Sunday, October 25, 2009

Questions about the Swim for Health, Swim for Fun, Swim for Life Initiative

Questions posed by the Bath Elementary PTA Board, answered by Judy Metcalf, swim Committee Chair who attended the October 13th PTA meeting where the program was discussed. For other questions regarding the program, email Judy at metcalf442@myfairpoint.net or by phone 442-7820. To read a detailed flyer about the program and to see how you can donate towards this cause, click here.

Preliminary Questions about the School Swimming Lessons Initiative

Q. Will there be bussing from schools out of Bath? Or just Fisher-Mitchell?
A. The program will be offered throughout all of RSU1. All third and fourth graders will get a unit of swimming this academic year if our fundraising initiative is successful. The program includes bussing to and from each school.

Q.Will the program include all 3rd graders in the first year or will it be ramped up each year to include more and more kids? Should it be offered only for non-swimmers?

A. No third or fourth grader will be excluded. Our community is small enough and our certified instructors are knowledgeable enough to be able to tailor the lessons to the skills of each child, matching students with like skills with instructors.

Q. How many children in the pool at one time? What will the teacher to student ratio be?
A. This will be run by the YMCA as a swimming class. It will be properly and appropriately staffed.

Q. What about supplying towels/swimsuits with children who forget or cannot afford them?

A. Teaching the children to be responsible for their own clothes and equipment is, of course, part of the daily lesson we as parents and teachers impart to our children. That won’t be any different here. We of course expect that the lesson will require reminders and forgiveness. In those instances, our budget includes some contingency plans for extra equipment.

Q. Can parents opt their kids out of the program?
A. As Francie Tolan reminded us the other night, apparently parents can “opt “ their children out of any aspect of the required curriculum. It would be our hope that all parents would see and understand that this is a part of the physical education curriculum which opens a world of safety, health, and fun to their children, like soccer, football, archery, and track, all units of the physical education curriculum currently, do.

Q. Does the Y have enough certified instructors? Who will the instructors be?
A. Yes. The Y is a facility authorized to teach swimming of all ages. The instructors are all employees at the Y.

Q. When is the program starting? How much of the program has been funded?
A. The program will not start without our fulfilling our fundraising commitment to the RSU1. We must raise $22,000 to make that happen. We are soliciting donations from each PTA, private foundations, local and national granting organizations, private individuals, and local businesses. If each of us give according to the need and according to their ability we expect to have met our goal before Christmas break.

Q. How long will it take to bus children, shower before and after swimming, dress, dry hair, etc? How long will the actual pool time be?
A. Our committee includes two of the RSU1 elementary school gym teachers. We are also taking our cue from the fact that we are not reinventing the wheel. This has been done before, albeit for 5th graders. Many of those swimmers went on to be leaders on the Morse High School Swim teams. This is a six week program that will pose logistical challenges to those who have to make it work. Like Candy Hernandez said at your meeting last week, when it was done years ago in the schools, it was worth it and it wasn’t that hard. We can make it happen because we are focused on saving lives and making strong swimmers.

Q. Have all the teachers weighed in?
A. I am not sure what you mean by “weighed in.” I will defer to the superintendent and the teachers to answer this. As I stated the other night, the committee members who are teachers will assure that this works. That means cooperation, creativity, and contingency plans.

Q. How often will the lessons take place for each child per week, per month? How long will the swim lessons session last?
A. Please see above.

Q. Will wet towels, swim suits go back to school with children or stay at the Y?
A. They will not stay at the Y. The Y does not offer laundry services for those who use it. As with the sneakers, snowpants, and gym clothes that our children have to bring back and forth on gym or cold days, our children will need to be responsible to their parents for getting their gear back and forth.

Q. How will different levels of swimmers be handled? Will the accomplished swimmers be bored?
A. Please see above regarding swim skill allocation and attention. The lessons will be short. The students ought not to be bored if they are attentive to the lessons and the direction of the instructors and their teachers.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Minutes from the October 13th PTA Meeting

Bath Elementary PTA, 10/13/09 Meeting, Fisher Mitchell Library


PTA OFFICERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Heidi Tucker, PTA President; Geniene Marco, Fisher-Mitchell (F/M) Vice President; Heidi Franklin, Dike-Newell (D/N) Vice President; Lori Harper, Treasurer

SPECIAL GUESTS:
Karen Hawkes, Bath Bus Service; Carol McFadden, Patten Free Library; Judy Metcalf and Sandy Stenquist, Swim for Health, Swim for Life, Swim for Fun Committee


Heidi Tucker called the meeting to order at 5:27 p.m. Everyone in attendance briefly introduced themselves. Heidi talked about her vision and plans for the PTA this year. The year is off to a great start. Heidi also talked about the Mission Statement. She wants to combine everyone’s ideas for a statement on the FranklinCovey.com Mission Statement builder.

MINUTES:
The minutes of the September 22, 2009 meeting were accepted.

TREASURER’S REPORT:
Lori Harper presented the Treasurer’s Report. Expenses for the month were $229.00, income $488.00, leaving a balance of $4,625.84.

Lori also said the Meadowfarm fundraiser is looking very good. This is the PTA’s biggest fundraiser for the year.

Literacy Fund:
Candy Hernandez reported on the Literacy Fund. After several debits this month there is a balance of $4,167.99.

NEW BUSINESS:
Heidi Tucker welcomed Karen Hawkes from the Bath Bus Service. Heidi reviewed some of the concerns that were discussed previously about behavior on the school buses. Karen said it can be very difficult to watch children while driving the bus. Drivers can see about five seats behind them, and hear only three seats back. Drivers have been working hard to make paper trails when kids consistently misbehave on the bus. After paperwork is completed, students can be removed from the bus, but alternate transportation needs to be provided for them. Karen talked about different methods drivers use to get kids’ attention on the bus. She prefers using a whistle, and has had good luck getting their attention with that. The idea of having a volunteer on the bus was discussed. This would involve three hours of volunteer time daily, per bus. Concerns about volunteers were discussed. Karen said it wouldn’t hurt to have a volunteer on buses, but it needs to be consistent. The group thanked Karen for coming to the meeting and tabled the discussion until possible volunteers can be researched.

OLD BUSINESS:
Heidi updated everyone on the night at Rocky Ridge. It was a rainy night and there were not a lot of families in attendance. She reminded everyone of the upcoming Harvest Potluck and encouraged everyone to bring a carved pumpkin to the potluck to display behind the singer on stage. Heidi also reminded everyone that Sunrise Guides are available for sale with any of the PTA board members.

NEW BUSINESS CONTINUED:
Heidi reminded everyone that winter is coming and we need to replenish supplies in the winter gear banks at both schools. Boots and snow pants are the biggest need. Donations of gently used winter gear can be brought to the Potluck or dropped off at schools anytime.

Candy talked about the Book Bank at D/N. She said they have a great supply of books and have serviced 80 to 90 kids in the past.

Fisher Mitchell will be having a book sale during Parent Teacher Conferences. Books will be sold for $.25 per book.

Candy also updated everyone on the Book Fair. The fair is planned for the week before Thanksgiving at both schools. The Bath Book Shop will be providing the books again this year. The Literacy Fund and PTA will each be donating $3.00 per child, so every kid can get one free book for up to $6.00. There will be a parent night at D/N only, with two authors coming to read from their books.

Carol McFadden talked about upcoming programming at the Patten Free Library. She encouraged everyone to take advantage of the library. They have many volunteers coming in, providing a lot of enrichment for the kids. The library is a good place to go for books and entertainment.

Amy Lent informed the group that the Pirate’s Party will be on October 25th at the Maine Maritime Museum and is being put on by Morse High School students. She also mentioned the tree lighting at the Library Park is on November 28th. Children will be able to make ornaments in the library to hang on the tree before Santa comes. A food drive will also be incorporated into the festivities. Amy said they are always looking for bakers for this event and anyone who has ideas for entertainment for the kids while they wait in City Hall for Santa.

Judy Metcalf presented a new program, Swim for Health, Swim for Life, Swim for Fun, to the group. This program will provide 3rd and 4th graders in all of RSU1 the opportunity to learn to swim as part of physical education. Only one out of five children in Maine knows how to swim. Swimming is a life long sport. This program will be a six-week unit as part of PE and will be taught by qualified Bath YMCA staff. The lessons will be once a week and PE teachers will be on deck with students. Lessons will range by need, stressing safety for beginners and including pool time for the more advanced swimmers. All children will learn not to panic if they fall/jump into water. The Committee is raising $22,000 for this program, which is $77 per student and includes transportation to the Y. This program can begin as soon as January if all of the funds are raised. The Swim for Health, Swim for Life, Swim for Fun Committee is pursuing grant money and requests have been sent to local businesses and community members. The Committee is requesting $1,000 from all RSU1 PTAs. Heidi thanked Judy for her presentation and answering our questions. The PTA will wait to consider the request until the fall fundraising is complete and we will have a better understanding of our budget for the rest of the year.

Sally Brown informed the group of a recent grant D/N received for snacks. Kids at D/N will be given the opportunity to try foods they might not necessarily try. She is looking for volunteers to help organize this.

NEXT MEETING:
Next Meeting is November 10th at the Dike Newell Library.

NUMBER IN ATTENDANCE AT MEETING: 23


Minutes by Geniene Marco

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Buy this year's Sunrise Guide, get last year's for FREE (those coupons good through Dec. 2009) while supplies last!


Top 3 Reasons to Buy the Sunrise Guide from the Bath Elementary PTA:
1.) It saves you money! Coupons-worth over $5300-save you money on local, natural food & farms, dining out, gardening, home renovations, travel, health & recreation and more! To see a complete list of the 2010 coupons, click here: http://www.thesunriseguide.com/what-s-in-the-guide.html
2.) It keeps you informed! With six chapters of articles, tips and ideas-the Sunrise Guide is your comprehensive guide to living green in southern Maine
3.) Besides saving your family money when you use the coupons, your purchase of the Guide means that BEPTA gets $7.00 towards their budget, for field trips, teacher requests, etc.!!
And while supplies last, purchase the 2010 issue and you'll receive the 2009 edition for FREE, and those coupons are good through Dec. 31st!! See where I'm going with this? If it wasn't already easy to recoup your $20, now it's a guarantee!! Take this example, on your Bath Natural Market coupons alone: 2009 coupon: $10 off $30 or more 2010 coupon: $10.11 off $29.99 or more. So there, you not only paid for the guide, you gained 11 cents for yourself!!
We are only selling these guides through November 9th, so if you're interested in buying a set (last year's and this year's) for $20 see Heidi Tucker, Heidi Franklin, Geniene Marco or Mikaela Rios who all have copies handy, or email bathelementarypta@gmail.com and we'll get your copies to you. Please spread the word about this great cause!!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Bookfairs coming up at Dike Newell (Nov. 16-19) and Fisher Mitchell (Nov. 23 & 24)!

The annual Dike-Newell School Book Fair, sponsored by the Bath Elementary PTA, will be coming next month during the week of November 16-19 (the F/M Book Fair will be held in the library on Monday, November 23rd and Tuesday, November 24th). The Fair will be held in the library during regularly scheduled classes on Monday-Thursday of that week. All books will be provided by our local book store, Bath Book Shop. Every student in our school will be able to select a free book at the Book Fair thanks to the generosity of the PTA and the Literacy Support Fund! There will be a parent evening on Thursday, November 19th, in the library. Parents from Dike-Newell School and Fisher-Mitchell School are invited to come and shop for books. Two local authors, Wendy Ulmer and Frances Bloxam, will be reading from their books that evening so children are encouraged to attend. More information about the parent evening will be coming.If you can volunteer to work at the Book Fair, please select a time from the openings below and email Candy Hernandez at chernandez@rsu1.org or call the school office @ 443-8285 and leave a message about the time you have chosen.In an upcoming Dike-Newell News you will find book selections available at the Fair along with prices. Thank you as always for your support!
Volunteer Opportunities:
Monday, November 16th
10:20- 11:10 Mrs. Brown's class12:40- 1:30 Ms Gate's class1:40-2:20 Mrs. Frey's class
Tuesday, November 17th
10:20- 11:10 Mrs. Kennedy's class12:40- 1:30 Mrs. Van Orden's class1:40-2:20 Mrs. Yarlott's class
Wednesday, November 18th10:20- 11:10 Mrs. Fullerton's class12:40- 1:30 Mrs. Rogers' class1:40- 2:20 Ms Michaud's class
Thursday, November 19th1:40- 2:20 Mrs. Jalbert's class

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Agenda for Tuesday, October 13th meeting of BEPTA, meeting at the Fisher-Mitchell school


Bath Elementary PTA October 13, 2009 Meeting Agenda
6:15 p.m. social, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. meeting (7:50 more likely!)



Do you know any artists who want to provide us with a new logo that incorporates the Dike-Newell shark and the Fisher-Mitchell falcon? Encourage them to email their sample creation to bathelementarypta@gmail.com and we’ll post the ideas on our blog and vote on a new logo at our November meeting.

Thanks to Michael Tucker for taking a first stab at the logo above!

Agenda:

I. Welcome & Mission Statement Proposal (5 minutes)
(http://www.bathelementaryptablog.blogspot.com/) & www.franklincovey.com.

II. Secretary’s Report (5 minutes)

III. Treasurer’s Report (5 minutes)

IV. Old Business: Rocky Ridge event recap, Harvest Supper Potluck update, call for volunteers, Meadow Farms update, Sunrise Guide fundraiser update.
(10 minutes)

V. New Business: Winter Gear Bank & Book Bank (10 minutes), Book Fair (10 minutes), Patten Free Library presentation (10 minutes), Bus Behavior Issues (10 minutes).

VI. Fund Requests
a.) RSU1: Swim for Health, Swim for Life, Swim for Fun (15 minutes)
b.) Other

VII. Principal’s comments and public comments.

Good night and thanks for coming!!
Please comment on the blog in between meetings, and add your mission statement idea!

Next meeting is Tues., Nov. 10th at Dike-Newell.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Next Bath Elementary PTA Meeting is Tues., October 13th at the Fisher-Mitchell School library

All are welcome!! Social at 6:15 p.m., meeting starts at 6:30. Free babysitting is provided. On the agenda: Candy Hernandez talks about the Book Fair, Patten Free Library Children's Librarian Carol McFadden visits, School Bus issues, Crafting our Mission statement.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Sunrise Guide fundraiser starts Friday, October 9th!


Our totally GREEN fundraiser, the Sunrise Guide--part handbook, part coupon book--is a resource for learning about, supporting, and living in a healthy and sustainable way in Southern Maine. The 2010 SunriseGuide contains more than $5,300 in savings on local products and services, not to mention all the wonderful tips it gives you on living a healthier life. Last year the Bath Elementary PTA sold 37 copies of the guide, with $7 from each copy sold going directly to the PTA. At a list price of $20, the Sunrise Guide pretty much immediately pays for itself, once you pick the few coupons you know you'll use right away, let alone the ones you will use over the course of a year. We hope to exceed 50 copies sold this year, in which case we'll be able to keep $8 in profit from each copy sold. To buy your cop(ies) today, email bathelementarypta@gmail.com or we'll also be selling copies at the Rocky Ridge Family Night on October 9th and the Bath Elementary PTA Harvest Potluck at the Dike-Newell cafeteria on October 16th. The PTA will be selling the Sunrise Guide through Dec. 9th. Click here for a list of the valuable coupons in the 2010 Sunrise Guide!!!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Meadow Farms Fundraiser---Orders are Due October 7th, so send out those emails to family & friends if you haven't done so yet!!


Orders for the Meadow Farms Fundraising catalogs that were sent home last week are due on Fri., October 9th (not the originally published date of Oct. 7th, more days to gather orders)!! Between both Dike-Newell and Fisher-Mitchell last year, the Bath Elementary PTA benefited from an almost $9,000 commission from the sales from these catalogs, which was the majority of the PTA budget for the whole year. So, to say that the financial success of the Bath Elementary PTA depends on this sale, would NOT be an understatement. These funds were used to fund teachers' requests that allowed kids to take field trips to places like the Portland Planetarium, the Boston Museum of Science, Hawkes Farm, Bowdoin College as well as on-site visits from theater companies, Chewonki, and more. That's not to mention the $$$ the PTA gave to each child so they had $3 to spend at the book fair. So, remind your friends and family about the value of their dollar when they are considering what to purchase in the catalog, and be sure to go onto the http://www.meadowfarms.com/ website to send out an email to your friends and family who don't live nearby so they can do some online shopping and the Bath Elementary PTA still gets credit. Just make sure you find the yellow slip of paper called "on-line ordering" and it tells you how to log on and create a user name for yourself. You can customize the message in the email, and mine included a mention of how if you live local you don't need to place your order online but you can call me or give me the order, so you can avoid the shipping. Good luck!!!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Upcoming Bath Elementary PTA Family Events!!


Bath Elementary PTA Family Events: October 9th, Rocky Ridge Family Night & October 16th, Harvest Potluck Supper & Music by Folk Musician Lisa Redfern! On October 9th, from 5-6:30 p.m. the Bath Elementary PTA invites Dike-Newell and Fisher-Mitchell families to Rocky Ridge in Topsham (http://www.rockyridgeorchard.com/, 666-5786) for some Harvest activities in the form of apple picking and pumpkin harvesting! This will be a great way for families to get together and for kids to connect on a day of no school. Refreshments will be available to purchase at the Rocky Ridge store. It will also be a great opportunity for families to purchase a pumpkin that they can decorate (carve or paint) and bring to the Bath Elementary PTA Harvest Potluck Supper on Friday, October 16th. On that night, families are invited to bring a dish to share to the Dike-Newell cafeteria (if they're able) for a Harvest Supper from 5:30 - 6:30. The PTA will provide beverages. At 6:45 we're lucky to welcome our very special musical guest, recorded artist Lisa Redfern (http://www.lisaredfern.com/) who will share some family folk tunes with us during a brief concert that will last about 20-30 minutes. Families are encouraged to bring their decorated or carved pumpkins that we'll display on stage behind Lisa as she plays, and then they can be taken home. Read Lisa Redfern's bio in the paragraph below. And don't forget, the next PTA meeting is on Tues., October 13th the Fisher-Mitchell school library at 6:30 p.m. (social at 6:15). All are invited!!

More about Lisa Redfern....

Lisa Redfern is an award winning singer-songwriter who recently moved backto Maine from the San Francisco Bay area. She was raised in Maine andfirst performed with her father, Bob, who taught her to play guitar at age14. Bob was a folksinger who had his musical beginnings at the legendarySeeger family hootenannies in Washington, DC in the late 1950’s and early1960’s. Throughout her high school and college years she honed her talentsin a variety of settings such as musical theatre, forming her own folktrios as well as an Andrews Sisters tribute group.
With seven solo recordings to her credit so far (including, “Hushabye,Lullaby” which has sold more than 50,000 copies) she is asinger-songwriter who blends her roots in folk, bluegrass, country,gospel, blues, and swing to create something unmistakably her own. Lisa’sseven recordings have garnered positive critical review, extensive radioplay and she has also made several TV appearances. She has added herclear, beautiful voice to dozens of other artists’ projects and songcompilations and has performed with many notables including Pete Seeger,Dave Mallett and The Roches.
A versatile vocalist comfortable in many styles, Lisa is also anexperienced wedding/church soloist and children’s concert performer. As avoice-over artist she can be heard speaking and singing on several toysfor Fisher Price and Play Along Toys. For the past twenty summers Lisa hasappeared at the much beloved Sweet Chariot Music Festival on Swan’sIsland, Maine and she continues to perform and record.
Click on this link to sample some of Lisa's amazing music! http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/redfern2