REMINDER: Explorer parents and staff,
Explorer Parent Organization Meeting
7:00 p.m. Monday, October 4
District 4 Firehouse on Howard (please park on street next to Prospect Point play field)
Superintendent Mick Miller will join us for part of the evening! We look forward to hearing your input.
Monday, October 4, 2010
EPO parent meeting
REMINDER: Explorer parents and staff,
Explorer Parent Organization Meeting
7:00 p.m. Monday, October 4
District 4 Firehouse on Howard (please park on street next to Prospect Point play field)
Superintendent Mick Miller will join us for part of the evening! We look forward to hearing your input.
Explorer Parent Organization Meeting
7:00 p.m. Monday, October 4
District 4 Firehouse on Howard (please park on street next to Prospect Point play field)
Superintendent Mick Miller will join us for part of the evening! We look forward to hearing your input.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
EPO Board meeting minutes: May 24, 2010
Explorer Parent Organization
Executive Board Meeting
May 24, 2010
Present: Ted Cohan, President, Sherilee Coffey, President-Elect, Cheryl Heller, Treasurer, Megan Blair-Cabasco, Secretary
Absent: Ken Norris, Co-President
Minutes from the April 26, 2010 meeting were distributed and approved.
501c-3: Currently under N.W. Gifted Child. Lawson Knight at Blue Mountain Community Foundation suggested moving to Walla Walla Parent Teacher Association. WE have to have this designation to solicit funds from grant agencies.
Cheryl provided past research on EPO 501c-3 status.
Parent survey: Megan to write a parent survey with board input to determine whether EPO should pursue 501c-3 status, assess importance of field trips, and ask for parent involvement. Surveys to be distributed via e-mail and through teachers.
EPO Purpose: Discussed whether or not EPO would serve as advisory board if it no longer provided funding for teachers and field trips.
Garrison Tropper Times: Received a request for $400.00 to continue funding contribution to school paper. The board discussed the need to make sure teachers and the board are communicating about budgeting expenses and determining student-share portion of expenses.
Executive Board Meeting
May 24, 2010
Present: Ted Cohan, President, Sherilee Coffey, President-Elect, Cheryl Heller, Treasurer, Megan Blair-Cabasco, Secretary
Absent: Ken Norris, Co-President
Minutes from the April 26, 2010 meeting were distributed and approved.
501c-3: Currently under N.W. Gifted Child. Lawson Knight at Blue Mountain Community Foundation suggested moving to Walla Walla Parent Teacher Association. WE have to have this designation to solicit funds from grant agencies.
Cheryl provided past research on EPO 501c-3 status.
Parent survey: Megan to write a parent survey with board input to determine whether EPO should pursue 501c-3 status, assess importance of field trips, and ask for parent involvement. Surveys to be distributed via e-mail and through teachers.
EPO Purpose: Discussed whether or not EPO would serve as advisory board if it no longer provided funding for teachers and field trips.
Garrison Tropper Times: Received a request for $400.00 to continue funding contribution to school paper. The board discussed the need to make sure teachers and the board are communicating about budgeting expenses and determining student-share portion of expenses.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Invitation and survey
Explorer Parents,
As the year draws to a close, we’d like to invite you to celebrate another year of great teaching and learning at the annual Explorer End-of-Year Dessert Potluck, Sunday, June 6, 7-8 p.m. in the Garrison cafeteria. Please bring a dessert (and serving utensil) to share. We look forward to seeing you there!
The Explorer Parent Organization is looking for your input and suggestions as we look to next year and the future of our group. The EPO’s mission to date has been three-fold: 1) to advocate for gifted education at the local level 2) to support and enrich the experience of Explorer students and their parents with educational and social events, and 3) to provide funding for field trips and augment classroom materials for Explorer teachers. The district supports field trips with transportation costs only and district support for classroom materials has been limited due to budget cuts.
Due to changes in state gifted education organizations, our EPO needs to apply for 501c-3 nonprofit status in order to qualify for grants to continue funding Explorer programs at the current level. The EPO Board of Directors would like your feedback before we proceed.
If we apply for 501c-3 status, we will:
• Need new/additional parent volunteers to assist with the application and ongoing tax paperwork. (Legal and/or CPA experience especially helpful.)
• Need volunteer(s) for grant writing, as well as volunteers for the EPO Board to conduct official business on a routine basis following non-profit guidelines.
• Continue funding field trips and providing teachers with funds for technology, books, and other resource materials for classrooms.
If we DO NOT apply for 501c-3 status, we will:
• No longer fund field trips or provide funds for Explorer teachers.
• No longer provide fiscal oversight for Walla Walla Valley Math Competition.
• Disband the EPO as it currently exists, perhaps replacing it with an Explorer parent advisory group without financial obligations.
What would you like to see happen? Please share your opinions with us below, and bring this form to the dessert function on June 6, or e-mail responses to Megan Blair-Cabasco, EPO Secretary, at: mbcabasco@gmail.com.
As the year draws to a close, we’d like to invite you to celebrate another year of great teaching and learning at the annual Explorer End-of-Year Dessert Potluck, Sunday, June 6, 7-8 p.m. in the Garrison cafeteria. Please bring a dessert (and serving utensil) to share. We look forward to seeing you there!
The Explorer Parent Organization is looking for your input and suggestions as we look to next year and the future of our group. The EPO’s mission to date has been three-fold: 1) to advocate for gifted education at the local level 2) to support and enrich the experience of Explorer students and their parents with educational and social events, and 3) to provide funding for field trips and augment classroom materials for Explorer teachers. The district supports field trips with transportation costs only and district support for classroom materials has been limited due to budget cuts.
Due to changes in state gifted education organizations, our EPO needs to apply for 501c-3 nonprofit status in order to qualify for grants to continue funding Explorer programs at the current level. The EPO Board of Directors would like your feedback before we proceed.
If we apply for 501c-3 status, we will:
• Need new/additional parent volunteers to assist with the application and ongoing tax paperwork. (Legal and/or CPA experience especially helpful.)
• Need volunteer(s) for grant writing, as well as volunteers for the EPO Board to conduct official business on a routine basis following non-profit guidelines.
• Continue funding field trips and providing teachers with funds for technology, books, and other resource materials for classrooms.
If we DO NOT apply for 501c-3 status, we will:
• No longer fund field trips or provide funds for Explorer teachers.
• No longer provide fiscal oversight for Walla Walla Valley Math Competition.
• Disband the EPO as it currently exists, perhaps replacing it with an Explorer parent advisory group without financial obligations.
What would you like to see happen? Please share your opinions with us below, and bring this form to the dessert function on June 6, or e-mail responses to Megan Blair-Cabasco, EPO Secretary, at: mbcabasco@gmail.com.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
EPO Board meeting minutes: Oct. 2, 2009
Explorer Parent Organization
Executive Board
Special Meeting
October 2, 2009
The meeting was called to order by President, Ted Cohan.
Present: Ted Cohan, Ken Norris, Co-Pres.; Sherilee Coffey, President-Elect; Megan Blair-Cabasco, Secretary; and Cheryl Heller, Treasurer.
Absent: None
Minutes from the August 18, 2009 board meeting were distributed and approved with noted changes.
Membership: Membership in EPO by grade is: 12 – 3rd grade families, 8 – 4th grade families, 7 – 5th grade families. Cheryl to distribute membership forms to the middle school.
Volunteer forms given to Megan to cross-check addresses, compile directory.
President’s Report: Ted met with Linda Boggs. She is willing to do a review of Explorers program now, w/o growth, within parameters of current budget and staffing. Cheryl would like to see an outside person complete the study
There is a new parent/teacher nomination form this year. New CoGat test this year resulted in increased numbers. MAP test used as a screening test as well. 3rd and 4th grade look at both math and reading scores. 5th and up look at reading scores only.
Possible training for Explorers teachers: GLAD program, differentiated process training,
There is 10% less budget for the Explorers program this year.
Substitutes required for field trip days are handled like a sick day or workshop day. Ted to follow up with Linda to clarify that district pays for substitutes for Explorer field trips.
Treasurer’s Report: CD held at American West needs to be transferred to Baker Boyer and placed under Cheryl Heller’s name (see separate minutes and approval).
Mary Cortinas to schedule 3rd grade field trip. No overnight 5th grade field trip.
6th grade – no field trip this year. 7/8th grade may go to Yakima. Field trips may not follow consistent, predictable schedule or costs.
Future field trip request forms will be due by September 30 to be considered in EPO budget process. They should include: predicted costs, student-share portion (which may increase depending on EPO budget)
Other changes to budget layout: FPS pulled out as a separate line item, field trips pulled out by grade level rather than event-specific
Budget conversations deferred to November after this year’s late (Oct. 30) deadline for field trip requests.
EPO Calendar: Sherilee to look over past calendars and consider what events we’d like to do this year. Sherilee to communicate with Becci Lund-Feistner about newsletter.
EPO Logo: Middle school students designed T-shirts with original design. Discussion of new EPO logo. Sherilee to ask David Mumm if he’d be willing to work on it.
Meeting was adjourned at ?
Executive Board
Special Meeting
October 2, 2009
The meeting was called to order by President, Ted Cohan.
Present: Ted Cohan, Ken Norris, Co-Pres.; Sherilee Coffey, President-Elect; Megan Blair-Cabasco, Secretary; and Cheryl Heller, Treasurer.
Absent: None
Minutes from the August 18, 2009 board meeting were distributed and approved with noted changes.
Membership: Membership in EPO by grade is: 12 – 3rd grade families, 8 – 4th grade families, 7 – 5th grade families. Cheryl to distribute membership forms to the middle school.
Volunteer forms given to Megan to cross-check addresses, compile directory.
President’s Report: Ted met with Linda Boggs. She is willing to do a review of Explorers program now, w/o growth, within parameters of current budget and staffing. Cheryl would like to see an outside person complete the study
There is a new parent/teacher nomination form this year. New CoGat test this year resulted in increased numbers. MAP test used as a screening test as well. 3rd and 4th grade look at both math and reading scores. 5th and up look at reading scores only.
Possible training for Explorers teachers: GLAD program, differentiated process training,
There is 10% less budget for the Explorers program this year.
Substitutes required for field trip days are handled like a sick day or workshop day. Ted to follow up with Linda to clarify that district pays for substitutes for Explorer field trips.
Treasurer’s Report: CD held at American West needs to be transferred to Baker Boyer and placed under Cheryl Heller’s name (see separate minutes and approval).
Mary Cortinas to schedule 3rd grade field trip. No overnight 5th grade field trip.
6th grade – no field trip this year. 7/8th grade may go to Yakima. Field trips may not follow consistent, predictable schedule or costs.
Future field trip request forms will be due by September 30 to be considered in EPO budget process. They should include: predicted costs, student-share portion (which may increase depending on EPO budget)
Other changes to budget layout: FPS pulled out as a separate line item, field trips pulled out by grade level rather than event-specific
Budget conversations deferred to November after this year’s late (Oct. 30) deadline for field trip requests.
EPO Calendar: Sherilee to look over past calendars and consider what events we’d like to do this year. Sherilee to communicate with Becci Lund-Feistner about newsletter.
EPO Logo: Middle school students designed T-shirts with original design. Discussion of new EPO logo. Sherilee to ask David Mumm if he’d be willing to work on it.
Meeting was adjourned at ?
Saturday, October 10, 2009
EPO Board meeting minutes: Aug. 18, 2009
Explorer Parent Organization - Executive Meeting
August 18, 2009
6 p.m.
Present: Ted Cohan (co-president), Sherilee Coffey (vice president), Beth Clearman (teacher), Mary Cortinas (teacher), Cheryl Heller (treasurer), Megan Blair-Cabasco (secretary)
Mission statement
Cheryl shared information for mission statement for EPO: 1. Help promote gifted ed 2. Help raise money to support Explorer activities 3. Socially support WWSD Explorer program
Chapter bylaws are from 1987 – need to be rewritten.
Field trips
Expense forms for field trips – to request advance down payments for lodging or field trips, to track costs, student payments, and scholarships..
Beth – Seattle field trip cancelled two years ago. Still believes lots of value in Seattle trip. District has to approve out of town overnights. Beth wants to combine with Future Problem Solvers trip so no additional transportation expense. Would be four overnights total if combined. Teaches economics and social justice topics. But the local trip last year provided good perspective on local economy. Over 2-3 days twenty different stops at different businesses in Seattle: Safeco Field, Oberto, Freestone Capital Management, recording studios, art studios etc.
Separate meeting needs to address field trips – how much funding, whether allowed by district, how to match up with curriculum.
Curriculum
As of now, curriculum at the two middle schools still needs to be matched up.
We have @90 elementary Explorer students at Sharpstein and @93 at middle schools.
Explorer entrance tests
Ted met with Linda Boggs.
Testing now weights MAP and CoGat equally. CoGat should be weighted more.
Ted—Screening may need to be re-evaluated as class numbers bumped up to 32 this year in 3rd and 4th grade. Mary sees that some kids are struggling when they get in. Not physical space for that many students. With 32 students in 3rd and 4th, this is more than 3% of the population.
Membership
EPO membership will be offered at elementary parent info nights Sept 1 & 2.
Treasurer/Fundraising
The board approved reimbursing Cheryl $350.00 for the SENG books purchased for the SENG workshop.
We need a grant writer and fundraising position. We are not an official 501C-3 organization. To receive non-local grants we need this status.
Grants are usually funded one year. Megan has agreed to write grant proposals if needed this year.
Balance as of now is $2,179.00 in EPO account. Our usual is $22,000 in income, $11,000 in expenses.
Mary bought ink and paper for class with classroom money. There will be less money for supplies coming from district.
Curriculum review
Final draft of 2000 report for middle school by district review committee – stipulated that there was Advanced Science class for middle school and Advanced Humanities. Time to do another program review. Committee from the last review was made up of Explorer parents, Explorer teachers, Judy Reault, Administrators from Garrison and Wa-Hi.
Role of EPO
Ongoing challenge for EPO is to be accessible, communicate effectively, provide support to parents and teachers, and help bridge misconception of elitism.
Mary will be hosting family nights monthly this year to highlight classroom learning and projects. EPO may not host social functions since these gatherings will provide a chance for parents to get to know each other and focus on students’ learning.
Approved 10/2/09 by Board
August 18, 2009
6 p.m.
Present: Ted Cohan (co-president), Sherilee Coffey (vice president), Beth Clearman (teacher), Mary Cortinas (teacher), Cheryl Heller (treasurer), Megan Blair-Cabasco (secretary)
Mission statement
Cheryl shared information for mission statement for EPO: 1. Help promote gifted ed 2. Help raise money to support Explorer activities 3. Socially support WWSD Explorer program
Chapter bylaws are from 1987 – need to be rewritten.
Field trips
Expense forms for field trips – to request advance down payments for lodging or field trips, to track costs, student payments, and scholarships..
Beth – Seattle field trip cancelled two years ago. Still believes lots of value in Seattle trip. District has to approve out of town overnights. Beth wants to combine with Future Problem Solvers trip so no additional transportation expense. Would be four overnights total if combined. Teaches economics and social justice topics. But the local trip last year provided good perspective on local economy. Over 2-3 days twenty different stops at different businesses in Seattle: Safeco Field, Oberto, Freestone Capital Management, recording studios, art studios etc.
Separate meeting needs to address field trips – how much funding, whether allowed by district, how to match up with curriculum.
Curriculum
As of now, curriculum at the two middle schools still needs to be matched up.
We have @90 elementary Explorer students at Sharpstein and @93 at middle schools.
Explorer entrance tests
Ted met with Linda Boggs.
Testing now weights MAP and CoGat equally. CoGat should be weighted more.
Ted—Screening may need to be re-evaluated as class numbers bumped up to 32 this year in 3rd and 4th grade. Mary sees that some kids are struggling when they get in. Not physical space for that many students. With 32 students in 3rd and 4th, this is more than 3% of the population.
Membership
EPO membership will be offered at elementary parent info nights Sept 1 & 2.
Treasurer/Fundraising
The board approved reimbursing Cheryl $350.00 for the SENG books purchased for the SENG workshop.
We need a grant writer and fundraising position. We are not an official 501C-3 organization. To receive non-local grants we need this status.
Grants are usually funded one year. Megan has agreed to write grant proposals if needed this year.
Balance as of now is $2,179.00 in EPO account. Our usual is $22,000 in income, $11,000 in expenses.
Mary bought ink and paper for class with classroom money. There will be less money for supplies coming from district.
Curriculum review
Final draft of 2000 report for middle school by district review committee – stipulated that there was Advanced Science class for middle school and Advanced Humanities. Time to do another program review. Committee from the last review was made up of Explorer parents, Explorer teachers, Judy Reault, Administrators from Garrison and Wa-Hi.
Role of EPO
Ongoing challenge for EPO is to be accessible, communicate effectively, provide support to parents and teachers, and help bridge misconception of elitism.
Mary will be hosting family nights monthly this year to highlight classroom learning and projects. EPO may not host social functions since these gatherings will provide a chance for parents to get to know each other and focus on students’ learning.
Approved 10/2/09 by Board
Monday, August 31, 2009
Welcome!
The EPO Board has been talking about embarking on this new way to communicate for quite some time. Finally, we've taken the leap--here's the EPO blog in it's barest form. Where it goes from here is up to the EPO constituency: you.
Articles from the EPO Board, members of the EPO, teachers and maybe even students will at some point grace these "pages." It will also serve as a way to answer common questions, gain consensus and discuss the issues relevant to the Explorer students.
If you have any questions about the blog and how to go about posting content, etc., contact Sherilee Coffey at sherileecoffey@gmail.com.
Ted Cohan
Ken Norris
EPO co-presidents
Articles from the EPO Board, members of the EPO, teachers and maybe even students will at some point grace these "pages." It will also serve as a way to answer common questions, gain consensus and discuss the issues relevant to the Explorer students.
If you have any questions about the blog and how to go about posting content, etc., contact Sherilee Coffey at sherileecoffey@gmail.com.
Ted Cohan
Ken Norris
EPO co-presidents
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