I. Attendance and Acknowledgements

The meeting included Mary Pletcher, David Motel, Jesse Meredith, Sarah LeVan, Marie Gamble, Kaylee Tolman, Kim Taylor, Erica Morrison, and Sarah St. Pierre. The meeting opened with an informal discussion of food from the farmers market, including chicken parmesan hand pie and a lemon gingerbread muffin!

• David Motel shared a thank you note from the Kindergarten Team acknowledging and appreciating the PTA’s $50 donation for their classrooms.

II. Financial Report

Jesse Meredith presented the Treasurer’s Report. The PTA is in a strong financial position due to the successful Bingo Night fundraiser.

• Total Funds:$9,876.76
  • Checking: $8,184
  • Savings: $2,892
  • Cash: $800

III. Special Education Book Funding Approved

David Motel introduced a request on behalf of Sarah Riddle (Resource Room Teacher for 4th and 5th Grade Special Education), who was not in attendance.

• Request: To purchase 14 books for her 4th and 5th-grade special education students, who recently had spooky stories published for a contest.
• Cost: The original cost was offset by a 10% discount and a “buy two, get one free” offer, reducing the total needed to $225.00.
• Funding: Sarah LeVan proposed splitting the cost between the 4th and 5th-grade budgets, which was approved.
• Vote: The motion passed unanimously.

IV. Planning for Staff Holiday Gifts

Discussion was held regarding the execution of the staff holiday gift program, which mirrors last year’s highly popular approach.

• Budget & Plan: The approved budget is $1,000. The plan is to distribute local gift cards/certificates alongside candy bars containing golden tickets. Approximately $750–$800 is allocated for gift cards, with the remainder for candy and wrapping.
• Gift Card Procurement: Sarah LeVan confirmed the process of asking local businesses to match purchased gift cards as a donation was highly successful last year. As Sarah LeVan is traveling, Mary Pletcher volunteered to go door-to-door to solicit donations and purchase the gift cards.
• Volunteer Assistance: Jesse Meredith offered to assist with wrapping and other logistical tasks to support the effort. Sarah LeVan offered to prepare donation letters with the PTA’s 501c3 tax ID.
• Distribution: Gifts will be distributed on the Monday before the holiday break, with a Tuesday backup option, as this timing allows all staff a chance to participate.
• New Fundraising Idea: Kaylee Tolman proposed a new idea for a small optional dollar donation from parents to increase the gift card fund; the group agreed to table this discussion for further consideration via email vote.

V. School-Wide Snack Drive Discussion

The group discussed a request for a donation drive for the food pantry.

• Goal: The focus was refined to a “snack drive” for individually wrapped items (like juice boxes, ramen, Pop-Tarts, etc.) which are easier for children to prepare than typical canned goods.
• Timing: Following advice to avoid financial strain on families during the holidays, the drive will be tabled until February, potentially tying it to Valentine’s Day as a “caring about the community” event.
• Prizes: The group decided that if a prize is offered, it will be a grade-level prize (e.g., a movie and popcorn party) for the grade that brings in the most items. This drive will be separate from the planned January monetary donation drive.

VI. Fire Alarm Distribution Update

David Motel reported that the PTA did not receive the requested coffee donation but confirmed they did receive the fire alarms from the National PTA.

• Details: The PTA received up to 160 detectors (80 smoke and 80 carbon monoxide) for distribution between the two schools.
• Distribution Plan: A Google Form will be created for families to request the alarms on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Firefighter Bingo Night: Mary Pletcher proposed a firefighter-themed Bingo Night in January, around the time the alarms arrive, to link the distribution with fire safety education and materials from the local Waterville fire department.

VII. Parent Pickup Issues

Kaylee Tolman raised concerns about traffic congestion and safety issues during parent pickup at George J. Mitchell School, including double-parking and blocked roadways. Staff acknowledged the complexity of the issue, citing staffing challenges and custody situations that require close monitoring. Kim Taylor encouraged families to utilize the school buses to alleviate traffic. Kaylee Tolman agreed to send her suggestions for process improvement directly to staff.

Action Items for PTA Members

• David Motel will take a picture of the thank you note from the kindergarten teachers and post it.
• Kaylee Tolman will draft a flyer or page outlining her idea for optional parent donations for staff gifts to be sent out for review. At the time of writing this was done.
• Mary Pletcher will coordinate the business-to-business solicitation for gift cards, keep a ledger of donations, and provide receipts for the purchased cards.
• Mary Pletcher will contact the Waterville Fire Station to get information and materials regarding fire safety for distribution with the fire alarms.
• Sarah LeVan will email Mary Pletcher the list of businesses that donated last year and the amounts. At the time of writing this was done.
• Sarah LeVan will put together and send donation letters with the PTA’s tax ID to businesses that donate, based on the ledger provided by Mary Pletcher.
• Jesse Meredith will help with wrapping and other tasks related to the staff holiday gifts as needed.
• Kaylee Tolman will email her suggestions for improving the parent pickup process at George J. Mitchell school to Kim Taylor. At the time of writing this was done.

Next Meeting

Date: December 4th

Time: 6:30PM

• Google Meet link and calendar invite: https://meet.google.com/tts-bfoh-oeg 
  View details & RSVP: https://calendar.app.google/Cv32wCQS1Yjk2JL76
• Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/17KWG2zSAz/