PTO Today

Hey! Anyone else involved in the PTO at a middle school?

The drop in the level of involvement by parents from elementary to middle school is really dramatic (at least in our district). Was wondering if other middle schools experience the same thing and what they do about it.

Unfortunately that's VERY common. It's just an entirely different ballgame. Kids are a lot more independent and many don't even want their parents on campus. Plus there are usually numerous clubs and school groups (choir, athletics, band) that have fundraisers and where parents may play a specific role. So you have your "band parents" and "football parents" already contributing major chunks of time to running concession stands and helping with other events for their own specific group. Tasks traditionally left to an elementary school PTO are no longer so clear. The Journalism Club (or some other) may publish the school directory. There may be many different school T-shirts.

In our case, our PTO acknoweledged all this and decided to serve a very niche role. It focused on Teacher Appreciation, organized the 8th grade "prom", and helped recruit parent volunteers for the few times they were needed. Our group had very little in the way of fundraising so easily existed in the category that brought in less than $5000 per year and didn't have to file the formal application with the IRS. We kept the group simple and focused on its narrow purpose.

There are certainly other schools who have run much larger, more successful parent groups in middle school. Your task now is to survey the environment and see what's realistic for YOUR school.

Good luck!

I don't know.... I think the kids REALLY do want us there, they are just 'too cool' to tell us My daughter wants me there and her friends always come and talk to me when I'm there. It helps that volunteered at the elementary school and helped run a photo club with another parent. We recently started a PTO at the middle school to help coordinate volunteers for the teachers. That is about the limit, but with the state of young teens today I'm just happy to be there and let them see that I care enough to be there... let them know 'someone' cares. More parents need to "be there" I always appreciated my Mom volunteering at my school when I was growing up.

I'm sure kids are mixed in their views. But in elementary school there were lots of opportunities for volunteering in the classroom. Not as much in middle school. Of course there are special situations or projects, but less of the day-to-day stuff. But there ARE volunteer opportunities. I've done all the following:
* helped in library
* registration or ticket sales for special events
* organized contact forms
* sold PE uniforms first few days of school
* washed and sorted athletic uniforms (not my favorite...)
* served on an adult panel to hear/rate group presentations
* decorate for various events

So there were definitely times I was on campus - and my daughter may have appreciated that fact (my son, not so much). But neither would have wanted me WITH THEM as a volunteer on a regular basis.

There are [U]always[/U] volunteer opportunities. For instance, any parent would be extremely welcome as a mentor, tutor, or helping with an after-school club. They don't need us sitting at the lunch table to open ketchup packets or escorting them to the restroom to wash hands. The kids are getting more and more independent, so our roles must also change.

I totally agree that the middle school doesn't have the support that the elem. does. We have almost 400 kids at our school (k-8) and only maybe 10 kids from middle school with help with the fundraising. The teachers won't help with anything but they are always wanting something bought.

Hello! I am currently on the boeard at a large (952 students) middle school. I have been quite active in the elementary and middle school PTO's for quite a few years,a nd on the board several times. We noticed the same thign...a big drop in the types of activities and support that the school/staff/students needed from us. We have had some success partnering with the Student Council to help them (and us!) plan a Staff Appreciation week. The staff actually listed this as theior favorite, since the kids were integrally involved in the planning and execution. We also established a school store, open each day during lunch periods. We have gotten about 15 new volunteers this year to pull this off...it seems a lot of these parents want to see what is going on at lunch! We also started a school spirit wear store, which has been a great success...and a fundraiser as well. We planned a "Back to School" supply sale for busy parents-kit was all boxed up, just needed picked up. We share in a district wide (4 middle schools) program called the Parent Programming Team, that hires speakers on topics relelvant to middle schoolers PARENTS(not students-ex: cutting, drug awarenesss, eating disorders, internet safety) that is somewhat well attended, depending on the topic. We have found most people want to help still, but are afraid they will embarass their child. I actually asked my son before I agreed to serve on teh board. The great thing about middle school is that I can put in hours of time, and he won't even see me...which works out well. I do have several kids that have no problem speaking to me...but they aren't my own!
Good luck to you!
Kelly

We just started a middle school PTO a few months ago. Our middle school has never had a parent group, and we serve around 650 students (7th & 8th) and 65 staff. We started with the idea of being a bridge for communication and volunteer needs. We purchased the PTO Today Start Up Kit and away we went. We are currently waiting to see if the IRS deems our application worthy. :-)
To get the teachers on board we made teacher "Happys" that had a large bag of M&Ms, a "Teacher Wish List"; "Teacher Volunteer Needs Form"; along with a business card with the President and Volunteer Coordinators phone and email addresses to place on their computer desk for quick reference. Our volunteer coordinator has made a customize volunteer pledge sheet with the information she received from the "Teacher Wish List"; we started our own "Adopt-A-Classroom" program. Already, within 6 weeks of school starting we have had $1,190 in donations to our Adoption program and teachers are beginning to contact our volunteer coordinator that need help.
As we are just starting out, we are feeling our way; currently we invite ALL parents to attend meetings and so far we are having parents come. This is really nice as it's beginning to expand our volunteer base. Which is currently around 30 or so. With the large variety of volunteer opportunities on our list (which the teachers asked for), parents can just place a check mark on what they wish to do and when.
We hope to have several parenting lectures this year and provide resources on parenting issues. This will be for our middle school age children but all the community will be welcome.
To get some ideas you are welcome to go to our school website at Petal School District and chose the middle school. Our PTO pages are under the "Information" tab. Actually, that is what I did to get ideas; I googled middle school ptos/ptas and just surfed the sites. There are some excellant ideas, fundraisers, activities, and newsletters that can give you some excellant ideas to try and grab those middle school parents. Good luck! Cindy

Same thing here. Our middle school is grades 5-8 (650 students). Our problem is over the past few years with administration turnover; morale was at an all time low for both teachers and parents. I came aboard in the middle of last year and it was pretty pathetic. I started doing more. It was just me, but I was able to identify what needed done and where we could do more. It didn't take long to be noticed. I got help from some friends, talked to more and more parents via school events, sports, etc. This year, we got an amazing turnout. To continue with this, I try to communicate as much as I can; I'm not afraid to ask for help. You just need to keep plugging away at it. If something doesn't work; find another way to make it work. Good Luck.

Our school is 6th - 8th with 950 students. There is a huge drop in parent involvement when kids go to middle school, but I've found that a lot of parents really still want to be involved. They just don't know how to do it if their child isn't in one of the special groups like band, athletics, etc.

Some people are afraid of embarrassing their kids, but I just don't get that at all. I told my daughter that she would just have to live with it, because I was going to be every bit as involved as I was at the elementary level - and that it would be okay. After just a couple of months in the new school, she decided that it was actually "cool" to have her mom involved. She usually doesn't even see me when I'm there during the day, of course, but all of her teachers, the administrative staff, and the cafeteria staff know me. I simply feel that it's very important to have those lines of communication established, and it makes my job as PTO president a lot easier.

And now, in our second year at the school, many kids greet me and even hug me when they see me. Middle schoolers! After I organized and emceed the talent show last spring, a couple of her new friends even called us, asked to speak to me, and told me I rocked! Three students have said they wish their moms would volunteer at school. Pre-teens still need their parents to be parents!!!

Now, I also have an almost full-time job, so a lot of my involvement as PTO president is coordinating events, not necessarily hands-on weekly/monthly tasks. I do a lot of PTO work by email. LOTS of communication, even with those who can't/don't attend meetings. People respond when you show how much you care.

I too am working to build a stonger parent group at our Middle School (750 kids, grades 6-8). We've had a group for years, but it's been mostly about raising money (most of which went to the staff) and feeding people (staff apprec, student reward lunches). There really hasn't been any emphasis on parent involvement. We're trying to change that.

I just can't accept that the middle school parent wants to or should walk away from volunteering at school. I believe (and hope to prove!) that if we make it easy, if we make them feel welcome, if we get the staff on board, we can get lots of hands-on support from our parents. We're using the 2 Hour Power model this year. So far, we have about 20 parents who have earned their "lightening bolt" for volunteering at least 2 hours. Is it hokey? Yes, a little, but everone appreciates a little recognition for their efforts, even adults. Kids may say they don't want Mom and Dad volunteering at school, but I don't give the kids a vote on this.

By far, our biggest challenge getting the PTO to evolve has been COMMUNICATION. No homeroom, monthly (not weekly) school newsletters, and the invalid assumption that the MS kids are successfully communicating school announcements at home have really made it hard for us to get information to our parent community. But we aren't giving up. Email, website, face to face presence at concerts, sports, etc., and lots more ideas will hopefully increase the PTO's visibility.

All the good PTO skills I learned in elementary school (and from PTOToday) are definately being put to the test in this new environment!