WELCOME TO THE FRIENDS OF CAHS PTA!

CAHS PTA Retrospective 2009-2010

2010-06-02T17:18:00.003-04:00

CAHS PTA Retrospective 6/1/10

Activities & Accomplishments

Activities

Author Series with Guest Speaker
Father Programs (Heroes for Heroes, Spring Clean-Up)
Spring Potluck with Guest Speaker
Freshman Welcome Luncheon
Cupcake Day
Panel Discussions between students & recent grads
Teacher Appreciation Breakfasts and end-of-the-year lunch
First Day Welcome Breakfast for new CAHS families
Ran Concession Stand for two Chess Tournaments

Donations to School

Sponsored Student Senate organized Fall Dance
Donated scholarships for Stratford Trip
Donated funds for Student Recognition Programs
Matched bake sale proceeds raised by school groups
Donated money to Chorale, IB Program, and other teacher requests
Donated money for college scholarship through the Ohio PTA
Completed benches, tables and awnings for courtyard

Fundraising

Bake Sales
Increased Kroger’s income
Meals-On-Wheels
Donations
No-Phone-a-Thon

School Unity

Sponsored Student Senate organized Fall Dance
Donated baked goods and coordinated with student groups to run bake sales
Ran concession stand for two Chess Tournaments held at CAHS
Pass It On Book Program
Accepted student groups into PTA as PTA Committees
Organized efforts with students to support homeless student
PTA Greeting Table at school functions

Publicity & Communications

Suburban News articles
Created Facebook Fan Page
Created Twitter account
CAHS PTA Blog
Circulated PTA news via School Newsletter
Circulated PTA news via Robo-calls
Joined Just Between Friends website for membership & emails
Updated Columbus Foundation Profile

PTA & Community Activities

Attended Ohio PTA Convention
Attended Columbus Council meetings & end-of-year banquet
Attended Summer PTA Training Conferences
Represented CAHS at High School Lottery Fair

May 4, 2010 Meeting Minutes

2010-06-01T22:15:00.001-04:00

Friends of CAHS PTA
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Location: CAHS, Room 128

Introductions: President Stephanie Ludwig started the meeting by greeting the eight attendees.

REPORTS:
Principal’s Report: Davan Dodrill
• The admin team is running a tight ship this month; senioritis is in full effect.
• Mr. Dodrill is planning the Honors Awards Ceremony:
o He has called on involvement from all department heads; although they may have planned separate department award events.
o In the past, this event has been more causal, this year’s will be more formal
o Awards are based on academic excellence. You have to work hard to keep the standards set by CAHS.
o Each department will have an award presented.
o All faculty will be there as a required duty.
o Mr. Dodrill has requested the PTA pay for 150 wings pins to be presented to the students. He also requested payment for the t-shirts. The wings are the closest item that resembled Pegasus or Pegasus wings, and the CAHS spirit.
o The assembly will be held May 26 in the evening, with refreshments.
o Students will be presented with a certificate, wings and a T-shirt for Honor Roll
• A motion was made to for the PTA to bear the cost for the award night ceremony, purchase of the t-shirt and pins not to exceed $1,300.00. Motion passed.

President’s Report: Stephanie Ludwig
• Freshman orientation is scheduled for May 11 and 13;
• Chorale event Friday, May 14, at 7 pm;
• The freshman luncheon is scheduled for Saturday, May 15 from 12 noon to 2 p.m.
• The Columbus Council voted Mrs. Thornburg as CAHS teacher of the year. An award ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 12, honoring her and other teachers in the central Ohio area.
• FOCAHS members will have to sign-up again for Kroger Card donations.

Secretary’s Report: Tracy Taylor
• The meeting minutes from April were presented. A motion was made to approve the minutes with amendments; the motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report: Toni Dodge
• No report this month.

Activity Coordinator’s Report: Carolyn Rhodes
• The bake sale was held April 30 raised approximately $77.00.
• All items were sold by the end of the first lunch period.
• Members of the Ultimate Frisbee Team helped worked the table to help raise funds for the May 8 and 9 tournament
• A motion was made for the PTA to match the total money received from the bake sale. Motion passed.
• A motion was made to hold the bake sale and the Ultimate Frisbee Team (Mr. Rhoades, advisor) would provide baked goods along with FOCAHS and work at the table. The motion passed.

Chorale Committee Report: Mary Ellen Sinclair
• The Chorale will perform 100 Years of Broadway on May 14.
• A free reception will be held in the cafeteria.
• Chorale will perform at the end of May for the Helen Jenkins Davis scholarship award ceremony @ Monaco Palace and the senior breakfast.
• Mr. Fleming is requesting $300.00 to pay the pit musicians and pizza for the cast party.
• A motion was made for FOCAHS pay $300 (John Mitchell, Joy Norris and Chaunte Banks) for the pit musicians and up to $200 for pizza from the Chorale funds; Motion passed

Columbus Council Representative Report: Genia Marshall
• No Report

Fundraising Committee Report: Trish Geoghagan and Ann Laubach
• There are no changes.
• Kim Dillard will become the new chair and Trish will help when needed.

Grant Writing Committee: Toni Dodge
• No Report

Hospitality Committee Report: Michele Sherman
• No Report

Membership Committee Report: Michele Sherman
• No new members.

Publicity Report: Carla Wiltshire
• No Report

Robotics Report: Ms. Bell
• No Report

Student Recognition Report: Ms. Bell
• See information in Principal’s report

Alumni Committee Report: Lemuel Harris
• No Report

School Board Report: Lemuel Harris
• No report

OLD BUSINESS

Father/Student- Spring Clean—May 8, 2:30-6:00pm

Freshman Welcome Luncheon—May 15, 12:00-2:00pm
• The letters were mail today, May 4
• The luncheon will be held in the cafeteria.

Pegasus Preview (Freshman Orientation)—May 11 and May 13
• Incoming freshman with last names begin with A – L are asked to attend Tuesday, May 11 and M – Z are asked to attend Thursday, May 13.

Spring Potluck—May 23, 1:00pm-4:30pm
• The end of the year potluck will be held in the CAHS Courtyard (or the Cafeteria if it rains).
• Attendees are asked to bring a favorite dish.
• David Dobos will speak at 3:00pm, about “How to Succeed at the College Admissions Game.” Mr. Dobos is a graduate of MIT and OSU, worked formerly in the admissions office at MIT; he was a former Columbus Board of Education member, and an excellent speaker!

Election of 2010-2011 PTA Officers
• A motion was made to elect Mary Ellen Sinclair president for the 2010-2011 school year;
• A motion was made to elect Mark Hill vice president for the 2010-2011 school year;
• A motion was made to elect Tracy Taylor secretary for the 2010-2011 school year;
• A motion was made to elect Toni Dodge treasurer for the 2010-2011 school years.
• All nominated officers were unanimously elected to the respective positions.

NEW BUSINESS

Honors Awards Banquet- May 26
• See discussion above

Cupcake Day- May 26
• Michele Sherman and Tracy Taylor will work together to coordinate by contacting FOCAHS and parents of students for donations.

Pre-Lottery Survey
• Mary Ellen Sinclair reported the committee would postpone the outcome of the survey results until the beginning of the next term.

Gift Card Drawing
• Judy Cohen is the May gift card drawing winner.

April 20, 2010 Meeting Minutes

2010-06-01T22:12:00.001-04:00

Friends of CAHS PTA
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Location: CAHS, Room 128

Introductions: President Stephanie Ludwig started the meeting by introducing herself and each PTA member introduced themselves and the name of their child and grade level; 15 attendees

REPORTS:
Principal’s Report: Talisa Dixon
• Interim grades are going in on Friday, April 23.
• Advance Placement /International Baccalaureate exams are coming soon.
• As of today, there are 185 incoming freshman; 26 new sophomores; there will be a small junior class
• Letters go out on Monday (April 27) to the students that were accepted through the lottery.
• Orientation has been scheduled for May 11 and May 13 (Tuesday and Thursday).
• The incoming freshman will be invited to the Music Review.
• Freshman students are required to attend the enrichment week, June 14 to 18, 8 am to 12 noon. The school will supply the book ~ Ishmael. This time will be used for preparation for the summer reading, and Humanities. Mr. Fleming and Mr. Manicola will work with the students on a freshman choir and jazz band. The intent is for the new students to become acclimated to CAHS.
• The student awards banquet is scheduled for May 26 (evening). Mr.Dodrill is working on the banquet.
• There was an ice social with Ms. Bell today.

President’s Report: Stephanie Ludwig
• Everyone will need to re-register for the Kroger’s reward program. There is a number on the letter in your packet to identify CAHS.
• There are two E-News Bulletin from the district in the packet, March and April. The April edition mentions the CAHS Chess Club’s 12th year capturing the top spot in the Ohio Chess Assoc. Championship Tournament.
• May 8, there is the pharmacy program event at Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. See the packet for additional information.

Secretary’s Report: Tracy Taylor
• The meeting minutes from March were presented. A motion was made to approve the minutes; the motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report: Toni Dodge
• March’s bank statements were presented (See packet for details)
• The balance report will be presented next month.

Auditor Committee Report: Trish Geoghagan
• No report

Activity Coordinator’s Report: Carolyn Rhodes
• The bake sale was held April 1 and raised $150 for the benefit of In the Know.
• A motion was made for FOCAHS to donate and match the funds for In the Know; the motion passed.
• The question was asked about holding another bake sale (April 30).
• A motion was made to hold the bake sale and the Ultimate Frisbee Team (Mr. Rhoades, advisor) would provide baked goods along with FOCAHS and work at the table. The motion passed.

Chorale Committee Report: Mary Ellen Sinclair
• No report

Columbus Council Representative Report: Genia Marshall
• Stephanie Ludwig attended the March meeting in Genia’s absence. See the packet for ideas and information about gifted and talented students.
• A new delegate will need to be appointed chair for this committee will need to be appointed for the next school year.

Fundraising Committee Report: Trish Geoghagan and Ann Laubach
• No report

Grant Writing Committee: Toni Dodge
• No report

Hospitality Committee Report: Michele Sherman
• The staff breakfast went really well.
• The faculty luncheon is scheduled for May 7. If you are able to provide salad, desserts, soda etc., Michele would appreciate you help. Sign-up sheets are going around.

Membership Committee Report: Michele Sherman
• No new members.

Publicity Report: Carla Wiltshire
• Carla sent information out to the community papers including the freshman play, Sarah, Plain and Tall, debut direction by Grace Herman-Holland
• The International Baccalaureate Art Show is scheduled for March 29, at 5:00 pm..
• Carla is working on some publicity for the National Honor Society.

Robotics Report: Ms. Bell
• The Robotics team placed 57th/60 teams at the F.R.I.S.T. Cleveland Robotics competition.
• The students had a lot of fun. CAHS competed in all categories. The competition is really about teamwork. The students made a lot of connections.
• The CAHS team was mentored by Dublin-Kaufman, Lakota (SW Ohio school district), and Team 93 from Minnesota.
• They competed in the Chairman’s Award unaware this particular competition was open to veteran teams.
• Some students are scheduled to present to Honda on May 25.
• They are looking to compete this summer, June 26 local event (CORI) Central Ohio Robotics Initiative. There are five Columbus teams and twelve over all.
• Changes: There will be no robotics during internship day next year. Students will have to find their own robotics internships during the first part of the year. Meetings will be held after school.

Student Recognition Report: Ms. Bell
• The last A/B celebration held today.
• The Ice Cream Social was attended by 123 students including special needs students.
• Pegasus of the Month was included.
• Mr. Dodrill is working on plan for the end of the year awards event with Department Chairs.
• More information will have more information at next month’s meeting. (Student Recognition Awards)

School Board Report: Lemuel Harris
• No report

Nominating Committee: Julia Harrison
• The committee includes Julia Harrison, Mark Hill, and Michele Sherman.First reading/listing of potential officers: Mary Ellen Sinclair – President, Mark Hill – Vice President, Secretary - Tracy Taylor, and Treasurer – Toni Dodge
• Additional nominations were sought for the four positions.
• Voting will take place at the Tuesday, May 4 meeting.
• A quorum of seven people is needed to vote.
OLD BUSINESS

Chess Tournament: Jeff Sherman
• A motion was made to reimburse Jeff Sherman $291.00 for expenses from the chess tournament; motion passed.
• A motion was made to split the profit 50% with the Chess Club. See the PDF document submitted to officers. The meeting minutes were amended to add “motion passed”
• Dr. Dixon will check with Mr. Kaufman to determine where to shelter the funds.

Freshman Welcome Luncheon – May 15
• Letter will go out to the freshman students on Monday, April 26.
• Dr. Dixon will welcome the students
• Any member and their student may attend.
• The luncheon will be at CAHS, FOCAHS will purchase subs.
• Members may contribute salads and desserts.

Ohio PTA Convention – Toni Dodge
• Toni Dodge attended.
• The current PTA demographics were discussed including PTA membership consist of 92% women, $75K income level, and suburban neighborhoods.
• The National PTA would like the demographics to be more consistent with the student population.
• A motion was made to reimburse Toni $75 for attending the convention. The motion passed.

Stratford Trip Scholarships
• A motion was made to award between $350 to $450 for the bus ride. The amount is dependent upon how many are on the bus.
• Another motion was made to use $1800 to award partial or full scholarships for attending Stratford (show and bus tickets). The motion was seconded and passed.

NEW BUSINESS

Pegasus Preview (Freshman Orientation) – May 11 and 13
• On May 11, Orientation will begin at 6:30 pm and at 7:00 pm on Thursday.

CAHS Outdoor Beautification Project – Mark Hill
• Mark Hill presented a proposal for Saturday, May 8 (see packet). Fathers or other male role models to any CAHS student would help clean the schoolyard and grounds. In return, FOCAHS would provide pizza and pop for lunch and using the Meals on Wheels business model, FOCAHS will pay for the clean-up work by donating the payments to the students’ favorite school club group.
• A motion was made to accept the proposal as written.
• There was a lengthy discussion and the motion was amended to accept the motion as written but cap the total paid out to $2,000 from the general fund.
• The amended motion was amended to cap total payment at $2000 from the anonymous contribution fund for donations to student organizations and payment for food; drinks etc. come from the general fund. Motion passed

Spring gathering with Guest Speaker (May 23) – Lemuel Harrison
• A motion was made to have a spring potluck gathering potluck here at CAHS and include guest speaker, Dave Dobos. An honorarium of a $100 would be given. See the packet for Mr. Dobos’ background. The start time is scheduled for 1 pm. The motion passed.

Gift Card Drawing
• March card winner: Tracy Taylor

March 2, 2010-- CAHS PTA Meeting Minutes

2010-05-01T17:11:00.010-04:00

Friends of CAHS PTA

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Location: CAHS, Room 128

Introductions: President Stephanie Ludwig started the meeting by introducing herself and each PTA member introduced themselves and the name of their child and grade level.

REPORTS:

Principal’s Report: Talisa Dixon

Sarah Childers presented the findings of her dissertation to the staff last Monday (Feb. 22). Staffing and budget cuts: Due to budget cuts, decision was made to cut two staff positions for the fall: foreign language and physical education. There are 33 juniors needing physical education 2; four need both PE 1 & 2; and seven-need health. Dr. Dixon will work to get the students through Columbus Virtual HS. There will be no PE next year. There may be the option of bringing PE back in the 2011-2012 school year. The Chinese teacher was cut however, they have learned it takes many years to learn the language. The language is something that should start in the 6^th grade. As they think about the MYP IB program, this may be an option in the future. There will be 718 students next year. The current enrollment is 630 students. There are 185 senior, 133 juniors, 200 sophomores, and 200 freshmen. There will are plans for a two week summer camp/workshop. All freshmen will be required to attend. All new 10^th graders (approx. 55) will be required to attend to assist in adjusting to CAHS. Dr. Dixon and staff is looking at how to increase enrollment numbers in the IB program? The IB program is made up of five percent of the student population. The program is very expensive. How do we grow that program? April 1 is the Student Olympics (student driven activities), which is a half-day of activities before Spring Break. The Student Senate is planning and organizing the programs.AP and IB exams are also coming soon. There are five students interning with the Columbus Museum of Art. A podcast will be created for the showcase scheduled for May 2, from 1 to 2 pm at Studio 35 following with a reception at the Museum. They are working in collaboration with a charter school. The podcast will be available on iTunes and they will try to link to the district website.Mr. Dodrill has been working on a number of grants and believes in multi-culture globalization. He was able to secure a grant to bring a Taiwan administrator to the school in April for two weeks (April 15 to April 29). Mr. Dodrill has to set a schedule for the administrator to experience is PTA meetings, sporting events, and other school culture.During the summer, Mr. Dodrill will go to Southeast Taiwan to reciprocate the experience for two weeks. He has been asked to sit on a panel to judge locations to send other Chinese educators.A motion was made to move April’s PTA meeting to April 20. The motion passed.

President’s Report: Stephanie Ludwig

Stephanie asked if anyone is interested in developing ideas to increase IB enrollment and getting a grouP together let Stephanie know. March 26 and 27 is the Robotics competition in Cleveland. March 29 is the IB Art Show, 7 – 8:30 pm in the library.

Secretary’s Report: Tracy Taylor

The minutes for January and February’s meeting minutes were presented. A motion was made to accept the minutes as amendment to Mr. Liebesman and Jacob Manser names. Old business in February, the minutes will reflect that Mr. Kaufman advised Michele Sherman that the Chess Team did not want proceeds from the November event.

Treasurer’s Report: Toni Dodge

February’s report includes balance for Chorale [REDACTED]. The [REDACTED] for scholarships from the anonymous donation, and there are still monies available from the national PTA grant. The front page includes Jan and Feb totals. The last two pages includes actual year to date expenses vs. budgeted amounts for the year. The next quarterly check from Kroger’s ([REDACTED]) is on the way.

Auditor Committee Report: Trish Geoghagan

The accounts balanced. Jeff Sherman submitted the report from first quarter, July 1, 2009 to Sept. 30, 2009. The second quarter report was submitted. A motion was made to accept the audit report for the second quarter. The motion was approved and passed.

Activity Coordinator’s Report: Carolyn Rhodes

The next bake sale is scheduled for March 19. There was no bake sale in Feb.

Chorale Committee Report: Mary Ellen Sinclair

Chorale raised [REDACTED] funds. Chorale will need to rent a backdrop for the spring show. A motion was made to not pay for the backdrop from PTA general fund. There was one opposed vote to the motion. There was an open discussion about alternative ways of paying for the backdrop including collaborating with other schools groups.

Columbus Council Representative Report: Genia Marshall

No report this month.

Fundraising Committee Report: Trish Geoghagan and Ann Laubach

To date Friends of CAHS has received [REDACTED] in donations; [REDACTED] has been designated to Mr. Fleming.

Grant Writing Committee: Toni Dodge

Toni attended a grant writers’ forum, which was a continuation of the last one, discussing what grant awarders are looking for from non-profits including unique ideas and collaboration with others.

Hospitality Committee Report: Michele Sherman

(Teacher breakfast – April 19)

The staff breakfast was held last week (last week in February). The next breakfast is scheduled for Friday, April 16.

Membership Committee Report: Michele Sherman

The membership total for the year is 111.

Publicity Report: Carla Wiltshire

There was a story in the newspaper about Heroes to Heroes, the IB play (You Can’t Take It with You), the Robotics competition, and the variety show on the PTA website. Stephanie also sent some information via email.

Robotics Report:

Ms. Bell took some students to the robotics competition at COSI.

School Board Report: Lemuel Harris

There was a long discussion at the Board meeting around credit recovery. CAHS has discussed the situation and addressed the situation. There is a total of 25 students in credit recovery – juniors, some sophomores, and no seniors. There has been some concern in the past that students were earning a credit recovery diploma. There are now other options in place to help students recover those credits needed. Lemuel was asked to join the Columbus School Board External Affairs committee.

Old Business

Chess Tournament: March 6^th – Michele Sherman

If anyone is interested in working during the tournament let Michele know. If available in the afternoon, stop by.

Heroes For Heroes – Mark Hill

The event was a success; Mark will regroup and try to come up with some other ways to involve more parents and next steps. Suggestion were made to make the event a standalone program: maybe guest speakers, once a month or once a quarter. There were 23 attendees w/ 11 dads and 12 students.

NEW BUSINESS

Nominating Committee:

A nominating committee was formed for next year officers.

Voting will take place in May or June. A motion was made to nominate three people for the committee: Mark Hill, Julia Harrison, and Michele Sherman. The motion passed. If you are interested, you can let one of them know you want to run for a position.

Stratford Trip Scholarships

The trip is scheduled for Oct. 13-15. In the past, PTA sponsored and awarded four scholarships of [REDACTED] each. No money has been specifically set aside for Stratford. There is money available to award. A motion was made to award four full scholarships in the amount of [REDACTED]. The motion was withdrawn. Another motion was made to table the discussion to next month after Dr. Dixon has a discussion with the teacher.

Freshman Welcome Luncheon

The luncheon is scheduled for May 15 at 12 noon, for incoming freshman students. If anyone is interested in helping out see Jeff or Mary Ellen.

Heritage Festival

This agenda item was tabled until next month.

Summer Reading Student Tutoring

This agenda item was tabled until next month.

Gift Card Drawing

March card winner: Judy Cohen

February 3, 2010-- CAHS PTA Meeting Minutes

2010-05-01T16:40:00.003-04:00

Friends of CAHS PTA

Tuesday, February 3, 2010

Location: CAHS, Room 128

Introductions: President Stephanie Ludwig started the meeting by introducing herself and each PTA member introduced themselves and the name of their child and grade level.

REPORTS:

Principal's Report: Talisa Dixon

FOCAHS PTA President Stephanie Ludwig’s son Brian Ludwig won the CAHS Poetry Out Loud competition. The students raised [REDACTED] and they decided to donate all proceeds to Haiti relief. The Student Senate started an initiative for February called Hearts for Haiti, to assist in the Haiti efforts. The Honor Roll incentive was held February 2 and all the students’ (141) grades were A’s or B’s. There was pizza, entertainment, and poetry reading by Ben Leach and Tosh.

Course interest sheets were given to the students for possible classes next year. Dr. Dixon asked the staff what are some of the courses they would like to offer and then surveyed the students. On Monday, students will take home, and review the choices of new courses (Trigonometry, Anatomy/Physiology, AP Environmental, Science, African-American Literature, Writers’ Seminar, Personal Finance, Aerobic Fitness, and Sports Fitness). The courses will be tallied and those will be some of the courses offered. The voted on the new schedule and with the schedule, they are able to offer more classes (electives at more times) and less study halls. The new schedule will allow more elective courses allow for more flexibility and more options for students. Some of the most popular classes are the African-American Literature, Anatomy/Physiology, and Personal Finance. The State of Ohio is now requiring more health related courses for students as a part of the Health Initiative. The entire 9^th grade went to Otterbein to see a play.

President’s Report: Stephanie Ludwig

The President thanked everyone for helping with Kaleidoscope, the open house for the perspective new freshmen students. Mark Hill and Stephanie attended the Lottery Fair. There was a student and the building administrators from CAHS. Stephanie also thanked everyone that helped with the Parent-Teacher conference. FOCAHS still has the anonymous donation that is partially to be used for struggling students. She will schedule a meeting with Mrs. Banks and Mrs. Webster to discuss possibilities, if anyone wants to discuss contact Stephanie. Several students and friends on Facebook lead by Jacob Manser got together and contributed items and gift cards for [REDACTED] and her family. The last known news is the family is trying to be placed into an apartment. The shelter only allows so many items due to space.

The new school schedule for next year is in the packet, with examples. Mr. Kaufmann and Mr. Johnston were instrumental in getting all the details out. They are going to try to eliminate the bells next year so as not to interfere with the proposed schedule, the combining of the periods and mods. The new schedule was sent downtown so the union advisory would review and approve to ensure the union policies are addressed. Dr. Dixon thinks the changes will be approved (teacher lead changes); any changes have to be submitted downtown.

The question was asked if students would schedule in the spring for fall classes and communicated to students. Dr. Dixon explained the plan is for students to have their schedule for next year before they leave this year. Scheduling began yesterday for next year. Ideally scheduling will be available near Spring Break and then parents can come in May for adjustments. Stephanie explained that Sara Childers, OSU graduate student, presented her initial research findings on what makes CAHS an effective school. She is in the process of writing her dissertation. The initial information is in the packet. If you would like additional information, Stephanie digitally recorded the meeting and she could send you the recording.

Secretary's Report: Tracy Taylor

The January meeting minutes will be presented at next month’s meeting. A motion was made to vote to approve the minutes next month when received. The motion was seconded and passed.

Treasurer's Report: Toni Dodge

The current account balance is [REDACTED]. More checks were received tonight. There is a [REDACTED] cash drawer. The savings account as [REDACTED], included in this total is [REDACTED] for No-Phone-A-Thon deposits.

Audit Report: Jeff Sherman: No report this month.

The review was scheduled for last Saturday (Jan. 30).

Activity Coordinator: Carolyn Rhodes

Jeff Sherman reported the Robotics team raised [REDACTED] during the bake sale. Most of the funds are raised after lunch. The team and the PTA members donated many items.

There are several motions offered in connection with bake sales:

What do we do with the proceeds when there are student organizations involved? A motion was made to pay the [REDACTED] (already deposited in the General Fund) raised at the February Bake Sale to the Robotics Team. The motion was seconded and passed.
It has been requested that FOCAHS PTA match [REDACTED] funds raised by the Robotics Team. The motion was seconded and passed.
For any CAHS student group that helps with any FOCAHS PTA bake sale, the proceeds from that bake sale will be given to that group provided members of the group take full responsibility to contribute 1. Advertisement; 2. Significant baked goods (along with FOCAHS); 3. Tables and chairs are available outside of the cafeteria before school, 15 mins after lunch, and before the end of school; 4. Securing the items when not being sold, and 5. Assisting the Activities Coordinator or any other advisor with staffing selling and clean up. The motion was seconded. There was discussion around whether the organizations are approved. Dr. Dixon suggested adding “Approved” to the motion. Approved groups have to have an advisor according to Dr. Dixon. Stephanie suggested that if funds were to be matched it would need to be added to this motion. Dr. Dixon stated there has to be a purpose (a rational) for the matching of funds. It is important to know what the funds will be used for in general. A member clarified there should be a formal rational available. Another suggested the decision to match the funds should be decided on a case-by-case basis. What happens if the organization disbands? What happens if two groups come together to raise funds? The motion should be amended to say case-by-case basis.

The motion was voted on to say:

For any approved CAHS student group that helps with any FOCAHS PTA bake sale, the proceeds from that bake sale will be given to that group provided members of the group take full responsibility to contribute 1. Advertisement, 2. Significant baked goods (along with FOCAHS) and 3. Tables and chairs are available outside of the cafeteria before school, 15 mins after lunch, and before the end of school; 4. Securing the items when not being sold; 5. Assisting the Activities Coordinator or any other advisor with staffing selling and clean up. The motion passed.

Another motion was presented that matching funds would be approved on a case-by-case based on the previously approved motion and the adopting organization’s proposal. The motion was seconded. The motion passed.

There is a motion for In the Know to host the February bake sale. There was a discussion as to why host February. Toni Dodge stated the sale would help with the purchase of matching shirts for a spring tournament. The date is not know at this time. A suggestion was made maybe the sale should be for the Dempsey family. Dr. Dixon suggested waiting to March because there is three organizations planning something in February.

The motion was amended to move an In the Know co-sponsored bake sale fundraiser to March 19 for t-shirts/shirts and there will be no February bake sale. Motion was seconded. The motion passed.

Jeff Sherman will draft a form to give to teachers (advisors) to let them know we are doing this.

Author Series Coordinator: No report

Chorale Committee Report: Mary Ellen Sinclair

CAHS Chorale along with 10 other Columbus HS will go to a pre-concert at to hear Fisk University Jubilee perform on Feb. 6, at New Albany performing arts center. Chorale also performed at the honor roll assembly. Chorale is also working on organizing a variety show fund-raiser by selling tickets. They are happy to have the Heroes for Heroes dovetail with their event. There are 12 students performing solos at solo and ensemble competition at the OMEA (Ohio Musical Education Association) conference at Pickerington North HS, February 13.

Columbus Council Representative Report:

A Special Education and a Gifted and Talented meeting will be held on Feb. 19 @ 6:00 PM at CAHS.

Fundraising Committee Report: Trish Geoghegan and Ann Laubach

The total donations for the year for No-Phone-A-Thon are [REDACTED]. There are a few requests from teachers: Ms. Evans has requested several equipment items totaling [REDACTED]. Dr. Dixon will take care of Ms. Evans request, Mr. Jones request, and Ms. Hughes request. She had a discussion with the staff about request for items. Request should be submitted to the office before going to the FOCAHS. There some items that the budget can provide. The items should come through the department chairs or the office.

Mr. Lieberman requested for no more than [REDACTED] for the Bill Cohen Coffeehouse in the spring or maybe in the fall. A motion was made to fund the Bill Cohen Coffeehouse project. There was an open discussion about the project cost and what FOCAHS should pay. Dr. Dixon suggested there needs to a process for requesting funds. There needs to be some accountability. The final motion is to fund up to [REDACTED] for the Bill Cohen Coffeehouse program. The motion passed.

There is an amended motion to remove Mr. Lieberman’s request. Tell him the request is rejected until he provides a rationale to Dr. Dixon including dates, times, exact fees, and purpose of event. The request maybe reconsidered by FOCAHS when the information is provided. The amended motion was seconded and passed.

Mr. Ramsey has requested a [REDACTED] stipend for the IB art exhibit judge, March 29 (oral exams). Dr. David Helm is the chair of the University of Art and Art History, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. A motion was made to support the payment of a [REDACTED] stipend for Dr. Helm. The motion was seconded.

An amended motion was made to change “stipend” to “honorarium” in the original motion. The motion was seconded and passed. The original motion now states, FOCAHS supports the payment of a [REDACTED] honorarium for Dr. David Helm, chair of the University of Art and Art History at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Grant Writing Committee Report: Toni Dodge

There was no specific information to report. Toni received an email from Grant Makers’ Forum meeting, in March. Stephanie will send the information to the Grant Committee members for anyone who wants to go.

Hospitality Committee Report: Michele Sherman

The Staff Appreciation is scheduled for Feb. 19. A sign-up sheet is being passed around. Michelle also passed out the sign-up sheet for the Chess Tournament this weekend. There is another appreciation breakfast in April and then the luncheon in May during Teacher Appreciation week.

Membership Committee Report: Michele Sherman

There were no new members this past month. There are 111 members and our goal for the year is 120 members.

Publicity Report: No Report

Robotics Report: Ms Bell

The Robotics team raised [REDACTED]. The team is preparing for ship date, Feb. 23. They have the body of the robot together. They are actively soliciting donations. The bake was totally student lead. The students are contacting businesses and have received a donation of [REDACTED]. They are also working on getting the Community Service Award, something they can apply for when going to competition. They have a homework assignment to compose a flyer to invite people to come see them compete in Cleveland. Jeff Sherman is planning to attend. They are inviting State senators, school board members and the superintendent. Everyone on the team has an active role. The team consists of Linden-McKinley and CAHS students. The team name is Pagwires, the joining of Pegasus, a panther, and wire put together. The coordinator of FIRST has stated they want to take the competiveness out and build on the team building and collaboration. They are collaborating with Dublin. They have great mentor from Honda, who is a regional project manager.

Student Recognition Report - Ms. Bell

The Student Recognition Awards (school wide) ceremony is scheduled for May 26. They are working on plans/proposals on what to do. There are two proposals one for the day and one in the evening. The honor roll recognition may include 300 students and the auditorium only holds 400 people. They are working on the logistics.

Alumni Committee Report: No Report

School Board Report:

Lemuel Harrison will report next month.

OLD BUSINESS

Chess Tournament – Michele Sherman

Michele has passed around the sign-up sheets for the tournament for Saturday. There are many donations. Some of the larger items will be purchased. Workers are also needed. There is a major storm on the horizon. Pre-orders can be canceled for the pizzas but not the donuts and bagels. Dr. Dixon is not sure if the tournament would be canceled if the weather were too bad. She will check with Mr. Kaufmann.

Several months ago there was some discuss of what to do with the proceeds from the raised in November and this tournament. However, there was no motion made. A motion was made tonight, to split the profits 50/50 from the November tournament. The motion passed. A motion was made to rescind the previous motion. The motion was seconded and passed.

A new motion was made for the FOCAHS to keep the November chess tournament profits, with no allocations to the Chess Club. The motion was seconded and passed.

It was decided to table the discussion on how to split the profits of the February chess tournament until March.

NEW BUSINESS

Heroes for Heroes – Mark Hill

Mark Hill is proposing a new initiative about fathering (there is a summary in the packet) and the support of CAHS students. A committee came together to get fathers (any parent) involved in mentoring the male students. Mark has come up with an audio message to promote the event to CAHS parents. The committee decided to team up with Chorale for the talent show by offering a hero sandwich, chips, and a drink along with a ticket to the talent show. Mark would like support from FOCAHS to provide funds to help cover the cost of a meal before the talent show. FACAHS would cover the cost of the food. Attendees to the talent show would pay an additional $1.00 to the show ticket for the meal. A motion was made that the PTA subsidize all of the cost of the meal and the ticket except for $1.00 for the Heroes for Heroes meal. The motion was seconded. After a discussion about sales outside of the pre-sale, another motion was made to amend the original motion that any student wanting to attend the Heroes for Heroes event and talent show would need to be accompanied by a parent/adult. The motion was seconded and the motion passed. The original motion passed to say that FOCAHS would cover the cost of the meals and the individual cost should not exceed $7.00.

Donation to Ohio PTA Scholarship Fund:

A motion was made to donate [REDACTED] to the Ohio PTA Scholarship fund. If you donate $500 you can specify where the money goes, in this case to a CAHS student. The motion was made to donate [REDACTED] to Ohio PTA so a CAHS student will be eligible for the scholarship in May. The motion is seconded and passed.

Special Committee for Pre-Lottery Results Research

A request was made to form a new committee to study the results of the pre-lottery and how it affects CAHS. Contact Mary Ellen Sinclair or Stephanie Ludwig, if you are interested in joining the committee.

Gift Card Drawing Winner: Ann O’Halloran

January 5, 2010-- CAHS PTA Meeting Minutes

2010-05-01T15:28:00.004-04:00

Friends of CAHS PTA

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Location: CAHS, Room 128

Introductions: President Stephanie Ludwig started the meeting by introducing herself and each PTA member introduced themselves and the name of their child and grade level.

REPORTS:

Principal's Report: Talisa Dixon

Dr. Dixon was not in attendance however, Mr. Dodrill provided an update on her behalf. The semester is ending on January 15. The exam schedule is set as blocks two & four on Wed. January 13 and blocks 1 & 3 on Thurs. January 14, and Friday, Jan 15 is the make-up day. There was no school on Monday, January 18 for MLK. The semi-formal at the Crown Plaza on Saturday, Jan. 30; the school calendar listed as Jan. 23. The Parent-Teacher Conferences scheduled for Wed. Jan. 27, 4 PM to7 PM and Wed. Feb. 2, 3:30 PM to 7 PM.

The staff will vote at Monday's staff meeting on using block scheduling and the accommodations needed. There will be more information available at the next meeting. Mr. Kaufmann said he would be willing to talk to any parent that wanted more information. Dr. Dixon mentioned there is a committee meeting and Mr. Kaufman will send an email to any parent that wants to be participate with that committee. Let Stephanie know if you would like to be involved and she will let Dr. Dixon know. As a part of the packet, there is a little known State law that the school organizations and the PTA cannot sell any food items during the same time the school cafeteria is open for business. This does not affect before school, breakfast, or after lunch. The reason behind the law is not to cut into the profit of the food items. Breakfast is an exception because breakfast is free from everyone.Mr. Dodrill also provided an update on the assault from December. Several leads were given including one from another school. Previous and current photographs were shown to the students and eventually a positive identification was made. Law enforcement was informed and then the investigation stage begins. The incident is now in the hands of law enforcement.

President’s Report: Stephanie Ludwig

Stephanie reminded everyone that Kaidoscope (open house for prospective freshmen) is scheduled tomorrow (January 6) from 6 PM to 8 PM. They will begin in the auditorium with a presentation and then go to the individual classes (Math, Science, Humanities, and Foreign Language) and grade levels to hear from the teachers. There will be students available for tours as well. Two tables were requested for placement in front of the attendance office for the parent consultants and PTA representatives. Stephanie asked if anyone wanted to contribute baked items; if available, you may bring them to the school at 5:30. The school lottery fair is scheduled for January 20 at Eastmoor Academy, from 6 PM to 7:30 PM. Stephanie asked if anyone was interested in attending, which would be helpful to offer a parents’ perspective of CAHS and PTA. We do not usually attend. The Poetry Out Loud competition is scheduled for Friday, January 22 at CAHS. The first year, CAHS won first place, the second year CAHS, won second in the State. If anyone is interested, they may attend.

Secretary's Report: Tracy Taylor

The secretary’s report was emailed to members and they are in the meeting packet. A vote was taken to accept the December 1, 2009 meeting minutes. A motion was made to accept the minutes as written, seconded, and passed.

Treasurer's Report: Toni Dodge

The monthly statement included in the packet shows the cash available now. One correction, there was a deposit of[REDACTED] was added to the Chess Tournament line item and it should be Chorale. This is a part of the Chorale intake from their event. Toni will correct the balance sheet. Several checks will be deposited. No invoice has been received from the district/food services for the personnel used at the Chess Tournament.

Audit Committee: The report was added to the packet. The previous treasurer (Kim Dillard) has to sign-off. A motion was made to approve the audit report; the motion was seconded and passed.

Activity Coordinator: Carolyn Rhodes

Carolyn was not here this week. The bake sale for Friday, January 8 was canceled. Carolyn is not available this month for a bake sale so the Friday sale was moved to January 22. Carolyn suggested at a previous meeting that this sale would be a good time for school groups to help. Toni suggested that Mr. Jones and the In the Know kids could help as well for the team’s benefit. It was suggested the Robotics kids would bring items in and sell on Friday, January 22. Ms Bell would talk to the kids on Wednesday.

Author Series Coordinator: No report given

Chorale Committee Report: Mary Ellen Sinclair

Mary Ellen reported that the Chorale concert took in $595; there was already [REDACTED] available/deposit. When the fees for the accompanist and the chorographer are paid, [REDACTED] there remains about [REDACTED] available for Chorale.

Columbus Council Representative Report: No report given

Fundraising Committee Report: Trish Geoghegan and Ann Laubach

Nine donations were received totaling [REDACTED]; the packet included a list of teachers’ request. Stephanie suggested that we vote on them next month when we can get a list together. Dr. Dixon would like to see the list for her to use some of the school funds. There were several request provided but with no specific cost for the items. There was discussion about the items listed and the need for more specifics and what the district can/will provide (as a part of the curriculum) and what FOCAHS is willing to purchase.

Grant Writing Committee Report: No report given

Hospitality Committee Report: Michele Sherman

There was a staff-teacher breakfast in December that went very well. The next Hospitality event is scheduled for mid-February and the sign-up sheet will be passed around at February’s meeting.

Membership Committee Report: Michele Sherman

Memberships are still coming in and there are currently 111 paid members.

Publicity Report: No Report

Robotics Report: Ms Bell

On Saturday, January 9, the team will meet to get their robot from F.I.R.S.T. competition at OSU. The team of 15 to 18 students has a mentor from Honda will go along with them to get the robot. The mentor (an engineer) will get to go with the team and on the floor for the competition in Cleveland next month. This is the first time they are able to take an engineer with them. Everyone that goes on Saturday is a part of the competition and goes to Cleveland in March.

The team now has a partnership with OSU engineering program/students for the first time. The OSU students will rotate in and help mentor the high school students. One of the OSU students will also go to the competition. An advisor and mentor from Linden-McKinley will also go to the competition.

Robotics will also participate in the bake sale January 22.

Alumni Committee Report: Lemuel Harrison

The committee was trying to find ways to reach alumni other than online registration to become more active. Lemuel requested to create radio ads for all calls to update social networking sites. Others possible ideas include creating a (stand-alone) endowment, and alumni news. The main interest is creating radio ads. Lemuel requested permission and support from FOCAHS and the building administration to write a script for a radio ad. Mr. Dodrill did not think there was a problem, but the District communications’ office would have to review content according to policy. Mr. Dodrill also suggested placing ads in some of the local newspapers to find alumni. A suggestion was made to place classified ads over regular ads due to the price. Several suggestions include using the social networking site Facebook, connecting now with the current graduating class, and contacting Anne Hoke for the names and email addresses of the students that attended the Pre-Break session with alumni in December. Another suggestion was thru the district radio station, WCBE.

Lemuel requested approval from the FOCAHS to connect with CAHS alumni. He would create a script for approval from FOCAHS, and then submit to Dr. Dixon to approval and the school board office.

School Board Report: Lemuel Harrison

There is no formal report this month because this is the first board meeting of the New Year and they are introducing the new members. Lemuel chose not to attend tonight’s meeting. Typically, the Board meets the first and third Tuesday of the month. Lemuel is opting out of attending the first Tuesday meeting to attend FOCAHS meeting. He will attend the Board meetings on the third Tuesday and report the results to the monthly FOCAHS meeting.

OLD BUSINESS

Pegasus of the Month Program (Student Incentive Report) - Ms. Bell

Ms. Bell requested renaming the program to Student Incentive Report. Pegasus of the Month is a part of the student incentive program. There was no December POG (Pegasus of the Month) since it was a short month. The program will be honor roll (all A’s or B’s). AP & IB teachers want to push their students to get A’s and B’s. Two students that receive C’s worked to bring their grades up to B’s. The nine-week program is call A’s & B’s Honor Roll. The students will gather with the administration on February 2 for a meal with entertainment provided by Chorale and highlight some of the senior talent. There were 138 in the last award group.

FOCAHS President Ludwig suggested moving next month’s meeting since the last Parent Teacher Conference is scheduled for Feb. 2, the same day as the regularly scheduled PTA meeting. The meeting was moved to Wednesday, Feb. 3.

Chess Tournament Concessions – Michele & Jeff Sherman

Sign-up sheets were passed out for donations, supplies, and workers for the Saturday, February 6 event. FOCAHS will staff, supply food, and workers for the event. Michelle will send a reminder email to anyone that signed up to bring items.

NEW BUSINESS

Pre-Winter Break Student Chat with Recent Alumni:

Thirteen students from the class the 2009 class attended. Approximately, 50 students attended. The session was informative. A different format is needed there were too many distractions. A suggestion was made by have another session in the spring for sophomores, preparing for the next school year, and possibly for juniors. Ms. Bell mentioned incorporating the event with Student Olympics (Thursday before Spring Break). Ms. Bell also mentioned she is in the process of developing a Leadership Summit to be held in April or May.

Courtyard Revitalization:

Last year the FOCAHS allotted [REDACTED] for the courtyard revitalization last year. Mr. Steve Montague had expected some help from Oakland Nursery however, there was no feedback. There were some plantings in the fall in preparation for spring. Some items were repurposed - awnings from Max and Erma’s, some cedar wood leftover from another job will be repurposed to use in the courtyard. An expense list was included in the packet to cover three or four tables, one long bench, and one bench for every table. Ms. Bell mentioned a warehouse where purchases are available at reasonable prices. Some of the picnic tables need to be replaced. The question was asked if this project would end at the end of the school year or continue into the next. Mr. Montague stated it could be extended. The students currently involved graduate in June. Ms Bell stated this could be an internship opportunity for next year. A motion was made to reimburse Mr. Montague [REDACTED] to cover the difference in what he spent now and the [REDACTED] already allotted and any further expenses would need to be approved in advance by FOCAHS. The motion was seconded and passed.

Fathers Reach Out Program

Mark Hill spoke on introducing a project to reach out the fathers of CAHS students. If you would like to join the committee or have ideas to discuss with Mark, you may reach him at mhill8084@aol.com

Increase CAHS Student Population for Next year

The district wants to increase the available lottery slots at CAHS next year to 200 students over the 150 admitted last year. Dr. Dixon has recommended that they all be admitted as incoming freshmen. The current class levels vary (seniors 176, juniors 179-189, sophomores 168, and freshman 150) and because 175-200 will be graduating, unless we enroll 200 more to replace those graduating, we may lose teachers. It was Dr. Dixon’s view that adding students as freshman rather than as upperclassmen is better for assimilation into the CAHS curriculum. President Ludwig mentioned that the Planning Committee is planning to meet to prepare a suggested class schedule for next year which should be better able to accommodate the larger freshman class than in the past.

There was an open discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of adding 50 more students to next year’s total enrollment, and the administrators present recommended that the PTA adopt a “wait and see” approach.

Gift Card Drawing Winner: Mary Ellen Sinclair

The meeting was adjourned.

December 1, 2009 -- CAHS PTA Meeting Minutes

2010-05-01T15:19:00.002-04:00

Meeting Minutes

Friends of CAHS PTA December 1, 2009

President, Stephanie Ludwig, called the meeting to order at the Columbus Alternative High School at 7 pm. In attendance were 14 people present (constituting a quorum). Those present introduced themselves.

Principal’s Report:

Dr. Dixon reported that interim reports were mailed today. The No-Phone-A-Thon letters were mailed. The Chorale concert is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3. The International potluck for the foreign language classes is scheduled for tomorrow, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. Freshman students will begin shadowing tomorrow. There is no school next week (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Dec. 2) is a professional development day. Staff will revisit internships; there are students that want to switch assignments. Some students and parents do not like the internship program. Some students (25) are attending a creative writing class for half the day. Tomorrow’s in-service discussion will begin with what the schedule will look like and let the curriculum guide the schedule. [REDACTED] Kaleidoscope, held in January prior to the school lottery selection, is January 6. Dr. Dixon requested assistance from the PTA for Kaleidoscope, and attendance at the lottery fair later this month.

President’s Report:

Stephanie reported FOCAHS received a second quarter report from the Kroger Community Rewards program. The monthly packet included the report. The Author Series meeting had eight attendees after extensive advertisement and announcements. Michelle Herman will try again in the spring. A suggestion was made to hold the series during the school day in a class or as an assembly. Stephanie thanked everyone that helped with the Parent-Teacher Conference. Dr. Dixon added, in the spring, the Parent- Teacher Conference session will be held on two nights in two separate weeks.

Secretary’s Report:

Tracy Taylor submitted the meeting minutes from November’s FOCAHS meeting. There is a correction to the spelling of Jacob Manser’s last name. A thank you card was received for the assistance provided by FOCAHS for the fall fling.

Treasurer’s Report:

Revenue, balance, and cash flow sheets from July 2009 to the current date were submitted; a motion was made to accept the reports and the motion passed. Toni will write a check to pay for the liability and bond insurance for the coming year.

Audit Committee Report:

Jeff Sherman reported the first quarter balanced. Jeff will submit a written report next month.

Activity Coordinator’s Report:

Carolyn Rhodes reported the Bake Sale was held on Nov. 20 and there was more interest than in the past. The sale raised [REDACTED] This is a $30 increase from the previous month. The December Bake sale was rescheduled for January 8, and there was some discussion regarding the involvement of CAHS clubs.

Chorale Report:

The winter concert is scheduled for Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., $3 for students and $5 for adults.

Alumni Committee Report: No Report this month

Fundraising Committee Report:

Trish Geoghagan reported four more teacher request were received. [REDACTED] Trish is waiting for other requests.

Grant Writing Committee:

Toni Dodge attended a grant writer’s forum, and was given some ideas and opportunities. The Columbus Foundation currently no longer matches donations due to a slumping economy.

Hospitality Committee Report:

Michele Sherman reported the Staff Appreciation Breakfast is scheduled for Dec. 11. You can drop off items to Michele Sherman in the morning by 7:00am. The Chess Tournament is scheduled for Feb. 6. The sign-up sheets were available for signups as well as the worker schedule. Discussions will be held in the future to discuss how to divide the money raised from the Chess Tournament.

Membership Committee Report:

Michele Sherman reported there are 108 registered members to date. The membership goal for the year is 125. Michele reminded everyone that anyone can be a member and as a member discounts are available for services from sponsors.

Robotics Report:

Ms Bell reported the district has joined with the robotic teams of Linden McKinley and CAHS. Ms Bell setup criteria for team members. The first team is a varsity (designated advisor) team with mentors from Honda; this team will collaborate with the Dublin team. There are eight varsity team members. The junior varsity team has 15 members. The kick-off is Jan. 9, and the F.I.R.S.T. competition is at Ohio State.

Meals On Wheels Coordinator:

There was no report this month

Old Business

Student/Fall Fling Report:

Ms Bell provided an expense report for the Fall Fling. There were 138 students and the dance was 100% student driven. Everyone had a goodtime and the Student Senate members will review and come up with ideas and ways to improve and revise.

Pegasus of the Month Program:

Students are honored who have received all As and Bs. Ms Bell is working on a design for t-shirts. In May they are planning a dinner; maybe something catered. Awards are given every nine weeks.

Pre-Winter Break w/ Recent Alumni (Dec. 18):

Anne Hoke is chairing this committee, and will invite some of the alumni from the Class of 2009. The returning alumni will meet with students during two lunch periods the Friday before Winter Break to discuss their college experiences, and the importance of being prepared for college.

Pass-It-On donations:

Used paperback books are donated to the library and students can pick-up a book with the idea to return the books to “Pass It On” again for others to read.

NEW BUSINESS

GFS Presentation – No presentation tonight

IB Dinner Reception:

Mrs. Thornburg is requesting from FOCAHS [REDACTED] for a catering a dinner for junior and senior IB students. This event works around a dinner party event. Mrs. Thornburg submitted a request with details and her submission is included in the monthly packet. We voted to table this request until further information about the date, student involvement, and possible assistance from parents.

Martin Luther King Civil Rights Trip:

In the past, FOCAHS has given scholarships to some students that attended. The tour schedule was included in the monthly packet for discussion, if we want to offer scholarships. It was pointed out that Spring Break is later this year. The trip dates do not coincide with Spring Break, and conflict with OGT testing.

December Gift Card Drawing:

Winner Davan Dodrill

The next meeting will be Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at CAHS in Rm. 128.

November 2, 2009 -- CAHS PTA Meeting Minutes

2010-05-01T15:12:00.002-04:00

MEETING MINUTES
FRIENDS OF CAHS PTA
November 3, 2009

President, Stephanie Ludwig, called the meeting to order at the Columbus Alternative High School at 7 pm. In attendance were 18 people present (constituting a quorum). Those present introduced themselves.

Principal’s Report:
Dr. Dixon reported the staff was preparing for the Parent Teacher Conference scheduled for next week, November 10 and 11. The Crucible is scheduled to run this week, Nov. 5-7. Credit Recovery will begin next Tuesday (November 10) after school, attending two days a week. There are only 31 students, 9th thru 11th grades enrolled in credit recovery. There was an article in the local community Booster paper about National Merit winner Jacob Miser. Dr. Dixon announced that CAHS is a School of Promise

President’s Report: Stephanie Ludwig
Stephanie announced the Parent Teacher conference times and dates again and requested volunteers to help staff the PTA table. Stephanie mentioned the highlights from the Columbus Public Schools’ newsletter, including the listing of CAHS as a School of Promise, and that the yearly school report card is now available. Stephanie thanked everyone that helped with the Chess Tournament.

Secretary’s Report: Tracy Taylor
Tracy Taylor presented the minutes from the Oct. 3 meeting. A motion was made to accept the minutes and the motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report/ Audit Committee Reports: Jeff Sherman reported for Toni Dodge
Jeff Sherman presented the Audit report. Two motions were made to approve the Audit Report and the final financial statements from last year. Both motions passed. The profit and loss totals for June 2009 were reviewed.

Activity Coordinator’s Report: Carolyn Rhodes
Carolyn Rhodes reported the next bake sale is scheduled for Nov. 20. Carolyn asked to everyone remember to package cookies in individual sandwich bags. Dr. Dixon offered the use of the popcorn machine for any PTA event. The bake sale raised [REDACTED], a $4.00 increase over October’s bake sale.

Author Series Coordinator: Stephanie Ludwig reported for Michelle Herman
Andrew Hudgins will be at CAHS on Tuesday, November 17, at 2:45 pm.

Chorale Committee Report: Mary Ellen Sinclair
Mary Ellen Sinclair reported the Chorale has a concert scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3. Mr. Flemming would like the PTA to provide a total advance of [REDACTED] to pay for the services of an accompanist [REDACTED]) and a dance coordinator ([REDACTED]) by Nov. 13 and Dec. 2 respectively. A motion was made to amend the original motion to reduce the advanced amount by [REDACTED] (the net amount currently allocated to the Chorale on the PTA’s balance sheet). The amended motion passed to advance a total of [REDACTED] and use the [REDACTED] remaining in the chorale fund to pay for the accompanist and dance coordinator. Ticket revenue from the concert will be deposited into the chorale fund.

Columbus PTA Council Representative Report: Genia Marshall
Genia Marshall introduced Rhonda Morris of the Columbus Council of PTA’s. There are some special events for Dads’, Custodians on all school levels. The next Columbus PTA Council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 18, 6-7 pm, at the downtown office.

Alumni Committee Report: Lemuel Harrison (absent)
No report this month

Fundraising Committee Report: Trish Geoghegan and Ann Laubach
Trish Geoghegan is drafting the No-Phone-A-Thon letter to be sent with student grades. Trish will send another letter reminding teachers to submit request.

Grant Writing Committee: Jeff Sherman reported for Toni Dodge
Jeff Sherman reported several potential grant opportunities including the Jeffrey Fund and Google. Jeff Sherman and Toni Dodge met with Dr. Courtice, of the Columbus Foundation, to discuss future grant opportunities including the Parent Education and Teachers for English grant opportunities in the spring.

Hospitality Committee Report: Michele Sherman
Michele Sherman reported the Staff Appreciation event was held and it was another great event. The next Staff Appreciation event is scheduled for Dec. 11. Michelle wanted to thank everyone for their contributions.

Membership Committee Report: Michele Sherman
Michele Sherman reported there were 21 new members in October and there are now 88 FOCAHS members. Stephanie has a few more new members to turn in. Michele reminded everyone there are benefits including discounts with businesses.

Publicity Report: Carla Wiltshire
There was an article in the community newspaper about The Crucible play. There was also an article about the National Merit winner: Jacob Miser.

Meals On Wheels Coordinator: Jeff Sherman reported for Toni Dodge
Mr. Qualls continues to donate his time to deliver MOWs and FOCAHS receives the payment for the work.

School Board Report: Lemuel Harrison
No report this month

OLD BUSINESS

Student dance:
The school dance is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 20. Advance tickets are $2 and include pizza and soda. The week of the dance, tickets are $5. Students may bring one non-CAHS guest; they must complete a Non-CAHS guest form. Student senate members will serve as DJ. Security will be provided.

Pegasus of the Month Program:
There is no Pegasus of the Month report.

Chess tournament Concessions:
The tournament was held at CAHS, Nov. 1. The total sales for the day were [REDACTED]. There is an anticipated payment to CAHS for the kitchen help of [REDACTED].

Stratford Trip:
Mr. Fawcett reported on the trip to Stratford in September 2009:
• This is the second year that FOCAHS has helped a student attend.
• The 32 students were very good ambassadors.
• Students saw the following plays: a “fabulous production” of West Side Story on the first night, The Importance of Being Earnest, and two Shakespeare plays, Julius Caesar and Mac Beth.
• The students toured the costume warehouse.
• Dr. Dixon attended and this was the first time a CAHS administer has attended.
• During the Mac Beth pre-show, CAHS was the only school able to go on stage.
• The students had lunch at Wayne State University and visited the Detroit Museum of Art.
• The trip was three days and cost $375.00 pp.

NEW BUSINESS

Pre-Winter Break w/ recent alumni:
Jeff Sherman will lead a sub-committee to plan the Pre-Winter break with recent alumni. Tracy will help w/ Planning. The event is open to all students and held during lunch. There is a cost of approximately [REDACTED] for gift cards to give to the returning alumni as payment. A motion made to hold the event and purchase [REDACTED] in gift cards for the alumni who volunteered to participate in the event. The motion passed.

November monthly winner: Helen McWhirter

October 6, 2009 -- CAHS PTA Meeting Minutes

2010-05-01T14:59:00.003-04:00

Meeting Minutes

Friends of CAHS PTA October 6, 2009

President, Stephanie Ludwig, called the meeting to order at the Columbus Alternative High School at 7 pm. In attendance were 24 people present (constituting a quorum). Those present introduced themselves.

Principal’s Report:

Dr. Dixon reported that CAHS was awarded a triple crown award again from the Ohio School Board Association’s Central Region for making the best schools in America list with both Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report magazines. CAHS is the only Columbus City School to make the list this year. Open House next year will be held the first week of school; Ms. Bell organized Club Day this year and with representation on Facebook, signups, members, agenda, and advisor. Dr. Dixon is the advisor for the75 member Recycle Club; Student Senate is active with student engagement; Internships begin on October 7; There is a 75% to 80% placement; 80% - 90% of juniors and seniors placed; sophomores 70% placed. Students will take the PSAT and then attend school the rest of the day. The CAHS teaching staff overwhelmingly voted yes to offer the Middle school IB program. They will not go to the school board for approval. The staff is trying to decide between with 6^th or 7^th grade next year or begin with 8^th grade next year. Beginning on October 7^th and on Wednesdays, special education students will take elective courses.

President’s Report:

Several people signed up for memberships at the Open House. Stephanie read two letters one sent anonymously and the other from the CAHS Class of ’99 committee members. The anonymous letter included a check for [REDACTED] and latter will submit a check for [REDACTED]. Parent Teacher Conferences are scheduled for November 10^th, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm and November 11^th, 3:30 to 7:00pm.

Secretary’s Report:

Tracy Taylor presented the meeting minutes from the FOCAHS Board meeting August 11 and the September 1 FOCAHS meeting. A motion was offered to accept the minutes with corrections. Motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report Report:

Toni Dodge reported as of September 30, the checking account balance is [REDACTED] and the savings account is [REDACTED]; a [REDACTED] from the checking was added to the savings account.

Activity Coordinator Report:

Carolyn Rhodes reported that [REDACTED] was raised at the first bake sale for the year. More brownies are needed for the next bake sale. A motion was submitted to schedule the next sale for Thursday, October 15 outside the gym. The motion passed.

Audit Committee Report:

Trish Geoghagan reported all accounts balanced, including an outstanding check. A bank resolution was submitted to the membership to vote on giving FOCAHS the authority to accept money, checks, and authorize the treasurer to go online and transfer funds. The motion passed. The budget report will be submitted in November.

Chorale Committee Report:

Mary Ellen Sinclair reported she would be reporting to FACAHS when necessary.

Columbus Council Representative Report:

No Report

Fundraising Committee Report:

Trish Geoghagan reported three teachers submitted request. Dr. Dixon will review to determine if the school could purchase the items instead. Trish will draft a No-Phone-A-Thon letter. The letters will be sent with report cards in November.

Grant Writing Committee Report:

The committee attended a grant writing forum. The forum provided some ideas to raise funds. Committee chair Toni Dodge presented a motion to attend a grant writing workshop. The motion passed. The committee chair and several committee members will meet with the Columbus Foundation to discuss ways to discuss ways to enhance opportunities to raise funds.

Hospitality Committee Report:

Michelle Sherman reported October 23 is Teacher Appreciation Day and breakfast items are need at 7 am. A signup sheet is being passed around.

Membership Committee Report:

Michelle Sherman reported there are 67 members since the Open House and the last meeting. Fees were sent to the National PTA and since the submission was sent before September 30, an Early Bird award was given. There are discounts available for members listed on the back of the membership card. Membership gives the holder voting rights at FOCAHS meetings and entry into the month drawings when present.

Publicity Report:

No report

Meals On Wheels (MOW) Report:

Toni Dodge reported a check was received from MOW for [REDACTED].

Author Series Report:

Joe Mackall author of “Plain Secrets: An Outsider Among the Amish” will be offered in the Spring. Andrew Hudgins will be at CAHS on Tuesday, November 17, at 2:45 pm. He is the author of Saints and Strangers (1985), which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Alumni Committee Report:

Committee chair Lemuel Harrison has set the goal for the committee to build alumni awareness.

School Board Report:

Lemuel Harrison attended today’s meeting. The meeting was shorter than usual because first reading for new policies: School Board Governance Policy amendment. There is also a Special Education Policy change. Voting will take place on Oct. 20. The Board has a new auditor Carolyn Smith.

Old Business

Student dance or other activity:

A simple survey was prepared and tallied by the president of the CAHS student Senate. There were 450 responses: 130 for costume, 125 non-costume, 100 Halloween, 80 holiday. The overall result was a Costume party with pizza in the fall in the courtyard. There was a brief discuss that resulted in a motion to contribute [REDACTED] for the a fall dance. The motion passed. There was a amendment: Student senate will provide a detail description, and budget. This amendment did not pass.

Update on T-shirt Sale: Stephanie Ludwig

T-shirts were distributed; there are eight T-shirts remaining in sizes medium or large. Stephanie will bring the remaining to the Parent Teacher Conferences.

Used Sound Equipment purchased for Robotics Team

A motion was introduced for Jeff Sherman will take the equipment to Sound Idea to find the value and then place on EBay . The motion passed.

NEW BUSINESS

Chess Tournament at CAHS – Mr. Kaufman

Mr. Kaufman introduced himself and explained he started the Chess Club 12 yrs ago. They travel state- and nationwide; In the past they have received a grant. The CAHS Chess Classic will be held at CAHS on November 1 (Sunday). He is here today requesting Friends of CAHS (FOCAHS) to run the concession stand. Motion: Friends of CAHS to run the concession booth for the Chess Tournament, Sunday, November 1. There was some discussion about dividing the profits based on the work committed by FOCAHS. Motion Passed. Another motion was presented : The concession would be held in a classroom and serving pizza as the only hot food. Motion Passed.

Pegasus of the Month Program:

Ms Bell introduced several student recognition programs listed in tonight’s handouts including: annual All-School Awards Night event, annual CAHSmic Scholar Award; quarterly Honor Roll, quarterly CAHSmic Character Award and monthly “Pegasus of the Month”. A motion was induced for the PTA to donate [REDACTED] to setup the student awards as detailed in the letter submitted by Ms Bell. The motion was passed.

The fall play, The Crucible is set for November 5, 6 and 7.

Gift Card Drawing Winner: Dr. Dixon is the winner for October.

September 1, 2009 Meeting Minutes

2009-10-11T18:51:00.002-04:00

President, Stephanie Ludwig, called the meeting to order at the Columbus Alternative High School at 7 pm. In attendance were 33 people present (constituting a quorum). Those present introduced themselves.

Principal’s Report:
Dr. Dixon reported all students have received their schedules. The Open House is scheduled for September 15, from 7 – 9 pm. Internships will begin October 7 (Wednesdays) for 10 – 12 grades. Ms Bell has joined the staff as another administrator. This year’s senior class has 176 students, the largest class at CAHS. The junior class has 185 students. Ms. Search will give out passwords for the Parent ASIST to follow up on grades. Ms. Bell will cover the Robotics team.

President’s Report:
Stephanie Ludwig reported the Friends of CAHS officers met in August. The meeting covered the Leadership Training/Conference, PTA goals for the coming school year, including membership. The membership goal does not just mean numbers but also monthly attendance. National PTA wants to increase the numbers to continue to advocate for all children. Students are invited to attend. Stephanie offered to pay the senior class officer’s membership fee. She also encouraged notifying other family members know about joining the Friends of CAHS, to support the students and the school. Membership has it privileges. On the back of the membership card, there is a list of some of the resources available, including Borders and Met Life. The new parent consultant is Jeff Sherman.

Breakfast was available for parents on the first day. There were approximately 20 parents. Stephanie suggested we may want to reconsider this for next year.

Friends of CAHS is now on Facebook and Twitter. The Columbus School Board Meeting are held the first and third Tuesday of each month. Lemuel Harrison will attend and report back information as it relates to CAHS.

Secretary’s Report:
Tracy Taylor presented the meeting minutes from June 2, 2009. Mary Ellen moved to accept the minutes with corrections. The motion was seconded and passed.

Treasurer’s Report:
Toni Dodge reported the Friends of CAHS account balance and a check was received from Kroger’s for the May through July 2009. A check was also received from Meals on Wheels. Stephanie Ludwig informed everyone the Kroger’s program gives back to area schools when you register your card and designate a school for the cashback reward. See instructions to link your card on Friends of CAHS website.

Activity Coordinator’s Report: Carolyn Rhodes reported there bake sales are held the third Friday of every month. The next sale is September 18 in the morning and during lunch, beginning at 7 am and 11 am.

Alumni Committee Report:
Lemuel Harrison asked if anyone was interested in joining the committee. He is looking for alumni and alumni parents. They can sign up at the CAHS homepage under Resources. There is a directory by classes beginning in 1979. Friends of CAHS website http://cahspta.blogspot.com/ also has a link to the alumni page.

Audit Committee Report:
Jeff Sherman was not present to report however, committee member Trish Geoghagan reported there were not discrepancies for the previous year. Audit reports will be scheduled and submitted each quarter.

Fundraising Committee Report:
Trish Geoghagan would like to establish a due date for the letter to the teachers. Trish will then update the No-Phone-A-Thon letter for distribution by Dr. Dixon and Mr. Dodgal. No-Phone-A-Thon letters are sent to parents with a list of items teachers are in need of for the school year.

Grant Writing Committee:
Toni Dodge reported that Friends of CAHS is profiled on PowerPhilanthropy sponsored by the Columbus Foundation. CAHS is the first PTA on the site. Two categories were created Chinese program and Special Education. The committee is looking for volunteers. Toni can be contacted at tdodge@worldnet.att.net

Hospitality Committee Report:
Michele Sherman reported four staff breakfast and one staff lunch events have been scheduled. The first breakfast is scheduled for October 23. Breakfast items are needed before school starts. A sign-up sheet will be passed out at the next meeting.

Membership Committee Report:
Michele Sherman reported membership dues are $10 for the year. The PTA meets once a month. Your support is needed whether you attend monthly or not. The Ohio PTA and the National PTA advocate for all students and interested in increasing enrollees. Membership has it privileges. There is a new give-a-way program to current paid members. Each current member is entered into a raffle and at the end of the meeting a name is drawn and they are awarded a gift card from an area business or gas card.

Publicity Report:
School pictures were taken the first day of school.

Meals on Wheels (MOW) Coordinator:
Toni Dodge explained that MOW is a service organization. CAHS is paid $25 per route as a non-profit organization. The CAHS route is scheduled the first and second Sundays and the fifth Saturday of each, beginning at 11 am. Community service credits/hours are given.

Author Series Coordinator:
Michelle Herman is trying to schedule Joe Mackall author of “Plain Secrets: An Outsider Among the Amish”, for the last Wednesday of September, before internships begin in October.

Old Business

Gardening of School Grounds – This has been taken care of the Saturday before school started, by school staff.

PA System between office and 9th grade annex – The two systems have been merged together is working.

Update on T-Shirt Sale – An additional 20 shirts are needed to complete the order. There is a school spirit day where staff wear school colors (black/silver). Extras were requested to be available for the school Open House. A motion was made to order 35 shirts in assorted sizes to have at the Open house. The motion was passed.

Extra hour at CAHS in 2009-2010 –The teachers voted to extend the period/block rather than add a recitation period/block due to the scheduling difficulties of adding a recitation period. Difficulties arose from the two separate schedules (block for upperclassmen/period for freshmen). Dr. Dixon indicated that she would like to revamp the scheduling entirely next year and this was also a consideration by the teachers. The staff will vote to add a Middle Years International Baccalaureate Program (MYP IB) to CAHS.

NEW BUSINESS

Joining of CAHS Clubs to PTA – (School Programs) A few school organizations/clubs are interested in joining Friends of CAHS for support. Groups would join as committees and one member of that group would attend PTA meetings and vice-versa. A motion was made regarding a booster relationship: A parent, volunteer, or advisor must be a paid active member. The motion passed.

Open House – The school open house is planned for Tuesday, September 15. Memberships, cookies and punch will be available; Stephanie will send an email to solicit volunteers.

Possible Student Halloween Party – The students will be asked if there interest in a Student Halloween dance at school. To gather interest, students will be asked to complete a survey; What do they want to do; Ms. Bell will go to the Student Senate and the senior class officers. Possible held during club sign-up September 24. Dr. Dixon suggested hold on Halloween and give the students an opportunity to decide what they want. Toni Dodge will work with Ms. Crisette, Mr. Sherman, and Ms. Bell to start the survey with Student Senate members.

Gift Card Drawing – Our first give-a-way winner was Theresa MKanger.

June 2, 2009 PTA Meeting

2009-10-11T18:45:00.001-04:00

President, Anne Hoke, called the meeting to order at the Columbus Alternative High School at 7:00 pm. In attendance were seventeen (17) members (constituting a quorum). Also in attendance were next year’s senior class officers: Marté Durham, Mariah Kerrin, Brooklyn Hill and Aolani Craddolph. Those present introduced themselves. Stephanie Ludwig was in attendance as Secretary.

Principal’s Report: There was no report.

Secretary's Report: Stephanie Ludwig presented the meeting minutes from May 6, 2009 and moved to accept the minutes as written. The motion was seconded and passed.

Treasurer’s Report: Kim Dillard reviewed the financial report for last month. Jeff made a motion to accept the financial statements. The motion was seconded and passed.

Activity Coordinator Report: The May bake sale was cancelled due to an abundance of activities in May.

Hospitality Report: The luncheon held for the teachers was a success.

Grant Writing Committee: Toni Dodge had no report. Anne asked for volunteers for this committee.

Publicity Committee: Gerry Brevoort said that the National Honor Society inductees were in the paper as well as the CAHS valedictorians.

Old Business
PTA Scholarships: Mary Ellen Sinclair announced those students selected by the PTA to receive money to attend the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario next Fall. Three students were sponsored in full by the PTA. An anonymous donor paid for a fourth recipient.
Honor Roll Assembly: Anne asked for volunteers to help with the Honor Roll Assemby. 182 students will be receiving awards, and the PTA usually donates and serves ice cream. Toni Dodge, Julia Harrison, Michele Sherman, and Mary Ellen Sinclair volunteered to help. The Senior class officers said that they would be there to help.

Committee Chair Volunteers: Michele Sherman volunteered to chair the membership committee. Stephanie Ludwig and Tracy Taylor offered to join the committee. Lemuel Harrison volunteered to chair the Alumni Committee.

Teacher Request for gym equipment: The lighting in the gym will be updated this summer, but the backboards will not be paid for. Break-away rims will not work on the current backboards, so if break-away rims are purchased, new backboards will also need to be purchased.

Garden Tending: Anne requested volunteers to do the gardening in the front of the school.
There were no volunteers.

T-Shirt Sales: Stephanie announced that very few t-shirts had been sold, and we would probably need to order about 20-25 extra to meet our minimum order. Toni made a motion to spend money on t-shirts to be sold later so that we could meet the minimum order. The motion was seconded and passed.

PA System Update: The PA system between the office and the ninth grade wing is now connected, and the annex is to be connected over the summer.

Cupcake Day: Gerry announced that Cupcake Day was a big success. We received about 1,000 cupcakes, had some left over for other events. She distributed a picture of the cupcakes.
Retrospective Handout: Anne distributed the new Retrospective Handout for the 2008-2009 school year.

Extra Hour at CAHS: There was a lengthy discussion regarding the extension of the blocks/periods rather than adding a recitation period to accommodate the extra hour in the school day. Jeff Sherman made a motion to authorize Anne to send Dr. Dixon a letter regarding the PTA’s request not to add time to the blocks/periods. The motion was seconded and passed. Jeff made a motion to reimburse (up to $60) any cost incurred by the senior class officers for copies to distribute questionnaires to the students .

Internship Update: Julia Harrison said that Dr. Dixon had plans for the internships and had planned to take responsibility for the program.

NEW BUSINESS
Chorale Boosters: Mary Ellen announced that the vocal music instructor, Mr. Flemming, wants the Chorale Boosters to join with the PTA.

CAHS Signage: Anne asked for a volunteer to update the sign in the front yard of the school. Kim Dillard volunteered.

Introduction of New Officers and Farewell to Old Officers: Anne introduced next years officers. Stephanie Ludwig presented Anne with a plaque to be attached to the first courtyard bench in honor of her quest to bring people together. She also presented Gerry Brevoort and Anne with giftcards.

There was no further discussion. The meeting adjourned at 8:50 pm and was followed by a cupcake farewell. The next PTA meeting will be September 1, 2009, 7:00 p.m. in Room 128 at CAHS.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephanie Ludwig,
Friends of CAHS PTA Secretary

May 5, 2009 Meeting Minutes

2009-08-31T00:06:00.002-04:00

President, Anne Hoke, called the meeting to order at the Columbus Alternative High School at 7:00 pm. In attendance were seventeen (17) members (constituting a quorum). Those present introduced themselves. Stephanie Ludwig was in attendance as Secretary.

Principal’s Report: Mr. Dodrill said that they are evaluating the honor roll assembly to see how many t-shirts to order. Mr. Qualls asked the PTA to pay for half of the t-shirt expense which would be about $1000. Toni made a motion to pay for half of the t-shirt expense. The motion was seconded and passed. Mr. Dodrill is making announcements at lunchtime for the dance. Gerry moved to pay $50 to support the fees for Mr. Kaufman and a PTA member for the Teacher of the Year celebration on May 13th. The motion was seconded and passed. Mary Ellen volunteered to attend on behalf of the PTA.

Secretary's Report: Stephanie presented the meeting minutes from April 7, 2009. Toni moved to accept the minutes as written. The motion was seconded and passed.

Treasurer’s Report: Kim reviewed the financial reports, and made a motion to accept the financial statements. The motion was seconded and passed.

Activity Coordinator Report: The next bake sale is May 15th.

Hospitality Report: We will sponsor a teacher luncheon this time on May 21st. Food is needed by 11:00am. A sign-up list was circulated.

Grant Writing Committee: Anne discussed the new procedure to link Kroger cards with the PTA. Gerry suggested that a flier go out in the summer mailing. Tracy suggested fliers at the spring celebration.

Publicity Committee: Gerry said that there is a Poetry Slam video on the school’s website and on the American Community website. The Heritage Celebration information was in the newspapers. The National Honor Society students and the valedictorians will be in the newspapers. Michele Sherman said that Truman Hatch has art video being shown at Wexner center this Saturday.

Old Business

Election of Officers: No other candidates were nominated. Toni made a motion to elect the previously nominated slate: Stephanie Ludwig--President, Mary Ellen Sinclair--Vice President, Lemuel Harrison--Vice President, Tracy Taylor—Secretary and Toni Dodge—Treasurer. The motion was seconded and passed.

Dance Update: Toni announced that so far we’ve sold 6 tickets even though the PTA sells tickets 7:30 to 8:00 every morning and at the door. Mr. Qualls offered to have students go through classrooms first block to sell tickets. Gerry made a motion to cancel the event unless we sell 75 tickets by Thursday afternoon, and let students know. Tracy amended the motion to be 10% of the student body (70) by 2:30 pm. The amended motion passed. Jeff made motion to convert the dance to a parent dance since the cost of DJ to cancel is the same as his regular fee. This motion was not seconded. We will ask Diane to send out an email just about the dance. Tracy suggested starting text messages from the students. If the dance is not cancelled, the plans will be:
Pizza and beverages will be delivered. McDonald’s will provide a cooler. We plan to use both the courtyard and the cafeteria, and will be stringing lights for decoration. Three police officers will cost $377. Mr. Qualls recommended two police officers if less than 250 students attend. Janitors will come after the event to clean up. Dr. Dixon will attend.

PTA Scholarships: Dr. Fawcett drafted an application to apply for a scholarship to attend the Stratford Trip. The PTA voted to change the question on the application, and the due date was revised to be May 20. Mary Ellen and Julie L. volunteered to review the applications to select some winners. Mary Ellen moved that in the event that we have sufficient qualified applicants that we award an additional $500 in scholarships for a total not to exceed $1250. The motion passed. The Scholarship Award will be made by June 3rd.

Spring Celebration: Potluck on May 17th, 1-4 pm at the Whetstone Park of Roses Shelter House.
Teacher Requests: Mr. Qualls sent email to ask if the breakaway rims for the gym could be added to the maintenance request. Mr. Dodrill doesn’t think that the backboards will even support break-away rims, and estimated the cost to be up to $1000 per basket. Mary Ellen moved that we table the decision, and the motion passed. Mr. Qualls will send out another email to Mr. Pedigrew and check into costs.

Murray Request: Mr. Murray requested a reimbursement for $144 worth of books that he has already purchased and is evaluating for his AP class. The PTA decided to table this discussion.

PTA Equipment Found: No report

T-Shirt Sale: Stephanie said that we had only pre-sold 9 t-shirts. Mr. Qualls recommended that we ask Dr. Dixon to include mention of this in the opening mailing in the Fall. He also suggested that they go with report cards.

PA System: Mr. Dodrill said some work was done to fix the PA system, but the annex was not completed and is scheduled to be completed over the summer.

Heritage Celebration: Julia announced that seven acts performed, and there was a good turn-out. A PA system would have helped, and she suggested this for next year.

Freshmen Luncheon: It was announced that the event was successful. Anne, Stephanie, Mr. Dodrill, and Dr. Dixon spoke.

Internship: Advisors are continuing to collect submissions this week and next. Mrs. Banks might go to the Freshman classrooms with Mrs. Norton to make announcements. If the students don’t turn in their internship paper, it will bump them down in the scheduling.

NEW BUSINESS

Author Series: Anne asked for volunteer to make posters for the next Author Series and Joe Mackall on May 27th. Stephanie volunteered to make posters.

Additional Freshman Orientation: There is one more additional Freshman orientation on May 27th for a small group of 40 students. Michele and Jeff Sherman volunteered to help out.

Cupcake Day: Cupcakes will be passed out 11-1pm on May 27th by Michele and Anne. Gerry will be accepting cupcakes in the morning.

Committee Chairs: Membership, Alumni and Community Outreach chairmen are still needed. Anne asked for volunteers.

Extra Hour at CAHS: Mr. Qualls announced that the teachers had decided to extend the blocks rather than add a recitation period next year. School will start at 7:30am.

Mentorship: Anne asked for suggestions regarding the Mentorship Program. Mary Ellen suggested that we just use the resource list provided at the Freshman Luncheon and the Freshman Orientations.

Amy Tan: Anne announced that Michelle Herman could get tickets to see Amy Tan speak, and asked that you email Michelle if you would like free tickets.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 8:50 pm. The next PTA meeting will be June 2, 2009, 7:00 p.m. in Room 128 at CAHS.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephanie Ludwig, Friends of CAHS PTA Secretary

April 7, 2009 Meeting Minutes

2009-08-31T00:04:00.002-04:00

President, Anne Hoke, called the meeting to order at the Columbus Alternative High School at 7:02 pm. In attendance were seventeen (17) members (constituting a quorum). Those present introduced themselves. Stephanie Ludwig was in attendance as Secretary.

Principal’s Report: Mr. Qualls was sick during the school day and did not have a report.
Secretary's Report: Stephanie presented the meeting minutes from March 3, 2009. It was moved and seconded to accept the minutes as written. The motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report: Kim presented the Balance Sheet for March which included a breakdown of the No-phone-a-Thon purchases, a second quarter audit, and a budget vs. actual statement. Kim made a motion to approve the financial statements. The motion was seconded and passed.

Activity Coordinator Report: The Bake Sale produced about $50, and unfortunately, there was another Bake Sale happening at the same time. The next Bake Sale will be April 27th.

Hospitality Report: The next Teacher’s Breakfast will be April 30th.

Grant Writing Committee: Toni had no report.

Publicity Committee: Gerry was not able to attend. Anne distributed articles from the local neighborhood newspapers and websites in her absence.

Old Business

Update on T-Shirt, Bill Cohen’s 60’s Coffee House, Yearbook Ad: We are planning to sell them at the Freshmen luncheon, so none have been sold. Sixty students and twelve adults attended the Coffee House. Overall, the PTA spent $137 on Bill Cohen’s 60’s Coffee House. Stephanie passed around a copy of the yearbook ad that the PTA placed and explained that in addition to the yearbook ad, a section was added to the Blog to encourage alumni participation, and also a section to include pictures.

PA System: Mary Ellen said she was told that Customer Care will start integrating the PA system the week of Spring Break, and that it would be completed by the end of Spring Break. Mr. Qualls confirmed that he was told the same thing.

Nominating Committee: Anne, Gerry, Jeff met to recommend a slate for next year. Nominated officers are: Stephanie Ludwig--President, Mary Ellen Sinclair--Vice President, Lemuel Harrison--Vice President, Tracy Taylor—Secretary and Toni Dodge—Treasurer. Other nominations can be made from the floor. Elections will be next month.

PTA Scholarships: Nine students were invited by Batelle and STEM Columbus to attend first robotics championships during Spring Break. Mr. Qualls said that the total cost of the trip is about $4300, and he requested a donation of $ 750 from the PTA for hotel, registration, rental car, per diem. (Total Breakdown of costs is attached hereto). They are having a Talent Show in May to raise $500-600. He said that they placed 11th out of 59, and wants them to have a preview of where we want to be. Mary Ellen made motion to donate $750 for the trip. The motion was seconded and passed.
Mary Ellen made motion to donate$750 to the Shakespeare Trip and determine how to distribute it later after specific interest in the trip is known. The motion was seconded and passed.

Courtyard Update: Steve Montague said mural is put up and wall is spackled and needs painted. Lowe’s application was rejected. Oakland Nursery requested schedule of maintenance to care for plants. Someone is there every day of the summer. Someone is available to water the plants once per week. Garden hose should be kept in the courtyard. Steve is still waiting for response from Kathy F. at Oakland Park Nursery. Frames for eight foot benches bolted to ground are $180 plus cost of wood and paint. Trash cans are $180 each. Steve said plant donations are welcome from parents. Mr. Qualls said he’d get paint and mulch from the district. Jeff made a motion to approve $1500 for the courtyard. The motion passed. Lemuel made a motion to make the Courtyard a separate line item on the budget so that we can track total expenses approved for the courtyard.

Robotics Boosters: No report.

Teacher Requests: The gym teacher asked for a used score board and break-away rim for the gym. Mr. Qualls will check to see if maintenance has been requested for the gym, and suggested that the discussion be tabled until further information is known. Kim made a motion to table discussion to see if it will be repaired. The motion was seconded and passed. Mr. Qualls will report next month.

Follow-up on PTA Equipment Found: Messrs. Flemming & Matticola looked at the equipment. Mr. Qualls said that it could be used but for a different purpose. Mr. Qualls will follow up and report back with specifics.

Heritage Celebration: Julia said that April 22 is a go. Seven groups will give presentations. There will be two tables for food and a big map on the wall to mark the spot of ancestors. A Latino group cancelled. Ms. McCord has not yet responded to say whether the language groups will participate. Toni requested a check previously approved to buy supplies for the heritage celebration. Potluck dishes will now be optional to encourage more participation.

Incoming Freshmen Lunch: No report.

Freshmen Meetings: Anne said that the administration has requested parents to provide information and possibly give tours on April 21st and 23rd during the Freshman meetings to schedule their classes. She distributed a sign-up sheet.

Internship: Julia said that the main objective is to get internships lined up prior to the end of the school year. She emailed Dr. Dixon for specifics, but has not heard back yet. Mr. Qualls indicated that Dr. Dixon planned to present a new and improved program to all parents and students before the end of the school year.

New Business

Extra Hour at CAHS: No decision has been made yet about what to do with the extra 53 minutes added back into the school day, but a meeting will be held on Thursday to either reinstate recitation period or go to a 90 minute block schedule.

Spring Celebration: No discussion. Jeff said faculty should be invited as well as family.

Garden: Watering in the courtyard should also extend to the front. Mr. Qualls asked the PTA to be responsible for weeding the area, and said that the janitors will be responsible for all watering.

Kroger Cards: The Kroger gift card donations are ending on April 30th. Tracy mentioned another card program and will bring information. Mr. Qualls suggested that the PTA get into the vending machine business, and speculated that it could generate $300-400 month.

Gift Card for Johann Cozart: Jeff made a motion to purchase a $25 gift card for Johann Cozart who has been helping with the PTA Bake Sales even though she no longer has a student at CAHS. The motion was seconded and passed.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm. The next PTA meeting will be May 5, 2009, 7:00 p.m. in Room 128 at CAHS.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephanie Ludwig, CAHS PTA Secretary

March 3, 2009 Meeting Minutes

2009-08-31T00:02:00.003-04:00

President, Anne Hoke, called the meeting to order at the Columbus Alternative High School at 7:00 pm. In attendance were fifteen (15) members (constituting a quorum). Those present introduced themselves. Stephanie Ludwig was in attendance as Secretary.

Principal’s Report: Dr. Dixon announced that the school was publicized as a “Cool School” on Fox 28 TV, and written about in the Columbus Monthly magazine. Mr. Dodrill was a finalist as the International Educator of the Year award. A Design team has been formed consisting of teachers, administrators, and one parent, and will start meeting on March 16 to determine what programs CAHS will have next year and how they will be structured.

Secretary's Report: Stephanie Ludwig moved that the meeting minutes from February 3, 2009 be approved with corrections noted. The motion was seconded and passed.

Treasurer’s Report: Kim Dillard presented the P&L for the Chess Tournament concessions. The Chess Tournament P&L statement was approved. Kim presented January’s Balance Sheet and P&L Statement. Jeff made a motion to approve the January statements. The motion passed. The February Statements will be reviewed next month.

Activity Coordinator Report: The bake sale brought in $94.50. The next bake sale will be March 20th.

Hospitality Report: Michele Sherman said that the next Teacher Appreciation day will be March 27, 2009. Michelle asked those interested in baking to contact her.

Grant Writing Committee: The committee met and submitted a profile draft to the Columbus Foundation (a copy was circulated for review). If accepted, any donated money will be matched on a few select dates throughout the year. There was discussion regarding scheduling No-Phone-a-Thon donations around those dates next year so that they will be matched.

Publicity Committee: Gerry passed around an article about the In-the-Know team that was publicized in The Boosters newspaper and also on the Columbus Local News website. Gerry referenced the Columbus Monthly magazine article previously mentioned by Dr. Dixon. Gerry was asked to get publicity for the Community Volunteer Fair that would highlight CAHS’ program. There was a discussion about whether or not it would be prudent for CAHS to publicize our internship program at this time when we are still trying to increase the number and quality of internship opportunities for the students. After discussion, Dr. Dixon asked the PTA to wait until next year to publicize the CAHS internship program.

Old Business

Chess Tournament: Anne thanked Michele for her efforts. Jeff Sherman made a motion that we discuss the % of profit shared with the Chess Team next year before the tournament. The motion passed.

No Phone-a-thon: Anne reviewed the hand-out about what has been purchased (map, projector, Rugg’s book, DVD Waves II). Kim made a motion to pay for the shipping for those items. The motion passed. Toni purchased a “Property of CAHS PTA” stamp. The music and drama teacher decided that the music and drama donations approved last month by the PTA will be used for the Bye, Bye Birdie production. Jeff made a motion to approve an additional $162 for wood to build benches for the courtyard. The motion passed. Tracy made a motion to put a discussion regarding specific plans for the courtyard on the agenda next month. The motion passed. Steve Montague will be invited to discuss courtyard plans. Dr. Dixon said that the science projector no longer needed to be listed as a No-Phone-a-Thon request because the school will fund it. Gerry made a motion that Michele Sherman contact the teachers to notify the students that the PTA has money available for scholarships for trips. The motion passed.

Heritage Celebration: (Wed. April 22nd at 6 pm): The committee has met twice and discussed types of entertainment and would prefer to solicit talent within the school, however several people and groups outside of CAHS have volunteered to provide entertainment. Emails went out to CAHS language teachers to request assistance, and extra credit for students is being considered. The event will be a potluck, and Julia asked PTA parents to contribute and food and share heritage. Julia discussed specific ideas for the event, and asked to have announcements made prior to the event. Gerry made a motion to spend $250 of the remaining National PTA award for the event. The motion passed.

Incoming freshmen luncheon & handout (Sat. April 25th at noon): Freshmen will schedule classes before the luncheon. Chaunte Banks, President of the Senior Class, will attend with other students to talk to incoming students. Anne asked parents to bring their students to the event and participate as well.

Nominating committee: The committee will meet this month next week and nominations will be made next month. Please tell Anne, Jeff or Gerry if you are interested in holding an office next year.

School Dance: The dance will be May 9th 8:00-11:00pm. Toni asked for suggestions for a DJ. Mr. Qualls said that the Student Senate would like to make a contribution, and would like it to be noted that they are assisting to make up for problems with the music at the Winter formal and the DJ’s failure to follow the suggested list of music provided by the students.

Internship update: Julia said that Ms. Norton made a presentation during the Parent/Teacher conferences regarding internships. Students were also included in the presentation. Penny Winkle located an additional internship opportunity with the Columbus Police Department.

Robotics Team update: Mr. Qualls asked to elaborate at the next meeting about last month’s Dublin Coffman robotics booster club meeting with interested CAHS staff and parents. The robot was fabricated at the school this year. The team won five matches on the first day of the competition ranking in 6th place by the end of the day, was seated 7th in the finals, and placed 11th in the region overall. The Columbus City Schools contributed about $15,000 to CAHS for the robotics program. Mr. Qualls expects the team to grow to about 30-35 students next year, and he will be back as an advisor.

Martin Luther King Trip: Anne had difficulty finding support for the trip this year and was therefore not able to meet the deadline to sign up for it.

Meals on Wheels Update: Toni announced that she needs volunteers for next month.

Pass it On: Gerry would like to get more book donations before Spring Break.

New Business

Unused PTA gifts: Video conferencing equipment purchased by the PTA last year that was never used was found in a closet at the school. Mr. Qualls will look at it to determine if it can be used with the school’s existing equipment. Otherwise, the PTA will need to determine what to do with the unused equipment.

T-shirt sale: Mary Ellen Sinclair made a motion to sell t-shirts at the Freshman Welcome Luncheon for delivery in the Fall, and to purchase any necessary to meet the minimum amount if orders do not total 35 t-shirts. The motion passed.

Public Announcement System Repair: Anne proposed that the PTA send a letter to request that repairs be made to link the public announcement system in the freshman wing and in the annex to the rest of the school. A suggestion was made to send a letter to Chuck Holar and Brian Fox as a first effort by the PTA to find a solution. Anne asked us to review a draft of a letter she prepared.

Spring celebration (Sunday, May 17 – Park of the Roses Shelter House): Please put it on your calendar.

Year book ad sponsored by PTA: Kim made a motion to pay for a half page advertisement in the school’s yearbook this year. The motion passed.

Educator of the Year: There was discussion about who makes the selection on behalf of the school. Gerry will check to see if the teachers have historically made that decision.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 9:00pm. The next PTA meeting will be April 7, 2009, 7:00 p.m. at the Shephard library.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephanie Ludwig,
CAHS PTA Secretary

Theatre Department Thanks PTA

2009-04-05T17:05:00.004-04:00

PTA MEETING- February 3, 2009

2009-04-05T16:04:00.001-04:00

President, Anne Hoke, called the meeting to order at the Hilltop Library at 7:00 pm. In attendance were sixteen (16) members (constituting a quorum). Those present introduced themselves. Stephanie Ludwig was in attendance as Secretary.

Principal’s Report: Kaleidoscope was cancelled due to the school closing and could not be rescheduled. Those chosen in the pre-lottery have been notified of their selection, and the deadline for the regular lottery has been extended until tomorrow. There are 90 remaining freshman slots open for freshmen next year. There will be an IB Presentation for sophomores during the Parent/Teacher conferences from 6pm-7pm in the auditorium, and a meeting for ninth grade students and parents to explain the internship program. School Fair is January 21st. There is no school on January 16th because it is a makeup day. Report cards were mailed out yesterday. Dr. Dixon announced that the school day will be officially extended next year. The class schedule for next year will be determined by a design team of teachers and parents. Dr. Dixon announced the new parent consultant, Andrea Russell Heyward.

Secretary's Report: Toni Dodge moved that the meeting minutes from January 6, 2009 be approved with minor corrections. The motion was seconded and passed.

Treasurer’s Report: Kim Dillard had no report.

Activity Coordinator Report: The Bake Sale was cancelled due to logistic complications. The next bake sale will be February 20th.

Hospitality Report: Michele Sherman said that the next Teacher Appreciation day will be February 27th. She has been selectively contacting parents to donate breakfast foods so that the same people do not have to bake every month.

Grant Writing Committee: Toni said that the Grant Writing Committee met on January 12th with Mr. Dodrill to discuss a possible grant for the IB Program. The committee will meet again this Saturday to continue the conversation. The committee has plans to meet on February 22nd to work on a profile for The Columbus Foundation. Jeff Sherman explained that the Columbus Foundation has a matching grant program, and the Friends of CAHS will be the first PTA to join.

Publicity Committee: Gerry did not have any new articles to share, but has contacted the media about the Mock Trial Team, the Chess Team being honored at a School Board meeting, Poetry Out Loud going to state contest, and is working on a final copy for In-the-Know. She indicated that she has been receiving very good cooperation from the teachers.

Old Business

Chess Tournament: Michele Sherman said that the Chess Tournament is from 7am to 4pm on February 7th. She is hoping to get some hot dogs donated from Skyline Chili and is still accepting volunteers and food donations from anyone who wants to help.

No-Phone-a-Thon: Anne discussed money received so far that was donated for specific purposes. Colleen Watson made a motion to approve the purchase of the “specific purpose” items:

$115.00 for a whiteboard (Mr. Rhoades)
$275.00 for assorted Asian books (Ms. Robinson)
$135.00 for music expenses to be determined by Mr. Fleming
$250.00 for drama department (Ms. Cordy)
$450.00 for biology class projector (Mr. Johnston)
$26.95 Rugg’s Recommendations on Colleges book (Ms. Webster)
$159.00 for Waves II DVD (Ms. Clark)
$200.00 for student fees for trips
$200.00 for courtyard refurbishment
$80.00 world map (Mr. Murray)

The motion passed. There is approximately $700 left in the general fund for donations. Steve Montague discussed his efforts regarding the refurbishment of the courtyard including a mural being made by the students. Steve will research the prices of benches, trash containers, etc. and present it at the next meeting. Dr. Dixon requested money for medals and refreshments for an honors ceremony near the end of the year. Toni and Stephanie offered to help Anne purchase the items on eBay.

Robotics Team Committee: Toni said that Dublin Coffman High School has a Robotics Boosters club which is willing to meet with CAHS parents at 6:30pm before their regular PTA meeting on February 17th to offer insight into fundraising efforts and their alliance with the Dublin Coffman PTA. Toni said that she had not heard of any parent of a Robotics student that was willing to attend. Mary Ellen Sinclair made a motion to table the discussion regarding the possibility of a Robotics Committee of the Friends of CAHS until after we see if any of the parents of the Robotics students are interested in the idea.

School Dance: Toni Dodge said that she needed to discuss possible dates with Dr. Dixon, and asked if anyone had contact information for Dr. O to see if he was interested in being the DJ.

International Dinner: Julia will set up a date for the committee to meet. She has emailed Ms. McCord and Carla will help.

Internship: There will be an Volunteer Fair in April. The next meeting to discuss the internships will be at 5:00pm on February 10th.

Oakland Park Nursery: Andrea Russell Heyward volunteered to coordinate with them and Steve Montague.

Robotics Team: Mr. Qualls and twenty students have been meeting every Saturday to get ready for a competition in February. Last year’s team mentors retrieved the items they lent to the Robotics team, but Mr. Qualls was given a $2,000 budgetary allowance by the School District to purchase supplies. There was a discussion regarding keeping items donated by the PTA in the school. Stephanie made a motion to maintain ownership of things purchased for the school by the PTA, and that we keep an inventory of the items. Toni amended the motion to mark the items. Both motions passed. It was suggested that we check our coverage for liability insurance.

Martin Luther King: Anne is looking for financial assistance to fund the Martin Luther King Civil Rights Tour. The cost is $450 per student. Last year we sent four students and one chaperone. Anne worked with Kate Webster last year to find interested students.

CAHS Brochure: Stephanie presented a PTA brochure that Jeff Sherman, Michelle Sherman and she created at the request of Dr. Dixon to pass out at Kaleidoscope. 600 brochures (300 color and 300 black & white) were printed. Some can be passed out during the Parent/Teacher conferences.

Meals on Wheels: Toni asked for volunteers. $300 should have been received so far from Meals-on-Wheels.

New Business

Nominating Committee: Anne opened the floor for nominations for the Nominating Committee. Andrea Russell nominated Gerry Brevoort. Michelle Sherman nominated Jeff Sherman. Jeff Sherman nominated Anne Hoke. All nominees were elected. Anne said that anyone interested in being an officer should contact Gerry, Jeff or Anne.

Celebration of Incoming Students: There was discussion regarding suggestions for better implementation of the program. That April 4th date was in conflict with the school’s play. Stephanie made a motion to move the date to March 21st. The motion passed. Dr. Dixon suggested that Kaleidoscope be in December next year, and the school might have a summer program to acclimate the freshmen.

Mentoring: Mary Ellen Sinclair will help develop the Parent Mentorship Program, and suggested a student ambassador program.

May Celebration: The date was changed to May 17th at the Whetstone Shelter House.

FAQs handout: Carla Wiltshire helped to revise the FAQs handout.

Freshman Wing: Anne said that a couple of parents had approached her about the Freshman wing. None of the freshman parents in the PTA had any bad experiences related to the separate wing, so this discussion was dismissed.

Parent Consultant Observations: Parent consultants will be observing the school classrooms and wanted to know how to get it on the school’s website. Stephanie said that she could put a link on the PTA’s website too.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 8:45pm. The next PTA meeting will be March 3, 2009, 7:00 p.m. at Columbus Alternative High School.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephanie Ludwig,
CAHS PTA Secretary

PTA MEETING- January 6, 2009

2009-04-05T16:02:00.002-04:00

President, Anne Hoke, called the meeting to order in Room 128 at Columbus Alternative High School at 7:00 pm. In attendance were twenty (20) members (constituting a quorum). Those present introduced themselves. Stephanie Ludwig was in attendance as Secretary.

Principal’s Report: Kaleidoscope is Wednesday, January 28th. School Fair is January 21st. There is no school on January 16th because it is a makeup day. There are some students working on a program for Black History month in February.

Secretary's Report: Stephanie Ludwig moved that the meeting minutes from December 2008 be approved. The motion was seconded and passed with revisions noted by Anne Hoke. Currently we have 99 members.

Treasurer’s Report: Kim Dillard presented October, November and December balance sheets and P&L statements. It was moved that we approve the financial statements. The motion passed.

Activity Coordinator Report: The Bake Sale was changed to January 30th because there’s no school on January 16th.

Hospitality Report: Michele Sherman said that the next Teacher Appreciation day will be January 23rd.

Fundraising Report: Anne Hoke said that roughly $2700 has been raised so far, and Kim Montague will send out one more request.

Grant Writing Committee: Toni said that the Grant Writing Committee should meet to discuss new opportunities suggested by Anne Hoke.

Publicity Committee: Gerry distributed an article printed in the local newspapers regarding the Chess Team. She will try to get something published about the In-the-Know Team, Kaleidoscope and the Mock Trial.

Old Business:

Alumni Panels: Anne said that alumni panel held on December 19th was good. Approximately 11 students who had graduated were in attendance and provided honest and varied advice to students. Anne recommended that the program be continued next year. Stephanie Ludwig moved that the PTA reimburse Anne for the $60 in gift cards that Anne purchased for the alumni students as a token of appreciation.

Alumni Association: One alumni suggested setting up a $5000 endowment for teacher requests for CAHS, and Anne asked for a volunteer to help set this up.

Internships: Julia Harrison said that the committee has not met, but will meet next week. Ninth and tenth graders will be doing community service and eleventh and twelfth graders will be doing internships. The committee is trying to identify organizations for community service and internships, including Habitat for Humanity.

Meals on Wheels: Toni Dodge had no report, but has dates for sign-up the first and second Sunday of the month and the second, fourth and fifth Saturday of the Month. Anyone interested should see Toni after the meeting or email Toni at tdodger@worldnet.att.net. A route takes about 2 hours to complete. Meals are picked up at 670 Harmon Avenue.

T-Shirts and Badges: T-shirts were all received and passed out the week before Winter Break.

Teacher Requests: Anne passed out a list of the teacher requests. Anne said that a stumbling block has been getting the items to the teachers, asked members to volunteer to coordinate with specific teachers. One suggestion was to buy gift cards. Dr. Dixon can get the tutoring OGT books, and said that she would review the list to determine which items the school can get.

Robotic Team Update: Mr. Qualls is meeting with the team tonight, and asked if the Robotics Team parents could be a committee of the PTA to raise money through the PTA. Anne suggested that we meet with the Dublin Robotics Team parents to see how Dublin Coffman High School handles this situation. Kim said that we should check with the Ohio PTA first to see if it is allowed. There was rigorous discussion regarding this.

Martin Luther King Trip: Anne said it’s being worked on. No other report.

Pass It On: Ms. Robinson said the announcement generated new students who picked up books, and said that the program is worthwhile and should continue to be evaluated.

New Business:

Chess Tournament: Michele Sherman requested that people sign-up to help at the concessions for the chess tournament on February 7th, 8:00am to 3:00pm, and also requested donations for food items.

School Dance: Toni Dodge suggested that we have the dance in April or May. There will be two security officers in attendance, and Dr. O will be contacted to see if he will be the D.J.

International Dinner: Julia Harrison explained the international event with Children’s Services, and suggested that we could do something similar at CAHS. Ms. McCord is interested in helping with this. Anne asked for other volunteers. Kim Dillard proposed that we use the PTA grant to fund the International Event. Gerry Brevoort moved that we pursue the International Dinner. The motion passed.

Kaleidoscope: Stephanie Ludwig, Jeff Sherman and Michele Sherman are putting together a brochure. Anne asked for up-beat volunteers to help work during Kaleidoscope.

May Celebration: The Whetstone Shelter House has been reserved for May 10th. This is Mother’s Day, so Anne will try to reschedule it.

Oakland Park Nursery: Anne asked for volunteers to help partner with Oakland Nursery. Anne said that it needs to start out simple. Kim Montague is working on the courtyard.

Payroll deductions: Anne said that we are working on getting the CAHS PTA to be a charitable contribution available for payroll deductions.

FAQs handout: Needs to be updated hopefully before Kaleidoscope. Mark & Judy Cohen and Mary Ellen Sinclair offered to review and update the handout.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 8:00pm. The next PTA meeting will be February 3, 2009, 7:00 p.m. at the Hilltop Library.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephanie Ludwig,
CAHS PTA Secretary

CAHS is Fox 28 "Cool School"

2009-02-27T20:41:00.004-05:00

February 27, 2009 - Good Day Columbus' Johnny DiLoretto visits the spirited Cool School of the Week, Columbus Alternative High School.

The CAHS orchestra, the CAHS Chess Team, and the In-the-Know Team were highlighted in these clips which aired on Fox 28 News Friday (Feb. 27) morning.

http://www.wtte28.com/newsroom/gdc/cool_schools/vid_38.shtml

http://www.wtte28.com/newsroom/gdc/cool_schools/vid_37.shtml

Columbus Monthly - Top Public Schools

2009-02-27T20:33:00.006-05:00

CAHS was highlighted in the 2009 March issue of The Columbus Monthly as one of the Top Public Schools, and was the only Columbus Public High School mentioned in this article by April Johnston.

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=F.006fcaa6-2874-4b71-8e7c-d4aa41f0696e&hl=en

December 1, 2008 PTA Meeting Minutes

2009-02-01T16:28:00.002-05:00

MEETING OF THE FRIENDS OF CAHS PTA

December 1, 2008

President, Anne Hoke, called the meeting to order at the South High Library, 3540 South High Street, Columbus, OH at 7:00 pm. In attendance were thirteen (13) members (constituting a quorum). Those present introduced themselves. Stephanie Ludwig acted as Secretary.

Principal’s Report: Mr. Qualls reported for Dr. Dixon in her absence. He indicated that there are twenty-four spaces open for seniors for credit recovery, and progress reports recently went out to the parents of those seniors. Credit Recovery will be offered at a later date to juniors who have more than one course to make up. The Robotics Team went to Detroit the weekend before Thanksgiving for a competition. The presentation went well, but they did not place. Battelle and STEM Columbus will sponsor the best team to go to Las Vegas in March.

Secretary's Report: Julie Lovett moved that the meeting minutes from November 2008 be approved. The motion was seconded and passed.

Treasurer’s Report: Kim Dillard was absent, but Jeff Sherman said that the books had been audited by the Audit Committee and appeared to be in order as of the end of September 2008.

Alumni Association Committee: There was no report.

Activity Coordinator Report: The coffee and brownies sold well at the last Bake Sale which netted $217. The next bake sale will be December 19th.

Hospitality Report: Michele Sherman said that the teachers loved the pies baked for the last Teacher Appreciation Breakfast. The next Teacher Appreciation day will be December 10th.

Fundraising Report: Anne Hoke announced that we have collected about $1200 so far for the No-Phone-a-Thon, and Kim Montague will send out request letters to parents of recent graduates.

Grant Writing Committee: Toni said that the Columbus Foundation has been contacted, and will match any grant money received by the PTA. They will be holding a workshop in January for anyone interested in learning more.

Publicity Committee: Gerry distributed articles printed in the local newspapers regarding the Robotics Team and the Chess Team.

Committee Outreach Committee: Members engaged in a discussion about a possible school dance. Julie Lovett moved that we ask Dr. Dixon about a Winter Dance to be held on December 20th for which we would charge the attending students $3.00 per ticket and $2.00 for 2 slices of pizza and drinks. The motion passed. Jeff Sherman made a further motion that we spend up to $500 of the PTA’s funds to sponsor the dance. The motion passed.

Old Business:

Alumni Panels: Anne said that alumni panel held on November 24th was not well attended, but was a nice event. In light of the low attendance, Andrea Russell volunteered to sit in on a Student Council meeting to see what the students were interested in.

Internships: Julia Harrison said that the list of employers has not been updated by Mrs. Norton.

Meals on Wheels: Toni Dodge had no report, but has dates for sign-up.

T-Shirts and Badges: Stephanie Ludwig announced that we had 40 orders for t-shirts which would be delivered to the students the Tuesday before Winter Break. Andrea Russell indicated that she may know of a vendor who will donate badges.

Martin Luther King Trip: Anne will speak with Dr. Dixon about the possibility of an assembly with a student who attended the trip last year as the speaker.

Pass It On: Mr. Qualls will make sure that an announcement is made to the students reminding them to pick up a book from the Pass It On section in the library before Winter Break.

New Business:

Teacher Requests: Officer Williams has requested money for pizza for the class which contributed the most to the American soldiers. Jeff Sherman made a motion to pay for the pizza. The motion passed. There was discussion regarding the recent trend of requests for PTA funding of items before the PTA was able to meet. Gerry Brevoort volunteered to put notices in the teacher’s mailboxes to request that donations by the PTA must be requested prior to the Member meetings. Toni Dodge made a motion to set up a Discretionary Fund of $200 for emergency situations arising between member meetings with expenses from that fund to be approved by the Board members. The motion passed.

Royal Shakespeare Theater Collaboration: Currently, the university is only coordinating with STEM schools, but Michele Herman is working to get them to consider coordinating with CAHS in the Fall. Michele Sherman will follow up with Michele Herman to see if she can help.

Membership: Anne Hoke asked the members to ask their friends to join the PTA.

Alumni Panel: There was discussion regarding the students’ interest in the alumni panel to be held during lunchtime on December 19th in which recent graduates will relay their college experiences to the students of CAHS. The members determined that it might be a good idea to have a sign-up sheet to see how many students are interested in attending the event before the alumni are requested to attend.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 9:00pm. The next PTA meeting will be January 6, 2009, 7:00 p.m. in Room 128 at CAHS.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephanie Ludwig,
CAHS PTA Secretary

November 11, 2008 Meeting Minutes

2009-01-05T22:03:00.000-05:00

MEETING
OF
THE FRIENDS OF CAHS PTA

November 11, 2008

President, Anne Hoke, called the meeting to order in Room 128 of the Columbus Alternative High School at 7:00 pm. In attendance were twenty (24) members (constituting a quorum) and 4 guests. Those present introduced themselves. Stephanie Ludwig acted as Secretary.

Principal’s Report: Dr. Dixon reported that Credit Recovery begins Thursday at the end of the school day for 11th and 12th graders. Next year, students will take make up classes on the Virtual High School rather than participate in Credit Recovery and their transcripts will indicate that those classes were taken at the Virtual High School rather than CAHS. Parents met with Ms. Webster and Mr. Qualls to explain the program. After school transportation is available for Credit Recovery students as well as those taking tutoring or OGT classes. There will be a meeting on November 18 to determine the structure of the Internship Program. Going forward, the freshmen and sophomores will participate in community service projects and the juniors and seniors will have internships.

Vice Principal’s Report: Mr. Qualls said that revised grades will be going out in the mail for those students who had missing grades. Directions to access the Parent Module were on the back of the flier sent out with grades. Any parent who needs a username and password should contact Mr. Qualls at cahs@columbus.k12.oh.us rather than leaving a message in the office. Mr. Qualls also noted concern over the increasing number of tardies among the students.

Secretary's Report: Toni Dodge moved that the meeting minutes from October 11, 2008, which had been previously distributed, be approved. The motion was seconded and passed. Stephanie announced that there are 86 members to date, and that she has membership cards to be picked up.

Treasurer’s Report: Kim Dillard presented the Balance Sheet and P&L Statement for September. Gerry Brevoort moved that they be approved. The motion was seconded and passed.

Alumni Association Committee: There was no report.

Activity Coordinator Report: Michele Sherman announced that the bake sale for November 4 brought in around $217. A date for the next sale is tentatively December 19th and will be discussed at the next meeting.

Hospitality Report: Michele announced that the last Teacher Appreciation Day was a success and the next one will be November 20th. The teachers have requested “pies” for this breakfast.

Fundraising Report: Anne Hoke announced that No-Phone-a-Thon request letters went out in the mail last week.

Grant Writing Committee: Toni said that the committee met with Dr. Farley to discuss the grant process. Requests by teachers will now go through the office first to insure that they are not things that can be purchased by the Columbus City School system before coming as requests to the PTA.

Publicity Committee: Gerry distributed articles printed in the local newspapers regarding CAHS National Merit Scholars, the IB Art Show at the North Market, and an article about CAHS’ play, “Noises Off”. She requested that members email her with ideas about things to publish.

Committee Outreach Committee: Members engaged in a discussion about the extent to which we should provide free refreshments for various school functions. Gerry Brevoort made a motion to communicate to the coordinators for each of the various school activities (band, choir, theater, etc.) that they should provide their own refreshments. The motion passed.

Old Business:

Meals on Wheels: Toni Dodge said that several members have been trained and can assist with route training. Toni has applications for volunteers.

Pre-Lottery Admission: Mary Ellen Sinclair said Gene Harris has approved of both the Task Force reconvening and of continuing the Pre-Lottery for CAHS next year.

Chess Tournament: The Chess Tournament was rescheduled for November 23rd at Easton.

T-Shirts and Badges: Stephanie Ludwig said that we are close to our 35 minimum order for t-shirts, but not there yet. The order deadline will be extended to November 26th, and placed after Thanksgiving Break. T-shirts should be in and distributed before Winter Break. Michelle Herman volunteered to design badges to sell and Andrea Russell volunteered to help get information about badge suppliers.

Martin Luther King Trip: Anne announced that a letter had been written to request funding for the trip.

Robotics: Mr. Qualls announced that three to four teams will be competing locally on Saturday. Battelle is paying for all of the 2008 expenses, but the team is still in need of a leader.

New Business:

Sara Childers: Sara Childers introduced herself, and said that she would like to interview parents of CAHS students and ask them to participate in focus groups to assist her with her dissertation about urban schools like CAHS.

Parent/Teacher Conferences: The parent/teacher conferences are November 18. The PTA will have a table to serve refreshments, and sell memberships, t-shirts, decals, etc. Volunteers are needed to help staff the table.

Teacher Requests: Kim Montague said that she received a request from Mr. Fawcett for payment for an assessment course. Tracy Taylor made a motion that we table that request. The motion passed. Gail Sech moved that we pay for the musicians that accompanied the chorale at their most recent concert for later reimbursement by Mr. Flemming. The motion passed. Dr. Dixon said that the school will reimburse Mr. Fawcett for pizza purchased for the Theory of Knowledge marathon.

Alumni Panels: Anne said that alumni will talk to students and parents on November 24th at 6:00pm about the benefits of going to CAHS. She requested donations of pop for the event, and said that she was looking for another female speaker. Students can get extra credit for attending. Additionally, there will be an Alumni Panel present between 11:45 and 12:25 on December 19th to talk to the students.

December meeting: Kim Dillard made a motion that we move the next meeting date to December 1 rather than December 2 because December 2 was in conflict with the instrumental music concert. The motion passed.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 8:30pm. The next PTA meeting will be December 1, 2008, 7:00 p.m at the South High Library.

Stephanie Ludwig,
CAHS PTA Secretary

October 7, 2008 Meeting Minutes

2009-01-05T22:01:00.001-05:00

MEETING
OF
THE FRIENDS OF CAHS PTA

October 7, 2008

President, Anne Hoke, called the meeting to order at the Martin Luther King library, 1600 Long Street, Columbus, OH at 7:00 pm. In attendance were twenty (20) members (constituting a quorum) and three guests. Those present introduced themselves. Stephanie Ludwig acted as Secretary.

Principal’s Report: Mr. Dodrill reported that Club Day was underway and would be Monday during lunch. Credit Recovery will start in November and be on Wednesdays and Thursdays for juniors and seniors. Promise, a student at CAHS, is now doing announcements. Freshmen classes are still not connected to the announcements. IB Students will be wearing white t-shirts on Club Day in support of the school levy. Students now pay $5 to park in the school parking lot. Dr. Dixon announced that the school has requested a grant to expand ideas and methodologies in the IB program to all grades. CAHS was recognized as one of the Ohio Lottery Schools of the year for last year and recognized Dr. Velo as being Teacher of the Month at a pep assembly, and CAHS will be recognized again at the Houston Conference that Mr. Dodrill and Dr. Dixon will attend. Muskingham Vocational Center will be out in November for a site visit. Administrators and key teachers representing each academic area meet each month to discuss ideas and programs for the school. There will be a meeting in November with Mrs. Norton to discuss the internship program and get students ready for next year. Mr. Qualls announced that teachers, on a scheduled rotation basis, will check to make sure that students are attending their internships via email, telephone calls and in the field. Attendance will be posted on Parent Assist Module. Parent Assist training guides will be mailed with Interim Reports. The district will pay for a Robotics team to move on to a competition if it has won its region or Chairman’s Cup. CAHS is planning to take up to 20 robotics members to the Buckeye Regional Competition in February in Cleveland. Mr. Qualls said that he does not have the time (30-35 hours per week) to lead the robotics team, and is looking for someone to lead the team or to assist him. He is recruiting members and the target size of the team is 35 students.

Secretary's Report: Mary Ellen Sinclair moved that the meeting minutes from September 2, 2008 and the Executive Committee meeting minutes from August 24, 2008 and August 31, 2008, which had been previously distributed, be approved. The motion was seconded and passed. Stephanie announced that she has membership cards to be picked up.

Treasurer’s Report: Kim Dillard presented the revised proposed budget for next year. Stephanie Ludwig moved that the budget be approved. The motion was seconded and passed.

Alumni Association Committee: There was no report.

Activity Coordinator Report: Jeff Sherman announced the Bake Sale in September did not occur due to the power outage and that we would have our next bake sale on November 4th to take advantage of election day lines.

Hospitality Report: Michele Sherman announced that the last Teacher Appreciation Day was a success and the next one will be October 24th. Michele circulated a sign-up list for donated breakfast food.

Fundraising Report: Anne Hoke announced that teachers were returning requests for items and No-Phone-a-Thon letters would be sent out to parents and staff in November to request money for those requests.

Grant Writing Committee: Toni Dodge said that she was trying to schedule a time to meet with Dr. Farley next week after 3:00 to discuss the grant process.

Publicity Committee: There was no report.

Committee Outreach Committee: Julie Lovett announced that a meeting was held prior to this member meeting to discuss possible programs. $863 is left over from a grant from the Ohio PTA to promote gatherings of parents and students of CAHS. A Diversity Program was discussed. Parents will research ideas to promote diversity among the student body. Julie requested committee members. Julie suggested the additional possibilities of providing refreshments for College Night and Welcome Night for new parents in April.

Ohio Council Delegate: Carolyn announced that Gene Harris wants us to vote on Issue 75, and that she has material available if we would like to see it.

Old Business:

Bylaws Revision: The Bylaws were revised to remove the Ancillary Treasurer and the Executive Committee and changed membership of Executive Board. Books will be audited monthly rather than quarterly. Trish Geoghegan is now on the Audit Committee. Jeff Sherman is the Chairman. Stephanie moved that the Bylaws be accepted as revised. The motion was seconded and passed.

School Store: Chaunte reported that Capri Suns are sold in the mornings and at lunchtime, and they are still working on getting their room together.

Meals on Wheels: Anne encouraged members to sign up for training if interested in driving for Meals-On-Wheels. A sign-up sheet was passed around. Toni Dodge said that members can team with other members. There is a Confidentiality Agreement, a Volunteer Form, and a Student Volunteer form to sign. Student can get internship hours for helping.

Teacher Requests: The District paid for the AP History books. The Chinese teacher was appreciative of the gift card and bicycle and bought things for her apartment with the gift card. Mr. Flemming has requested money for chorale accompanists, and has decided that he can make due with his current mixer for now.

Pre-Lottery Admission: Mary Ellen Sinclair said that everyone she has spoken with liked the pilot program. Further feedback will come after she gets feedback from those administering the program.

New Business:

Author Series: The first author series is on October 21, 3:30pm with Kathy Fagan. Information is on the table.

Candidates Night: Anne Hoke discussed the school board candidates.

T-Shirts and Sweatshirts: Stephanie Ludwig discussed the low order of t-shirts turned in. Suggestions were made to send the order form to Diane Maxwell to put into the Newsletter, to put order forms at sign-in, to have an announcement made, and to target the new freshman class. Stephanie moved that we continue the sale of the t-shirts with the suggested sales techniques. The motion was seconded and passed.

Martin Luther King Trip: Anne Hoke announced that the Martin Luther King Trip would be Spring Break again this year and was a good experience for the boys who went last year. Anne asked for a volunteer to lead the effort this year. Mr. Qualls, Toni Dodge and Anne Hoke volunteered to help.

November meeting: Toni moved that the meeting in November be moved to the second week due to Election Night. The motion was seconded and passed.

Chess Tournament: Dr. Dixon announced that the Chess Tournament will be at CAHS on November 22nd, and requested the PTA members to serve snacks. Jeff Sherman explained that the PTA runs the concessions with half of the money going to the PTA and half to the Chess Team. Members suggested that the Chess Tournament date be changed back to Sunday due to the OSU/Michigan game on the 22nd. Dr. Dixon said that she would check into a possible date change.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 8:00pm. The next PTA meeting is November 11, 2008, 7:00 p.m. in Room 128 at CAHS.

Stephanie Ludwig,
CAHS PTA Secretary

September 2, 2008 Meeting Minutes

2009-01-05T21:59:00.001-05:00

MEETING
OF
THE FRIENDS OF CAHS PTA

September 2, 2008

President, Anne Hoke, called the meeting to order at 2632 McGuffey Road, Columbus, OH 43211 at 7:00 pm. In attendance were twenty members (constituting a quorum) and one guest. Those present introduced themselves. Stephanie Ludwig acted as Secretary.

Principal’s Report: Dr. Dixon explained the new student arrival process in the morning and the reasoning behind the decision to institute the new procedure. Mr. Qualls said that the new parent assistant module was up and running, and several training classes for parents have occurred already. Any parent who piloted the program will need to get a new login ID from Mr. Qualls. Mr. Qualls announced that the Robotics Club currently has 28 members. Mr. Qualls will lead it, and he will assemble a leadership team of local talent to help lead the team.

Secretary's Report: Stephanie Ludwig discussed membership, the new PTA Blog, and then moved that the meeting minutes from August 14, 2008, which had been previously distributed, be approved. The motion was seconded and passed.

Treasurer’s Report: Kim Dillard presented the proposed budget for next year, and noted that it needed to be revised and would be presented again at the next meeting for approval.

Alumni Association Committee: Kim Dillard announced that there was a link to the Alumni Association on the CAHS website.

Activity Coordinator Report: The Bake Sale on September 19th was announced, and donations were solicited.

Fundraising Report: Anne Hoke explained the use of Kroger gift cards and said that she would have them available for sale.

Hospitality Committee: Michele Sherman announced that there would be a teachers’ breakfast on September 24th. A list was passed around to sign up to bring food.

Grant Writing Committee: Toni Dodge said that she would like to gear the application for grants towards the teachers’ wish list.

Publicity Committee: Gerry Brevoort announced that an article called “What I did over the summer” should be out soon in the Suburban News.

Audit Committee: Stephanie Ludwig moved to accept the Audit Report submitted by the Audit Committee for FYE 2008. The motion was seconded and passed.

Old Business:

School Store: Toni Dodge made a motion to sell the bracelets and decals currently sold only by the PTA to the school for 75% of the PTA’s retail price. Currently, the bracelets would be $2.25 and the decals would be $0.75, and resold to the students at a rate no lower than the PTA’s retail price. The motion was seconded and passed.

Internship Update: It was suggested that students who wished to keep the same internship the following year could confirm that in the spring and thereby eliminate the necessity of finding internships for those students the following fall. Toni Dodge offered to help Mrs. Norton with the formation of a spreadsheet and a mail merge process to better organize and facilitate her process that currently runs on a Dos computer system and hard copies. Mr. Qualls said that he would speak with Mrs. Norton and look into offering assistance.

School Levy: Anne asked the membership if we would like to do anything to support the upcoming school levy. After discussion, the general consensus was that we should not take action unless the School Board requested it. This topic was dropped.

Meals on Wheels: Toni Dodge solicited volunteers to help deliver food for the Meals on Wheels program. She said that deliveries generally take one and a half hours and would generate $25 for the PTA each time deliveries were made. A sign-up sheet was passed around.

Teacher Requests: Anne Hoke said that the AP Art History class was short six books due to increased class size for the course. The books could not be ordered through the school system because the AP class was not a standard course offering and was only offered by two schools in the district. Dr. Dixon indicated that she would check to make sure that the district would not pay for the books. Kim Dillard made a motion to wait for Dr. Dixon to find out more about payment for the six AP Art History books. Bob Kaufman made a motion to amend the previous motion to state that the PTA will pay up to $600 for the books if the district will not pay for them. Both motions were seconded and passed. There was a motion to approve payment of up to $500 for lunches for the new Chinese teacher, Rachel Yang. The motion was seconded and passed.

New Business:

Bylaws Revision: Stephanie Ludwig reviewed proposed revisions to the Bylaws, which eliminated the ancillary treasurer and the Executive Committee, changed the membership of the Executive Board and added language regarding participation in a local council. The revisions can be discussed and voted on at the next meeting.

Community Outreach Committee: Anne Hoke announced that Julie Lovett will chair the new Community Outreach Committee, and she asked for volunteers to be on the committee.

Membership Committee: Anne announced that she would like to form a Membership Committee, and she asked for volunteers to chair the committee and be on the committee.

Post-Secondary Courses: Anne mentioned that there were post-secondary courses available to students and to talk to Mrs. Webster, the junior/senior counselor, if interested in more information.

Pre-Lottery Admission Results: Anne asked for a volunteer to gather information and evaluate the impact of the new pre-lottery program instituted at CAHS this year. Mary Ellen Sinclair volunteered to take on this task.

School Sign Upkeep: Anne said that the outdoor school sign was not being updated on a regular basis and asked for a volunteer. Dr. Dixon indicated that the students would take care of it.

PTA Conference Reimbursement: Kim Dillard moved that we reimburse Anne Hoke for the money she spent for the CAHS PTA officers to attend the training conferences over the summer. The motion passed.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 8:30pm. The next PTA meeting is October 7, 2008, 7:00 p.m. at the Martin Luther King library.

Stephanie Ludwig,
CAHS PTA Secretary

What Obama Should Do for Education

2008-12-31T15:11:00.003-05:00

Laine Zalac won a high school award on her piece about what Obama should
do for education. You can read it at thenation.com/student. Go to Student
Nation and the article "Addressing Inequality in Education".

From the Nation website:

Laine Alison Zalac is a graduating senior at Columbus Alternative High School where she's co-captain of the varsity girl's tennis team and a volunteer with the Columbus Metropolitan Library system.

This essay is the high school winner of The Nation's Third Annual Student Writing Contest.

I am a graduating senior from an urban public high school. I am in a lottery alternative school that focuses on a college preparatory curriculum. What I know the next president has to address is inequity in education, because it reflects inequity in society. No Child Left Behind? What a joke. I see students left behind all the time, and I am in the best school in my district. My school doesn't have clocks that work, but less than three miles away is a suburban school with an indoor swimming pool. I live in Ohio, where we still depend entirely too much on property taxes to fund public education despite contentions and legal suits that the funding system is illegal. The legislature has not yet resolved this issue, and there is a huge disparity between many districts.

The demographics of my school reflect the school district I live in because we are a lottery school that pulls students from all over the city. It is a straight lottery, no entrance requirements. We are about 69 percent minority, and 72 percent of students at my school qualify for free or reduced lunch by federal guidelines. Every year we get less white and more poor. Why? Because people are afraid to attend urban public high schools and because of racism and because our district is poor. No swimming pools, no well-funded athletic teams, old buildings and large, crowded classes. What hope do we have for the future? It seems like we can be cast aside and abandoned for the promised land of suburbia.

If the President-elect Obama doesn't address the inequities that exist in education, the United States will continue to see disenfranchised youth who don't vote, don't go on to higher education, don't get ahead and don't have a chance of moving up the socioeconomic ladder. In my school, we have a large population of English as Second Language (ESL) students. They are evaluated on the same tests as the rest of the school population, even though they don't speak English and might have arrived in the United States three months ago. In the suburbs, most students come from families that don't struggle every day to pay rent or have enough food to eat. How is it fair that less than three miles from my school, there is a school where students eat at fast food restaurants for lunch and sit on benches in their school's courtyard talking about what they will wear to the school dance? Kids in my school are dashing off to work to support their family and to try to pay for basics. We know the differences exist and we wonder why we are treated differently.

How can that kind of inequity be tolerated in our country? How can students in poor school districts matriculate to college and succeed in the towers of privilege that we call college? Last year my district cut the high school schedule by one period to save money. So here we are in an urban district, where by all research accounts we should be spending more time in school. But the day was cut because there just isn't enough money to maintain even the barest standards of educating students. For most of the students in my school, art, music and drama are off the table because of the shortened day. With a shortened day, we are lucky to get in the basics we need to graduate. We are taking the bare minimum we need to graduate, not because we want to stick to the basics but because our school day is so short that there isn't enough time to fit in anything else.

I did an extensive essay this year on gun control. I was a strong proponent of gun control. Know what I found out? It is socioeconomic disadvantages and a lack of adequate education that spurs on problems with guns. Countries where owning a gun is common don't have more violence because they don't have the inequities we have in the United States. It is really disparity that produces violence, not guns. If inequities continue to exist and flourish, we can expect the same violence and crime we have now. With the economic downturn we are in, I predict violence will intensify.

So my suggestion for the incoming president? Address educational inequities and do it swiftly and with commitment. States have failed to do this, and we need national leadership now. Show the students in schools that everyone counts and will be educated fairly, with equal opportunity, no matter where they live or how much money their parents or community have. Only then will we really have "No Child Left Behind" and a culture change will be under way.

Notes from CAHS Alumni Panel November 24, 2008

2008-12-18T09:09:00.004-05:00

Friends of CAHS invited seven CAHS Alumni to discuss how their CAHS experience made a difference in their lives. The alumni were from the class of '96 or '97.

Alicia Thomas
Robert Eskridge
Tres Johnson
Doug Hoke
Molly Workman
Jennifer Wray
Paul Edgar

Observations:

Each Alumni who participated clearly had, and continues to have, a love for CAHS and what the school has given to each of them. Their enthusiasm and gratitude was infectious and inspiring! Each member credits CAHS for having an impact on their individual successes – both professionally and personally.

Suggestions given by Alumni:

*Prepare yourself for upcoming college coursework by

Taking the humanities courses seriously! These courses provided a good foundation for critical thinking and a more broad perspective with learning for some. This is a good preparation for a liberal arts track in college.
Take as many credits in foreign languages as you can fit in.
Take as many advanced courses as possible! Push yourself while you’re young. Take the course over a full school year in high school rather than a 10-15 week course in college (one Alum said her AP Literature class earned her college credit later on).
Take as many courses as you can in Applied Sciences/harder sciences.
Avoid “coasting” through your high school years. This can cause you to fail later in college courses. Appreciate the opportunities that CAHS gives you! Utilize them!
“Learn to fail gracefully” while in high school. If you earn lower scores now for those tougher courses, you will benefit later in college from having the experience.
Extra-curricular courses are also important! One Alum stated that her experience in taking theater at CAHS led to a career in theater later on. Another Alum stated she received a scholarship in music, thanks to her participation in the music program at CAHS. She used this to help her procure a degree in science at that college.
Study EXTRA hard for the entrance exams into college!! Take time out of your summers to do whatever necessary to prepare for these exams. It can result in being accepted into colleges when your grades have not met their criteria.
Take all of the college entrance exams available to you (SAT II, etc.).
Ignore peer pressure to ‘coast’ through high school. Whether kids are ‘cool’ or not, socialize with kids who hold high ideals and want to go to college.

*Suggestions for Internships:

Plan these at CAHS wisely! Make the most of them for yourself. Gain the best possible experiences for a college track. Good internships may not necessarily be in the same field as what you hope to study in college. Utilize OSU to help you determine the most valuable internship plan for yourself. Call the research department at OSU and arrange a meeting with a professor. They are willing to meet with high school kids for internship planning. The statehouse also has good internships that proved useful in a variety of ways for the Alumni panel.

*Scholarship Suggestions:

Find as many opportunities for scholarships as you possibly can!! There are many out there – look beyond what is recommended by your guidance counselor. Have your parents help you find them if possible. Some Alumni members had all of their college expenses paid by scholarships – even their graduate college expenses. Be proactive!!

*Suggestions for CAHS parents:

Don’t assume your child is studying enough. Check on their progress! The panel all agreed that even though they scoffed at parental interest, they truly appreciated it when their parents took an interest in what they were studying. Read the books your child is reading – ask them questions about what they’ve read. Discuss topics together that they study. Your interest in their academic endeavors has a bigger impact than you may realize!

Friends of CAHS recognized in Fall Play

2008-11-17T21:24:00.006-05:00

An awesome set with many doors (that all worked), two floors, and stairs.

The note on the back cover reads: "We also have to sincerely thank the Friends of CAHS who generously donated funds to buy us a new table saw and other tools. We are still in awe of it, and as you can see, we put it to good use!"

Many students learned set design skills under the guidance of parent Steve Montague.

NEW SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS SELECTED

2008-10-25T19:51:00.005-04:00

Media May Contact:
Karla Warren (614) 995-3867
Scott Blake (614) 995-3867

For Immediate Release Tuesday, October 14, 2008

State Board of Education selects next state superintendent of public instruction

Columbus – This afternoon, the State Board of Education unanimously voted to appoint Deborah Delisle as the next state superintendent of public instruction.“I deeply appreciate the opportunity to work with the State Board on the selection of Deborah as our next state superintendent of public instruction,” said Governor Ted Strickland. “I believe Deborah is exactly the right person for the job at the right time. I look forward to working with her to accomplish our shared goal of building a world-class education system for Ohio students.”

Deborah Delisle replaces Susan Tave Zelman, who has served as state superintendent since 1999. Zelman announced her resignation earlier this year and will start Nov. 3 as the senior vice president of education at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in Washington, D.C.

“I am confident that Deborah will continue our strong reforms of the past decade and bring a new vision that will elevate our education system to one of world prominence,” said State Board President Jennifer L. Sheets. “We were looking for an individual that would bring together stakeholders and advocate for public education. I am certain Deborah brings the right skills and experience to lead Ohio’s education system.”

In June the State Board hired Hudepohl & Associates, a Columbus based executive search firm, to manage the search. The State Board interviewed five candidates for the position. In addition to members of the State Board, Governor Strickland’s chief of staff John Haseley and State Senator Joy Padgett served as members of the Board’s search committee.

“I am honored to be selected as state superintendent of public instruction,” said Deborah Delisle. “I am excited to jump right in and work with the State Board, governor, legislature, our districts and the many other education stakeholders to ensure our students are prepared for success in today’s global economy.”

As state superintendent, Delisle will lead and supervise the state’s elementary and secondary education system; oversee the Ohio Department of Education (ODE); administer licensing of Ohio’s early childhood through high school educators; serve as the State Board’s secretary; and manage relationships with key stakeholders, such as the governor, state legislature, chancellor of Ohio’s university system and local school districts. Delisle will start no later than Dec. 1, 2008 with an annual salary of $194,500, an option of a car allowance of $550 per month or use of a State vehicle and up to $7,500 relocation assistance for reasonable and customary expenses to facilitate her relocation to central Ohio.

Since 2003, Delisle has been the superintendent of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District. She previously held the position of associate superintendent for educational services at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District. As superintendent, Delisle implemented the district’s One to One Teaching and Learning with Technology program, which by 2012 will provide all students and teachers in grades 6 through 12 with a laptop computer for wireless learning. The program is in its pilot year this school year and recently distributed laptops to all students in the Monticello Middle School. Delisle also has partnered with two neighboring school districts to establish an International Academy, which will provide a bilingual program of English and Mandarin Chinese, and led the transformation of the Cleveland Heights High School into five small schools.

Delisle is a member of many educational associations and committees, including ODE’s International Education Advisory Committee and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators’ State Report Card Committee. She serves on the Executive Board for the Midwest Regional Lab of Learning Point Associates, Minority Student Achievement Network’s Governing Board, the Greater Cleveland Schools Superintendents Association’s Executive Board and has held the positions of Treasurer and President-Elect on the Ohio Schools’ Council.

In 2008, eSchool News named Delisle one of 10 Tech Savvy Superintendents in the nation, and she was selected as one of America’s Top Twenty Educators by Learning Magazine.

Prior to joining the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, Delisle held the positions of director of academic services, director of curriculum/professional development and elementary school principal in the West Geauga School District; language arts specialist in the Orange School District; and coordinator of the K-12 gifted/enrichment program in the Shaker Heights School District. She has also taught graduate level courses at Kent State University, Ursuline College, University of Northern Colorado and Simon Fraser University.

Delisle conducted her post-graduate work at Kent State University and Ashland University in administration and curriculum development. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Springfield College in Massachusetts and a Master’s degree in Special Education from Kent State University.

CHARTER SCHOOLS CHEAT STUDENTS

2008-10-25T19:45:00.002-04:00

Most charter schools cheating students out of a decent education

By GUIDO H. STEMPEL III

Published: Monday, October 20, 2008 12:54 PM EDT in the Athens Messenger

Ohio Department of Education report cards for this year give academic watch or emergency ratings to 76 percent of the for-profit charter schools in Ohio . None of those schools gets an excellent with distinction or excellent rating, according to figures compiled by Tom McGuire of the Ohio Fair Schools Campaign.By comparison, 17 percent of the regular public school districts are rated excellent with distinction, 34 percent are rated excellent and 1.5 percent are rated academic watch or emergency. Twelve percent of the charter schools run by school districts got excellent with distinction or excellent ratings, but 29 percent got academic watch or academic emergency ratings.These figures show that regular public schools and charter schools run by public schools are doing much better than for-profit charter schools.

Despite all the criticism of schools, public school teachers and administrators do know what they are doing and they are doing it better than the for-profit charter school operators. Parents need to understand that the public school in their district probably offers a better education for their children than the for-profit charter schools. Charter schools run by nonprofit organizations other than schools do a little better than the for-profit schools. Four percent of them are rated excellent, but 55 percent are rated academic watch or academic emergency.The good news is that only 4 percent of the school children in Ohio are enrolled in charter schools. The bad news is that 61 percent of them are in programs that have an academic watch or academic emergency rating.Percentages, however, don’t tell the whole story. We are talking about more than 46,000 students in Ohio who are getting a very poor education. This is happening because charter schools are being pushed by politicians. It is easier for them to do that than to address the problem of school funding. And politicians and education critics have sold the public on charter schools.A recent Gallup Poll shows that two-thirds of the American people think charter schools are doing a good job. Charter school advocates argue that figures like the ones cited here for Ohio are because charter schools are taking children with learning disabilities. This may explain why some charter schools are doing badly, but public schools also have students with learning disabilities.Some charter schools are doing a good job, but most are not, and it seems clear that for-profit charter schools are not the answer to providing a good education for every child in Ohio .

* * *Stempel III is a distinguished professor emeritus in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University .

A "Thank You" from Rachel Yang

2008-10-05T01:17:00.000-04:00

I'm writing to thank you and those parents who have been so supportive in my work and life here.
When I see the students "having fun" in learning Chinese, when I see how much trust they have in me, I think those are the reasons good enough for me to make every effort to help the students learn, I think those are something great enough for me to overcome the loneliness, homesickness or any difficulty I may meet here.
But when Mr Dodrill told me he got a bike for me the second day he asked you for help, when Mr Dodrill handed me the gift card, I view it a great honor and encouragement, I know I'm taken care of by many more people than I'm aware of.
Thank you again and I'll try my best to live up to your expectation.
Best ragards!

Yours sincerely,
Rachel Yang

PASS IT ON Book Swap

2008-09-28T23:55:00.001-04:00

Friends of CAHS:

Everyone in the CAHS community (and beyond!) is invited to look through their bookshelves at home. See any books that you're willing to part with? Paperbacks would be especially good, but any and all books are eligible. Bring those books to the CAHS library and drop them into the PASS IT ON collection box there. They will be placed on the special PASS IT ON bookshelves in the school library.

ALL CAHS STUDENTS are welcome to help themselves to these books ...for FREE! Once you've taken a book, maybe you'll find that you have one of your own to give away. Or maybe you'll want to pass that book on to the next person -- just drop it in the donation box again. It's RECYCLING FOR THE MIND!

Friends of CAHS is hoping that this program will provide many CAHS students with some terrific reading. So...grab a book and PASS IT ON! We need to start off the school year with the "Pass It On" shelves in the library filled to the max with books! Won't you please take a couple of minutes right now to look around your house for some books you're willing to donate? We'd like to invite you to participate in OPEN HOUSE, OPEN BOOKS -- our Fall effort to gather as many "Pass It On" books as we can.

When you come to Open House on Wednesday, October 1st, bring along some books to donate to this program. That evening, you can either drop them off in the library or at the Friends of CAHS (PTA) table in the lobby. (We'll also accept books in the collection box in the library ANY time!)

August 14, 2008 PTA Meeting Minutes

2008-09-03T19:32:00.001-04:00

MEMBER MEETING
OF THE FRIENDS OF CAHS PTA

August 14, 2008

President, Anne Hoke, called the special meeting to order at 3620 North High Street at 7:00 pm. The meeting was called to continue the discussion regarding plans for the coming school year. In attendance were eight members (constituting a quorum) and five guests, four of whom were parents and students of the Robotics Team. Stephanie Ludwig acted as Secretary. Those present introduced themselves.

Secretary's Report: The meeting minutes from August 5, 2008, which had been previously distributed, were approved.

Treasurer’s Report: Trish Geoghegan presented the proposed budget for next year. There was some discussion regarding a reduction to the revenue from Meals on Wheels.

Hospitality Committee: Michele Sherman announced that she will have breakfast food available for parents in the courtyard from 7:30am to 9:00am on the first day of school. A list was passed around to sign up to bring food and supplies, and volunteers were solicited to help with the event.

Old Business:

Robotics Team: There was discussion regarding events that had transpired over the summer regarding the Robotics Team. It was moved and seconded that appointed members of the PTA and students and parents of the Robotics Team will make an appointment to speak with Dr. Harris to address issues surrounding the continuance of the Robotics Team. It was moved and seconded that the PTA will support Chris Bradley (a Robotics Team member) and his mother when they address the School Board regarding the importance of continuing the Robotics program at CAHS.

Parent Assistant Module: Anne Hoke said that Dr. Dixon had requested that the PTA think of a name for the new Parent Assistant Module by which parents can check grades and attendance of their children online. There was brief discussion concerning a name for the program. Further discussion was tabled until the next meeting.

Pegasus Preview: Anne Hoke said that Dr. Dixon had approached her and asked her if the PTA might be able to supply and serve ice cream for Pegasus Preview. It was moved and seconded that the PTA will purchase up to $50 in ice cream for Pegasus Preview, and will serve it. Members volunteered to assist both with serving the ice cream and a membership table for the event.

New Business:

Future Academic & Social Activities: Anne Hoke asked the membership what activities should be added to the calendar for this year. There was discussion regarding a Fall Dance and a Talent Show, and a suggestion that Student Council be contacted for suggestions and input. Toni Dodge volunteered to help with a Talent Show. There was discussion regarding tutoring. Diane Maxwell suggested that the National Honor Society or another student body might be able to tutor students, and she offered to check into it. Anne Hoke will be meeting with alumni to see if there is any interest in a 30th year anniversary event. Mark Hill announced that he would like to start a father/son program to bring fathers and sons together.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 8:30pm. The next PTA meeting is September 2, 2008 in Room 128 at CAHS.

Stephanie Ludwig,
CAHS PTA Secretary

Creative Writing Class at O.S.U. for CAHS students

2008-09-03T18:58:00.001-04:00

A member of the Friends of CAHS, and a professor in OSU's creative writing department, Michelle Herman, has offered CAHS students the opportunity to attend a creative writing class at OSU. Prospective students must be interested in creative writing, majoring in English, or sitting in on an OSU English class. In addition, Arab-American writer, Diana Abu Jaber, is coming to OSU to read and talk about her books on the evening of November 5th at OSU. In 2005, Abu Jaber wrote a culinary memoir about her life in upstate New York entitled The Language of Baklava. I just finished reading her page-turning literary suspense novel, Origin, which I highly recommend. Any CAHS student who is interested in hearing Ms. Abu Jaber can get a free ticket for the event from Michelle Herman. Michelle can be contacted at herman.2@osu.edu.

Post-Secondary Enrollment Options

2008-09-01T17:47:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends of CAHS,

We understand that some CAHS sophomores are having trouble getting courses at CAHS and instead have study hall(s). We suggest that you consider Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO). Hopefully you signed a contract last March so your student will qualify. Here is more info regarding PSEO that your student must have:

1) Passed the Ohio Graduation Test

OR

2a) Accumulative Unweighted Grade Point Average (on a 4.0 Scale)
2.7 (or higher) for Seniors
3.0 (or higher) for Juniors
3.8 (or higher) for Sophomores
4.0 for Freshmen

OR

2b) ACT: Composite Score of 22 (or higher)
PLAN: Composite Score of 20 (or higher)
SAT: Combined Score (Critical Reading and Math) of 1030 (higher)
PSAT: Verbal Score of 50 and Math Score of 50 (or higher)

The PSEO Program at Columbus State Community College has been established to allow qualified high school students to take courses for:

(Option A) college credit only (student and family pay all tuition, fees, and book costs)
(Option B) both high school credit and college credit (school pays all tuition, fees, and book costs)

The PSEO Program has been designed to provide an opportunity for qualified high school students who are Ohio residents to experience more advanced academic work through regular college courses that contribute to the broad academic preparation fo the student. The high school will decide which classes will meet the student's high school graduation requirements.

Amended Substitute House Bill 282 states, "A student may not enroll in any specific college course through the program if the student has taken high school courses in the same subject area as that college course and has failed to attain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or the equivalent, in such completed high school courses."

If your student has signed a contract and is interested in the PSEO Program, please contact Kate Webster, guidance counselor at CAHS, at 365-6006 to see if there are any courses during winter or spring semester at Columbus State that your student may wish to attend.

Freshman Humanities Supply List

2008-08-19T20:39:00.002-04:00

Posted by special request from the Administration and Humanities Teachers:

All students taking the Freshman Humanities class are required to have the following materials with them each day in their Humanities class and should replenish supplies as necessary:

Stapler
Highlighters
Hole Punch
Pencils/pens (blue or black ink only)
Ruled loose leaf paper
Personal Assignment Calendar

There are several books which are supplemental to the Humanities class and should be purchased on your own or you may complete the order form handed out at Pegasus Preview and submit it along with the required fee (cash, check or money order) to the assigned Humanities teacher no later than Friday, SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. Please note the publishers and translators if you are purchasing them on your own. The supplemental books are:

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (Ballantine Books)---$7.00
Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee (Bantam Books)---$7.00
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse (Bantam Books)---$6.00
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (Anchor Books)---$11.00
The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles (Viking Press)---$16.00
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (Washington Square Press)---$6.00
Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel (Mentor Books)---$5.00

CAHS PTA Meeting Minutes- August 5, 2008

2008-08-17T13:40:00.000-04:00

Friends of CAHS PTA Minutes
August 5, 2008

The meeting was called to order at 6:30pm in the Third Floor Conference Room of the Main Library downtown. Ten paid members, and fifteen additional parents were present. Joining the members and parents were Amal Haji: President of the 2008-2009 Robotics Team, Dr. Dixon: CAHS Principal, and Mr. Qualls: CAHS Vice Principal. President, Anne Hoke led the meeting, and Stephanie Ludwig acted as Secretary.

Introductions: All those present introduced themselves. Dr. Dixon gave a brief summary of her history as an educator, and stated that such a big group of involved PTA parents was new to her. She had just reported to CAHS yesterday and was still getting acclimated to the school, but anticipated that there would be little to no changes. She stressed that she wanted to be involved in the PTA, and that she and both Vice Principals (Mr. Qualls and Mr. Dodrill) will be joining the PTA as well. Mr. Qualls introduced himself and said that his big project last year at Independence High School was to organize a Care Team of mental health providers for the care and ultimate success of the students. His immediate goal this year is to ready the previous “Welcome Center” space in the building for the incoming freshmen. He said that he would also be taking over the responsibilities of the Parent Assistant Module and the Robotics Team.

Robotics Program: Mr. Qualls said that he had met with Dr. O to discuss the Robotics team and had planned to take over the responsibility of leading the Robotics team. He indicated that he did not have an engineering or physics background, but had knowledge of computer technology. He was willing to devote a few hours after school and on the weekends to the team, and to attend competitions with them. He explained that CAHS could have an alliance with South High School, but each school would have its separate team to allow for more grant money. He indicated that funding was based on the number of students, and said that it was his impression that the team of seven were the only students which were interested in being on the team this year; he did not believe that there had been any reduction in team members for this year as suggested by a few of the parents present. Mr. Qualls said that he was trying to get a new computer lab at CAHS which could be used specifically for Robotics, and he assured parents that he and Dr. O would meet with the financial supporters.

Parent Assistant Module: Mr. Qualls explained the Parent Assistance Module piloted last spring by the parents of CAHS which allowed them to check grades, homework, credits and attendance online as well as correspond directly to the teachers via email. He noted that the only problem of which he was aware was the teachers’ lack of response during the pilot. Mr. Qualls indicated that he feels that the faculty at CAHS is very dedicated and work extremely long hours, and that they would be encouraged to use the new Module. He said that security features would be added in, and there were other features in the works to make it more user friendly including the addition of an icon on the CAHS website. Most likely, there will be several orientations for parents. Dr. Dixon asked the PTA to come up with a name for the new Parent Assistant Module.

Robotics Program: Dr. Dixon and Mr. Qualls left the meeting and further discussion among the parents, members, and Miss Haji concerning the Robotics program at CAHS ensued. Anne Hoke relayed to the group what she knew about the Robotics team: the reduction of the team this year, the initial vision of the team to be the hub in Columbus, the grant money possibly available, and information regarding the corporate sponsors. Miss Haji gave an overview of what the Robotics Team has done in the past two years. There was a lengthy discussion as to what was needed to support the team, and what the next step should be. It was decided that the issue will be revisited next Thursday to allow Dr. Dixon more time to fully digest the PTA’s concerns and work on possible solutions. Robotic team members and their parents will be invited to join the meeting on August 14th.

Internships: Julia Harrison explained the internship program to the new parents in which the upperclassmen participate every Wednesday for the entire length of the day. Typically, internship placements are not known by the students until September or October, and some are not placed due to a lack of available internships. Julia and Jeff Sherman have been working with other parents to find more internships for the students, and will meet with Mrs. Norton the week of the 18th to review her system, and possibly make suggestions for improvement.

Author Series: Anne Hoke explained the Author Series started last year by the PTA that brought authors and poets into the school for lectures to students and parents. Michelle Herman, who is head of the OSU Creative Writing Department and a member of the PTA, is looking for new authors, and a way to increase student attendance this year.

School Store: It was explained that Chaunte Banks, President of the Senior Class, approached the PTA last spring to request $500 in start-up money to start a school store in the building. The store would be run by the seniors, and the store profits would go to the Senior Class. The PTA agreed to lend the money to the seniors for the start-up (initial supplies) of the new school store, provided that Kim Dillard met with the students to explain and formulate a business plan with them. The students did meet to formulate a business plan, but their advisor, Mr. Matticola, decided to give the students a gift of $500 rather than borrow it from the PTA. A committee comprised of Kim Dillard and Jeff Sherman will meet to evaluate the pros and cons as to whether or not the CAHS bracelets, decals and t-shirts sold by the PTA should be sold through the school store, or continue to be only sold through the PTA.

Credit Recovery: Pat Enciso explained what Credit Recovery was, the problems with the program, and the strides that the PTA has taken in the past to improve the program. There was some discussion regarding the inconsistencies in the program from school to school.

Committee Descriptions: Chairmen of the Alumni Association Committee, the Grant Writing Committee, the Hospitality Committee, and the Publicity Committee, and the Activities Coordinator explained the purpose and efforts of those committees. Sign up sheets were passed around to sign up for committees.

New Blog: Greg Hoke provided an overview of the new PTA Blog which can be found at http://cahspta.blogspot.com

First Day of School and Pegasus Preview: The PTA has traditionally provided breakfast foods and refreshments for the parents the first day of school. Michele Sherman indicated that she would organize that this year. Additionally, the PTA generally provides ice cream for the Pegasus Preview held in August for the freshmen, but no one has approached the PTA for any assistance with the program this year.

The next meeting will be Thursday, August 14, 2008, 7:00pm at 3620 North High Street.

Respectfully submitted
Stephanie Ludwig,CAHS PTA Secretary

A Message from Dr. Harris: "Reading, Writing and Referendums"

2008-08-10T18:50:00.004-04:00

On August 6, 2008, Dr. Harris addressed the members and guests of the Columbus Metropolitan Club. She delivered a message regarding the progress of the Columbus City Schools and new programs instituted, including, but not limited to, the IB Program started at CAHS, expanded alternative magnet programs, the estabishment of the Virtual High School, partnerships with DeVry and other local colleges, and mentoring by local businesses.

She discussed her vision for the future, and her strategy for moving forward first with the passage of the levy and then without passage of the levy. Passage of the levy would bring more theme based schools including four more college preparatory schools, smaller class sizes, stricter math & science requirements to meet state standards, safer schools, an upgrade in textbooks and computers, newer busses, and finally the extra hour in the school day which was previously cut. Without the levy, $30,000,000 more would need to be cut from the budget which would severely impact the students future and the economic future.

Click on the link to hear her message in its entirety:
http://www.columbusmetroclub.org/Default.aspx?pageId=182168

A Farewell Message from Tammy Sensibaugh

2008-07-27T18:00:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to thank the Friends of CAHS for all the years of support in the classroom. Also, for all of the wonderful things you do for CAHS both in and out of the classroom. It was an honor and a privilege to teach your children. Do not give up on the fight for CAHS. I believe "squeaky wheels get oiled". You are the reason why downtown has added 50 academic/ gifted -talented slots to the lottery this year. Keep up the great work! I will miss the friendships I have made with both the parents and the students. I wish all of you and your children nothing but the best life has to offer. Thank you! I will miss you!

Tammy Sensibaugh,
CAHS Health & Biology Teacher