Only Four Days Left!

We still have four scooters left at Munson.  If your child is a recipient, please be sure to pick it up before Thursday.  The secretaries are in the office until 4:00 p.m.

The Scooters Have Finally Arrived

It's official...the scooters are here, I repeat...the scooters are here!  Due to the size, weight, and number of scooters, we've decided to leave Munson as the pick up location.  Starting tomorrow, the scooters can be picked up by going to the office at Munson.  The secretaries have a list of all eligible students and will direct you to the pick up room.  Additionally, we will have someone at Munson this Friday from 3:15-6:30 p.m. to aid parents in picking them up.  Once again, thank you for your patience and understanding these past few weeks.

May Meeting Minutes

T.A.P.E. Meeting Minutes
May 2, 2013
www.mulvanetape.blogspot.com

Board Members Present: President, Heather Shaw; Treasurer, Cindi Jennings; VP of Grade School, Amanda Sparks; VP of Munson, Monica Cross. Vacancy, Secretary; Minutes by member Lacie Blevins; Total Members Present: 15

March Meeting Minutes: presented by Heather Shaw. Motion to approve made by Heather Leggett, seconded by Lynzee Backus

Additional Note: We will be sticking to the agenda tonight.  If there is anything that should be added, it will need to be voted on.

March Treasurer’s Report: presented by Cindi Jennings. Motion to approve made by Heather Leggett, seconded by Lynzee Backus.

Special Guest Speaker: Karen Waple, Owner, Crossroads Photography.  Talking to as many different groups as possible to make people aware of the downtown revitalization project.  Initial clean up of the area has begun.  Hardware store has been cleaned out and anything sold during the citywide garage sale will be given to the revitalization fund.  Laurie’s Kitchen would like to have a garden behind the building.  Signs will be out with “Just Imagine” slogan for the project.  Would like community involvement for the project.  For information, contact Karen @kwaple@cox.net or 316-619-0668 or 316-788-4581.  Meetings for the project are on 2^nd Monday of every month at City Hall.  Have been gathering in front of Crossroads Photography studio on Sundays from 12 – 5 to help with the project.  Looking for: rototiller, electricians who can bring the buildings up to code.

Volunteer Recognition: Didn’t get the response we were hoping from Volunteer of the Year Nomination forms; however, we did have some come in.

            Volunteer of the Year - Megan Lodge.  Thank you for your hard work and dedication to T.A.P.E. and to our schools!!

Principal’s Report:
Deena Waltrip, Munson and Raquel Greer, MGS: “Mrs. Waltrip and I will continue to work with the existing TAPE board and its members through their reorganization process as we will only have 1 parent-teacher organization and 1 board for both elementary schools in USD 263.  Mrs. Waltrip and I will both serve on the reorganization committee for TAPE.  Our goal is to create consistency and organization in processes, a clearly stated purpose that is followed during decision-making, direct communication between teachers and the organization, and an appealing atmosphere to attract new members and keep existing members attending.”

Raquel Greer, MGS: Tanganyika is coming to MGS to present on 5/6 and will bring animals to showcase.  Clarification on MGS field trips to DRC: 5/14 – 3^rd grade; 5/15 – 5^th grade; 5/16 – 4^th grade

Committee Reports:.
Box Tops: present by Christin Hargrove.  Top classes this time will earn a popsicle party. Last day to submit is 5/10.  Prizes not guaranteed unless submitted by that date
Yearbook: presented by Marie Moore.   Supposed to be delivered to Munson on 5/17.  Another sale beginning 5/6 through 5/10.  Next year the sale should be in January so that the books will be in January. Sort is scheduled for the 5/20. Order forms for second sale will go to teachers tomorrow.

T-Shirt Design:  presented by Lacie Blevins.  Voting on next year’s design tonight after the meeting.  Depending on design and what it needs to be printed, Lacie will get quotes from vendors and decide on a vendor over the summer.  Motion to spend up to $500 on sample t-shirts for next year – Erin Manning.  2^nd – Marie Moore.  Motion passed unanimously.

Teacher Appreciation:  presented by Heather Leggett.  Met April 22^nd and decided to split up the teacher appreciation gifts.  Walter’s Flower shop in El Dorado made metal flowers for each secretary and will the do the same thing for the nurses.  The principals will have a separate gift.  Bus barn employees will a breakfast from Krispy Kreme.  PM custodians will receive dinner.  Classified staff breakfast that will be similar to what was done last year.  Certified staff will receive a small recognition gift each day.  Need volunteers to deliver breakfast and gifts.  Contact Heather Leggett.  Clarification from Mrs. Waltrip on difference between staff classifications:  Certified staff – teaching license and Classified staff – no certifications

Old Business:

Wildcat Breakfast and Bingo: presented by Heather Shaw.  Successful event.  Sold 188 plates.  Had $1000 budget.  Spent $284 of the budget.  Soccer games conflicted with the event.  Event will be earlier next year.

New Business:
2012/2013 Committees:

                        T-Shirts – Lacie Blevins and Erin Manning

                        Room Parents – Heather Leggett

                        Teacher Appreciation – Heather Leggett

                        Enrollment – Enrollment will be online.  May have t-shirt info at the KS Star Casino card pickup day     

                        Box Tops – Theresa Papon

                        Fall Fundraiser – Heather Shaw

Change Committee Meeting Dates/Times:  Tuesdays: 6/4, 6/11, 6/18, 6/25 from 10 – 11:30 AM, district board office.  Changes desired can be emailed to Heather Shaw and they can be discussed during the change meetings.  At the first meeting of the year, the bylaws will need to be voted on and the budget will need to be approved (September).  Motion to vote to approve new bylaws, budget, and any other changes made by the change committee at the August 29^th meeting to vote for a new board– Erin Manning. 2^nd – Megan Lodge.  Passed by unanimous vote.

Field day expenses – Motion not to exceed $225 to purchase water for field days. – Lynzee Backus, 2^nd – Heather Leggett.  Motion approved unanimously.

T-Shirt Sample Order – See above

Car Clings Sample Order – Motion not to exceed $200 to purchase car cling samples and sales supplies – Erin Manning; 2^nd – Theresa Papon. Motion approved unanimously.

Movie Licenses for 2013/2014 – Motion to spend $700 to acquire movie licenses for both schools - Heather Leggett, 2^nd – Erin Manning. Motion approved unanimously.

Old Settler’s Day Booth / Parade Budget – Motion not to exceed $300 for Old Settler’s expenses – Debbie White; 2^nd – Erin Manning.  Motion passed.

Motion to increase the Old Settler’s expenses not to exceed $400 – Meagan Lodge, 2^nd – Erin Manning.  Motion passed unanimously.

Membership Fees – Motion to keep the membership fees at $0 – Erin Manning.  2^nd – Heather Leggett.  Motion passed unanimously.

2013/2014 Meeting time/ locations – Remain the same:  1^st Thursday of every month, starting in September @ 6:30 p.m.  First half of the year at Munson, second half of the year at Grade School.

Mary Clausen and Paula Canfield will be retiring: Debbie White would like to have a small card and maybe a small gift for each of them.  May 6^th; 3 to 5 or 4 to 6.  MGS.  Specifics are listed on the district website –

Motion not to exceed $30 per retiring teacher to include a $25 gift card and greeting card. – Megan Lodge; 2^nd – Theresa Papon. Motion passed with one nay vote.

Yearbook Payment:  Motion to pay the remaining portion of yearbook bill, not to exceed $7000 – Erin Manning; 2^nd – Heather Leggett.  Motion passed unanimously.

Fundraiser Funds Distribution: Motion to distribute $3573.65 to each school for fundraiser monies pending BOE approval – Heather Shaw; 2^nd  - Theresa Papon. Motion passed unanimously.

Calabrone’s Night Funds Distribution: Motion to distribute $69 to each school from Calabrone’s fundraiser – Heather Shaw; 2^nd – Erin Manning. Motion passed unanimously.

Upcoming Dates to Know:

Upcoming Dates to Know:

○   5/6 – 5/10 – Teacher Appreciation Week

○   5/6 – 3^rd Grade Tanganyika

○   5/9 – MPS Field Day (5/13 back-up)

○   5/10, 5/14, 5/16 – Chaplin Nature Center Field Trips (MGS)

○   5/14 – 3^rd grade DRC Field Trip

○   5/15 – 5^th grade DRC Field Trip

○   5/16 – 4^th grade DRC Field Trip

○   5/17 – Preschool/JumpStart last day of school

○   5/21 – MGS Beach Party (1:15-3:00)

○   5/22 – Main Street Park Field Trip (3^rd Grade)

○   5/23 – MPS & MGS Last day

○   8/29 – Board Elections

Adjourn: A motion was made by Erin Manning to adjourn at 8:30 pm. Seconded by Lynzee Backus

**Special Meeting to Vote in 2013-2014 Board, Thursday, August 29^th @ 6:30 MPS**

***1^st Official Meeting of 2013-2014 Year, Thursday, September 5^th @ 6:30 MPS***

Change Committee Meeting Dates/Times

We are so excited about the changes happening over the summer!  Mrs. Waltrip and Mrs. Greer have volunteered to help the Change Committee over the summer as we reorganize T.A.P.E.  Meetings will be held every Tuesday in June, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at USD 263 District Office.  If you are interested in being a part of the committee or would like to know more about the responsibilities, please email us at mulvanetape@yahoo.com

Box Tops End of Year Deadline

The deadline for Box Tops submissions is this Friday, May 10th.  Prizes will be distributed by the end of the school year ;) Box tops received after this date will go towards the 2013-2014 school year. 

April Meeting Minutes

T.A.P.E. Meeting Minutes
April 4, 2013
www.mulvanetape.blogspot.com

Board Members Present: President, Heather Shaw; Treasurer, Cindi Jennings; Secretary, Erin Manning, VP of Grade School, Monica Cross; Amanda Sparks, VP of Munson. Total Members Present: 15

January’s Meeting Minutes: presented by Heather Shaw. Motion to approve made by Debbie White, seconded by Marie Moore.

January’s Treasurer’s Report: presented by Cindi Jennings. Motion to approve made by Heather Leggett, seconded by Lynzee Backus.

Principal’s Report:
Deena Waltrip, Munson: Not present, no new report. Both schools are working with the district and are raising/saving their T.A.P.E. funds for playground equipment.
Raquel Greer, MGS: Not present, no new report. Both schools are working with the district and are raising/saving their T.A.P.E. funds for playground equipment.

Proposed Changes to T.A.P.E.: (For explanation of each of these items please read the minutes from March 2013 which are posted at www.mulvanetape.blogspot.com)
File for 501(c)(3) status: Passed by unanimous vote of 14 (the President is not allowed to vote per by-laws).
Dissolve T.A.P.E.: Passed by unanimous vote of 14. This will be a process that takes place over the next few months. A committee will be formed to create a new proposed set of by-laws and to propose a new name for the organization. If you would like to be a part of this committee please contact a T.A.P.E. board member, contact T.A.P.E. through our Facebook page or email us at mulvanetape@yahoo.com. Once the proposed changed have been presented to the group we can either edit or approve. Once final approval is made the change and the dissolution would be finalized. This committee will be active over the summer and the dates for these summer meetings will be announced at the May meeting and published on the T.A.P.E. blog, newsletter, and Facebook page.
Incorporation: Passed by unanimous vote of 14 (the President is not allowed to vote per by-laws).

2013 – 2014 Executive Board Nominations and Elections: Until the above changes are decided upon we are going to suspend Article 5 Section 2, paragraph B of the By-Laws. This means that the elections of the new board members does not have to happen at the April T.A.P.E. meeting. The current board, minus Secretary Erin Manning who is resigning effective April 5, 2013, will remain until the August 29^th T.A.P.E. meeting (this will be a special meeting specifically to vote for a new board). A motion was made by Heather Leggett to suspend the article, seconded by Stephanie Bayliff. Passed by a vote of 13, 1 abstained. Heather Leggett motioned to keep the existing board until August 29^th until the new board is elected, seconded by Sara Taylor. Passed by a unanimous vote.

Committee Reports:
Fundraising: Total sales of all orders received by the deadline was $17,800. There are a few orders still being processed. More information and exact numbers will be available at the May meeting.
Wildcat Breakfast and BINGO: Saturday April 13^th. Heather Leggett motioned to not spend any more than $1,000 on Wildcat Breakfast and BINGO. Seconded by Meagan Lodge. Passed by unanimous vote. The last day to send ticket orders into the schools using the green order form sent home is Friday April 5^th. Tickets can still be purchased at Calabrone’s and Sweeties. Tickets will be available at the door.
Box Tops: Top classes this time will earn a popsicle party. A cutoff date will be set to
Yearbook: Presale sold 363 yearbooks. We ordered 551 from LifeTouch and we are going to give one yearbook to each classroom. We will have 148 to purchase at the end of the year.
T-Shirt Design Contest: Design contest starts April 15^th and ends the 29^th. Get those forms colored in and sent back!

Old Business:
Teacher Appreciation: Committee meeting to help with this is Monday April 22^nd at 7pm at Munson in the PAT room. Join us! Anyone who has an interest in this committee is welcome. The week of May 6^th is teacher appreciation.

New Business:
Kindergarten Round Up: April 16^th. There are some changes this year. Children will no longer attend and there will no longer be a bus ride. Parents, contact the school if you have a child who will be attending Kindergarten this fall. On this evening Calabrone’s is hosting a fundraising night starting at 4pm and all of the profits from the children’s meals will be donated to T.A.P.E. Calabrone’s will also offer crafts and some other fun activities. This is a great way to support the schools and make your evening easier!
2013 – 2014 Committees: Tabled
Munson’s Field Day: May 9^th, rain date is May 13^th. MGS will have a separate Field Day, watch for more info to come directly from MGS.

Upcoming Dates to Know:

○   4/8 – MGS Casual Pictures Day – VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED

○   4/13 – Wildcat Breakfast and Bingo – VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED

○   4/16 – Kindergarten Round-Up @ 7:00 p.m., MPS

○   4/18 – 5^th Grade Music Program @ 7:00 p.m., MHS

○   4/26 – No School

Adjourn: A motion was made by Heather Leggett to adjourn at 8:40 pm. Seconded by Sara Taylor.

** Final T.A.P.E. Meeting: Thursday May 2nd at 6:30pm at the Grade School Library! **

Only 3 Days Left to Order Yearbooks!!!

Have you ordered your yearbook yet?? Only 3 days left! All paper orders must be turned in by this Friday, March 15th. Online orders will be accepted until Sunday, March 17th.

Yearbook ID: 10052013

Lifetouch Online Yearbook Ordering 

March 2013 Minutes

T.A.P.E. Meeting Minutes
March 7, 2013

Board Members Present: President, Heather Shaw; Treasurer, Cindi Jennings; Secretary, Erin Manning Not Present: VP of Grade School, Monica Cross; Amanda Sparks, VP of Munson. Total Members Present: 18

January’s Meeting Minutes: presented by Heather Shaw. Motion to approve made by Heather Leggett, seconded Lynzee Backus.
January’s Treasurer’s Report: presented by Cindi Jennings. Motion to approve made by Heather Leggett, seconded by Michelle Riggs.

Principal’s Report:
Deena Waltrip, Munson: Construction is going very well. You can already see the progress! The construction workers will be doing some lessons in the classrooms to teach kids about construction. Thank you to all of the volunteers for picture day (and for all of those that helped to spread the word of the new date). MPS is planning on adding to their playground equipment, in phases. The new playground also has the goal of being handicapped accessible with paved paths and toys that are accessible as well. Both schools are applying for grants to help with their playground projects as well as saving T.A.P.E. funds, etc. MPS will be using all Spring fundraiser money towards the playground equipment.
Raquel Greer, MGS: Construction at MGS begins in April. Dates for state testing for 3^rd and 4^th graders were adjusted because of the snow days. Letters were sent home to all of these students. Currently, MGS is saving all of their funds that is being raised by T.A.P.E. to re-do the playground equipment at MGS. In order to accomplish this MGS will need to raise/save around $40,000. MPS will be using all Spring fundraiser money towards the playground equipment.

Committee Reports:
Fundraising: Kick off is March 12^th, 8 am at MPS and 2:30 pm at MGS.
Wildcat Breakfast and BINGO: This is our spring family event (in lieu of the carnival, due to construction and limited space). It will be advertised to the community so it is open for anyone to attend. This also gives the community an opportunity to see the construction changes at MPS. Saturday, April 13^th at 8am – 11am at MPS. Chris Cakes will be providing the food, for a fee per plate. MPS and MGS students are $3 per ticket, all others are $5 per plate, all you can eat. Kids 4 and under can share off of their parent’s plate if they would like; if a child 4 and under needs their own place then they would purchase a $3 ticket. BINGO will be running simultaneously as the breakfast. BINGO, and all of the prizes, is included in the price of the meal ticket. We will have back up activities for kids that get restless; these will be in the library.
Box Tops: Kristin: MPS $1116 and MGS $800+. We have lost our 75 box top prize so we are changing to Derby Doughnuts. This should be finalized soon! WalMart gave us a $50 grant (thank you WalMart!) so Kristin used this towards the cookies & milk party so we saved the money we had set aside for that and will use it for the popsicle party instead. In our area (approximately a 12 mile radius) we are ranked 2^nd for the most box tops submitted by a school, thank you Wildcats!!
Yearbook: Sales forms went home. The dates of the sale changed because of the snow days. The dates on the order form are correct. The final day to buy your yearbook is March 15^th. You can order online, there is no fee and this makes the sale much easier on the yearbook committee. Please order online if you can! A motion was made by Stephanie Bayliff  for T.A.P.E. to purchase one yearbook for each classroom in both buildings. These yearbooks will stay in the classroom for the kids to use and look through during class time. Seconded by Elizabeth Thornton. Passed by unanimous vote.
Movie Night: Friday March 8^th. Free admission, doors open at 6:30 and the movie will start at 7:00 pm at Mulvane High School. There will be door prizes, free popcorn, and free water. If you attend, PLEASE pick up your garbage as you leave the auditorium. This event is open to the families of students attending MPS and MGS. Wear jammies, no drop offs for kids – parents or an adult need to attend.

Old Business:
Conference Meals: Thank you to everyone who helped with conference meals. Thank you to Olive Garden in Derby for donating food and to all of the parents and families who sent in food.

New Business:
Fundraising vendors for 2013-2014:  We are only going to have one major fundraiser, in the fall, next year. The spring fundraiser (which has been a catalog sale the last few years) would be replaced with an event fundraiser (ie, a carnival or family fun day). After a vote, it was decided by majority that our 2013-2014 fundraiser will be through Rivercity (which is the company that has done our fundraisers for the past two falls). We will also sell Frontier Trash Bags at some point during the year and window clings, tumblers and sports bottles with t-shirts and throughout the year.
Kindergarten Round Up: April 16^th. Volunteers needed! Contact T.A.P.E. to volunteer and/or watch the Facebook page and sign up through that outlet.
Teacher Appreciation Ideas: Heather Leggett will head this committee. Xx made a motion to spend no more than $1,000 on teacher and staff appreciation (May 6^th – 10^th) gifts. Lynzee Backus seconded. Passed by unanimous vote.
Future of T.A.P.E.:  See Addendum

Hear nominations for new officers: Nominations will be taken up until the April 4^th meeting, which is when we vote on the 2013 – 2014 board. Please contact any board member if you have questions about the roles of the positions or would like to make a nomination.
T-Shirt Design Contest: Forms will go out the week of April 15^th and will be due the beginning of May. Have your kiddo start thinking about the T-shirt design that they would like to submit.

Upcoming Dates to Know:

·       3/6 Child Find Clinic

·       3/8  Family Movie Night @ 7pm, Mulvane High School Auditorium

·       3/12 Signature Fundraiser Kick off

·       3/15 Yearbook sale ends

·       3/18 – 3/22 Spring Break

·       3/29 No school

·       4/2 Signature Fundraiser Ends

·       4/8 MGS Casual Picture Day

Adjourn: A motion was made by Heather Leggett to adjourn at 8:19 pm. Seconded by Christin Hargrove.

** Next T.A.P.E. Meeting: Thursday April 4th at 6:30pm at the Grade School Library! **
At this meeting we will: vote for new officers, vote on proposed changes for T.A.P.E., discuss filling chair positions

Addendum:
 

Proposed Changes to T.A.P.E.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The current board has been researching various ways to secure the future of T.A.P.E., both for our children and the schools we represent.  There is nothing wrong with the way our organization is running; however, there are additional steps we can take now, that will help us be more efficient, focused, defined, and most importantly, productive in supporting our schools financially.  We are proposing three changes:  1) Dissolve T.A.P.E., rename as Mulvane PTO (or other agreed upon name) 2) File to become Not for Profit Corporation 3) File to become tax-exempt with the IRS, receiving a 501(c )(3) status 

1.     Name Recognition – many people do not know what T.A.P.E. is or what we do

a.      This is a significant issue for new parents in our district, as many are looking for information about a PTO.  They are missing out on being a part of our organization because they don’t know how to ‘find us’

                                               i.     Solve by better communicating and advertising ourselves

                                              ii.     Solve by starting from scratch by restructuring and renaming

b.      Dissolving and starting fresh will enable a smooth transition to a 501(c)(3) status.  The application is extensive and it requires detailed financial information from the past five years.  Unfortunately, we do not have the proper records to successfully apply for 501(c)(3) status.  Starting over as a new organization will permit us to gain tax-exempt status, without the frustrations of trying to piece together the past 5 years of T.A.P.E.

2.     Not for Profit Corporation

                                               i.     We can file for incorporation using the T.A.P.E. name, or we can dissolve and rename as Mulvane PTO

                                              ii.     The primary benefit for our organization is protection from personal liability—our board members would be protected from liability for unpaid organizational debts or lawsuits against the organization.  Even with incorporation, it is still wise to purchase additional coverage to protect against situations that lie outside of incorporation law

1.     As we stand now, the board members and their assets are vulnerable.  There is nothing established that will protect individual board members from being sued and their assets taken.

2.     Additional benefits are on the “Before You Incorporate as a Nonprofit-Pros and Cons” sheet

                                            iii.     Cost to incorporate in the state of Kansas is $20 and can be done electronically, without additional fees

3.     File for 501(c)(3) status

a.      This is a win-win for our organization

                                               i.     Tax Exemption – gives us tax exempt status from income tax for all activities relating to our mission

                                              ii.     Credibility – would demonstrate to our community that we take ourselves seriously.  We have bylaws, policies, mission, programs, records and finances in place.

                                            iii.     Donations – In order for our sponsors and supporters to claim a donation to our organization as a tax deduction, we must be federally registered 501(c )(3) organization.

1.     Specifically important when we solicit donations for group events like an auction, raffle, or carnival.  Many will only donate if we are 501(c)(3) status.

2.     This would allow us to promote an ‘opt-out’ program for fundraisers.  Parents could choose to donate cash monies at the first of the year and that would ensure their child(ren) do not have to participate in fundraisers.  The full dollar amt donated would be tax deductible and the full amount would go to the schools; whereas buying from the fundraisers only guarantees a portion of the purchase price goes to the schools. 

a.      Give $50 to ‘opt-out’ program and it’s tax deductible and school gets $50

b.      Buy $50 worth of merchandise from a fundraiser and the school gets up to 50% or $25

                                             iv.     Grants – most grant programs require their applicants to be federally registered as 501(c)(3) status.  We could do so much more for the schools if we had the ability to apply for grants

                                              v.     Three cons

1.     Becoming tax exempt with the IRS requires an annual filing of our activity.  The form is simple and requires very little preparation

2.     Record keeping is a must!!  We must have our books available at all times for anyone from the community to view; however, have a good checks and balances will better protect our monies from potential embezzlement

3.     Cost is a one-time fee of $850

a.      We must decide on incorporation before we file for 501(c)(3) status.  If we hold off on incorporating and file for 501(c)(3) status, later changing our minds, we would have to pay the fee all over again (as well as complete an entirely new application)

References

Forhan, Christy, Taxes, PTOs, and the IRS, www.ptotoday.com

Forhan, Christy, 501(c)(3) for PTOs, www.ptotoday.com

Fritz, Joanne, Before You Incorporate as a Nonprofit – Pros & Cons, http://nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitbasics/bb/corppros.htm

www.irs.gov

https://www.kansas.gov/businesscenter/