NOMS PTSA Meeting Notes November 11, 2008
The meeting was called to order by Betsy Lowe at 8:45 a.m. with 13 people in attendance including: Kim Finnicum, Cheryl Junion, Renae Riley, Jenny Stegeman, Betsy Lowe, Karen Morrison, Beth Scherer, Terri Stinebruner, Deborah Alston, Cynthia Paris, Jean Lewis, Laura Karaglanis and Robb Smith.
President’s Report: The fundraisers were both very successful, thanks for the great execution. Operation Spirit is winding down and had very positive response; there will be a spring program also. Discussed when to have the General PTSA board meeting next fall as there was a very low turnout, maybe hold it the night of recognizing Reflections winners?
The staff holiday luncheon is set for Dec. 12th, please contact Meg Demuth if you can help.
PTSA Blog – go there and visit, usually an update weekly
PTSA Scholarships – there are many available and Betsy will post on the PTSA web site, Betsy will also email all members of the PTSA for recommendations and if you have any candidates for the Volunteer award please let her know.
Principal’s Report: Bathroom update – currently working with the superintendent to get started, it is very frustrating so thanks for everyone’s patience.
Lots of new families have been visiting the school, currently we have 820 kids
STI will change to a new program in January but the new program works about the same
Getting 5 new classrooms by Fall 2009, the band room is being converted to an art room plus 4 other new rooms.
Accelerated classes will be looked at in Spring 2009 and if they are too large they could possibly be split.
Lunch detention, this is to finish up work not turned in, there will be no points deducted for late work if it is turned in, only consequences if not turned in.
Retaking tests = supposed to earn right to retake by gaining understanding of the material this is not for kids who just don’t listen.
Testing an alternate report card reporting with 1 teacher currently but will still have letter grades, more discussion later on this.
Secretary Report: The minutes stand approved
Corresponding Secretary: A card should be sent to Harrison Wilmes a 6th grader who broke his leg in a wrestling match.
Treasurer’s Report: The checkbook balance is $26,375.00 with net income at $15,021.00. Java has been paid but we still need to pay Paragon out of this.
Membership Report: No changes, membership is just under 1100 people with 8 staff members pending. Currently looking at a date for the ice cream social in January for all students that are a member. It was suggested to put an announcement out to kids 2 weeks before the ice cream social that if they want to sign up they can so they are aware before the actual day.
Fundraising Report: Little Caesar’s Pizza we will pick a date at the Dec. meeting to have the sale in January 2009. Snappy Tomato continues every month.
It was motioned by Deborah Alston and then tabled till December to do away with the NOMS Java Day each month due to low results
Paragon – The Tuesday before Thanksgiving will be the money scramble and other rewards from 2:00 – 3:30 during the assembly at NOMS.
Reflections Report: 78 kids participated covering 6 categories….a date and place to announce the winners is trying to be decided – NOMS is being considered with a Thursday night preferred.
Red Ribbon Week: Great Job with all activities for this week, thanks!
Newsletter Report: No copies were taken from school last month so it should just be posted at school and direct people to the website to read this. The next newsletter deadline is Friday November 14, 2008 and an update is needed from Java and Mr. Smith.
High Achiever Report: This is scheduled for Friday 11-14-08 from 1:30 – 3:00. Kids get invites tomorrow. Sysco is donating all the food so a big thank you to them! We will be serving Nachos and a bottle of water. There are approximately 601 High Achievers this quarter.
SBDMC Report: Currently working on school goals.
New Business: The holiday PTSA get together will be a luncheon at Olive Garden on December 10th at 11:30; we hope to see everyone there.
Laura Karaganis motioned to take 4 general PTSA meetings to 3 per year; this was seconded by Jean Lewis and passed unanimously. We will need to present this at the next general PTSA meeting for a vote.
There has been a request for funds for 7 LA teachers to get Black and white printers in their rooms so they are being asked which one they want and what the total cost would be and then a decision will be made
Meeting adjourned at 10:15 a.m.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN LITERATURE
By Nikihita Luthra
Wow, and So I Weep
6:47 AM
I look around me. Here I am, in my room. My tall mirror sits in front of me, surrounded by photo's of my friends.
My iPod is playing the eternally fresh and soothing voice of Bob Marley. His, "Is this love" rings with such passion that my insides are rising up my throat. A vertigo feeling overwhelms me. I have a seat on my white carpet, letting my bare legs stretch out as I place my naked back up against my bed. bob is singing to me, and I feel his voice echoing through my heart. I allow my tears to fall into the palm of my hands, as I whisper along, "is this love, is this love, is this love that I am feeling..." Wow, what passion he grants his listeners - what passion he grants me. My whole face is stained with tears, and my hands are cupped and wet.
As the song is ending, I cry harder. I don't want Bob to go. Come back Bob! I take my think arm, and press a button that makes my iPod replay Bob.
The shiny black finish of my iPod suddenly catches my attention. How sleek the design is. My hands feel a sudden urge to pry the thing apart. I want to see the engineering behind this tiny little machine that Bob sings to me from.
I don't, however, dissect the iPod. My amazement at the mechanism only grows. I am simply staring into the black square, and how brilliant it is. How much brainpower it must have taken to put together such a miracle object.
Holding it, my eyes follow my fingers. I flex them. How unique they look. Every muscle and every line signifies so much - long hours of writing in school, typing emails to loved ones, and making sound with a piano that most people call music. I place my iPod back on the speakers, and Bob is back.
Now, however, my focus isn't on his wowing voice. It's on me - my hands. My eyes trace up my arms, and I look down my bare chest, chin tucked. How beautiful and perfect the human body is. Everything works so dynamically.
Suddenly perplexed, I stand up swiftly and stare into my full-length mirror. What a miracle I am! To be alive in such perfect condition, oh my! My skin suddenly looks gorgeous. Wow, what force of nature could have created such a piece of engineering like my body? Nothing else could ever dream of matching up to my body-no science could even ponder about creating something so delicate yet strong, I think as I look down at my bulging veins, popping out from my arms. Wow! Why have I never taken the time to look at the way my body functions before?
I raise both my arms, and stretch my legs, into Da Vinci's famous pose. I flex my legs, and suddenly can feel all my energy, sending nerves up and down my naked body. Why have I never felt this way before? In the mirror, my blue windows-to-the-soul follows the curvature of my arms and shoulders. Looking at the mirror, I also see my friends' photos, taped to the edges of it.
I am in the middle, surrounded by other teenagers, laughing, hugging, and holding each other. My eyesight is getting fuzzy, and I need to sit down. An emotion so powerful is striking me, as I look at the love captured on the glossy paper. Affection. Pleasure. Gratification. My eyes are shedding tears. Let them fall, I tell myself.
Wow, how lucky I am to have such friendships. The bonds with those people - I can't even explain how much I love them. I love them so much. I am really crying now, but smiling too. And so I weep.
I am hugging my knees in a fetal position. Fetal - my thoughts stray to my aunt. She just found out she is pregnant. Wow, what a miracle the female body is. To be able to support another life on its own, and still have enough compassion left to love it, even though it eats up all your energy, nutrients, and time. Wow, how amazing women are. The love between a mother and her baby is unlike no other. Indescribable, right?
This makes me think of my mother. We had a fight last night. I try to remember what it was about, but my minor worries have vanished from my mind. Now, I am just crying, again, because of how much I love my mother. And my father, I cry for everyone. My family, my friends, my dog, my clothes, all the hungry people in the world, all the lucky people in the world, my beautiful self, healthy body, lovely confidence, and all the things in between. Good, bad or ugly, I am shedding tears almost as fast as my mind is racing from thought to thought. And so I weep, for all the happiness and beautiful things in the world.
When my mom taps on my locked door and tells me though the wood that I only have 10 minutes to finish getting dressed, I break my tears. I look up and respond with new found confidence, "Yes, mom, I am coming." I guess I have to get dressed now. I am in no rush. In fact, I go very slow, admiring every texture of every fabric I wrap myself in. I take in a whiff of my clothes and self, which smell naturally sweet - my distinct lovely fragrance has marked these clothes. No perfume - just a smell like me. I can't describe it, except, it felt good to take it in.
I get dressed so slow, because I am taking so much time admiring everything and how beautiful the world is. Why had I never noticed how deep the purple was of my curtains? Since when had my hair had strands of blond and red on my black looking head? Why was my eyesight so sharp today, noticing every fine detail of color and texture?
With this new outlook on the world, I walk downstairs continue my life. Everything is the same; I just see things for what they really are. The world is very in sync, and I take the time to notice how balanced and perfect everything is. Wow, wish I had seen this before, I think, following every observation of that day.
Wow, and So I Weep
6:47 AM
I look around me. Here I am, in my room. My tall mirror sits in front of me, surrounded by photo's of my friends.
My iPod is playing the eternally fresh and soothing voice of Bob Marley. His, "Is this love" rings with such passion that my insides are rising up my throat. A vertigo feeling overwhelms me. I have a seat on my white carpet, letting my bare legs stretch out as I place my naked back up against my bed. bob is singing to me, and I feel his voice echoing through my heart. I allow my tears to fall into the palm of my hands, as I whisper along, "is this love, is this love, is this love that I am feeling..." Wow, what passion he grants his listeners - what passion he grants me. My whole face is stained with tears, and my hands are cupped and wet.
As the song is ending, I cry harder. I don't want Bob to go. Come back Bob! I take my think arm, and press a button that makes my iPod replay Bob.
The shiny black finish of my iPod suddenly catches my attention. How sleek the design is. My hands feel a sudden urge to pry the thing apart. I want to see the engineering behind this tiny little machine that Bob sings to me from.
I don't, however, dissect the iPod. My amazement at the mechanism only grows. I am simply staring into the black square, and how brilliant it is. How much brainpower it must have taken to put together such a miracle object.
Holding it, my eyes follow my fingers. I flex them. How unique they look. Every muscle and every line signifies so much - long hours of writing in school, typing emails to loved ones, and making sound with a piano that most people call music. I place my iPod back on the speakers, and Bob is back.
Now, however, my focus isn't on his wowing voice. It's on me - my hands. My eyes trace up my arms, and I look down my bare chest, chin tucked. How beautiful and perfect the human body is. Everything works so dynamically.
Suddenly perplexed, I stand up swiftly and stare into my full-length mirror. What a miracle I am! To be alive in such perfect condition, oh my! My skin suddenly looks gorgeous. Wow, what force of nature could have created such a piece of engineering like my body? Nothing else could ever dream of matching up to my body-no science could even ponder about creating something so delicate yet strong, I think as I look down at my bulging veins, popping out from my arms. Wow! Why have I never taken the time to look at the way my body functions before?
I raise both my arms, and stretch my legs, into Da Vinci's famous pose. I flex my legs, and suddenly can feel all my energy, sending nerves up and down my naked body. Why have I never felt this way before? In the mirror, my blue windows-to-the-soul follows the curvature of my arms and shoulders. Looking at the mirror, I also see my friends' photos, taped to the edges of it.
I am in the middle, surrounded by other teenagers, laughing, hugging, and holding each other. My eyesight is getting fuzzy, and I need to sit down. An emotion so powerful is striking me, as I look at the love captured on the glossy paper. Affection. Pleasure. Gratification. My eyes are shedding tears. Let them fall, I tell myself.
Wow, how lucky I am to have such friendships. The bonds with those people - I can't even explain how much I love them. I love them so much. I am really crying now, but smiling too. And so I weep.
I am hugging my knees in a fetal position. Fetal - my thoughts stray to my aunt. She just found out she is pregnant. Wow, what a miracle the female body is. To be able to support another life on its own, and still have enough compassion left to love it, even though it eats up all your energy, nutrients, and time. Wow, how amazing women are. The love between a mother and her baby is unlike no other. Indescribable, right?
This makes me think of my mother. We had a fight last night. I try to remember what it was about, but my minor worries have vanished from my mind. Now, I am just crying, again, because of how much I love my mother. And my father, I cry for everyone. My family, my friends, my dog, my clothes, all the hungry people in the world, all the lucky people in the world, my beautiful self, healthy body, lovely confidence, and all the things in between. Good, bad or ugly, I am shedding tears almost as fast as my mind is racing from thought to thought. And so I weep, for all the happiness and beautiful things in the world.
When my mom taps on my locked door and tells me though the wood that I only have 10 minutes to finish getting dressed, I break my tears. I look up and respond with new found confidence, "Yes, mom, I am coming." I guess I have to get dressed now. I am in no rush. In fact, I go very slow, admiring every texture of every fabric I wrap myself in. I take in a whiff of my clothes and self, which smell naturally sweet - my distinct lovely fragrance has marked these clothes. No perfume - just a smell like me. I can't describe it, except, it felt good to take it in.
I get dressed so slow, because I am taking so much time admiring everything and how beautiful the world is. Why had I never noticed how deep the purple was of my curtains? Since when had my hair had strands of blond and red on my black looking head? Why was my eyesight so sharp today, noticing every fine detail of color and texture?
With this new outlook on the world, I walk downstairs continue my life. Everything is the same; I just see things for what they really are. The world is very in sync, and I take the time to notice how balanced and perfect everything is. Wow, wish I had seen this before, I think, following every observation of that day.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Reflections Celebration 2008
Winning Photography Images:
"Anast" by Megan Flanigan = Award of Excellence
"MOM=WOW" by Richard Schilling - Award of Merit
"360" by Evan Crept - Award of Merit
"The Unstopable Blaze" by Jake Johnson - Award of Merit
"The Rainbow" by Richard Cockerell - Award of MeritOn Thursday, December 4, the NOMS PTSA held its annual Reflections Award Celebration. We had 79 entries in the Reflection Program this year. We had several entries in Literature, Photography and Visual Arts. We are so pleased to announce the winners of the Reflections contest as follows:
In Music Composition: Award of Excellence to Kayvon Ghayoumi
In Dance Choreography: Award of Excellence to Anna Rauh
In Dance Performance: Award of Excellence to Anna Rauh and Adama Kamara
In Visual Art: Award of Excellence to Nikita Luthra
Award of Merit to Kayvon Ghayoumi and Allison Hall
In Photography: Award of Excellence to Megan Flanigan
Award of Merit to Richard Schilling, Evan Crept, Jake Johnson, & Dalton Cockerell
Honorable Mention to Isabel Watkins, Caitlin Francesconi, Niki Harrison & Miranda Conway
In Literature: Award of Excellence to Nikhita Luthra
Award of Merit to Matthew Fraser, Katarina Dewey, Reed Oliver, & Amanda Jack
Honorable Mention to Landon Jones and Gray Alston
Congratulations to all our Reflection participants for the excellent work submitted in this program.
All Award of Excellence and Award of Merit winners recieve a check for $25 and advance to the District Level Competition. Thank you again for participating and we look forward to your participation next year.
In Music Composition: Award of Excellence to Kayvon Ghayoumi
In Dance Choreography: Award of Excellence to Anna Rauh
In Dance Performance: Award of Excellence to Anna Rauh and Adama Kamara
In Visual Art: Award of Excellence to Nikita Luthra
Award of Merit to Kayvon Ghayoumi and Allison Hall
In Photography: Award of Excellence to Megan Flanigan
Award of Merit to Richard Schilling, Evan Crept, Jake Johnson, & Dalton Cockerell
Honorable Mention to Isabel Watkins, Caitlin Francesconi, Niki Harrison & Miranda Conway
In Literature: Award of Excellence to Nikhita Luthra
Award of Merit to Matthew Fraser, Katarina Dewey, Reed Oliver, & Amanda Jack
Honorable Mention to Landon Jones and Gray Alston
Congratulations to all our Reflection participants for the excellent work submitted in this program.
All Award of Excellence and Award of Merit winners recieve a check for $25 and advance to the District Level Competition. Thank you again for participating and we look forward to your participation next year.
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