Minutes of Parent Representatives’ Meeting
Columbia Grammar and Prep School
Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 8:30 am
Evianne Cowing, Treasurer, financial update: We are still awaiting Trinity to send in their dues, while Hewitt’s may be in our mailbox. Projected deficit of $1273 is net of dues and projected fundraising (excluding the MasterCard grant) against projected expenses. We need just a few more schools to fundraise in addition to last year’s. Some ideas for fundraising include raffles, dress down day, coffee houses, recycling used cell phones and inkjet cartridges (Wendy Van Amson). Proceeds support the Holiday Carnival and Service Saturday. Discussion on Marketing JSA: The issue continues to be JSA visibility within the schools. Parents need to support the students in their fundraising efforts, help guide them through the schools’ particular procedures and approval process.
Sarah Barish-Straus, Student Coordinator: Students voted to not print Voices, but to make it available on-line instead. The Voices co-chairs and parent reps heartily approved and committed to the new approach for this spring 2009 (see below). Students also had many ideas for Service Saturday beneficiaries. Secret Santa, fulfillment of Christmas wishes sent in letters to “Santa” collected by the U.S. Post Office, was one activity with strong student interest; however, this has to be planned well in advance and can be a very expensive undertaking.
Diane Discenza, Community Services Coordinator: Service Saturday, Feb 7th, Columbia Grammar & Prep. Students will make birthday cards for God’s Love We Deliver. Suggestions are needed for new beneficiaries, preferably kid based charities. Mt. Sinai’s Kravis Children’s Hospital’s party-in-a-box last year did not require many students. Hearts of Gold, Box Project, Ronald McDonald House, Cassidy’s Place were suggestions made by parent reps as other candidates to be checked out. Wendy Van Amson, Barbara Wallner, and Martha Leitner volunteered to chaperone and help plan the event.
Colleen Pike Blair: Independent Voices: Barnes and Noble changed the date to Friday April 3, 6:30pm. Poetry submissions are due January 12th. All faculties have been notified, and teachers are very enthusiastic about Voices. Riverdale is the only school that has not responded. Outside sponsorship of this event is nearly impossible under current conditions as everyone is cutting back. The idea to “print” on-line is an ideal and “green” solution to the funding difficulties. Poetry will need to be put into “Pdf” format. Kathleen Coffey volunteered to help with layout. Content can be downloaded onto CDs for distribution, but a cover design and some kind of printing will still be needed to do this. Diane Gallagher and Colleen will handle the proofing, but more volunteers are needed for the evening of the event.
Ritu Banga, Independent Visions: A chair is still needed to spearhead this event. Marymount is arranging for the gallery space, for which we are still awaiting confirmation, and food for the reception. School faculties have been notified of the Visions schedule, submissions can be made starting in January. Evianne, as previous co-chair, offered to help with e-mailing, and we will confirm Linda German’s interest as volunteer. It was suggested that Visions also post the works on a Facebook page.
***Next Meeting: Nightingale-Bamford School
20 E 92nd Street (Fifth & Madison)
Joint Parent-Student Reps meeting:
Jan 29, 2009, 4:15pm