Stratford School PTA Website
Maureen Strysko - directorstratford@gardencitypta.org
Thank you to all who made the PTA Dinner such a success!!! The new venue proved to be just what we needed - and it was beautiful. A portion of the proceeds of the Dinner, Plant Sale and Sportswear Sale goes directly back to the children in the form of a grant to the school. This year, some of Stratford's grant money will be used to pay for Michael Buckley, award-winning author of The Sisters Grimm Series, to come and meet with all grades during a 2 day period in May. The goal of an author visit is to inspire the students to take chances in their own writing and to foster a love of reading, which is what we all want for our children. Stay tuned to hear what else we will be spending the grant money on. Your support is so appreciated.

The Budget Adoption Date this year is Wednesday, April 16 which means any changes must be made prior to that date. The PTA Budget Review Committee has attended the Budget Work Sessions and we hope you have had a chance to attend one or more of these meetings and were able to see how the budget is developed and how our tax dollars are spent. And don't forget to mark your calendar for Tuesday, May 20th to vote!!

Did you get your automated phone call from Dr. Feirsen on April 8th? The district was conducting a test of the Connect Ed system, which is a new automated emergency contact system. If you did NOT get a phone call, please contact your child's school to update your information.

At the March 13th PTA Meeting, we had a speaker from Big Brothers Big Sisters come and speak on Internet Safety and Abduction. If you would like a copy of the handouts from this meeting, please email me. This was an eye opening presentation and I encourage you all to look over the information.
Dates to Remember
4/16 - BOE Meeting @ 8:15AM @ the HS /Budget Adoption Date
4/18 - Last day for Plant Sale Orders
4/21 to 4/25 - Spring Recess II / Schools Closed for vacation
4/28 - Schools Re-Open 4/28 - Stratford Colebrook Parent Information Meeting
4/29 - General PTA Meeting & HS/MS Reflections @ HS
4/28 through 5/2 - Stratford 4th Grade NYS SCience Assessment
5/2 - SEPTA Street Fair (no raindate)
5/6 - Stratford Incoming 2nd Grade Parent Orientation @ 7:30PM
5/7 - Stratford Teacher/Staff Appreciation Day - Thanks to our wonderful teachers and staff for all they do during the year!
5/8 - Stratford Instrumental Concert @ 7:30PM
5/9 - PTA Plant Sale Pickup from 10AM to 2PM @ St. Paul's Fieldhouse
5/12 - Budget Public Hearing @ 8:15PM
5/14 - PTA School Budget Presentation @ Stratford @ 9:15AM / All are welcome to come and hear Dr. Feirsen speak about the 2008/2009 school budget
5/19 - BOE Meeting @ Administration Building @ 8:15PM
5/20 - BUDGET VOTE @ HIGH SCHOOL FROM 7AM TO 10PM - COME OUT AND VOTE!!!
5/20 - Stratford Open House from 7PM to 8:30PM
5/22 - Stratford Incoming 2nd Grade Orientation
5/23 - Snow make up day not needed / School Closed
5/26 - Memorial Day/School Closed
5/28 to 5/30 - Stratford Colebrook Trip
***Please note that the 2nd Grade TONYSS that were originally scheduled during the month of May have been cancelled and you should have received a letter of explanation.
Please be sure to inform Stratford's nurse, Mrs. Moriarty, if your child is diagnosed with a communicable disease (strep, conjunctivitis, lice, etc) in an effort to try to stop further spreading of the condition. Also, in an effort to better take care of our children, Mrs. Moriarty asks that you notify her of any recent changes in your child's health status, i.e. allergies, medications, etc.

Stratford will have an opening on the Site Based Team next year. The Site Based Team is comprised of parent reps, members of the school's administration, faculty and support staff. All work together to deal with issues that arise at the building level. There is an initial training session that takes place in the fall and then there are 4 required meetings per year that take place after school.(More may be necessary depending on the SBT agenda). If you are interested in finding out more about the SBT, please contact me or download the application available at the main page of the GC PTA Website. There will also be openings on the Stratford PTA Board as well as positions as class parents available and if these interest you, please let me know.
Please email me with suggestions, comments or questions. I am here to help. Happy Spring~~