STONEWALL PTA
SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER

A note from Susan …

I am so excited about the turn out we had at the Ice Cream Social! Thanks to everyone who made this event possible. Our membership drive is thriving!!! Let’s keep it up. Our goal is to have 100% participation this year; this means one member for each student at Stonewall. WE CAN DO THIS!!! You can keep track of your class’s progress by checking out the chart in the front hallway. Top classes will earn a prize.

Once you become a member of the Stonewall PTA, there are many different ways to become involved at school. A complete volunteer list will be sent home with students in the near future. Check the activities that you are interested in and return the list to your child’s teacher. There are many different types of volunteer opportunities available throughout the school year. We have something for everyone here at Stonewall, whether you have large blocks of time or if you can only help out for a minimal amount of time. In fact, there are jobs that can be done from the comfort of your own home. And for those of you who do not have any time to spare, there are various events throughout the year where donations of food or prizes are necessary. We want each and every one of you to feel like this is YOUR PTA, because it is!!! We hold PTA meetings the fourth Tuesday of every month in the school library. All parents, teachers and staff are welcome to attend. We hope to see you there!

Thanks again for your support,

Susan Honican

PTA President

Stonewall PTA 2003 – 2004 Fundraiser

Hello Parents!

I am so excited about this year’s fundraiser. I have been working with Bumblebee Marketing to create a plan that will make it possible for every student to win at least one prize for participating in the fundraiser. Our goal is to reach 100% participation and to provide a prize to each student regardless of the amount sold. This is the ONLY fundraiser that we plan to have this year. This fundraiser is what supports the budget that allows your PTA to plan these events, keep you informed with this newsletter, have an awesome spirit day at the end of every month with bags of popcorn for everyone … and the list goes on! We want all of the other events sponsored by the PTA to be a time when you can come, relax and enjoy quality time with your children without having to worry about expenses. For example, Winterfest will be a time when you can come and enjoy being with your family for only a minimal fee to get into the door. Then the only thing you have to do is HAVE FUN! We are hoping to have more events throughout the year that will incorporate family time here at your school, but we need your help. By ordering from this fundraiser, you are supporting all of these programs at once.

So, what’s new, you ask? Well, let me tell you.

This year every child with at least one item ordered will receive a Stonewall stadium cup with the Stonewall mascot and this school year printed on it to show off to family and friends. We want every child at school to have one of these cups! This prize will be given per student (i.e. a family of 3 would need to purchase 3 items).
When your child orders 10 items or more, they will get to participate in the BASH! This year the Bash will be held at Entertainment Express and will include huge slides, an obstacle course, bouncing area, batting cage, go carts, miniature golf, food, drinks and prizes. Entertainment Express has agreed to open exclusively to Stonewall Bash participants. You will be able to be with your children and see why they LOVE the Bash. The time and date will be announced later. To receive this prize, a total of 10 items needs to be ordered from each family. So, if you have five children at Stonewall and your family collectively orders at least 10 items, every child will be able to attend the Bash!
At the 20 item level, each child will receive a Burger King discount card. This provides 30 tickets for “Buy One, Get One Free” of any sandwich (excluding .99 cent menu items, and breakfast items). To receive this prize a total of 20 items needs to be ordered from each family. Again, if you have five children at Stonewall, every child will receive a Burger King discount card.
At the 30 item level, each child will get to participate in a prize scramble! Various prizes will be noted on index cards and placed face down on the gym floor. There will be one prize for each qualifying student. The value of the prizes will be determined by how much money we make from the fundraiser. This prize is also given as a family, 30 items sold collectively.

Thanks in advance for your support! When we come together for the sake of our children, great things can happen!

Debbie Miller

PTA 1^st Vice President

PROGRAMMING NOTES

A note from Stacey…

Once again, a big thank you to everyone who helped to make our annual Ice Cream Social a big success! Events such as these could not happen without such great support from parents, teachers and staff members. Just a couple of programming notes…

September 10^th Stonewall Night at CiCi’s Pizza 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
September 11^th “Day of Caring” - More details to come.
September 23^rd “Kentucky Kids’ Day”
September 25^th “PTA Open House” 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Open house gives parents and family members a chance to see their children’s classrooms, meet special area teachers, and learn more about their child’s time at school.

Thanks again for your support!

Stacey Rearic

PTA 2^nd Vice President

The Stonewall Farmer’s Market

The Stonewall Farmer’s Market has started up once again for this school year. Quest students will be selling things from our school garden one or two days a week, usually on Thursdays after school, Fridays if we have enough produce. All summer long, students came to work in the garden and now they are enjoying harvesting the tomatoes, green beans, peppers, cucumbers and flowers that they worked so hard to maintain. We will also have some peaches and apples in the near future. In addition, we will be researching the nutritional values of the vegetables we raise and develop a nutrition brochure for our customers. We will also be making lip balm from soybeans for a “hands-on” chemistry project with the Kentucky Soybean Association and will sell these as well. Money earned from this activity goes towards purchasing seeds, plants, tools, and fertilizers for the garden each year. So come out to the Stonewall Farmer’s Market for some great fresh “school grown produce.”

Thanks for your support,

Mr. Germann

Quest Riverboat Trip

The Quest program is sponsoring a riverboat trip on Sunday evening, September 14^th for all Quest and Talent Pool parents. This event will be for parents to get information that will help nurture their children and develop their talents. We are calling the evening, “Nurturing the Gifts and Talents in Your Child.” There will be guest speakers such as Dr. Ed Amend as well as Central Office staff members to share their ideas on these topics. Dr. Amend has done several “brown bag” lunch workshops for parents here at Stonewall. Notes were sent home in August; however, if you did not receive one and would like to join us, you can reach me at 224-8710 or during school hours at 381-3898. The cost of the trip is $5.00 per person. Please send your money to school in a plastic bag marked “Quest Riverboat Trip.” There will be a light meal included in the trip. We leave the dock promptly at 6:00 p.m. and would like everyone to be at the dock by 5:45 p.m.

I hope to see everyone on the 14^th for a great evening on the river.

Mr. Germann

Wonders of the Woodlands

The woods behind Stonewall Elementary will once again become filled with critters from around the world this October. We have tentatively set the date for this exciting event for Friday, October 10^th. “Wonders of the Woodlands” is a collaborative effort between Stonewall and Buckly Wildlife Sanctuary. It is our goal to encourage appreciation of the natural beauty of our school grounds and environmental awareness. This year we will have international critters tell their story. We will need parent volunteers to be critters, as well as provide refreshments, take tickets, and help with setup and clean up. If you are interested in helping, please contact Denise Knox at 223-8813. Mr. Germann

Character Education

Each month, Stonewall students will be emphasizing a specific character trait. Students will be doing different activities in their classrooms that encourage understanding of each character trait. We will also have follow up activities and suggestions for parents in the monthly newsletter.

Groups

Each year I work with children in small groups to help with issues that that create challenges in their lives. Each group meets for one-half hour, once a week, for six to eight weeks. Some of the groups I will offer concern divorce, grief/loss, study skills,

friendship, anger management and ADHD. If you are interested in having your child participate in a small group, please let me know and I will send home a permission form for you to sign.

September

For the month of September, we will be discussing RESPECT! Below are a few suggestions for parents on ways to follow up at home on our character education unit.

1. Discuss with your child ways you show respect at home. Catch your child being respectful and let them know.

2. Discuss ways you show respect at school.

3. Younger children can draw a picture of "what respect looks like."

4. Children can write letters of "appreciation" to older adults (grandparents, etc), telling them how they feel about them.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Regina Adams, Child Guidance Specialist

Stonewall SBDM Council 2003-2004

What is School Based Decision Making? What is a School Council?

School-based decision making, by definition, is a “decentralized, shared process in which the local school becomes the place where most of the policies and plans for schooling take place.” It brings together the people who know best what all students in that school need to learn and succeed. Those people are the parents, teachers and principals.

The Washington State PTA defines school-based decision making as “the meaningful involvement of all the ‘stakeholders’ of a school in all policy decisions affecting the improvement of student learning.” The “stakeholders” include both the providers and the consumers, i.e. the professional educators and the parents of the students to be educated.

School-based decision making is a way of reorganizing school leadership and management so that those at the school site are given more of the management and decision making responsibility. It shifts decision making from the central authority of the district superintendent or school board to the local school’s educational staff and parents.

A school council (usually the principal, three teachers and two parents) implements school-based decision making at the local school. Its makeup and role is determined by laws established by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1990. There have been modifications in the 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000 sessions of the Kentucky General Assembly. There are many ways school councils may operate.

I’m not a parent representative on the SBDM Council, so how can I be a part of the process?

We are glad you asked! And the answer is…COMMITTEES!

The work of the School’s SBDM Council committees is the backbone of school-based decision making. The majority of the policies adopted by the school council should be developed by committees of the council.

Kentucky law states, “If a school council establishes committees, it shall adopt a policy to facilitate the participation of interested persons, including, but not limited to, classified employees and PARENTS (emphasis added). The policy shall include the number of committees, their jurisdiction, composition, and the process for membership selection.”

Statute States That…

1. “The school council and each of its committees shall determine the frequency of and agenda for their meetings.”

2. “The meetings of the school council shall be open to the public and all interested persons may attend. However, the exceptions to open meetings provided in KRS 61.810 shall apply.” KRA 61.805(2) defines “Public Agency” as: “Every state and local government board. …Any board, commission, committee, subcommittee, ad hoc committee, advisory committee, or council.”

Responsibilities of Committees

1. Accept challenges, tasks, charges from the council, then investigate, analyze, and develop a faculty/parent consensus on recommendations to be made for council adoption.

2. The committee may also be asked to provide periodic updates to the council on the status of its work.

3. Committee members should consider their own experience, the experience of colleagues, and the comments of students, parents, and others when making recommendations to the council.

4. This council/committee relationship results in a “focus” for the entire faculty and school community.

(Reference: www.kypta.org/SBDM, August, 2003)

Currently, there are seven different standing committees at Stonewall Elementary.

They are as follows:

Budget Climate, Equity, Guidance Curriculum

Professional Development Public Relations Social

Technology Writing

STONEWALL NEEDS YOU !!!

If you are interested in joining a committee, you may call Ed McCaw at 381-3079 or Michelle Cohron at 219-1230. Parents are an integral part of the education process and we hope that you can find a committee that interests you. We are looking forward to working with our teachers and parents as we continue to work towards our school’s goals.

We will continue to help define the duties and responsibilities of the SBDM Council in future newsletters. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact one of your SBDM Council members.

PTA? What’s the big deal?

The big deal is our kids! Did you know that not every school has a PTA? Did you know that we have standards and by-laws for which we are accountable? Did you know that there is so much more to the PTA than fundraising? On August 25, 2003 the Fayette County School Board voted to officially recognize the National PTA Standards. As part of this program, there are Parent/Family Involvement Programs that were developed to ensure that parents and families are an integral part of local schools.

There are six standards for parent involvement. They are as follows:

Standard 1: Communicating – Communication between home and school is regular, two-way, and meaningful.

Standard 2: Parenting – Parenting skills promoted and supported.

Standard 3: Student Learning – Parents play an integral role in assisting student learning.

Standard 4: Volunteering – Parents are welcome in the school, and their support and assistance are sought.

Standard 5: School Decision Making and Advocacy – Parents are FULL partners in the decisions that affect children and families.

Standard 6: Collaborating with the Community – Community resources are used to strengthen schools, families, and student learning.

The purpose of these standards is threefold:

To promote meaningful parent and family participation.
To raise awareness regarding the components of effective programs.
To provide guidelines for schools that wish to improve their programs.

It is the intent of the 2003 – 2004 Stonewall PTA to utilize these standards in support of our local PTA purposes.

The five main purposes of all PTA organizations are as follows:

To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship.
To raise the standards of home life.
To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
To bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and you the highest advantages in physical, mental, social, and spiritual education.