Hoping this will work better for sharing documents! I have the intent to enroll letter and the parent survey so far. Let me know if you have issues!
intent to enroll
Survey
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Summer is slipping away!
Well here it is August already! Where has the summer gone? Hopefully
some of you heard the interview I did on KGAL the other day. It was way
longer than expected, as someone didn't show up. I am not a public
speaker, so this was definitely a challenge for me. You can find the
interview here if you are interested: http://archive.org/details/
We will need approximately $850 to file for tax exempt status from the IRS. Once our non-profit paperwork is complete we can set up a bank account for donations. Until then you are welcome to contribute or ask for donations from local businesses. If you have fundraising ideas, please contact me! Car wash? Can drive? Rummage sale?
WHAT CAN YOU DO
1. SUBMIT YOUR PAPERWORK
2. Tell friends, family, co-workers about the charter school movement here in Albany. Hve them e-mail or call to get on the list.
3. Donate your time or funds to help achieve tax exempt status from the IRS. Will be tax-deductible once are papers come in from the Secretary of State.
4. Hand out flyers at public events! River Rhythms would be a great place to do that. Anyone up for that??
Progress made: quite a few new families added to the list :), submitted paperwork for Oregon non profit status, submitted for an Employee Identification Number, worked on rules and regulations, working on packets to go over for steering committee, networked with potential board members, researched a few food options, and more I"m sure!
These are all people I have talked to who are willing to jump on board and help run the non profit that will run the charter school! Kudos to them!
Potential Board Candidates:
We will need approximately $850 to file for tax exempt status from the IRS. Once our non-profit paperwork is complete we can set up a bank account for donations. Until then you are welcome to contribute or ask for donations from local businesses. If you have fundraising ideas, please contact me! Car wash? Can drive? Rummage sale?
WHAT CAN YOU DO
1. SUBMIT YOUR PAPERWORK
2. Tell friends, family, co-workers about the charter school movement here in Albany. Hve them e-mail or call to get on the list.
3. Donate your time or funds to help achieve tax exempt status from the IRS. Will be tax-deductible once are papers come in from the Secretary of State.
4. Hand out flyers at public events! River Rhythms would be a great place to do that. Anyone up for that??
Progress made: quite a few new families added to the list :), submitted paperwork for Oregon non profit status, submitted for an Employee Identification Number, worked on rules and regulations, working on packets to go over for steering committee, networked with potential board members, researched a few food options, and more I"m sure!
These are all people I have talked to who are willing to jump on board and help run the non profit that will run the charter school! Kudos to them!
Potential Board Candidates:
*Jennifer Cummins (me)-a crazy mom who is passionate about all kiddos.
*Ellen Carlson: Wonderful former principal with GAPS, teacher, and speech pathologist
*Ellen Carlson: Wonderful former principal with GAPS, teacher, and speech pathologist
* Ed Gallagher: Director of Albany Public Library, wants a better option for kids.
*Pat Loy: former teacher with special needs experience, reading and writing specialist, worked with middle through high school students.
**Ideally we need one more board member. Someone with experienced in accounting or the law would be a great fit! Do you know someone? Let us know!
Dates of Interest
August 2-6:00 Steering Committee meeting at Albany Public Library Meeting Room. contact me for special instructions
August 14, 15 Oregon charter school conference
August 27 -School Board meeting 7:00 p.m. District Office
I will be emailing a packet of info that we will be discussing for the steering committee later this week.
Happy August!
Always open to comments, ideas, questions, or smaller info meetings for new parent groups! Let me know when and where and how many parents you have and I can give a short presentation :)
*Pat Loy: former teacher with special needs experience, reading and writing specialist, worked with middle through high school students.
**Ideally we need one more board member. Someone with experienced in accounting or the law would be a great fit! Do you know someone? Let us know!
Dates of Interest
August 2-6:00 Steering Committee meeting at Albany Public Library Meeting Room. contact me for special instructions
August 14, 15 Oregon charter school conference
August 27 -School Board meeting 7:00 p.m. District Office
I will be emailing a packet of info that we will be discussing for the steering committee later this week.
Happy August!
Always open to comments, ideas, questions, or smaller info meetings for new parent groups! Let me know when and where and how many parents you have and I can give a short presentation :)
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Paperwork, Paperwork!
It is absolutely imperative that everyone have in their paperwork ASAP. In order to hold your spot, I need a minimum of an intent to enroll letter from you. I am happy to e-mail it to you, then you can print it out and mail it back to me. If you need more info, have questions, or would like to be added to the list, please email albanykidsfirst@gmail.com.
We will be having a steering committee meeting next Thursday August 2 at 6:00 at the main branch of the Albany Public Library. You will need to enter through the exterior door to the meeting room that opens to the parking lot on 14th avenue. We will be discussing mission statement, rules and procedures, school calendar, daily schedule, and fundraising. Steering committee meetings are open to anyone who is interested in helping make decisions about how the charter school will function. However, they are not a mandatory meeting.
-Jennifer
We will be having a steering committee meeting next Thursday August 2 at 6:00 at the main branch of the Albany Public Library. You will need to enter through the exterior door to the meeting room that opens to the parking lot on 14th avenue. We will be discussing mission statement, rules and procedures, school calendar, daily schedule, and fundraising. Steering committee meetings are open to anyone who is interested in helping make decisions about how the charter school will function. However, they are not a mandatory meeting.
-Jennifer
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Linn County Fair!
Well I have some big news! Albany Charter School will have a booth in the expo center at the Linn County Fair. Feel free to stop by and get some information, keep us company, or ask questions. We will have a sign up to get on our e-mail list, parent surveys, and information on our plans. Please come by and visit!
Jennifer
Jennifer
Monday, July 9, 2012
First off I would like to apologize for my absence over the last week.
We went on an unplanned trip to Denver, then went through Vegas and Reno
on the way home. We all had fun but are very happy to be back in our
own beds. With that said I will get on with the business side of
things.
We had our first meeting on Thursday June 28th. We were lucky enough to have Mary Northern there who is the founder of P.I.E. which runs Sand Ridge and Sweet Home Charter Schools. She is a great resource for us to have and gave us some very helpful advice. I am hoping that everyone understands what a charter school is and how it works. If you do not, please feel free to e-mail me. Our focus for Albany will be to have small class sizes (20 kids per class), lots of staff (1 teacher and 1 assistant per class), have education tailored to each child's needs, strong parental involvement, and a complete balanced education. These of course are just a few of the core ideas we will build upon.
So after our meeting, (which you can find the powerpoint to here: www.albanycharterschool.blogspot.com ) We have come up with our plan of action.
1. Spread the word-tell everyone you know that there is a charter school coming to Albany. Emphasize that it is a different choice and that it is free of charge. Encourage them to join the email list.
2. Find an established non-profit that would be willing to take us on instead of establishing our own.
3. Research locations.
So my update on the plan of action:
-I have had some flyers printed at a reduced charge from minuteman press that are available to handout at public events. Please contact me if you would like some.
-I have begun researching other charter schools to see if one would align with our ideas. I am still working on Mary Northern to take us on, as that would be the most logical fit. The next best match that I can find is Kings Valley Charter School outside of Philomath. I have left messages for King's Valley but may need to try a different contact. I am not convinced this is the best idea yet.
-Marsha and I visited Fir Grove school this morning and were very impressed. It is a school that has been closed due to budget cuts, and is vacant. It would be a wonderful fit for us if we can convince the district office to allow us to use it. There are 9 very large classrooms, as well as some space that could be modified slightly to accommodate a 10th classroom. The property is large and beautiful and has a country feel. The negatives are that it is out of town, and the overflow parking may not be ideal.
--
What can you do????
1. Spread the word! Pick up flyers from me and pass out at events. Tell people in your circle of friends, church groups, and jobs about what we are trying to accomplish.
2. Fill our a parent survey found here: http://www.filedropper.com/parentsurvey You can either wait for a meeting to turn it on or you can mail it to me at 530 1st ave e albany oregon 97321
3. Come to a meeting that I am working on scheduling. :)
4. Write an intent to enroll letter that we can submit with our proposal to the school board. You can find a template here: http://www.filedropper.com/intenttoenroll
5. Learn about charter schools!
PLEASE feel free to contact me with any questions, input, or concerns. I want this project to be something that we as parents can do together, to make a difference in the lives of kids for a long time to come.
Jennifer Cummins
541-974-1486 call or text
albanykidsfirst@gmail.com
Facebook: Albany Oregon charter school
http://albanycharterschool.
WE'RE GOING TO SUCCEED BECAUSE WE'RE CRAZY ENOUGH TO THINK WE CAN!
We had our first meeting on Thursday June 28th. We were lucky enough to have Mary Northern there who is the founder of P.I.E. which runs Sand Ridge and Sweet Home Charter Schools. She is a great resource for us to have and gave us some very helpful advice. I am hoping that everyone understands what a charter school is and how it works. If you do not, please feel free to e-mail me. Our focus for Albany will be to have small class sizes (20 kids per class), lots of staff (1 teacher and 1 assistant per class), have education tailored to each child's needs, strong parental involvement, and a complete balanced education. These of course are just a few of the core ideas we will build upon.
So after our meeting, (which you can find the powerpoint to here: www.albanycharterschool.blogspot.com ) We have come up with our plan of action.
1. Spread the word-tell everyone you know that there is a charter school coming to Albany. Emphasize that it is a different choice and that it is free of charge. Encourage them to join the email list.
2. Find an established non-profit that would be willing to take us on instead of establishing our own.
3. Research locations.
So my update on the plan of action:
-I have had some flyers printed at a reduced charge from minuteman press that are available to handout at public events. Please contact me if you would like some.
-I have begun researching other charter schools to see if one would align with our ideas. I am still working on Mary Northern to take us on, as that would be the most logical fit. The next best match that I can find is Kings Valley Charter School outside of Philomath. I have left messages for King's Valley but may need to try a different contact. I am not convinced this is the best idea yet.
-Marsha and I visited Fir Grove school this morning and were very impressed. It is a school that has been closed due to budget cuts, and is vacant. It would be a wonderful fit for us if we can convince the district office to allow us to use it. There are 9 very large classrooms, as well as some space that could be modified slightly to accommodate a 10th classroom. The property is large and beautiful and has a country feel. The negatives are that it is out of town, and the overflow parking may not be ideal.
--
What can you do????
1. Spread the word! Pick up flyers from me and pass out at events. Tell people in your circle of friends, church groups, and jobs about what we are trying to accomplish.
2. Fill our a parent survey found here: http://www.filedropper.com/parentsurvey You can either wait for a meeting to turn it on or you can mail it to me at 530 1st ave e albany oregon 97321
3. Come to a meeting that I am working on scheduling. :)
4. Write an intent to enroll letter that we can submit with our proposal to the school board. You can find a template here: http://www.filedropper.com/intenttoenroll
5. Learn about charter schools!
PLEASE feel free to contact me with any questions, input, or concerns. I want this project to be something that we as parents can do together, to make a difference in the lives of kids for a long time to come.
Jennifer Cummins
541-974-1486 call or text
albanykidsfirst@gmail.com
Facebook: Albany Oregon charter school
http://albanycharterschool.
WE'RE GOING TO SUCCEED BECAUSE WE'RE CRAZY ENOUGH TO THINK WE CAN!
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