
   1. Mrs. Sarauer and Ms. Kallio provided teacher updates. All grade levels are in the process of doing mid-year checks as a way to monitor student progress. Examples of these checks include the winter STAR assessment and running records.

 

3. Treasurer’s Report
   1. Total revenue from the last month was $1397. The bulk of this revenue was brought in from the Scoopie Night.
   2. Total expenses from the last month was $585. Staff reimbursement requests accounted for the majority of these expenses.
   3. There are two bills that PTO is still waiting to receive, one for the electronic sign and one for the technology subscriptions. Dr. Grandt will check on these and pass the information along to Mr. Moore, treasurer.
   4. Dr. Grandt asked the group if the PTO would be willing to sponsor a conference dinner again for staff on March 3rd. This item was approved.
      1. A Hawaiian theme of decorations was suggested as a way to brighten up the lounge and staff spirits. This was approved, as well.
4. Fun (and safe) Family Events
   1. The group started brainstorming fun family events that the PTO could safely provide this spring. This item will appear on next month’s agenda, as well.
   2. A suggestion was made to do the spring book fair closer to the summer. Since it will be virtual anyway there is no need to time it with March conferences. Parents may be more likely to participate in the book fair as a way to stock up on books for summer reading.

 

 Next Meeting: February 15th at 6:30pm

 

 

PTO Meeting Notes

Monday, February 15, 2021

6:30pm

 

Members present: Erin Stacey, Gina Heine, Stephanie Eddy, Sarah Smith, Jamie LaVelle, Phil Moore, Kim Astin, Liz Brewer, Dustin Shevy, and Jessica Grandt

 

1. Principal Update
   1. January Scoopie Night proceeds were $996.03, which was $2.00 more than our first Scoopie night. This is amazing! Our last Scoopie night for the year, as there are only three this year, will be on 2/24/21.
   2. Papa Murphy’s proceeds from our first pizza night were $355.81.  Not bad for our first one! This was a very easy fundraiser, and the pick-up was safely organized.
   3. As a reminder, there is no school this Friday, February 19th. This is a pre-planned professional development day for staff.
   4. This Thursday, February 18th, is the end of the second trimester. T2 report cards will be visible to parents on and after February 23rd.
   5. Our next GRs Night will be on 3/10/21. Harrison will get a percentage of all sales from 4-8pm on that day.
   6. Notes about spring conferences went home on Feb. 15th. The sign-up genius link will be sent out on Feb. 17th for parents to sign up for their virtual conference time slot. The link will end on March 1. Conferences are March 3rd from 4-7pm and March 4th from 8am-7pm. There is no school on March 4th and 5th.
   7. Dr. Grandt shared out the results from the December parent satisfaction survey which were previously emailed out to parents. She also shared out Harrison’s action plan to address the lowest item from the survey.
2. Staff Updates
   1. Mrs. Astin shared the latest updates from the primary unit.
   2. Mrs. Brewer shared the latest updates from the intermediate unit.
   3. Mr. Shevy shared the latest updates from the upper unit.
3. Treasurer’s Report
   1. Revenue from the last month
      1. Waiting to receive the check from Culver’s
      2. Waiting to receive the check from Papa Murphy’s
   2. Expenses from the last month
      1. The bill for the sign was paid in the amount of $9500.00.
   3. Upcoming funding requests
      1. The request for funding for the upcoming conference dinner for staff on March 3rd was approved.
4. Fun Family Events
   1. The group talked about several great ideas for upcoming family events. Ideas included trivia nights, BINGO, Go Find It, “flocking” people’s yards, a scavenger hunt, and celebrity game night.
      1. The group decided to try a virtual BINGO night for the first event. This will take place on Friday, March 12th, at 6pm. Grandt will host with assistance from Shevy. LaVelle will work on getting prizes donated.
5. Parent Questions
   1. Parents had an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas unrelated to the agenda.
6. Meeting was adjourned at 7:20.

Next Meeting: March 15th at 6:30pm

PTO Meeting Notes

Monday, March 15, 2021

6:30pm

 Members Present: Rebecca Lemire, Phil Moore, Stephanie Eddy, Jamie Lavelle, Nikki Tourdot, Liza Witt, Jenni Demerath, Jessica Grandt

1. Principal Update
   1. Total Scoopie Night proceeds for the year were $3197, which is $1000 more than last year!
   2. We had a GRs night last week. We haven’t heard yet what the proceeds are from that. Mrs. Wellnitz will let Phil know when the check comes in.
   3. We had almost 100% participation in the spring parent/teacher conferences. Thank you to the PTO for the conference dinner!
   4. As a reminder, there is no school March 22-26 for Spring Break.
   5. There is also no school on April 2nd.
   6. The group discussed the recent BINGO night and agreed that it was a big success. We will look to simplify the games next time we do it (e.g. two rounds of straight line BINGO and then a blackout round). We will also be looking for some non-food related prizes to hand out. Crafts, Harrison t-shirts, and summer fun items (e.g. jump ropes, balls, etc) were ideas that were discussed. Rebecca said that she is happy to give a donation towards prizes if someone else is able to go out and purchase them. Mr. Shevy and Dr. Grandt will look to set the next date and will get that info out to families soon.
2. Staff Updates
   1. Updates were given by Mrs. Demerath, Mrs. Tourdot and Mrs. Witt on behalf of the units. Upcoming events include MASH for the 4th and 5th graders this week, a virtual tour of Blackhawk Technical College for our 3rd and 4th graders on May 4th, and an orientation video going out to all incoming kindergarten families on May 14th.
3. Treasurer’s Report
   1. Revenue from the last month included the latest Culver’s night check, as well as $355.81 from our Papa Murphy’s night. We are still waiting on the GRs check.
   2. Expenses from the last month included $300 for Panera for the conference dinner and $127.13 for yearbooks. Also, the $9500 check for the electronic sign cleared.
   3. Upcoming funding requests included money for the 5th grade landscaping project (up to $300), the 5th grade promotion ceremony (up to $350), and educator appreciation week (up to $500). These are each line items in the PTO budget, which were previously approved.
   4. Current balance as of 3/15/21 was $6163.28.
4. Meeting adjourned.

Next Meeting: April 19th at 6:30pm

PTO Meeting Agenda

Monday, April 19, 2021

6:30pm

 

Members Present:

Stephanie Eddy, Jamie Lavelle, Phil Moore, Sarah Smith, Jennifer Williams, Brooke Murnane, Melissa Difazzio, Jessica Grandt

 

1.       Welcome

 

2.       Principal Update

a.       GRs Night proceeds were $150.00. Thanks to all who attended!

b.       Educator Appreciation Week is May 3 - 7

c.       Dr. Grandt and Mr. Shevy will be hosting a second virtual BINGO night on Friday, May 7, starting at 6pm.

d.       There will be no spring book fair this year.

e.       The 5th grade virtual promotion ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 2nd. Harrison alums who are graduating from CHS this spring will be coming back for the annual grad walk on May 25th. This event will take place outside during the school day.

f.        SDJ Summer School registration is now open. Dates for summer school are June 7 - July 2. Visit the SDJ website for more info and to register.

g.       We will be hosting “Welcome Back!” conferences for all students on Wednesday, September 1st. Homeroom teachers will be contacting parents in mid-August to set up a 1:1 conference with each student and his/her family. This will be a time for families to bring in school supplies, meet the teacher, and ask any questions. Then the first full day of school will be on Thursday, September 2nd, for all students.

h.       Reminder: the parent survey is open now through April 22. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. We appreciate your feedback!

 

3.       Staff Updates

a.       Ms. Murnane, Mrs. Difazzio and Mrs. Williams shared out updates from each of the units.

b.       3rd and 4th grade will be participating in a virtual tour of Blackhawk Tech, and 5th grade will be participating in a virtual career day.

c.       Mrs. Williams also shared out info about an app called Purposity. The app is a way to list specific needs that members of a community have (e.g. a new pair of shoes) with people who might be able to help. More info about Purposity has been posted on the Harrison FB page.

 

4.       Treasurer’s Report (Current balance: $6117.33)

a.       Revenue from the last month:

                                                               i.      $150.00 from GRs fundraiser

                                                             ii.      Two donations (see below)

b.       Expenses from the last month

                                                               i.      $300 for the conference dinner

                                                             ii.      $127 to Lifetouch for yearbooks

                                                           iii.      $126.60 for educator appreciation week

c.       Jessica and Phil will be meeting to create a draft of the 21-22 budget. If anyone would like to join us for that meeting, just let us know!

d.       Donations:

                                                               i.      We had $100 donated to use for prizes.

                                                             ii.      Kwik Trip donated gift cards that can also be used for prizes.

 

5.       Officer Positions for 21-22

a.       We are looking for parent or teacher volunteers to serve as officers for the 21-22 school year. Please reach out to Dr. Grandt if you are interested or would like more information about any of the positions.

                                                               i.      President

1.       Primary responsibilities include setting the agenda and facilitating the monthly meetings. Primary liaison between the PTO and Dr. Grandt.

                                                             ii.      Vice-President

1.       Primary responsibilities include overseeing the various committee chairs (e.g. color run chairs, Halloween party chairs, etc.) and assisting them as needed.

                                                           iii.      Secretary

1.       Primary responsibility is taking notes during the monthly meetings and submitting them to Dr. Grandt for publication. Also may assist with flyers and other types of communication as needed (e.g. the PTO directory)

                                                           iv.      Treasurer

1.       Primary responsibilities include maintaining our PTO checkbook and keeping track of revenue and expenses. The treasurer also helps with the audit and files legal documents, like our non-profit paperwork and raffle license application.

a.       NOTE: Phil is going to be treasurer again for the 21-22 school year. But we would really love to find someone that can train with him next year and then take over as treasurer for the following year.

 

Next Meeting: May 17th at 6:30pm

PTO Meeting Notes

Monday, May 17, 2021

6:30pm

 

Members Present: Phil Moore, Sarah Smith, Erin Stacey, Catherine Kolb, Jamie LaVelle, Stephanie Eddy, Gina Heine, Nikki Tourdot, Mike Loehe, Jessica Grandt

 

1. Principal Update
   1. Huge thank you to the PTO for the love, support, and treats during Educator Appreciation Week. And special thanks to Sarah Smith who coordinated everything on behalf of the PTO. The PTO provided an appreciation sign from Sign Gypsies that changed mid-week, Starbucks frappucino, dilly bars, and succulents. It was wonderful!
   2. Harrison’s proceeds from Papa Murphy sales was $318.86. This has been a lucrative (and easy!) fundraiser for us, and we will look to do it again next year.
   3. BINGO night #2 was another success! We had almost 100 students who played with us. Special thanks to a Harrison parent who donated funding for prizes. They were a hit!
   4. 5th Grade Promotion will be virtual and held on Wednesday, June 2nd. Ms. Binversie’s class is at 1:00, and Ms. Schmaling’s is at 2:00.
   5. The CHS Grad Walk will be happening outside on Tuesday, May 25th.
   6. Reminder; Summer School is taking place June 7 - July 2 here at Harrison. It is a free, half-day program (8:00-11:30am). Participants will get breakfast and then a bagged lunch to take home with them.
   7. 21-22 Updates
      1. Welcome Back Conferences will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 1. The first day of school will be Thursday, Sept. 2.
      2. The district is in the process now of updating policies and protocols for next year. Everything that is decided now, though, is subject to change based on the evolution of the pandemic.
      3. Two sections were added for next year, one at kinder and one at 1st grade, based on student enrollment. ESSER funds have been allocated to pay for these additional positions. So K/1 will each have three sections for next year, and 2nd-5th will be at two sections each
      4. PTO meetings will continue to be held virtually
   8. We have tentatively scheduled the Harrison Color Run for 9/23 from 5:00-6:30pm. Rain date will be 9/30. We are hoping that we will be able to have this fun family event, but a final decision will be made closer to the date based on the pandemic.
      1. Gina reminded the group that we can apply for a Thrivent scholarship to provide seed money for this event.
2. Staff Updates
   1. Mrs. Tourdot updated the group on things going on within the Intermediate Unit. Highlights include marble runs, dioramas, and learning about Janesville history.
   2. Mr. Loehe updated the group on things going on within the Upper Unit. Highlights include the 5th grade track meet, upcoming promotion ceremony, and visit from Marshall Middle School staff.
3. Treasurer’s Report
   1. Revenue from the last month
      1. $32 from boxtops, which brings the total for the year to $119 (this amount is down considerably from last year)
      2. $318.86 from Papa Murphy’s
   2. Expenses from the last month
      1. Sarah will be turning in receipts for the Educator Appreciation Week costs
   3. Updates
      1. Current balance:$6,566.22
      2. Total income for the year: $3549 ($99 over budget)
      3. Total expenses for the year: $10,639 ($3561 under budget)
         1. Majority of the expenses were for the electronic sign
   4. 21-22 Budget Setting Meeting
4. Officer Positions for 21-22
   1. President - Jessica Grandt (unless there is someone else interested!)
   2. Vice-President - Sarah Smith
   3. Secretary - Erin Stacey
   4. Treasurer - Catherine Kolb (possibly interested)
5. Parent Questions
6. Adjourn Meeting

 

 

PTO Meeting Agenda

Monday, September 20th, 2021

6:30pm

1. Welcome and Introductions

   1. Zoom basics

   2. Overview of the Agenda

   3. Time for questions at the end

2. Principal Update

   1. Thank you:

      1. Your support with all of the health and safety changes for this year

      2. The year is off to such a great start!

   2. Parent/teacher conferences (Oct 20 and 21)

      1. The Sign-up Genius link will be sent out in Dojo at the beginning of October.

      2. Families will have the choice to do their conference virtually, by phone or F2F.

      3. Mr. Shevy will be coordinating an online book fair in November/December

   3. The Harrison entryway has been under construction as part of the referendum that passed last year to make school entrances more secure. We are hoping that the work is finalized by the end of October. 

   4. PTO Events:

      1. Our first Scoopie night was last week. We don’t have the totals yet, but the restaurant seemed busy all night!

      2. Color Run is coming up! We hope you can join us!

      3. GRs night on Oct 6 from 4-8pm. The PTO gets a percentage of sales.

   5. Spirit Week

      1. Coin Wars

      2. Spirit Days

      3. Color Run

      4. Goal and incentives

      5. Remaining needs for the event

 

3. Staff Updates

   1. Primary Unit update from Mrs. Demerath

   2. Intermediate Unit update from Miss Valdez

   3. Upper Unit update from Mrs. Schultz

 

4. Membership

   1. Update from Catherine/Phil

      1. Phil did not have a total number of families yet because he needs to connect with Catherine about how many have come in on Venmo. We will have an update at the October meeting.

      2. So far, though, membership seems down. Dr. Grandt will put a reminder re: membership after the color run.

   2. Ashley Lauersdorf volunteered to help with the student directory. Thanks, Ashley!

 

5. Treasurer’s Report

   1. Phil updated the group on expenses so far. There really haven’t been many since almost all of the items for the color run have been donated. He has paid out two teacher reimbursements from the PTO so far.

   2. The group present approved the use of approximately $200 to cover the cost of a meal for teachers at the fall conferences.

6. Parent Questions

7. Adjourn Meeting

Next Meeting: October 18 at 6:30pm

PTO Meeting Notes 

Monday, November 15, 2021 6:30pm

Members present: Erin Stacey, Stephanie Eddy, Jamie LaVelle, Sarah Smith, Breanne Holdorf, Emily Rein, Jessica Grandt, Annalise Madarik, Lori Thorson, and Mary Mottl

1. Principal Update

   • Thank you for the awesome conference dinner! We were able to complete a conference on 100% of our students, which was great!

   • Trimester 1 report cards will be visible to parents starting November 23rd.

   • Reminder: no school for students on November 19th and November 24-26.

   • The PTO Directory went home to families who joined. Thank you to Catherine for putting this together for us!

   • Upcoming Events:

     • Virtual Book Fair opens today

     • Scoopie Night coming up on Dec. 1

   • Our first annual trunk or treat event was a great success! Thank you to Erin and Nikki for coordinating! We agreed the time frame of an hour was good and that we probably wouldn’t want to extend that at all. We had lots of families participate, and we are already brainstorming ways to make the event even better for next year. Some ideas discussed at the meeting include:

     • Increase the amount of candy purchased. Consider limiting the amount of times each child can visit each trunk.

     • Set out games next time 

     • Include contests and prizes (e.g. best costume, best trunk, etc)

2. Staff Updates were given for primary unit by Mrs. Mottl, for intermediate unit by Miss Madarik, and upper unit by Ms. Thorson.

3. Treasurer’s Report

   • Phil was not able to attend, but he submitted his treasurer’s report ahead of time:

     • Total income for the month was $413.20 (GRs: 263.20; South Padre: 150.00)

     • Total expenses for the month: $937.02

     • Chase Bank Account balance as of 11/15/21: 22,376.60

     • Chase Bank Account balance less outstanding expenses (21,702.78)

4. PTO Purchases

   • Approved at the last meeting and purchase in progress:

     • $756.98 for books for classroom libraries

     • Up to $100 to repair the little library

   • The following PTO purchases were approved:

     • Movie screen, projector, and speaker

       • Dustin is checking into Swank to ensure that our license covers showing movies outdoors.

     • Popcorn machine

     • Cordless microphones x 2

     • Book carts x 3

     • Poster printer and stand

     • Water boiler

5. Parent Questions

   • Can we push out the link to our spirit wear store? (Grandt will take care of this)

   • Since we can’t do a traditional family game night, could we host another BINGO night? (Grandt will talk with Shevy to see if we can get one scheduled for January. PTO would cover prizes.)

6. Adjourn Meeting

Next Meeting: January 10th (2nd Monday!) at 6:30pm

PTO Meeting Agenda

Monday, January 10, 2022 6:30pm

 

Members Present: Nikki Tourdot, Mary Westness, Erin Stacey, Sydney Maresch, Sarah Smith, Brad Reents, Sierra Spiering, Catherine Kolb, and Jessica Grandt

 

1. Principal Update
   1. The items that the PTO approved have all been purchased and received.
   2. Mr. Shevy and Dr. Grandt will be hosting virtual BINGO on Friday, January 28th, at 6:00pm. There is no cost. Prizes will be provided by the PTO. Mary Westness will purchase them and submit her receipts for reimbursement. More info will be sent to families soon.
   3. At this point we are planning for virtual spring sing performances by grade level. They will be live streamed so that family and friends can join in.
      1. March 11th (K-3rd)
         1. 8:45 - 1st grade
         2. 9:45 - Kindergarten
         3. 1:30 - 2nd grade
         4. 2:30 - 3rd grade
      2. March 17th (4/5)
         1. 8:45 - 5th grade
         2. 9:45 - 4th grade
   4. GR’s night is on 1/12/22 from 4-8pm.

 

2. Staff Updates
   1. Primary Unit (Mrs. Maresch)
   2. Intermediate Unit (Mrs. Wormet)
   3. Upper Unit (Mrs. Spiering)

 

3. Treasurer’s Report
   1. Update from Catherine about other revenue and expenses
      1. Jessica Grandt will share with Catherine the total cost of the recent purchases. Jessica will also check with the business office about the invoice status.

 

4. Other Business
   1. The group approved the use of PTO funds to cover the conference dinner.
   2. Sarah Smith and Stephanie Eddy will help Mr. Shevy with the book fair.
   3. Yearbook ordering info will be shared out again at conferences.
   4. 5th Grade Party Brainstorming - Erin Stacey chairing
      1. Bowling
      2. Renting out the movie theater
      3. Ice Skating
      4. JPAC

 

5. Parent Questions

 

6. Adjourn Meeting

 

Next Meeting: February 21st at 6:30pm

PTO Meeting Agenda

Monday, February 21, 2022 6:30pm

Members Present: Erin Stacey, Sarah Smith, Catherine Kolb, Elizabeth Holstrum, Stephanie Eddy, Heather Alvey, Liz Brewer, Jen Williams, Jessica Grandt

1. Principal Update
   1. BINGO night date recap - almost 100 kids participated
   2. Virtual Spring Sings will be held on the following dates/times:
      1. March 11th (K-3rd)
         1. 8:45 - 1st grade
         2. 9:45 - Kindergarten
         3. 1:30 - 2nd grade
         4. 2:30 - 3rd grade
      2. March 17th (4/5)
         1. 8:45 - 5th grade
         2. 9:45 - 4th grade
   3. Conferences and Book Fair - March 2 and 3
      1. We are still looking for book fair volunteers. If you are able to help, please let Dr. Grandt know.
   4. The deadline for ordering your child’s yearbook is fast approaching. Make sure to visit and order online from Lifetouch if you’re interested.
   5. Our last Scoopie night of the year will be held on March 9th.
2. Staff Updates
   1. Primary Unit (Mrs. Alvey)
   2. Intermediate Unit (Mrs. Brewer)
   3. Upper Unit (Mrs. Williams)
3. Treasurer’s Report
   1. Update from Catherine about current revenue and expenses
   2. Reimbursements are needed to Sarah Smith for Halloween and Valentine’s Day
   3. Upcoming expenses:
      1. Conference Dinner
      2. Buses for 3rd Grade to go to Tallman House
      3. Educator Appreciation Week
      4. 5th Grade Party
4. Other Business
   1. 5th Grade Party Planning (June 3)
   2. Educator Appreciation Week (May 2- 6)
   3. Spring Movie Night
   4. Brainstorming additional events for the 21-22 school year
5. Parent Questions
6. Adjourn Meeting

Next Meeting: March 14th at 6:30pm

PTO Meeting Notes

Monday, March 14, 2022

Members Present: Mary Westness, Catherine Kolb, Erin Stacey, Stacy Jersild, Nikki Tourdot, Kim Astin, Dustin Shevy, Jessica Grandt

1. Principal Update
   1. It was so great to see so many families during conferences. And thank you so much to the PTO for sponsoring the conference dinner. Your support is always appreciated!
      1. We are excited to report that we had a record-setting book fair with almost $6000 in sales! The PTO voted to take 50% of the proceeds as books for classrooms instead of the 25% cash payout. Mr. Shevy will coordinate getting that book order placed. Each classroom will get about $200 to spend on books.
         1. Note for next year: We should have two volunteers for each shift.
   2. Our last Scoopie night of the year was last week, and we raised $1,284.57. Thank you to all of the families who came out, and congrats to Mrs. Brewer’s class who had the most students attend.
   3. Our K-3 virtual sings were held on March 11th, and our 4/5 sings will be on March 17th. The kids have done an awesome job! Thanks to all of the family and friends near and far who tuned in to enjoy the performances.
   4. As a reminder, there is no school March 20-25 for spring break, no school on April 1 for teacher professional development, and no school on April 15 for Good Friday.
   5. As a reminder, there will be an orientation on April 5 and 6 starting at 6pm at Marshall Middle School for all students who will be in 6th grade next year. The orientation is the same both nights, so simply pick the night that works best for you.
   6. Spotlight on Kids is putting together a production of Little Mermaid, and they are offering the option for classrooms to attend the show virtually. This option was offered out to any teachers who might be interested, and PTO funds from our assembly account would be used to cover the costs. Thank you!
   7. The little library door has been fixed (Thanks, Steve!) so please feel free to donate any of your books.
2. Staff Updates
   1. Updates about the primary unit were provided by Mrs. Astin, and updates about the intermediate unit were provided by Mrs. Tourdot.
3. Treasurer’s Report
   1. Catherine provided Dr. Grandt with a copy of the treasurer’s report prior to the meeting. There is currently about $18,000 remaining in our account. Potential expenses between now and the end of the year include:
      1. Playground equipment (e.g. jump ropes) for the grade levels
      2. Landscaping materials (e.g. mulch) for a grounds beautification day with parent volunteers
      3. Educator Appreciation Week supplies
      4. Little Mermaid costs
      5. Buses for 3rd Grade to go to the Tallman House
      6. 5th Grade Party Costs (e.g. food, buses, entrance fees, etc)
      7. Harrison Alumnus Scholarship
      8. Harrison Educator Grants
4. Other Business
   1. 5th Grade Party Planning (June 3): co-chairs Erin Stacey and Stephanie Eddy
      1. The committee will be meeting on 3/29 at 3:15 to try and finalize the plans for this. Top contenders include Urban Air in Madison and the Y here in town. One consideration will be whether or not a bus will be available that day as Van Galder is still experiencing significant driver shortages. Stacy offered the Legacy Academy as another option.
   2. Educator Appreciation Week (May 2- 6): co-chairs Sarah Smith and Jessica Grandt
      1. We are in the initial stages of planning out some ideas for how to recognize our awesome Harrison staff during Educator Appreciation Week. If you have any ideas, please feel free to reach out to Sarah or Jessica.
   3. Spring Movie Night (Date TBD): co-chairs Dustin Shevy and Jessica Grandt
      1. Earlier this year the PTO bought an outdoor movie setup and popcorn maker with our proceeds from the color run. We’d like to offer a free outdoor movie night before the end of the year for our families. Mr. Shevy will test the equipment this week to see how the projector does in the sunlight. Once we have that info we will 
   4. Harrison Elementary Alumni Scholarship
      1. The PTO voted to establish a $250 scholarship to be awarded each year to a Harrison alum graduating from Craig High School and going onto a two- or four-year school. The applications will be reviewed annually by Harrison’s leadership team for selection of the recipient.
   5. Harrison Educator Grants
      1. Monroe Elementary School’s PTA has mini-grant applications available to their teachers to help fund special projects that they are doing in their classrooms. The PTO voted to create a similar mini-grant application process here at Harrison.
   6. Spring Landscaping Day (Date TBD): chair Catherine Kolb
      1. We are hoping to organize a group of parent and teacher volunteers to help with landscaping around the Harrison campus. Help would be needed with weeding and laying mulch around the building. Catherine has agreed to try to put together a group of volunteers to help with this project.
5. Parent Questions
   1. Stacy asked about the computer sign-in in the office, which is currently non-functional. Unfortunately that software was part of the ransomware attack the district had a few months ago. The IT department is working to get it back up and running, but until then we have an old school sign-in binder for visitors and volunteers.
   2. Erin asked about playground equipment for the grade levels and if more was needed at this point in time. An order was just placed for footballs, basketballs, and kickballs last week using building funds. However, we did not order any jump ropes. The PTO voted to purchase jump ropes for each of the grade levels. Mrs. Wellnitz will place the order and invoice the PTO.
6. Adjourn Meeting

Next Meeting: April 18th at 6:30pm

PTO Meeting Notes

Monday, April 18, 2022, 6:30pm

Members Present: Erin Stacey, Catherine Kold, Sarah Smith, Jenna Wormet, Lynn Sarauer, Stephanie Eddy, and Jessica Grandt

1. Principal Update
   1. Summer School will be happening here at Harrison from June 6 - July 1. The hours are 8:00am - 11:30am. Please visit the SDJ website to register online.
   2. We will be holding elections for PTO officers for the 2022-23 school year at our May meeting. If you are interested in more information about any of the positions, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Grandt. So far we have one interested candidate for President, and one interested candidate for Treasurer.
   3. The 5th grade promotion ceremony will be held face-to-face on Friday, June 3rd at 8:45am in our MUR.
   4. Educator Appreciation Week is May 2 - 6.
2. Staff Updates
   1. Grade level updates were provided by Lynn Sarauer for the primary unit and by Jenna Wormet for the intermediate unit. There was no upper unit rep in attendance.
3. Treasurer’s Report
   1. Catherine provided an updated treasurer’s report of revenue and expenses. Our latest Scoopie night brought in $1284.57! And the PTO paid out $1,128.23 for the Scholastic books for the classroom libraries.
   2. Upcoming PTO expenses include bus costs for a 3rd grade field trip, bus and additional costs for the 5th grade year-end celebration, educator appreciation week, and the PTO Harrison Alumni Scholarship.
   3. Catherine will be reapplying for our 501(c)3 status and is working on that paperwork now.
4. PTO Updates
   1. The PTO will be hosting a Spring Outdoor Movie Night at 7:00pm on May 6 (rain date - May 7). The movie will be Up. The event will take place on the intermediate playground. All students must be with a parent/guardian to attend.
   2. The first ever Harrison PTO Alumni Scholarship will be given out at the CHS awards night on May 25th. There were 13 Harrison alumni who applied.
   3. Catherine is coordinating a day to do some basic landscaping around Harrison’s campus on May 14th. See the FB page for more info.
   4. Sarah is coordinating a service that will put together school supply kits for each grade level. These kits will be optional to purchase, but will contain everything on the school supply list for that grade level. The kits would then be delivered right here to school with each child’s name on it. More info about ordering will be coming soon. The name of the company is 1st Day of School Supply Kits. We will not be running this as a PTO fundraiser, simply offering it as an optional service for any parents who are interested.
   5. Color Run 2022 will be on Sept. 22. Rain date - Sept. 29. Sarah Smith will be chairing this event, but is looking for helpers. If interested, please let Dr. Grandt know.
5. Parent Questions
   1. Why do the students have to wear masks at Basics when they don’t have to during the school day?
      1. Basics is a separate program run by the YWCA of Rock County. They simply rent space here at school, but they have their own policies and protocols. The masking was a policy of the Y. (Note: this policy has since been discontinued.)
   2. There is a piece of equipment on the intermediate playground that has been boarded off since the beginning of the school year. Will this ever be fixed?
      1. The company that we bought the playground equipment from has since been sold to another company. The new company is refusing to honor any warranties from the previous company’s installations. The maintenance director for the SDJ is working with the new company to have a new piece of equipment installed.
6. Meeting adjourned.

Final Meeting: May 16th at 6:30pm at Sidelines

 

PTO Meeting Notes

Monday, May 16, 2022, 6:30pm

Members Present: Sarah Smith, Erin Stacey, Catherine Kolb, Ali Houchin, Nikki Tourdot, TJ Klawitter, Jessica Grandt

Safety message from Mrs. Tourdot - don’t forget to wear sunscreen!

1. Principal Update

   1. Summary about:

      1. Educator Appreciation Week - Thank you, PTO, for the pies!

      2. Family Movie Night - About 100 people attended our first movie night. We will tweak the start time and the speaker situation a bit for next time to improve the viewing experience, but overall it was a great movie premiere!

      3. Landscaping Day - Thank you, PTO, for the materials and the volunteers to help spruce up our campus!

   2. Upcoming events:

      1. 5th Grade Promotion - June 3rd at 8:45am

      2. CHS Awards Night - On May 25th, Dr. Grandt awarded a PTO alumni scholarship to McKenna Bennett. McKenna is heading to UW-Whitewater to become a special ed teacher.

 

2. Staff Updates

   1. Primary Unit (Ali Houchin)

   2. Intermediate Unit (Nikki Tourdot)

   3. Upper Unit (TJ Klawitter)

 

3. Treasurer’s Report

   1. Update from Catherine about other revenue and expenses from the past month. Upcoming expenses include the 5th grade buses and entrance fees for their year-end field trip. Ending total for the month was just over $19,000.

   2. Update on tax status application - Catherine has submitted the paperwork to get our 501(c)3 status reinstated.

   3. The PTO approved the purchase of $1000 worth of fans for the classrooms. 

   4. There was a proposal for the PTO to purchase a Harrison t-shirt for every student to distribute at the meet and greets on Sept. 1. This proposal passed unanimously. The t-shirts will be handed out by PTO volunteers who will also be distributing information about joining the PTO.

 

4. PTO Updates

   1. 1st Day of School Supply Kits

      1. The deadline to order kits is June 15th. Goal is to have 75 kits ordered, but it is totally optional for families.

      2. Kits will be delivered in mid-August. PTO volunteers will help distribute the kits so that families can collect the items and go home and label them before the first day meet and greets. 

      3. Instead of using boys and girls to delineate supplies, we will shift over to last name A-L and M-Z to be more inclusive.

   2. Color Run 2022 (Sept. 22; Rain date - Sept. 29)

      1. Dr. Grandt will be setting up a meeting with the newly elected cabinet in June to start planning for the color run.

      2. Sarah Smith is the chair for the color run.

   3. 2022-23 PTO Elections

      1. President - Sarah Smith

      2. Vice-President - Erin Stacey

      3. Secretary - Stacy Jersild

      4. Treasurer - Catherine Kolb

   4. PTO Bylaws Review will be done over the summer with Dr. Grandt and the cabinet.

   5. PTO Participation

      1. There was a discussion about how to increase PTO participation. The following ideas were discussed:

         1. Hand out PTO membership info with the free t-shirts. Have PTO members there to answer any questions about the PTO.

         2. Have snacks available at the PTO meetings

         3. Change the time of the PTO meetings

         4. Host a PTO ice cream social in the fall

Huge thanks to the Harrison PTO for a fantastic year!