Parents as Partners, March 3, 2009
Attendance:Julie Mueller, Laurie Lavallee, Gail O'Connell, Dorothy Dickson, Mary Lou Lord, Laurie Singer, Kelley Charland, Linda Fortin-Mitiguy, Sharon Sturm, Laura Cunningham Firkey, Theresa Utton-Jerman, John Compo, Laurie Picard, Geoff Glaspie.
Julie Mueller welcomed everyone to the meeting at 6:30.
Feedback is good about Deb Henry's previous presentations that have happened after Parents as Partners meetings. The next one will happen after an abbreviated half-hour PAP meeting in April with Barbara Bloom and Nicole Williams talking about depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc. directly after the Parents as Partners meeting
Laurie Singer reported on a presentation she heard in Colchester related to advertising and how to look at it analytically. Laurie asks whether we feel this would be appropriate to bring to ADL. There may be a fee involved, and she may be able to contribute some funds. The group is enthusiastic about the idea. Laurie will try to set it up for November 2009. Suggestion to call Ray Coffey at CHIPS, which frequently can contribute funding for this type of activity.
VPIC addresses the home-school connection, and Laurie wants to know if we would like to hear from this organization at our May or June meeting to see if there are different ways we can interact as an organization.
Julie read an e-mail from a seventh grade parent questioning the current homeroom practice. Good for announcements, an initial visual check by a consistently responsible person, distribution of handouts. Different levels of activity happen. Homerooms under teaming will be two-year relationships.
Laurie reported on the Adventure Program, a student support program for students struggling socially and academically. Students are identified and referred through the Educational Support Team (EST). It encourages a strong connection between home, school, and the student. It's a motivational, incentive-based program, where students can earn trips, time in the gym, etc, by fulfilling contracts with social and academic components. Mark Z and Nicole Williams are the staff members working with this program. They work with students on social skills, study skills, etc. 8th graders who have been through two years of the program feel it has made a difference for them, and their academics and social issues have improved. This program currently involves 21 students, with the majority being 8th graders. Typically, 6th graders are only in the program because of marked needs. After ADL, all participants are on an EST plan that is communicated to the High School.
GASP cake requests have gone out. Mary Lou Lord will coordinate the cake raffle. GASP will happen March 13. Dorothy Dickson and Ann Malle are taking it over from Laurie Sicard and Lisa Cray. 20 High schoolers will be here to help with games in the gym. Colchester Middle School is now having the same event on the same night, so we don't have the obstacle course. We will have the bungee, a bounce house, and the big inflatable Twister. Rock Band will be in the cafeteria in place of Guitar Hero. Henna tattoos, pie eating contest, table tennis, and more! Dorothy and Lisa Cray will staff the door to get everybody in. Pizza, popcorn, ice cream. 35 pounds of popcorn kernels were donated by Essex Outlets Cinema but will not be used for this event. $7 at the door with ten raffle tickets. 10-15 parent volunteers needed for non-game areas. Permission slips are required just like for the dances, and are available on the ADL web site. A video will be shown during lunches one day this week, and posters and other promotional materials will go up.
Medieval Night may happen in April. PAP will work on food and provide station helpers for activities.
French students' 8th grade trip to Montreal will happen on May 28. The seventh grade is planning a trip to Montreal on June 2. Scholarship money is available from the dance money. The 7th grade trip will be $44 per person.
8th grade sleepover will happen June 5. Laurie asks for 2-3 parents to be there for part of the night. 8th grade spaghetti dinner usually happens the first week in June - the date will be decided by the 8th grade team. The 8th grade cruise usually happens the morning of promotion night - it's not decided yet whether the cruise will happen this year or if they will do a picnic and games somewhere.
If we have no snow day, our last student day will be June 11, so June 10 will be promotion night with a dance.
Bye Bye Birdie: The costume crew is looking for fifties clothes - poodle skirts, James Dean-type leather jackets, leather pants, an Elvis-type shirt or two, two-toned shoes size 9 or women's size 11. Contact Connie at 878-1470.
Teacher appreciation happens the week of May 4. We need a coordinator. Linda coordinated banana splits last year, breakfast, bagels, massage, and a dessert day - something every day. Laurie Singer's sister will do massages. Linda Fortin-Mitiguy and Mary Lou Lord will each be responsible for one day of that week. Laurie Singer will take a day. We will finalize who gets what day at the April PAP meeting.
Spring book sale is coming up - dates will be available soon.
PAP next year - Gail would like to stay on as a coordinator, Julie would like to step down.
The ADL basketball tournament was very well-run and a lot of fun. Six schools participated. Staff and parents and students put in amazing amounts of volunteer hours.
No schoolwide dance this month - there's an 8th grade dance this month that involves the whole district. There is no dance in April.
Our next meeting is April 9th