OAK HILL COMMUNITY COUNCIL
STEERING MEETING MINUTES
11 September 2006
1. Introductions. Co-chairpersons are Ronnie Connell, Brenda Bair and Victoria Wilson-Charles. Everyone in attendance introduced themselves as follows: Tammy Johnson, Julie Boffing, Donna Batson, Linda Piebenga, Elliott Grey, Jeff Wilson-Charles, Robin Philips, Kit Sixel.
2. Ronnie explained how the three chairperson committee process will work and passed around the email volunteer list for review. Ronnie will be in charge of contacting committee heads, creating meeting agendas, and running meetings. Victoria will communicate administration and parents and bring snacks to the OHCC meetings. Brenda will recruit volunteers and make sure committees follow through. Sign up sheets and committee descriptions were available at registration and many parents signed up. The only glaringly open spots are in the Boxtops for Education, the Community Building, the New Family Welcome, the Parent/Net, and the Parent Advisory Committees. Ronnie stated that of these committees, she feels the most urgent need is to get the New Family Welcome Committee space filled. Tammy Johnson stated that, rather than have a Boxtops for Education committee, she would rather have an Escrip Committee, and have a parent attend a training for Escrip which will be happening later this month. This way, we could have parents sign up for Escrip during Parent Night. Kit Sixel volunteered to go to this training and become the Escrip person.
3. Ronnie said that committee heads should contact their people to inform them of the status of things. At this point it is mostly to reassure them that we have their names on the volunteer list, and we can update them on the approximate dates of upcoming events if we know them. Ronnie stated that while the email list works well, if you need additional response, do not be afraid to phone parents and ask for additional assistance.
4. Donna Batson and Ronnie will compile the faculty/staff birthday list and distribute it to the school pool reps. The goal is to get caught up on any birthdays for September which we may have already missed.
5. Committee updates were next on the agenda. Robin Philips stated that the annual fundraising auction will be on April 14, with solicitations between now and January 1. The landscaping project is progressing well; next week the soil will be tilled and raked, and the ground will be planted before frost. Robin will need 3-4 afterschool volunteers each day for the bookfair, scheduled October 23-35 (M-W), and will start by posting for volunteers in the Greengram.
6. Wade needs line judges for the volleyball games this week. Brenda will look into finding volunteers for this.
7. Shannon Poynter, the Garden Committee head, held her first Friday work party last week. Several people showed up. Some plants were lost this summer due to water issues, as a result will not be available for sale this year. There will be regular garden committee meetings 1-2:45 every Friday in the garden. Shannon will work with Mary Ellen Arbuckle to start fall crops and work the garden into school curriculum. There is a School Garden Project, a local organization, which supports private schools and may be available to help with our garden in some capacity. Shannon will explore this possibility.
8. Brenda reported on the pizza committee. Last year the pizza account made $367.20, after funding $114 in Snow Day scholarships, and funding $116.48 towards the Faculty/Staff Luncheon. The balance in the pizza checking account as of August 31 is $3,653.67. The pizza account will be computerized this year. The OHCC steering committee voted and approved the addition of Julie Boffing as an authorized check signer for the Oak Hill pizza account. Brenda Bair is the other authorized signer on the account. This year there will be a standing pizza order and NO soda.
9. Soda machines have been removed from OHS. The vending machines now sell water, sparkling water, juice and chocolate milk. A request was made for regular or soy milk to be made available as well.
10. Linda Piebenga, Volunteer Recorder, stated that she has contacted Marist and that they no longer have mandatory volunteer hours, but recommended that she contact O’Hara to see how they track volunteer hours. Carrie mentioned that she has a friend who is a teacher at O’Hara, and she can contact her to ask about this. Ronnie suggesting asking people to track their own hours and turn them in each semester. Linda will also track volunteer hours for families. Elliott informed families during registration meetings and will reemphasize on Parent Night that families are expected to contribute 30-40 hours of volunteer service per year, and will be billed $20 for each unfulfilled hour of service. This policy will also be in the Community Handbook. The volunteer hour tracking sheet will now be available in the office in the OHCC slot across from the bathroom.
11. Jeff Wilson-Charles, OHS Board President, said that the Annual Appeal will start at the end of September or beginning of October and be done by the end of the calendar year in order to get it out of the way early. Elliott, Tammy and Jeff are working on it now. School enrolment is growing at 10% a year. Projections indicate we will need 6-8 more classrooms, and this will necessitate significant fundraising activity, as the cost of such these classrooms is projected to be in the $1M-$1.5M range. Tammy is working on this. Due to Tammy’s position as (Director of Administration and) Director of Development, she will be on all fundraising committees and must be informed of all fundraising activities on campus.
12. Carrie is working on retention. Two years ago, 45% of 8th graders stayed at OHS. Last year 93% stayed. The annual retention meeting will be held November 15th at Territorial Winery downtown, beginning at 6-6:30, and everyone is invited.
13. The student council president is Reilley Clarke. Carrie will extend an invitation to the student council to send a representative to the OHCC meetings.
14. Tammy is hosting the New Parent Coffee in the Gather Room at 8:20 on 9/14 and needs volunteers to answer questions and help them feel at ease. Back to School night is September 28th from 7 – 9:30 and Tammy will need help with refreshments. Tammy will need volunteers for BooDoo, which will be a Halloween themed event in the gym for kids with candy and games and a haunted hayride. Tammy wants to charge $10 a head and have it be an alternative to trick or treating. It will be on October 27 & 28.
15. Kitchen news: The South Hills Church secretary will be meeting with Tammy and separating the church’s food and putting locks on their cupboards. The LCC staff has requested that the kitchen be cleaned before they begin cooking there. The lower school kitchen will be improved.
16. Reader board: If you have updates for the reader board, please email them to Carrie and she will contact the Spicers, who update the board.
17. We are definitely still accepting volunteer forms, and they are located in the OHCC box on the wall with the other mailboxes in the office.
18. The meeting was adjourned at 4:25 pm. The next OHCC meeting will be October 9th at 3:15.