Meriwether Matters

Contents

Parent Funding Suggestions

SOL Volunteers Needed

Teacher Appreciation Week

Yearbook Orders

MLS DI Team

Golden Apple Winner

Landscape Updates

Community Events

Important Dates

Quick Links

MLS PTO

MLS

ACPS

Box Tops for Education

MLS PTO

Serving the children, families, teachers, and staff of
Meriwether Lewis School.

Parent Funding Suggestions

For the PTO board, the end of one year means planning for the next! Traditionally in April and May we have solicited funding requests from teachers, staff, and parents and made decisions to allocate funds raised throughout the year. This year we took a more proactive approach: with the formalization of the Annual Fund last September, we identified our funding priorities at the start of the year. With your enthusiasm and support, we have made progress on all three! Click here to review our Annual Fund Summary.

Beyond the Annual Fund, many of our programs and events exceeded budget expectations this year, thanks to the many parents who volunteered their time to organize, champion, and attend these initiative. We are fortunate to have such a talented and generous MLS community!

We will spend May and June planning for a small number of additional year-end expenditures, setting our budget goals for next year, and working with Dr. Irani to identify to funding priorities for next year's Annual Fund. So now we would like to hear from parents, teachers, and staff. What needs have you identified at MLS? Where would like to see PTO and school funds allocated, for the betterment of our students? We welcome your ideas and proposals. Your suggestions will be included in our prioritization and review process.

Click here for a copy of the "Parent Funding Suggestion Form" to share your ideas. Please be sure to complete each section as thoroughly as possible so that we may fully consider your request, and submit your form by Wednesday, May 6th. Thank you once again for your enthusiasm and support!

SOL Volunteers Needed:May 18th - May 29th

Parent volunteers are needed to monitor the halls to keep them quiet and conduct students one at a time to the bathroom as needed. They do not go in with the student, but they make sure that students do not talk to other students during testing. It is a low-action and rather boring job--good opportunity to catch up on reading or computer work. It is boring, but critical to helping testing to run smoothly.

Please sign up here if you can help or see Anne Geraty for any questions.

Teacher Appreciation Week: May 4-8th

MLS Teachers Rock!
Here is brief description of what is in store for Teacher Appreciation Week starting Monday, May 4th. Click here for the full description.

MONDAY: THANK YOU BREAKFAST

TUESDAY: STUDENT GIFTS / LAST NAMES A-L

WEDNESDAY: HUNT COUNTRY STORE & WHOLE FOODS GOODIE BAGS

THURSDAY: STUDENT GIFTS / LAST NAMES M-Z

FRIDAY: SURPRISE TEACHER LUNCHEON

RAFFLE FOR TEACHER & STAFF: GIFT CARDS

Every morning a few names are drawn out of a hat and the winners receive a GIFT CARD! We have been collecting gift cards and could still use some more! Our goal is to try and have every faculty member be a WINNER! If you are interested in sending in a gift card, please send it in an envelope with your name on it via backpack mail to the Attn: Hospitality Committee/Kelley Hathaway in Mrs. Robinson's class by Friday, May 1st. * Consider asking a local business to donate a gift card! Businesses are always happy to support our local teachers.

Order Your Yearbook Now

It's time to order yearbooks! Orders coming in before April 17 will be charged $16 per book. After that they are $17.

Click here for the order form.

Congrats MLS Destination Imagination Team!

Congratulations to the MLS 5th grade Destination Imagination team on advancing to DI Global Finals in Knoxville, TN next month!

The team includes 4 MLS and 1 VLM students (Rachel Klees, Eunice Abaya, Charlotte Dougherty, Giselle Garbaccio and Daxon Citron) who have worked together diligently this year to come up with creative solutions to the DI Improv Challenges. The Dragons did a great job at state-level competitions this winter and will now represent MLS and VLM as they compete with thousands of students from around the world.

The team is raising funds to help subsidize the cost of their trip and will share specifics in upcoming editions of Meriwether Matters. Until then, if you are interested in supporting the Dragons or have any questions, please contact Chris Citron at chriscitron@gmail.com.

Golden Apple Winner - Mr. Sherogan!

Congratulations to Mr. Andrew Sherogan, who has been named the Golden Apple award winner for Meriwether Lewis this year. Mr. Sherogan has worked diligently to hone his craft around TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior). Mr. Sherogan has also partnered with teachers to incorporate engineering and design principles in his work with students across grade levels.

Landscaping Volunteer Day

Help MLS look its best! The MLS campus is something we can all be proud of. But, it takes volunteers to make that happen. Please grab the kids and whole family and do a little community service project together by helping trim up and weed the MLS campus. Please bring any hedge trimmers, weeders, rakes, or other tools you have to make the job easier. Some light refreshments will be provided.

DATE: Saturday 5/2/2015 (Sat 9:00AM - 11:00AM)

SIGNUP: Go to the signup page at www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C084DADAD2EAA8-mlsspring

LOCATION: Meriwether Lewis Elementary

QUESTIONS: Contact Kristina Parker at kparker5555@yahoo.com

Community Events

Camp4Real
We have a few weeks set for Camp4Real this summer! Registration will be up soon but we wanted to get the word out about our dates that are reserved thus far. Please spread the word to other families outside the MLS community as well.

Meriwether Lewis June 15-19
Stone Robinson June 22-26
Meriwether Lewis Middle School Evening Camp July 6-10
Meriwether Lewis July 13-17
Brownsville July 27-31
Hollymead August 3-7 (held at Sutherland Middle School)

We will also be holding our first GIRLS ONLY camp! That will be a four-day camp at Meriwether Lewis June 29-July 2. A few other camps are still in the works, so we hope to have those approved and announced very soon.

Hallowed Journeys Summer Camp
This social studies camp is open to rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. It fills very quickly, so don't delay.
http://compass.k12albemarle.org/?p=662900

Important Dates

Report Cards Go Home
Tuesday, April 28th

Family Landscape Day at MLS
Saturday, May 2nd
9:00am - 11:00am

Family Field Day
Sunday, May 3rd

Teacher Appreciation Week
May 4th - May 8th

Kids Night Out
Friday, May 29th
6:00pm

------------------------------------------------------

Dana Quist, Communications Coordinator

Meriwether Lewis School PTO

To submit items for inclusion in Meriwether Matters,

please email mlsmatters@gmail.com.

Community events are listed by request as space is available. The MLS PTO does not endorse or have any additional information regarding these events.