PTO Meeting, October 17th, 2025 in the HMS Library

Attendees

Allyson Small Julie Holt Susan Harris Penielle White

Christine Johnson Beth Dean Danielle Freeman Heather McMann

Katherine Ehrhardt Katie Hundley Tiffany Perry Mrs. Ramirez

Amanda Abele Sharon Baraco Dan Hollandsworth Dana Finch

Randy Stolle Michelle Ross Amy Martin

Welcome - The meeting was called to order by Allyson Small at 9:01 AM. Julie Holt motioned to approve the meeting minutes from September, and Katherine Ehrhardt seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried.

President’s Report - Allyson Small reports a busy September. The PTO hosted the first school dance of the year. Then, we had a reward party with custard for the students who invested in HMS. Now, we are finishing fall sports and concessions. She thanked everyone for their help. She wants as many PTO and admin as possible to sign the thank you card for the engineering company that donated their time and resources to the outdoor shed project.

Treasurer’s Report - Julie Holt presented the financial statement from September. We are on track with the budgeted amounts. Beth Dean motioned to approve the statement, and Danielle Freeman seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried.

Principle/Administrator’s Report - Dr. Finch renamed the Right Stuff and No Tardy party. It is now called Triple A or AAA, meaning attendance, academics, attitude! ½ the school got to participate in it! Parent University occurred for the first time. There will be some changes to next year's attempt. She is still dealing with kids' behaviors with their cell phones and emails. Benchmark scores have come in and are above the district average across the board. She suggested giving the science teachers an extra time reward to help them prep and adjust with the new science curriculum. Maybe, the PTO would be able to find some way to give the science teachers more planning time. The Teacher of the Year was voted on. Mr. Engle won! Soon, the school will vote on employee of the year. Dr. Hollinsworth is featured on the front of Turfgrass Magazine. A copy of the magazine is in the front office.

Committee Reports  

• VP of Events - Katie Hundley reports pre-selling 309 dance tickets and a few at the door. The DJ was amazing. The kids had fun. Dismissal from the dance was a struggle, as always. We will continue to try to find a better way to ease the dismissal congestion.
• Membership - Crystal reported to Allyson that she has sent the last round of HMS magnets to all of the students who are involved in Invest in HMS. Let her know if your kid didn’t receive theirs.
• Hospitality - Beth Dean said that Firebirds Wood Fired Grill was a huge hit for teacher appreciation. The portions were big. Everything was delicious. White Shepard Coffee will provide the Teacher Appreciation event for November. December’s Teacher Appreciation will be gift cards and other treats.  The PTO will request gift cards closer to that time.

• Corporate Sponsors - Amy Martin received $5000 to complete her collection from corporate sponsors for this school year. She has the last thank you note to send out.

• Communications - Gia Rickman was not present and had nothing new to report.

• Front Office/Badges - Charlena has the badge making dates posted in the HMS weekly newsletter. The next badge making date is November 14th at 10AM. There are no badge making dates in December or May. 

• Copy Room - Jessica Hooper was not present and had nothing new to report. She previously posted the copy room signup link on the HMS PTO Facebook page. 

• Spiritwear/School Supplies - Nothing new to report at this time.

• Beautification - Katherine Ehrhardt reports that the mural work has started, and the artist is still working on the project as time allows. Lisa Forsythe is going to plant in the big round beds and add to the school gardens.

• HMS Athletics - The fall sports are finishing up. There will be a new signup genius for those who can volunteer for winter sports.

• Concessions - Amanda Abele has concessions running smoothly. She has the wrestling concession signup posted already.

• Lost and Found - Nothing to report.

New Business

• Dr. Finch says that the school is lacking funds due to NOT asking for supply fees and instead asking for donations. The district also cut the schools budget for related arts. Robotics has grown and is asking for $760.79. Danielle Freeman made a motion to donate money for additional robots, and Beth Dean seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried. 
• Dr. Finch is asking for funds that she can spend on teacher morale. She suggested $3000 based on what has been done in the past. Christine Johnson made a motion to donate $3000 to teacher morale, and Heather McMann seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.
• New furniture for the library will be arriving on November 17th.

Upcoming Dates

• November 14th - PTO meeting at 9AM
• November 24-28 - Thanksgiving Break
• December 17th - Teacher Appreciation
• December 18th - ½ Day of School and the start of Winter Break

Motion to adjourn the meeting by Beth Dean and seconded by Amy Martin at 10:00 AM. All were in favor, and the motion carried.