Sunday, May 9, 2010

Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

It's May 5, 2010 and the holiday, Cinco de Mayo, is being celebrated to commemorate The Battle of Puebla when the Mexican militia defeating the French army. As you can see in the photograph, the table is set for the celebration, but instead of honoring the holiday, the PTA is gathering in fellowship to honor teachers.

Teacher Appreciation Week is special to the PTA, because each member likes to give thanks to their children's teachers for their passion, hard work, and dedication to their craft. We know that working at Chets Creek takes heart and we want to say thank you. Thank you for loving our children. Thank you for taking care of their emotional needs. Thank you for taking care of their academic gifts and talents. And, thank you for helping them when they struggle. Thank you for believing in them. And, thank you for making them believe in themselves. We owe you.

We all know that too often the 30 minute duty free lunch teachers enjoy, really is more like 15 minutes after drop off and pick up, and checking email. And, that the bagged lunch has to get old. So, if only for this one day, we say thank you to teachers by providing them with a real hot lunch- soup and salad from the Olive Garden. The teachers look forward to this treat and gather in the conference room with anticipation to find smiling PTA members from our Hospitality Committee. They get a nice hot lunch from yummy Olive Garden and spend time in sheer bliss enjoying the upbeat conversation.

Thank you Linda, Cathy, and crew who made this another unforgettable Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. I know you hit a home run with the CCE crew!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

May Meeting

The monthly meeting was held on Monday, May 3, 2010. We were excited to see so many new faces in the crowd and spent the first few minutes introducing ourselves.

Our first topic of business was an update from the Nominating Committee on their recommendations for the 2010-2011 Board. The committee tapped into the general membership volunteers that showed an interest in becoming part of the Board. We were excited to put them in a position based on their interests and our needs. We are confident that the recommendations give us a solid Board for the upcoming school year that will allow the PTA to continue to thrive at Chets Creek. In case anyone is wondering, we are still looking for a PTA President. Any takers?

Old Business

Volunteer Appreciation Update
Last Tuesday, our Volunteer Coordinators hosted our annual Volunteer Reception. All volunteers that dedicated ten or more hours were invited to attend. The PTA Board provided desserts for our fellowship gathering, and door prizes were drawn. About 50 volunteers joined us for the evening and due to the low attendance, we discussed recognizing volunteers in some other manner next year. We proposed having a Board member that would write hand written notes throughout the year to volunteers as they gave of their time and talents. A Board member has been nominated for the position and graciously agreed to thank volunteers as we go next school year.

Arts Extravaganza Update
Arts Extravaganza was a grand success this year. The Arts Baskets put together by the teachers and the Room Parents were put out three days for bidding prior to the Friday Family Night. The baskets raised over $2,000 for PTA which they recommitted to the Arts fund at CCE. The Family Night which included artists, musicians, and art stations were vital in making the night such a success. Our recommendation for next year is to again set up baskets in advance.

New Business

Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
PTA is saying thank you to teachers on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 by hosting a Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. PTA in partnership with Olive Garden is having a soup and salad luncheon from 11 am to 2 pm in the Conference Room.

PTA Night with the Suns (May 11)
On Tuesday, May 11, 2010, all PTA members showing their PTA card when purchasing tickts, will receive 1/2 price tickets at $4.25 in our Special Reserved Section. Children ages 4-14 will get in for only $1.50 each. As an added bonus, anyone who has volunteered 50 hours or more, will get in FREE when they show verification. On slate for May 11th are the Birmingham Barons. Gates open at 6 pm and game time starts at 7:05 pm. Hot dogs, peanuts, and ice cream will cost fifty cents.

DCC Spring Leadership Workshops (Monday, May 17)
We highly recommend all incoming and current CCE Board members to attend Duval County Councils of PTAs annual Spring Leadership Workshop on Monday, May 17, 2010 at the Schultz Center. Registration is on-going, beginning at 9 am and no pre-registration is required. The workshops are free to all PTA members. Classes include:
--So Now You're President Part I
--So Now You're President Part II
--Building a PTA website
--Money Matters-What a Treasurer Really Needs to Know
--Fundraising-How to Make the Best Choice
--Growing Your PTA-Your Membership Campaign
--Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers
--Working with Business Partners
--Getting the Recognition You Deserve-Awards
--Developing Successful Programs
--Secretaries & Newsletters
--Building Your Financial Resources Through Grants
--Keys to Increasing Male Involvement
--Rebuilding Your PTA
--Bylaws & Parliamentary Procedures
--Conflict Resolution

P & P Luncheon (May 27 @ 11 am)
On May 27 interested and available Board members will be attending the P & P luncheon where Awards will be announced. In attendance will be Sue W., Romy, Karen M, Renee, Theresa, Deb O, Maria G, Lourdes, Suzanne, Stanley, Julie, Susan, Kernan Principal, Angela, Linda, Tim M.

PTA DATES TO REMEMBER:
5-5-10 Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
5-7-10 BUDs Club Mother’s Day Cake Decorations
5-10-10 Chick-fil-A Night, Grade 4
5-11-10 PTA Night with the Suns
5-12-10 Early Release
5-22-10 Campus Clean-Up
5-27-10 P & P Luncheon
5-28-10 Schools Closed
5-31-10 Schools Closed
6-07-10 PTA Meeting

Other Tentative Dates of Interest:
June 1 & 3 Third Grade Performances
June 7 K/1 Field Days
June 8 2/3 Field Days
June 9 4/5 Field Days
June 11 Last Day for Students