February 5, 2026 - public meeting minutes
Meeting Date: February 5, 2026 7:00pm
Meeting Location: CRES Cafeteria
- Call to Order
- Officers’ Reports
- President’s Report
- A big THANK YOU to the Carnival Committee for making the carnival another big success this year! Rebekah Payne, Maggie Hoover, Brittany Cooper, Sarah Brown, Lindsey Salisbury, Denise Cutshaw
- Outdoor Learning Space
- Sent brick fundraising company info to Ashley Knott for possible approval from Dr. Atha
- PTO Activity Tracker -
- Located in Google Drive for everyone to edit/reference.
- Important Dates to Note
- 2/13 - Valentine’s Day Class parties
- 2/18 - Texas Roadhouse Dine to Donate
- 3/27 - Cheers to CRES
- 3/31 - Next Club Session begins (tentative)
- Treasurer’s Report (Lindsey and Sarah)
- Form 1099s were filed by due date 1/31.
- Teacher Funds-
- $13,800 spent through 2/5/26
- $18,000 total funds - includes office staff
- $14,000 budgeted for staff outside of individual office staff
- $11,600 was spent.
- $2k left unused for teachers - should we offer a spring grant? The typical deadline was February
- ANDY & MR CHAMBERS STILL HAS MONEY LEFT TO SPEND. DEADLINE DOES NOT APPLY TO OFFICE STAFF.
- PER SARAH BROWN - WE HAVE ABOUT $2K LEFT SO SHOULD WE OFFER MORE GRANTS THIS SPRING?
- SARAH WILL CHECK WITH JONI TO SEE WHAT GRANTS FROM THE FALL WEREN’T COVERED BY THE SCHOOL.
- Clubs
- First spring session ends Feb 26th.
- Second spring session tentatively scheduled to begin the week of March 31st.
- ACADEMIC CLUBS NEED TO COME FIRST SO 3RD & 4TH GRADES DIDN’T DO THURS CLUBS THIS TIME
- Club cost raised to $45 to cover supplies.
- Credit card processing fees
- Membership Toolkit has two options to pass along fees to purchasers
- Pass 100% of fee to purchaser
- Choose a standard fee to charge with each card purchase regardless of amount
- The system cannot give purchaser option of paying for fees. It also cannot pass along fees for certain sales and not others. It’s either ON or OFF.
- Sarah Brown did compare the fee % to some other platforms including a Venmo non-profit account. Venmo was slightly lower, but I’m not sure it’s worth the extra effort to manually record deposits into MT. Currently, it’s all automatic.
- Sarah Brown would like to postpone further discussion to next PTO Board Mtg when Lindsey is present.
- Membership Toolkit has two options to pass along fees to purchasers
- Final Carnival Financial Report
- Final 2026 Ticket Sales = $6,290 (2025 = $6,125)
- We should have a preliminary final report in the next week or so. Final report after teacher experience reimbursements come in.
- Grants
- Budget = $11,000; Spent $7,200, $3,800 remaining (4th grade Turkey Run, Kindergarten Liz the Science Wiz, STEM)
- Rebalancing Principal Funds from LIV - PTO Match
- Each PTO provides $1,000 to support school-level rebalancing efforts. The Westfield Education Foundation will match each PTO’s $1,000 FROM MONEY PROVIDED BY LIV GOLF OUTTING IN 2025, resulting in $2,000 per participating school.
- These funds will be made available directly to principals to support rebalancing efforts, including professional development and welcoming new staff and students.
- FOUNDATION WILL INVOICE US FOR THE $1000
- Committee Report:
- Fun Run -
- 9/18/26 - Fun Run at Grand park
- 9/18/26 - Homecoming
- Room Parents (Julie)
- Party Dates:
- Valentine Party-Friday, Feb. 13th
- Time: 1:15-2:00 for all grades K-4
- Room parent email
- Any improvement in parents receiving information?
- JULIE WILL ASK FOR FEEDBACK ON HOW THINGS HAVE GONE NOW THAT TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN MORE STREAM LINED.
- WANTS TO TALK TO 5TH GRADE TEACHERS NEXT YEAR SINCE THEY MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH PARTIES
- HILTON - IS PARTY TIMING STILL GOOD FROM 1:15-2PM?
- JULIE - MAIN ISSUE SEEMS TO BE PARENTS WITH MORE THAN ONE STUDENT/PARTY TO ATTEND
- CHANGED SIGN UP SO PARENTS CAN SIGN UP FOR HALF OF THE TIME SO THEY CAN GO TO ALL
- WANTS FEEDBACK FOR NEXT YEAR
- Hospitality (Karissa)
- Upcoming Events
- SPENT $1700 OF $3000 BUDGET SO FAR
- CHANGE TO LUNCH & SNACKS INSTEAD OF ALL LUNCH HAS HELPED.
- TEACHERS HAVE ENJOYED SNACKS
- February 13th - Snack cart w/ Valentine’s
- March - Baked potato bar DONATED BY TEXAS ROADHOUSE
- April - Snack cart/breakfast cart
- May - Teacher Appreciation Week
- Dine to Donates -
- Feb 18th - Dine to Donate with Texas Roadhouse
- Will start promoting this week
- TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK-
- DENISE CAN’T DO IT THIS YEAR. BRITTNEY COOPER CAN HELP. BUT WE’LL NEED HELP FOR THIS YEAR
- COFFEE CART IS BOOKED FOR MONDAY
- SOME SCHOOLS DID THEMES TO LOOK INTO FOR THIS YEAR
- ANDY - TEACHERS APPRECIATION - IF ANY CHANGES MAYBE WOULD NOT DO SNACKS ON FRIDAY SINCE THEY DO POPCORN EVERY FRIDAY ALREADY - JUST FOR TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK TO MAKE THIS CHANGE.
- Feb 18th - Dine to Donate with Texas Roadhouse
- Community Partners
- Community Outreach-
- Evereve - working to set up date now before spring break
- Kroger Community Partnership - Sarah Brady will promote on social
- STUDENT SOCIAL COMMITTEE - SARAH BEAVER & JULIE MOLYNEUX
- WILL START TALKING ABOUT OPTIONS, MAYBE POLL ON SOCIALS OF WHAT WE COULD DO. MOVIE NIGHT, INTERNATIONAL/HERITAGE NIGHT, GAME NIGHT, BUT DON’T DO THEME DRESS UP DAYS, ETC.
- TOOK AWAY MOVIE NIGHTS BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO BIG
- TOO HARD BECAUSE IT WAS DROP OFF & PARENTS DIDN’T STAY.
- MAYBE DO DANCE - FAMILY DANCE, PARENT REQUIRED, STUDENTS AT THIS SCHOOL ONLY, MAYBE SMALL ENTREE FEE, NEON GLOW PARTY, DJ/PARENT FOR MUSIC
- MAYBE DO BRAINSTORMING FOR NOW & KICK IT OFF NEXT YEAR
- PLAYGROUND NIGHT WITH SNOW CONES WAS A BIG HIT
- BINGO NIGHT - HAVE TO HAVE GAMING LICENSE
- IDEAS ARE WELCOME!
- Monthly Newsletter - Sarah Beaver
- February newsletter sent home this week.
- EVERYONE KEEP UPDATING THE TRACKER TO MAKE THIS EASIER
- ANYTHING NEW TO INCLUDE SO IT’S NOT THE SAME EVERY TIME MAYBE
- Spirit Wear (Kristen Hall)-
- Received check from previous order for $450, which includes 5% portion of sales that came back to CRES
- Plans for another order this year?
- WILL CONTACT LOGO SHOP AT BEGINNING OF MARCH FOR ANOTHER ORDER.
- MAYBE DO 4-5 ITEMS TO INCLUDE FOR BACK TO SCHOOL ITEMS
- KINDERGARTEN BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT - TBD BECAUSE OF THE TWO NEW SCHOOLS
- APRIL 23RD WILL BE CAREY KIDS NIGHT FOR KINDERGARTENERS
- WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE SPIRIT WEAR THERE
- DO WE NEED GAMING LICENSE - NOT FOR BINGO PER OTES PRINCIPAL. BUT NOT FOR GIFT BASKETS MAYBE?
- NEED TO ASK AGAIN FOR ITEMIZED LIST OF WHAT WE SOLD.
- CONTRACT IS THROUGH THIS SCHOOL YEAR SO WILL LOOK FOR OTHER OPTIONS FOR NEXT MAYBE?
- Carnival (January 30th from 6-8)
- Lead: Rebekah Payne & Sarah Brady
- Follow up:
- Setting up meeting to recap how carnival went
- Plan to send survey to teachers, staff & parents to get feedback
- REBEKAH HAS COMMITTED FOR NEXT YEAR.
- Cheers to CRES- Sarah Beaver
- Scheduled for March 27, 2026
- Kick off meeting is Feb 5 @ 8pm following public PTO meeting
- Adults only night at Bridgewater with trivia, food, drink, music and silent auction
- Raising money to support teacher grants and educational programs at CRES
- Need to get Save the Date out ASAP
- SARAH BEAVER WENT THROUGH LAST 3 YEARS OF BASKETS TO SEE WHAT HAS BROUGHT IN THE MOST MONEY TO FOCUS ON THOSE FOR THIS YEAR
- WILL HAVE DIAMOND STUD EARRINGS THIS YEAR
- ADD ON TO “PRICELESS” ITEMS - IE. FRONT ROW SEATS, NAMING LIBRARY, GYM, PLAYGROUND, ETC. MAYBE FOR A DAY. “REESE BRADY LIBRARY” THE BEAVER PLAYGROUND”, ETC.
- HILTON - ATHA MIGHT BE HESITANT ABOUT NAMING ISSUES
- PARKING VIP SPOTS
- MORE EXPERIENCE AUCTION ITEMS
- HILTON - WE CAN’T DO 1 & 2ND GRADE MUSICAL PROGRAM BECAUSE OF MRS. STALTER BEING OUT. - TEACHERS WILL TRY TO DO EXTRA PERFORMANCE/EXPERIENCE TO HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THEM. - READERS THEATER - INVITE PARENTS OR DO VIDEOS OF THEM, ETC.
- Unfinished Business
- Need to post meeting minutes to Membership Toolkit
- Julie - NEED A GIANT ROCK TO DO FUNDRAISING
- HITTLES HAVE A CHILD HERE AT CRES
- MAYBE ASK DURING CHEERS IF ANYONE HAS CONNECTIONS
- OTES & MONON BOTH HAVE ONE
- $25 PER DAY EST?
- MAYBE TIE THE BOULDER IDEA INTO LEGACY GIFT?
- WHO’S IN CHARGE IF WE COULD DO IT NEXT YEAR
- SARAH & LINDSEY - FOUNDATION WILL INVOICE US FOR THE $6500 WE’RE PROVIDING AS PART OF LARGER PROJECT WITH ALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTOS TO THE TWO NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO START THEIR SCHOOL YEAR.
- Teacher Report
- Principal Report
- Any 4th grade celebration type event this year? -
- HILTON - NEED TO DO SOMETHING THIS YEAR FOR THE 4TH GRADERS BUT NEED TO MAKE A DECISION.
- TEACHERS WANTED TURKEY RUN AT END OF YEAR TO MAKE IT MORE OF A CELEBRATION
- SAME WITH BUY & SELL DAY - FITS MORE WITH 3RD GRADE SO NEED TO DO BOTH 3RD & 4TH SO NO ONE GETS LEFT OUT. STILL TBD.
- KRISTEN - ANY INTEREST IN DOING BIZ TOWN AGAIN?
- CHAMBERS - HARD TO DO BUT WE MAY NEED TO SHIFT TO 5TH GRAD.
- MAYBE TURKEY RUN COULD HELP OFF SET IDEA OF NOT HAVING A 4TH GRADE CELEBRATION
- WILL THERE BE A 4TH GRADE TALENT SHOW?
- New Business
- Crumbl Cookie gift card - LAURA GELATT WON!
- Announcements and To-Dos
- Next Board Meeting is March 11th @ 9:15am
- Next Public Meeting is April 22nd @ 7:00p.m.
- Adjournment
