PAC Off and Running!

Really great attendance at our first Parent Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday, Sept 8th.
Many thanks to the parents who found time in their busy schedule to jump right in!

In addition to treats brought by parents, the children (with help from Sky) composed a cucumber/heirloom tomato salad for our refreshment.

Big Friend Babysitting was staffed by veteran BFs Allegra and Keith (our newest Big Friends will be encouraged to offer babysitting once they get a little more training). Our new Big Friends will soon have their own Board so parents can learn their names and faces and which period during the day they work in Home Sweet Home. All parents are ENCOURAGED to come out Thursday, Sept 22 to the Big Friend Meet n' Greet! (See calendar and wait for evite!)

With gratitude to Issa Brandt (Ava's dad) for the PAC agenda and facilitating the meeting, and for Kimberly Anakata (Michael's mom) for taking the notes. Kudos to Sharisse Huie (Brody's mom) for getting the committee info circulating so quickly.

Much discussion around forming sub-committees: Events, Fundraising, Green, Music and the BUILDs. Some quickly coming up events: October 1st BUILD; Harvest Festival

Christa Brandt (Ava's Mom) is the Butterfly Room Parent.
Katherine Crawford (Jack's mom) is the Brown Bear Room Parent.

Parents agreed to the Proposal to add four Professional Development days to the Home Sweet Home calendar (July 2, 3, 5 & 6 2012 = days of closure) and to offer the parents the choice of:

• $45 per day reimbursement for any enrolled days of closure (children who were enrolled for September as their first month at HSH, but attended Aug 29, 30 or 31 will be asked to acknowledge those free days for the new days of closure as they were not charged tuition) OR


• Parents have the option of using the number of enrolled closure days as drop-in days (must be used in July/August 2012) OR


• Families who were going on vacation this week anyway can honor code and waive any form of reimbursement (per terms of Contract)

New Contracts will be issued by October 1st noting the 34 days of closure with the above clause for parents enrolled before September 9, 2011.

Kimberly Anakata is surveying Brown Bear families about June 2012 graduation to see if a weekday or a Saturday morning feels more accessible to most of the families for this important event.

Many thanks for the great energy around problem-solving, and the attitude of partnership that prevailed.