Meeting Minutes

March 9, 2023 12:00 p.m. - 1:10 p.m., Via Zoom

Attendees: Emma Butler, Allyson Couch, Paul Waller, Tim Badenhop, Kelly Owens, Traci Hale, Laura Weaver, Theo Rich, Darcy Plunkett, Amanda Robb, Jennifer Almoney, Linda Woods, Michelle Sayer, Chris Hoffman

PTO President’s Welcome – Emma Butler

Superintendent’s Report – Allyson Couch

1.     Construction update – 2 weeks behind on construction due to wet weather this winter; everything else going well with construction; working with arborist to ensure that memorial tree is not damaged

2.     Dr. Neil Gupta has been named superintendent – setting up tours with building principals; will be attending some district events

3.     Greenhouse – funded by class of ‘72, OSF grant, and OHS building budget money; work to rehab greenhouse may start in the summer or beginning of next school year

High School Principal’s Report – Paul Waller

1.     Spring break coming up – code of conduct for students in athletics and extracurricular activities is still in place, even when students are on vacation

2.     April 12–13, 25–28 – state testing; 2-hour late start for those who are testing; students who are not testing will not attend on those days; students will be notified of testing schedule

3.     April 30 – Dayton Dragon’s game; block of seats reserved; fundraiser for OHS

4.     May 4 @ 7:30pm – senior parent Zoom meeting; discuss end-of-year events for seniors

5.     May 3 – Cherry Pie Concert

6.     May 6 – prom @ Dayton Art Institute (next year’s prom at The Arcade)

7.     May 10 – OHS choir

8.     May 11 – daytime awards

 Junior High Principal’s Report – Tim Badenhop

1.     State testing – 7^th graders will take English and math (2 days where they come 2 hrs late); 8^th graders will take English, math, and  science (1 day where they come in 2 hrs late); students will be notified of testing schedule; all OJH students come in late on April 25; 7^th graders come in late on April 26

2.     May 8 and 9 – 6^th graders from Harman and Smith scheduled to tour OJH building

3.     May 10 – success breakfast

4.     May 18 – after-school awards; discussion about best starting time that would work for most families; in the past it’s been 7pm start; considering 6:30pm start

5.     Construction update – concrete trucks onsite pouring footings over next several weeks; mason work will be starting

Staff Liaison’s Report – Kelly Owens

1.     ACT and pre-ACT went really well

2.     Scholarship season – OSF scholarships closed; other local scholarship opportunities are available

3.     Scheduling – course requests loaded in for next year; tallying number of sections needed; always try hard to honor students’ course requests; OHS students to receive schedules before end of year

4.     April 10 – College Connection event in the process of being planned at OSU; teacher reps, counselors, Dr. Waller, and Dr. Lange meet college professors, admissions, and/or counseling centers to make sure students are prepared for college; OHS alums attending OSU attend a dinner where they are given a survey to make sure OHS students are prepared for college; teachers bring back information to their departments

Treasurer’s Report and Store Rewards – Theo Rich

1.     Expenses: $6,500 for grants, $60 for success breakfast, $1,196 for staff fall luncheon, $1,224 for staff holiday luncheon, $499 for conference dinners, $80 for curriculum night (may be outstanding invoices for this event), $1,590 for directory printing and design, will be reimbursing miscellaneous expenses as the year continues to progress

2.     Currently have approx. $19K in bank; estimated just under $5K for remaining budgeted expenses; at end of school year, will have $14–14.5K in bank

3.     Revenue: brought in $12,756 for membership; $737 for DLM Good Neighbor Program; $501 for Kroger Rewards with more to come this year; $231 for Amazon Smile (which is discontinuing rewards program)

Presentation of 2023–2024 Budget and Vote – Theo Rich

1.     Proposed budget of $16.5K for next school year was presented and approved unanimously

Planning for Next Year – Emma Butler

1.     Discussion of conducting Zoom meetings vs. in-person meetings vs. blend of Zoom/in-person meeting for next year’s PTO meetings

2.     Suggestion for PTO social event outside of new-member breakfast

3.     Exec board will be reaching out to current PTO chairs to thank them for their volunteerism and to see whether they would like to continue in their volunteer position next school year

4.     Career Day not scheduled to occur this year, but planning to have next year

Oakwood Schools Foundation Report – Jamie Mhaskar via Emma Butler

1.     FLOURISH - A Campaign for Oakwood’s Performing & Visual Arts

• Construction is in progress for the Rick and Jane Schwartz Performing Arts Wing and is scheduled through December 2023. Work is currently underway on the footers and foundation for the building.
  • Fundraising will continue through 2023 through a variety of volunteer-led efforts including:
  • $35k matching gift for donations made toward naming the Alumni Band Room
  • Come see us at our Reception Room at OFAB’s Young @ Art on March 18 in the teacher’s work room. Thank you to OFAB for this opportunity to share information about the campaign.
• In-home hosted reception events
• Community Appreciation School Tours on April 29
• Oakwood Schools Foundation Summer Fundraiser event on June 30
• If you are interested in volunteering to support FLOURISH fundraising efforts, please contact OSF Development Chair Amy Martin - amy@oakwoodschoolsfoundation.org

2.     The Parker Love of Teaching and Lifelong Learning Award is accepting nominations until March 15. The nominee must currently be an Oakwood teacher and have taught at Oakwood for five years. You can see other criteria and submit your nomination on the Oakwood Schools Foundation website - search Parker Award. You may submit more than one nomination. The recipient will be recognized at a surprise ceremony at the end of the school year.

3.     The Annual Harlamert Entrepreneurship Competition Over 20 students will be recognized at a breakfast on March 21 and receive prize money for their essay submissions. Founded in 2010 by the late Judge Irvin Harlamert OHS ‘48, the annual competition is open to all OHS students.

4.     The Scholarship Portal closed March 3. OSF scholarship applications are being reviewed, and this process is managed/overseen by The Dayton Foundation and OHS Guidance.

5.     Jessup Wealth Management is offering Financial Strategies for Successful Retirement® Will be located at OHS, and the proceeds benefit the OSF. The Q2 Series is four weeks long and is offered Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning April 4. The cost is $69, and registration is available on the OSF website under About Us > Community Partnerships.

6.     If you are interested in joining OSF as a volunteer, we would love to talk with you. Please contact Ashley Hackett, HR Committee Chair, at ashley@oakwoodschoolsfoundation.org.

Committee Reports/Upcoming Events

1.     Teacher Grants – Jennifer Almoney reported $6,500 budget was successfully spent; collaboratively planned with OSF, Oakwood Fine Arts Boosters, and PTOs; math dept. grant for $3,300 for additional Whiteboard space; grant for $560 Amanda Ammer for Lego globe and world map for history classes; $4,216 requested by Amy Ostdiek for Playaways—$2,640 funded by PTO and remaining balance funded by OSF

2.     Curriculum Night – huge success; Karen Lindsey was PTO chair for this event

3.     Teacher Appreciation Event – Pi Day event on March 14

4.     Social Media – two chairs starting Facebook page and Instagram account to establish social media presence for PTO; will post PTO meeting agendas; will provide platform to ask community members to sign up for store rewards programs

In the Know Questions

1.     Progress Book/GPA

Is there a way to set up ProgressBook to report the second-semester cumulative average?

a.     Tim Badenhop – will check into whether it’s possible to add option for semester-to-date grade

Could we set up a GPA calculator on the website so students can calculate their own GPA?

a.       Paul Waller – quarter, semester, and year-to-date grades are on actual report cards; for a GPA calculator, student/parent would need to enter all high school grades, so it might be challenging to do; not sure how this could be done (may not have access to CCP course grades at the time when trying to calculate GPA)

b.       Tim Badenhop – GPA difficult to calculate with PE quarter grades and CCP grades; would be complicated to use

c.        Kelly Owens – cumulative GPAs calculated on semester grades; cumulative GPA changes only after 2^nd and 4^th quarters (at end of each semester)

Can we put the report cards on ProgressBook?

a.       Paul Waller – checking with Meta Solutions (runs ProgressBook) into whether OHS report cards can be posted on ProgressBook; quarter, semester, and year-to-date grades are on actual report cards

b.       Tim Badenhop – OJH report cards can be viewed in ProgressBook

2.     Honor Roll and High Honor Roll – What are the distinctions for both honor rolls?

a.     This information is in the student handbook, which is on the district website.

b.     Tim Badenhop – 3.750 and above for high honor roll; 3.0–3.749 and above for honor roll at OJH

c.     Paul Waller – 3.750 and above for high honor roll; 3.5–3.749 for honor roll at OHS

3.     Courses – What is the process to determine which classes are added or eliminated each hear?

a.     Paul Waller – courses are audited on a 5-year cycle (led by Dr. Lange); outside experts brought in to look at curriculum, textbooks, and course offerings and then offer recommendations; classes such as electives and engineering classes may be offered on a rotation; some courses may be offered by may not have enough enrollment for the class to move forward; typically a 2-year process for adding new courses; discontinuing courses may be recommended during audit

b.     Tim Badenhop – external factors may also affect course offerings; state may pass new requirement for class offerings; staff may suggest new course offerings; change in staffing can impact course offerings, such as a PE teacher leaving last year and a waiver being put in place

January 12, 2023 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., Via Zoom

Attendees: Emma Butler, Allyson Couch, Paul Waller, Tim Badenhop, Kelly Owens, Traci Hale, Theo Rich, Jamie Mhaskar, Laura Weaver, Michelle Sayer, Ben Boehm, Elisabeth Ludwig

PTO President Welcome – Emma Butler

Superintendent’s Report – Allyson Couch

1.     Harman principal hired in 2008. Moved to Director of Educational Services 8 years ago. Has been with the district 14 years.

2.     Superintendent Search – The cabinet and board will start screening candidates. In 2 weeks, staff, parents, and stakeholders will interview candidates. A week following that, we will hold a meet and greet for the community. Dates and times will be shared soon.

3.     Construction Update – Limited parking behind the high school. Please park in other locations. Abatement should be finished today. Concrete pad will be poured soon. Still on schedule.

High School Principal’s Report – Paul Waller

1.     Happy New Year and thank you to Allyson. She is doing a great job filling in as interim superintendent. Thank you to the PTO for the holiday lunch. The monthly PTO appreciation days are a huge hit with the whole staff.

2.     PTO sponsored Curriculum Night is Thursday, February 2^nd 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM in the West Gym. It is an open house opportunity for parents and students to talk to teachers and ask questions and think about planning even for the next few years. Also, February 2, 8^th grade parent meeting 5:30 PM in the auditorium. Also, February 2, College Credit Plus (CCP) meeting at 6:45 PM – 7:15 PM in the auditorium. Representatives from Sinclair will be there to answer questions about CCP.

3.     Junior Experience – February 16^th Sponsored by the Foundation and Alumni Association. Similar to Freshman challenge. Students work together to think about college and after high school planning. Guest speakers, team building, legal aspects of turning 18. Senior students lead the groups. Heidi Edwards organizes this event.

Junior High Principal’s Report – Tim Badenhop

1.     Thank you to the PTO for the luncheons. It was nice to have the students singing at the winter luncheon.

2.     Bike Racks installed courtesy of PTO. Please encourage your students to lock their bikes. All bikes stolen were not locked up.

3.     Success Breakfast – Held in December. Laura Woeste and Sharon Neumeister organized. A great event to recognize our wonderful students.

4.     Blue Ribbon Celebration – PTO donated the quarter zips and those were ordered by Laura Weaver.

5.     Construction – Mrs. Leibig’s room needed to be moved as well as the Junior High boys’ restroom, and some lockers. These short-term inconveniences will lead to the great spaces that the school will have next fall or winter. Students have adjusted well. Groundbreaking was a great event.

6.     Junior High Play – Next week. Friday and Saturday shows. Amy Askins is the director and instead of one full length show, it will be two one-act plays back-to-back which will give more students more opportunities for bigger roles.

7.     Junior High Conference Night – February 2^nd

8.     Junior High Silent Disco – February 3^rd High School basketball game that night so the disco was moved to earlier.

9.     Washington DC – President’s Day week. Our 8^th grade cohort is 30 students smaller than is typical, so less kids signed up for the trip. Jennifer Simpson worked out a deal with the trip company to not have to raise the price significantly.

10.  The High School band and orchestra will do a presentation for the elementary students to give them an opportunity to see the instruments and know what musical opportunities are available.

Staff Liaison’s Report – Kelly Owens

1.     Seniors – Guidance met with them last month.

2.     The Oakwood Schools Foundation Scholarships are up and available.

3.     Dayton/Montgomery County Scholarships will be released soon. These are need-based. Other scholarships will also be available soon.

4.     Junior meetings this week in English classes. Reminding them about graduation requirements and college application season process. Guidance is also in support of students not going to college. Appreciate English teachers for allowing guidance to borrow their class time.

5.     Assessments through Naviance with 9^th and 10^th graders coming up.

6.     Centerville High School Career Expo – Guidance took 30 kids today to tour the career tech programs. Sophomores heard a presentation from the Fairmont and Centerville Career Ed principals. We will tour Fairmont on January 27^th. Tonight, Centerville will have a family career expo to talk to teachers. Fairmont’s family career expo is January 30^th.

7.     Scheduling is coming up – Curriculum night Feb 2^nd. February 6^th during advisory days, counselors will be going over program of study with the students. On another advisory day, counselors will go through the process that students will use to submit their schedule request.

8.     All Juniors will take the ACT February 28^th during the school day. They do not have to register for nor pay for this. Oakwood does not administer the SAT. Sophomores will take the PSAT that day as well.

9.     MADDY – Make A Difference Daily in our Youth. This Professional Learning Community (PLC) includes 30 teachers, and PTO has offered to provide a speaker for this. They are working on which speaker to request. Bridget Fiore and Kelly will reach out to Jennifer Almoney with their decision soon. We want to help students struggling with mental health. We want to come together as a community to help our students navigate these difficult times. May use the book “Thrivers” to help guide our curriculum to help our students build self-esteem and confidence.

10.  Junior Parent Scheduling meetings – Parents can contact their child’s counselor to set up a meeting for mid-February.

Emma Butler – Grants

1.     The OSF teacher grant window closes January 20^th.  Could be a possible partnership with PTO and OSF to provide support to guidance. Please remind teachers that the grant deadline is closing. Only 2 requests so far.

Treasurer’s Report and Store Rewards – Theo Rich

1.     Account Balance – Approximately $25,000 in the bank. An unexpected $425 came in. Teachers donated because they received a free directory. DLM good neighbor rewards will be in mid-January. Will fall short of $1,750 goal, we are going to improve this number is 2023. The staff holiday luncheon was $826 but could be outstanding invoices. $1,200 is budgeted for this. PTO donated $150 ad in the Acorn. The Blue Ribbon ¼ zips were $1,250. PTO donated $5,000 to Flourish. PTO donated $1,700 for bike racks. The remaining budgeted expenses are $12,000. PTO should have $15,000 left. PTO will meet to discuss the remaining amount and how to spend it. Thank you to Traci Hale for organizing the event for Dr. Ramey and Todd Duwel.

Committee Reports/Upcoming Events

1.     Junior High Success Breakfast – Thank you to Sharon Neumister and Laura Woeste.  Another event May 10^th.

2.     Blue Ribbon Celebration – Thank you to Laura Weaver for coordinating and ordering the ¼ zips.

3.     Holiday Luncheon – Thank you to Margo Hadley and committee. Great job as always.

4.     Holiday Teacher Appreciation Event – Thank you to Sue Usechak and Mackensie Wittmer. “Cookies and Coffee” was awesome. Another event will be held at the end of January.

5.     Curriculum Night – Karen Lindsey will organize.

6.     Teacher Grants – Jennifer Almoney heads this up. PTO has money we would love to donate.

In the Know Questions

1.     Is there a way for students or parents to report something anonymously to the school?

a.     Traci Hale – Oakwood is a part of the state’s Safe Schools Hotline since 2018. It’s a part of the Safe Students’ Act that every public school in the state must have an anonymous tip line. 24 hours a day/7 days a week.  Can text or call. Psychologists and law enforcement man the phone calls. They report back to the district or the specific building. Anyone can report on any safety issue that they are concerned about, not just active shooter concerns. Safer Ohio now follows up with districts annually to check to see how the districts followed up on the concerns they received. Safer Ohio is adding a live dashboard this summer so that districts have instant access to reports filed. The information on the tip line is in every newsletter that goes out from Oakwood at the start of each month, on the website, and on the student announcements. New signage will go up in the building as well.

2.     Question from Ben Boehm – How do parents report non-safety issues anonymously?

a.     Tim Badenhop – If not a safety issue, the correct starting point is contacting the teacher. There are ways of giving us anonymous information if necessary.

b.     Allyson Couch – There are other avenues of getting those issues to us, such as anonymous emails. However, you may be directed back to the teacher.

c.     Paul Waller – Parents can always call and talk if necessary.

3.     What is the expectation for turn-around time from teachers regarding communication and grades?

a.     Paul Waller – There is not a district policy, however by 1 week or sooner is expected. A big project may take longer, but the teacher will communicate that with the students. If there is an issue, please let the teacher know. It could be a computer issue. If it remains an issue, please let us know and we will check progress book and follow up with the teacher.

b.     Tim Badenhop – When students submit make-up work due to an absence, the teacher may not receive a notification of that right away. So, the student should notify the teacher when they submit the make-up work.

Emma Butler – Kristen Pennington wants to give a special thank you to Steve Stanley who has been coaching the speech and debate team for the last 3 years and wants to recognize him. He is 100% volunteer. The PTO will be planning something to recognize volunteers like this. Paul Waller agrees and says he’s an amazing person.

November 10, 2022 (12:00–1:05 pm), Via Zoom

Attendees: Kyle Ramey, Paul Waller, Tim Badenhop, Kelly Owens, Traci Hale, Allyson Couch, Emma Butler, Theo Rich, Jamie Mhaskar, Laura Weaver, Jennifer Almoney, Elisabeth Ludwig, Amanda Robb, Michelle Sayer, Alexandra Cortes

PTO President Welcome – Emma Butler
1. Three PTO initiatives at the beginning of the 2022–2023 school year:

a.     two additional bike racks for school (approx. $1,700)

b.    celebration for OJH being named a National Blue Ribbon School; Laura Weaver has been working with Tim Badenhop to plan the celebration; PTO will fund purchase of ¼-zip sweatshirts for teachers (approx. $1,200).

c.    donation to Flourish campaign ($5,000, which will be matched by a private donor)

2. PTO is seeking a volunteer to maintain an OJH/OHS Facebook page.

Superintendent’s Report – Kyle Ramey
1. Congratulations to OJH for being named a National Blue Ribbon School!

2. The Permanent Improvement levy passed. Funds go to general infrastructure and upkeep.

3. The Flourish campaign continues to move forward.

4. New board member: Debbie DiLorenzo will replace Todd Duwel, who will resign Dec. 29, 2022.

5. Effective Jan. 1, 2023, Allyson Couch will be the interim superintendent while the Board of Education searches for a new superintendent.

6. The Board is committed to seeking community input regarding the superintendent search. There are multiple ways to submit input, including surveys (can be submitted digitally via district website, and community members can also submit a hard copy), community meetings (Nov. 21 at 1 pm at Wright Library, Nov. 21 at 6:30 pm at Wright Library, Nov. 29 at 1 pm at Wright Library, and Nov. 29 at 6:30 pm in OHS Auditorium), and focus groups (PTOs, Boosters, fine arts groups, and other community groups will take part). The superintendent search timeline is online. There are many opportunities to get involved and contribute input.
https://www.oakwoodschools.org/district/board-of-education/2022-superintendent-search

High School Principal’s Report – Paul Waller
1. Thank you for the soup meal provided for staff by the PTO.
2. OHS sports: Bella Butler – state champion at cross country. Both boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams ran at state, and both soccer teams did well.
3. The Freshman Challenge (focus: team-building activity) was run by Mrs. Fiore. Mrs. Jivens’s team won.
4. Data from the State of Ohio report card looks good. Results: 5-star rating; exceeds expected learning in all categories.
5. The PTO Staff Holiday Luncheon Committee will be hosting a lunch for staff on Dec. 16.
6. The PTO-sponsored curriculum night will be on Feb. 2.
7. OHS continues to provide support for students’ social-emotional well-being. Received SEL grant to help support students (Brian South is the student resiliency coordinator).

Junior High Principal’s Report – Tim Badenhop
1. OJH staff is reflecting on social-emotional gaps occurring over the past two years due to the pandemic. They are planning opportunities to provide experiences to help prepare students for high school in coordination with the student resiliency coordinator.

2. The PTO-funded bike racks were delivered on Tuesday and have been assembled. Mr. Badenhop will send an email to all students to alert them of the bike racks’ installation.

3. Schools received great input from summer surveys. OJH is leaning toward an in-person awards assembly during which students will be recognized for their accomplishments.

4. Planning for construction to begin in coordination with the Flourish campaign.

5. Dr. Ramey and Mr. Badenhop attended the ceremony in Washington, D.C, for recognition of OJH as a National Blue Ribbon School. In all, 297 elementary, junior high, and high schools across the nation were recognized this year (13 schools in Ohio, out of about 3,300 schools in Ohio, were recognized). They are planning a meaningful and memorable celebration for students, which is projected to occur in Nov. or Dec.

Staff Liaison’s Report – Kelly Owens
1. As of Nov. 2, 1,025 college applications have been processed. The colleges with the most applications are: Miami (62), OSU (high 50s), UC (high 50s), and UD (high 50s).

2. The high school counselors will hold small-group meetings with freshmen (Nov. 18) and sophomores (Nov. 21) during English classes.

3. The counselors have attended info. sessions hosted by colleges where they can share ideas with colleagues from other schools.

4. OHS hosted many college reps throughout the fall.

5. The application window for the Dayton Montgomery County scholarship (a need-based scholarship) will open Dec. 16. This is a renewal scholarship. Our school is guaranteed one scholarship.

6. The application for other local scholarships will open in Jan. 2023. Students will receive notice of scholarship opportunities via emails, newsletters, and Google Classroom.

Treasurer’s Report and Store Rewards – Theo Rich
1. The PTO’s current bank balance with Chase is $27,040, and the PTO has remaining planned expenses of $13,000. In addition, we will fund the ¼-zip sweatshirts for the Blue Ribbon ceremony, planned for $1,250. The total for planned remaining expenses is $14,175.

2. The estimated year-end forecast balance for the PTO is $12,865 if we do not realize any more revenue. Of course, there will be some Kroger Rewards dollars received as well as store rewards from DLM, but those amounts have followed a trend of decreasing annually.

3. Membership is down by $1,167 this year.

4 Due to the surplus from reduced spending in past years due to COVID-19,  during the 2022–2023 school year, the PTO will be spending an estimated $24,390 for Oakwood High School and Junior High School.

5. For the month of October, our income was $28.91, which was from a directory straggler. In addition to the Flourish campaign donation and bike rack dollars spent, we paid the invoice for directory printing and design for $1,590.

6. Also this month, Theo completed the federal tax 990N form. Our PTO did not owe anything since our balance was less than $25K on July 31, 2022.

7. Lastly, Membership Tool Kit (the company that manages our directory) is switching vendors from PayPal to LumaPay. The PTO is working together to manage the transition, and we will be in good shape by the time the next directory cycle happens.

Committee Reports:
Teacher Grants – Jennifer Almoney
1. One grant came through during the fall cycle. It originated from the Hope Squad, which is figuring out their specific needs. PTO plans to fund a speaker (approx. $3,000, possibly; Maddy Holleran’s sister (novel What Made Maddy Run). The Hope Squad may also seek seed money to launch a fundraiser.

Teacher Appreciation – Jamie Mhaskar (presenting for Co-Chairs Sue Usechak & Mackenzie Wittmer)
1. Thank you to parent volunteers who donated to the Soups On! meal for the teachers.

2. Throughout the year, Sue and Mackenzie will provide vases of flowers to honor staff members.

3. The next teacher appreciation event (cookie bar, date TBD). A sign-up genius will be sent out closer to the event.

Store Rewards  – Jamie Mhaskar
1. The schools receive store rewards dollars from Amazon Smile, Kroger, and DLM. There are links and QR codes for each on the district website.

In the Know Question – Kelly Owens
How should students be using Naviance each year of school? How can parents be more supportive and aware of what students should be doing?

1. Naviance is a college-career and life-readiness platform. Our district has used the application for many years. Students can input their extracurricular activities into Naviance each year. They can also list colleges in which they are interested. In addition, students can look at data from past Oakwood students as well as national averages to see how students have fared when applying to colleges.

2. Students’ use of Naviance begins in junior high, when they learn to log in to access their student accounts. Students complete a career cluster and career interest profiler in junior high.

3. Naviance utilization becomes increasingly more important each year, through senior year. Freshmen complete the achieve works personality activity in Naviance. Sophomores complete the cluster finder activity to identify interests. Throughout high school, students should be logging their extracurricular activities in the platform to help build their resume (which is helpful when filling out college applications and for scholarship consideration). Through Naviance, students learn of scholarship opportunities. College visits are also managed through the platform.

4. Parents do not have a Naviance login. Email addresses for parents can be added to a student’s profile.

5. In Feb./March 2023, there will be a junior parent questionnaire and junior student questionnaire (which help school counselors to write recommendation letters).

6. Parchment is the platform used for submitting college applications.

Sept. 8, 2022 12:00 p.m. - 1:05 p.m., Via Zoom

Attendees: Emma Butler, Kyle Ramey, Paul Waller, Tim Badenhop, Kelly Owens, Traci Hale, Theo Rich, Jamie Mhaskar, Lori Flannery, Laura Weaver, Darcy Plunkett, Amanda Robb, Elisabeth Ludwig, Allison Silvain, Amy Askins (others were in attendance as well)

PTO President Welcome – Emma Butler

Superintendent’s Report – Kyle Ramey

• The school year is off to a great start.
• New Hires/Internal Moves
  • Assistant Treasurer – Laura Connor
  • Director of Athletics and Student Activities – Tyler Rhodus
  • Special Education Supervisor and Lange Principal – Suzanne Batten
  • Operations Coordinator/Business Manager – Frank Eaton
  • Treasurer – Laura Sauber
• Superintendent search – The Board of Education has started the process. An update was given at the August BOE meeting, and another update will be given at the Monday, September 12 BOE meeting. The BOE will be looking for an interim superintendent for January 1 – July. Dr. Ramey’s last day will be December 29. The BOE will name the interim superintendent in October. In November, education consultants from K-12 Business Consulting will begin to engage the community for input. In December, K-12 will put together a profile and post the listing in December, followed by a screening process and interviews. The process will also incorporate involvement from staff, students, parents, and the community. The decision should be made by April, allowing for 2–3 months of transition time between the interim and the new superintendent. The final decision rests with the five members of the BOE. Updates will be provided on the BOE website.

High School Principal’s Report – Paul Waller

• Great start to the year, and open house was busy. Thanked PTO for sponsoring open house.
• Picture Day is Sept. 14.
• Homecoming parade and bonfire Monday, Sept. 19 at 6:00 p.m. The dance is Saturday, Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m., in the West Gym. Homecoming tours will be Saturday morning.
• Parent–teacher conferences are Sept. 21, 4:00 p.m.  – 7:00 p.m. Teachers can accommodate other times if necessary.
• The students are doing a great job!

Junior High Principal’s Report – Tim Badenhop

Fantastic start to the year.

• 7^th grade orientation changed the format this year to focus on the main apprehensions students face led by Hilary Waugh, Kristie Savino, and Sally Harper. The new format was met with positive feedback from students.
• The activities fair went well. There are even more clubs than before the pandemic. Encourage your kids to get involved! Some clubs have already begun to meet. Many students are starting their own clubs.
• Student Council election is Sept. 9.
• The dance is Sept. 30, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., in the West Gym. Student Council will select the theme.
• Parent–teacher conferences are Sept. 21, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Teachers will contact parents if there is a conference needed. Parents can request a conference as well.
• The 8^th Grade band and orchestra concert will be Oct. 11 at 7:00 p.m. The choir and a cappella concert will be Oct. 13 at 7:00 p.m..
• The lunch has returned to the pre-pandemic format. À la carte items are available as well as a combo meal for $4, and a varying premium entrée provided daily. Monday is Chick-fil-A and Donatos Pizza. Tuesday was Fusion Sushi, but will they are no longer able to provide lunches, so an alternate will be announced. Wednesday is Hunny Bee’s. Thursday is Skyline, and Friday is Donatos Pizza. Everyday items available are Uncrustables, salad, ice cream, and sandwiches. Salad bar on Tuesday/Thursday. Some students go home and some pack. Please contact Mr. Badenhop with any suggestions or questions about lunch. He oversees OJHS and OHS lunches. The students can sit in the cafeteria, outside, or upstairs in the Pit but need to remember to clean up after themselves. The HS gets out early for lunch on Tuesday/Thursday, so the lines should be shorter those days.

Staff Liaison’s Report – Kelly Owens

• Counselors came back Aug. 8. We had meaningful orientations and are working through schedule changes the first two weeks of school. The financial aid meeting was virtual this year and can be viewed on the guidance website. Guidance is conducting senior conferences now. The 11^th and 12^th grade meetings were in person. The 9^th and 10^th grade meetings will be pre-recorded and available at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 21.
• College reps are coming in now. Denison is today (9/8). Colleges are starting to host lunches and dinners again for school counselors. Gabriel Brown, the admission rep from Notre Dame, approached Kelly to have Oakwood host the Notre Dame information session at OHS. It will be Sept. 15, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Allison Silvain asked if Kelly could add college visit dates to the announcements, and Kelly said they could be added in the future. Information about college rep visits can be found in Naviance.
• The teachers are reading a book called What Made Maddy Run, which is a sobering look at student pressures. They are discussing ways to best support students. Kelly thanked Dr. Waller for providing the books to the teachers. Emma Butler mentioned that the girls’ soccer team is also reading the book.

Communications Report – Traci Hale

• Thank you for taking part in the surveys this summer. Many families are reading the newsletter on their phones, so the format needed to change. Updates are continuously incorporated into the newsletter. There is an uptick in the open and click rates on the newsletter. People seem to prefer buttons to make access easier. Each school now has a “Menu” link. Hungry Jack Café has its own page. The announcements button is now being sent in email each day through Ax Media. The district has created more help videos. 10–15 folks were not receiving the newsletter because they have Hotmail accounts. Hotmail was taken over by Outlook, and many Hotmail users are not receiving various emails in general. Allison Silvain asked if the communication survey data would be shared. Traci said they are sharing the numbers in various way, but that they do not expect to send out one giant report. They are making changes based on the feedback. Mr. Badenhop is also making changes to his newsletter based on the feedback from the surveys. Parents can merge the district and school calendar to their own personal calendar.

Treasurer’s Report and Store Rewards – Theo Rich

• We have a goal of $13,500 for membership. So far it looks like we may be short by about $1,600. We receive 93% of membership through PayPal and 7% via check.
• We have only 25 OJH/OHS families signed up for DLM store rewards. Jamie and Theo created QR codes for store rewards to make it easier to sign up. If you sign up for DLM now, your purchases for the whole year will retroactively be included. DLM requires that people designate their charity for their Good Neighbor Program each year; charity designations are wiped at the end of each calendar year. Kroger and Amazon are simple to sign up for; once signed up, you do not need to sign up again at the start of every year. Smith PTO maximized DLM dollars and they discussed this with Theo. We received $250 in store rewards from Kroger and $57 from Amazon Smile. Teacher Appreciation was $1,200 in expenses. We received thank-you notes from teachers for the luncheon. Registration for non-profit status is complete, and Theo thanked Darcy for her help in this. Due to decreased programming during Covid, the PTO has a healthy budget of $35,000. The PTO will meet with staff to evaluate any needs.

Oakwood Fine Arts Boosters – Amy Askins

• OFAB (previously Oakwood Arts Bridge) has been operating for 12 years, and they are looking for new members. They produce Young at Art, which will be Saturday, March 18. There will be performances on the main stage and smaller performances. There will be displays of students’ artwork throughout the building. The event is a fundraiser for teacher grants. A comprehensive list of grants awarded is posted on the OFAB website, which is accessible through the district’s website, and some examples include marching band field commander podiums, tech expenses for filming the high school musical, travel expenses for speech and debate competitions, and ukuleles for Smith and Harman music classes. They need fresh faces, and it’s not a huge time commitment. Only 5–6 hours through December. Young at Art is a busier time, but the students and staff provide the content and OFAB provides the set-up. Reach out to Amy or Manda Heid if you are interested in volunteering. Arts are important for kids’ soft skills, and OFAB helps to enhance the experience in arts for kids and support teachers.

Directory and Membership – Jamie Mhaskar

• The directory team did an amazing job led by Wenbi Lai and Jenni Thompson. They produced an excellent final product. There were 280 membership orders. Jamie reported $13,000 in revenue, but that includes fees. Most want the bronze level, and there was over $2,000 in general donations (included in the $13,000).
• Open House went well, and directories were passed out. Some people missed joining in the summer, so there will be more joining. The directory distribution team, led by Kiersten Cahill, will distribute the remaining directories in the students’ advisory classes. Please check backpacks and let Jamie know if you think you should have received one but didn’t.
• Jamie had volunteer sign-up forms at open house and is now working on connecting those people to the committee leads. Some leadership positions are becoming available, so contact Jamie if you would like to help in a leadership position or by being a committee member. Thank you to all PTO volunteers!

New Families Welcome and Back to School Lunch – Lori Flannery

• The back-to-school lunch went well. Thank you to Sandra Kallenburg for organizing. It was held in the West Gym, which was decorated nicely. It was a nice event that all the teachers enjoyed.
• The New Parent Welcome will be Sept. 29 at 9:30 a.m. at Lori’s house: 1100 Runnymede Rd. It’s not just for new families. If you are interested in joining PTO or learning more about PTO, please come. A representative from Oakwood Schools Foundation will be there as well.

Guidance Hospitality and Teacher Grants – Emma Butler

• The goodie bags for the admission reps were dropped off to the school. They include bottled water, mints, granola bars, and an Oakwood notepad. There is also a reserved parking pad in the front of the HS available for reps that was installed a few years ago.
• Teacher Grants – Jennifer Almoney couldn’t attend today. Emma provided the report. The PTO’s primary job is to raise money for teacher grants. The PTO has $6,500 reserved for teacher grants this year. The fall grant deadline is September 23. There will be another grant window that will open for the winter and will close mid-January. PTO already has some grant requests. Please encourage teachers to apply. Last year, the PTO funded vocational task bundles, the engineering tournament, two 3-D printers for the engineering department, 3 metal picnic tables for the courtyard, and Destination Imagination support for the HS team. The PTO is excited to fund even more grants this year.

Miscellaneous end of meeting comments:

• Lori Flannery – An email will go out soon for chaperones for the Homecoming Dance using Sign-Up Genius. You don’t need to volunteer for the whole night. Please consider volunteering for a shift.

May 12, 2022 12:00 p.m. – 1:05 p.m., Via Zoom

Attendance (in order as displayed on zoom): Darcy Plunkett, Kyle Ramey, Tim Badenhop, Paul Waller, Kelley Owens, Traci Hale, Stepahnie Geehan, Theo Rich, Lori Flannery, Amanda Robb, Elisabeth Ludwig, Jamie Mhaskar, Tracy Williams, Allison Silvain, Michelle Sayer, Emma Butler, Dante Connley, Jenn Almoney, Michelle Tucker

PTO Welcome

PTO President – Darcy Plunkett

1. PTO Welcome
2. Due to interest in time, Darcy moved to discuss the May 2022 Budget and the 2022-2023 Budge
3. Theo Rich shared the May 2022 budget as prepared by Kelley Kierenan
4. Theo reviewed the proposed 2022-2023 budget.   Motion passed to approve the budget
5. Darcy presented the “Bev Johnson” PTO award to Stephanie Geehan.   Stephanie has been a very active volunteer throughout her children’s academic careers in the Oakwood School System.

Superintendent Comments – Dr. Kyle Ramey:

1. Thanked Stephanie for countless volunteer hours.
2. New Hires
   a.     Director of Athletes and Student Activities - Tyler Rhodus
   b.     Special Education Supervisor and Lange Principal – Suzanne Batten
3. Addressed the recent articles in the Oakwood Register regarding families leaving Oakwood.  As the data, the amount of families moving into the Oakwood School system and moving out is relatively steady.  Since January, there have been 40 new students which is more than average. 
4. Dr. Ramey was asked a question about the need to have a preschool supervisor and a special education supervisor.  9 years ago, there was not a position created.  As time went on, the need developed and expertise was required.  Current position is approximately 75% special ed and 25% Lange supervisor.  This works well for the district with the therapists.  It is not appropriate at this time to have two full time positions for this role.   But it is fluid and will continuously be reviewed. 

Dr. Ramey addressed the community question about volunteers in the schools.  Dr. Ramey stated volunteers are a valued and a huge part of Oakwood success.  The schools intentionally closed doors 2 years ago due to COVID.  Volunteers are coming back into the school.   The Junior High and the High School are a step ahead due to the abilities for vaccinations. 

High School Comments – Dr. Paul Waller

1. Thanked Stephanie for years of volunteerism
2. Thanked the PTO for the Teacher Appreciation activities
3. Echoed Dr. Ramey’s comments that they want parents in the building as volunteers
4. After Prom was a big success!!!
5. Daytime student awards are coming up May 19  8:30 AM for 9^th and 10^th graders and 1:30 for 11^th and 12^th graders.  If students receiving a major award, parents will be notified
6. Senior Parade will be June 3  6:00 p.m. line up at Lane Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. start  Parade route to be published
7. Graduation is June 7 at UD arena.  No ticket limits
8. Wellness Resource Fair this Sunday 5/16 from noon until 3:30.  Focus is wellness and mental health awareness
9. Senior Parent meeting was a few weeks back.  Great attendance.
10. May 24 is cap and gown distribution. Student fees must be paid.  If there is a financial issue then please contact the school to discuss. 
11. Mandatory Senior meeting next week to review some of the upcoming dates and protocol
12. Question asked to Dr. Waller regarding the cap and gown colors.  Dr. Waller explained that this year the girls will be wearing white and the boys will be wearing blue.  It will be discussed next year to see how the school moves forward with gown colors
13. Question asked to Dr. Waller regarding what the processional video is.  It was explained that during COVID graduation, students were not able to have a formal procession.  This year it is allowed at UD, but the video was a lot of fun and school will create a video.

Junior High Comments – Mr. Tim Badenhop:

1. Thanked Stephanie for years of volunteer service.  Also thanked Darcy for leading the PTO and her service. 
2. The Junior High Awards ceremony is upcoming and will be virtual.  The Junior High received positive comments due to the flexibility of the virtual event.  Tim will be asking for parent feedback in the future and how this event, as well as others, can best service their families if in person or virtual.
3. Success breakfast was great.  Recognized people for who they are – not just a GPA.
4. PTO partnership for the Timber Challenge which is the last half day.  Inflatable obstacles, etc.  Behavior incentive “caught” doing something good will help earn points for the team pizza party, etc.
5. Junior high had their first 7^th & 8^th grade dance
6. Upcoming orchestra and band concerts are scheduled.
7. 6^th grade Harman kids came to the building to walk around.  Smith kids coming next week.  Q & A sessions.
8. Junior High took 2^nd place in state lacrosse and the track team has some kids going to the state competition.

Guidance Office Update –Mrs. Kelly Owens

1. Mrs. Owens asked Dr. Waller to explain the Junior Challenge.  Dr. Waller shared that this event is a similar activity as the Freshman Challenge.  Breakout sessions, “almost 18” conversations – and what that means.  Legal information, college panel, student debt info, lawyers to emphasize making good decisions, etc. 
2. AP Tests are finishing up
3. Schedules hope to be available next week
4. Senior awards presentation announcing scholarships  will be May 31 and will be virtual 

Communications Update – Traci Hale:

1. Preparing for next year with Final Forms. Final Forms is a platform that is always available to update
2. Linx and the OHS newsletter have about a 60% open rate on a weekly basis.  Benchmarked other schools is about 20%

Grant Report – Jennifer Almoney

• Last year, all monies were used for microphones
• This year it started off slowly but grants exceeded the $7,000 budget.  To allow for the overage in budget, the PTO used some funds from other committees that were under budget or did not occur
  • $500 for an engineering tournament
  • $150 for senior high destination imagination
  • $2000 for special education vocational packages
  • $2,200 two 3-D printers
  • 3 picnic tables

Miscellaneous end of meeting comments:

• Stephanie Geehan shared that four special education students attended Prom and two went to After Prom.  Also shared that Project Life is a Life Skills Work Experience program at Wright State.
• Question regarding construction at the school this summer.  Dr. Ramey and Dr. Waller shared there was nothing planned.
• Question was asked about the grading scale and if there was a group that continued to “keep up the conversation."  Dr. Ramey was not aware if a group was meeting.
• Question was asked about transportation for after school sports for the kids.  Many times the transportation falls onto the parents’ responsibilities and games have been missed or canceled due to not being able to transport all the kids.  Dr. Ramey responded that the district wants to avoid games being missed in the future.  Oakwood has contacted Kettering and Centerville in the past but those districts are short bus drivers.  Will put on the new AD list of action items.

March 10, 2022 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m., Via Zoom

Speakers: Darcy Plunkett, Kyle Ramey, Tim Badenhop, Paul Waller, Kelley Owens, Traci Hale
Attendance:  Unable to see – meeting notes typed 3/11/22 from the 3/10/22 recorded zoom call.  Zoom call did not display attendees.

PTO Welcome

PTO President – Darcy Plunkett
1.     PTO Welcome

Superintendent Comments – Dr. Kyle Ramey:

• COVID-19 Update
  • Much better place now vs. 2 months ago.  Some folks still have hesitancy – some events virtual, in person, and hybrid.
• Activities
  • Disney Band trip over winter break was a success as well as the DC trip.  Sports seasons are underway, school play, and many other events.  Events were planned with the hopes that they could occur, but was understood that may need to be canceled if cases rebounded.
• Construction
  • Phase 1 – thought would be done, but aligning the old systems with the new systems by merging together – for example, old plumbing with new plumbing, heating/AC
  • Arts enhancement project working
  • Harman playground underway.  Removed old playground over winter break timeframe.  New playground will be “one of a kind”.  Design will incorporate the hill into the playground to ensure accessibility for all. 
• Personnel changes:
  • New board members are doing great!
  • Treasurer – will announce new assistant treasurer person later today
  • Operations Coordinator Todd Scott has taken a job closer to home.  He was commuting an hour plus and found a new job closer to home.  Frank Eaton will be the new Operations Coordinator and Business Manger and will start this summer.
  • New Alumni position – Kaitlyn Brohman
     

Junior High Comments – Mr. Tim Badenhop:

• Happy to see some new normalcy again.  Mentioned involvement in the data collection and reporting for COVID numbers and there was one day in January that in the district 10% had absences due to COVID.
• Kim Gilbert is leading an historical fiction reading that has a lot of commonality with the war in Ukraine.  7^th grade class has been very involved with this and was inspired to create a fundraiser to support Ukraine.
•  Lunch time & misc. happenings:  Mario Madness competition, Jr. High Band and orchestra concerts, Young At Art, and Jr. High dance is upcoming
• Scheduling for the 6 & 7^th grades and staff allocations being worked on now
• State testing:
  • April 6 & 7 – English and Language Arts
  • April 20 Science – 8^th grade only (7^th graders 2 hour delay)
  • April 21 & 22 Math

Darcy Plunkett had a follow up question for Mr. Badenhop – asking about with all the kids missing so much school these past two years, are they catching up with social and emotional learning?

Mr. Badenhop stated in his opinion there will be a long catch up time.  From younger children having their reading being interrupted to the junior high students making normal “mistakes," this is part of the growing and learning which is social development.  Things are starting to catch up but it will take a while.

High School Comments – Dr. Paul Waller

• March 13 is Daylight Savings Time
• Activities
  • Disney was awesome for OHS band
  • Musical going on and it is a record number of ticket sales.  Normally shows start at 7 p.m. but it is 8 p.m. for Wizard of Oz due to the amounts of make-up and costumes. 
  • Turn About Dance is Friday March 18 in the West Gym. 
  • Academic Team has state competition in Cleveland. If they qualify for Nationals, it will be virtual
• Freshman Challenge was the day before Winter Break.  Homerooms competed against each other and really got into it.  Each homeroom prepared during their Timber Time and it worked on social connection which was a huge success.
• Senior Information:  Senior Awards will be virtual, Daytime awards will be in person and no ticket limits for High School Graduation

Guidance Office Update –Mrs. Kelly Owens

• Scheduling for 2022-2023 underway
• Seniors did great getting their scholarship applications in for the Oakwood Scholarships
• New meeting was added – Parents with children with disabilities and college presentation.  Two meetings scheduled – one was 9 – 11^th grade and one for seniors
• Guidance Office has met with the current Junior classes.  They will be adding an extra virtual meeting on March 23 for junior parents to give a heads up on what is coming, college information etc.  There will still be a parent meeting for this class in the fall.
• AP exams and end of course exams are right around the corner

Communications Update – Traci Hale:

• Graduating class info: 
  • 25 days before graduation, there will be approximately 25 kids in the “senior spotlight."
  • In addition, there will be four kids a day to be recognized. 
  • Approvals for yard signs is in process, baby pictures and K – 12 snapshots being collected

Maura Schmitt (attendee) asked a question on how to submit.  Traci informed the attendees that there are links on the webpage to the announcements with the directions on how to submit.

Treasurers Report Update – Reported by Darcy Plunket since Kelley Kiernan was absent

• March bank balance is roughly $34,000.  This includes the class of 2022 JA funds of $2,250
• DLM Good Neighborhood program included a $1,734 distribution
• There is approximately $10,000 of program money and $20,000 of un-programmed money in the budget.  The PTO Exec. is meeting to discuss any potential project the un-programmed monies could help fund.

PTO In The Know Question – Asked by Darcy Plunkett

Does the school have a vision where the kids can have lunch?

Dr. Waller – when weather cold, a lot of kids sit on the floors and eat in the classroom.  The Foundation and PTO have funded furniture around the building which is very nice – such as the PTO picnic tables by the library/teacher work room.  But when it is cold outside, kids can’t eat outside – so more places would be great.

Mr. Badenhop – If had a dream scenario with a blank check – build a glassed in indoor common area in the unclaimed space by the west gym and the science wing.  But it would have to be a very big blank check!  But dealing with reality, the new art gallery will be a nice place for kids as well as the new performing music space.

November 11, 2021 12:00 PM – 12:55 p.m., Via Zoom

In attendance: Darcy Plunkett, Emma Butler, Dr. Kyle Ramey, Tim Badenhop, Dr. Paul Waller, Traci Hale, Kelly Kiernan, Kelly Owens,  Leah Boosalis, PTO President – Darcy Plunkett

PTO Welcome

• Superintendent Comments – Dr. Kyle Ramey
  • Phase 1 Flourish Campaign -Arts Enhancement Program. Master facility plan wrapping up. Link on our website and Oakwood Schools Foundation page.
  • Fall Board Election. 3 new Board Members, John Wilson, Lauren Kawai, and Laura Middleton. Deron Schwieterman was appointed to replace Merideth Quigly.
  • COVID- where we are headed? Trying to get back to normal. Covid isn’t necessarily going to go away so we have to learn how to deal with it. Endemic vs Pandemic. Vaccines are available for younger kids. Encourage people to get vaccinated although not required. Looking at lifting mask Mandate in the New Year possibly a couple weeks after holidays. Some talk about getting volunteers back into the buildings. Some pockets for isolated activities but continue to loosen up as people become more comfortable and numbers remain low.
  • Fall sports and concerts
    • Great fall season with Boy’s Soccer and Girl’s Soccer.
    • Regional finals for the boys.
    • State Champion in Cross country
    • Winter sports up and running.
    • Choir concert last week
    • Fall play Clue was very well done. Lots of students participated.
       
  • Dr. Kyle Ramey answers "in the know question" about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
     
• Junior High comments -Principal Badenhop
  • COVID - we are in a COVID in-between phase, still looking forward to returning to normal. School side disruption is minimal. Aiming for a success breakfast at the end of the School year in May.
  • Initiated Junior High Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports.  Joy Office calls. Students nominated by Teachers for bringing Joy to the Educational environment. Will receive an email why they are being nominated and can come to the Office to pick up their certificate. Recognize kids for all the great things they do.
  • Posted Honor roll - Names are on the list outside of the Office.
  • Running a "Don’t dodge Joy’ dodgeball Tournament through November with Junior High students. Sign-up.  Emphasis on Timber Joy theme. Joy in sportsmanship and having some of that normalcy back too. 5)  
  • Timber "Movember" theme. Lots of different movements. Planning to have a day with lots of options for physical and mental movement such as flag football, walking the track, board games. Sign-up sheets. 6)  
  • Junior High Play "Flyers" -Wright Brother’s theme (local connection) presenting in January. One of our largest student activities of the school year.
     
• High School comments -Principal Dr. Paul Waller
  • Thank you PTO for the tacos for Parent Teacher Conferences. Teachers were very appreciative of that. 2)    A lot happening to support students impacted by the pandemic.  Some students are catching up a little bit or not doing as well with the Social Emotional aspect of School -Working with those students through Timber or the Homeroom Program where students meet with a Teacher on Tuesdays and Thursdays. ‘Directed wellness’- assign students a wellness space in the library with a staff member if they need quiet time and a place to unplug or somebody to talk to.
  • Discussion about ‘Hope Squad’ - Student lead program for Suicide Prevention.  School Counselor Paige Lumpkins and Social Emotional Learning coordinators, working with students from Hope squad and training them, giving students an opportunity to come and talk to a peer if they need someone to talk to.
  • Agents of Change Program started last year by the National Conference from the Community of Justice. Helps implement programs for schools to help train students to work in areas of equity, diversity and inclusion. Caters to student leaderships and focuses on bullying, how to treat each other and how to understand we all come from different backgrounds.  
  • A big group of Teachers are focusing on Professional Learning Community to help students be successful in School.
  • Ohio passed a law which is a new requirement for Highs School starting with 8th graders -    Financial Literacy (semester credit)
  • State Report card. With COVID a lot of schools dropped as much as 19% with their scores, we only dropped a tiny bit but doing very well. Above expected growth with core areas and met all our indicators and did very well with AP tests.  99% graduation rate.
     
• Community Relations - Traci Hale
  • Surge in our open rates with our Newsletters. Shows families want to be engaged and want to know what is going on. Families want to be part of the school district.
     
• Kelley Kierman – Treasurer provides the budget update
  • The budget is as expected -20K of un-programmed funds.
  • Encouraging the community to support PTO by using Kroger cards, Amazon and DLM Smiles.
  •  
• Guidance Office Update – Kelly Owens
  • Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is very important in providing support to students. Bridget Fiore and Amy Samosky doing a fantastic job heading that up! One of the hardest times for students because of the impact of the pandemic. They are dealing with a lot of stuff like no other time. Teachers have been through a lot too. Focus is on team building and coming together.
  • Guidance Counselors will be meeting with all freshmen and sophomores on November 16, 17, and 22. Senior conferences were done when School started. Getting into the season of scholarships right before Christmas Break all the way through the Spring.  Starting Junior conferences prior to Christmas Break. Processed 823 applications. Highest number so far for a class of 170. Highest number of applicants going to OSU, then Miami Valley, UD, UC, OU, Wright State and Sinclair.
     
• PTO Committee updates
  • Darcy Plunkett (PTO President) thanked Mr. Badenhop for being so creative and flexible with the Success Breakfast. Holiday Lunch- excited to be back in the School.
  • Darcy Plunkett read the "in the know" question which asked if the theme of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is being integrated as part of the Culture of Oakwood Schools or is classroom time actually being dedicated to it with examples of how these concepts are approached in the classroom. Dr. Kyle Ramey replied stating that they have been working on EDI for a long time in lots of forms and fashion. It is the next stage of character Education. Timber, Grit, SEL focus on (EDI). There are three basic stages: Culture, Curriculum and the Community, focusing on Culture first. Dr. Ramey applauded the task force and mentioned ‘’Doing what is best for students requires we are always reflective of our practices and on a journey of continuous improvement to ensure all students feel safe, valued, seen and heard."

PTO Minutes Sept. 9, 2021 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m., Via Zoom

In attendance: Darcy Plunkett, Emma Butler, Kyle Ramey, Tim Badenhop, Bob Gajda, Allison Silvain, Tara Nabholz, Lori Flannery, Kelly Kiernan, Shannan Tucker, Jamie Mihaskar, Leah Boosalis, Dante Connell, Emily Pierce, Tiffany Maynor, Tracy Williams, Maura Schmitt, Michelle Turker, Christine Hoffman, Michelle Sayer, Cathy Sutherland, Joshua Green, Paul Waller, Emily Pierce, Oakwood Multimedia, Screen name of “Pro”

PTO Welcome - Darcy Plunkett

1.     PTO Welcome

Superintendent Comments – Dr. Kyle Ramey:

1)     Covid Update:

a.     “Mask or Vax” to avoid quarantine policy

b.     Staying in touch with county health officials on regular basis.  Per ODAH 67% of children 12-17 are vaccinated.  Additional kids have at least one shot bringing total to around 75%.

c.     9/8/21 152 children were absent in the district, 37 were covid related but 31 were from one school.

d.     Positive rates – 4 students out of 2054 and 1 staff out of 250

2)     New School Staff Members:

a.     34 new staff members added which brings staff up to the 2020 levels.

3)     Board of Education open seat announcement:

a.     Quigly resigned, 14 applicant and the board selected a person to fill the vacancy.

b.     To be announced 9/9/2021 in the PM

c.     Fall elections

i.     3 seats open and 5 candidates

4)     Equity Diversion Inclusion (EDI)

a.     Students and family are valued and part of community

b.     Public records are being requested by the community

i.     If questions arise, please ask

5)     Master Facility Plan:

a.     Phase 1 is wrapped up

b.     Will be a project announcement week of homecoming

6)     Athletic Hall of Fame:

a.     Howard Sales Memorial is a great tribute

7)     Distinguished Alumni Awards

a.     Nicholas, Conrard, Chris Epley, Barbara O’Hara, Kris Smith, James “Rocky” Whalen

8)     Traci Hale was unable to attend meeting, but if communication questions arise, reach out

Kelley Kierman – Treasurer provides the budget update

1)     As of Sept. 1, budget is on track as planned

2)     Membership coal has been met

3)     DLM monies are collected in January

4)     Received a $50 gift from Kevin Connel

5)     $23K in uncommitted funds

6)     Staff lunch was under budget

Junior High Comments – Mr. Tim Badenhop:

1)     Thanked the PTO for hosting the teacher luncheon

2)     Construction:

a.     Ran a bit longer – right up until the start of school, but it all worked out

b.     A/C is great!  The heat will be a welcome addition when needed, restrooms updated.  Principal’s office has a bit of water damage and it is being worked on.

3)     Open House

a.     Parent feedback was they wanted to meet the teachers and see the classrooms, but overall a successful evening.

4)     Student Activities

a.     Encourage students to get involved

b.     If child unable to attend the activity fair, able to check out the activity page or talk with friends about clubs

c.     Generally it is clubs at lunch and sports activities arfter school

5)     New Teachers in the Junior High

a.     Physical Education – Adam Bolden

b.     Family & Consumer Sciences – Kendra Rarick

c.     Math –  Iiona Webel

 

High School Comments – Dr. Paul Waller

1)     Thanked the PTO for the staff luncheon

2)     Open House – Parent night

a.     Half parents from 6-7 and 7-8

b.     Feedback was positive – instead of having parents follow their children’s schedule, parents had more time for one on one discussion with the teachers.  Will be rethinking future parent nights.

c.     Lockers are being used this year

3)     New Teachers

a.     ½ time science teacher and half with extended testing – Rich Bargienski

b.     Science – David Burgan

c.     Replacement for Guidance Secretary

4)     Homecoming Dance

a.     30 x 120’ tent being put up on Schantz with a dance floor and tables. Will figure out a rain back up plan

b.     10-12^th grade, out of school guests allowed but must get permission

5)     Guest speaker assembly:

a.     Vietnam Veteran who spoke to students in 2017 – inspirational messages

b.     Possibly date of October 1

c.     Details being worked out – possibly in stadium or a few classes in the auditorium and streamed to the classrooms

 

Guidance Office Update – Presented by Dr. Waller since Mrs. Kelly Owens not available

1)     Department meetings with the Junior and Senior Classes has occurred

2)     Parents meeting occurred this week 9/7 and if missed, they were recorded and are on the respective class pages

 

PTO Membership Update – Jamie Mhaskar:

1)     293 Family memberships this year (more than last year)

2)     All but 17 memberships were purchased electronically.  Currently collecting those monies

3)     Had a table at the Parent Open House meeting – only 1 person paid for a membership (again, moving to online payment)

4)     186 memberships are bronze which is $35, 74 memberships were blue, and 25 silver

5)     Directories to be delivered to students Wed 9/15 – asked the school to make announcements for students to pick up.

6)     Question received on parent night to bring the PTO meetings to evenings

 

Grants – Jennifer Almoney

1)     At this point in time, no requests for grants

2)     Please reach out if needed

Miscellaneous comments:

·       Sophomore JA Dance scheduled November 13

·       Maura Schmitt mentioned that PTO meetings are recorded and posted to help people that are unable to attend

·       Lori Flannery mentioned that evening PTO meetings were trialed a few years ago and it was hard to schedule and get participants due to evening activities

·       Joshua Green communicated that working parents who are not able to take off won’t participate in the mid-day meetings

·       DLM/Amazon Smiles – need to encourage people to sign up and Darcy will put in the next PTO newsletter

PTO Minutes, April 27, 2020

In Attendance: Traci Hale, Maura Schmitt, Pam Clark, Emma Butler, Sharon Kelly, Kyle Ramey, Paul Waller, Tim Badenhop, Lori Flannery, Kelly Kiernan, Jennifer Almoney, Kelly Owens, Stephanie Gehan, Tricia Bauer, Jigna Takore, Alison Silvain, Dante Connel, Michelle Tucker, Jan Swedlund, Missy Wolcott, Jennifer Makkas, Michelle Hoffman, Michelle Schoen, Jigna Haack, Annette Munro, Alicia Dunlap, Krista Caley, Hilary Waugh, Tracy Pohl, Joyce Rohan and Meredith Quigley.

Maura called meeting to order and recognized the month has not been ordinary. Thanked Traci Hale for being instrumental in organizing the Zoom meeting today. Eligible PTO members were given the opportunity to vote on the 2020/21 budget and a senior recognition initiative.

Treasurer – Pam Clark stated at the March meeting the budget was presented for 2021 and asked if there were questions. There were no questions. Pam moved to approve new budget and it was approved with 27 attendees voting yes, and zero against.

President - Maura Schmitt said PTO was asked by Paul Waller last week for help with a project to recognize the senior class. The PTO is working with the city of Oakwood to have signs made using senior composites taken by Easterling Studios. Easterling donated photos to be used on 25 X 18 signs that will be displayed up and down Shafor Blvd. Maura thanked Traci for her help with facilitating the printing of the signs with a local company. The PTO formed a committee composed of Jennifer Almoney, Ellen Vaughn and Sheila Eifert who will place signs on Shafor Blvd where they will remain until May 20. Students will be encouraged to pick up signs on May 20 and display on their lawns. Traci Hale has created a permission slip to be signed by senior parents granting permission for signs to be posted. Eligible PTO members were asked “All in favor of the PTO granting up to $2,000 in funds for the Senior Class Signs & decor, to recognize the OHS class of 2020.” The initiative was approved with 28 yes votes and zero against.

Superintendent - Kyle Ramey thanked families for everything they are doing to manage the new situation. The district is learning alongside families and appreciates their patience and understanding. Phase one of the Master Facilities Plan is off the ground and demolition will start this week. The current restrictions on students entering the building have allowed construction to begin early and will hopefully allow it to go further than planned. Everybody is anticipating that Ohio’s governor will give more direction today about what will happen on May 1st, providing more information about how the district will reopen and make connections about how things will proceed in the fall.

Kelly Kiernan – Suggested that a group of parents and students be assembled to brainstorm options for how to proceed in the fall. She also proposed the idea of rallying parents via social media to set up for positive messages for all kids. Traci Hale responded there were various options for recognizing students in this manner. Stephanie Geehan suggested using Youtube for video recognition of students. Further discussion in planned.

Junior High Principal - Tim Badenhop thanked families for their efforts. Students, teachers and parents have done awesome job of keeping learning going for students. Tim acknowledged Hilary Waugh for working to engage with students who require academic and social-emotional support. Tim stated that some benefit has come from the situation in terms of learning from the various adaptations that have been necessary under new guidelines. When asked about Success Breakfast and Junior High awards Tim indicated various ideas being discussed such as video messages from staff members being made for the students they nominate. He said the goal is to recognize students in a way that is meaningful for them. When a parent asked about summer gym. Tim responded that summer PE is not cancelled but “working on exactly what it will look like” while awaiting more guidance to be provided by the state. It is not expected to be completely in person but possibly a combination of online and in person.

High School Principal - Paul Waller thanked Maura and team for working on senior signs. The tentative date for signs to be placed on Shafor Blvd is May 5. Drive through pick up for cap and gowns is also planned to take place on Schantz that will include music and an upbeat atmosphere. In an effort to adapt to the current situation the high school has made modifications to instruction such as not giving new assignments after May 15. OHS staff have made good progress with students who have been identified as requiring additional support, using Wednesdays off to connect with these students. The staff is working to ensure that all seniors are in a position to graduate and all other students transition smoothly to the next grade level. Paul referenced his announcement in Friday’s OHS messenger that he met with senior class officers after receiving instruction from the Ohio Department of Education that all schools hold virtual graduations. A virtual graduation is planned for May 26. The OHS staff is working to put a plan together while hoping to have celebration in the future. The district still has July 14 backup date booked at the Dayton Convention Center as a possible date for a celebration depending on restrictions and convention center employees returning from furlough. The backup date for Prom is currently June 26 at DAI. Other possibilities are being explored in the event restrictions are still in place at that time. Paul stated that counselors are available to students needing social emotional support as it may be heightened during this time.  The first phases of construction will include the sophomore hall, senior hall and junior hall. Both principal and counselor’s offices will be relocated to the library where students can find them in the event that they are allowed back into the building. When asked if a group photo of students in their college spirit wear will be taken Paul said that they are looking into possibilities.

Guidance Department - Kelly Owens said counselors are doing their best to provide services for students identified as needing additional support. The RTI (Response to Intervention) team has done excellent job identifying and providing support to these students including setting up a virtual study hall. The counseling department has also received support from Melissa Tinker from South Community Counseling. The counselors are always open to answering questions from students and parents. Kelly recognized teachers for doing a phenomenal job communicating with students and parents. Some counselors are remotely conducting junior meetings and the department is working to keep up with the changing landscape of higher education. Juniors have resources on their Naviance and College Board accounts to research colleges. Much of summer will be spent navigating how to assist students with the college search process in this new environment.

Junior High Counselor - Hillary Waugh echoed what Kelly said. The biggest concern is ensuring students wellness in the grand scheme of things and that their mental and physical health is being prioritized. Students and teachers have been receptive to her support.

Maura – Asked committees with outstanding receipts to submit to Pam Clark by the May 29 deadline. All parents should expect an email from directory committee with a request to confirm contact information. Maura will soon turn reigns over to Lori Flannery who will be PTO president for the 2020/21 school year. Maura thanked everyone for their support and kindness during her tenor as president

Lori Flannery - Looks forward to acting as president next year. Said many positive results have come from the uniqueness of situation and is optimistic that all will be well.

Paul Waller – Thanked Maura for her leadership and said she did a great job and was much appreciated and is looking forward to working with Lori next year.

Maura thanked Pam Clark who is stepping down from treasurer position as well as other executive board members and Emma Butler, Lori Flannery, Sharon Kelly and Sonja Smallwood.

PTO minutes, March 5, 2020

In attendance:  Maura Schmitt, Theo Rich, Tracy Williams, Traci Hale, Sharon Kelly, Pam Clark, Christine Hoffman, Meredith Quigley, Erin Tomazic, Jennifer Almoney, Libby Steeves, Tracy Cunningham, Kelly Owens, Kyle Ramey, Paul Waller, Tim Badenhop

Maura Schmitt called the meeting to order at 11:54 am.

Superintendent Report, Dr. Kyle Ramey

-Master facilities work going on as planned.  Subcontractors have been hired through Danis Construction.  Steel reinforcement work for the A/C units on the roof will be done over Spring Break.  Major work to start this Summer, with a focus on the high school.

-Starting next year, all school forms will be electronic.  School will be utilizing Final Forms.  New Kindergarten families are currently filling out all forms, school will gradually expand with the plan of having all current students access their forms online in early May.  Parents will be able to make changes electronically (change of address, email, etc.) throughout the school year.

OJH Principal Report, Mr. Tim Badenhop

-Recent activity with all junior high students focusing on social and mental health.  Statistically, these issues getting worse.  As a school, there is no ceiling for what you can do to help students.

-Wellness Space—will start at the beginning of 4^th quarter and is available to anyone and at anytime.  Thanked the PTO for their monetary support in this project.

OHS Principal Report, Dr. Paul Waller

-Academic Profile Advisory Committee (APAC) update.  Current timeline: need Board approval for any changes.  Currently looking at making some of the proposed changes now.  The process will be re-evaluated in a couple of years. Implementation will be thoughtful and aim for a positive impact for students.

-Thanked PTO for successful Curriculum Night

-Junior Experience, March 18.  Alumni Association (Amy Martin) as well as OHS student ambassadors are helping to plan.  Alumni as well as community members are participating.  Team building for students as well has focus on what’s ahead for college as well as other topics including legal implications, personal finance, student loans, credit cards, social and emotional wellness.

-Turnabout Dance, March 14

-Spring Musical, March 19-21, Cinderella

-ACT, March 10.  Pre-ACT for Sophomores and ACT for Juniors

-Career Fair, April 6.  Focus this year will be on trades. 

Staff Liaison Report, Mrs. Kelly Owens

-Scheduling for 2020-21 school year is underway.  All course requests are in.  Goal is to distribute next year’s schedule to students by May 14

-April 28, College Admission Panel—Ohio State University, University of Dayton, Case Western University, University of South Carolina, and University of Alabama will be in attendance.  Washington University of St. Louis will contribute, but will be unable to attend.

Curriculum Night Recap, Libby Steeves

-A very positive event.  PTO provided soups and sandwiches for the staff from Big Sky. Parents provided cookies and water.  Jr High teachers present for Spring Jr High conferences.  High School teachers present for curriculum night.

Career Fair Update, Tracy Cunningham

-Career Fair on April 6.  PTO will be asking for parent volunteers to help provide breakfast for participants.

Treasurer’s Report, Pam Clark

-Budget for 2020-21 school year was presented.  Budget is balanced, with adjustments being made for the Holiday Lunch and Directory costs.

-Recent issue is huge decrease in funds (income) from Dorothy Lane Market.  Expecting $4500, but check received was for $2651.  Possible explanation for loss is that less people signed up for DLM due to an increase in the online memberships.  Usually paper membership and DLM sign up on same form.  Will explore for next year a link to sign up for DLM with the online membership.  Also links in school newsletter as well as PTO newsletter.  Families must sign up for DLM every year (unlike Kroger which is one time).  Even with loss of income from DLM, budget is still on tract for this year as Membership income was exceeded.

In the Know

- Concern for student safety outside of schools/walking.  Concern stems from several recent incidents with students (high school and elementary) being hit by cars. What steps are being taken to address these issues?

· Per Dr. Ramey.  School encourages parent conversations with students on awareness.  Do not assume that cars will stop at cross walks.  Drivers need to be aware of students crossing. Oakwood Public Safety department has increased their presence as well as enforcement of parking (those cars parked too close to corners decreasing visibility of drivers around corners).  Parents are encouraged to drop their students off on side streets, not on Schantz.  Always ongoing conversations with city regarding Schantz (can there be reconfiguration to decrease incidents?). There are many different parties involved in ensuring the traffic safety of our students: the City of Oakwood, Oakwood Safety, the Schools, drivers, parents, community members, and obviously students. It takes the collective efforts of all of these parties to keep people safe, but we try to work alongside as many of these as possible to keep our students safe.

Thanks!

Next Meeting:  Monday, April 27.
Meeting adjourned at 12:40 pm.

PTO minutes Jan. 16, 2020

In attendance: Sharon Kelly, Maura Schmitt, Emma Butler, Sonja Smallwood, Paul Waller, Tim Badenhop Kyle Ramey, Traci Hale, Kelly Owens, Shannan Tucker, Michelle Hoffman, Jennifer Almoney, Theo Rich, Tricia Bauer, Meredith Quigley, Allison Silvian, Erin Tomazic, Paige Lumpkins, Hilary Waugh, Todd Scott

-Maura Schmitt called the meeting to order at 11:50 a.m.

Superintendent Report, Dr Kyle Ramey
-Wished everyone a happy new year and remarked that Board of Education President Todd Duwel’s January 13 State of the Schools letter discussed the community engagement opportunities the district has embarked on to make Oakwood Schools an exceptional district.

-The Operations Coordinator position has been created to oversee maintenance, the Master Facilities Plan (MFP), transportation, and other operations details in the district. Todd Scott comes to the position after 18 years of experience in two previous districts.

Todd Scott, Operations Coordinator
– Most recently worked in operations in the Beavercreek school district. Will have final drawings for MFP by Friday, January 17. Work will then be scheduled with Danis construction. Over the holiday break ceiling work was done and work on the roof will take place over February break and Spring Break. On June 1 the building will shut down for next phase of construction.

--Jennifer Almoney asked how the building shutdown would affect summer school.

--Paul Waller replied both sessions of Summer Physical Education will be offered at Orchard Park Elementary in Kettering. The district is currently looking into providing transportation to students as Orchard Park is located out of the district.

OJH Principal Report, Tim Badenhop
-Glad to have Todd on board as he is taking on several responsibilities.

-Summer school will be PE only. No Real Skills classes will be taught.

-Working on scheduling for next year. Will work with sixth graders late next week.

-Planning scheduling around MFP work to reduce disruption as much as possible.

- Next week the Junior High play, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" will be performed Friday and Saturday 1/24 and 1/25 at 4:00 and 6:00.

-Thanked PTO for the Success Breakfast. Christine Hoffman and Allison Silvain were recognized for their work with Success Breakfast.

OHS Principal Report, Paul Waller
- Thanked PTO for holiday lunch and for approving recent grants requests.

- Curriculum night, eighth grade parent meeting and College Credit Plus (CCP) meetings will take place on February 6th beginning at 5:00. Students and parents will have opportunities to ask teachers questions at curriculum fair.

-AP Psychology will be offered in the 2020/21 school year.

- The freshman challenge took place yesterday. The all-day event is led by seniors with the idea that more we understand about each other the more we realize we are all the same.

-The Junior Experience is a new program started by the Oakwood Alumni board which will occur on March 16. This is an all-day team building event with juniors and Oakwood alumni, including professionals and recent graduates. Adults will speak to students about various issues such as managing college finances.

Guidance Department Chairperson Kelly Owens
-Scholarship season is upon us.

-Students planning to take CCP classes are required to attend the meeting Feb. 6. Returning CCP students should also attend.

-Staff met with Oakwood alumni at a restaurant at Miami University. Good survey responses were received from students. Information was shared with teachers to use to make decisions on how they can best prepare students for college. Staff will travel to Ohio University next year.

-Counselors have been in junior English classes to breakdown the college admissions process. Junior meetings are occurring and parent junior meetings can be scheduled in February.

-OHS took 29 sophomores to Centerville to tour the career tech programs and will visit Fairmont later this month

-Kelly spoke to the high quality of recent guidance department hires and introduced OJH Guidance counselor Hilary Waugh.

OJH School Counselor Hilary Waugh
-Worked as a counselor in Eaton Schools the last five years and was a teacher before that. Hilary thanked PTO for their support and invited parents to reach out with any questions

OHS School Counselor Paige Lumpkins
-Reported on the implementation of Hope Squad, a school based peer to peer suicide prevention program for grades 7-12. Paige reported that an at-risk student is seven times more likely to talk to a fellow student than an adult. Hope Squad members were selected based on surveys done school-wide asking students who they would feel comfortable talking to. Hope Squad students use a curriculum focused on training squad members in suicide prevention, intervention, and anti-bullying. They will be given shirts identifying them to other students. Paige thanked the PTO for granting money to purchase the shirts. Staff members will also work with mental health provider, South Community, and there will be opportunities for adults in the community to contribute.

Community Relations Director Traci Hale
- Asked parents to be sure that they are receiving school emails. If school emails are not opened regularly they are considered spam and will go to junk mail folder. The district’s vendor will not send emails that have been marked as spam. Traci asked parents to please check spam preferences if they are not receiving school emails. The open rate is between 75-90% for teacher emails and 50-60% for building emails.

Grants Chairman Jennifer Almoney
-For grants this year the PTO budgeted $7500

-The PTO grant schedule follows Oakwood Schools Foundation which was able to grant all qualified requests.

-Funded Debbie Madison’s request of $1285.50 for “raspberry Pi.”

-Funded $1200 for Hope Squad T-shirts.

-Voted to fund $4995 to be used for the creation of a Wellness Space, intended to be a quiet sanctuary space, containing a water feature, where kids have quiet time to speak to a Hope Squad student or adult. The grant was requested by the Response to Intervention Team (RTI). Erin Tomazic seconded the motion and all were in favor.

President Maura Schmitt (also Treasurer's Report)
-While the Veterans Day Breakfast was a success at Harman and Smith schools, the PTO executive board opted not to form a committee to carry out a similar event at OJH/OHS. The PTO made a donation of $75 and expects to continue contributing to these events.

-Maura reminded members to reregister their DLM cards at beginning of year. The PTO continues to receive a small amount from Amazon Smile program.

Staff Extra mile
-Lori Flannery recognized Beth Baker for her continued excellence and helpfulness.

-New student parent and Oakwood alumna Theo Rich expressed appreciation to all staff for being very welcoming and helpful to her students and for providing the academic challenge that they were hoping to find in Oakwood.

-Kelly Owens recognized the excellent work done by staff members who form the RTI Team: Paige Lumpkins, Bridget Fiore, Emily Sullivan, Matt Salyer, Mary Barnett and Hilary Waugh.

-Shannan Tucker acknowledged teacher Ian Callon for his continued support of the band program and for traveling with the team to all events.

-Jennifer Almoney recognized Mr. Uhlenhake for bringing the pep band to perform at the girls’ JV and varsity basketball games, stating the games were not typically well attended so the band’s presence meant a lot to the girls and their parents.

Maura closed meeting at 12:47

PTO minutes Nov. 7, 2019

In Attendance: Maura Schmitt, Lori Flannery, Emma Butler, Sharon Kelly, Kyle Ramey, Paul Waller, Tim Badenhop, Kelly Owens, Traci Hale, Jennifer Almoney, Tricia Bauer, Sally Stayman, Meredith Quigley, Kelly Pleiman, Christine Hoffman, Theo Rich, Bob Gadja, Erin Tomazic, & Patricia Noel

Greeting by Maura

Dr. Ramey Update 

• Fall sports are wrapping up.  
• The play, Little Women, is this weekend.  
• MFP
  • District is in the middle of the design phase, figuring out specifically what needs to be done and how much can be done in this phase
  • During Holiday Break, some ceilings will be removed and mechanical systems  evaluated in more detail so final planning can be completed.  
  • The District recently sold the bonds to finance the project.  That was part of the plan and it went very well and were able to advantage of the low interest rates.  Treasurer Dan Schall led that team.  
  • What’s next?  Exploring options to enhance the arts with private dollars. 
  • District leaders will be looking at the calendar for 2021-2022 and might start school a week later to get some additional construction time.  
  • The real construction will begin this summer.  

Mr. Badenhop Update

• Thinking about summer school and what to do with construction during the summer.  Working through what will they be able to offer and where. 
• Fall concerts were fantastic. 
• Rotary recognition is tomorrow morning for an outstanding student who has been doing a lot to help our new English language learning students transition to our school.

Dr. Waller Update

• Play cutting of Little Women and weekend performance tonight through Saturday.
• Muse Machine at school bringing performance from Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Theme of their performance is civil rights and focus on year of the woman. All presented through dance providing cultural enrichment for students. Paul acknowledged Joni Sherk facilitates Muse Machine.
• Next Thursday 11/14 is college connection. Every year, staff members pick a different college to visit with teachers from each subject area along and Curriculum Director Kimbe Lange. Staff members meet with professors from each of the content areas while Paul will meet with admissions and services. Feedback will be sought on Oakwood student readiness. They will meet up with Oakwood alumni at a nearby restaurant to discuss how Oakwood Schools prepared them were for college.

President's Report Maura Schmitt

• Acknowledged a missing page in the student directory. Page 81 will be distributed shortly.
• Maura asked about career technology partnerships with Kettering and Centerville. Kelly Owens replied there are spots for two Oakwood students in each program at Kettering and Centerville and counselors meet with freshman and sophomores to explain the career tech program so if interested, students can begin preparing to be gone half of each day for career tech in 11 and 12 grades. Many career tech options are for college bound students, noting the difference between career tech and vocational programs of the past. 

Board of Education  

• Meredith Quigley had no updates but was open to answer questions. Kyle publicly thanked Meredith for recently running for a second term on the BOE while acknowledging Todd Duwel for entering his third term.

Kelly Owens 

• Thanked Emma Butler for college admission hospitality work. Guidance has processed 817 college applications but number is expected to increase as students receive acceptance and merit money offerings.  Counselors are working with 9 and 10 grade social studies classes to meet with students in small groups to get them used to talking to counselors and knowing what services are available to them.
• Paige Lumpkins is working with Hope Squad to address emotional wellness issues faced by some students as well as identifying students who will benefit from the directed study hall program.

Traci Hale 

• Announcement emails are working as intended. The national average of announcement emails that are opened by recipient is 20%. The Oakwood average is 40%.
• New projects “I love my school” with k-12 kids on video talking about what they like about their school. 

PTO Budget

• Membership is up, PTO asks for continued use of loyalty cards for DLM Amazon Smile. Kroger.

Grants

• Jennifer Almoney reported PTO is aligned with Oakwood Schools Foundation for the grant process. All grant groups (Harman PTO, Smith PTO, Fine Arts Boosters, OSF, OJH/OHS PTO) are collaborating as “gifting groups.”  The OSF was able to fund all grants that were requested last year.

Staff Extra Mile.

• Maura recognized Dawne Roeckner for going above and beyond to assist with Veterans Day activities. 
• Jennifer Almoney recognized John Loomis for hosting Game Club daily during lunch giving many students a place to go and feel included. John has several strategy games available for students and spends time playing them with the kids.
• Jennifer recognized Melinda Wargacki for being sensitive to the emotional needs of her ninth grade daughter by comforting her as she was mourning the loss of family pet.
• Michelle Hoffman recognized Mr. K.C. Weaver for supporting her son who is a very literal thinker and therefore struggled while working on a poetry assignment. K.C. went the extra mile by helping her son with something that did not come natural to him.

In the Know

• The PTO asked for an update on the academic profile advisory committee. Paul stated initial meetings had been held. The purpose of the committee is to take a hard look at information supporting any changes and taking time to evaluate how we “do grades and what gets add ons”. Paul recognized Emma Butler and Sharon Kelly for the extensive research provided as to how other schools do the grading scales. A survey seeking feedback about the current grading policies went to alumni, students and staff and results were reported results at last meeting. Rob Durkle from University of Dayton reported research as well. Meetings will occur monthly with different stakeholders presenting. All factors are being considered and committee is still in learning/discussion process.
• Before closing a parent, Ali Davis raised the concern that junior varsity students were not well recognized at the fall sports banquet for being scholar athletes. Paul replied the scholar athlete program is an Ohio High School Athletic Association designation.

PTO minutes Sept. 5, 2019

In attendance: Tim Badenhop, Lori Flanery, Sharon Kelly, Paul Waller, Meredith Quigley, Jennifer Almoney, Alli Davis, Emma Butler, Tricia Bauer, Maura Schmitz, Sonja Smallwood, Kyle Ramey, Tracey Williams, Traci Hale

Maura called meeting to order at 11:52 and invited Dr. Ramey to speak first.

Dr Ramey – Welcomed everyone and said there had been a good start the school year and discussed the following points: The district has had a change in treasurer. Leading to this was the hiring of Shared Resource Center to help with the transition following Kevin Philo’s departure. After the Board of Education went through the process of hiring Julia Belden, SRC continued to work with the district while Belden addressed licensing requirements. During this process, the district realized SRC was the best fit for the treasurer position as it brought the resources of multiple individuals to one position. Belden’s contract was allowed to expire and SRC now has that position. Dr Ramey then reported Todd Scott took the position as the district’s new operations coordinator this past July. The Master Facilities Plan is currently in “soft” design phase, working on schematic drawings. This will be followed by construction drawings. The project will go to bid in January of 2020 with construction starting in the late spring/June 1 timeframe. The alumni plaza project is continuing following a delay in receiving special stone needed for a sign. The stone was just arriving so the project should proceed promptly. Dr. Ramey emphasized the important component that Oakwood Schools Foundation is funding the plaza with private dollars and had nothing to do with bond issue. The new playground at Lange school is also funded with OSF and a private family donation.

Jennifer Almoney asked if communications kinks had been worked out in terms of subscribing to district communications. Traci Hale explained morning announcements were being redistributed in order to ensure only individuals receive announcements for areas relevant to them. The email subscription sign up may have caused some confusion leading to some parents not receiving their requested announcements. Traci Hale can be emailed directly by parents wishing to sign up for email announcements.

Tim Badenhop - Commented that transitions to seventh and eighth grade have gone very well, crediting Harman and Smith schools doing a good job preparing students for Junior High. A group of international families working with Fuyao have moved to the district and a language barrier is being addressed through the use of google translate microphones except in cases where parents request students be immersed with the assistance of technology. The Alumni Plaza is a nice feature kids are using during lunch and free time. New staff member Hilary Waugh has replaced retiring Lissa Fickert in the counseling department. Ms. Waugh, who comes from Eaton, has already has “stepped in like she has been here forever.” Mr. Will Thomure is also new to the physical education department, bringing experience teaching in Montessori and with the U.S. Army.  A change will be made in Take 5 with grades 7-9 students meeting approximately twice a month with teachers monitoring students' academic progress. The goal is students who have difficulty with grades have the opportunity to address issues in early on. The Junior High also administered a survey giving kids the opportunity to respond if they needed help with an issue or had classmates who appear to be in need of support. The survey helped OJH to identify and assist students in need of support. Stingrays came in last week for 7th graders and penguins will be brought in next month.

Paul Waller - Thanked the PTO for help with open house and directories. The Oakwood Athletic Hall of Fame induction took place that evening at the Dayton Country Club. The “PTO patio” is a success with many kids using it frequently. OHS is using homeroom as a comprehensive program to intervene and check on kids who may be in need of support or intervention. OHS also implemented a guided study hall for students who need extra support and supervision with academics and organization. A new program was started for Seniors where they can be academic aids, assisting underclassmen in academic areas where they excel. Senior sign out is different this year.  Approval to leave the building during study hall is no longer automatically given to every senior. Using attendance data from last year, 10-15 seniors are required to remain in the building until the end of the quarter when they have earned the sign out privilege.

Maura Schmitt – Addressed the delay with directory distribution which are typically available at the open house. Tricia Bauer with the directory committee said it came down to the organization of data being extremely time consuming. She said the merger with last year’s software and new graphic design did not go smoothly and many steps had to be done manually. Privacy concerns further complicated the process. Some duplicated contacts led to 20 pages extra in the directory. The PTO printed 514 directories - 100 less than last year. The committee will compile all of the obstacles and communicate them to the team in charge of next year’s directory. Tricia also suggested opening a dialogue about eventually going to electronic only.

Financial Statement provided by Pam Clark and presented by Maura Schmitt reported that pacing is very good. Among notable points was that PTO does not receive DLM rewards until the January/February timeframe. Maura also reminded attendees when ordering on Amazon to order from Amazon Smile in order to earn rewards for the PTO. The PTO sponsored staff luncheon was successfully catered by Glasz Bleu Oven.

Emma Butler – College visit Hospitality. Organized a parent volunteer program to assist guidance office by greeting college representatives and acting as their personal guides when visiting OHS. The new program starts in September and currently there are 15 parent volunteers who participated in one of the two training sessions. Sign up genius is almost full so most colleges covered.  Approximately 50 colleges are signed up to visit. Colleges can be found at naviance and listed in morning announcements.  Schools from west and east coast different varieties small and large public and private will be represented.

The New Family Welcome is Wednesday, Sept. 11 upstairs at DLM.  This event is a good opportunity to find new PTO volunteers and committee members.

In the know question:
Considering the recent shooting in Dayton and given the history of the shooter’s instability, what procedures are in place at school ensuring the safety of everyone in similar situations? In additions, is there a policy for students to feel safe when reaching out to teachers or administrators if they are experiencing violent thoughts towards others? Are they aware that they can ask for help?

-Paul Waller replied it not just a school issue but a community issue. Paul listed safety and prevention measures including the ALICE drill and Oakwood Safety Department Chief Hill sharing security updates with staff. OHS has worked with the FBI on how to recognize concerning behavior. The response time from Oakwood Safety Dept is 90 seconds. Additionally, officers from the OSD walk through the building two or three times a day. The primary goal is students feel safe at school. Paul referenced a recent Snapchat threat and how he was immediately contacted by students and parents, allowing the issue to be addressed immediately. He explained a reason why the Take 5 homeroom program was started was to build adult/student relationships as it is possible for a student to go through HS without ever having a meaningful conversation with an adult who really knows them. Take 5 works to educate students on mental health and being aware of others. South Community Counseling services is available to work with kids who struggle w/mental health issues. Student anxiety and depression is addressed by counselors frequently, more than parents may be aware of.

Tracey Williams asked about building security and unlocked doors after hours, expressing the opinion that it made students less secure. Dr. Ramey responded he meets regularly with OSD to discuss risks and safety measures.  Dr. Waller detailed the many surveillance features as well as after hours staff who create a secure building after hours.

Special Education Representative Stephanie Geehan – Inquired into policy for teacher support of special needs students so they can attend dances. Tim Badenhop responded that yes if there is a reasonable chance special ed students will attend dances there would be arrangements made to have an adult present to provide needed supervision. Stephanie suggested teachers in the multiple disability room be asked to speak to kids about going to dance and let them know teachers will be there to support them. Stephanie asked how teachers can encourage typical students to participate in Circle of Friends, a club that meets on Tuesdays during lunch. She is hoping to grow this program in order to benefit all students by increasing interactions and socialization among the special needs and typical students. 

Maura closed meeting at 1:08.

PTO minutes May 9, 2019

In Attendance: Sharon Kelly, Traci Hale, Sonja Smallwood, Emma Butler, Tricia Bauer, Maura Schmitt, Meredith Quigley, Kelly Owens, Jennifer Almoney, Wendy Nikolai, Stephanie Geehan, Kelley Kiernen, Erin Tomazic, Michele Crane, Ali Davis, Paul Waller, Tim Badenhop, Kyle Ramey.

PTO President Sharon Kelly called the meeting to order at 11:50 and announced that every year the PTO recognizes a senior parent who was active in PTO and made an impact through volunteer efforts. The award is officially known as the Bev Johnson volunteer award. This year the PTO recognized Debbie DiLorenzo. Debbie’s volunteer history includes numerous Harman School room parent, fundraising and student program efforts from 2002-2013. Additionally Debbie was Junior High volunteer coordinator, OHS PTO president, after prom chair and team mom for multiple sports. Debbie’s response to receiving the award was that she "would not trade a moment of this time for anything" Debbie was not present but daughter, Mia Gorman was present to accept the award.

Kyle Ramey – Dr Ramey thanked the community for passing the levy. The next step is to put a design team together to carry out the design process which will include the engineering project of coordinating electrical, plumbing, etc. Over summer break preliminary work will be done to manage asbestos. Dr. Ramey addressed the Alumni project which has been discussed over the past two years. An alumni plaza at the Junior High entrance, primarily the main entrance, is planned. The alumni association and Oakwood Schools Foundation will complete the project with private dollars over this summer but completely separate from Master Facilities Plan. Dr. Ramey emphasized that the alumni project will be funded with private dollars. A new Smith School principle, Chrissy Eliot, coming from Springfield Shawnee school district is in the final hiring stages and expected to be approved shortly.

Tim Badenhop – Mr. Badenhop thanked the community approving levy, stating that he was “actually excited about stable heating and cooling.” The spring concerts were successful and the school year is finishing out well for 7^th and 8^th graders.

Paul Waller – Mr. Waller thanked the community for approving the levy. He congratulated the Energy Team who returned from Columbus with another state championship. Mr. Waller stated that they were in charge of the recycling program at OHS and that they were working to develop portable cell charging stations at OHS. The Energy Team received the #1 school in country award which they will receive in Washington DC this summer. Academic Decathlon won the eighth consecutive national championship for division three and scored only a couple points below the division 1 national championship team. Mr. Waller recognized senior William Ayres who earned the highest score of anyone at the competition. Mr. Waller thanked the After Prom committee for an amazing year with great prizes and asked parents to continue encouraging students to make good decisions at end of year events and traditions.

Kelly Owens – Thanked community for the levy passage. College app review event went well will do it every other year. Thirty-seven students attended. Next year will have college admissions panel. The counseling department is currently in the throes of scheduling and scholarship coordinating. University of Cincinnati is the most popular university selected by the class of 2019. Additionally four students selected the armed services including one joining The Coast Guard. Students are also planning to attend blacksmith school and the Hobart Institute of Welding.

Treasurer Report - Sharon Kelly informed attendees that the PTO budget had not changed from the March meeting and explained how excess funds from Junior Assembly are deposited into the after prom budget for when those students are seniors.

Staff Extra Mile – Sonja Smallwood recognized Lori Morris, coach of the Academic Decathlon Team that recently won their eighth consecutive national championship. Travel for regional, state and national competitions requires Mrs. Morris to spend the equivalent of two weeks a year away from her young family. Mrs. Morris was recognized for her commitment to each member of the team and her ability to motivate each of her diverse array of students to achieve their personal best. Mrs. Morris fosters invaluable personal growth in every student as she develops them as mentors to the younger team members.

Committee Reports
After Prom - 310 students attended After Prom until the event ended at 2am. Students needing to be present to raffle prizes contributed to this. Parent volunteers were thanked as well as local businesses for their generous donations.

Guidance & hospitality - Emma Butler will chair in the 2019/2020 school year and is seeking a cochair

Directory - Erin Tomazic explained that Jen Makkas was working with liaisons at Harman and Smith to merge data from both schools. The merger will affect timing of the directory release.

Special Projects - Jennifer Almoney reiterated that patio remodel was payed for with PTO funds and not tax dollars. Funds were accumulated by the collection of membership dues and subsequent overages. Through the years they were placed in a separate fund for use on an impactful project for the school. The overall project cost was $21,000. Since the patio’s recent completion, teachers have used it for classroom activities. The patio is also an extended lunch space, especially for Junior High students. The PTO will plan to order six more Adirondack chairs and two more picnic tables next year.

Sharon announced that it was her last meeting, and third year, as president and that Maura Schmitt had graciously agreed to be president next year.

Maura – Announced that Lori Flannery would act as Vice President next year, presenting gifts to Sharon Kelly and outgoing PTO member Jennifer Almoney.

Meeting adjourned at 12:45.

PTO Meeting – January 10, 2019

In Attendance: Sharon Kelly, Sonja Smallwood, Maura Schmitt, Emma Butler, Jennifer Almoney, Christine Hoffman, Meredith Quigley, Kelly Owens, Allison Davis, Allison Silvain, Tricia Bauer, Paul Waller, Kyle Ramey, Tim Badenhop

PTO President Sharon Kelly brought the meeting to order at 11:53 and invited Dr. Ramey to speak.

Superintendent Report by Dr. Kyle Ramey
Dr. Ramey acknowledged that school board president, Todd Duwel was not available but happy to have Meredith Quigley present to represent the school board. Dr Ramey began by stating that although the district CFO search, Master Facilities Plan and upcoming bond/operating levies have consumed significant time they are not, by far, the most important events to occur in recent months. Dr. Ramey emphasized the districts commitment to putting students first and noted the importance and significance or the recent losses of student Jacob Polete, and staff members Janet Bourne, Dan Weckstein, Randy Neff and former student Zach Johnson.

-Regarding the CFO search Dr Ramey stated that the process was going very well and that, while there is an excellent candidate that has been interviewed five times, they are committed to finding the right fit and hoping to have the position filled and announced shortly.

-Master Facilities Plan (MFP). Dr Ramey and others emphasized multiple times that the district will PRESERVE EXISTING BUILDINGS as a result of hearing the community’s wishes “loud and clear”. Because the aging infrastructure requires significant updates that far exceed the district’s current budget the district must take action now to avoid a much larger financial challenge in the future that would force the district to divert operating funds from the classroom to address critical facility needs. The district strives to remain good stewards of the community’s resources, providing great value to residents while being a top performer and focusing on the needs of every child, every day.  

The Board of Education approved the MFP in November. In December was the first reading – certified with Auditor a combination levy (operating 4.99 and Bond 2.7). The second reading took place in January with a notice to proceed. Residents will vote on the Combination Levy in May. Assuming passage, the design process will take place between June and November. The project will be “out to bid” in December with bid opening in January 2020 and contracts awarded in February 2020 and work to begin in June 2020 – August 2021. The three phases of the MFP are separate, complimentary and dynamic. 

-Phase 1: 2019-2023. Approximately $19m+

-focus on prioritized foundational infrastructure (plumbing electric, HVAC, roofing, ADA, security) at the JH/HS based on the technical building assessment report dated 9/4/18.

-includes targeted infrastructure at Smith and Harman to address critical upgrades. (roof, restrooms, boilers).

-Funding is recommended to be through a combination of a reasonable bond levy and private donations.

-Phase 2: 2025-2028. Approximately $25m

-Renovations to Smith and Harman with prioritized infrastructure upgrades (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, security, ADA). Consider options to address space constraints.

-Continuing targeted infrastructure work at JH/HS.

-Funding recommended to come from a combination of local, state and private money including permanent improvement funds and Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) dollars.

-Phase 3: 2030-2033
-Explore concept of Early Learning Center and shared community spaces.

-Phase 4: 2035-2038
-Investigate concept of major renovations and additions to JH/HS campus.

In closing Dr Ramey asked that community members give the district their understanding, engagement and support of the process, addressing any and all concerns regarding the MPF with the district so that they have the opportunity to provide feedback. The district website should be considered the source of accurate and comprehensive information regarding the MPF.

Junior High report by Tim Badenhop
The JH will present a Harry Potter parody production on Friday 1/18 and Saturday 1/19. The winter band concert will take place on Wednesday 1/23. Tim and Lissa Fickert will visit Harman and Smith to meet with 6^th graders on 1/28 and 1/29 and the 6^th grade parent meeting will take place on Wednesday 1/30. An OJH dance is scheduled for Friday, 2/1. In February, Tim and Lissa will get feedback from students regarding their interest in various classes which they will use when determining what classes to offer next year. Junior High conferences will be held on 2/7 based on parent or teacher request. Students will be encouraged to attend conferences with the parents to facilitate effective communication. Tim discussed plans for local attorney, privacy expert and OJH parent Scott Ganow to return to speak to parents of incoming 7^th graders regarding privacy issues with regard to digital media.

-Jennifer Almoney discussed the idea of forming a small group of parents to assist new parents with logistical procedures. Her idea came from the most commonly asked questions at the PTO new parent meetings. She explained that parents would benefit from learning about how to sign up for school sports and activities and getting themselves on email distribution lists for information relevant to their students and other logistical items.

High School report by Paul Waller
Paul thanked the PTO for the holiday lunch and December 17 snack. Paul also thanked the PTO for help with the reception in support of the family and friends of late student, Jacob Polete and acknowledged committee members for providing food and lunch-account funding to OHS students dealing with hunger. On 1/25 a clinical toxicologist guest speaker from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital will visit the HS to speak to students about the effects of drug use and vaping on their brain chemistry. The Winter orchestra concert will take place on February 5^th and curriculum night will occur on February 7^th. Young at Art is scheduled for March 16. Teachers are currently preparing juniors to take the state-funded ACT and sophomores the pre-ACT on March 12. Preparation courses will be offered by the school for a fee and core classes will also work with students on specific subject areas. While the state and national average has come down (likely due to more students taking the exam) Oakwood’s average remains high at 26.5. It is important for sophomores to take the exam so that results can be used by OHS to determine areas of focus when preparing students. For this reason, Paul strongly encourages sophomores to take the ACT since the data from their test results will be used to better prepare them for the 11^th grade exam. Paul also discussed the potential need for a centralized printing service as students frequently need to print assignments at school.

Staff Liaison report by Kelly Owens
The Freshman Challenge took place on January 9^th and was extremely successful. Mrs Bline is faculty advisor for the program where seniors lead freshman to work together on team building activities. Counselors will visit 11^th grade English classes to speak to students about college preparation activities. Individual conferences with 11^th grade students will begin the week of January 14 and counselors will meet with parents in February. Scheduling for the next school year will begin shortly. Beth Johnson will send mid-year reports to colleges that request them and career education meetings will take place with sophomore visits on January 16 and 25^th. Counselors will also meet with freshman and sophomores to get them started with Naviance.

-Maura Schmitt asked about discussion that Oakwood ranked high in the Dayton Area Drug Survey (DADS). Paul explained that unlike most districts, Oakwood gives the survey to all students, making the data unreliable in terms of comparing districts to one another.

Treasurer’s report by Sharon Kelly
The PTO budget is in order with money coming in from organizations like Kroger and Amazon Smile and spending being kept on track.

Special Facilities Project by Jennifer Almoney
The PTO granted funds for four benches to be used by students throughout the building. Principals chose to place two in the JH social studies hallway and two in the science wing. The executive board met and approved 22K to remove mulch and install pavers in the courtyard located between the work room and library. The PTO has selected Garden Gate Designs as the contractor. They will begin work on the project in March, 2019.

Staff Extra Mile
Jennifer Almoney recognized Joan Bline for her excellent work with 12^th and 9^th graders in the Freshman Challenge which was, by all accounts, a huge success.

In The Know
Sharon Kelly asked if Paul Waller had considered a general HS supply list to be released before the start of school. It was noted that students often do not know what to purchase until after the first day when many stores have sold out of necessary supplies. Paul will plan to provide a basic supply list, adding that some teachers may request additional item after the first day, however the bulk of items would be listed before school begins.

Meeting was adjourned at 1:10
Respectfully Submitted: Sonja Smallwood

PTO Meeting – November 8, 2018

In Attendance:  Emma Butler, Anne Dobmeyer, Margot Hadley, Christine Hoffman, Allison Silvain, Kelly Owens, Krista Caley, Jennifer Almoney, Martha Amongero, Tim Badenhop, Paul Waller, Kyle Ramey, Sharon Kelly, Sonja Smallwood

PTO President Sharon Kelly brought the meeting to order at 12:08 and welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the winter months and introduced Sonja Smallwood as new recording secretary, replacing Anne Jones who stepped down to work full time. 

Superintendent report by Dr. Kyle Ramey: 
-As part of the district’s normal safety routine (without cause) drug and explosive sniffing dogs came in to the building three weeks ago. The operation was done in partnership with Oakwood Public Safety and the Montgomery County Sheriff dept. No explosives were picked up by the dogs. The drug-sniffing dogs checked lockers and responded to a few that were subsequently searched. No drugs were found. Dr Ramey explained that dogs likely responded to clothing that had been exposed to marijuana smoke. This is the second of two searches where drugs were not found. Good news as the point of the operation is to discourage drug use.
-The Shafor Park tennis courts are completed. Oakwood students and tennis coaches look forward to using them for practice and competition.
-The district continues to seek a new treasurer and has interviewed some excellent candidates. Dr. Ramey anticipates the position will be filled by the beginning of 2019. In the meantime all is going well with the interim treasurer.
-The master facilities plan, detailed in the Oakwood register, will be presented to the board with Dr. Ramey’s recommendation. The board is expected to accept the plan. The focus is to prioritize the foundational infrastructure (heating, AC, electric and plumbing) that the district can build/expand upon. Sources of financing Phase 1 will be a combination of a public dollars and private donations (to enhance performing, visual and practical arts). Dr. Ramey also discussed plans for a possible operating and bond combination levy.

Junior High report by Tim Badenhop:
The JH is having a global read aloud of the book Refuge. During the half day on Friday 11/9 the JH will have speaker, Mrs. Frydman to discuss her book about her husband surviving the holocaust. There will also be some fun options including a student presentation on origami. More opportunities for student presentations are being considered.

High School report by Paul Waller:
Today there was a play cutting from the musical Comedy of Murders. Mr. Walled thanked PTO for the taco bar they hosted on Friday. The first quarter of the school year went very smoothly with kids doing well. The Cross Country boys and girls will be running at the state meet this weekend. The girls qualified as a team and two boys will run as individuals. 

Staff liaison report by Kelly Owen:
November 1 was the first college acceptance deadline. The highest number of applications went to the University of Cincinnati followed by Ohio State, University of Dayton, Miami and Ohio University. Over 60% of seniors have applied to college. Kelly attended a conference at Furman University in SC with 34 other counselors. The counseling office will be calling in kids who have not yet applied to college and working with the OSF and Dayton foundation as scholarship season begins. Kelly announced plans for an application review workshop event to take place on April 24. Admissions counselors from Miami, UD, Case Western, Dennison (rep is a 2013 Oakwood grad) will be in the auditorium for parents of 8-11 graders. For 11^th grade, students reps will be in various classrooms where they will review applications and conduct a mock admission exercise with a committee deciding if student’s applications will be admitted, wait-listed or denied, providing reasoning for their decision and indicating which packages are admissible to what schools. The plan is for the application workshop open to juniors only and occurring every other year which began the discussion of including sophomores. She will take it into consideration to include sophomores. They are still in the planning stages but will consider. 

Treasurer report by Sharon Kelly:
The October financial statement showed a reduction in membership and directories due to student enrollment being lower than last year. 

Special facilities project by Jennifer Almoney:
The PTO has accrued extra money over the years that has been earmarked to transform the 900 square foot courtyard located between the work room and library (a space not affected by master facilities plan). Garden Gate Designs will remove excessive mulch and lay paver stones in the area for 17K. Two Six-foot picnic tables ($318 each) and four-five poly Adirondack chairs ($219 each) added for a total cost of $20,560. The PTO plans to include hedges and stand-alone umbrellas with future funds. Construction will began in March 2019. Additionally money budgeted for teacher grants will be used to purchase furniture, selected by principals, to be placed in areas around the school.

Committee Reports
Sharon Kelly reported that the new family welcome at DLM was a success as well as the taco bar lunch organized by the teacher appreciation committee.

Krista Caley discussed giving all families access to the directory portal account to simplify directory maintenance following a software change. Free directory access will be given in the spring and used to prompt families to join the following year.

Staff Extra Mile:
Sharon Kelly recognized Mrs Jackson and Mrs Smith who took 16 students to Chicago last weekend for the national high school journalism convention.  Mr. Waller recognized Cyber Patriots working all day last Saturday. Jennifer Almoney recognized Mr. and Mrs. Deters for their work with the Speech and Debate team, the largest club in school with 70 student members. Mr Deters works tirelessly organizing transportation and logistics for the competitions that occur every weekend.

In the Know:
Question 1 – Has the school district explored the possibility of allowing a PE exemption for students who participate in multiple school sports? 

Mr. Waller responded that while the district values the fitness standards taught over the two PE course of study (standards that are not learned in sports/band) they have several students taking advantage of the flex credit program which allows students to receive PE credit if they participate in an intense, time-consuming sport. Mr Waller explained that flex credit could be used in subjects other than PE and that he and the guidance department were always happy to consider student requests for flex credit as well as those requesting two summer gym sessions or online PE when room is needed in their schedules. 

Meeting was adjourned at 1:05 pm.
Respectfully Submitted: Sonja Smallwood

PTO Meeting – September 6, 2018 at 11:50 a.m.

In attendance: Sharon Kelly, Meredith Quigley, Jennifer Almoney, Krista Caley, Maura Schmitt, Emma Butler, Todd Duwell,  Dante Connell, Paul Waller, Kyle Ramey, Kellie Owens, Matt Sproat, Tim Badenhop, Debbie Gorman, Tricia Bauer, Susan Choi, Anne Jones, Traci Hale

President’s welcome: Sharon thanked everyone for being at the first meeting of the year.

Superintendent’s Report: Dr. Ramey thanked the PTO for all that they do. It’s a wonderful organization for us all to share information freely. All are welcome to call on the administration with questions or concerns. He said that the opening of school went well. The district has implemented some new security measures at front doors of all schools. This is just another layer to help make us feel more safe. There were changes to transportation and fingerprinting for parents.  The district is making movements to 1:1 in the future. The school report card will be out soon but Dr. Ramey does not feel it gives a total reflection of what students are capable of. There is so much more that  goes into what we do at Oakwood.

The Board will be publishing the Masters Facility Plan. In a nutshell, the plan covers the next 20 years as it is a four phase system set up. The first phase will prioritize infrastructure combined with performing arts updates focused primarily at JH/HS with targeted updates at the elementary schools.  This will happen in the next few years. Phase 2 will be 5 years down the road with concentration in the elementary schools. Phase 3 is an early learning center. Phase 4 would be major changes at the High school.  Funding options will be discussed and presented in 2-3 months.

Kevin Philo has resigned as Treasurer after 24 years of service. The Board has hired an interim treasurer while developing  a search plan. The hope is to have someone in place by the beginning of the year.

Junior High Report: Mr. Badenhop thanked the PTO for the staff welcome lunch to begin the year. The JH office staff is working on how to effectively communicate to parents and students the new changes to the office door security. AC is a work in progress. He thanked the PTO  for the supply list concerns last year. While some changes were made for this school year, the hope is to streamline the process even more for next year.  This year the activities fair was combined with the tailgate. It went well and lots of students came. Transitioned students into JH went very smooth especially 7^th grade. 

Senior High Report: Mr. Waller said it’s been a difficult few months losing beloved staff, Randy Neff and Dan Weckstein. The community has been so supportive with their families still here in the district. Heidi Edwards was awarded the Crossfield Teacher of the Year National award. Teachers have had a really great start. From the PSAT there have been 10 Merit scholar semi-finalists. This is the most Oakwood has had in the past 17 years.  Tennis and soccer is doing well.

Board of Ed Report: Todd Duwell said the key focus for the Board is the Masters Facilities Plan and new treasurer. They continue to partner themselves with experts who can look at our spaces and not be confined. They hope to find  a CFO who will continue to challenge themselves and the community. Traci Hale is doing a fantastic job of sharing information. He encouraged the community to contact the board if necessary with any questions or concerns.

Staff Liaison: Kelly Owens thanked the newly trained Hospitality committee volunteers for their upcoming involvement with college reps who come to visit Oakwood.  Parents Meetings for all grades are in September.  Schedule for each grade has been set for Guidance to meet with students to discuss pertinent information. The Dan Weckstein Resilience scholarship was given for the first time last year. The Neff family will be offering a scholarship in Randy’s memory as well, with emphasis going to a student interested in teaching math and coaching. The goal is to give it every year.

Technology Update: Matt Sproat gave a short presentation on how we see technology in our classrooms.  “ISAC” is the goal ~ Individualized, Student led, Authentic and Collaborative.

They have been working hard on the technology blue-print and have mapped out a four year plan with the technology committee.  The technology committee has met monthly for the past year which includes parents, students, administers, teachers.  1:1 will be gradually build to develop a network of training and responsibilities for teachers, students and parents. The target is in 2019-20 to potentially rollout Chrome books to  5^th and 9^th. Since Chrome books usually last four years those two grades would receive it. Questions yet to be answered:  split the cost possibly with parents? Would the device then go home with the child when the four years is up? What would happen with any repairs? What would the rules be around a device?  If they don’t bring the device to school? Do they get to take them home?  What tools do teachers need?  What support do parents need? It would be a slower, layered rollout so adjustments can be made as devices are given out. Parents might be able to opt out if child has another source.

In the Know: Has the amount of summer work recently been evaluated?

Mr. Waller welcomed our thoughts as it is often awkward for individual parents to approach a teacher complaining about the amount of summer work.  He said that the English department (where the majority of work typically comes from) is in the process of a curriculum audit.  The teachers/admin look at the curriculum every 5 years (rolling).  Several comments were made regarding the amount of work/writing that is involved and whether or not it is meaningful work. Perhaps more meaningful work would be to have incoming senior students write 2 college essays.  Also mentioned was literature diversity/more contemporary works.  One example was that "Jane Eyre" is not great reading for incoming freshmen.  Mr. Waller did explain that some literature choices are dictated by Common Core....a recent push for more non-fiction readings.  Mr. Waller did express that Oakwood grads excel in writing and do well in college writing classes. 

Treasurer's Report - Staff Lunch and Guidance Hospitality spent money.  Don't forget to sign up for Amazon Smile - have to click it each time but it is a great return. 

Extra Mile Minute - Mrs. Gilbert was given kudos by a parent for the excellent way she acted in her classroom with the children to talk through the tough situation of losing a beloved member of our community.  She was thoughtful and real and she showed how we come together as a community in tough times.  She brought in her dog to help the children too. 

Committee Reports

Staff Lunch - 125 people attended, very well received.  Food from DCC.  Extra thanks to Kelly Pleiman and Kiersten Cahill for organizing.

Open House - Seemed to be a decrease in the number of parents who came to the tables but the open house went well overall.

Membership - 379 Families joined - down from 400 last year.  Most people joined at the bronze level.  Most people signed up online.  Was noted that enrollment is going down a bit so that could account for numbers being lower. Reviewing the first day packet for next year to see if all the paper is needed.  PTO made almost 13K overall and that's a big part of what PTO will make this year.

Directories - All directories should be distributed at this point.  

Guidance Hospitality - Have new parking spot with sign, new visit page for college reps on website, new conformation email.  Did 2 training sessions for the volunteers and we are excited to welcome reps starting next week.

Grants - Process underway.  Teachers should be submitting those requests. 

New Family Welcome - 9/12 8:30-10 at DLM.  PTO Committee Members and Board welcome to attend to welcome new families.

Meeting adjourned 1:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Anne Jones

May 10, 2018

In attendance: Paul Waller, Tim Badenhop, Kelli Owens, Pam Clark, Jennifer Almoney, Sharon Kelly, Kelly Hick, Anne Jones, Lisa Sanford, Meredith Quigley, Dr. Ramey, Michelle Tucker, Debbie Gorman, Krista Caley, Tracie Hale, Emma Butler, Stephanie Geehan

President’s Welcome:

Special Award Presentation: Lisa Sanford received the Bev Johnson Volunteer Award.

Guidance Hospitality: Emma Butler is heading up the committee. 15 parents said they would be willing to help the guidance department next school year with college visits.

Jr High Principal Report: Mr. Badenhop thanked the PTO. The Success Breakfast was on May 9 with 15 kids being recognized for being great people. End of year activities wrapping up ~ sports ended, choir next week.

Sr. High Principal Report: Mr. Waller thanked the PTO for being part of the school and making things better for the kids and staff. He thanked Jennifer for her leadership. AP testing is wrapping up. Kids are well prepared. The amount of kids taking the AP exams has more than doubled. High School awards were held the morning of May 10. May 16 is senior cookout and college photo. Caps and gowns are passed out on May 17. Senior Awards will be at Dayton Art Institute this year. 325 kids attended After Prom. Great prizes were available for the kids. Mr. Waller thanked Debbie Gorman for her hard work. It was a fast year, but a good year.

Superintendent Report: Dr. Ramey thanked the PTO for the support. Thanked Lisa Sanford for her time. A donor recognition art piece will hopefully be revealed at Lane Stadium will hopefully in June . It was designed by a local artist. 140 people donated to the stadium so their names will be recognized.

Facilities update: School Board has heard the community regarding needing a clear prioritized list ~ sensitive to taxes, costs, needs of building. They are working with engineers to prioritize that list. School Board is looking at how we set up infrastructure to get private and development dollars and not just relying on taxes. They will be looking for more community input with planned future surveys to gather info on all types of topics.

Staff Liaison’s Report: Mrs. Owens reported that the Scholarship Committee will be making decisions by May 22. Counselors were in Jr. classrooms, telling them what they to expect for next year. Freshmen & sophomores took the Meyer’s Briggs personality test to help Guidance department serve each child. This year’s Senior class has 16 students going to 2-year school, 4 going into the military, 1 gap year, 1 playing hockey. 88% of students will be going to a 4-year college. Guidance is working on master schedules for underclassmen and hope that the kids have their schedules in hand by the end of the year.

Treasurer’s Report: 2018-2019 Budget : Kelly Hick reported that the transition will be made to Pam Clark taking over as Treasurer this summer. Membership increased by $1000 this year. DLM/Kroger programs are hugely successful. This has allowed us to increase budgets, even a nominal amounts helps. Teacher Grants has also been increased. Two budget items were added: Hospitality Fund and Freshman challenge.

Staff Extra Mile: Lisa Sanford would like to thank Mr. Lane who spoke at Senior breakfast and has a party at his house for his Stats students. It’s an nice evening out of his week when he hangs out with his students. Good for the students to see teachers taking an interest outside the classroom.

Jennifer highlighted Mr. Rainsberger and Mr. Deters who brought in food for the AP test kids.

Committee Reports:

After Prom: Debbie Gorman said lots of donations were given last minute to cover costs. Slots of kids stayed to the end for the great prizes. Great parent volunteers.

Food Truck: Taking place on Friday, May 11. 5 trucks coming. KC Stack is in charge.

Transition to New President: Sharon Kelly thanked Jennifer for her year.

Present Proposed Slate for 2018-2019: Sharon shared the list of PTO committee members for 2018-2019 school year.

New Business: Stephanie Geehan had a question regarding the special ed. kids who would like to attend dances, but will need staff support while attending. What level of support is appropriate to help those kids have fun? Mr. Badenhop is aware of the issue and will work on it this summer so there is some consistency for next school year.

In the Know:

JR. High supply list: Mr. Badenhop is aware of the issues regarding cost and organization of the Jr. High supply list. He will continue to work with staff to figure out what they can take off and maybe what the PTO can help with, if necessary.

State test: Since the guidelines for the tests are different for each course area (history, language arts, government), the easiest thing to do is to have all students take the end of the year exam, regardless of taking the AP test. AP scores can transfer over to the end of course score, but students still need to take the end of the year test.

March 8, 2018

 

In attendance: Jennifer Almoney, Pam Clark, Sharon Kelly, Meredith Quigley, Tracy Cunningham, Emma Butler, Megan Trout, Ali Davis, Stephanie Geehan, Debbie Gorman, Krista Caley, Anne Jones, Paul Waller, Kelly Owens, Dr. Kyle Ramey, Tim Badenhop, Tracy Hale

President’s Welcome: Jennifer thanked everyone for coming.

Junior High Report: Mr. Badenhop stated that the next ½ day (March 16) the Jr. High will do things a bit differently. They will have speakers come in to talk about internet safety, social media concerns to the 7^th and 8^th graders with break out sessions following. The students will be able to choose what session they would like to attend next week. Mr. Badenhop will also bring in the OSF Google Exposition Kit for us to experience in May.

Senior High Report: Mr. Waller said students were sent schedule verifications yesterday. Plan is for schedules to be in students hands by the last day of school. March 20 is state mandated ACT date along with Pre-ACT for sophomores. Parents are encouraged to have a conversation with their Spring Breakers that the Athletic Code of Conduct still applies in Florida (or wherever they might go.) There will be a walkout staged on March 14^th at 10 am to honor the victims of the Stoneman Douglas tragedy. Oakwood Safety Department (OSD) will be on hand as the students make their way to the stadium for a student led gathering. Kids will not be penalized if they participate or not.

Superintendent’s Report: Dr. Ramey stressed that safety, in general, is the main goal for the district. We need to be inviting but protective of kids, staff and facilities at each building. This is done by:

1. Controlling the access of buildings with badges, sign-ins, surveillance monitors – which are connected to the OSD as well as accessible on administrator’s cell phones.
2. The district collaborates with South Community, a mental health agency, to provide services to children and families who need it.
3. Various safety drills are routinely practiced to provide the students with skills (Run, Hide, Fight) they can use in any social situation.
4. Bolo sticks are an approved device to use on all of the doors since classroom doors open out, not in, making barricading difficult.
5. Hear something, see something, say something. Kids feel they can approach teachers or OSD officers. Relationship building is our best defense.
6. Social Sentinel, a social media alert program, is being used to monitor social media which lets officials know when certain buzz words are being used. The Montgomery County ESC picks up the cost of this service.

Dr. Ramey wanted to address the Wellness Incentive program that has been called into question:

The district decided two years ago to change the staff incentive program to a wellness based incentive, with the idea that healthy employees, who get a physical, know their own numbers and care about their health, would eventually benefit the classroom. Healthier employees would also mean less absenteeism, less substitute cost and reduce the number of insurance claims. The district spends 1.5 million a year on insurance district wide annually.

Kevin Philo was asked to address the capacity question that has also been called into question:

There is a statistical table on the district website which shows a figure of district capacity. It is based on an average of 25 students per classroom multiplied by the number of rooms in a school. This table is necessary for the national reviewing agencies that award the districts for providing this very specific financial information. This figure of 3550 is misleading due to the equation not taking into each classroom’s square footage. Once square footage is included, which is determined by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, the actual capacity is 2022.

Staff Liaison Report: Kelly Owens said the Guidance Department is in full-on scholarship mode for seniors with constant emails and announcements, so they should be very aware of what is available. Counselors continue their conferences with juniors. They also plan on visiting juniors in English classes for a discussion of the college application process next fall. 9^th and 10^th graders are gaining more exposure to Naviance and what they can use it for.

New Committee: Jennifer explained that the PTO has created a new committee ~ College Rep Hospitality. This person(s) will assist the guidance department in greeting college reps that visit Oakwood. 75-80 hospitality bags will be made with assorted items and information. It will help welcome the reps and let them know a little bit more about our schools and community.

Treasurer’s Report: Jennifer shared the proposed 2018-2019 budget. No questions were asked for clarification of any changes. The budget will be presented for vote via email.

Committee Reports: Curriculum Night (and Conference Dinners): Jennifer read an email from chair Lisa Sanford stating that the night was a success. Thanks to everyone who contributed the water and cookies and to the teachers for participating. Thank you to Jen Fester and Barry Bagels for providing a wonderful meal for the teachers. Jr. High Conferences were the same evening, so they ended up doing the same meal for all Jr. High and High School teachers.

Coffee Caboose: Sharon Kelly set up a Coffee Caboose for the teachers. It’s a Vandalia-based coffee cart that provided drinks. It was very well received and appreciated by staff.

Mr. Philo also noted that after Winter Break, they started a new cafeteria system which includes 2 lines now instead of one. He feels it has dramatically reduced wait times for kids staying to eat.

JANUARY 11, 2018

IN ATTENDANCE: Maura Schmitt, Lisa Sanford, Emma Butler, Allison Davis, Jennifer Almoney, Jen Fester, Stephanie Geehan, Sharon Kelly, Krista Caley, Traci Hale, Kyle Ramey, Laura Connor, Paul Waller, Kelly Owens, Tim Badenhop

Jr High Principal Report, Tim Badenhop: jr. high scheduling coming up. Current 8th graders will be working with OHS guidance for OHS scheduling.

HS Principal Report, Paul Waller: On January 20, 2018 the student council will host the Father/Daughter Dance. The Freshman Challenge on January 10, 2018 was a huge success. Led by seniors, it focused on bonding, building relationships, BOLD, alcohol abuse. Mr. Waller thanked the PTO for the Staff holiday lunch. Curriculum Night will be on Feb 8. Will also have CCP meeting on the same night.

BOE Report: no representative present

Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Kyle Ramey: John Wilson replaces Linda Woods on the BOE. Drug dogs were brought in to search the jr high and high school. No drugs were found. This will be done periodically. There was a lengthy discussion on the Master Facilities Plan. Parent involvement is important. On January 16, there will be a repeat of the first meeting. On February 28, the 2nd community meeting will occur to discuss options. The PTO will sponsor a small group meeting with Dr. Ramey to discuss options. The date and time to be determined. A 3rd community meeting will occur in April.

Staff liaison, Kelly Owens: On February, guidance will meet with all classes for scheduling. Seniors will have a scholarship meeting on the same day. February 12-14, scheduling during English classes. Conferences for juniors to start this month. Conferences for juniors and parents in February. Career Education presentation was on January 11. Will visit Centerville HS and Fairmont HS next week. College Connection will be at University of Cincinnati on January 17. Guidance will meet with professors, department chairs and OHS alum to talk about college expectations.

Treasurer’s Report: none, Kelly Hick not present

Staff Extra Mile Minute: Jennifer Almoney talked about Mr. Rainsberger. He goes above and beyond for the students.

Committee Report: Jr High Success Breakfast, Maura Schmitt: great turnout, next breakfast will be in May. Holiday Lunch, Stephanie Geehan: successful, teachers/staff so appreciative. Curriculum Night, Lisa Sanford: will send Signup Genius for volunteers to provide water and cookies. Dinner provided to teachers before evening starts. Other: Young @ Art coming up soon. Family event.

In the Know: In Sports, what is the policy on how team fundraiser money can be spent? Laura Connor, Athletic Director, presented her budget. Goal is a financially neutral budget. Each team can fundraise, all monies will go into team account. Coach determines what team fundraises for and must approve fundraiser activity. Can be used for anything except for coaches’ gifts. Short discussion on transportation issues. Survey sent out in Spring and no results have been reported. Dr. Ramey stated still working on. Consensus from parents was that parent transportation is often a problem with not being able to get enough parents to drive. Question asked who (athletic dept. or school) pays for buses for football team. Mrs. Connor and Dr. Ramey were unsure and would need to look.

November 9, 2017

In attendance: Todd Duwel, Kevin Philo, Maura Schmitt, Megan Trout, Ali Davis, Sharon Kelly, Stephanie Geehan, Krista Caley, Toni Brenner, Jennifer Fester, Michelle Tucker, Kelly Owens, Jennifer Almoney, Anne Jones

Jennifer Almoney began the meeting by thanking Gina Sandoval for the PTO newsletter. Looks great.

Jr. High Principal’s Report: Mr. Badenhop reported that through the Oakwood School Foundation’s grant they were able to purchase a Googles Expeditions kit. It’s a virtual reality experience that they hope to use to help extend content. They will be using it in the Science 8 classes. They are excited to see how it affects student learning. Success Breakfast will take place on December 6 ~ it is a JH event for any student who is nominated by a teacher and has had some sort of success during the first quarter of the school year. Breakfast is for the parents and students along with staff.

Sr. High Principal’s Report: Kelly Owens reported for Mr. Waller. She highlighted upcoming event schedule through the first of the year. Freshman Challenge Day is January 10. Mr. Waller wanted to thank the PTO for the partial grant for speaker, David Roever. Thanks for the PTO funding for the furniture as well.

Board of Education Report: Todd Duwel said the first Master Facilities Plan community meeting was held on November 2. Data was presented, no presumptions or plans have been made. All information presented is on the Board of Education website. We are still in the discovery process, asking questions. The team is really looking for community engagement to help in planning. Check out the District website, master facilities page, for upcoming meetings, community survey and visioning questions.

Superintendent Report: Kevin Philo said his report was basically what Todd said from the Board.

Staff Liason Report: Kelly said that the Guidance office processed 657 applications by the November 1 deadline. As of now, most colleges Seniors have applied to are: OSU 64, OU 28, UD 20, UC 45, Miami 42. Guidance department really goes above and beyond to support the kids in their process ~ all the way from 8^th grade when they begin talking about what classes they should take to start high school to 12^th when they finally apply.

Treasurer Report: Jennifer reported for Kelly Hick that the Kroger reimbursement was $46.07. No winter grant cycle. All money was spent in the fall.

Staff Extra mile minute: none

Executive Meeting Highlights: In the know question focused on sports and fundraising. Jennifer met with AD, Laura Conner, regarding the policy of teams using fundraising money. Laura will report on that question in January. Jennifer may also ask her to speak to the transportation survey as well. We would really like to get new people in the PTO as volunteers so if you know of anyone who would like to be involved, let Jennifer know.

Corresponding Secretary: Megan Trout said as Corresponding Secretary to better round out her duties, she would start sending notes to staff for appreciation ~ those staff mentioned in the Staff Extra Mile and for anything else, such as birthdays.

Grants: Jennifer reported that the budget for Grants is $6675. The Grants Foundation collaborates with Arts Bridge and the PTO, along with elementary PTOs. Funding grants is much easier with all parts collaborating. $700 will go towards Girl Talks for 7-12 grade girls, $500 Young Men’s breakfast for 9-12 grade boys, $2500 went to speaker, Dave Roever, $3000 to Mr. Waller for alternative learning spaces.

Conference dinner: Michelle Tucker reported that things went well. Several teachers were appreciative of the food that was provided during the long conference evenings.

New Parent Breakfast: Maura Schmitt said that the turnout for the breakfast was very good. Change of venue to DLM this year. Goodies bag were delivered to those who could not attend. DLM really delivered on food. Want to lock down venue in advance next year.

In the Know: Kevin Philo spoke to how the fee schedule was figured out per grade. Whatever class your child signs up for determines the fee. Fees are meant to stretch dollars for departments. District isn’t looking to make money off of the fees. Principal comes up with the fee for each department. The questions come in when people want to understand what they pay in taxes and why they are still paying (in some respects) quite a bit in fees each fall. Kevin suggested that if parents have questions they can call the Treasurer’s office.

Next PTO Meeting is January 11 at 11:45 a.m. Meeting adjourned at 1:05 p.m.