Spicewood Elementary PTA Membership Meeting Wednesday, October 25th, 2023

Board members

Tammy Dendy, President | Satish Santhakumar, Treasurer | Crista Batt, Secretary | Emily Campbell, VP Membership| Sarah Yeager, VP Programs | Jenny Larsen, VP Communications | Natalie Fellows, VP Fundraising | Nidhi Parashar, VP Educational Competitions & Clubs | Caroline Williams, VP Service and Outreach | Megan Zellner, Parliamentarian | Melanie Solis, SWE Principal

1. Call to Order at 6:02pm

• Motion to open by Tammy Dendy (14 members present)
• Principal Solis to Welcome Special Guests Thymai Dong - Chief Equity Officer and Martha Carmona - DEI Chairwoman, who will start the meeting with an inspiration “harmonize and humanize”
• Review of meeting etiquette - Confirm quorum (10 members), voting is 50% of attendees
• Reminder that in order to vote PTA membership must be paid for the 2023-2024 school year voting on zoom - using show hand feature, vote needs at least 50% of attendees

Agenda:

• The August meeting minutes were approved by committee and are posted to the website. 
• Committee needed to approve meeting minutes – Crista Batt
• Lacey Ramos, Meha Parashar, Natalie Fellows to approve minutes for October meeting

• Satish: Treasurer's Report - Review of the SWE PTA Budget & Current State
  • Current Balances Statement of Financial position - $135,087.87
  • Budget v Actuals: Budget vs Actuals
  • Income and Expenses: Income and Expense Report
  • Few highlights for next time no changes needed 
  • School Beautification we are over a little bit $3297.95 vs $3000
  • Treasurer administrative expenses $325.49 vs $150; Check, unexpected expense  and $75 training 
  • Credit card processing fees $289.67 vs $150

• Emily Campbell update from VP Membership on current membership and goals -
• Membership as of 10/25/2023: 
• Registered: 611 Total | 
• 58  Faculty; 
• 1 community
• 193 student
• 359 Regular

Every Voice for Every Child - one PTA Member for every student on Campus ~ 680  

• Texas PTA has lots of monthly awards, including this month’s Snappy Increase Award (more than 100% of last year’s total of 662 members)
• We’re signed up for a new (to us) service to submit membership info more quickly, so this should help us with the monthly awards. (Otherwise, there was a week of delay.)
• Motion by Emily Campbell to realign funds for class parties for kinder through 4th grade: :$130 Per Classroom - Motion approved w/ 19 votes.

• Natalie Fellows update from VP Fundraising -
• Marathon Kids kicked off on October 7th with a great showing of parental support. The kids have run 6051 miles as a school and raised $3797 (this time last year $2637) against our $15,000 goal. We have guest hosts coming to keep the enthusiasm going! Yoga Common came last Friday and will be there this Friday to lead a YOGA session during PE as well as hosting a Family Yoga Night Tues the 14th. Camp Victory is coming in November.
• Coach Pierce really takes on a lot to make this fun for the kids! If you haven’t already be sure and sponsor your child via the better unite link provided on the PTA website and on our social media. 
• Carnival planning is underway, we started selling tickets last week.   We need volunteers to make the Carnival a success.  There will be a sign up genius going out in the Principal Newsletter and from Homeroom parents.  Also dessert donation sign-up will be going out for Cake Walk!  Carnival will be held Nov 3rd at the school from 430-730pm.  We will have games, food trucks, inflatables, a DJ, and Goat Yoga.  We also will have the Westwood Basketball Team perform some hoops- WW Soccer Team do some drills with the students,  WW Warrior Dance Team perform!  We will be selling/ pick- up bands in the grassy student pick-up area.  You can buy tickets online. We have sold $2000 in tickets = 66 tickets
• Pad the Den Check writing campaign has raised $21,255 towards our $25,000 goal, with a $10,000 anonymous donation. 
• Auction is set for March 2nd, 2023 at the Balcones Country Club. If you are interested in volunteering, or know someone who is, reach out to me so we can add you to the communications. 
• Spirit Wear - still available for order through the end of October for a mid Nov delivery. 
• Spirit Nights - Torchy’s & Handles was hosted by the 5th grade team, Playland Skate night Oct 20th was a great success!!!
• Panther Partners - is currently at $7,300 in donations ($1,800 that has not been received) 

• Caroline Williams Service and Outreach update -
• Beautification - an Eagle Scout has a project to pressure walls and marquee area

• Kitty DEI update -
• The committee met last month with special education teachers, Emma Gonzalez, Leslie Cordova, Danielle Mathwig, Eva Van Dyke, to see how we can better support them.
• We have postings of their wish list and they have requested healthy snacks to provide students that they’re working with.
• Danielle Mathwig is the FCC Functional Communications Teacher
• FCC is a new program to SWES this school year: https://sites.google.com/roundrockisd.org/spicewoodsped/about-fcc?authuser=0
• communication with iPads in school, incorporating more communication awareness on the playground, around school
• I am posting about cultural holidays and celebrations. This month was Hispanic heritage month, Dia de Los Muertos. This week we also spotlighted Navaratri,  an annual Hindu festival observed in honour of the goddess Durga. Navratri is celebrated Oct 15-24th this year. 
• Our next committee meeting is on Monday Oct 30 where we will be discussing planning for OWON in March. OWON Chair Priya Girinathan is requesting to increase the budget of the OWON event by $50 from $300 - $350.
• We will also have a special guest Dr Thymai Dong RRISD Chief Diversity Officer talk about DEI initiatives in the school district.
• TX PTA DEI policy: https://www.txpta.org/uploads/filemanager/Policy/DEI%20Policy%202021_04.20.21.pdf
• Inclusive education article from Dr Dong: https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/fall-2023/the-promise-of-inclusive-education?utm_source=Learning+for+Justice&utm_campaign=c5023e9b93-Newsletter-10-24-2023&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a8cea027c3-c5023e9b93-102277738

• Sarah Yeager Programs update - 
• Garden Club - teachers and committee working together and will have garden “glow-up days” on 11/2 and 11/3/23. In need of more volunteers, working w/ Ms. Cimo to determine what areas needed.
• Literacy library  - new literacy updates from district, library chair and parent volunteers working on reorganizing. Training sessions for parent volunteers on how to utilize the literacy library will be held soon.
• Hospitality check in - committee working on getting pies and gift cards organized to be distributed to teachers and staff this November.  

• Nidhi Parashar Clubs & Competitions update -
• 6 ongoing PTA sponsored clubs - 4 have started and are currently running
• Deadline for Reflections club is next week - October 30th
• Science fair upcoming - a parent handbook w/ information will be sent out and possibly a Q&A session. 
• Students enrolled: Math Superstars - 140 Math Olympiads - about 48 Spelling Bee - about 35 Destination Imagination 25-30 students enrolled. 

• Jenny Larsen Communications update -
• Ways to get involved - library volunteer, classroom helper, PTA fundraisers and committees, substitute teach, seek volunteer opportunities listed in Principal Newsletter
• Please submit items you would like included in PTA Newsletter, by Wednesday afternoons
•  Ways of communication – PTA newsletter (have to subscribe), PTA social media pages, Principal newsletter

• Standing Committee Reports -
• Call out for Panther Patrol - revamp of “watch dogs” recruiting volunteers, flyer will be posted in Principal Newsletter
• Close @ 7:21 pm 

(FYI that Meetings need to follow Robert’s Rules of Order per Texas PTA: http://www.rulesonline.com/index.html)

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