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Minutes of General Meeting

Sandia Prep Parents Association
Minutes of General Meeting
April 27, 2009

Attending:

Officers: Margaret Garcia de Duran, Shawne Blackburn, Linda Byrd, Linda Kier, Joanne Schiabor, Cathy Taylor, Martye Womble

Sandia Prep: Dick Heath, Susan Walton

Chairs and Parents: Rohini Arter, Kim Beauford, Tricia Cooper, Laurie Hall, Janet Hodde-Vargas, Shelly Jackson, Andrea Levy, Neoma Nevill, Catherine Silling, Patty Wissing

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 12:04 p.m. by Margaret Garcia de
Duran

Headmaster’s Comments:
For the 2009-2010 school year, there are 89 sixth graders enrolling (Prep hadaimed for 85); 11 more ninth graders enrolling; and financial aid has increased by 20%. There is a strong reenrollment of existing students with Prep’s attrition rate of 3-10% lower than the national average of 13%. Prep is hosting a New Parent Reception this Thursday.

New faculty include the following: Margaret Showalter, previously at East Mountain and Eldorado high schools, will teach chemistry; and Joelle Jones, a Prep 2004 alum who has just completed her master’s at UNM, will teach Science 6 & 7. Candidates are still being interviewed for the Spanish teaching position being vacated by Kappy
Riker.

245 students are involved in spring sports. The Girls’ Golf Team may win district, the track teams are all having outstanding seasons, and there are a lot of middleschool sports teams. A lacrosse team with a lot of Prep students on it has formed, and this may become a school team in the next couple of years.

The Performing Arts Center is 5 weeks ahead of schedule on the inside work and 3 weeks behind schedule on the outside work, but overall is on schedule for its July opening. The current Music room is being renovated as a pottery classroom, and the kiln has been moved behind the Library for accessibility to the potter classroom. The Art
Department will not be back up to 3 classrooms.

Many of the students are on outdoor camping trips. Sixth graders are at Sand Dunes, 7th graders are El Malpais, and high schoolers are at Lake Powell for a week long trip.

Summer Prep this year has more offerings for high school students, and the READAK program is being offered again in two different week-long sessions.

Treasurer’s Report:

Linda Kier reported that the year to date variance of $(1,946) will be met with supply store income. Next month, she will report what funds are left and what is available for gifts to the school. Linda will be getting together with President Margaret Garcia de Duran and President-Elect Anne Sapon to develop the 2009-2010 budget.
Remaining events to fund include the 8th Grade Dinner Dance and the Graduation Reception.

Committee Reports:

8th Grade Dinner Dance: Martye Womble reported that this event, held last Saturday night, was well attended. The students had a lot of fun; the food was both good and generous; the decorations were original; and the volunteers were great.

Faculty Staff Luncheon: Laurie Hall reported that this event has been scheduled for May 29, the last day before graduation, so the event could take advantage of the tent put up for graduation. Invitations to this barbecue themed event will go out the second week of
May. The committee is still looking for side and dessert donations; a sign-up list was sent around the meeting.

Supply Store: Andrea Levy reported that the Supply Store Volunteer Luncheon will be held May 7. Colette Jury will be taking over Tamie Conlee’s position next year. There will be a pre-packaged 6th grade survival bag sold this year containing the universal items
required by the 6th grade teachers. The Back to School sale will be held on Orientation Day, Wednesday, August 12 beginning at 8 a.m. and will be open to all grade levels with a separate line for the 6th grade survival bag.

Graduation Reception: This event, held immediately after graduation, provides sandwiches, punch, and cookies for graduates, faculty, parents, and other attendees in a tent set up on campus. Planning for this event is on schedule.

Committee Evaluation Reports: Margaret reminded chairs to complete a committee evaluation report before the year’s end. Chairs can complete the report on-line, if they wish.

Teacher Appreciation Snacks: Margaret reported that this committee, chaired by Molly Bell, has been providing awesome snacks and wonderful notes to the faculty in the faculty lounge throughout the school year.

New Parent Reception: Susan Walton reported that Prep will be hosting a New Parent Reception this Thursday, April 30, which will be catered to Chef Jim White. Parent volunteers will act as greeters.

New Business:

Volunteer Brochure: Cathy Taylor presented the new volunteer brochure that she developed. Both Susan Walton and Prep’s development office provided input to the final product. The brochure format will allow it to be easily distributed at events and in
mailings.

Booster Club Liaison: Margaret announced that the Executive Board has added a position of Booster Club Liaison which she will occupy next year.

Transition/Turnover of Notebooks: The transition meeting between chairs and the turnover of committee notebooks is scheduled for Monday, May 18 at 11:15 a.m. prior to the final General Meeting of the school year.

Committee Chairs 2009-2010: Attached is a list of next year’s committee chairs.

Executive Committee Elections 2009-2010: Cathy Taylor announced the results of the election of the Sandia Prep Parents Association officers for 2009-2010:

Anne Sapon—President
Martye Womble—President-elect
Shawne Blackburn—Public Relations Officer
Cathy Taylor and Trish Bennet—Membership/Nominating Coordinators
Andrea Levy—Supply Store Chairperson
Linda Byrd—Secretary
Linda Kier—Treasurer

Jazz Club: Jazz Club parent Janet Hodde-Vargas requested a disbursement of $100 for a reception to be hosted by Jazz Band parents on Tuesday, May 19 as part of Jazz Club Night. The General Board declined the disbursement request because it would leave the
SPPA open to similar requests from numerous organizations on campus. The General Board did note that the SPPA Supply Closet is open to all and that the Jazz Club parents are free to use those supplies and equipment.

Prep Talk: A discussion was held concerning the e-mailing of Prep Talk. Only six families have requested hard copies be mailed to them, yet the general consensus of the chairs is that families are not reading the e-mailed Prep Talk and responding to requests and other information contained therein. The following suggestions were offered: go back to hard copies; have parents opt in to receive electronically instead of opting out; change the format to an on-line newsletter; change the format to be read more easily online,
e.g. eliminate the need for constant scrolling up and down; and archive all the school year’s issues, not just the preceding month.

Next General Meeting: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 12 p.m. in the Heath Board Room of the Russell Student Center; preceded by the transition/turnover of notebooks at 11:15 a.m.

Meeting Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned at 12:55 p.m.