Treasurer’s Report: We currently have $6,847.00 in our account.
Nature Center: We had some discussion about making the Nature Center more accessible all year round. It gets quite muddy in the spring and fall, limiting the school’s use of the area. One suggestion was to extend the boardwalk at an estimated cost of $20,000. We will begin exploring ways to achieve this goal. Some ideas include applying for a grant, networking with a Freedom parent with connections to a lumber company, and getting help from the Boy Scouts to build the boardwalk. We will discuss this further at future meetings. If anyone has any other suggestions or ideas, please contact Mrs. Meller.
Spring classes from the YMCA are scheduled for April 27 – 28 and May 2 – 4 with rain dates as May 5 – 6. Each class will have approximately 50 minutes with an instructor. The cost is $1.50 per student.
Market Day: If we have $3000.00 in sales this January, PAC will receive a $250.00 certificate for Borders Books which Mrs. Zabel, our librarian, will use for books and items she needs in the library. If you have testimonials on foods you can’t live without from Market Day, please contact Amy Lahay and she will put them on the Market Day flyer.
Parent/Teacher Conferences: On February 17 the PAC will set up a meal for the teachers. If anyone would like to donate a food item, please contact Michelle Wagner.
Brain Bowl: The questionnaire and pledge sheets will be sent home with the Pre-K through 2nd grade students’ mid-January and will be due February 1. Testing day is February 8 and pledge money is due March 1. The money will pay for the Artist in Residence coming in March for 2 weeks to work with the students on puppets and a mural, as well as any teacher/classroom requests.
Sock Hop/School Dance: Saturday, February 5th from 6:30-8:00 pm located in the Freedom Elementary Gym. We will try to get the bubble wrap again for the younger kids in the Multi Purpose Room. Each nonperishable food item that you bring to donate to the Freedom Food Pantry will receive a raffle ticket for prizes. We will also sell raffle tickets at the event, proceeds to benefit the Freedom Food Pantry. If anyone has new merchandise or items they would like to donate for the raffle prizes, please contact Stephanie Piepenberg by January 28.
Family Fun Night: Look for your invitation to an Improv Comedy Night on Friday, March 25th from 6:30-8:00 pm in the Freedom Elementary Gym!
Artist in Residence: Madison artist Sharon Kilfoy will be coming for 2 weeks in March to work with the classrooms. She is planning on creating puppets with the younger students and a mural with the older students. The estimated cost will be $3500 plus $1500 for lodging. Mrs. Rudolph is working with a group of parents to coordinate this event.
Teacher Requests: Mrs. Culotta (Kindergarten) requested a rolling chart cart (she had a chart on her wall where her Smart Board is now) for $50 and a bookshelf organizer for her Guided Reading Center for $330. We will use Market Day money to provide these items for her. If the teachers have additional request that their $100 doesn’t cover, they can fill out a request form and present it to the PAC.
Back to School Registration: Open House and Find your Teacher will be held August 29th from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. All the registration forms for students will be available in the children’s classrooms that evening for parents to take home, fill out and return by the first day of school. We continue to learn about school picture day logistics.
Winter Book Fair for Staff: Stephanie Piepenberg is shopping for used books for classroom libraries. Market Day has allocated $200 to fund this project. In February PAC will host a book fair for staff to pick any of these books for their classrooms. If you have any children’s books to donate to this project, please contact Stephanie.
New Business: PAC is proud to bring Jane Wisneski, MA from Healthy Connections in Appleton, to the elementary school to teach ‘Conscious Discipline’ in February. Connie Wheeler has been attending this course and will share her experience and how it has changed her family. The course will teach ways to reduce power struggles and sibling rivalry, communicate effectively so your kids listen, and how to be Brain Smart and much more. More details will be sent home soon.
PAC Photo for Memory Book: postponed until the February meeting.
Facebook: Look us up and join: Freedom Elementary P.A.C. (Parents Activity Committee).
PAC website: Please go to www.freedompac.org and enter your email address in the subscribe field and you will receive anything that is posted on the website, including the meeting agendas and notes.
Our next meeting will be held Wednesday-February 2nd in Room 22 (Art Room) 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. Free Babysitting Available. Please come join us!
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Melissa Westemeier at 687-1671.
Connie Wheeler, PAC Vice President
Freedom Elementary Parent Activity Committee 