General Meeting Minutes Oct. 17, 2024

10/18/2024 7:43 am

October 17, 2024 General Meeting Minutes

 

• Call the meeting to order →7:01pm

• Attendance

• Board members:

 

• Katie O’Donnell: President
• Mai Nguyen: Treasurer
• Kitty Greenstein: 1st VP
• Renee Flynn: 2nd VP
• Rachana Garg: Corresponding secretary - Absent
• Theresa Hull: Recording Secretary 
• Dr. Samuel Khoshaba: Principal 

 

• Membership: 218 (Faculty 48)

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General Meeting Minutes/Budget 5/15/2024

5/20/2024 9:45 am

General PTSO Meeting MINUTES

Wednesday, 15 May 2024 @7P SOCO HS School Library

 

• Call the meeting to order - 7:05 pm

• Attendance - Katie O’Donnell, Ellen Ardrey, Kitty Greenstein, Dr. Samuel Khoshaba, Theresa Hull, Mai Nguyen, Angela Sanders, Lia Lujan, and Kim Parton

South County PTSO FY 2023
Income and Expense Compared to Annual Budget

07/01/2023 - 06/30/2024

For 4/17 PTSO Board Meeting
Current as of 4/16/24

 

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General meeting minutes - Jan. 18, 2024

2/14/2024 4:34 pm

General PTSO Community Meeting Minutes

Thursday, 18  Jan 2024 @7P South County HS Library

 

• Call the meeting to order 7:03 pm

• Attendance

• Board members:

 

• Katie O’Donnell: President
• Ellen Ardrey: Treasurer
• Kitty Greenstein: 1st VP
• Renee Flynn: 2nd VP
• Rachana Garg: Corresponding secretary - Absent
• Melinda Fortunato: Recording Secretary - Absent
• Dr. Samuel Khoshaba: Principal 

 

• Membership: 384 Total (297 Reg., 58 Fac., 17 Unsp., 10 Students, 1 community, 1 Lifetime)

 

• Encourage your friends to support the PTSO by becoming a member.
• We are doing fantastic with 384 members!
• www.membershiptoolkit.com

 

• Principal:

• Athletic update

• School will have a boys Varsity Volleyball and Girls Varsity wrestling teams

• Academic advising season

• School Counselor appreciation week – Starts 5 Feb 2024

• PTSO provided 9 bundt cakes for school counselors on 5 Feb 2024.

• Budget:

 

• Treasurer report
• School/Teachers
• Teacher professional funding is available by request with application through Dr. Khoshaba
• Facilities and programs
• Purchase of Screen Beams for classrooms and Microphones for school wide use
• Honor roll goodie bags
• Due to the overwhelming success of past honor roll requests, the PTSO will fund the honor roll recognition bags for 3rd Quarter (100).
• Students – what else can the PTSO do to support the students throughout the school year?

Possible ideas:

• College and career center
• Special PTSO grant for club/organization
• Additional funding for the food for neighbors program

• Community events:
• Spring Fling: 20 April 2024 (Rain date 27 April 2024) 🡪 We need LOTS of community support to make this happen.
• Holiday Extravaganza 2023 made $10,000 more than budgeted - FANTASTIC
• Seniors
• All night Graduation party (ANGP) planning is going strong 🡪 over $25,000 raised so far.
• Vote for granting ANGP craft fair profit share based on need – vote was yes
• Next ANGP planning meeting is 6 Feb 2024 at 7P in the library.

 

• Next General PTSO meeting will be 20 March 2024 @7P in the library

• Bring the meeting to a close at 8:02 pm

 

 

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General Meeting Minutes November 2023

11/9/2023 6:49 pm

  General Meeting Minutes - Nov. 9th, 2023

Attendees: Katie O’donnell, Kitty Greenstein, Renee Flynn, Melinda Fortunato, Fazila Latep, Muhammad Tamuryani, Ann Wilkie, Tricia Waugh, Steve Waugh, Dr. Khoshaba, Freshta Ibrahimi

SEPT Minutes Approved 11/9/2023

President’s Report

Katie:

Members - 360 (57 Faculty, 274 Regular). Dr. K will push for more faculty renewals/sign-ups. Display case has updated information including a QR code for quick Toolkit access to sign-up, buy WHO, bracelets, Magnets, etc…

Honor roll - SUG went out asking for HR bag goodies. Bags will be assembled and delivered to 100 Honor Roll students.

Teacher In-Service Lunch - Nov. 6th - Subs from Jersey Mikes delivered to school Monday morning. Thank you to the community for all the extra donations that helped make their day a bit easier. 

ANGP - $60 through February 29th. Then it will increase to $75. 

Ask the community to help with Holiday Extravaganza flyer distribution, road sign duty, set-up and clean-up during the event.

Vote: BHAG - Rename to Facilities and Programs
Vote Yes 11/9/23

Discussion for Facilities & Programs: Marvin Wooten asking for Microphones - 2 handheld for auditorium used by the entire school. Request needs to be completed to include research and price for microphones.

Table This Discussion: Water Fountains - Plumber said no filters in water fountains (new or old ones don’t have filters), its same water as out of the faucet.
Marvin Wooten is checking with the county to see if we are on the list for more.
6 touchless Water Fountains.
14 old Water fountains (PTSO buys 2, School buys 2)

Donations toward Teacher InService Lunch Leftovers - Will be used for 4 Teacher Recognition Coming Up - $25 gift cards (4), $10 gift cards for teacher luncheon.

Treasurer’s Report

Ellen: 

We will discuss the revisions made and the funding requests/projected county plans that prompted those changes. To maintain budget transparency, we will need to take a vote. 

Jake Waters, SCHS Technology Specialist, will be attending to explain a funding request and the reason for it. NO SHOW

Holiday Extravaganza

Renee:

Holiday Extravaganza Dec. 2nd, 2023 - SUG was sent out for Flyer volunteers. Separately, please let us know if you are available to do Road Signs, Set-up night before and Clean-up that evening.  We did not have enough hands on deck for clean-up last year. Use the www.x2vol.com site to log and get volunteer time approved. Time approval and volunteer questions go to craftvol@southcountyptso.org.
Dr. K - Service Hours are not required anymore. Wrestling Team can’t because of a change in tournaments.
**Need Extra Help for breakdown because last year not enough volunteers.
**Susan Baker for French asked for volunteer opportunities.
**Katie asking Volleyball. 

Principal’s Report

Dr. K or AP:

(Upcoming dates, reminders, continued support, appreciation)
Thank you for the lunch - 20 sandwiches leftover (given to custodial staff)
Veterans Day Celebration
Purple Star Designation - military friendly school (good for military moving here)
Academically - focussing on 2 high yield strategies - learning retains longer, 1-engaging lessons 2-student efficacy
Peer Observation
Dude Be Nice Campaign - Anti Bullying/Appreciation combined - be nice & kind to classmates
Female Security Monitor - part time ( Every other day 11-2p) girls bathrooms patrol, current girls assistant volleyball court
4 Full Time Security Monitors
Thanksgiving Break - Wed-Fri
Chronic Absenteeism - We are Yellow for chronic absence.

Next General Meeting will be January 18, 2024. Let’s have a wonderful fall y’all and to quote Tabitha Brown, “If you can’t, don’t you dare go messing up nobody else’s.” 

Meeting Complete: 803pm

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Budget as of Nov 2023

11/8/2023 4:59 pm

South County PTSO FY 2023

General Membership Budget Report

9-Nov-23

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Board Meeting Minutes Oct 2023

10/12/2023 6:41 pm

Primary Board Meeting Minutes

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023@ 7pm 

Attendance (Board Members)

• Dr. Samuel Khoshaba: Principal
• Ellen Ardrey: Treasurer
• Kitty Greenstein: 1st VP
• Renee Flynn: 2nd VP
• Rachana Garg: Corresponding Secretary
• Melinda Fortunato: Recording Secretary

Membership (355)

• 270 Regular, 56 Faculty, 17 Unspecified, 10 Student, 1 Community, 1 Lifetime
  Goal was 300-400 regular, 100% faculty (150 faculty)
  Dr. K will email the nonmembers and ask them again to sign up. Reminder: QR code is on display. Dr. K will add link in his email. Kitty sending details to Dr. K on faculty stats.
• Dionne Garvin gave front office membership forms for teacher mailboxes

Principal’s Report

• We need two additional touchless water fountains, each one estimated to cost $1200.00 - Some old fountains don’t work, or they are old and not clean. 2 fountains touchless estimated at $1200ish. County will pay for installation.
  
  
  
• BHAG Requests for General Membership Meeting - Screenbeams, water fountains, 2 microphones for community use. Need official requests for microphones & water fountains.
• We need two more $25 gift cards for the PE teacher leaders
  Melinda purchased, Dr. K received and Ellen wrote a check for reimbursement

Treasurer’s Report

• Taxes Done!
• Balances

• Review Classroom Support, Club Grants, etc.

Ellen - professional development, submit receipt to Ellen - at registration or after attended is up to Dr. K

Funding Requests

• $300 Spanish Books, Yes or No?  Update: Laura sent approval for $300.

• BHAG: funds used for current requests?

Ellen - auditor asked about urinal partitions' purpose. If this is something the county should provide but Dr. K said they won’t.
Fountains: 10 total needed, asking us for 2 water fountains. Auditors - “Whose property is this? Should be documented that PTSO is gifting it and not responsible for installation or maintenance”
Ellen - Regarding use of BHAG $, at some point we need to ask General Membership to vote on large 

Rachana - what is the limit before taking votes to the membership.
Kitty - Regarding Classroom support, no threshold in bylaws. We should make a threshold.
Ellen - We had $19K of uncategorized donations and Auditors didn’t like that.
***Add water fountains to the General Meeting Agenda - under BHAG.
***Screenbeams for classrooms - Add to water fountains to the General Meeting

Screenbeams: 

$10500 - not a safety issue so the county won’t fix it. Not all classrooms need this. 

Rachana - do we buy a few to see how they work because technology changes and this may become outdated “Pilot” program. 

Dr. K - depends on classroom/type of class - give 2 per department now and try it - 11 departments - 22 now. 

Renee - this needs to be clarified to high priority classrooms. Only teachers who don’t need them are teachers who don’t project. Prioritize Freshman Core classes and some others…
Microphone request for Theater - $500 already approved, she wants 15-20 microphones at $400 each asking for $500-2000 - booked under a classroom, not club. Notification was sent to teachers per the request.
Kitty - Bylaws say we don’t donate to clubs with boosters. Molly’s request was submitted as a Classroom Request.
***Dr. K should ask for an official amount to bring to General Meeting Agenda for water fountains and microphones.
Kitty - $300 for clubs $500 for competition - Need to clarify our thresholds for Classroom Requests.
Rachana - Should have a list from Laura for approvals of donations for future meetings.

• Water Fountains $1200 Each. 
• ScreenBeams $10,500 (estimation for 60 classrooms) Looking to start with smaller amount to have a “Pilot” test run.
• Theater Microphones $400 each and a Macbook $1,000-$3,000 ($500 approved already)

Holiday Extravaganza 2023 Report

• Review Operating Costs and Efforts needed and made
• Sponsor Donations - Trademasters, St. James, Potomac Music, Bryn More school, Fairfax Colorectal, Kacey Whitmarsh STate farm, South Fairfax Chamber
• KIT message for Connie
• Volunteer Sign-ups Update: Renee sent out SUG for Flyer distribution, sent to art society also
• Future Needs - volunteers
• new sponsor signs Ellen hard to hang, approved by Dr. K for cinder block tacks

Renee - Facilities Use Fee - $1680 will be adjusted - revisit hours of custodians

ANGP 2024

• Kitty - Sold items at game
• Rachana - fundraising over budget, 50 tickets sold + donation, January 15 last day for $60 ticket price…will increase to $75 the 16th.
  Renee - ANGP should share signup genius

Honor Roll Bags

• Send out Sign-Up Genius HR donation request at the end October. 
• Make bags and give to Marci G. by mid November

Review Action Items and Correspondence 

Extravaganza: Send AP Lisa Beskinas copy of Extravaganza Flyer and Volunteer requests. Look to reduce the cost of Facility Use cost by limiting the need of Janitorial hours. Purchase new banners. Email staff at other schools to give heads up about free admission. Order concrete hooks once we know what kind of rivet the signs are made with. Get with a book basket builder friend to go over the needs of the book emporium.

Membership: Kitty will email Dionne to make a list showing full membership with a breakdown of each type of member. Dr. K will remind teachers to renew memberships.

Toolkit: On Toolkit, the list of Board members still reads Ann Wilkie as president and we need to check other names. Kitty will email Steve, if she can’t make the changes. 

Next Teacher in Service- Nov. 6th: We need to order 10 more veggie subs per the 

request of some. Jersey Mikes, right?

Honor Roll: SUG for goodies needed will go out at the end of month. Kitty making bags and giving to Marci by mid November. 

BHAG $ Use: Per the request from Dr. K, Kitty will ask Marvin Wooten to make official Funding requests for 2 microphones and 2 water fountains. Along with these two requests, there’s also the screenbeams request that needs to be presented to the community at a general meeting. In order to not get into “hot water” with the auditor, we need to show complete transparency with the budget and not approve funding for items that Do Not fall under any current line made on the budget to date. 

I suggest we rename the BHAG line to something like, NCC, Not County Covered, we get the idea… 

We present our current needs, at a General Meeting, with the idea that the BHAG funds can and will be used for requests that the county will not cover. We also need to give the agenda for this General meeting out to the community asap…if we don’t have enough people attend we can’t get the changes needed to the budget passed. 

Next Board Meeting

• December 7, 630pm…will figure out the location later. We needed to have it early because of schedule conflicts. Melinda has offered her place up again. 

Upcoming Events per Dr K
Nov 6: staff lunch - veg options need more per Rachana feedback from teachers - 10 more
Nov 8: 10am ribbon cutting ceremony Mural - geared toward autism. 3D art installation created by a commissioned artist for students with sensory capabilities.
OCT 25: 10am senior class info meeting for students about Jostens Class Rings
Oct 28: 10 am Ribbon Cutting New Fire Station

END Meeting - 9pm

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General Meeting Minutes - Sept 2023

9/21/2023 7:00 pm

South County PTSO

Type of Meeting: General Membership Meeting

Meeting Date/Time: Thursday, September 21, 2023 @ 7:00 PM 

Location: South County High School Library

Meeting Called to Order: 7:04 PM

Attendance: Katie O’Donnell, Pres., Kitty Greenstein, 1st VP, Renee Flynn, 2nd VP, Ellen Ardry, Treasurer, Dr. Khoshaba, Principal. See attached for members in attendance.

Katie O’Donnell-Welcome and Introduction. Stressed the importance of membership. The current membership is 77 and our goal is to add 150 new members. 

Dr. Khoshaba, Principal-State of our school presentation

Introduction, welcome, and slide presentation.

Transparency regarding issues at SCHS. “Beliefs about Educating Students”

• Crazy for kids
• Curious
• Consistency 
• Culture-nurture all kids

Teacher vacancies filled with long-term sub-not the goal, but there are very few applicants. Only one long-term sub currently.

Strengths at SCHS:

• Art-many students participated in art show at the Workhouse looking to move this to SCHS
• 60+ Clubs
• New Murals that represent students-several new over the summer
• Trusted adult initiative-every student is encouraged to have a trusted adult at SCHS
• Strong Fine Arts Dept: Band, Orchestra, Choir, Theater, Guitar
• Strong Sports Programs

School Survey from last year:

Parents/Students/Teachers: overall positive

Staff: expressed the need to have more access to Dr. Khoshaba. He will address by:

• Adding a leadership cohort
• New staff 0-3 experience work towards connecting with them
• Attendance at team meetings
• Observation in classrooms
• Mobile office

SOL Results show SCHS is excelling above county averages.

Breakdown of SCHS Student Body:

• 2177 enrolled
• 126 ESOL
• 272 SPED
• 323 Military Connected Youth
• Ethnically-Very Diverse School

Behavior is an area of concern:

• Cutting Class 167 students (21% of discipline)
• Cell phone violations 74 (9% of discipline)
• Insubordination 74 (9% of discipline)
• Unexcused Tardies 61 (8% of discipline

Plans to work with all at-risk groups to reduce discipline infractions.

A county team is being put into place to support SCHS families and students in at risk groups. Specialists from the Family Engagement @ FCPS Gatehouse working on family outreach.

SCHS is proud to be a Red Bag School

• Food pantry for SCHS and surrounding community 
• Lead by parent Karen McGuinnes and Claudia Jones, Asst. Principle
• Link on PTSO Facebook page for families to sign up to be donors

Another area of improvement: Absenteeism SCHS is at level 2- we need to improve. Parents can help by ensuring kids are coming to school, traveling during school closure days, etc.

Hidden in Plain Sight (HIPS): Fairfax County Police to offer an interactive parent program touching on drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, eating disorders, risky sexual behaviors, etc. The next presentation is October 16th at Sully Station

Parent request for Dr. Khoshaba:

• Better communication regarding what grade levels attend school on days when PSAT/SAT are given in school.
• Better communication/clarification of what days are necessary for kids to attend (parents voiced kids were told in some classes they didn’t need to come). The concern is that this affects our absenteeism level.

Academic Focus-High Yield Strategies 4-Year Plan

• 2 each year 
• 2023-2024 
• Getting students engage in content
• Building student self-efficacy

What parents want students to know about high school in 2023.

• Coping with stress is a daily struggle
• I try really hard even if my grade doesn’t show it
• Cyberbullying is more common vs. physical bullying
• Grade change and parent should wait a week
• It’s difficult and stressful to balance school and college applications
• We mostly do work on our computers all day

How can parents help?

• Brainstorm ways to reduce stress
• Encourage attendance
• Discuss cellphone use during school-allowed between classes and at lunch
• Monitor sleep patterns
• Check student social media accounts for cyberbullying

Treasurer Report-Ellen Ardry

• Need to approve 2023-2024 proposed budget-print outs on tables for review by general membership-APPROVED by membership
• Changes we made from previous year
• Page 2 #6 Senior Class needs
• Page 2 #7 Monthly events and recognitions (roll Mosaic, Hispanic Heritage, etc into one line item
• Page 2 #8 Teacher and Professional Development $5500
• Page 2 #9 12 month CD-reinvest to earn money. Need to have aprox. $10,000 to start off each school year-insurance, etc. 
• BUDGET APPROVED and May 18th general membership meeting approved
• If we need to make changes we will come back to the membership
• BHAG-Big Hairy Audacious Goal
• Need committee to vet ideas for possible execution
• If interested pleas sign up (available that night)
• School/Teachers: 
• PTSO funded 6 professional development opportunities for teachers
• Classroom and club funding requests:
• Must be received by 1st and 3rd of each by 12pm
• All requests must go through mini-grants chair
• Katie O’Donnell:
• Sign-up genius for snack donations for teacher development day-PTSO will purchase subs
• Sign-up genius for $5 gift card donations for Honor Roll -PTSO will purchase 50/100
• 100 bags with gift cards, granola bars, candy 
• Principles/Admin- draw randomly and pass out in Advisory
• Renee Flynn-Lorton Holiday Extravaganza and Craft Show: 
• Explanation of event-one of the largest fund raisers
• We need volunteers- sign-ups available at meeting. Watch for sign-up genius to come for flyer distribution, road signs and banners.
• Katie O’Donnell-All Night Grad Party Fundraising going well approx. $4500, but much more needed to keep ticket prices down. Party is approx. $35,000.

Meeting Adjourned 8:20 PM

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Board Meeting Minutes- Aug 2023

8/1/2023 6:49 pm

Primary Board Meeting Agenda/Minutes

Sunday, 13 Aug 2023 @ 2P (Home of Rachana Garg)

• Attendance (Board members)

• Board members:

• Katie O’Donnell: President
• Ellen Ardrey: Treasurer
• Kitty Greenstein: 1st VP
• Renee Flynn: 2nd VP Absent
• Rachana Garg: Corresponding secretary
• Melinda Fortunato: Recording Secretary
• Dr. Samuel Khoshaba: Principle
• Communication
• Text, e-mail, KIT message, meetings……carrier pigeon
  Rachana - is there a messaging/marketing calendar?
  Dr. K - All school events - one page document uploaded to the website. Connie adds all events and can build them in.
  Centralized Calendar - Leslie Lewis manages it. Give event details to Connie to add to the calendar.
  Rachana will manage PTSO central calendar and work with Francis on marketing.
  Dr. K - add promotions and pictures for events. Send Lisa Beskenis pictures for promoting.
  Dr. K - electronic marquee finally getting fixed. Marvin Wooten will update marquee.
  
  

• Budget:

• Treasurer report
  Ellen - worked with Katie. Explanation of the Report. With projected, expenses, actual.
  Raising money & event is ANGP - Craft Fair gives ANGP $10K - holding this year for student participation and then Fair may give $10K by request.
  Dr. K - ask for other students besides SGA to attend ANGP to give other students opportunity to voice their ideas & input.
  Katie - not a student event, but can consider. We don’t want too many ideas.
  Melinda - maybe have a schedule with various students attending each month and that gives other groups of students more info on ANGP.
  -BHAG - $30K
  –$28807 -  spend more than we bring in.
  12 month CD - mature on 28th of July - First Bank of Indiana
  $5000 - can we put down to St. James for ANGP, Katie says can’t do it yet. St. James said they will pick a date for all schools to give deposit.
  Professional development fund - $5000 approved
  Dr K - thank you. has never seen a PTSO put money behind the school like this.
  BHAG - how do we solicit ideas for this? Front of the school. Tabled - work out details, need a committee & verbage. Address Questions like-  whats the goal of this and why do we have so much extra money?
  Ellen - we passed our audit. YAY!
  Teacher Membership - Only 10 members. Teachers with students cannot be both types of members. Teachers who are family members need to tell Katie they are members as a family.
  Point of meeting tomorrow is for teachers to join. Will give water bottles and offer raffle.
  Dr K - who are teacher members? Counselors or staff? Teachers are the members - not staff. 100% membership is 100% teacher membership.

• Katie - Gift Cards - $5 Gift Cards for honor roll,
  Stallions for Success & Hope Kids - risk for dropping out: Tier 1 - 80% no needs, Tier 2 - 15% Stallions for Success have moderate needs academically underachievers, attendance behavior, Tier 3 - 5% High underachievers, not in special ed
  Creating more opportunities for Tier 2&3 - if you haven’t skipped class and met the goals get a reward - a nice reward with a seal, gift cards. Every 4 ½ weeks. Second 4 ½ weeks - fewer than 5 tardees, Third 4 ½ weeks - no behavior issues…..
  Katie - use honor roll money for Stallions for Success. Can ask for GC for positive behavior for students.
  Dr. K - 25% of student qualify for free/reduced lunch ($18K or less per household)
  Dr. K - 30 staff who are team leaders - get no extra money for extra work - can we give GC to team leaders? Katie - we don’t have enough for 30. Dr. K - if something comes up that we can give them that would be great. Katie will talk to Karen M for extra GC that were purchased. 25 for honor roll and the rest will go to Stallions for Success.
  
  
  

• Review talking points for the teacher welcome on 14 Aug 2023

• Teacher incentives for becoming members
• Raffle of Dr. K’s parking spot
• Quarterly for one week?
• $2 for one chance or 3 for $5?
• All $$ goes to off-set lunch for in-services & teacher developmental fund
  
  Ellen will give report on how many and amount of club funding from 2022-23.
  Katie - Prof Dev fund - basics and Dr K will give details to them on Friday.
  Ellen - Cannot fund transportation or hotel

Dr. K - auction Dr K’s spot to students. Students don’t want it. What about teachers? Quarterly auction off Dr K’s spot.  Will ask teachers if they want this?
Allow students to leave 5 minutes early. $1/min? Once a quarter? Once a month? How do we sell this?
Who will be the DJ every Friday? Raffle for the DJ?

• Status of being able to submit funding requests through a “digital portal” or sharepoint type process/program

• Marketing

• For the PTSO: Francis Fick 703-867-2481

• Date of teacher in-service lunch?  Dr. K - November 6th

• Automated Workflow Update - Rachana - no functionality with membership toolkit. There are other systems that we can use for workflow. Google Workspace - $12/use per month OR Jira Cloud is free version. Katie - Let’s try the free version for now.

• Next General PTSO board meeting will be 21 Sep 2023 @7P in the library

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