UMSI Meeting: November 8, 2008 10:40 AM: Call to Order Members attending: -Mark Nardo: IPS: 317.924.3439 -Tammy Lake: Home #: 260.637.2671, School #: 260.467.4300 -Cecile Carre: 317.733.0873 -Robin Fowler: Little Flower Montessori -Sandy Strantz: MSW -Liz Williams: -Tara Slagel: 317.850.5899 II. Additions to Agenda A. Website B. Jessica Flaherty: appointed UMSI Secretary III. Treasurer's Report: A. Bob Strantz appointed Treasurer of UMSI B. $5, ???.?? -need to pay several bills first -good cushion for next conference C. Will need to start paying for conference speakers next year D. UMSI can pay cost of food for each meeting ($100) IV. Fall Conference Recap: A. What did we do right? -baskets of fruit and granola a good idea -water bottles a good idea -well organized -great first conference -we hooked people -surprised at how well we did -facility was big enough -keynote speaker was great -workshops were successful; smaller scale was nice -laid out well -catering lunch a good idea -time frame was good -UMSI signs a good idea -offered same session several times B. How can we improve? -need vendor info immediately -comment sheets need to be filled out -email people if they haven't had time to fill out comment sheet -make people fill out comment sheet and return to be eligible for door prizes -have four different areas for each Montessori age group for a "round table" discussion; possibly during lunch: write questions on poster board; have answers during the round tables C. Should vendors be presenters? -Yes; we'll just make a note on the invitation D. We only received 10 (!!!) comments sheets out of 165 attendees -note on the invitation that the presenter is also a vendor; have vendor separate what you're doing with what you're selling -need a bio or explanation of presentation: not on invition, but on website V. Options for Montessori Week: A. Need to develop press release B. At December meeting need to brainstorm/work on ideas C. Ft. Wayne, Bloomington, Indianapolis: we need media connections D. We need a tri-fold flier E. Still like the idea of a whole state Open House F. Montessori Week Committee Members: -Robin Fowler -Tara Slagel -Mark Nardo (Central: Indy Contact) - ? (South:Bloomington/Evansville Contact) -Marolyn Horan (North: Ft. Wayne Contact) VI. UMSI Newsletter A. Mention Spring Conference B. Mention Montessori Week C. Wasn't the Fall Conference Great? D. Website now up E. Mark will email Robin a sample newsletter F. Quick update/draft send out: Thanks for coming to Fall Conference; newsletter to come; are you interested in presenting? -Tammy taking care of this -Liz making contact list and sending to Tammy VII. Membership Meetings/Member Activation (there are 66 paid members) VIII. Spring Conference A. Presenters: we need 24 sessions B. We need to organize the focus of each group: the month before: UMSI meeting used as planning session C. Robin: Spring Meeting shouldn't cost as much for UMSI (March 14th) -different format -break into groups and begin works -(Tammy) Judy Baurline, past president for AMS; currently in California, public sector, Tammy's school will absorb the cost, not UMSI, for her visit, will be a gift -She can tailor make her speech according to whatever UMSI needs her to speak about -(Robin) Montessori Outreach: -Montessorians are too quiet -if we want Montessori to become a household name, we need to work hard in getting our information out there. -Committee in place for going into the community -how can we get Montessoir into our communities? get parents thinking about Montessori for their children -how do we get the small groups together? Need Northern, Southern, Central, etc. groups who are interested in being contacts -would rather focus on community outreach -(Robin) need to create follow-up letter so that everyone know where the next meeting is and what the agenda will be -Structure of Spring Conference: -AM: Education/BreakOut sessions -PM: Community Conference/break into regions: will need agendas: will need -ask presenters if they would like to present again -AMS Conference in beginning of March in New Orleans...people can bring back ideas -$50 charge for vendor tables: vendors were happy to be there; perhaps ask for percentage (10%) -many different lunch options available: vegan and two other choices - charge how much? $50 for non-members; $40 for members -T-shirts for sale; bag, etc. -shuttling to Toddler site? 5-8 minutes travel time: go to appropriate building sites -3 educational sessions -8:30-9:30: check in (at Towles) -9:30-10:30: Session I (at Towles): 7 presenters -10:45-11:45: Session II (at Towles): 7 presenters -11:45-12:30: lunch (at Towles: in cafeteria) -12:30 - 1:30: Keynote (at Towles: large gym) -1:45-2:45: Regional Breakout Discussion (at Towles) -3:00-4:30: Session III (facilitator present) in age appropriate building (3-6 at Bunche): 7 presenters -4:30-5:00: Closing Ceremony, vendor visit, exchange ideas (at Towles: large gym) -There are 9 (3-6) classrooms, 9 (6-9) classrooms, and 4 (Elementary) classrooms D. Idea Room -need chairpeople for the room -need better access to the room itself -need better promotion for the room E. Computer Room -yahoo group sign-up available -what our students can do with technology -should be a presentation F. Tammy will send Sandy a list of UMSI's responsibilities for the Spring Conference IX. What's Next for UMSI? A. Skipped because we ran out of time... X. Adjourn A. Next meeting place: Northside Montessori: 52nd and College: Judy Edwards is the Directress B. Meeting time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 AM C. Date of next meeting: December 6th, 2008 D. January Meeting in Ft. Wayne at Towles: January 10th, 2009: 10:30 AM-12:30 PM *Tara/Liz checking into website web.com for $12 a month: UMSI.org *Mark would like photos from Unton; Liz will post also on yahoo website; Robin will get them from Unton * Mike Flaherty will be asked to donate time to come up with UMSI logo ideas: must say "Montessori" and "Indiana"