PTO Meeting Minutes - March 2025

BLE PTO General Meeting
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
5:05pm - 6:30pm
Library
Attendees
Gretchen Archuleta, President, parent
Chelsi Yarger Weedon, Secretary, parent and BLE Para
Linda O’Shaughnessy, BLE Interim Principal
Angela Burke, BLE Classroom Teacher
Lisa Carrell, parent
Colin Machado, parent

Agenda Items
Remaining Events for the Year
Parents Night Out
Books and Bingo
The Science Guy
Family BBQ
Garden Day
Emergency Preparedness Program
PTO Website
Yearbook
Kindergarten Graduation and 5th Grade Promotion
Additional Misc. Business

Parents Night Out
Rescheduled to March 21st
Same plans as outlined in February 2025 meeting minutes.
Relocating to music and maybe art room.
ACTION: Chelsi to connect with Mrs. McCann about volunteering.

Books and Bingo
Scheduled for April 18th
Family event
South Sound Reading Literacy comes
Encourage people to bring books to exchange/donate
Books and other Prizes won for bingo
ACTION: Chelsi to create a flyer for this.
ACTION: Gretchen to contact South Sound Literacy to coordinate.

The Science Guy (Mrs. Burke)
Scheduled for May 29th
We paid $1200 for this. Gretchen provided the check.
Consider alternating this every other year with Pacific Science Center as it’s a lower cost.

Family BBQ
Scheduled for May 30th
Local firefighters come in to one of the playsheds
Hotdogs, Chips, Drink
Families can come have lunch and go to recess with their students
$5 for the meal, PTO may help out with costs
PTO helps sponsor

Garden Day
Scheduled for May 31st, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Annual work party; Bring your own tools and come for when you can
Collaborate with Brian Hinkle (Grounds & Maintenance) for deciding what needs to be done
Usually focuses on 1-2 areas on the playground (Ideas: Benches, secret garden, pressure washing, shed clean-out,
ACTION: Chelsi to email Heather’s girl scout troop for help with this event.
ACTION: Chelsi will create the flyer for this.
ACTION: Mrs. O’Shaughnessy will reach out to Brian Hinkle about what needs to be done.

Emergency Preparedness Program
Mrs. O’Shaughnessy helped connect Heather with Mrs. Calabrese (head of Safety Committee) on this program.
No update on where this is at.

PTO Website
There is a stipend for someone who maintains the BLE website.
Plan to revisit this in future years.

Yearbook (Chelsi)
Meeting next week to pick the yearbook theme.

Kindergarten Graduation and 5th Grade Promotion
5th graders have funds. They’ll probably be purchasing rockets soon.

Teacher Appreciation
Staff Appreciation Week is in May.
Chelsi working on ideas for this year.
ACTION: Chelsi is working on something for staff during conference week.
ACTION: Chelsi is seeking input from staff about what they would like.
ACTION: Gretchen to work on seeing if Body Mechanics can come.

Big Picture Discussion for PTO
One big fundraiser in the fall - Fun Run
Provide $150 to each teacher at the beginning of the year
Pay for other things that teacher ask money for
Put on fundraisers
Miscellaneous expenditures

Other Business
Organizing “playdates” possibly at Kenneydell Park. Would be cool if this was a weekly event to get to know other families. Could also consider doing more organized ones of these at the school every so often.