September 12, 2002 Dear GHS Math Team Parents, Welcome to the 2002-2003 GHS Math Team Season! We have a great deal planned for this year. Let me thank you, in advance, for your wonderful support of our Math Team through our Booster Club, and for encouraging your child in mathematics. 1st Meeting Our first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 24, 2002 from 6-7 p.m. in the A / V Room at GHS. During this meeting, I will introduce to you our dedicated Sponsors and Board Members. We will also discuss the annual dues (see below), and the various events that our Booster Club supports during the year. Please plan to attend! Dues Have Increased Our dues have returned to a level not seen for several years. The Board and Sponsors have approved dues of $154 per student, and $77 for each additional student from the same family, for the 2002-2003 year. The dues increase (from $90 last year) is justified by the following: 1. 19% reduction in Math Team size. This means that fixed costs are spread over fewer students. It also means more "mentoring time" per student. 2. Purchase of specific Math Team texts and supplies. Standard classroom math texts are not sufficiently challenging for Math Team, and many of the texts previously used are disintegrating and/or out-of-date. 3. Additional tournament at Hoover. 4. Additional teams for the NYC (in-class) tournament. 5. Charter buses to replace school buses. 6. Prepaid Math Team cell phone for emergency use. 7. ChalkTalk scholarships for the Mu Alpha Theta convention. 8. Sponsor expense budget. Sponsors have paid these expenses each year, but not sought reimbursement. For comparison purposes, these dues of $77 per semester result in a total budget that is approximately one-half that of Vestavia Hills and approximately equal to that of Hoover. These are our two biggest competitors in-state. We will discuss the new dues structure, budget, and potential fundraising activities at the first meeting. KrogerCares Speaking of dues, one great way to pay for your dues, if you shop at Kroger, is to use the KrogerCares gift certificates. These can be purchased from our Treasurer, Martha Brooks, at 883-7636. The certificates are used just like cash, and 5% of the purchase amount goes directly into your child's account to pay for dues and/or the Mu Alpha Theta summer trip. Martha will be at the first meeting to give you the details, but feel free to call her beforehand. Looking forward to seeing you at the first meeting! Sincerely, Robert A. Mog, Ph.D. President, GHS Math Team Booster Club