Our first PTC event of the year was an educational experience. Huge thanks to all the parents who joined us (Ridgewood in the house!) and brought up some great topics.

Feel free to step through the slideshow and check out our most recent Treasurer's Report.

Here’s a quick rundown of topics covered:

Cedar Park 5K for the Win!

Yes, this fundraiser is all that and a bag of chips. We are fundraising for the ENTIRE YEAR’S budget, so we can all sit back in November, pat ourselves on the back, and enjoy all the awesome things we provided our students.

Some interesting things Bettina (our president) and Shannon (our principal) mentioned:

This year, teachers each have their own budget ($75) from the PTC. This allows them to make their own choices re: their own classroom needs.
Shannon’s annual budget has been reduced by almost 50% since she came to Cedar Park four years ago. Ummm… YIKES. Hopefully things are on the upswing, but the reality is that our schools are getting less money than previous years, meaning our PTC funds really are a game changer.
We abhor fundraising sales. Seriously, who wants to go pitch wrapping paper, chocolates, or frozen pies? NO ONE. The 5K seems to be a good compromise of fun event/school spirit, but also relatively easy for parents to contribute.

Why is it so hard to fundraise?

We’ve got several feeder schools that make much more on their Jog-a-thons with less enrollment. Why isn’t this easier?

Oh, honey. That is is $55k question. Shannon & the PTC Board have several theories, but one prevalent theme is that middle school is a weird purgatory for families-- a no man’s land without an identity. We don’t have the cuteness and magic of elementary or the sports and branding of our high schools.

Plus… middle schoolers. Enough said.

The good news? The 5K, only in its fourth year, is continuing to build energy, year over year. Each annual total has seen growth. So let’s make it awesome!

PACK Store vs. Student Store?

The PACK store is part of a school-wide incentive program. CPMS staff hand out tokens for good behavior, leadership, or any reason they see fit. Twice a month, students can use those tokens to buy fun items at the PACK store, everything from donuts to candy to fun pens and socks.

The Student Store is open everyday before school. Students use cash to purchase school supplies, PE t-shirts, etc.

Middle School Boundary Quandary

And so it begins.

Beaverton School District is currently taking applications for anyone interested in being on the advisory committee to create the new middle school boundaries. Timberland is set to open in fall 2021 (meaning 6th graders right now will be 8th graders when it opens).

Parents should realize that the biggest priority in these new boundaries will be alleviating the overcrowding at Stoller Middle School. And by “overcrowding,” we mean that Stoller (at 1600 students) is larger than TWO of BSD’s high schools (Beaverton & Southridge). It is the largest middle school IN THE STATE, so um…. yeah. Sounds like they might be tight on space.

Side note: Steve Sparks, BSD’s Executive Director for Long Term Planning, recently spoke at Bonny Slope’s community meeting, which was live-streamed on youtube. Listen in for his presentation (starting at 3:30) to learn more about the process.

Canvas Non-Contractual

So… many parents were thoroughly confused/overwhelmed on Back to School Night when listening to the various platforms that teachers were using to communicate. Due to contractual issues, BSD cannot mandate a single platform for teachers to use, meaning your child’s Humanities teacher might be on Canvas, while their Science teacher uses google classroom.

So what’s a parent to do? Be patient, ask questions, and provide feedback at the next parent survey.

If your child’s teacher DOES use Canvas, the PTC is hosting a Canvas/Parentvue Q&A at our next PTC meeting on Monday, 10/28.

Other Juicy Tidbits You’d Know If You’d Been There:

6th grade is doing really well! Busy start to the year. Behaviors are doing well. No fights regarding cell phone policy so… phew!
8th grade will soon be getting two more sections of science to alleviate some crazy large class sizes.
Spirit Week is next week in conjunction with our 5K!
FAll conferences are by invitation only, in hopes that teachers and parents can catch students who are struggling early. Teachers should open up their remaining slots (once invitees are scheduled) to any parent wanting to check in. Spring conferences are for everyone.
We’ve got a new choir director-- whoop!
Parent feedback is ESSENTIAL to the Student Success Act. Give your ideas HERE.