PEGS All-Parent Quarterly Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date: April 14, 2025

Members Present: Julia Maranan, Dr. Tracy Bednarick-Humes, Betsy Krusemark, Michelle Goddard, Jordan McDermott, Tarrah Wiley, Jessica Paik, Meghan Levinson

1. Welcome and Call to Order
   1. Greetings and acknowledgment of attendees
   2. Call to order by the President

2. Gifted Director’s Report
   1. Potential PEGS student interviews next week
      1. 4 days of interviews; 28 kids interviewing this year (for south location)
         1. By grade level:
            1. 1^st/2^nd grade - 9 applicants
            2. 3^rd grade – 7 applicants
            3. 4^th grade – 7 applicants
            4. 5^th grade – 2 applicants
            5. 6^th grade – 3 applicants
3. Staff changes
   1. Welcome Ryan Lutker (LEAP; taking Sheri Strebler’s place) and Colleen Patrick (new admin asst).
      1. Colleen – wealth of experience in education and technology
   2. Who will fill Mr. Anderson’s spot?
      1. We plan to make an offer later this week and will announce soon.
      2. Two really great candidates for Sheri Strebler’s position; will go ahead and move with an offer to the other candidate we had.
3. Projects
   1. Sensory walk
      1. Have ordered some floor decals for our sensory walk upstairs in LEAP.
      2. Once those come in, possibly have people help with getting sensory walk put together.
   2. Calming room/multipurpose room
      1. Students in interior design class with Mrs. Stewart are coming up with ideas for this. Once proposals submitted, we will select things and get those ordered; will ask parents to help with that.
      2. Also going to convert the room we were going to serve food out of into a teacher multi-use space
      3. This will all happen this summer.
   3. 8^th graders and high school have started EOC testing.
      1. Mrs. Page has been busy coordinating that for all Lindbergh and non-Lindbergh students.
   4. MAP testing for middle school starts 1^st week of May.
   5. MAP testing for elementary starts April 28^th.
   6. Check eNotes for when different grade levels are testing.
4. Mrs. Bergman is back as of today.

3. President’s Report
   1. February happenings
      1. SCAF
      2. Gifted Education Awareness Week
         1. We were able to celebrate our teachers with an ice cream buffet.
         2. Tarrah Wiley (VP of Staff Appreciation) and her counterpart in LEAP coordinated that.
      3. End of February – high school movie night at the Idea Center; voted to watch Interstellar
   2. Highlights from the past few months
      1. March
         1. National School Social Worker Week
            1. Tarrah was able to give a gift from the PPG for that.
         2. Sponsored meals for the elementary parent-teacher conferences right before spring break.
         3. Elementary spring parties right before spring break.
            1. Middle school had hot chocolate, cookies, and brownies.
            2. After Ramadan, we provided treats for high schoolers.
         4. Right before spring break, Board of Education meeting focused on gifted education, so Dr. Bednarick-Humes presented an award to our teacher of the year last year Mrs. Shannon Bergman.
            1. Also recognized Brecken Lang and FanFan Xiao
            2. Dr. B gave a presentation about what the gifted department has been up to.
         5. Elementary park playdate that got rained out – thanks to those who made it.
            1. Will do an all-PEGS/LEAP playdate before end of year.
         6. PPG joined with other parent groups in the district to sponsor candidate forum for the Board of Education elections.
            1. 3^rd grade parent Aida was on the question-gathering committee for that; thank you to anyone who submitted questions and participated in that.
         7. HS trivia
            1. Michelle Goddard single-handedly put together all questions, organized volunteers.
      2. April
         1. PEGS parent Ashley Johnson and Julia presented the Gifted Education Legacy scholarship to a LEAP student Jessica Wheatley (in LEAP since kindergarten).
            1. Neat experience to hear how gifted department has served all of these students and set them up for success in their journeys.
            2. Looking for a quick way to volunteer next year, highly recommend volunteering to do this.
         2. National School Librarian Day
            1. Recognized Susan Crawshaw
         3. Middle School Think Tank last Friday
            1. Twister, bingo, puzzles, scavenger hunt, snacks
   3. Looking ahead–ways for you to get involved
      1. Lots of ways for everyone to get involved from one-day opportunities to joining the board for next year.
         1. In the next week or two:
            1. Elementary family survey
               1. Sent out to all Idea Center families
               2. Want to get feedback on how it’s going, what’s going well, what you would like to see different, suggestions for resources we could use to improve the Idea Center experience.
               3. Can find the link to the survey on the Facebook page or the weekly newsletter or Dr. B’s weekly eNote
               4. Fill it out by Friday if you can.
               5. Students are also welcome to fill it out.
         2. Field Day
            1. Elementary Field Day scheduled for 5/20 with rain date of 5/21
            2. Planning committee meeting for first time this Thursday at Meramec Valley Library Branch.
               1. Kris Haykel is heading up the committee; very much interested in ideas and anyone who wants to help; RSVP or just show up.
         3. Ability Awareness Day
            1. At Idea Center
            2. Dr. B interested in people sharing their personal experience with different abilities; also welcome to come read a book to the students.
            3. Dr. B has confirmed we now have a full schedule for this day.

4. Treasurer’s Report
   1. SCAF totals–
      1. Had to reschedule twice due to weather; still managed to have our best year ever.
      2. Thank you to everybody who volunteered or helped in any capacity.

2. Income/expenses report
   1. Board doing well with income this year; far exceeded our expectations.
   2. We look forward to reviewing everything that we’ve done and building up a budget for next year.
   3. A few expenditures need to be finalized.
   4. Looking to expenses over next month, we have Field Day and 5^th Grade Celebration; not a lot of end-of-year expenses.  
   5. About $22,000 in the bank account right now
   6. We have talked about some bookkeeping things and what that will look like. As we look at who will be treasurer next year, that’s important to look at; help setting up good systems for auditing and monitoring income.
   7. Lindbergh 75^th Anniversary Gala Update
      1. Super exciting event; silent auction did very well.
      2. There was an unexpected power outage about 35 minutes into event.
      3. Raised a lot of money and extended silent auction to this morning.
      4. Hopefully the foundation is going to stay solvent; does amazing things for our community; thanks to anyone who was there.
      5. Jordan to get clarification regarding the money raised from the baskets. The one Julia put together raised $110.

5. New Business
   1. Preview of upcoming important dates
      1. 2025-26 school year PPG Board elections.
         1. Several open positions. The Board will be meeting next week (4/22) to discuss those positions and what the responsibilities will be for each one at the 4/22 meeting.
         2. Once we have that meeting, we will open that up to all of PEGS.
         3. Reach out to any board member if you’re interested.
         4. We will hold an online vote at the beginning of May and will also let families vote on our revised bylaws.
            1. Substantial changes to bylaws, especially since we have moved to Idea Center and taken on a closer; will submit to all PEGS families for review and approval.
         5. Lots of different opportunities; we can find a way for you to help whatever your time availability/area of gifting.
      2. Will be putting together a special edition newsletter to recognize year-end achievements and accolades from all grade levels of PEGS.
         1. Watch for the announcement to send in your information.
         2. Anything you want to brag on your kids about, we will put in this newsletter.
      3. Casual meetup open to all PEGS families in June.
      4. July – Buddy Family program will be put together
         1. An opportunity to welcome new PEGS families into PEGS
         2. Betsy noted that if you are a 1^st or 2^nd grade family, please consider doing this; we really rely on those 1^st and 2^nd grade families because they are the largest groups coming into PEGS and the fewest people to welcome them.

• 4/21 - No School
• 4/23 – PEGS interviews begin
• 4/24 - ​​1st/2nd Grade LEAP Field Trip to the Zoo
• 4/25 - Ability Awareness Day at the Idea Center/PEGS and Kennerly Sing at the Cardinals Game
• 4/28 - Elementary MAP Testing Begins
• 4/28-5/2 – Gifted Teacher Appreciation Week
• 5/8 - 8th Grade PEGS Thesis Capstone Presentations and PEGS "Completion" Ceremony
• Date TBD – Graduating PEGS seniors walk the Idea Center; hope is that elementary students can present them with a token of congratulations and hear from seniors about plans after graduation
• 5/16 – Retirement Celebration for Mrs. Streber and Mrs. Page at the Idea Center; everyone is invited
• 5/18 – Joint Party at the Playground; Dressel Elementary from 11-1; bring a picnic lunch if you want; snow cones available for purchase; it’s for everybody – bring your older students to say goodbye to our departing teachers.
• 5/20 – Elementary Field Day (rain date 5/21)
• 5/22 – 5^th grade celebration – Tarrah Wiley is heading up the party planning
• 5/23 – Last day of school (half day) – hoping to do a clap-out for 5^th graders; Tarrah confirmed this is planned for 11:45 that day

6. Next Steps and Adjournment
   1. Questions?

PEGS PPG Parent Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date: February 10, 2025

Members Present: Julia Maranan, Dr. Tracy Bednarick-Humes, Betsy Krusemark, Michelle Goddard, Jordan McDermott, Jessica Spencer, Tarrah Wiley, Meghan Levinson

1. Welcome and Call to Order
   1. Greetings and acknowledgment of attendees
   2. Call to order by the President

2. Gifted Director’s Report
   1. Missouri Gifted Education Week
      1. The state of Missouri officially recognizes the second week in February as Gifted Education Week.
         1. Spirit Week
         2. LEAP PTG president’s husband made 3-D print animals for all students K-8.
         3. Communications department with Lindbergh visit to feature things gifted students are doing.
         4. Doing things for teachers on Wednesday – ice cream bar
   2. Funding
      1. We are funded through the state; we are not part of federal funding.
         1. As of right now, our funding is fine; gifted education continues to be mandated by the state of Missouri.
   3. Conferences come up for elementary in March right before spring break.

3. President’s Report
   1. Highlights from the past few months
      1. December
         1. Michelle Goddard coordinated a gingerbread house decorating party.
            1. 7 students attended; they had so much fun; they all expressed themselves.
            2. Michelle has a lot of activities for spring; ramp up high school events and sense of community.
            3. If you have a high schooler and have any ideas of what you or your kiddo would like to see, please let us know.
         2. Elementary class parties right before the break.
            1. Another one coming in March
      2. January
         1. Middle school movie night
         2. Parent-only bowling last Friday
         3. Counselor’s Week appreciation gift
      3. Your donations help support these gifts/events.
   2. SCAF update
      1. New date because we are supposed to get another winter storm
      2. Thankfully, still able to book the cafeterias and concessions one week later
         1. New date: 2/19; same time and place
         2. Dr. B will push out a change of date for the SCAF to all gifted families; also went out via Peachjar.
         3. If you see a post on social media, feel free to leave a comment; spread the word however you are able.
   3. Volunteer opportunities
      1. SCAF
         1. Will need volunteers for new date; hopefully those who signed up are able to help on that date.
         2. Michelle will reach out to confirm if you are able to help on new date.
         3. Link in newsletter and on Facebook for sign-up if you are able to make the new date
         4. Main need: 3:45-4:45 PM to greet vendors and walk to tables
      2. Auction basket – 75^th anniversary gala
         1. Need a parent to spearhead that effort and track down a few more things; please reach out to Julia if interested: julia_maranan@hotmail.com or pegsparentgroup@gmail.com
      3. BOE forum question committee
         1. At the end of March, parent groups throughout Lindbergh are hosting a Board of Education forum for the five candidates running for two open spots.
         2. Google form; community members can submit questions.
         3. Committee will review questions and make a digestible list for the forum host.
            1. If interested, reach out to Julia to get you in touch with the coordinator
               1. One virtual meeting 2-3 hours
               2. Fantastic one-time opportunity for someone to step in; low commitment; make connections outside of the PEGS group

4. Treasurer’s Report
   1. Excellent year so far thanks to parent generosity and fundraising efforts
   2. Bank accounts:
      1. Balances
         1. Around $22,000 in bank accounts total
         2. If outstanding reimbursements, form has been sent out.
         3. A few payments outstanding as far as things that need checks sent out (a few hundred dollars)
         4. Will wait for final report regarding money from SCAF
      2. Good problem: Money that we now need to balance with a bookkeeping system
         1. We are looking for a new treasurer for next year; if interested, reach out to Jordan
         2. Anyone with experience with nonprofit accounting software and any pros/cons, have a conversation with Jordan as we look for new accounting software

5. VP Reports
   1. VP of Community
      1. Bowling night recap
         1. 10 registered; 8 came
      2. Will try to do more casual get-togethers before end of year
   2. VP of Staff Appreciation 
      1. Counselor’s Week appreciate gift was given before Mrs. Dickinson went out on maternity leave; she had her baby (a boy named Will) this morning.
   3. VP of Events
      1. Elementary social event in February/March
         1. Trying hard to have a gym night; gym space is at a premium.
         2. Will have some sort of an event; will keep everyone posted.
   4. Secretary

6. Liaison Reports
   1. Idea Center
      1. Final class party – March 13
         1. More info about that to come; room parents will send sign-ups once we have more details
   2. Middle School
      1. Middle school movie night
         1. Wonka theme: got to watch Wonka, have a smorgasbord of candy, and learned how to make candy sushi.
         2. Great turnout (approx. 20 kids)
      2. Really good turnout to all middle school events so far this year; try and move into more middle school events to maintain sense of community and continue that through entire PEGS experience.
   3. High School
      1. Trivia night March 28, other events
         1. Hoping to run an amazing trivia night just for the students
         2. It’s not a fundraiser; just a low-key trivia night for LEAP and PEGS high schoolers
         3. Would love a couple of parents for crowd control
         4. More details to come; watch your newsletters

7. New Business
   1. Preview of upcoming important dates
      1. 2025-26 school year PPG Board elections
         1. Will announce open positions at the end of April and accept nominations; hold a Google vote at the beginning of May.
            1. If you think you might be interested, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and sign up for open positions.
            2. All families cast votes.
      2. Will be putting together a special edition newsletter to recognize year-end achievements and accolades from all grade levels of PEGS.
         1. Watch for the announcement to send in your information.
         2. Be thinking of awesome things your kids are doing and should get recognition for.
      3. Casual meetup open to all PEGS families in June.
         1. More info when we get closer to that; fun way for kids to hang out over summer

8. Next Steps and Adjournment
   1. Next All-Parent Meeting
      1. April 14^th – final all-parent quarterly meeting of the school year
         1. virtual before the Gifted Speaker Series: Supporting Gifted Kids in a General Education Classroom with Jennifer Hawkins (GAM Executive Secretary)

PEGS Parent Group Board Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date: December 9, 2024

Members Present: Julia Maranan, Michelle Goddard, Jessica Paik, Jordan McDermott, Kris Haykel, Betsy Krusemark, Tarrah Wiley, Dr. Tracy Bednarick-Humes, Laura Chang, Jessica Spencer, Meghan Levinson

1. Welcome and Call to Order
   1. Greetings and acknowledgment of attendees
      1. Board introductions
   2. Call to order by the President

2. Gifted Director’s Report (Dr. Tracy Bednarick-Humes)
   1. Thank you for your support throughout the year; this is the biggest year of PEGS since Dr. B has been here; full of energy
   2. Thanks for your support with events, especially with the chess tournament
   3. We will be adding LEAP students starting in January; more in 3^rd-5^th grade
      1. Hoping to hire a teacher’s assistant to support the numbers

3. President’s Report (Julia Maranan)
   1. Highlights from the past semester
      1. This is our 2^nd year in the Idea Center as a standalone program.
         1. In the past, we were housed in Kennerly Elementary and participated in their PTO events.
      2. We did a lot more this year than we were able to do in the past and are thrilled with all of your support.
      3. Thank you for giving to the Direct Donation Campaign!
         1. Raised a total of $3,728.51
         2. Nearly 40% participation
         3. The donation link is open all year even though the campaign is closed. We will leave it up and active for the whole year.
            1. If you want to donate, feel free to donate. This link can be found if you go back through the emails/Facebook posts.
      4. Some of the fun things we have been able to do:
         1. Grandfriend lunch for the first time this year; most students had a grandfriend come, and we received good feedback.
         2. Provided staff lunches for the entire gifted staff
         3. Parent-teacher conference dinners
         4. “Welcome to PEGS” yard signs this year
         5. Will do signs for graduating 5^th graders in May
         6. Covered bus costs for field trips
         7. Helped fund Gaga ball pit flooring
         8. Helped purchase mums in the fall for the Idea Center
         9. The Checkmate Challenge chess tournament
            1. This was a true group effort; will do again next year as well
         10. Elementary game night in fall
         11. Middle school game night and cookie exchange
         12. Field day
             1. Will do again in May; will need volunteers
         13. Popsicles in the Park in August
         14. Teacher and staff recognition
         15. Gifted Department Favorite Things
         16. Elementary class parties
         17. High school trick-or-treating party
         18. Parent socials

4. Treasurer’s Report (Jordan McDermott)
   1. As a non-profit, our purpose is to support the PEGS program (parents, students, and school).
   2. Overwhelmed by donations and support; we are small but mighty
   3. We break categories of spending into three buckets - school support; staff appreciation; social events
      1. Right now, we are splitting all evenly with donation money with a little more going to staff appreciation.
      2. School support is invaluable, and we hope to continue providing buses for field trips.
      3. Gifted Student Week (February) - This helps expand notoriety in community, as does the scholarship fund to graduating seniors in PEGS or LEAP.
   4. Bank Account
      1. We have a healthy bank account; 2 years of budget
      2. Expense budget is around $6,000 each year; we are building a surplus ($16,000)
      3. We hope to do grant resources for extracurriculars (in the past, supported Lego league); other examples: math, robotics
         1. If you are interested in these but don’t want the expense of these extracurriculars, hopefully we can help with that.

5. VP Reports
   1. VP of Community (Betsy Krusemark)
      1. January social will be a bowling night.
         1. Looking at Thursdays as long as there are no leagues
         2. Possible dates: 1/16, 1/23, 1/30
         3. Adults-only event

2. VP of Staff Appreciation (Tarrah Wiley)
   1. We take care of our teachers but also look for parent support.
   2. Gifted Appreciation Week
      1. If you are interested or have ideas, reach out to Tarrah.
      2. Dr. B clarified that May 6-10^th is the official district appreciation week; we usually do the week before to include LEAP teachers since Space Camp coincides with Gifted Appreciation Week.
3. VP of Events (Kris Haykel)
   1. Elementary social event in February
      1. Gym Night – trying to find a night that a gym will be available
      2. Will look for volunteers
      3. Will run similar to game night and begin right after school
4. Secretary (Meghan Levinson)

6.  Liaison Reports
   1. Idea Center (Jessica Paik)
      1. Elementary class parties Dec 20 10:45-11:45. Still need volunteers!
         1. Look for communication from room parents; need help running parties
         2. All parents invited to come
      2. Option to donate to group teacher gifts
         1. Look for that info and the dates when individual parents have requested that contributions come in by.
      3. Mrs. Bergman is due to have her baby in January. Room parents organized a book basket for her.
         1. Planning to present to her on Friday.
         2. Asking for voluntary participation
         3. Mrs. Page is collecting them to keep as a surprise – kids can bring to her by this Wednesday, 12/11.
         4. All kids will have the opportunity to sign a card for her.
      4. For new parents, we are open to suggestions/perspective – feel free to bring thoughts, ideas, past experiences
   2. Middle School (Jessica Spencer)
      1. Movie night Jan 24 at Idea Center
         1. Will coordinate snacks and games
   3. High School (Michelle Goddard)
      1. Gingerbread House Decorating Party this Friday at Idea Center (5 people signed up so far out of 29 total high school PEGSians)
      2. Michelle sent a survey to high schoolers and gave some event ideas.
         1. Biggest votes: trivia night (to come in spring – both PEGS and LEAP); mini golf at Aloha mini golf - $6/person for unlimited

7. New Business
   1. Preview of upcoming events
      1. Summer Camps and Activities Fair is Wednesday, Feb 12 Lots of ways families can help!
         1. In Lindbergh HS cafeterias
         2. 52 vendors last year
         3. It’s a wide range of camps and activities and tried to allow vendors to highlight job opportunities as well; will do again this year.
         4. Because that’s our 3^rd and final fundraiser of the year, love parental help with that
            1. Like a Facebook post
            2. Invite community from home school
            3. Know of vendors?  Let Julia know; we have been reaching out to mostly the same pool of vendors; love fresh ideas
            4. Will also need day-of volunteers to help set up, tear down, etc. – Will send SignUpGenius
            5. Any interest – reach out to Julia
         5. Decided not to do tote bags – tabled for this year
      2. 12/13 – Gingerbread House Decorating Party
      3. 12/20 - Class parties
      4. 1/13 – Gifted Speaker Series
         1. New Gifted Education Program Guidelines
            1. Dr. B noted that we should have a couple board members attend; good to be informed.
            2. Do need to register if attending.
            3. Dr. B will include information in upcoming eNote.
      5. 1/24 – Middle School movie night
      6. January social – info to come
      7. February gym night
   2. Sign up for PTBoard if you have not yet.
      1. You can also get online student directory for contact info for classmates on PTBoard.
   3. Facebook group – trying to make more active
      1. If you have questions, can always check there.

8. Next Steps and Adjournment
   1. Next All-Parent Meeting will be virtual, on Feb 10 from 6:30-7:00, before the Gifted Speaker Series at 7:00
      1. Will send Google Meet link closer to date
   2. Spirit Wear makes a great holiday gift! (But order early to allow for delays in shipping!)
      1. Jordan is also going to work on new designs.
   3. Parent suggestion: In her home district, high schoolers adopt an elementary classroom for mentoring and mingling.
      1. Discussion was held regarding how this is currently handled and potential opportunities.
         1. Dr. B shared that high schoolers are just so busy that it presents a challenge. They do get some help here and there.
         2. Suggestion that graduates should walk through Idea Center.
         3. Dr. B also noted that the elementary students go to the middle school to visit, but there is room to do additional things.
         4. Michelle mentioned that there is no parent support group to meet and ask questions.
            1. This is the goal of the social events, but maybe need to separate to discuss concerns/struggles.
            2. We have a buddy family system in the beginning of year; maybe touch base a few more times/year

PEGS PPG Family Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date: August 5, 2024 (Popsicles in the Park)

Board Members Present: Julia Maranan, Betsy Krusemark, Kris Haykel, Tarrah Wiley, Laura Chang, Michelle Goddard, Jessica Paik, Meghan Levinson

1. Welcome and Call to Order
   1. Invite families to introduce themselves and share how long they’ve been part of PEGS, etc. Board members should highlight any opportunities for involvement they have (spirit wear, volunteer signups, etc.) and an overview of their role/plans for the year.
   2. Confirmation of quorum
   3. Call to order by the President

2. President’s Report
   1. Welcome our new families and explain the role of the Board
      1. Board role:
         1. Looking to collaborate with LEAP as well this year
         2. As a board, we host events at school and around the community.
         3. We realize we have families from all over St. Louis, so we try to not do everything in Lindbergh; we want everyone to feel part of the community.
         4. Room parents
         5. Host field day for Idea Center children
            1. It was very much geared toward PEGS students
         6. 5th grade party
         7. Offer financial assistance for field trips (for items such as the buses)
         8. Co-sponsor gifted scholarship for a graduating senior
         9. Try to support teachers and admin to make school experience as awesome as it can be
            1. Exceptional gifted kids have exceptional needs
   2. Refer to year-at-a-glance calendar
      1. This provides an overview and will be updated with more specific dates as we get them.
   3. Instead of multiple small fundraisers, we hold two large fundraisers plus a direct donation campaign in spring.
      1. Jessica Paik mentioned chess tournament
         1. Date will be 11/9 – would love for all families to participate – tons of ways to be involved
      2. Other big fundraiser is Summer Camps and Activities Fair (SCAF)
         1. if you’ve been in the district, you’ve seen that advertised
            1. open to the whole community
            2. vendors from all over
      3. Those are our two tentpole fundraisers – if interested, we have sign-up sheets
      4. Direct donation campaign in the spring – instead of selling cookie dough, pizza, wrapping paper, we do this as a more efficient way to fundraise
         1. Jordan McDermott (Treasurer) will be spearheading direct donation
      5. Middle school Liaison (Jessica Spencer)
         1. Also leads Scouts – see Kris Haykel if interested
      6. Best way to get plugged into PEGS is by volunteering
         1. It is the best way to get to know PEGS families
         2. You get to be in the school, and you get to meet the teachers and see your kid in their environment
         3. Kris added that we also have parent events; the playdates; class parties

4. Encourage families to volunteer to get plugged in to the school and PEGS community.
   1. We will hold quarterly parent meetings, likely before or after the virtual Gifted Speaker series that Dr. B schedules monthly (generally 2^nd Monday of the month from 7-8 pm)
   2. We will have quarterly parent meetings in November, February, April
   3. We usually offer parent meetings virtually so you can easily hop on, get updated, and then participate in the Gifted Speaker Series
5. Reminder to register with PT Board if you haven’t already, offer to troubleshoot if people aren’t getting emails.
   1. This is our main hub of info and how we send out emails
   2. If you have had issues, need help, need to get signed up, please see Meghan
   3. Important that we get you plugged in that way

3. Gifted Director’s Report (Julia)
   1. 75th Anniversary Planning Committee
      1. Lindbergh is celebrating and has a lot planned for month of October
      2. Would love one from PEGS and one from LEAP – please let Julia know
   2. PEGS Advisory Board
      1. Dr. B is forming
      2. Will function as a school board for the PEGS program
      3. Helping decide what tests/assessments are part of application process – email Dr. B directly if interested  
   3. Guardians of the Idea Center
      1. If you don’t have time to do a big thing, this is a great way to still be involved
         1. Needs a coordinator – can do some really cool things
   4. Creative Convention/Gifted Resource Council
      1. Kris added that we did the Creative Convention for the first time last year
         1. 2nd-4th grade –teamwork and creative problem solving
      2. Dr. B and Kris will be recruiting and will schedule practices – dates TBD 
         1. Julia added that this is hosted by Gifted Resource Council (GRC)
            1. A great program – Julia is on the board
            2. Offers summer camps; academic challenge cups (equations and creative convention); weekend learning labs in September/October and February/March
            3. Great outside resource
5. Gifted eNotes – If you did not get the eNote from Dr. B, email Dr. B (tracybednarick@lindberghschools.ws) or Cathie Page (cpage@lindberghschools.ws)

4. Treasurer’s Report (Laura Chang – co-treasurer)
   1. Budget is expected to be about $5600
   2. These funds go toward teacher appreciation, field trips, etc. 
   3. Donations help us to do all these things. 
   4. Jordan is filing paperwork to renew the organization's non-profit status; this means all donations are tax deductible.

5. VP Reports
   1. VP of Community (Betsy Krusemark)
      1. Coordinated buddy families
      2. Coordinates grade-level play dates
      3. Looking for people to sign up for a few adult-only evening
         1. This needs hosts and could be a backyard or a restaurant; volunteer would pick a date and say you’re the sponsor; PPG will send out information
      4. Also need sign-ups for elementary meetups
         1. Pick a park and designate that volunteer is there and in charge
      5. Make sure you do check out our sign-up sheets
      6. Also in charge of spirit wear store
         1. all PEGS gear
         2. Any profit we make from those goes back to the parent group
         3. Also will have Idea Center shirts, which are worn for field trips
   2. VP of Staff Appreciation (Tarrah Wiley)
      1. Coordinates celebrating our teachers and staff
      2. Sign up to help
   3. VP of Events (Kris Haykel)
      1. A few activities lined up so far
      2. Game night
      3. Gym night
      4. Field day

6. Liaison Reports
   1. Idea Center (Jessica Paik)
      1. Organizing our first chess tournament fundraiser
      2. Sign-ups available
   2. Middle School (Jessica Spencer)
      1. Not present but coordinates middle school events; also leads Scouts
   3. High School (Michelle Goddard)
      1. Trying to coordinate high school social events this year
      2. Bring ideas if you have them

7. New Business
   1. Important dates (for more details see Dr. B’s Gifted eNotes and calendar on PTBoard):
      1. Wed Aug 7 from 8am-1pm–LHS Freshman Orientation; then right after is the Gifted Freshman & Part Time LHS 8th Grade Ice Cream Social from 1:15-3pm
      2. Mon Aug 12 from 8-11am–Sperreng 6th Grade Orientation, including PEGS 6th grade and New Family Meeting from 9-10am
      3. Mon Aug 12 from 7-8pm–PEGS Middle School Students and Families Cookie Exchange at Bohrer County Park – Jessica Spencer will be there; great opportunity to meet her
      4. Thu Aug 15 from 5-6:30pm–Elementary meet-the-teacher night at the Idea Center – come at whatever time works; can bring supplies or bring on the first day of school
      5. Wed Aug 21 from 5-6:30pm –Elementary LEAP open house at the Idea Center; see Dr. B’s email for the grade-by-grade schedule (6:30-7 Space Camp meeting in LHS auditorium)

8. Next Steps and Adjournment
   1. Don’t forget to visit the sign-up table, check out Spirit Wear

PEGS Parent Group Board Meeting Agenda  
Meeting Date: 04/25/2024    
Members Present: Jordan McDermott, Julia Maranan, Kris Haykel, Michelle Goddard, Betsy
Krusemark, Jessica Paik, Dr. Bednarick-Humes
 
I.    Welcome and Call to Order
a.  Greetings and acknowledgment of attendees
b.  Confirmation of quorum
c.  Call to order by the President
II.    Principal's Report
a. Last secondary task force meeting will be next Monday. Most student feedback, except
for high schoolers, was they didn’t want anything to change. High school plan will move
forward, middle school will pause.
b. Making offer for Gifted Resource Teacher position at the high school on Monday.
c.   April 29-May 3 celebrating Idea Center teacher appreciation a week early to
accommodate Space Camp. Tarrah is coordinating with LEAP PTG and will figure out if
she needs Michelle’s assistance to plan small gifts for MS and HS teachers.

Important Upcoming Dates

• MAP testing starts at end of April
• May 1 hosting art expo. Betsy offered to pick cookies and juice boxes. Aldi and Walmart both have peanut and tree nut-free cookies.
• May 4 Guardians are building raised garden beds
• May 9 the eighth graders present thesis projects at 2pm. Board usually provides refreshments. Last year they did Raising Cane’s chicken strips and lemonade and a cookie cake, which the kids seemed to like. Need someone to go pick up the food and deliver to Sperreng. Michelle will ask Aisha if she would be available since her daughter will be participating.
• May 10 4th Grade Shakespeare production during the day, stay tuned for specific time
• May 17 5th grade celebration is all set.
• May 21 field day—Barb and Kris sent a volunteer signup link.

Update on PEGS acceptances.

• 1st and 2nd grade will have 10 new kids, for 12 total.
• 3rd grade adding 7 to the 9 rising to make 16 total for the class.
• 4th grade is adding 5 to the rising 14, for 19 total.
• 5th grade will add 2 new students to the 12 rising, for 14 total.
• No new rising 6th graders, so that number remains 12.
• 7th grade will add 3 new students to their 14 rising; Dr. B asked Michelle to reach out to the new families.
• Dr. B’s quick estimate is that maybe 5 of the new students are girls.
• State regulations suggest 15 students per teacher, so they’re not sure how they’re going to handle that yet, maybe adding a teaching assistant or changing up how they combine grades.

III.    VP Reports
a.   VP of Spirit - School Spirit Initiatives - Participation in Community Events
LEAP said they’re willing to handle the finances for teacher appreciation, but it’s too
much work for one person. Even if we provided the funding, Abigail requested that she and
Tarrah continue to work together.
b. LEAP Liaison – Dan Maranan joining LEAP PTG Board as Co-Treasurer, willing to act
as our liaison. Won’t attend PEGS PPG meetings but will prepare a report for us and represent us
to the LEAP board.
IV.    New Business
a. Vote on Request for Girls Lego League Scholarship. $225 would reimburse 5 parents
their $45 registration fee.
Julia is asking Mrs. Knapp about the FLL expenses and see if they would like to be
reimbursed. Will postpone a vote until we get that info.
b. Discussion regarding 2024-25 Board Positions

• Fundraisers run by committees, under supervision of VP of Events
• Secretary will assume communications responsibilities.
• VP of Community will be in charge of recruiting hosts for non-official student/parent/family meetups, buddy families, outreach to larger community.
• Liaisons will have more robust responsibilities (attending HS and MS board meetings, reaching out to teachers and facilitating staff appreciation, work with VP of Community to build up parent community and involvement in their assigned building, work with VP of Events to plan building-specific events, oversee Room Parents, etc.)
• Will need someone to attend Leadership meetings. Julia should be able to go to most of them, but if she can’t, it wouldn’t necessarily have to be an executive board member.
• Kris made a motion to approve these board positions for the 2024-25 school year.
• Betsy seconded. All six members present voted yes.

c. Discussion/Vote of PPG calendar for 2024-25

• Don’t need exact dates right now, but at least have the month set so we can communicate this to families.
• Start advertising for SCAF at beginning of the year, months for Quarterly Parent Meetings, etc.
• Send out a year-at-a-glance schedule.
• Have the next quarter’s specific dates available at the Parent Quarterly meetings.
• Board meetings will likely be on Mondays, and Quarterly Parent Meetings as well to match up with Gifted Speaker Series.
• Try to get a general parent meet-up pattern (every other month?).
• Be sure to check dates with LEAP board.

Link to the Event Calendar Goals and Tentative Plans Google doc with additional notes for
reference (though the dates below are more current):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pJeLlGJhe22REv-KSRNgY8-
UHXoyBCbdTaAMU9wjIQc/edit?usp=sharing

August

• Back to school Popsicles at the Park. Discussion about whether to combine with Meet the Teacher Night? Keep separate to not overwhelm teachers. August 5 or 6 for Popsicles and Parent Meeting.
• Aug 15 for Meet the Teacher. Will publicize the event now and try to encourage more MS families to come. Will include a special event just for older students—scavenger hunt, geocaching, or similar. Will also have grade-level/MS meetups over the summer.

September

• LEAP will most likely have a back-to-school playground event; we can encourage our kids to attend.
• Parent-only social event

October

• Fall Fundraiser, TBD (possibly a chess tournament; Jessica P will start to gather details).
• Idea Center social event
• MS social event

November

• Parent Quarterly Meeting, virtual before Gifted Speaker Series
• Parent-only social event
• HS social event
• Parent-teacher conferences

December

• Idea Center social event

January

• Parent-only social event
• MS social event

February

• Parent Quarterly Meeting, virtual before Gifted Speaker Series
• Idea Center social event
• SCAF

March

• Parent-only social event
• MS social event
• Parent-teacher conferences

April

• Parent Quarterly Meeting, virtual before Gifted Speaker Series
• Idea Center social event
• HS social event (early in the month)

May

• Parent-only social event
• All-PEGS end of year celebration
   

June

• Social—grade level meetups

V.    Next Steps and Adjournment
a.  Next Steps and Thank You

• May 13 will be the budget meeting. Julia will not be there, but she will meet with Jordan and Betsy beforehand.
• Jordan will send out proposed calendar and policy/procedure updates (things like how to request funds for things, etc.) we can borrow from Kennerly.
• Jordan will send out a call to all PEGS families in May for the open board positions and descriptions; will have a vote via Google poll.

b.  Adjournment of the Meeting

PEGS Parent Group Quarterly Meeting
Meeting Date: 01/25/2024

Welcome and Call to Order

1. Call to order by the President
2. Brief welcome from the PTO President
3. Introductions of PTO board members

Principal's Report

1. Updates and highlights from the school's principal
2. School achievements, challenges, and upcoming events
   1. Feb 9 at Idea Center Black History Month presentation with Bobby Norfolk. Possible thanks to a $500 grant to help cover the $1000 cost.
   2. March focuses on women’s history. She will work with students to create a skit.
   3. April 5 visiting poet for Poetry Month. Presenting about life of a poet and help students write some poems.
   4. May the Humane Society will bring animals to talk about caring for animals
3. Field trip involving 4-6 th grade to JA Biztown March 1
4. March 1 PEGS applications due; Feb 8 prospective open house is almost entirely sold out. She has a video she can send from a previous open house. Lot of interest this year. If we end up with more students than our teachers can support, Dr. B can request additional staff. Goal is to keep classes no more than 15. We support Pattonville’s interview process as well.
5. Next Tuesday, attend the virtual middle school to high school event. Zoom link in department update. Talk about everything that’s offered and keys to success. Especially 7 th and 8 th graders should attend.
6. We did receive funding for Gaga Pit, working with LEAP PTG to get materials and work with Eagle Scout to get that started. Also hoping to do other improvements to the playground, but we will start with that.

Teacher's Report

1. Updates and highlights from Mrs. Bergman, our teacher liaison
2. She and Ms. Macheca have planned a 1-3 rd grade field trip April 16 to the First Capitol Building and Lewis and Clark Museum in St. Charles

Treasurer's Report

1. Financial overview, including budget updates and expenditures.
2. Treasurer report from Teresa Wallace.
3. All as of 1/25/2024
   USA Bank Balance - $10,703.49
      - Outstanding Checks: $250 - Legacy Scholarship contribution
   PayPal Balance: $2,345.30
      - Includes $200 carry over balance
      - Includes $2,145.30 in 2024 SCAF Funds 
   SCAF:
      - 38/39 Vendors registered 
      - Many vendors paying via checks not yet received
4. Jordan gave an overview of the history of the Parent Board, and new financial expectations. Wants to involve parents as much as possible to shape what the board looks like going forward. We do have some expected expenses with social events, funding buses for field trips, teacher and staff appreciation. Looking forward, we want parent input on the budget and what we’re spending our money on. Also focus on the mission of the group, which was originally to support PEGS families, and make sure that aligns with our current actual focus on teacher and staff appreciation. We have always been very tight on the books, which is appropriate. But we will likely have to spend more going forward.
5. We will have four parent meetings this school year. After this meeting, Jordan will send out a survey to gather feedback on many different topics, from budget to parent meeting times.
6. Discussion of any financial concerns or considerations

VP Reports

VP of Social (Jessica Spencer)
Activities and Initiatives - Social Events Update

1. Open Gym on Friday, Feb 9 from 4-7. Will allow parents to sign up to have their kids stay after school until they can get there (as soon as possible). Pizza, drinks, and snacks will be available again for a suggested $5 donation.
2. We will probably try to host two of this kind of event future years, more relaxed and less expensive and planning intensive.
3. Would like to also have four family meetups at area parks and venues around the city to allow out of district families to not have to always travel to Lindbergh. If anyone has ideas or would like to plan one, let us know!
4. May try to do Gifted Night at the Basketball Game or something to capitalize on Lindbergh School Spirit and give our PEGS and LEAP kiddos a chance to do something outside of school together with their friends.

VP of Spirit (Tarrah Wiley)
School Spirit Initiatives - Participation in Community Events

1. Recognizing staff members for celebrations (teacher appreciation, etc.) and providing meals for conference nights, etc. Works with LEAP when appropriate.
2. Parent suggestion to communicate these efforts more to parents. Include in the This Week in PEGS newsletter. For example, we have a fantastic custodian named Justin who only works a few hours a day but is awesome, and it would be great to recognize people like him.

VP of Fundraising
Fundraising Campaigns - Financial Goals and Progress

1. Open position if anyone has a background or interest.
2. Envisioning two large events each year: SCAF in spring (currently led by Julia Maranan), community fundraiser in fall such as a trivia night (that involves children, so they get to come with us). Current idea is for an Are You Smarter than a PEGS Student trivia night, run by a Lindbergh alum who will do it for free. It seems like everyone does a trivia night, but mostly in the spring, so hopefully we could differentiate ourselves by hosting one in the fall.
3. Open to other suggestions. Jessica Paik thought a community-wide chess tournament would be unique to us (and align well with our kids’ interests) and would not require a ton of planning.

VP of Communications (Barbara Rutledge)
Update on Newsletter and Website - Social Media Highlights

1. This position is open for next year as well.
2. Barbara tries to gather all of the information and communicate that to families, mostly through newsletters. She has not done social media, but the position could encompass social media in the future. 
3. We use a program called PTBoard that most of the other PTOs use in the district; it’s pretty user-friendly, but some HTML and/or design experience would be a bonus. Barbara offered to teach the next person how to use it.

High School (Michelle Goddard) and
Middle School (temporarily also Michelle Goddard) Liaisons

1. Usually held by parents who have students in those age groups. We envision as we move forward that the MS and HS board members might lead committees to focus on the needs of middle school and high school families to help them feel more connected to the gifted community as a whole.
2. There is a secondary task force looking at how gifted education is being offered at the high school, which is looking at parents, students, and staff.

LEAP Liaison (Aisha Hasan)

1. Open position for next year. Attends LEAP and Sperreng board meetings to make sure that LEAP and PEGS are communicating with each other so we don’t duplicate each other’s efforts.
2. There has been talk in the past about joining the LEAP and PEGS boards. Today that is not the plan, though it may stay on the table for the future. Our thought is that right now, with about half of our families out of district, with kids at all levels of school, our unique position needs its own board. Any change to that will be put to an all-family vote.

Membership and Volunteer Opportunities

1. Overview of current PPG membership.
2. Discussion on opportunities within the organization and update on what spots will be open for 2024-25 school year. Board terms run from Aug 1 to July 31.
   President | Jordan McDermott 
   Vice President | Betsy Krusemark 
   Secretary | Julia Maranan​ 
   Treasurer | OPEN 
   Co-Treasurer | OPEN
   VP Social | OPEN
   VP Spirit | Tarrah Wiley
   VP Fundraising | OPEN
   VP Communications | OPEN
   High School Representative | Michelle Goddard
   Middle School Representative | Dan Maranan
   Room Parent Coordinator | Jessica Paik
   ​LEAP Liaison | OPEN
   Member at Large | Kris Haykel
3. Encouragement for parents to get involved and discussion of how they can.
   1. Chaperones for Open Gym night. Keep an eye out for a Sign-Up Genius.
   2. Guardians of the Idea Center: Small group of people that help Dr. B with nontraditional stuff, like decorating when seasons change, so that doesn’t fall all on her and Cathie Page. Could potentially also
      do a fundraiser. Maybe TopGolf? Two people have already volunteered for the Guardians; would love to have more.
   3. Join a committee to help review the bylaws in March, which will be voted on in April.

SCAF update

1. The SCAF is our biggest fundraiser of the year, held in mid-February. Last year raised $3552, well over half of the Parent Board budget. So far we have 42 vendors registered; shooting for 50. All of our income is generated from vendor registrations.
2. This is the first year we’re inviting vendors to highlight job opportunities, trying to engage our older students. Also have arranged with JV Winter Guard to come do face painting to help both attract older students and give kids who are there with their parents something fun to do.
3. What can you do to help?
   1. Volunteer! We need adults and high school students to help the day of the Fair with setting up, unloading vendor vehicles and walking vendors to their tables, and cleaning up. Students can earn volunteer hours.
      Please sign up to volunteer at this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D44AAAF2BA1F85-47204966-pegs
   2. Send us ideas for vendors (with contact info!) https://forms.gle/Skpm81sX6pujjBNs7
   3. Help spread the word—share the Facebook event (https://fb.me/e/19Yj7dLjG), interact with posts, invite friends. Vendors are more likely to return if they have good traffic and a good experience!
   4. Come to the Fair!

Closing Remarks

1. Thank you to all attendees for their participation.
2. Confirm next parent meeting date of April 11. Zoom option will be available.
3. Prop R improvements to Idea Center: playground adding basketball hoop, extending fence and adding netting on top; shelving in LEAP classrooms; removing the rock from the outside of the building and replacing it with siding to improve aesthetics. Completely renovate Kennerly, Truman, and Long. Can find questions and answers on the district website.
4. LHS Open House on 2/24 for everyone to come see the new high school from 10-2. Tour new areas, student showcases. Idea Center will be on that tour.
5. Betsy Krusemark recognizes that the absence of the Moms gatherings is a hole that needs to be filled. She will try to resume those this year to help encourage families to connect.
6. Also hoping to make the inaugural Popsicles at the Park event bigger to help incorporate new families.
7. Buzz book is ready and will be uploaded to PTBoard and Barbara will send it out via email as well.

PEGS Parent Group Board Meeting 10/4/23
2023-2024 Board Members present: Jordan McDermott, Betsy Krusemark, Julia Maranan,
Barbara Rutledge, Jessica Spencer, Aisha Hasan, Tarrah Wiley, Sarah Carlin, Jessica Paik, Kris
Haykel, Mrs. Bergman, Dr. Bednarick-Humes
Bylaws are available on our website at:
https://pegsparentgroup.ptboard.com/school/cm?mid=2677
In a move toward efficiency, Jordan will try to communicate with individual board members
about their areas of responsibility rather than run discussion through group email chains.
 

PEGS Spirit Wear
Spirit wear is available: https://zaspirit.com/pegs/shop/home. Barbara didn’t want to announce
it with the 5 th grade and Idea Center t-shirt orders going on at the same time, but she will send
out an email soon.
 

PEGS Facebook Page
Aisha suggested posting PPG doings on the Facebook page—what we’re doing for Custodian’s
Day, Principals’ Week, etc., in addition to upcoming events. Jordan noted that other Parent
groups in the district post a lot on Facebook about these kinds of things, and it would be good
to advertise what we’re doing. Families are also welcome to post if there are things of interest
to the community—events, classes, etc. the kids might be interested in; questions for other
PEGS families; helpful resources, etc.
 

Voting
Barbara said voting via email did not seem effective because of all the variables and discussion.
There was some agreement. Dr. B said that with her board experience, if you can’t do an in-
person vote, Google form is the best way to do it so then you have it on record and can show
results via pie charts, etc. We will still include a third “need more info” option. If you have
something you want the board to vote on, send it to Jordan, who will handle sending it out to
the board for uniformity. We need a quorum of 8 people voting, and within that it’s a simple
majority. So if 9 people vote and six of those are yesses but three people ask for more info,
then it passes.
 

Budget
Jordan and Teresa brainstormed the budget and are very open to input. Jordan will email out
the budget and give everyone a chance to provide feedback to her, then she and Teresa will
rework it and send it back out for a vote. Line items may look low, but we don’t have a ton of
money in the bank so she and Teresa felt it was better to be conservative to start with. We can
reevaluate at the end of the year.
Once the revised budget passes, board members would only need to call for a vote if you
want/need to go over your allotted budget. Will attempt to vote on both 2024/2025 budget and events at the end of this year. Will also try to solicit feedback this year to make sure we’re
doing things people want.
Parent direct donations came in around $2,600, which was $600 more than the $2000 received
last year. Next year we will try to separate it from LEAP’s campaign to avoid confusion and
budget crunching our families. We will have to work with LEAP on fundraising next year
because we are such a small group, and our families have home districts/schools that they may
also want to support and be involved in. Our structure is different than many other districts, but
LEAP students are in our building four days a week and we are trying to foster a sense of
community. The LEAP PTG supports LEAP teachers and activities, and Space Camp.
Middle and high school discussion—36 middle schoolers and 36 high schoolers
For the 8 th grade celebration, Sperreng/Lindbergh usually handles that, but Mr. Villet
often requests a little assistance with the capstone that might have a reception with a small
snack.
We would like to provide a small treat (donuts and hot chocolate?) for the winter party
for the middle and high school students.
There are gaps in the high school’s interaction with the PEGS high schoolers, feeling like
a community. Having some social things involving them would help with that, could do jointly
with LEAP. Start small this year and grow as needed. Dr. B says food is the key. If we have
snacks available in Mrs. Roegner’s room, the high schoolers will be ecstatic.
Other line items
For the start of school gifts to teachers, we will start with $50 to make up for what they
used to get from Kennerly. Maybe can grow in future years.
Snack cart may end up being totally donation-fueled. Mrs. Bergman said the teachers
are in love with the snack cart, so thank you. Barbara asked if the teachers had a Keurig. Mrs.
Bergman said she has a personal one, but there are not a lot of coffee drinkers upstairs. Dr. B
said there are a lot of Diet Coke drinkers, but she and Mr. Anderson prefer regular Coke, and
there’s a lot of variety. Sperreng raises money with the soda they provide for teachers, request
honor system donations of $.50 or $1. Our teachers seem pretty happy not to have to pay for
snacks and drinks, but we can always keep that in mind for the future.
Tarrah asked for the two PEGS Teacher and Staff Appreciation budget line items to be
combined. Amount for food looks really low if we include meals for the start of school, two
teacher conferences, and teacher appreciation week for 8 teachers/staff. Current amount was
planned with two food events in mind, not four, so we can vote to increase it this year if
needed, and then have a more accurate amount to budget for next year. Custodians received a
gift, and Dr. B will receive hers this week.
We want to have an all-PEGS event for elementary, middle, and high schoolers likely in
the spring. No ideas about what that could be yet. One thing that might work is a trivia night
that’s more kid-focused. Dr. B said the trivia night she participated in at Galactic had a little trick
where kids had to answer certain questions...she will see how they ran it.
Kris said she really likes the idea of the younger kids getting to see the older kids and
have them act as role models or mentors if they want. Several board members agreed. Good for fostering connection with parents of older kids as well. Aisha pointed out that we might be
talking about two separate things—one for students and one for parents (maybe a panel or
social event?). We do buddy families for the kids, but we can definitely do more. Social events
will help with parent connections. Aisha said In the past, we've had panels specifically for
transition year families like 5th grade and 8th grade. But building community will be helpful for
all families. Informal mom’s group gatherings dropped off with COVID. Don’t want us to be
overscheduled, but that might be worth reviving.

Events
Jessica Spencer somehow got left off the email thread about events, which caused issues. But
she’s on top of our fall events and is working to make those happen.
Party on the Playground is currently planned for Sunday, October 15. Have a cute POP theme
with popcorn, pop music, yard games and make it a casual social event to celebrate the
playground opening. BUT there’s still no fencing or sod; it’s covered in manure. If it’s not ready,
we may need to reschedule.

• Unity Week October 16-19. Teachers are planning events and will share info.
• Thursday, October 19 Fall classroom parties are being handled by room parents. Teachers will send out the sign up. Betsy asked Mrs. Bergman how much parental involvement they want. This time, at least, they’re allowing everyone who wants to come.
• Friday, November 10 Honoring Those Who Serve or Have Served event for Veteran's Day from 8:30-9:30 am. Students will be allowed to invite a friend or family member who has served in the military or in community service for a very light brunch. More info to come!
• Friday, November 10 is also going to be a board game night, and it should run from after school into the evening, 4-7. Working out details to let kids stay after school. Jordan would like to come up with an RSVP system to get a better idea of who’s interested in each event. Maybe a Google form attached to each event announcement?
• November 13 is tentatively the Idea Center ribbon cutting.

Jordan said at a recent Parent Leadership Meeting of district PTO presidents, there was some pushback and negative feelings about the Idea Center and the playground specifically. Dr. Lake is very supportive of us and mentioned putting up a sign to identify the Idea Center. There is a bond issue coming up and he will meet with all the elementary PTOs to gather input for the next 5-year plan. Originally didn’t plan to come to the Idea Center, but Jordan asked that he include us as well, so hopefully that will be at the end of October/beginning of November.
Bond issue will address security issues, building the farm next to Sperreng, which will give all
students an opportunity to run a working farm (so cool!).

• Book Fair will be Nov. 13-17 along with parent/teacher conferences. Parents who do in-person conferences may be able to shop the Book Fair while they’re at the Idea Center.

Only two people showed interest in Guardians of the Idea Center, so that never got off the
ground. No Idea Center Trunk or Treat this year. We may still put out impromptu requests as
needed.

Fundraising
Trying to solicit ideas for a variety of options—not just direct asks. Jordan would love to be able
to donate a bench or plaque for the playground. Dr. B said a picnic table with a plaque would be
even better. Asked Dr. B if there were plans for a mural or something to commemorate the
inaugural year. Don’t have space for a mural but might be able to do something with
handprints. For yearbook, PTG could potentially share the cost of $12 per student. It will be 32
(36?) pages, and we have several parents who have volunteered to help, plus one high schooler
who will earn A+ hours for helping.
Current budget is $4400. Jordan’s desire is to fund more social/community-building events,
with a goal of $6500. In our direct donation campaign, Betsy’s husband would have appreciated
a clearer indication of how much they were hoping each family would contribute, just as a
guideline. Barbara pointed out that when we reviewed the language of the request letter, we
decided we wanted to focus on having 100% participation this year, and test whether this was
more effective than asking for a specific amount. Hopefully Teresa has this data. Next time, we
also could communicate better how much each event/line item costs, get more concrete info to
families next year. This time they were kind of donating blind because they haven’t seen us do
anything yet. We should give them a financial report—as a 501c3, we need to be 100%
transparent.

Upcoming
Scheduling next parent meeting—Mon Nov 13 before the speaker series? That week is also
book fair and conferences. May want to schedule an in-person event related to that. Jordan will
explore with Dr. B, etc.
SCAF team will start planning soon. Julia volunteered to lead the team again. Since we are
losing our LEAP member and trying to grow the event, we would love to have more people join
us! Anyone interested can email Julia_maranan[at]hotmail.com.

PEGS Parent Group Board Meeting 9/7/23

Members present: Jordan McDermott, Betsy Krusemark, Julia Maranan, Teresa Wallace, Barbara Rutledge, Jessica Spencer, Michelle Goddard, Jessica Paik, Aisha Hasan, Tarrah Wiley, Mrs. Bergman, Dr. Bednarick-Humes

One of Jordan’s main hopes for the meeting is to hash out our purpose as a board. Need to learn how things went in the past, procedural things like voting. When are we going to do events, which events, who’s in charge of planning the events (sorted by type?), how are we going to pay for those events?

Aisha pointed out that we need to review our bylaws now that we’re a school. May need to redefine our purpose accordingly.

Describing/defining roles

Barbara has been on the board for 3 years, will transition out after this year. Website, newsletter, tried to develop the PTBoard site as a resource for families. Good for signing up for classroom parties, sending the newsletters with events and announcements, and there is a way you can do fundraising, but she has only been testing it and isn’t quite sure how it works yet. Newsletter goes out whenever there’s a need—This Week in PEGS isn’t actually weekly, but scheduled to make sure everyone gets a few reminders about events (can schedule them in advance). Facebook page is still under discussion. Barbara doesn’t use FB or any social media, isn’t comfortable putting any info about kids on there. Discussion to keep PTBoard as our official means of communication, and have a PEGS Alumni FB page for posting about fundraisers, Idea Center progress reports, etc. Dr. B can post on relevant official Lindbergh FB pages if desired and add items to her Gifted Newsletter. We agreed to change Barbara’s title from Social Media coordinator to VP of Communications.

    Barbara also scheduled informal monthly meetups to try to provide an option especially for out-of-district families to get kids together outside of school time. Not sponsored by the PTG, most are free or very minimal cost. It can be hard to schedule playdates with out-of-district friends, so this helps. Barbara or her husband attended each of those events to help gather families who showed up. Barbara is talking to Jessica S about these meetups and also about how to include middle schoolers (do a meetup at a Lindbergh sports event?). Will try to vary the day of the meetups Sat/Sun. May decide not to do a meetup during a month where we have an official PPG-sponsored event. Next meetup will likely be in the Forest Park playscape. October may try to do Stuckemeyer’s again.

Teresa will onboard our new treasurer this week. We have already raised $881 from first direct donation request email (maybe 15-20 families) sent the day before. Will send a reminder Monday, and another through PTBoard. Maybe also a half-page paper flyer home with elementary and middle school kids in their backpacks. Dr. B mentioned one thing that’s worked well is sending a text blast through Blackboard (more likely to reach high school families than a flyer). We agreed to extend the fundraiser to end of the September. 

As VP, Betsy offers a teacher perspective and will help organize teacher and staff appreciation events along with Tarrah (VP of Spirit). She talked to Kennerly about what they do for teachers/staff and how they budget for those. She has a draft of dates we will recognize but needs to nail down some details with Dr. B about numbers for lunches, conferences.

The first upcoming teacher/staff events we need to be ready for are Principal’s and custodian recognition in October, and November parent-teacher conferences (tentative dates 11/14 and 11/16). Will need to provide meals for our 4 elementary teachers, maybe also Mrs. Dickinson for one of those nights. Either Dr. B or Cathie Page will also be there. Kennerly provided dinner both conference nights, but Mrs. Bergman gave us permission to do only one night. 😊 Custodian recognition can be small since they will be covered by the high school—a card signed by the kids? Two ladies that help during the day and one at night that they haven’t met. We’ll plan Dr. B’s recognition when she’s not present.

Jessica Spencer is VP of Social, which focuses on parent and kid after school/before school/weekend events. Last year we didn’t have to do any events because we were with Kennerly, who do them every 4-6 weeks (bingo, pjs and pancakes, movie night, etc.). Jordan’s goal is to protect the kids’ elementary experience and proposed doing official events quarterly. Maybe a game night the first weekend of November. Something in January that coincides with our quarterly parent meeting (movie night?). Two more events—something in March, and then an end of school celebration? Jessica S would spearhead these four main events. How best to include out-of-district families? Early Friday night after dismissal? Betsy had the idea that if the kids have an art or music show, we could also sponsor a reception afterward. Dr. B says the only thing that’s on the calendar right now is a strings concert (one in Dec and one in May), but she should know other music dates (choir showcase, etc.) in the next few weeks. We unanimously agreed to host no events in December (though the LEAP PTG group is planning a Space Camp fundraiser in December). Betsy mentioned that she doesn’t care about the specific events so much as a reason to gather together.

In terms of preserving the elementary experience, we need to keep in mind the things that would be important to our kids. We are going to do a Book Fair the week of 11/13; maybe provide hot chocolate along with that? For Field Day maybe we could hire the Kona Ice truck to come. We can pick the events this year and then get feedback from families for next year. Send a SurveyMonkeys after events? 

How many of these events do we want to include LEAP families? They are not co-sponsoring the SCAF any more. **Secretary’s note—if we do end up having the Guardians host a Trunk or Treat, that would be an all-of-Gifted event.

If we have an event on a Saturday, we do have to pay a custodial fee of $32/hr to open up the building. Will need to consider that when budgeting for events—could be prohibitive. 

Potential scheduling considerations: Informal meetups, classroom parties, other Gifted events. Also need to have specific events geared toward middle and high schoolers. 

Fundraising

We may need more fundraisers. Jordan mentioned Tupperware links are an option. Teresa wants to have a strategic conversation about which fundraisers we will do. Don’t want to rush into things or do them piecemeal; will be stressful and less effective. Could ask for a suggested donation for the elementary events so they can be self-sustaining and the whole of our budget doesn’t go to elementary. Barbara recommended asking for a donation for a specific event before the actual event rather than as an “entrance fee” at the door as a more equitable approach. Barbara also pointed out that it does make sense for us to focus more on elementary since we don’t have another school supporting us like the middle and high schoolers do. Aisha said that having a couple of things the middle and high schoolers will want to do is great, but we don’t need to throw a lot of money at it. High schoolers already have a lot of their own things going on anyway. Three or four elementary events, one big middle school one, something for high schoolers like bringing treats into the classroom during the holidays to show them they’re cared about but not a huge expense.

    Fundraising will be the focus of our October meeting. Come with ideas!

Future board and parent meetings

Will keep quarterly parent meetings linked to Gifted Speaker Series. Oct 5 will be the next board meeting; Oct 16 is the speaker series/parent meeting. Thereafter, board meetings will likely be last Thursday of the month. Acknowledgement that Thursdays are terrible for Jessica S, but given other scheduling constraints seem to be the best choice on the whole.

Snack Cart

Michelle put together a wish list and may hold off for the next week or after to solicit food and monetary donations, since we just sent out the direct donation request. Will send to LEAP as well. Dr. B says we can have items shipped directly to the Idea Center: Idea Center at Lindbergh High School, 5000 Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63126.

Gifted Education Legacy Scholarship

Aisha said last year we went in half and half with LEAP, each contributing $500 to make a $1000 scholarship. All gifted students are invited to apply by submitting an essay, a committee reads the essays and picks the recipient. Tarrah pointed out that it would be great to recognize the winner in our communications, both to honor them and also show families what we’re doing with their money. 

Budget considerations: Teresa reports current balance is $8900. We budgeted about $2000 and spent about $2500 last year. The difference in the budget was this scholarship fund. Several people voted for it last year with the stipulation that it was a one-time thing. It hasn’t been a budgeted item before. Betsy reminded us to consider that our expenses will be higher this year with all the additional spirit events for teachers/staff that we no longer share with Kennerly. She will send Teresa the document with her best guess for those expenses so we can add them to the budget. Last year we intentionally did not do a direct donation request because of anticipated Idea Center fundraising. Teresa pointed out that LEAP has twice our budget and a lot more students, so mathematically it’s more likely that a LEAP student will win it, so for us to split the scholarship funding half and half seems a little bit unfair. Jordan said that we are seen as the gifted community all together, and she supports doing it 50/50. Everyone is eligible at the same percentage, so even though PEGS students only make up 25% of the gifted community, eligibility is the same. Betsy said if we do 50/50, we are asking PEGS families to come up with a bigger chunk of the total since we are fewer in numbers but expected to contribute the same amount of money. Jordan is willing to ask Annie Wright (LEAP PTG president) about only offering 25%. Trying to move away from the tit for tat, but we’re still negotiating how to navigate who pays for what and who’s responsible for what. Gifted scholarship has been funded each year Aisha has been in PEGS—10 years. Last year was the first year the money ran out and was requested from LEAP and PEGS boards. We could discuss making a PEGS-only scholarship, but Jordan thinks that might be a conversation for the future. She feels strongly we should keep this going as a representation of the gifted community. Aisha clarified that last year it was presented as a one-time gift that we would discuss every year and vote again, so it’s okay that we may need to do it differently this year given the changing circumstances of elementary moving into the Idea Center. We agreed that when Jordan talks to Annie, she presents it as we are encountering all these new expenses this year and we don’t know where we stand budget-wise yet, so we may need to be more conservative. Jordan will report back what Annie says.

If we do dine-out nights collaboratively with LEAP, could some of that money be funneled to the scholarship? Aisha pointed out that most of the dine-out money goes toward Space Camp. Possibly coordinate a dine-out night with the SCAF at Freddy’s or Baskin Robbins—give everyone a flyer for it as they come in and hopefully funnel them right from the SCAF to the dine-out night. Past SCAFs have sold pizza or Chick-Fil-A at the event. Pizza was too much of a hassle, but Chick-Fil-A or similar might be an option if we don’t try to send families elsewhere.

Voting

We have 14 voting members. We have to have 8 present for a majority. Simple majority vote. Jordan suggests using Google forms. Jessica P asked about voting during the meetings vs. on forms. Hopefully most voting can happen in meetings with discussion, but if we do need a form we will also include a third vote for “need more info” and discuss it at the next meeting. Don’t need to vote on meetups or spirit/teacher appreciation events. Things that are already in the budget probably don’t need a vote, but anything else would.

PEGS Board Meeting 8/17/23

Introductions

New board will be voted on tonight

Still need:

Co-treasurer 

VP fundraising

Maybe combine the two positions?

Teresa’s treasurer report

$8,914.31 in current account. Higher than years prior; used to be closer to $5,500

$200 stays in PayPal

No outstanding bills or checks, receipts

Last year had about $3900 income, mostly from SCAF; just over $200 income from spirit wear

    $600 went to LEAP for participation in SCAF

Expenses over $2500; had budgeted $2000. The $500 difference was a one-time expense to the legacy gifted scholarship.

Net gain of about $1300

Some expense lines might change based on needs of Idea Center. Some anticipated:

*Gifted Education Legacy Scholarship should become an annual thing; board will need to vote. LEAP will contribute $500; we need to decide if/how much to participate. Typically $500 to make an even $1000. Any gifted senior can apply, and a committee of gifted parents chooses winner. Given alongside the LEF scholarships in spring.

*Snack cart

*Staff appreciation days (combine with LEAP)

*Possible stipend for teachers? (LEAP does this; we may want to also)

Anyone who has additional line items they know of should send them to Teresa.

Direct appeal sent out virtually within first couple of weeks of school, after Labor Day. Teresa will send proposed language to the board for review.

Miscellaneous

There is a push for LEAP and PEGS boards to combine, from district, Dr. B, others. 

Jordan mentioned benefit to increased socialization for entire gifted community. 

Barbara strongly feels we should still have PEGS-only events.

Next year PEGS will have complete responsibility for SCAF.

Dine-out nights might be combined with LEAP. Restaurants often don’t want to host smaller groups. Jordan will explore doing them with Lindbergh alumni, who might be more willing.

This year is exploratory while we figure things out. 

Future board meetings Thursdays 6-7 on Zoom

Betsy put together calendar of staff appreciation days

Parent Meeting

Aisha welcomed parents, introduced board up for vote and two positions still open (possibly one combined position).

Parents voted in the new board.

Jordan emphasized the newness of our role with the opening of the Idea Center. Board has a lot more responsibility since we’re not partnering with Kennerly anymore. Want to spoil our teachers, both PEGS and LEAP, and we will need volunteers. Fundraising will also evolve. Call for fundraising ideas. Jessica S will plan social events, both for families and maybe some parent-only as well. 

Parent meetings will happen quarterly. Goal for parent meetings is to associate them with an event so families who live further away don’t have to make another trip. May also be virtual after Speaker Series.

Three big social events per year for the whole gifted community, others that are PEGS only.

Summer Camps and Activities Fair (SCAF)  in Feb, biggest fundraiser of the year

Family introductions

Dr. Bednarick-Humes introduced herself; she will be mostly at the Idea Center going forward, but still at Sperreng on Fridays to be available to the middle schoolers

Transportation

High School is still very much a construction zone. See map in most recent newsletter. Hoping the left turn lane will be paved by Tuesday. There will be people directing traffic. Put yellow cards in windshield so they know to direct us to Idea Center. Buses will be in same lane as driver drop-off and pickup. High school dismisses at 2:45; please don’t arrive before 3:15 for pickup. In the morning, they’ll start taking students at 8:35; after 8:55 they will be marked late. LEAP days can keep usual dropoff schedule even though the LEAP day starts later; will provide supervision.

5^th grade Mon

4^th grade Tue

3^rd grade Wed

1/2^nd Thu

LEAP day is shorter, so at 2:05 the PEGS kids will go back downstairs to their related arts classes (separated 1-3 and 4/5).

Parent question if out-of-district kids can take the PEGS bus to Kennerly for after-school activities. Dr. B says they are allowed to for Flyers Club, but not sure if activities are allowed as well. She will follow up.

In the morning, the bus timing is still in flux. Keep checking Infinite Campus and be very flexible. It will be a mess for the first week. In-district students will take the bus to their home school, stay on, and continue to Idea Center.

Lunch pin is also on Infinite Campus now. First week of school will have boxed lunches for students. Still working on menu; will send out as soon as available. Once full lunch service is set up, it will be just how you’d look up any other menu on Nutrislice. 

Activities

MEGSSS Tuesdays after school (open to middle school, no transportation provided)

Yoga before school

Two math clubs—one fun, one competition

Chess Monday mornings before school

LEGO robotics—Mrs. Knapp will do one; Katherine Jones will do another

Karate

Drones

All on deck but not officially scheduled yet

Ones that have a fee associated with them will be offered through Lindbergh Community Ed & Rec (open to out-of-district PEGS families as well). Link in most recent newsletter.

Free activities will be communicated through gifted newsletter

Kennerly connection

Still getting Kennerly emails? Barbara explained you can filter them out by setting up your email client to archive them in case you need them one day, but this way they won’t clutter up your inbox. If you unsubscribe, you may be removed from all district communications.

We are considered a program not a school, so with the state of MO we can’t classify ourselves as a school and have to be under another one. We will stay under Kennerly this year, which gives us access to software, etc. If it’s a big problem we will petition the state to be our own school. We are modeled after a center in North Kansas City but they don’t take out-of-district students, so it’s a little bit different. Learning as we go. Dr. Bednarick-Humes is certified as a principal, so if we are able to become our own school at some point, we’re all set.

Miscellaneous

Attendance line—call Cathie Page to record the absence and notify class teacher to see about makeup work. 314-729-2495 front desk/attendance line at Idea Center. Instructions will also be in teacher newsletters each week.

PEGS PTG website is also up to date, so feel free to check it! https://pegsparentgroup.ptboard.com/home 

LEAP Open House Wed Aug 23 will be our main opportunity to see Idea Center. See schedule in newsletter. Conferences in November will also be in the Idea Center, social events, etc., so if we can’t make the LEAP Open House, we will have other opportunities.

Monthly informal PEGS gatherings will continue at parks, spots around the city. If you have ideas, let Barbara know. Will try to do some social events with LEAP families, but will also keep our PEGS-only events.

Fundraising discussion (see Board minutes above for details); 5^th grade has additional layer with space camp

Jordan and Aisha emphasized importance of connecting with other families.

One good opportunity is the Gifted Speaker Series: Mon Sep 18 is first one—Aisha. (Yay!) Really good lineup this year; Dr. B is very excited about it. Working on a few blurbs and then Dr. B will send out registration information for Eventbrite. Will be virtual again this year.

Guardians of the Idea Center will help with one-off things like decorating the building, etc. If anyone wants to head it up, you can make it whatever you want it to be. At other elementary schools, similar groups have hosted Trunk or Treat, pancake breakfast, dances, and built gaga ball pits, little free libraries.

We do have an Eagle scout who will build a gaga ball pit for us. Dr. B will write a grant for funding once facilities signs off on the plans.

Recess. Next week is a heat wave, so may be inside. Will extend morning recess and have kids walk out to the athletic fields. Grassy knoll to run around, pavement for four-square, fields, etc. LEAP and PEGS will have recess at the same time. Lunch will be indoor recess in common area with board games, etc. May be more structured like heads-up seven-up or four corners to promote everyone’s involvement and movement. When the playground is installed, recess will follow normal schedule. 

Small library in Idea Center. A building assistant will be library assistant too; can search for any book in the district and they’ll transfer it to the Idea Center. Out-of-county families can also apply for a St. Louis County Library card as well through their connection with PEGS.

Interaction with high schoolers will be limited. Walking to and from gym for PE. For fire drills we have our own corner of parking lot. Tornado drills will have to be in the high school shelter. Idea Center construction figured very heavily on security—bulletproof glass, shelter-in-place areas, etc.—and intruder drills will happen in the Center.

PEGS Parent Quarterly Meeting – April 24, 2023

Passcode: 1VrNkzmA

If you have questions, please reach out to Aisha Hasan or Dr. Bednarick-Humes

Open PTG Board positions for 2023-24 School Year

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• LEAP liaison

Summer planning retreat

• We will have a summer meeting open to all PEGS parents to discuss how the parent group can support the Idea Center and families

Helping teachers pack to move

• Look for a Signup Genius in May

 Incoming students

• 4 days of interviews
• Applicants will know by end of week
• Orientation is May 8, 9:15 – 10:45 AM
  • Any parent wanting to participate on the parent panel should contact Aisha
• About 40 people interviewed – PEGS North has about 10 applicants; PEGS South has 29 applicants – potential of 21 new students with six students middle school age and the rest elementary.  About 9 or 10 girls applied.
• Buddy families will be arranged near the end of school

 Idea Center

• Working on drywall now
• Framing doors
• Stairs are in place but not finished
• Aesthetic features are starting to go in
• Dr. B ordered furniture for common learning area
• Projected move in date for teachers is August 1
• Everything except playground will be ready for start of school
• Playground is delayed due to supply chain issues – they are trying to problem solve solutions to make sure kids get active until it’s ready
• Split lunch – not sure of details yet
• Dr B meeting with BookSource rep – to figure out ways students can check out books
• Dr B shared renderings
• Drop off and pick up will likely take place on the south side of the Idea Center
• World Cultures class – experience different foreign languages, taught by a high school teacher who is gifted certified
• Design lab will be partly integrated into curriculum and partly stand alone. PEGS teachers will provide that class
• Open House – ideally before teacher move their stuff in
• Back to school nights – probably Thursday Aug 17
• We will be using a HS gym for PE – students will be escorted and move through the school at a non-busy time
• Special education services – a teacher will probably push in from another school as necessary
• Mrs. Dickinson will still oversee 504 plans

Miscellaneous

• Teacher Appreciation Week: May 8-12
• PEGS Spirit Week: April 24-28
• Middle school sub will start Wed through the end of school
• They are announcing the new middle school STEM teacher later this week for next year

PEGS Quarterly Parent Meeting – January 23, 2023

Recorded Zoom – watch here

Dr. Bednarick-Humes talked about Idea Center with help from Shelly Major from Central Office and Cathie Page

As you watch or read the notes, please reach out to Dr. Bednarick-Humes with questions and feedback.

Transportation

• Morning – Usual bus and shuttle to Idea Center
• Afternoon – might be different
  • Possible PEGS-only bus – using 2022-23 Lindbergh PEGS families, if all 21 students rode the bus it would take 74 minutes
  • Cost of buses is about $70k to run
  • Need commitment from PEGS families to use the bus so money isn’t wasted

Before and after care

• Before care will be at home school
• After would care will be at one central school for all PEGS kids

Building

• Design schematics were shared
• Discussion about special clubs after school in the center
• Question about 4th and 5th separate or together and the answer was that it was still in discussion
• Drop off and pick up will mirror elementary schools – 8:45-3:35
• Related arts is still a discussion. Might bring in another school’s teachers and might hire someone to provide it at the center
• Strings program will be at the center – Mrs. Dunsford is working on scheduling
• Question about Design Lab – might replace it with a foreign language
• Question about yearbooks – they have a request for proposals out with the district. That supplier will work with PEGS. Need a parent volunteer to be the liaison or it could be an after-school yearbook club
• Question about lunch – HS lunch staff will come after HS lunch, so at 12:20 or 12:30 for first and 12:40 or 12:40 for 2nd lunch. Prepared in HS kitchen but served in Idea Center. There will be an Idea Center menu.

Miscellaneous

•  Reminder – March 1st deadline for PEGS applications; they still accept private testing. Interviews in April and decisions late April/early May
•  Field trip Feb 15 GAM Day at the Capitol; 4, 5, and 7 grades – permission slip coming next week, No cost. Bring sack lunch. Chaperones can attend.
•  Question about specialized drills at the Idea Center; they will have their own drills but may also need to participate in HS drills sometimes. They are working with safety officer on a schedule
•  Dr. Bednarick-Humes will be the principal of the Idea Center
•  School nurse question – there will be a school health assistant part time and access to HS school nurses
•  Middle school LEAP will stay at Sperreng
• PEGS Parent updates: SCAF and baby showers
•  4th grade to start planning 5th grade party – need to form a group to discuss. Barbara Rutledge sent email with a survey for parents and child to complete together. They welcome student input and will schedule a meeting with parents to discuss.
• Playground at Idea Center might be delayed but everything else is on schedule 

PEGS Parent Board Meeting – December 6, 2022

Attended: Aisha Hasan, Mical Hilbert, Julie Jordan, Teresa Wallace, Michelle Goddard, Jessica Paik, Tarrah Wiley, Jessica Spencer

SCAF update

Wednesday 2/15 5pm-7pm.  Lindbergh Cafeterias.

Summer Camps and Activities Fair committee is working hard. Vendor email was sent out by Teresa. Several people have registered already.

Spirit Wear Shop update

Barbara has opened the spirit wear shop. She will add new items at some point, but the store will remain open all year.

Social Events update

Next social event is Ice Skating at Webster Ice Arena Sun, Dec 18 at 1pm

Treasurer’s Report

$6,869 is our bank balance.

$1,005 is our PayPal balance. $200 is recurring balance, additional funds are SCAF registrations.

$124.95 outstanding to Jessica for elementary teacher requests (cushions).

Liasion updates:

Jessica purchased large floor pillows for elementary classrooms.

Jessica Spencer is coordinating a parent gift for elementary teachers (not from PPG)

Junjie is giving gifts to middle school teachers on behalf of PPG from his own stash.

Michelle will purchase poinsettias and $25 gift cards for the PEGS staff: Dr. B, Cathie Page, Maggie Dickinson, and Mrs. Roegner.

Notes from Dr. B

Please encourage parents to read the most recent newsletter.  There is an opportunity for students to weigh in on the school motto/vision for next year as well as a way to recognize their Awesome Teachers!  Let me know if Julie wants the links for her minutes.

The Gifted Center Naming Committee will be presenting their recommendation for a name December 20th at that Board meeting.  Stay tuned and thank you to all who have given feedback.

Items up for Vote:

• $100 to Katherine Jones for Lego funds for the PEGS Girl Scout Lego team. ​Unanimous yes. Aisha will get Katherine address for Teresa to send check
• Voted yes for GAM field trip (this was done via email in late November)
• $100 for Dr. B for staff lunch before winter break. This is half the cost and LEAP will pay $100 also. Aisha will ask Dr B to send receipt and address to Teresa.
• Dr B, Cathie, Maggie, and Megan R. – Michelle will handle it. Make sure it is stated to parents that PPG paid for it. $25 each

PEGS Board Meeting Minutes - November 1, 2022

Attending:  Aisha Hasan, Teresa Wallace, Kim Bailey, Jessica Paik, Mical Hilbert, Tarrah Wiley, Jessica Spencer, Michelle Goddard, Julie Jordan

Summer Camps and Activities Fair (SCAF) Update

• Will take place Wednesday 2/15 5pm-7pm in the Lindbergh High School Cafeteria.
• The committee is starting to reach out to summer camps; if anyone has any camps or activities they believe we should contact, please contact AIsha Hasan or Teresa Wallace. 

Spirit Wear Update

• Barbara reports that we’re in the ‘queue’ to get our store opened.
• Once it’s opened, it will stay open!  

Social Events Update

• Next social event is a hike at Powder Valley on November 19th.

Gifted Center Naming Update

• Suggestions for names have been narrowed to a few (maybe 5).
• Survey will be coming out shortly to guage interest in the options. 

Treasurer’s Report

• $7400 is our balance.
• $200 us our paypal balance.
• $67 outstanding to Michelle for our Halloween goodies.
• Also the check to fund our scholarship at Lindbergh Foundation hasn’t cleared yet.  Aisha will follow up with Erica to see if the check was received or what’s going on.  

Elementary Liasion Update

• We have a request for cushions for the classrooms. Jessica has gotten some info on that and will move forward on getting that for the elementary program.
• There was also an unspecified request for building sets which Jessica will look into. 
• Request for books will be postponed until the Kennerly scholastic book sale. 

PEGS Parent Board Meeting Minutes - September 6, 2022

2022-2023 Board members present:
Aisha Hasan, President
Mical Hilbert, Vice President
Julie Jordan, Secretary
Teresa Wallace, Treasurer
Michelle Goddard, High School Rep
Junjie Chen, Middle School Rep
Jessica Paik, Elementary Rep
Barbara Rutledge, Website/Social Media
Kim Bailey, Member at Large
Tarrah Wiley, Member at Large
Jessica Spencer, Kennerly PTO Liaison
Dr. Bednarick-Humes, Coordinator of Gifted Programming
 
Presidents Report

• Introductions of all officers.
  Welcome to Jessica P. who is joining us as Elementary Rep.
• Volunteer needs: Summer Activities Fair – who can head this up?
  We need to start recruiting someone.
• Plans for the year: reps please touch base with teachers to see if they need anything.

 
Treasurer Report, Teresa Wallace

• Annual fundraising campaign – Teresa Wallace -- $7,627.53 is current bank balance.
• Paypal account balance: $200. No outstanding checks or debts to reimburse.
• Teresa copied the budget numbers from 2021-2022 for the new year. One difference in the number has to do with the SCAF and whether or not that event will be shared with LEAP this year.
• $1000 budgeted for parent donation. Last year we got more, so if we want to bump that up we could, but to her it seems wise to keep the budgeted amount lower.

Other Items

• Aisha brought up the fundraising direct donation fundraising campaign and suggested that we postpone this to combine it with a fundraising campaign to support the new gifted center. There is still a lot to be decided about the fundraising for the center, but a direct donation campaign will likely be a part of their work, so Aisha suggests that we might put ourselves in a difficult place if we do two asks in quick succession. Teresa suggests that we make sure families know that this year the lack of a donation ask would be an exception, not the rule, so people don’t forget that process. Aisha made a motion to postpone the PEGS Parent Group direct donation campaign pending further info from the Gifted Center Fundraising Committee, in case those campaigns need to be combined into one. This was passed by a vote of the board.
• Aisha also brought up the possibility to co-fund (with LEAP) a $1000 scholarship for this year for a graduating senior through the Lindbergh Foundation. This was passed by a vote of the board.
• Dr. Bednarick-Humes brought up a request from teachers for support with busses for fundraisers. This was passed by a vote of the board.
• Gifted Center update – Dr. Bednarick-Humes described an outdoor learning area (a playground) is one of the items that the district will not be funding, and could be the main focus of the parent direct donation campaign. 
• Dr. Bednarick-Humes also reports that the timeline for the naming committee is being approved by central office. If you know of any students who want to be on the committee, reach out to Dr. B.
• Additional parent committees are on a temporary pause until a few planning items are figured out on the district end.
• Congratulations to Dr. Bednarick-Humes who will be taking over as the executive president of the Gifted Association of Missouri.
• Aisha brought up the need to meet with the LEAP officers in order to figure out the relationship between these two parent groups going forward. This would be a meeting with President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. If anyone else wants to participate, please let Aisha know. Any changes would be brought back to the full board before they were enacted.
• Barbara Rutledge brought up the idea that it would be great to get some stuff on the calendar to try and make connections between PEGS families in a social way. Aisha and Michelle will communicate with her via email about getting something planned.

Questions

• Will flexible seating be including in the budget for the gifted center?
  Answer: Yes.
• What is the difference in cost between moving the old playground vs building a new playground?
  Answer: It’s hard to say, because there are so many different option for an outdoor play center.
• Will the district budget for moving the old playground get transferred over to a new playground if we decide to go that way? 
  Answer: Unclear.
• How many PEGS families are there vs how many LEAP familes?
  Answer: 104 PEGS families. 600 LEAP families. 300 LEAP students will use the gifted center, although only one day per week. 42 elementary PEGS students will be there every day.