Happy 100th day of school to the Cunniff Community!  The PTO treated our wonderful Cunniff staff to some breakfast goodies this morning, with some special help from James (1st grade)!

Held on November 9, 2021 at 6:00pm

Welcome

Principal’s Update
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● Picture day was a success
● Picture retakes will take place on December 12th. More information will be sent in Sunday’s smore.
● Mena and teaches are looking into a “bring-in field trip” from mass audubon, museum of science, etc. to our science room
● PTO has money set aside for enrichment and field trips for students and will be able to financially support these opportunities for students.
● All enrichment opportunities will be hands-on science activities for students.
● Mena asked the PTO to give a ballpark range that each grade level has for field
trips/enrichment. The PTO will be able to provide this information soon.
● Mena would like to hold a read-a-thon and book fair in January/February to help promote the school-wide reading initiative that will begin on November 29th. She would also like a spirit day that helps promote the reading initiative.
○ PTO will meet with Mena to discuss further details.
● Mena is looking to bring back the walking to school program.
○ A company will teach street safety to 2nd and 3rd graders.
○ Program will take place in the spring.

Old Business

● Our first “Trunk or Treat” was a huge success!
• The PTO will send “thank yous” to all who decorated trunks.
• We had a total of 15 cars decorated.
• The event was very well attended. We had approximately 100 kids attend. All prizes were used.
• There is potential to do “Trunk or Treat” next year and going forward. Lot of parents have expressed interest in contributing in the future with decorating cars and purchasing prizes.

New Business

● Creation of new PTO bylaws
• We have Lowell/Hosmer’s PTO bylaws to use as a template.
• Bethany Grazio has offered to review the bylaws.
● Setting up our PTO room in new building
• Natasha and Jen will be setting up our new room on Friday.
• We are looking into off-site storage. We will need to inventory and document everything well at off-site storage for easy accessibility.
● Potential Spirit Days
• We are working with Mena and her team to determine potential Spirit Days and related purchases.
• “Wild about reading” - wear something wild
• Hats off to reading - hat day
• Reading knocks my socks off - mix & match socks
• Comfy to read - cozy day, PJ day
• Read with pet/stuffie - bring stuffie to school, picture reading with their pet
• One Friday a month to go with reading initiative
• Prizes, picture books, grade-level specific
• Planning of first spirit day to be Dec. 3rd
● Belmont books is interested in partnering for book fair
• It has been a good partnership in the past with lots of opportunities for the students to meet the authors.
• There will be an incentives for kids to buy books, discounts
• Mena will set meeting up over zoom
• Mena thinks February would be a good month for the book fair.
• We include Lowell in our book fair this year due to their space limitations.
● Photography session fundraiser idea (from Mrs. Lacy)
• Sessions are $75 ($45 for photographer and $30 for PTO)
• 15-minute photo sessions
• 20-25 digital images are delivered via link to album to families in approximately 2 weeks.
• Possible timing of photo sessions; next fall (for holiday cards), valentine’s day shoot, springtime for 5th grade graduations, end of year photos.
• If the photos need to be taken inside, Shannon Dixon is the building rental coordinator.

Treasurer’s Report

● It was a very quiet month just trunk or treat expenses

5th Grade Update

● No update
● The PTO is looking into running the pie fundraiser if the 5th graders no longer want to run it.

Next Meeting

● Tuesday, December 7 at 6:00pm
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We will have a joint meeting with the School Site Council, Diversity and Belonging Council and
PTO via zoom on November 30th.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in making our first ever “Trunk or Treat” event such a success!  It was great to have so many families come together outside of our beautiful new school. Enjoy these pictures from today’s festivities and have a great rest of the evening!

Held on October 19, 2021 at 6:00pm

Welcome

Principal’s Update

● Thank you for everything for the teachers for the teachers’ lounge. It was very much appreciated.
● The school is currently planning grade-level events for parents to enter the school.
● As of right now, field trips are on hold for this year
○ There is a possibility to bring people into school for enrichment
○ Students can go “virtually”
○ The school is looking into planning something for 5th grade in spring. Planning will begin in March. A field trip could be a possibility depending on guidelines at that time
● Next month, Mena would like to hold a meeting with the PTO, school site council and the diversity council.
● Lunch will be moved indoors November 1st, with four at a table and some around the perimeter with lunch trays purchased by the school. Mena will be sending pictures and more information regarding indoor lunch in her next newsletter.
● No positive pools this week

Old Business

● PTO Homeroom Representatives
• We’re able to have a homeroom representative for every classroom.
• We’ll have another update to email to classrooms regarding information for our
next event Trunk or Treat this week or next.
● Purchases and decorations for new Cunniff
• Balloon decorations were at every entrance from Balloon Nation.
• “Welcome Cunniff Cougars” was from Card My Yard.
● Purchased coffee maker and coffee for teacher’s lounge
● Lunch volunteers
• Are helping students as they get used to new routines and schedule
New Business
● Picture Day
• PTO will support, but all arrangements will be done through the school, including the financials.
• PTO will help support and facilitate the outdoor pictures.
• The school is looking into doing composite class photos. Composite class photos will have each individual student's photo arranged together to create one class photo without having students standing close together for the photo.
• The school is working out how to handle composite class photos when there are students in the class whose caregivers did not give consent for photos of their student to be distributed.
• Mena sending more information for picture day in this weekend’s newsletter.
• Mena is checking on a rain date for picture day.
● “Trunk or Treat” event for Sunday, October 31
o We are in need of volunteers to decorate their cars for the event. We have 6 trunks confirmed so far and would like a total of 8-10.
o The PTO will be sending a message to home room reps tomorrow to send out to classes with information about Trunk or Treat and that we are looking for volunteers.
o There is no need for volunteers to buy treats, all treats will be non-food items bought by PTO.
● Spirit Days
• Teachers do not want to do a whole spirit week right now, with students still getting into their new routines.
• A few individual spirit days would be better.
• Mena is asking teachers during faculty meeting next week if they have any ideas, or if there are any days they think can help the students with new school rules or routines
• Spirit Day Ideas
• “Cougar day”
• Crazy hat day
• Crazy sock day
• Sports day
● Meadow Farms or Charleston Wrap
• PTO will not be doing either this year for the holidays.

Treasurer’s Report

● There was no income this month.
● PTO received a check from Stop and Shop this month
● Expenses this month: decor for the first day at the new Cunniff, items for the teacher’s lounge (coffee maker, coffee etc.)
● The PTO still plans to support all enrichment opportunities for students, even if field trips are on hold right now.

5th Grade Update

● Jen reported on behalf of Jackie and Lee. The 5th grade is working on releasing swag to buy with the logo of the new building of the school. They will have another update at our next meeting Nov. 9th.
● There will be an election day bake sale at the police station. They are looking for volunteers from all grade levels to help work the table and to bake treats for the sale.
● There is no update on the Wilson Farm pie fundraiser. They are currently waiting to hear back from Wilson Farm, and plan to hold the fundraiser around the winter holidays.
● The 5th grade gift (from last year’s 5th graders) will be a contribution to a pottery display case; the school will pay for the rest of the cost. 

PTO Storage

● There is no additional storage at the Cunniff for PTO supplies, besides the PTO room.
● The PTO and Mena will look into moving the shed purchased last year by the PTO to the new school for storage. There are some concerns that the shed is not weathered proof and may cause issues with storage items due to the extremes of New England weather.
● We may need to look into off-site storage for the PTO supplies. 

Brick Ceremony

● We still need to gift bricks to Mrs. Munger and Mrs. Gallagher.
● Different celebration ideas include; inviting them for a tour of the new school, inviting the last two 5th grade classes for a kickball tournament; during a possible spring Fun Run; before or after the Memorial day ceremony.
● We will continue to brainstorm ideas for a brick ceremony, but have decided to not hold anything until the spring.

Next Meeting
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● Tuesday, November 9 at 6pm (moved forward by one week due to Election Day)

The PTO was able to stock the teachers’ room with a new coffee maker, paper goods, silverware and other useful supplies! Be on the look out around the building for four stuffed animal cougars that we also purchased for display! We provided over 330 extra large zip top bags for teachers to prepare each student’s individual supplies for the big move as well as rolls of red ribbon for every classroom to have their own ribbon cutting ceremony on the 12th! There will also be some fun outdoor decorations for everyone to enjoy and celebrate moving into our beautiful new school! We can’t wait to see you all there! ​

Our October meeting will be held on the 19th at 6:00pm.  We postponed from our usually first Tuesday of the month this evening due to the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Cunniff on Warren Street taking place at 4:00pm.  A tour of the building will be open to the public following the ceremony through 7:00pm.  Masks are required for the tour.  The much anticipated first day of the school at the new building is Tuesday, October 12!  There is no school this Friday, October 8 or Monday, October 11.  We are looking forward to welcoming our students and staff next Tuesday!