West Middle School PTCO

Hi Wildcat families!

We hope you are enjoying your summer so far despite the unseasonably wet weather!

This email contains more information about the West Middle School PTCO board election which will take place next month.

The election will occur at a meeting being held in accordance with the West Middle School PTCO Bylaws. The meeting will be held in-person at West Middle School with a remote attendance option (please read below for more information on this). The meeting will be on July 12, 2023 at 7:00 PM at West Middle School.

The only item on the agenda for this meeting will be the election of the PTCO Officers. Article IV, section 2 of the Bylaws, which deals with the election process, has been copied here:

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

…

2.  Nominations and Elections

Nominations for PTCO officers are performed by the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the President, President Elect, Slating Chair, and one or more representatives from each elementary feeder school, if possible.

The Nominating Committee shall work to achieve a well-balanced slate of officers, representatives and standing committee chairpersons from each feeder school.

The Nominating Committee shall nominate a candidate for each elected office after obtaining consent from the nominee. The slate of candidates for each office shall be posted at least thirty (30) days prior to election.

Election shall occur at the final PTCO general membership meeting in the spring. Nominations shall be accepted from the floor at the meeting on the condition that the nominee consents. If there is only one nominee for each office, then election shall be by voice vote. If more than one candidate is nominated for an office, the election for that office shall be by a plurality of those present and voting at the general membership meeting by a written ballot.

The newly elected officers shall be installed immediately upon election.

We are fortunate to have been able to achieve a full slate for this election on short notice. Consistent with the directives provided by that same section of the Bylaws, the nominating committee is posting the following list of nominees for consideration by the voting membership for the 2023-2024 school year:

Please note that, in accordance with the Bylaws, nominations for any position may be made from the floor of the meeting with the nominee’s consent. In the event that more than one candidate is nominated for office, the rules indicate that voting must be done by a written ballot. This means that only those in attendance in person at the meeting at West Middle School will be allowed to vote (via a written ballot) if there is more than one candidate for that office. We will provide paper and pens to facilitate a written ballot vote if necessary.

Please also note that the PTCO recognizes that some rules laid out in the Bylaws may need to be considered for updating in order to foster the highest level of balance and inclusivity possible in a changing world of electronic presence and access.

If you have any questions about the meeting, the election process, or other aspects of the PTCO, please feel free to email [email protected]

Enjoy your summer, and we look forward to seeing you at the election meeting on July 12 at 7:00 PM at West Middle School!

Please join us for our final PTCO general meeting of the year!

When: Tuesday, April 25th 9:30-11:00am.

Where:  WMS Commons or virtually via Microsoft Teams

Click here to join the meeting virtually on April 25 at 9:30

Meeting ID: 251 587 676 283
Passcode: 7Xwd9f

Topic:  We are honored to have Ryan Silva, Cherry Creek High School Principal join us! This informational session is a great chance to learn about Cherry Creek High School, and is especially timely for 8th graders who will be moving to CCHS next year. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet Principal Silva and learn what to expect at CCHS over the next 4 years!  He is a wealth of knowledge and is interested in answering any questions you may have about Creek.  Parents of students in all grades are welcome and encouraged to attend this informative meeting!

Please review last General Meeting Minutes below (or here), current financials and the proposed 2023-2024 budget below.

[embeddoc url=”https://westmiddleschoolptco.digitalpto.com/files/2023/04/WMS-PTCO-General-Meeting-Minutes-2.7.23-1-1.pdf”]

[embeddoc url=”https://westmiddleschoolptco.digitalpto.com/files/2023/01/BudgetvsActualsPTCO2022-2023_Feb2023.pdf”]

All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Thank you for your support!

[embeddoc url=”https://westmiddleschoolptco.digitalpto.com/files/2023/04/WMS-PTCO-General-Meeting-Minutes-2.7.23-1.docx” viewer=”microsoft”]

WMS PTCO General Meeting
Tuesday, November 8, 2022

WMS in person 

• Call to order 

1. Attendance

Executive Board members – Brian Brown (president elect), Lisa Britt (treasurer elect), Jill Smith (communications), Kara Martin (secretary)

WMS personnel, including Monica Garcia (principal)

WMS parents, caregivers, and community members (attendance roster signed)

Special Guests: WMS SRO Rodney Valenzuela and Greenwood Village Detective Tony Costarella

1. Notes below taken by Kara Martin 

• Minutes from August 30, meeting: Minutes approved unanimously upon motion of Tanya Rinebarger, second by Jill Smith

1. Hospitality Funds: PTCO received $10,270 in hospitality contributions, exceeding the hospitality budget of $7,500, which is based on the Parent Council guideline of no more than 5% total budget spending on hospitality/non-student related expenditures. Two options for handling this excess: a) spend down the excess in the year of receipt (i.e., 22-23) or b) earmark funds for 23-24. Hospitality expenditures as of Nov. 2 are $1,206, leaving a balance of $9,064. Possible expenditures include Fall and Spring conference dinners, Veterans Day snacks, December 16 Staff Holiday Luncheon, Teacher Appreciation Week, etc. ** moves to approve expenditure of the additional funds exceeding the $7,500 budgeted for hospitality, in this school year (i.e., 22-23). Jill second the motion. The motion is unanimously approved. 

1. Volunteer of the Year: Jill Smith was named WMS volunteer of the year! Congratulations for a job well done, Jill!

1. Drugs and Social Media Presentation, WMS SRO Rodney Valenzuela and Greenwood Village Detective Tony Costarella

**Action Item:  At the next General PTCO meeting on February 7, 2023, approve minutes from the November 8, 2022 meeting

Please join us for our next General PTCO Meeting

CATCH Global Foundation in partnership with the PTCO at West Middle School is providing a webinar to educate parents and caregivers on the dangers of the youth vaping epidemic.  Join us on February 7^th from 9:30-11:00am to arm yourself with an important tool in this battle—knowledge—and with this information, you are becoming a vital part of the solution.

This will be a hybrid webinar offered in person at WMS and virtually (whatever is best for your schedule):  Click here to join the meeting: Click here to join the meeting

As the U.S. Surgeon General has stated, the problem of youth vaping has risen to the status of a national epidemic. In other words, we are in a crisis, and it is imperative that we act quickly to stop the problem from spiraling further out of control. E-cigarettes were developed as a safer alternative to combustible cigarettes, but they have quickly become an on-ramp for nicotine addiction for young people. The CDC has warned that e-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or non-smoking adults.

Marcella Bianco, the Director of Community Relations for CATCH Global Foundation will be our guest speaker (in Nashville, TN). The mission at CATCH is to empower school communities to cultivate whole child wellness as a lever for student success and social equity. Our SRO, Rodney Valenzuela, will also join us, so he can answer any questions as well.

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend this informative webinar!