Category Archives: Parent Group Meetings

New Chair for Steller Parent Group needed for March 15, 2022

I will be stepping down as Chair of Steller Parent Group effective March 15, 2022.  In order to ensure SPG is able to fulfill our commitments and continue to effectively support the Steller Community we need someone to step in as soon as possible! 

As of yet, we haven’t had anyone indicate interest in the position, so I thought I’d share the description of the position from the by-laws: 

An election of Parent Group Officers and Representatives will take place at the September

meeting. Any vacancies that develop will be filled by an interim election conducted at a Parent

Group meeting. No member may hold more than one office.

Chair- the Chair/Vice-Chair is a two (2)-year term

  • Prepares agenda and conducts the monthly Parent Group meeting.
  • Conducts or delegates follow-up of meeting business as needed.
  • Acts as liaison between Parent Group, Staff, and Operational Group, or is responsible for arranging an alternate to attend those meetings as needed.
  • Makes reports to Operational Group and Staff, as well as the Steller Community Body meetings as needed.
  • Ensures that parents become acquainted with the volunteer opportunities at school pre-registration.
  • Assists in recruiting and training of Advisory Group Parent Liaisons.
  • Coordinates with treasurer to ensure at least three officers, two of whom must be the chair and the treasurer, shall be approved to sign checks and have their signatures on file at the  bank. The authorized check signers must not be related by blood or marriage or reside in the same household.
  • Appoints a Budget Committee that includes the chair and treasurer upon election of officers.
  • Ensures a financial review (audit) occurs at the end of the fiscal year, or whenever there is a transition between treasurers. The purpose of the review is to certify the accuracy of the books and records of the Treasurer  by examining the financial transactions of the SPG and the procedures used to conduct those transactions.  Financial Review Committee must be made up of three (3) or a qualified accountant and can include anyone within the unit that is NOT a signatory on the account or related to one.
  • Establishes ad-hoc committees (including the Financial Committee) as needed.

Ideally this work should be shared between a chair and a vice chair – so if we could find TWO people willing to step up that would be even better. 

If we do not identify a new chair before the March 15th meeting SPG and all it’s financial functions will be temporarily suspended until we have a full board of chair, treasurer and secretary. 

As always, I am happy to speak with anyone interested, or feel free to reach out to Dee Dee (secretary) or Claudia (treasurer) for more information about what is involved. 

Warm regards,

Kirsten Tschofen

 

New Chair for Steller Parent Group Needed!

Dear Steller Students, Staff and Families,

I am deeply sad to share with you that due to personal health problems I will be stepping down from my position as Chair as soon as possible. 

I believe Steller Parent Group is  well positioned at this time, with our budget passed, and many procedures in place, and so now would be a great time for someone with new ideas and fresh energy to step into the position of Steller Parent Group Chair. 

Our Secretary Dee Dee will be running the February SPG meeting on by behalf, but I would like to officially take my name off of the organization at the SPG Meeting on Tuesday, March 16th, and have a new Chair in place at that time.

If there is no one in place as Chair at that time SPG can continue to hold informational meetings. However, as a 501(c)3 non-profit, and according to our own By-Laws, we need a Chair, Treasurer and Secretary to make financial decisions and actions – including writing cheques or making budget decisions. So there is some urgency for someone from the community to step in.  As soon as someone steps in, then all functions of Steller Parent Group can resume immediately. 

It has been my pleasure to serve as Chair of Steller Parent Group since January of 2020. I believe strongly that the work we do is important, and have worked hard these last few years to maintain and grow the voice of SPG in the school, respect old traditions and grow new ones – despite my tenure being almost entirely during Covid. 

This year I was pleased we were able to recruit both a new Treasurer (Claudia Liebsch) and Secretary (Dee Dee Zobian) and would like to extend a formal thanks to Brandon Brooks and Angie Southwould for their years of service to the Steller Community. 

When I took on the role, some goals for the organization were handed down to me, and I had a few of my own. I am pleased that despite obvious barriers we have met many of these goals – including cleaning up some technical things around banking, following best practice for transparency and fiducial responsibility as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, and continuing to reach out to all members of our community and invite them to have their voice heard. 

I know it’s a difficult time, and many people will feel reluctant to take on a new role because they haven’t been involved in SPG before.  I’d like to reassure you that we have well established systems for much of the work, Claudia and Dee Dee are familiar with things, and I am happy to help anyone as much or as little as they need. Maria and Antionette are also wonderful to work with. 

If you think you might be interested in becoming Chair of Steller Parent Group please reach out and I am happy to tell you more about what is involved so you can make an informed decision. 

Warm regards,

Kirsten Tschofen 

Chair,

Steller Parent Group

 

SPG Meeting Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Thank you to everyone who attended the November SPG meeting.  All students, staff, parents and guardians are invited to attend SPG meetings, share their voice and participate in our votes.

Our next meeting is this Tuesday, December 14, from 6:00 to 7:00pm, on Zoom. 

In addition to the usual school updates, Maria will be sharing with us the procedures to apply for Travel Intensive Scholarships. 

  • You can find the Draft Meeting Minutes from November, and the December Agenda here.

As always, if you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Kirsten

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 958 9143 6576

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Meeting ID: 958 9143 6576

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Updates for Steller Parent Group Meeting Tuesday, November 9

Thank you to everyone who attended the October SPG meeting, and participated in the vote for the SPG Budget.  All students, staff, parents and guardians are invited to attend SPG meetings, share their voice and participate in our votes.

As always, if you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Kirsten

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 958 9143 6576

Passcode: 975378

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Meeting ID: 958 9143 6576

Find your local number: https://asdk12.zoom.us/u/abaFYwOeSd

 

Steller Parent Group Meeting Tuesday, November 9

Thank you to everyone who attended the October SPG meeting, and participated in the vote for the SPG Budget.  All students, staff, parents and guardians are invited to attend SPG meetings, share their voice and participate in our votes.

As always, if you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Kirsten

Join Zoom Meeting

https://asdk12.zoom.us/j/95891436576?pwd=ekcwTUxweGRub0YzSDZuaGdLZ3RhQT09 

Meeting ID: 958 9143 6576

Passcode: 975378

One tap mobile

+12532158782,,95891436576# US (Tacoma)

+13462487799,,95891436576# US (Houston)

Dial by your location

        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

        +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

Meeting ID: 958 9143 6576

Find your local number: https://asdk12.zoom.us/u/abaFYwOeSd

 

Vote for Steller Parent Group Budget Now!

Budget

In 2021 the Steller Finance Committee (Chair, Treasurer, Member at large) created a DRAFT BUDGET.

In a typical year most money raised through Parent Group goes to four areas:

  • SPG Operational expenses
  • Steller Parent Group expenses (Welcome BBQ, Staff Appreciation etc)
  • School expenses ( Souper Steller, Ice Cream Social, Steller Olympics etc.)
  • Grants:
    • Steller Travel Intensives 
    • Intensives 
    • Program Support (Band trips, art supplies etc)
    • Passages & Special Projects

The DRAFT budget for 2021-2022 was presented at the SPG meeting on October 14.  You can read the Meeting Minutes Here.

The letter accompanying the DRAFT budget for 2021-2022 explains more about the circumstances for the budget. Please read it carefully. 

All members of the community are invited to review the attached Budget, and then vote “Yay” to
accept the budget as presented *with the provision we will revisit it in January or February* in
light of new budget needs and fundraising plans. Or “nay”. If you vote nay you will be provided
an opportunity to make suggestions – given the funds we currently have on hand. The vote
closes at 10 pm on Wednesday, October 20. The budget will be passed with a simple majority of
total votes.

Steller Parent Group is a charitable 501(c)3 organization to which contributions are tax-deductible. To learn more about how to support SPG please see here

Warm regards, 

Kirsten Tschofen

Steller Parent Group Meeting Notes

Thank you to everyone who attended our first Steller Parent Group meeting of the year. We had an excellent turn out and I hope we can keep up the good rate.

The DRAFT of the meeting minutes are available here 

We are happy to announce New Board Members:

Treasurer: Claudia Liesch

Secretary: Dee Dee Zobian 

We are still looking for a Co-Chair! 

We’d also like to thank the following people:

Finance Committee: Amy Johnson

Fundraising Committee: Claudia Liebsch and Kirsten Tschofen (need 3 more adults and students) 

Requests for Funding for the October meeting are due Wednesday, September 29th.

The agenda for the October meeting will be posted on Sunday, October 10th.  

As always, if you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Kirsten

 

SPG meeting Tuesday, September 14

Join us for the first Steller Parent Group meeting of the year, and find out what’s happening at school, share your ideas, and get to know fellow parents & guardians and staff. 

We meet the second Tuesday of the month (via Zoom for now), and you can find the agenda by the Sunday before the meeting . This month we will be talking more about how students and adults can get involved in the school, and have two requests for funding to vote on.

The Three Pillars of the school are by default all members of SPG – Students, Staff, Parents & Guardians, and active participation in the running of the school is at the heart of the Steller Philosophy. 

Antoinette will send out the Zoom link by email, and we will post it here and on Facebook, once it has been created. 

_______

Thank you to all the students and adults that have already signed up to volunteer for specific positions, or to be general helpers.  Many hands make light work, and helps develop a sense of community.  For more information about how you can get involved see here

Topic: Steller Parent Group Meeting
Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime
 
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Meeting ID: 958 9143 6576
Passcode: 975378
One tap mobile
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Dial by your location
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        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
        +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 958 9143 6576
Find your local number: https://asdk12.zoom.us/u/abaFYwOeSd

A Welcome Message from Steller Parent Group

August 23, 2021

Dear Steller Families,

On behalf of the Steller Parent Group I want to extend a warm welcome to all new and returning Steller families. My name is Kirsten Tschofen and I am the Chair of Steller Parent Group. 

The Steller Parent Group is an integral part of the Steller Community.  We meet on the second Tuesday of every month from 6:00pm to 7:30pm in person and on Zoom.  Every member of the Steller Community – Staff, Students and Parents/Guardians are automatically part of SPG and welcome to attend, ask questions and share their ideas.  We would love to see you at our first meeting on Tuesday, September 14 at 6:00pm. We hope to have both an in person option and Zoom.

Steller Parent Group is one of the three Pillars of our school: Staff – Students –  Parents/Guardians. The purpose of the SPG is to enrich the lives of Steller students through the financial support and leadership of active parents and guardians. We strive to promote parent and guardian involvement in school activities. Traditionally we host events during the school year, raise funds to support school initiatives through the Steller Auction, and coordinate volunteers. Through all the uncertainty of the last year the central mission of SPG has remained the same, and I believe it must take on even more importance in the effort to create a strong learning community in light of this last year.

All of this takes the hard work and dedication of our community members and we want to invite you to get involved by taking on a formal position in the board, or simply actively attending our meetings. We are currently recruiting for a Co-Chair, and Treasurer and have a variety of other positions. 

Participating in the SPG has many benefits, including the opportunity to make connections with other parents and staff, and the opportunity to effectively make positive change. We all want the very best education and experiences for our children, and when we work together we can make it happen. 

If you are interested in learning more about SPG positions please let me know, and as always, we welcome your thoughts and ideas about how Steller Parent Group can serve you. 

Warm regards,

Kirsten Tschofen

Chair, Steller Parent Group

chairstellerparentgroup@gmail.com 

Save the Date:

  • First SPG meeting – Tuesday, September 14, 6:00 to 7:30
  • Back to School Night – Thursday, September 9
    • Meet the teachers 5:00 to 6:30
    • All Community Meeting 6:30 to 7:30pm – learn about the school philosophy and how you can get involved in the school via Steller Parent Group
  • Grade level Social Nights for parents & guardians – TBA

Meet our New Principal!

Join us for the last meeting of the year for Steller Parent Group.  Meet our new principal Maria Hernandez, vote on a request for funding from Seeds of Change to support the Steller Garden, and hear a review of all we have achieved this year. This will also be a chance to recognize Reed for all the work he has done for Steller during his years of service, and to wish him well on his new adventures. 

We would also like you to consider joining the SPG next year.  There are many ways to get involved with a range of time commitments.  We are looking forward to being in person next year and continuing to build a strong community. 

  • Co-chair (partnered with the current chair for easy handover)
  • Treasurer 
  • Advisory liasons
  • Communication
  • Fundraising 

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 973 9149 6736
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Kirsten