Minutes from the December 4, 2006 PTO meeting were approved as submitted.

Treasurer's Report (Julie Taylor): Direct Drive has brought in $11,815.  T-shirts have brought in $228.50 profit so far.  The bank started charging $5 per month for having three accounts online: checking, savings, and money market.  We will close the money market account.

Old Business:

Direct Drive: Receipts are close to where we were at last year at this time.  Average donation was $125, with 94 donors so far. 

T-Shirts: We currently have about 54 shirts left to sell.  We've sold $3,598 worth, but the cost for the shirts was $3,369.50, so the profit is $228.50.  Some were printed with the front logo on the back and vice versa, so we got a discount on those and can return unsold ones.  Camille will sell them at the dances.

Red Balloon Fundraiser: This earned $132, half of which goes to the Liberty Plaza housing complex.  The other half goes to the Rondo library.

1-3 Grade Dance (Feb. 23): Katie Haas is the coordinator.  Some volunteer forms went out past the deadline, so we may need another call for volunteers.

4-6 Grade Dance (Mar. 8): The coordinator is Andrea Backes.

Principal's Report: The field trip fundraiser next year will not be handled by Julie Woodman and Stacy Waskosky, who are retiring from this duty after many years of doing this.  We have the opportunity to switch from Sally Foster to something else.  Socks are a possibility, although the school's percentage is not as good.  Sally Foster is looking better and better.

New Business:
 
New middle school math series (submitted by Alex Ford and Kellie Saindon): A publisher's presentation of/hearing on is tentatively set for Feb. 24. It is open to the public.

Chess Club Fundraiser (Julie Marckel for trip to Nationals): Thanks to PTO for the money for the clocks.  Nationals will cost about $600 per child and about 13 chess team members are going.  Various fundraising efforts so far have raised about $1,000. Registration fees are about $60 per child.  PTO discussed that we really need a defined way to deal with requests like this.  There may be money available for Chess Club after Carnival receipts and the rest of the Direct Drive come in.  Maybe Chess Club could keep its own proceeds from playing games at Carnival and have a donation bucket for Nationals.  Chess Club has PTO permission to go after grants and to use the PTO Tax ID number. 

SPPS Strategic Plan:  The plan doesn't address the arts or gifted education.  Julie Taylor will find out how people can provide input and will email it to the PTO parent list.

April Foolishness Carnival: The first meeting was last month and the next meeting is February 15.  Things are moving along.  Instead of a Silent Auction, there will be a live auction with Ed Davis.  A half-sheet save the date handout will go out on March 5.  Later in March, the volunteer and donation flyers will go out.  The carnival will use unique tickets to prevent last year's problems with counterfeit tickets.

Joint Rondo Playground Initiative:  Maggie O'Reilly has been working on the playground.  There will be a Rondo Education Center Playground Gala as a fundraiser on March 17 from 6:30 - 9:30 pm at the Children's Museum.  They need more big ticket items.  They will auction off naming rights for particular pieces of playground equipment.  This fundraiser is for Benjamin Mays, Museum Magnet, and Capitol Hill parents, friends, and neighbors.

Capitol Hill Memory Books: A fundraiser possibility?  They have a place for photos, and personal memories.  Some information is specific to the school.  10-15% of the purchase price goes to the school.  A softcover is $17.95, while a hardcover is $29.95. 

The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 pm.

Respectfully submitted by Randi Madisen, PTO Secretary