North Stonington PTO

April 2023 Meeting Minutes

vintage typewriter for meeting minutes logo

ATTENDEES

Rob Cillino, Dawn G, Rosanne S, Sally T, Breeze F, Kelly G, Melanie H, Christopher B, Dayna M, Leah C, Danielle S,  Amy L, Judy M, Hailie D, Missy D, Tessa W, Kimberly H, Kristen St. G, Melissa B, Rob C, Troy H

 

ADMIN

Mr. Hopkins thanked everyone for their support during the budget season. The process requires a lot of teamwork, and although the BOE budget was ultimately cut, the support helped to prevent further cuts. He gave a general budget update and encouraged people to stick with the process, including voting. He shared that CAS recognized Mrs. St. Germain as the Principal of the Year. 

Mr. Cillino gave a shout-out to NSES Drama Club for their outstanding performances of Willy Wonka! Thank you to Ms. Gonzalez for all of her hard work! 80 students participated and did a great job. Third grade students participated in the Connecticut state-themed play with Carol Glenn and did a great job. Kindergarten registration starts tomorrow (4/19). He thanked the PTO for their work with StepItUp, and for the upcoming Day of Awesomeness. April 26 is Administrative Assistant Day. He gave updates about ongoing curriculum work. SBAC testing begins the second week of May, a letter will go home with more information.

 

Mrs. St. Germain thanked the PTO for the “cupped fence” surprise recognizing her. She echoed Mr. Hopkin’s comments regarding the collaborative budget and NEASC work and thanked everyone for their support. The high school will also be testing soon. The juniors just completed online SAT testing, which they liked. She thanked the technology department for their support. June 21st is the tentative date for graduation, but it must be confirmed by the BOE. Sports are ongoing, thank you to Mrs. Turner. May 11 is the final parent advisory board meeting, all parents are invited. On May 12, 13, and 14, the high school drama club will perform. The district-wide Wellness Day is upcoming. The high school debate team made it to the finals and competed at the state capitol. Thank you to Ben Nave, the student team, and the teachers involved. 

 

Ms. Costa-T thanked the PTO for supporting the third grade play again this year. The students did a great job. The students made an awesome wax museum, which they enjoyed. 

 

Ms. Haggerty attended a NEASC visit with Mr. Hopkins, which left her feeling prepared for our NEASC application process. There is an upcoming dance to help fundraise. Wellness Day is May 24th, and many sessions are planned. The day focuses on mental health, and students will select sessions to attend. The Bermuda cruise trip went well. Senior experiences are going well. 

 

Treasurer’s Report

The starting balance for April was $48,525.42.  After income and expenses, our projected ending balance (as of 4/18) was $42,695.76.  

A motion was made, seconded, and approved to accept the report.

 

March Minutes

A motion was made, seconded, and approved to accept the March meeting minutes.

 

Request and Review

 

None

 

OLD BUSINESS  

We “cupped the fence” to recognize Mrs. St. Germain for her Principal of the Year award. Thank you to those who helped. 

15 people signed up to help all day at Day of Awesomeness, which is excellent.  21 people signed up to take a shift. Thank you to all!

 

NEW BUSINESS 

The Basket Raffle will happen. Sarah Nelson gave a general update. They’re working on and finishing up with basket donations, concessions planning, and logistics. Things are going well. Thank you to everyone who is helping!

Nominations for the 2023/2024 Board:

President: Dawn nominated Missy D

Vice President: Missy nominated Dawn G

Treasurer: Rosanne nominated Christopher B

Secretary: Sally nominated Danielle S 

Tessa will be the hospitality chair. We are still looking for a cultural chair and an auditing chair. Also, we also always looking for committee members. 

Final budget proposal/vote for 2023-2024. Rosanne highlighted minor changes, including $500 for a second-grade field trip and a $200 special education expense. They also reworked the estimated projected balances. 

A motion was made, seconded, and approved to approve the 2023-2024 budget. 

Tess gave general updates about May’s Free Family Fun Night, which will be on May 12. She contacted Fired Up, who will do a deal for us for our next fun night. She will use the remaining budget but can return unused pieces. She has heard from some families that they’d enjoy an outdoor family fun night. We’d need to purchase or rent some items/activities. 

May 29th is the Memorial Day Parade, and we’ve been invited to participate. 

We were tagged online about an author visit from a local author. 

Ms. Gonzalez thanked everyone for their support during the drama performance. 

 

COMMENTS & QUESTIONS

general discussion.  

The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 pm.