Minutes for Meeting of 12 April 1999

Present: Flavio Lopes (FL), Maura Xerfan (MX), Eliana Bentes (EB), Lucia Damazio (LD), Merche Clark (MC), Gilbert Huber (GH), Yanira Nasser (YN), Ralph Jennings (RJ), Danielle Laterman (DL), Fabiola Dávila (FD), Flavia Correa (FC), Karla Taylor (KT), Cynthia Fraga (CF), Beatriz Sena (BS), Angela Saraiva (AS), Graça Lopes

Apologies: Betty Mendlowicz (BM), Simon Clayton (SC), Erotildes Machado (EM)

Circulation: Paul Wiseman

1) AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

• YN reported difficulties due to cars parked outside the school in the mornings. RJ to report to Administration to attempt to improve the situation.
• A letter of thanks was received by a mother whose children are attending swimming lessons
• A mother is offering to give oral hygiene lessons. Name to be given to RJ to follow-up (ELIANE TREU 267-9640)

2) FUNDRAISING

• LD reported on one of the senior school's fund raising projects - to sell World Wildlife merchandise. The project team requested that the PTA fund the initial purchase of stock. LD will investigate freight and consignation alternatives as well as confirming the order the pupils wish to make prior to spending up to R$600 on the venture.
• A second project - the senior school tuck shop - is currently being funded by BM. It was agreed that the PTA will cover the purchase loan.
• The PTA will sponsor the prize (2 cinema tickets and MacDonalds for 2) for the Fundraising Logo Competition.
• This logo will be used to produce T-shirts. Pupils (+adults) wearing the T-shirt to the Founder's Day Fete will not have to pay admission. (This year kids will be charged admission).
• GH is investigating a computer as a prize for the FDF raffle.
• DL has arranged for Decoration for the fete to be donated
• N1 and N2 mothers will be playing Picture Lotto at the Nursery Mother's Day. They will be asked for donations.
• For the FDF each year group will have a separate activity and specific donations will be requested from the parents of that year group for the brindes for the game.
• DL will send a list of the activity for each year group to the Communications Team
• An Art Auction will be held together with the Music Night on June 6th.
• FDF Raffle prizes - MX is still pursuing cars, airline tickets and computers for Raffle Prizes. By Friday she will infor LD of the confirmed major prizes for printing tickets.
• FDF activities - Rock Climbing, children's activity centre, star autographs
• KT agreed to produce 50 colouring books for brindes
• CF will investigate mouse pad blocks for brindes

3) TRANSPORT COMMITTEE

• It was agreed the first meeting of the Transport sub-committee, comprising MC, GH, FL and LD, will take place at the first Happy Hour.

4) BREAKFAST DISCUSSION MEETINGS

• EB reported that the first 4 meetings have been agreed. The first meeting will have Terezinha talking about a comparative study of teaching methods between the British School and other international schools. The difficulty in space availability was cited. Barry McCormack will be asked to release the Hall or some alternative space for the meeting.

5) COMMUNICATION

• MC reported on the meeting between herself and the new Communications team (FC, KT, CF). The team will produce the Newsletter (in both English and Portuguese). They will collate a PTA diary and send out lembretes prior to events.
• The Happy Hour was re-scheduled for the last Wednesday of each month.
• YN, Openlink, and CF will discuss the possibilities for a fundraising/school/PTA website
• The communication team suggested that support of parents wanting English language tuition could best be served by registering interested parties - pupils and teachers, and then trying to form pairs or small groups with similar levels and time availability with a teacher or school. This would be a task for the PTA administrator
• The Administrator would be required to speak English and work from 12.30-16.30. Responsibilities would included dealing with After-School Activities, Uniform and Transport issues raised by parents and giving out information on these topics and dealing with admin matters on these and general communication matters. In addition finding late parents, preparing Newsletters and liaising with the PTA, school and parents.
• It may be possible to use an estagário/a. MC and MX will try and find some candidates.

6) PTA Sponsored Holidays

• FD agreed to take on the task of selecting holidays to publises to school pupils for the holidays from the many potenital packages available.

7) HAPPY HOUR

• FL will organise the PTA Happy Hour for every last Wednesday of the month beginning 28 April 1999

8) Next meeting:
Monday 26 April 1999 19.00

Agenda Items: Sub-committee reports, Fund Raising, Founder's Day Fete, AOB