Minutes From Meetings 2008-2009
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April 15, 2008
Call to Order: President Rena Burks opened the meeting at 6:32 p.m.
Principal’s Report: Associate Principal Ed Schwartz reported on the following:
 | Young Hearts for Life testing of freshmen will be held on May 8. Deb Marszalek is recruiting volunteers and training will be held on May 6. |
| The school needs to find a new vendor from which to rent massage tables. |
| The Fitness Foundation’s second annual brunch will be held this Sunday from 11 to 2 at the Signature Room at Seven Bridges. |
| There will be an early dismissal tomorrow. |
| ‘Once Upon A Mattress’ will be presented this weekend. |
| The PSAE will be administered next week. Sophomores and juniors will be in school on both Wednesday and Thursday; freshmen will be in class on Thursday only; seniors will be off on both Thursday and Friday. Dismissal will be at about 12:20 on Wednesday and at about 11:20 on Thursday. No prom tickets will be sold on these days since seniors will not be in school. |
| Cap and gown pick up for seniors will be on Friday, April 25. |
| Awards Night will be held on April 29. |
| Wellness Day is scheduled for April 29. A variety of wellness related activities are scheduled for students. In the past, PTA has provided lunch for participants. This was not needed this year, but Ed will double check with the PE department to determine if any assistance is needed. |
| There is a late start on April 30. |
| Prom will be held on May 2. |
| The Children’s Play, ‘The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf’, is scheduled for May 8. |
| The Spring Art Show is scheduled for May 12-16. |
| Final exams have been shifted back a day due to the snow day. The only exception is for third and fifth period exams for seniors only. Since the exams cannot be taken on Graduation Day, they will be scheduled for the last two days of regular classes. |
| Tentative dates for the summer mailings are July 7, 8, and 9 (original mailing) and August 11, 12, and 13 (packet preparation). Students can earn service hours for assisting. |
| The topic of tonight’s Parent Advisory meeting is creating a second access road to campus. Plans are moving forward to extend Norfolk Street to Springside Avenue. A community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 22 in the Cafetorium to discuss safety issues and how this will impact the neighborhood. Another component of the plan would be to replace the drainage ditch with underground water storage. The parking lot would also be reconfigured to add as many as one hundred parking spaces for students. This plan would decrease the back up of cars on Dunham Road and would eliminate the huge traffic jams at evening events. It would also improve safety response time for emergency vehicles, especially in the morning when Dunham Road is backed up. It would also make it safer for students since bus parking could be reconfigured; currently there are 3 or 4 rows of buses and this presents a safety concern, as students need to walk between buses. No additional land needs to be obtained to complete this project, and this would be a private road. It is anticipated that the project should be completed by fall. |
President’s Report: PTA will again make a donation to Exit With Pride. Treasurer Cindy Topps will prepare a check for $1,000. An expected 600 to 650 seniors will attend. If anyone has connections to get free items such as Frisbees, water bottles, food, etc. that would be appreciated. The PTA could donate some long sleeved t-shirts.
Secretary’s Report: The March minutes were accepted.
Treasurer’s Report: The Treasurer’s Report has been filed for audit.
Unfinished Business: The Nominating Committee is still in need of a candidate for President. Incumbents from all other offices have agreed to be nominated again this year. Please pass the word about this opportunity. The nominating committee will post the slate of candidates on the DGS web site and will hold an election thirty days or more following the posting.
Funding for Transfer Student Lunches was discussed. A $500 line item to fund this will be included in next year’s budget proposal. There are a couple hundred students who transfer in and out of DGS each year, and the lunches are a way of helping these students.
Re-scheduling Staff Appreciation Week had been discussed at the last meeting since the Staff Breakfast had to be re-scheduled to May 16. Because of the already scheduled massages, Staff Appreciation Week will remain the week of May 5. Activities are as follows:
Monday: Potato chip delivery to department. Announcement of drawing winners
Tuesday: Notes in mailboxes (with candy and massage reminders). Massages in staff cafeteria. Distribution of drawing items
Wed.: Delivery of home-baked sweets to department offices
Friday: Ice cream sundae bar during all lunch periods
New Business: Prom procedures for out of school guests were discussed. The guest needs to have his/her school complete a form, which is then returned to DGS for approval. Students do not need to have a date for prom, but it is encouraged. A list of students who would like to attend and need a date is available.
This is Dr. McDonald’s last meeting as Principal of DGS, as he moves to his new role as Superintendent. He thanked the PTA for their service and noted that it has emerged as a strong group in the last five years, and has added value to students and teachers. Dan Cozza and now Ed Schwartz have been a great support.
The PTA thanked Rena Burks for serving as President, as she steps down after several years in this role.
Next meeting: September 16, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. in the Library.
Meeting Adjourned at 7:19 p.m.
Submitted by Martie Kennedy
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September 16, 2008
Call to Order: The meeting was opened at 6: 34 p.m. Deb Marszalek presented the slate of officers on behalf of the nominating committee:
President Cheri Peterson
VP Membership Barb Schrage
Volunteer Bureau Lisa Wivinis
Treasurer Cindy Topps
Secretary Martie Kennedy
The new slate of officers was approved.
President Cheri Peterson welcomed everyone and asked those in attendance to introduce themselves. New Principal Stephan Bild was also introduced.
Principal’s Report: Associate Principal Ed Schwartz reported on the following:
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Ed thanked the PTA for all the work done over the summer with assembling registration packets and on fee payment day. |
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The new road and parking lot would have been opened by now if not for the weather. There is a large pile of dirt that will be used to grade landscaping along the road that needs to be moved, but it is too wet now. The new road should be opened by the end of the week, or Monday at the latest. |
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Bus routes have been re-worked. Each bus has a numbered spot now. Routes that are farthest from school are closest to the exit, allowing those students to get home sooner. Buses heading east and west are alternated so that they can leave the property quickly. |
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Eighty more parking permits for students will be available this year as a result of the improvements made over the summer. |
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The Academic Awards Night was held last Thursday. Students who attained a 3.4 grade point average last semester (about 25% of the student body) were honored. |
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This is Homecoming Week. A Variety Show will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. The Homecoming Assembly is on Friday, and will be followed by a parade at 3:15 p.m. The football game is on Friday night, and the Homecoming Dance will be held on Saturday evening. |
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The Freshman Play will be presented on October 2. |
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A CR.I.S.S Parent Workshop is scheduled for October 1. This workshop helps parents learn study strategies to help support their children. |
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Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on October 30. There is a new format this year, and parents will receive a letter during the second week of October with details. More conference times will be available, and each conference will be 7 minutes in length. New software will help parents in scheduling, and teachers will be able to contact parents of struggling students to schedule conference times. |
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The new grade pages can be accessed via the Home Access Center. |
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The new DGS web site should be up within the next month. A special feature is the ability for instant updates. Parents will be able to subscribe to feeds that will be of interest to them and will receive e-mails alerting them to special information. Both DGS and Downers Grove North will have the same format/appearance. |
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There are 15 late start dates this year; the next late start date is September 24. There will be one early dismissal day, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. |
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Ed has the receipt for the attendance magnets and will give it to Cindy Topps for payment. |
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Teachers and administrators would like to establish an incentive program for students; this may be a good program for PTA to support. |
Principal Stephan Bild discussed the Parent Advisory Board. This group meets from 7:30 to 9 p.m. after the PTA meeting. It is a group of 20 to 25 parents who are invited to attend. Tonight’s topic will be Professional Learning Communities, and included in the discussion will be grade level determination. School Improvement will be discussed at either the October or November Parent Advisory Board meeting. If you are interested in participating, contact Mr. Bild.
Mr. Bild will begin a similar group for students next month, the Student Advisory Board.
Secretary’s Report: The April minutes were accepted.
Treasurer’s Report:
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Treasurer Cindy Topps thanked Barb Schrage for her excellent Membership reports. |
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Cindy distributed a PTA booklet, “A Parent’s Guide to Video Games, Parental Controls and Online Safety”. |
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A Dairy Queen receipt is needed from last year’s Staff Appreciation week. Deb Marszalek will e-mail Vicky Stumpf so that this can be paid. |
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Some bank statements are missing. Duplicates will be requested so that the checkbook can be balanced. |
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An audit will be conducted before the October PTA meeting. Deb Marszalek, Cheri Peterson, and Vera Airdo volunteered to perform the audit. |
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PTA insurance was discussed. Maggie Mohr will send Cheri Peterson information on the insurance for her review. |
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PTA Council dues ($75) will continue to be paid. |
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The item “Dean’s Rewards” will be re-titled “Student Incentives”. |
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The income item “Membership/Directory/Donations” will be separated so that income from each source can be distinguished. |
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The income item “Taffy Apples” will be removed. |
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“Freshman Magnets” will be changed to “Student Magnets.” |
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The budgeted amount for Reflections was discussed. Reflections projects are not part of the DGS curriculum. It would be helpful if PTA had a chairperson to coordinate this program. This item will be removed from the budget, and if a student wishes to participate, the budget will be amended. |
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“ACT snack” will be changed to “PSAE snack”. |
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“Council Dinner” will be removed from the budget. This will be amended if necessary. |
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A motion to accept the proposed budget was approved. |
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The Treasurer’s Report has been filed for audit. |
Unfinished Business: The Directory was discussed. It is important that it be done in a timely manner. Cheri Peterson will contact Anita James Printing to determine if they can prepare it from a PTA database; she will get a price quote.
PTA has a large amount of money. At next month’s meeting, members will brainstorm ideas on how this money should be allocated. The money should be used for areas that would benefit the whole school, not just one particular group. It should also be for things that are above and beyond what is part of the normal school curriculum and expenses. One possible use is in the library.
The PTA will look into purchasing poinsettias from Friends of Fine Arts to decorate tables for the Holiday Breakfast.
Spirit Wear sales at packet pick up were so good that more items need to be ordered for the sale during parent teacher conferences. There are very few small items in the current inventory. PTA spirit wear is sold at “all school” events like the teacher conferences. Booster groups normally sell their spirit wear at their own events. For example, Football Boosters sell items at football games.
New Business: If anyone is interested in serving on the Incentive Reward Committee, contact Ed Schwartz.
Membership: Checks were not included with some PTA membership forms. Barb Schrage has been trying to contact these individuals. There are still about 15 parents who need to submit payment.
Next meeting: October 21, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. in the Library.
Meeting Adjourned at 7:58 p.m.
Submitted by Martie Kennedy
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October 21, 2008
Call to Order: President Cheri Peterson called the meeting to order at 6:39 p.m.
Principal’s Report: Associate Principal Ed Schwartz reported on the following:
| Homecoming was a big success; details will be in the next edition of Spectrum, which will be out next week. |
| There will be a late start tomorrow (October 22), as well as on November 5th and 19th. |
| Parent conferences can now be scheduled online. Since registration opened this morning, 510 parents have registered for conferences. |
| The fall play will be presented on November 7th and 8th. |
| The South High School Snowball leadership retreat will be held on November 21st and 22nd. |
| A meeting for students participating in winter sports is scheduled for November 17th. |
| The day before Thanksgiving is an early dismissal day. |
| The re-designed web site should be up and running in a few weeks. The new web site will allow for timely updates of information. |
| Mr. Schwartz attended a Young Hearts for Life fundraiser where a DGS student and her mother spoke. An EKG test at DGS alerted her to a potentially serious problem which otherwise may have gone undetected until it was too late. Ed prepared a basket for the silent auction, which included PTA spirit wear. |
| The school is trying to create a positive incentive program to reward positive behaviors. Students have had great ideas on this, like rewarding students with music downloads or having a pizza delivered for lunch. PTA may be able to sponsor this program. |
| The new road connecting Norfolk and Springside is open. Curbs will be painted yellow in the spring. The addition of a stop sign was discussed. Both the village and county are monitoring traffic in the area of the new road. |
Principal Stephan Bild discussed the Student Advisory Board. The first meeting will be held on Friday morning before school. About 50 students were invited, and 20-21 students are expected to attend. Students are excited about having a voice in the school.
The subject of tonight’s Parent Advisory Board will be STRIVE tutoring and PSAE preparation.
Mr. Bild announced that the School Board passed a new grade level determination policy. In the past, grade level was based solely on how many years that students had attended the school. Students must now also earn a set number of credits. There has been a lot of support for this policy change, and it will affect very few students. (For example, a fourth year student may not be able to attend prom if they do not have enough senior level credits.) Grade level determination is made in August, so this policy change may lead to changes in summer school. DGS is doing everything possible to help students recover academically before the end of the school year.
President’s Report: The directory is nearly ready to be published, with an anticipated completion date of early November. It was requested that the names and phone numbers of PTA officers and committee chairs be included in the directory. Anita James Printing will print the directories, with the same format as last year. The Safe Homes Pledge was taken out, as it was last year. Lisa Wivinis will be responsible for mailing the directory and will need 3 or 4 volunteers to assist. The cheapest bulk rate for mailing of the directories was discussed, including sorting labels by 5-digit zip code.
Cheri attended the Downers Grove PTA Council meeting, where the Reflections program was discussed. Cheri forwarded information to Glenn Williams, Chairman of the Fine Arts Department.
Deb Marszalek will update the PTA bylaws.
Membership: As of late September, there are 1,002 PTA members.
Treasurer’s Report: Deb Marszalek, Cheri Peterson, and Vera Airdo conducted an audit and determined that everything is complete and correct. A discussion on revisions to the budget was tabled until the November PTA meeting.
Secretary’s Report: The September minutes were accepted. Thank you notes will be sent to all PTA members who donated $10 or more.
Unfinished Business: Spirit Wear will be sold outside the cafeteria during the parent teacher conferences on October 30th. Mr. Schwartz will arrange for table set up and make signs. If anyone is able to help with the sale, contact Vanessa McGriff-Culver.
PTA had hoped to purchase poinsettias for the Holiday Breakfast from Friends of the Fine Arts. However, December 10 is the delivery date, and the Holiday Breakfast is scheduled for December 18. It might be difficult to store the flowers for so long, so Ed Schwartz will ask if there can be a separate delivery for PTA.
There is currently a large amount of money in the Treasury; PTA guidelines specify that money should be spent. Where to allocate PTA funds was discussed, including the following:
| Make a donation to Young Hearts for Life. This is an organization that is helping our children through EKG testing. Nineteen thousand DuPage high school students have been screened, with DGS testing the largest number of students. Two other schools have made donations. |
| Purchase bricks from the District 99 Foundation. The actual cost of a brick is $5, so the remaining money would go directly to the Foundation, which benefits our students in many ways. It was pointed out that Foundation funds go to both North and South students. |
| A donation could fund post-prom activities. |
| Establishing a PTA scholarship, similar to one at Downers Grove North, was another idea. Deb Marszalek will research this further. |
| A donation could be made to Parent University. |
There will be more discussion at the November PTA meeting.
Next meeting: November 18, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. in the Library.
Meeting Adjourned at 7:47 p.m.
Submitted by Martie Kennedy
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