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Dear GFA Parents,
At our April 16th Parents’ Association Meeting we will have a special vote on the revised PA By-laws. In early March, with more than the 30-day required advance notice, you received a special email from me highlighting this meeting date and proposed changes. Also as required in our existing By-Laws, The Board of Trustees approved them on March 3rd. We are excited to bring this updated document to our Association for an important vote that encompasses changes pertaining to issues such as:
• Technology updates to allow for changes in lead times for notification to members
• Updates in Executive Board duties and responsibilities
• Details of fund disbursements
• Updates for Election and voting procedures
• Allowance for Co-Presidency (the most important issue)
Our efforts this year have proven to be somewhat historical in the life of the PA. Having a Co-Presidency for the first time will allow for better continuity in our management structure and allow for role sharing and capitalizing on more varied strengths and talents within our Executive Board.
I extend my sincere thanks to the entire Executive Board. Without their dedication and diligence during the last three months, we would not have been able to complete this very involved task. Not only did we revise the By-Laws, we also updated two supporting documents. If you would like to read through the revised or original By-Laws prior to the April 16th meeting, you can contact me or the PA Secretary, Mary Jean Koster. When you see them, please thank our Executive Board members: Mary Jean Koster, Ana Mernick, Georgette Fogarty, Betty Cizynski, Brooke McIlvaine, Gina Ely and Sara Adams for giving so much of their personal time to this project.
At our April 16th PA Meeting we will welcome our keynote speaker Ben Gott, whose topic is Social Networking. Our kids all do it, and learning about these technologies has become a necessity for parents of Lower, Middle, and Upper school students alike. But understanding how these services work is only the first step. Included in the discussion is the fact that Facebook, MySpace, and instant messaging haven't just changed the ways in which our children interact online. They have changed—dramatically and permanently—the ways in which our children share information, speak and listen to each other, and tell the world about themselves in real life. In his presentation entitled "Our Kids and Their Social Networks: What Parents Need To Know," GFA’s Middle School English teacher and Grade Dean Ben Gott will lead a discussion about the changes that have taken place in our childrens' interactions as a result of the growing popularity of social networks and will share some ideas about how parents can better understand the brave new world in which our children now find themselves.
As April 16th will be our final general PA meeting of the school year, we will also hear remarks by Janet Hartwell, Head of School, with the latest GFA updates. I hope that we’ll see you on April 16th at 8 am sharp for our vote and then our speakers’ presentations in the Oak Room.
Susan Doelp
PA President
Greens Farms Academy
Parents' Association
April 16, 2009
8:00- 9:30 AM OAK ROOM
Coffee, fruit and pastries served
I. 8:00 AM-Welcome, Susan Doelp, President
II. Approval of PA Meeting Minutes- February 19, 2009
III. 8:05 SPECIAL VOTE: PA BY LAWS Amendments
IV. 8:10 Head of School Remarks- Janet Hartwell
V. Upcoming Events:
Grandparents Day 4/24/09- Amy Epes, Linda Lee-Gabel
Spring Market Day 5/1/09 8-4PM-
Monica McNally Filanowski, Neena Singh,
Maryellen Frank
Spring Party on the Farm 5/1/09 7-9:30PM- Silvia Durno
Spring Into Spring Race 5/3/09 –
Carol Cheswick Wilson, Shelley Goldsmith,
Maureen Collins, Kelly Adams
Horizons Tennis and Golf Fundraiser- Bevo Tarika
VI. Keynote Speaker- Ben Gott “Our Kids and their Social Networks: What Parents Need to Know”
VII. Treasurer's Report, Ana Mernick- (Copies will be available)
VIII. Assistant Treasurer's Report, Georgette Fogarty (Georgette will be available to answer any Class Parent Questions.)
DON'T FORGET! Dragon Shop- 20% off one item after this meeting!!!
All committees should have at least one representative at all Parents' Association meetings.
All parents and guardians are invited to attend all meetings of the Parents' Association