CMS-PTO is excited about the start the 2019-20 school year! Thanks to generous family contributions last year, we were able to provide funding for numerous classroom materials, activities, community events, and improvements to the school climate. See details at https://cms-pto.org/what-we-fund/
If your family can donate this year, we can do even more for our students and CMS!
An easy way you and your student can say “thank you” to the CMS staff is by writing notes. Kids can give their notes directly to staff members or they can leave them in a box in the office. There are so many people who make CMS a great place for our kids – teachers, instructional assistants, office support staff, librarian, custodians, cafeteria staff, administrators, and others. Let them know that you appreciate them! Click on the link below and use the template for your notes.
2. Secretary: Motion to dispense with reading of last meeting’s minutes. Second. Vote. Motion carries. Motion to adopt the last meeting’s minutes as written in email distribution. Second. Vote. Motion carries.
3. CMS-PTO Election Update: Need new VP Programs, Secretary. Bernie moving from VP Programs to Co-VP, Fundraising. Combine Secretary/Parliamentarian role (Heather Marklein to reach out to Julie Crane .
4. Officer Committee Reports
President’s Report
Dr. Baker Meeting Wednesday, March 6
Review & Update on CMS-PTO Election & Timeline: election next meeting. Anyone who is interested in running (or rerunning for a position needs to let May Bakken know ASAP.
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Update (AVP Jean Wang : changes proposed re: Bernardo with
SRTS team. Talked to Sunnyvale SRTS coordinator. Reviewed suggested routes. Discussed area by Starbuck’s, Trader Joe’s, Wells Fargo; going to adopt recommendations for CMS students to use same routes as publicized by Montclaire Elementary. Reevaluating traffic issues on Helena. Reevaluating path by the Union 76 gas station. Jean Wang working on
distributing maps and pamphlets to various schools for their distribution.
VP Communications Report: discussion of ways to improve Communications for next year to reach school community. Right now limited access to parent community. Want to add an “opt out” form in school materials. Better visibility of CMS-PTO on CMS web site. We should publicize the CMS-PTO donation to new band equipment – flyer, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
VPs Fundraising Report: biggest push needs to be at back to school events. More credit card swiping, giveaways. Lots of opportunities for parents to give. Need to find people to take over fundraising position. Also push Box Tops donations during back to school period. Fundraising table at Spring Fling, with iPad, chip scanners. One more Dine Out event. Give flyers to teachers to distribute/post in their classes. Need list of fundraising events completed this year, so we can start planning for next year. Same with events. Will soon have planning session for next year to flesh this out.
Co/Treasurer’s Report: Helen: $88,031 in total donations. Corporate matching up 40% over last year. Total contribution increased by $20,000. See attached report.
VPs Community Programs Report:
CMS-PTO Talk: Summary of past speaker session.
• Discussion: How can we get more people to register for and attend CMS-PTO talks? Opt out email form.
Mike C: 4 speakers per year. List dates even if you don’t have speakers chosen. Publicize select CMS-PTO Talks on Nextdoor or Yahoo! Groups.
• Topic ideas: preparing for high school. Panel: entering middle school. Panel: entering high school. Angst moving screening with Dr. Leena.
• TBD Gaming Addiction Dr Ili
• Wed, May 8th: CMS-PTO Talk: Financial Advice
• Wed, April 10th: CMS-PTO Talk: Joyful Parenting N Elisabeth Stitt. Author and owns Joyful Parenting Coaching
• Spring Event update: Spring Fling event. Games and what teachers are going to do are set. Dance presentation. Will ask Maddie Lehman re: leading group warmup. Have Mexican food truck. May Bakken to ask Kona Ice. Flyer to put in teacher’s mailbox. Need PTO table for donations, etc. Raffle off Disney tickets.
Principal’s Report: Jeanine – Yosemite trip. New accommodations.
New Business: Teacher Appreciation Week. CMS-PTO appreciation breakfast. Need to determine date. Informal CMS-PTO board planning meeting 3/13 at May Bakken’s house.
Meeting adjourned: 8:00pm
The next CMS-PTO board meeting will be held on Thursday, May 16 and not on May 1, as previously scheduled. It will start at 6:30pm in the CMS office conference room.
The next CMS-PTO Talk is on Wednesday, May 8 at 6:30pm in the CMS Library. Have you wondered how you’re going to pay for your child’s college education? Do you have questions about financial aid? Are loans the answer? Should you have a 529 Plan? Join us as a Certified College Planning Specialist explains these things and more. Please RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cms-pto-talk-paying-for-college-tickets-60793026579
May 6-10 is Staff Appreciation Week at CMS! Cupertino Middle School Parent Teacher Organization (CMS-PTO) wants to celebrate all the wonderful employees at CMS and we’d like you to join us. After all, every parent and guardian of a CMS student is automatically a member of CMS-PTO. We are fortunate to have great teachers, administrators, office staff, instructional assistants, support staff, cafeteria staff, custodians, and so many others who support our kids at CMS.
We’ve come up with three easy ways that you can help let our staff know how much we appreciate them!
1. Here are some blank notecards that you and/or your student can use to write appreciation notes to the CMS staff. Your kids can give the written notes directly to their teachers during Staff Appreciation Week, May 6-10. If there are notes for any other staff members, students can leave them in a box in the office. Please feel free to print as many notecards as you need.
2. CMS-PTO will be providing meals and treats to the CMS staff during Staff Appreciation Week.
Monday: breakfast
Tuesday: Korean lunch provided by some wonderful parents
Wednesday: trail mix bar
Thursday: catered lunch
Friday: ice cream
Parents can sign up to bring breakfast items on Monday, May 6, and ingredients for Wednesday’s (May 8) trail mix bar. Please use this link: Staff Appreciation Week May 6-10, 2019
3. Donate gift cards! Every day during Staff Appreciation Week, there will be drawings for staff members to win gift cards that have been donated by CMS families. Who wouldn’t want a gift card to Amazon, Visa, Target, or Starbucks? Please drop off donated gift cards in the CMS office before Friday, May 3.
We know that every family shows appreciation differently. The ideas listed above are only a few ways we can show the CMS staff how much we appreciate all they do for our children.
If you have questions, please contact Betsy at communications@cms-pto.org
Join us this Wednesday, April 10, 2019, for a CMS-PTO Talk! It will start at 6:30pm in the CMS Library.
Are you sick of backtalk, disrespect, laziness, lack of motivation, arguing, swearing, lack of cooperation, lying, dark looks and mood swings?
In this workshop that focuses on adolescent behavior, learn
• the key job of parenting a teen.
• how you can manage the behaviors that make you feel like someone has replaced your child with an alien.
•how to keep a close child-parent bond while at the same time giving your tweens and teens the increased freedom that they need.
•how to handle a teen’s need for risk and rebellion.
Elisabeth Stitt is the author of Parenting as a Second Language: A Guidebook for Joyfully Navigating the Trials, Triumphs and Tribulations of Parenthood and the founder of Joyful Parenting Coaching. A teacher in the Redwood City School District (Redwood City, CA) for 25 years, Elisabeth brings over 50 thousand direct contact hours with kids of all ages. Having taught over 3000 students, she has seen all kinds of kids and all kinds of families.
Please RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cms-pto-talk-where-did-my-sweet-baby-go-tickets-58612539684
Please join us on Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at 6:30pm in the CMS office conference room. CMS-PTO will have its regular monthly meeting AND hold an election for 2019-20 board officers.
Any parent/guardian of a CMS student can be a board member. The roles are:
- President
- Communications
- Fundraising
- Community Programs (parent education seminars, community events, etc.)
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Parliamentarian
Many of the positions may be co-led by two people, if desired, to lighten the workload on busy parents. You can read the job descriptions at Article 5.3 of the CMS-PTO bylaws. https://cms-pto.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/CMS-PTO_BYLAWS_10.03.18.pdf
Learn more about CMS-PTO at www.cms-pto.org. Questions? Please contact May Bakken at president@cms-pto.org.
The next CMS-PTO Talk is April 10, 2019, from 6:30-7:30pm in the CMS Library.
Are you sick of backtalk, disrespect, laziness, lack of motivation, arguing, swearing, lack of cooperation, lying, dark looks and mood swings?
In this workshop that focuses on adolescent behavior, learn
• the key job of parenting a teen.
• how you can manage the behaviors that make you feel like someone has replaced your child with an alien.
•how to keep a close child-parent bond while at the same time giving your tweens and teens the increased freedom that they need.
•how to handle a teen’s need for risk and rebellion.
Elisabeth Stitt is the author of Parenting as a Second Language: A Guidebook for Joyfully Navigating the Trials, Triumphs and Tribulations of Parenthood and the founder of Joyful Parenting Coaching. A teacher in the Redwood City School District (Redwood City, CA) for 25 years, Elisabeth brings over 50 thousand direct contact hours with kids of all ages. Having taught over 3000 students, she has seen all kinds of kids and all kinds of families.
Please RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cms-pto-talk-where-did-my-sweet-baby-go-tickets-58612539684
