Willoughby-Eastlake Association for the Gifted and Talented   WEAGT  

WEAGT Budget Meeting 5/31/07

Dave Fiebig called meeting to order at 3:38 p.m.  In attendance: Dave Fiebig, Tim Higgins, Annette Thompson, Sue Luck, Marty Shingler, Carol Bergeron, Dina Rossi, Michelle Marcsik, Mrs. Ciferno, Mrs. Stevens.   Purpose of meeting is budget projection and to discuss a wish list of ideas.  Proposed budget will be presented to the general membership to vote on at the September meeting.  The 2006-07 actual and projected budget was distributed.  Mrs. Ciferno surveyed the teachers and the following technologic desires were mentioned:

1.        Focus-free projector (the brand name is In Focus,)  - $500 each.

2.        Elmo/projector combos as a cheaper alternative to Smart Boards with carts,  - $1500 each.

3.        Speakers.

4.        Digital cameras. 

5.        Three additional laptops for the cart. - $1300 each.

6.        Mrs. Stevens is seeking quote on cost of WiFi for the building.  The laptop cart has been in use for 1.5 years but upstairs classes have to come downstairs.  If the building had wireless access throughout, the laptops could be transported upstairs.  Sue Luck mentioned that this equipment is in heavy demand during Independent Study season in the spring.

In addition to the technology wishes, Mrs. Ciferno says the teachers’ wish list included:

1.        Students competing in such events as The Power of the Pen, Science Olympiad, Math Counts, Destination Imagination, and poetry competitions.   When students competed in these events in the past, they were focused and driven, and the teachers would like to see these happen again.  This would mean budgeting for competition fees and school bus transportation.

2.        Continuing the classroom magazines ($1200-$1500)

3.        Bringing in visiting authors. Shelley Pearsall, a local author of the fifth grade novel Trouble Don't Last was suggested. 

4.        Continuing the Fine Arts classes.  Miss Diane has been a favorite visiting artist.

5.        Discontinuing Mad Science ($250/lesson) in favor of more lessons from the Natural History Museum's Science to Go ($190/lesson).  Teachers told Mrs. Ciferno that the quality of Mad Science teachers was uneven. 

6.        Mrs. Campbell would like the traditional reference materials in the library updated, such as new dictionaries and atlas.  Marty said the novel replacement sum of $200 could be used for this purpose to purchase these items in the current year, along with $436 of curriculum development. 

Marty urged decisiveness and expediency in our spending, where as Annette expressed concern about planning so we have flexibility as requests surface later in the year.

Auction proceeds were $25,400.  One donation valued at $3600 came in this year, as it has every other year in years past.  Discussion ensued about whether or not to amortize this as we only receive this item every other year.  Many felt that we should include the whole amount in the budget to spend as needed. 

Mrs. Stevens said the new Zenith coordinator, Amy Harker, will start Aug 9 and that she'll want to maintain OAGC involvement.  The current budget of $700 covers conference costs for two people for one day.  They may want to attend the entire conference.  

The working budget is $24,915, which includes a carryover Discussion ensued about the value of reserves vs. spending as we go, especially when we see the need and we have the money.  Mrs. Stevens pointed out that, in the past, some people have not understood why WEAGT holds back money instead of spending it.  Annette Thompson indicated that it took many years to have the reserves to make major purchase like the laptop cart this year, and computers have been a high priority for the teachers.  We never held back on items that were requested.  This year, with specific needs being expressed, there should be no reason to hold back money. 

The A list of priorities are:

1.        Wireless for the Building

2.        Digital cameras- even just a couple more for the building

3.        Elmo/projector combos. Minimum amount needed is six (one per grade level and one for Mrs. Campbell's pullout classroom).

4.        Sound speakers

5.        Magazines for classrooms

6.        OAGC involvement 

The B list of priorities are:

1.        Competitions (although we'd like to allow for input from Mrs. Harker)

2.        Visiting authors

3.        DVD players 

Discussion followed concerning the cost of the COSI trip for the sixth graders.  Bus cost rose from $850 to $1250 this year.  Sue Luck urged Annette Thompson, who expressed the COSI trip cost concerns, to contact Mrs. White and Mrs. Simpson for information about what they'd like from WEAGT next year. 

WEAGT will possibly alternate our meeting days and times next year. Having meetings after school might permit more Zenith teacher attendance.  Dave Fiebig will remain as webmaster. We will plan a summer meeting after Marty roughs up the budget.  Tim encouraged us to consciously work on PTA and WEAGT relations and get word out that Market Day benefits the whole school, not just Zenith.  There was no formal motion to end the meeting, and those who needed to go at the previously agreed upon end time of 5:00 were free to do so.

Respectfully submitted,

Carol Bergeron