Motion to approve previous minutes made by Alisa Cox, seconded by Brandy Merritt and approved with no objections.

Teacher Report: No new news, but a new company will start water delivery for the lounge cooler.

Principal Report: Safe Routes groups continue to meet and had a District Safety Coordinator on-site to come up with ideas and prep for grant requests. Things in the parking lot are going very well for drop-off and pick-up.

Talent Show auditions are Thursday, 1/18 during school hours and the show is February 15^th.

Science Fair is coming up on January 25^th, and we thank the organizers for their hard work. Be on the lookout for volunteer signups. The poster boards were back-ordered and unfortunately will not make it to Thurston in time. They will be available in the office next year for $2.00 each and are currently in various office supply and craft stores around town.

There is still a problem with lice in the school. We are following all avenues within district policy to control the spread. We may return to the plastic bags to stop the spread if more than one case is discovered. A reminder that ALL ethnicities can harbor lice despite urban legends. Please check your children for lice and the nits (eggs.)   You do not need to go to a professional lice removal business, but please consider buying a lice comb and check your child each day when they come home. We cannot keep students out of school for suspected lice, but confirmed cases may require staying home until treated. Remember that lice can reappear up to ten days after treatment, so be sure to retreat. People are encouraged to donate lice shampoos/combs to the Thurston Pantry for families who can’t afford them.

Treasurer Report:  Checking Account: $54,000

Sno Cone Social:   Setup will be similar to last year with games and food. Clague will loan us their Sno-cone machine so we will have two. There will be two balloon people this year to alleviate the long lines we had last year. There will be a food truck that offers hot dogs, sausage and veggie options. We expect the cost of a hot dog, chips, and drinks to be $4.50. The event organizers are always looking for suggestions, so contact the PTO at pto.thurstonelementary@gmail.com if you’d like to share one. The PTO approved advance payment to be made to the balloon artists.

Fundraising: Little Caesars will be having a pizza night on February 13^th. They were very disappointed to have a power outage cancel the previous Pizza Night. Also, keep sending in your Box Tops for Education.

Community Service club will be showing a movie on Friday to support repairs to the Thurston Nature Center bridge.

We are looking for someone to head up the Bike Rodeo in May. If you are interested, please contact the PTO at pto.thurstonelementary@gmail.com.

Kindergarten Roundup and Preschool open house is on February 22^nd We will be looking for parent volunteers to be guides.

February will feature Black History Month activities throughout Thurston.

The mid-winter break is February 16^th to the 19^th

The Next PTO meeting is February 20^th.

There will be a public forum on February 5^th to discuss the new Childcare center planned next to and sharing an easement with Clague Middle School. This will have a large impact on traffic and safety in the area and parents are encouraged to attend.

The Disability Awareness Workshop is scheduled for Friday, March 23^rd and will be need many volunteers to assist with this half-day program.   The workshop is for 4^th graders but parents of all grades are encouraged to assist.

The Ski Club is still going strong and students may have the opportunity to join some trips as guests. You must have your own helmet/equipment.