PTSO General Membership Meeting Minutes
Thursday, 15 January 2026 @7P SOCO Library
o Call the meeting to order 7:03pm
o Attendance – Please sign in and provide your email [Attendees are as follows: Dr. Khoshaba, Katie
O’Donnell, Kristine Wightman; Mai Nguyen; and Theresa Hull]
o Board members:
o Katie O’Donnell: President
o Mai Nguyen: Treasurer
o Kitty Greenstein: 1 st VP
o Kristine Wightman: 2 nd VP
o Rachana Garg: Corresponding secretary
o Theresa Hull: Recording Secretary
o Dr. Samuel Khoshaba: Principal
o General:
o Encourage your friends to support the PTSO by becoming a member. Currently at 259
members.
www.southcountyptso.membershiptoolkit.com
o Postponed review & approval of general membership meeting minutes from Nov 2025
meeting to the March meeting.
o Roles open for nomination for the 2026-27 School Year.
President and 1 st VP
o Katie will work on a notification to the community.
o Budget:
o Treasurer report
Highlighted expenses paid: Silent Auction $6400; Book Emporium $447.30; Jingle
Belle Kid Shoppe $266.
$1,800 check issued in June 2025 was not cashed. Check was canceled and new
check was reissued minus cancelation fees. Recommendation for future checks
–over $1,000: Documentation from for acknowledgement that the check was
received by recipient.
ANGP. Committee is asking PTSO for $10,000 profit share. Fundraisers still
scheduled:
Graduation front-row seats at Eagle Bank Arena. (currently $1,320)
Restaurant nights to include Five Guys, Yaffa Grille.
o Principal Notes:
o Curriculum Night Jan 8 – highest attendance for this event yet! Middle School posted the
event on Talking Points which reached a wider audience.
o WIDA Testing in February (national ESOL exam for students who speak Spanish in home)–
SOCO usually performs at a 50% pass rate. 140 kids take the test. Feb 4 th pep rally to bring
up energy and encourage students.
o 40 kids selected for District Orchestra and District Band
o Science Fair begins 3pm on 1/22 for set-up and then segways into judging. Still need judges.
o Academic advising began this week for 2026-2027. This week, rising seniors; then each week
subsequent class.
o Attendance Mentors Program to begin in February for chronically absent (defined as 10% or
more of school year/amounts to 2 days per month excused or non-excused) or approaching
that status. The staff would email the child words of encouragement (parent permission
required).
o Lockdown Drill next week. A message will go out to parents 24-hours ahead of time.
o Dr. K shared that he read an article this month about AI. The article detailed that 77% of
students identified that they have an AI companion; 33% say they have a relationship with
the AI companion. Caution parents to talk to children to ensure that it is not their primary
relationship and that they have balance with human interaction.
o Upcoming School Board Meeting: budget and boundary discussions. SOCO at 86% capacity.
Next year, dropping to 1950 kids (graduations happening, families not moving). County is
working out Western High School, close to Chantilly. Purchased to help with
Marshall/Chantilly/Oakton overcrowding. The 172 kids slated to come to SOCO from West
Springfield are not coming/boundary change was not implemented.
o Snack Bags – thank you! Teachers appreciate the snacks.
o Murals around school: latest is STEAM (STEM plus Art) near Locker bay A. Charging port
going in, to be completed by end of February.
o Upcoming events:
o Science Fair – Thursday, 22 Jan 2026
If interested in supporting the event with set up, feeding students or clean up,
please contact Katie O’Donnell (pres@southcountptso.org)
Pizza, chips, and bottled water for kids; for teachers and judges sandwiches, wraps,
chips, and cookies.
To date, 218 kids are registered to participate; 40 judges; 19 teachers.
o On February 13, the PTO will have a Valentine Snack Cart in the front office for teachers and
staff. Estimate approx. $250 from Facilities line item.
o Questions from the group: none.
o Next Primary PTSO board meeting will be Wednesday, Feb 18, 630pm, Yaffa Grille
o Next General PTSO board meeting will be Thursday, 19 March 2026 @7P in the library
o Bring the meeting to a close 7:45pm
