June 2, 2009 PTA Meeting

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

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

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

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

PTA MEETING- February 3, 2009

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

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

December 1, 2008 PTA Meeting Minutes

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

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

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

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

August 14, 2008 PTA Meeting Minutes

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

CAHS PTA Meeting Minutes- August 5, 2008

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