Flynn Family PTO Update

Hey there Flynn Families - Lots of exciting stuff happening this month at Flynn and beyond. Hope you are able to take advantage of all the season brings. We had another productive PTO meeting last week and are making plans for many fun family events in the new year. Hope you will join us in organizing, volunteering and playing together.  Meeting minutes and Treasurer's Report are located at the end of this post.  (please excuse the messy formatting this week - unidentifiable glich - too lazy to spend all day working on it!)


CHINESE EXCHANGE TEACHER AT FLYNN!!! Flynn is proud to welcome Crystal to our school! Crystal comes to us from Shanghai, China, where she is a High School teacher. She is doing an exchange program called Visiting Scholars through the Asian Studies Outreach Program at UVM. She will be with us teaching in different classrooms until Jan. 13. One of her main focuses will be in Mrs. Brooks class because coincidentally there is a Chinese student who arrived a few weeks ago with limited English. It was meant to be! She will also be in other classrooms teaching Chinese language, songs, games, art, and cooking as requested by the teachers. We are very excited to have her here and to have the children learn about a different culture. If you see her around please give her a warm welcome!!

The Kuypers family is hosting Crystal at their house, but they are traveling for the holidays. It would be wonderful if there were some families that could show her some good ole’ VT winter fun like skiing, sledding or ice skating or invite her to dinner or to a movie. This would really make her feel welcome and make her vacation special! You can contact Tammy Kuypers at: 598-4293 or 863-1943 to arrange something or you can e-mail Crystal directly at sgh1121@hotmail.com

Thanks so much in advance for making her time here at Flynn a memorable one!!

Did You Know? All Flynn Families are welcome and encouraged to use the library at school! Mrs. Wells will be happy to set you up with an account and lend books that your family can enjoy at home. Holiday break is coming up - make sure you have lots of good reading material to get you through the break!

Exchange Student #2 Hello Flynn Families - I just received this emergency request and I am sending it on to you all in the event that a Flynn family might want to help or would know another local family that would:

From PAX Coordinator Alysse Anton http://www.pax.org/hschools.html

One of our students (Marieke) is in need to be relocated in another family. She is only here for a semester (she will fly back to Germany at the end of January).
She is currently going to BHS, so we would need a family who lives in Burlington.
We are looking to find a family with other children/teenagers.
Would you be able to help us with this emergency?
Thank you.
Alysse Anton
PAX Coordinator
Please make sure that all inquiries are directed to Kelley Cartularo (kelleycartularo@gmail.com)

Check your Calendar...

• December 5 - Narnia Pre-Production Meeting - 6:45 in the library
• December 5 - Drop in Chess club at 2:30-3:30 in the library
• December 5 - Narnia Production Team Meeting in the learning center at 6:45
• December 14 - Early Release Day at 11:30
• December 22 - Schoolwide Meeting (Parents welcome) Mr. Clarke to eat Brussel Sprouts and caroling with Mr. Reynolds - Time yet to be announced - stay tuned
• December 19 - Chess Club (see above)
• December 23 - January 2 - Winter Break
• January 5 - PTO Meeting
• January 14 - Family Traditions Dinner

View the Treaurer's Report by clicking on the link below:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag-zi-SCj-zndGZZWWxkdkNmb1BtS3VvTHVyR0hKUkE

P.T.O Meeting Minutes - December 1, 2011
Meeting was called to order at 6:30pm - Babysitting was offered in the multipurpose room

Treasurer’s Report – reported by Kate Belluche

• It was discussed that PTO Funds are currently in a checking account and not earning interest- putting funds in a CD was suggested to generate more incomeFurther financial planning was discussed- how much to maintain as a “cushion” and if it makes sense to expand our offerings
• Pasta dinner generated $815!
• Winter toys (ice block makers, trowels, shovels) were purchased for the playground for $100. Money leftover will be used to purchase more playground toys in the Spring.
• A motion was passed to replace the black signs used for special events for $169. It was suggested that existing signs could be sold or donated- possibly to Hunt Middle School

Principal’s Corner – Graham Clarke
• Crystal Chen, a teacher from Shanghai will be joining Mrs. Brooks’  class until January 14th. She will be staying with the Kuypers family (it was also approved to purchase a bus pass for Crystal for use while she is in Burlington)
• There was excellent attendance at the recent Literacy Café in Mr. Brown’s class as well as the Butterfly performance by Ms. Noble’s class
• Next all school meeting will be held December, 22
• School wide fundraiser has begun- for every 20 donations (marked by the student’s handprint on the display in front of the office) Mr. Clarke will eat a brussel sprout (his least favorite food)
• Fourth Grade teacher appreciation of array of soups very well received
• Family Traditions dinner will be held January 13

Flynn Gardens – Claire Noble
• Letter of intent has been submitted to ensure that roughly half of the proceeds from previous plant sales be set aside to perpetuate the Flynn school gardens
• It was asked that Flynn Gardens become a line item on the budget and that the money be earmarked for use on gardens when construction is complete- it will be voted on at the January meeting

Enrichment Update– -Sarah Smith
• Jeh Kulu date has been changed to February 6-10
• It is not yet determined if there will be multiple performances
• It was decided to reimburse Sarah Smith for travel chess sets she purchased for the students who have attended the Chess club this fall
• First meeting for people interested in helping with the Narnia performance will be held Monday, December 5th at 6:45

Fundraising- Tammy Kuypers
• The Tag and Plant sale has been given to Hunt
• Pizza fundraiser- offering families the option to purchase pizza and pick it up at school on a certain night with a % of the sale going to PTO- a similar fundraiser takes place at Champlain Elementary and has been very successful. Start date TBD

Room Parents/Staff Appreciation Update– Lisa Tulkop
• PTO will be providing a lunch and dessert for Teachers during the in-service on December 14th
• January Teacher Appreciation (provided by the Third grade parents) will be to come in before school begins and clean out the break room

PTO Leaders Salon – Kate Belluche
• December 19th- ongoing meetings for PTO leaders from Burlington to share ideas, 7-8pm location TB

School/Family Partnership Update– Shanta Eastman
• Several new members joined and attended the meeting on 11/23 to take a survey on how Flynn is perceived as a welcoming environment. The results will be discussed at the next meeting Wednesday 12/7 at 2:45

Open P.T.O Positions
• Kate made an announcement about the need for a new 2012-13 President

Opportunities
• Family Traditions Dinner- opportunities to help in planning
• Family Nights – opportunities to help plan and run- some suggestions: Lego night, movie night, talent night, skating at Leddy, BINGO
• Dana Stevens needs volunteer(s) to help hang art in gallery-everything provided to frame student self-portraits.
Meeting was adjourned at 7:45pm Next Meeting: Thursday, 1/5/12, 6:30-7:30p