PTO Today

A hearty congrats to all parent group volunteers for a job well-done in the 2011-12 school year! It’s exciting to see articles cropping up about how PTOs and PTAs are spending the money they worked so hard to fundraise this school year. So fun and inspiring to read about the range of ways that fundraising funds are spent. Several caught my eye:

• Energy efficient water fountains
• A butterfly pavilion
• An outdoor classroom
• Relief for tornado victims
• Mountain bikes for a mountain biking class

And of course, technology and enrichment programs are the most popular way to spend earned fundraising dollars!

How did your school/parent group choose to spend the money you raised this school year? We’d love to hear your stories.

A hearty congratulations to newly-elected officers! We have heard from many of you that you’re excited about your new role, but also a little nervous. No need to worry, we’ve got you covered! In this video, Tim gives some good advice to get you started.

Here is the article that Tim refers to in the video:  A Tale of Two Volunteers.

New parent group officers in years past also gave the following articles a thumbs up:

23 Essential Tips for New Presidents

38 Ideas to Start the Year Right

7 Steps to Grow Involvement

Build Support for New Ideas

16 Tips for Executive Board Members

The Truth About Cliques

Another tip for newbies: Make sure you register your new officers with PTO Today to stay on top of all the new programs and tools (and to receive a free Communication Handbook.) Also, if you are interested in receiving a tip a week from Tim and learning about the next free giveaway or sample offer from PTO Today and our partners, be sure to opt in to our Leader Lowdown Newsletter.

One last piece of advice: connect with other leaders! Sometimes being a parent group leader can be isolating. Our message boards, Ask a Question section, Facebook page and Twitter feed are great ways to chat with other leaders and swap stories and ask questions… maybe even brag a little.

Again, congrats!

Thanks to all who have taken part in our Fun Fact Giveaway Quiz so far! We hope that you had fun and that you learned a lot. A hearty congrats to the winners of the $50 Target gift cards to date:

February Winners
Paula Rygh
Lisa Haddock
Terri Bishop
Allison May

March Winners
Anita Kelly
Donna Alqassar
Kristin Gaudry
Sara Nichols

April Winners
Beatrice Mattaway
Julie Anne Divis
Misty Cook
Monique Bryant

May Winners
TBD. This could be you. Take the quiz now!

May is not over yet and we still have 4 gift cards to give away! Remember, you can take the quiz as many times as you want, until you get all the answers correct.  Just think what you could do with this gift card… silent auction prize… door prize for your back-to-school event … reimburse yourself for the stuff you bought for that end of year party… hmmm, so many possibilities! Get cracking because there are only 9 days left in the month of May! Good Luck.

In this week’s video blog Tim answers the much-asked questions: Can we carry money over to the next school year? — and —  How much money should we carry over to the new school year?

Related links:
Budget Basics for PTOs
How to Manage Your Budget
What Every Treasurer Should Know

Does your PTO or PTA have a rule of thumb for how much money you carry over to the next school year?

The weekend is here and I have gardening on the mind! It’s so refreshing to scan the recent parent group news and see so many articles about schools taking on gardening projects. In general, we are seeing a trend of parent groups taking a more active role in green school initiatives. This week’s article round-up speaks to the benefits of school gardens:

• Education grows with learning garden.
• Students learn life lessons through gardening.
• Kids learn about the importance of nutrition and gardening sustainability.
• Constructing a courtyard creates various sensory activities for the kids.

So, are you inspired? Is your PTO or PTA involved in a garden project? We’d love to hear about it.

If you are looking for other ways to make your school more green, check out these articles and tools:

http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/825-how-ptos-are-going-green

http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/689-fun-and-eco-games

http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/826-greening-our-parent-group

http://www.ptotoday.com/sfn/SFN_gogreen_leader.php

Happy weekend and happy gardening!

It was wonderful to hear about your teacher appreciation programs this past week. Well done! Think it’s fair to say that you made your teacher’s week!

Before long, you’ll be thinking about what to do for your end-of-year volunteer appreciation. No rest for the weary! In this video Tim talks about what to avoid this spring when you execute your volunteer appreciation program.

What is your PTO or PTA board doing for volunteer appreciation this year? Share your best ideas with other leaders below in the comments.

It’s that time of year: new board member election time! This week’s featured question from our Ask a Question section touches on the problem of vacant board slots.

Anonymous question:

We sent home nomination forms and nobody has volunteered for any positions, all of the current board is leaving, do we dissolve or wait until school starts and try to recruit again? Anyone have ideas?

Craig writes:

Honestly, sending home nomination forms rarely works. The best way to recruit new officers is to talk to them individually. People need to know the scope of the job, they need to know the time commitment, and they need to feel comfortable that they’ll be able to handle the job. Target people who have already been involved by volunteering regularly or chairing committees. These are the people who are most likely to be interested in taking the next step. Talk to them, tell them about the job, tell them why you think they are a great fit, and let them know that they won’t be left out on an island — someone will be their to guide them or at least you’ll have a binder of information compiled to help make things easier. Consider splitting positions among co-officers if that’s what it takes to make people feel comfortable. You definitely shouldn’t dissolve, especially if you have a volunteer base but just no one to take the leadership reins. Make these personal contacts first, then look for creative solutions. I bet you can figure out a way to keep things going. And by the way, have you recruited among parents whose children will be entering the school next year? Sometimes you can find someone with PTO experience at the previous grade level (preschool if you’re an elementary). Good luck.

Links related to officer recruitment and elections:

http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/995-find-the-right-person-for-the-job

http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/181-officer-transition-planning-ahead

http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/137-7-steps-to-grow-involvement

http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/419-dont-say-it

http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/399-involvement-matters-what-to-tell-parents

http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/287-recruiting-preschool-parents

http://www.ptotoday.com/transitionkit

Most groups, at one time or another, have positions they have trouble filling at the end of the school year. What has worked for your PTO or PTA for filling these empty positions?

Word on the street is that many groups are working on their fall PTO or PTA planning right now.  Wouldn’t it be great if you could start your school community off on a spirited note next fall? It’s such a hectic time of year for families … they (and you!) need some fun.

That’s why we are so excited to partner with the NFL and their Back to Football Friday program (for the second year in a row!). The NFL would like to invite YOUR school to participate in Back to Football Friday this fall! This fun, FAN-tastic event is a great way to drum up some excitement at back-to-school by rallying that school (and team!) spirit.

Here’s how it works:

• Register your school at www.NFLRUSH.com/backtofootball
• Plan a Back to Football Friday Celebration anytime during the first 2 weeks of the 2011 NFL regular season this fall – invite everyone at your school to celebrate by wearing their NFL team gear to school.
• 34 winning schools will be named NFL PLAY 60 Super Schools and receive an NFL team celebration and a $10,000 NFL PLAY 60 health and wellness grant*!

Registration is open. Once registered, be sure to upload photos of your event (learn more at  www.NFLRUSH.com/backtofootball).

Look for a  complimentary Back to Football Friday poster in the August issue of PTO Today Magazine!

*Grant awarded in form of a check made payable to winning school.

No Purchase Necessary to Enter or Win in the Back to Football Friday Contest (hereafter, “Contest”). Registration starts 12:00:00 p.m. ET on 3/15/11 and ends two (2) weeks following the conclusion of the first 2011 NFL regular season game (“Registration Period”). Entry Period starts 9:00:00 a.m. ET on the day after the first 2011 NFL regular season game and ends two (2) weeks following the conclusion of the first 2011 NFL regular season game. Open only to those who are, as of registration date: (i) legal residents of the 50 U.S. or District of Columbia; (ii) 18+ years; and (iii) either a school Administrator, Teacher, PTA leader or PTO leader representing a public, state-accredited private school or vocational school with grades between Kindergarten and 8th. For the purposes of this Contest, a school Administrator is defined as a Principal, Vice-Principal, Dean, Superintendent or Health and Wellness Administrator. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules available at www.nflrush.com/backtofootball during Registration Period or by sending a SASE for receipt by 11/4/11 to: Back to Football Friday RULES, P.O. Box 17009, Bridgeport, CT, 06673-7009. Sponsor: National Football League.
“NFL Team Celebration” prize consists of a visit to the school associated with the Grand Prize winning Entry for a portion of a school day by one or more cheerleader(s), mascot or NFL player(s).
© 2011 NFL Properties LLC. All NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League.

With budget cuts plaguing schools across the country, many parent groups are looking to auctions to bring in the big money. The articles in this week’s news round-up demonstrate how PTOs and PTAs are getting more creative with their approach to school auctions, with impressive results:

• A walk-a-thon and silent auction proved to be a winning combination for this California school. Congrats to this spirited group for raising $40,000 while encouraging healthy habits.
• By combining a family bowling night with a silent auction this PTO hopes to build community and raise a little money. Sounds like a fun family affair.
• Free admission, food, drinks, children’s entertainment, children’s art gallery and 50 themed baskets all add up to a fabulous family event and a fun auction.
• Adults only for this Burgers and Brew auction event. Attendees get a chance to bid on some fun items while listening to the high school jazz band. We wish this PTA the best of luck on their first ever auction.
• Online auctions seem to be growing in popularity. This school is part of the trend of schools kicking off an auction fundraiser with an online offering,  followed by a live event. Very neat how they are following up their online auction with a small gallery walk featuring kids’ masterpieces and a dessert bar.
• Kudos to this school for a unique auction experience. In addition to bidding on art, attendees get a chance to create art. Unique activity at this event: judging student’s edible art creations. How fun!
• Love how this school takes the something for everyone approach to their family event/silent auction.  To name a few, families can enjoy water activities, rock climbing, a game cave, and classic car show.

Did your school host an auction this year? Share your stories and event photos on our Auction page!

“A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.”  ~Author Unknown

Teacher appreciation is top of mind for PTOs and PTAs this time of year. Year after year, we are amazed by the energy and creativity that groups put into thanking their teachers.  This is why we are so excited to tell you that we’ve teamed up with Febreze for a teacher appreciation give-away.

To celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week, parents have the chance to nominate the teachers who have inspired their children now through May 6th. After National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2 – May 6), one teacher will be chosen as a winner and receive the “Teacher of the Year” title and a $5,000 cash prize to put toward classroom supplies or a classroom makeover!

Here’s how you can spread the word to your friends and other parents at your school to encourage families to nominate their favorite teacher for the Febreze Teacher of the Year:

• Download the Febreze Teacher of the Year Award flyer to send home to moms at your school.
• Download the Teacher of the Year Award web graphic and post it on your school or PTO website – be sure to link it to www.facebook.com/febreze.
• Cut and paste the following copy into your next newsletter, email, or to your website:

Nominate your child’s favorite teacher for the Febreze Teacher of the Year!

Help your children recognize their favorite teachers by nominating them for the first-ever Febreze Teacher of the Year Award! To celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week, parents have the chance to nominate the teachers who have inspired their children. After National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2 – May 6), one teacher will be chosen as a winner and receive the “Teacher of the Year” title and a $5,000 cash prize to put toward classroom supplies or even a classroom makeover! Nominate your favorite teacher at www.facebook.com/Febreze now through May 6th!

How cool would it be to see your child’s teacher or a teacher at your school win $5,000? Talk about a morale booster!