BASIS Chandler Boosters

Booster General Meeting
Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 6pm
Directories
Thanks to Roger Park for volunteering to put together the Student Directory.
All Booster members receive a Directory for free.
Directories were available at the meeting. They will also be available at upcoming events.

Anna Charameda, Head of Operations
-Started as assistant before BASIS Chandler opened
-Mrs. Terrell is in charge of the academic side, Anna Charameda is the business side: Smart for Charters, budgets, etc.
-John Catarino is Anna’s right hand person and Facilities Coordinator. Also does Smart for Charters, tax credit
-There were a lot of changes this year. Their goal is a better interaction, customer service and overall positive changes

Academic Side
Stephanie Terrell leads this side. There are 2 directors
-Used to be Upper and Lower School Directors, but has changed now due to number division between upper and lower schools.
-Kim Hunt, Director of Academic Programs: in charge of everything outside of normal school hours
-Matthew Fritzmiller, Director of Student Affairs: in charge of student support, discipline, teaching fellows, direct interaction with students.
-Arlene Mendoza: was front office, now registrar
-Colleen Olson: Curriculum Coordinator – helps teachers with syllabi, making sure all classes get to requirements to get to precomps.
-Kimberly Connor: Auxiliary Programs Coordinator. Partner with Anna Charameda on extracurricular packet. Also oversees latebird and helps with ATF. Many semester-based clubs have gone to yearly-based club. This is a parent/student request.
-David Johnson, Special Education & Student Support
-Robert Bowley, College Counselor & AP Coordinator
-Front Office run by Diana Lopez and Donna Wallace. They report to Anna Charameda but are still considered on the Academic side.

Deans
-Sandra Gelblicht: 9-12th grades took over for McCall Smith. Also AP Psychology teacher.
-Sara Pollock: 5-8th grades

Questions
Who do parents go to for issues?
-Academic questions: 1-teacher, 2-Dean, 3-Fritzmiller In this order

What is elementary school update?
-900 interested in K-4 elementary school
-not sure if 5-12 grades will stay put or go into new bigger school
-looking southwest of BASIS Chandler for properties
-implementation could be next school year

What information is being given to 8th graders to help them make their choice whether to stay at BASIS or go elsewhere?
-Rising/Future Night will happen to “sell” 8th graders on staying for high school
-traditionally, 8th & 9th grade has the biggest dip in enrollment, though a lot of 8th graders stayed for 9th grade this year

How do we get Family Picnic tickets?
-can buy through Smart for Charters or in office
-can pick up tickets at office or at the picnic
-can send your child to front office to pick up as well
-cannot exchange money at the picnic so will be no sales there

Is the organizational chart on the website?
-responsibilities have been changing a lot, so no. There are some names with titles and biographies, though not all.

Are we ever going to be able to check grades online?
-rationale behind not doing it from creators of BASIS is because they want to empower students to talk to their teachers themselves. Parents also have easy access to the teachers.
-currently also have a document camera. Allows teacher to photograph answer key and automatically grade them to put them into the system.

Will there be more high school support, like college counselors, brought on as there are more high school students at BASIS?
-Yes. Already some teachers in training to act as college counselors in future years.

Will there be a ramp up on communication with high school parents?
-CJ not used and no information for parents. Request/Suggestion being forwarded.

Upcoming events – all on calendar:
-picnic
-school play
-movie night in December
-Strings and band concerts
-5th grade overnight
-ATF drive
-foreign language fair – ½ day before break

BOOSTERS ANNOUNCEMENTS

T-Shirts (Wayley)
-Did a contest of the t-shirt design this year
-1st place winner will be pre-ordered at meeting, picnic and upper school awards ceremony
-2nd place t-shirts available for sale now and at awards ceremony, available for order at picnic (since no money can change hands)
-T-shirts are $15 for members, $20 for non-members. (Boosters purchase for $10, proceeds go to the school)

School Cents (Kiri)
-any receipts from May 1, 2014 on can count towards BASIS
-Thursday, November 27, the mall will open at 8am and we can earn triple points on purchases made and logged that day.
-anyone can turn in receipts to the Boosters box and we will get them logged for you
-we are currently #9 of all schools participating
-gift cards earn us 1000 points

Reward cards
-Target card: can sign up online. There is a link from the Boosters website
-Fry’s changed the way things are done. Have to sign up online

Treasurer Report
-This school year, Boosters have donated almost $5700 to the school
-Some of our donations this year include a screen projector, name plates, lunches, portable PA
-Boosters currently has $18,600 in account right now available for donation
-LOL has about $1400 in account
-Boosters has raised $1300 in chip money (selling chips at lunch)
-$330 raised through Bahama Bucks sales. We won’t be continuing with them
-$106 raised through Jamba Juice – taking a break on this until it gets warmer

Approximately a third of our students/families are Boosters members. 182 families representing 252 students

Suggestion from member for raising money when it gets warm: selling Otter Pops

Holiday Drive
-We would like to get a group of volunteers to make up a Teacher Appreciation Committee
-Boosters will collect money and gift cards to give to teachers and purchase meals
-Expo markers and tissues are always welcome donations to the school
-There will be a Giving Tree with teacher requests like last year
-It is frowned upon to give each teacher a gift so this is a great way to make sure every teacher gets something
-There are 62 teachers and administration at BASIS Chandler