Sligo Creek PTA Meeting Minutes 10/1/2013 7:00-8:30 pm Sligo Creek Elementary School Gym Agenda: Welcome Approve

ve minutes from Sept 2013 meeting Budget update Discussion of PEP (Parent Engagement Partnership) Rally and Q&A with Ms. Swift Program spotlight: Outdoor Classroom Adjourn Minutes: Welcome! We always need volunteers, so please sign up to help the PTA. Right now we are looking for a coordinator for the Student Government Association (SGA). Minutes from September 2013 PTA meeting approved by voice vote. Budget update: Kelley Craig, PTA Treasurer shared an update on the budget. There was a request for a speaker at an upcoming PTA meeting. The speaker would be a parent coach who used to work with PEP (Parent Encouragement Program). Motion to approve $225 for PTA speaker passed by voice vote. If needed, the PTA may consider supporting the eld trip fund for students in need. PEP Discussion: Ms. Swift, Principal Shared the Parents Engagement Partnership (PEP) at Sligo Creek Elementary information page that was sent home in Friday Folders from 9/26/2013. The school wants to build community and support within our classrooms and share information with parents. This method has been used in other schools and proven to be very successful in supporting the performance of children in school. Parents will be giving up a 15-minute conference to spend 3 hours with your childs teacher over the entire year. The school and teachers are always open for to talk with parents about their child. The goal is to increase communication and support all students in a thoughtful way. Ask parents to hold off until after 11/11 to request individual parent teacher conferences, out of respect for the teachers and giving this approach a try. Ms. Swift answered individual parent questions. Program Spotlight: Outdoor Classroom: Debbie Boger Sligo Creek Elementary and Silver Spring International share a large interior courtyard between the schools. Over the past two years, parents, teachers and the principals

have been working together to create an outdoor space to enrich learning opportunities for children of both schools. The Outdoor Classroom creates a space to teach the MCPS curriculum in math, science, reading, literacy and the arts in a handson, natural way. Zone 1: Conservation garden planted last spring captures and lters rain water Zone 2: Edible gardens started last spring with growing lettuces and hosting salad parties sponsored by Whole Foods. This year we plan to expand to include a Native American garden and a colonial garden. Zone 3: Stage and seating plans are underway through a partnership with Westeld Malls/Westeld Works Wonders grant, with construction planned for spring 2014. Priorities for 2012-2013: 1. nalize master design; 2. expand edible garden zone, build curriculum; 3. design and build stage zone; 4. design pond zone; and 5. fundraise Website (under development): http://outdoor-classroom.webs.com

Other business: A request to have a discussion on compact math and how that effects kids feeding into middle school. Lunch and recess volunteers - Please sign up to help with lunch and recess. Stop by any time during lunch/recess hours (10:45-1:45) and check in with the ofce. You can also sign up at: http://www.scespta.org/lunch--recess.html. (NOTE: We are updated the website and sign up to reect this years Master Schedule. Some grade levels lunch and recess period are different this year.) ##