PTO Today

Imagine what you could do for your school with a $10,000 health and wellness grant*! Well, you could make it happen! Registration is now open for the 2012 NFL Play 60 Super School Contest!

To participate, just register your school here. You’ll then be redirected to the NFL site where you’ll be prompted to answer three easy essay questions about how your school celebrates football season, how it runs physical education classes and how it teaches the importance of staying active and healthy living.

In addition to the $10,000 grants, each winning school will also get a PLAY 60 Super School visit, which includes a visit to your school by one or more NFL players.

Last year, 34 schools across the country won $10,000 health and wellness grants and they found some very cool ways to put that money to use, like building walking paths, student fitness rooms, and, in one case, a yogurt breakfast bar. To find out more about these winning projects, check out our grant projects gallery.

If your school would like celebration ideas, download our Back to Football Idea Guide for help in setting up a special football-themed activity or event.

The 2012 NFL Play 60 Super School Contest registration deadline is September 14 and the NFL is expected to announce the winners in October. So, imagine the fabulous things that you could do with the $10,000 grant and register now!

*Grant is awarded in the form of a check payable to the winning schools. Visit to the winning school consists one or more cheerleader(s), mascot or NFL player(s) visiting for a portion of a school day.

No Purchase Necessary to Enter or Win. Starts 12:00:00 p.m. ET on 8/1/12, ends 11:59:59 p.m. ET on 9/14/12. Must be a legal resident of the 50 U.S. or District of Columbia 18+ years and 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. For complete details, click here for the Official Rules.

Did you see the story about an elementary school piloting a program for parents and teachers called “listening conferences.’’ ? The pilot is scheduled for the first week of school and the idea is to have parents talk while teachers listen. Parents give the teacher insights on their child, along with any other family-related information the teacher should know.

This sounds like a great idea for PTOs to borrow. Picture a meeting where you, as the board, sat and simply listened to what parents had to say.  It might feel a little awkward at first because as leaders you spend most of your time announcing, updating and informing. But think of what you could gain.

Ask them to tell you what’s on their minds, what they care about, what their big worries are, and what they hope the school community can be.  You know, the big stuff. Set the ground rules for this time as “discussion only,” so you don’t end up getting into the weeds about any particular issue or existing policy.

Chances are, you’ll hear things that will help you shape the PTOs goals for the year. You’ll likely end up feeling a little more connected to the parents, and they are certain to feel a little more connected to you.

For brand new parents, you might want to try some additional outreach. We have some great articles to help, including this piece on making a good first impression on new parents and this article on how to make new families feel welcome.

The school year may be winding down, but you still have a chance to do something big for your school! You can help it win great prizes by signing up for the Avery Give Back to Schools promotion. All you need to do is sign up your school on the Avery site, and then encourage your school community—parents, teachers, friends, and neighbors—to vote daily for your school between now and September 14, 2012.

You’ll want to get as many votes as possible for your school because the top five vote getters will receive:

• 25,000 Box Tops for Education Coupons

• $10,000 worth of Avery school supplies

• $1,000 in gift cards.

Betting your school could make good use of that!

As part of the contest, the 25 runner-up schools will each receive 10,000 Box Tops for Education coupons.

In addition, Avery also will select 10 random schools with more than 100 votes and they each will get 5,000 Box Tops for Education coupons.

So, check out the Avery web site and sign up now! This could be a great summer project for a volunteer who could head up a “get the word out’’ effort and send reminders to families and friends to keep voting every day. You’ll find a Top Schools list on the Give Back to Schools page where you can see how your school ranks. Avery has tips and promotional materials, including a flyer and banners, to help get the word out to your school community. Check out the tips here.

Also, the company has a helpful FAQ section if you need additional information on the Give Back to Schools program.

This is the third year Avery has run the Give Back to Schools promotion and last year thousands of schools participated. Altogether, it will give away 500,000 Box Tops coupons, $50,000 worth of Avery school supplies and $5,000 in gift cards in the 2012 program.

*Box Tops for Education and associated words and designs are trademarks of General Mills, used under license. ©2012 General Mills

We’re very excited to announce that our Back2School 2012 program will include a  $1,000 vacation giveaway for your school!

Hmm, think of the possibilities of a vacation giveaway! Have a drawing to give it to one lucky involved parent, raffle it off at your school auction – what you do with it is up to your group, but we’re guessing you already have a few ideas up your sleeve.

For a chance to win in the $1000 Back2School Vacation Giveaway,  sign up for our free Back2School program today– then look for details* in your planning kit this July!

*Official rules for this promotion can be found here.

In the world of parent volunteering, some jobs are so enjoyable that they are like taking a trip to Hawaii, or some other magical place, while others volunteer assignments make you feel like you’ve been booted to a dark and dreary place like Siberia. Funny thing is, what is one volunteer’s Hawaii is often another volunteer’s Siberia. You know how it goes. One parent loves public speaking and presenting information at meetings, while another parent would do anything but speak in front of the group. I always loved the communications part of the parent group, from writing newsletters to chit chatting with parents. That was my Hawaii. But put me in front of a checkbook, and, well, that gave me a chill that you most certainly would find in Siberia.

So, tell us, what’s your personal Hawaii when it comes to volunteering and what’s your Siberia?

Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page — where we are talking all things parent involvement this week, as part of our Destination Parent Involvement! Week. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our Back2School Program and learn more about how your group can make a fantastic first impression on parents.

And, stay tuned to our Facebook page later this week for a big announcement about our 2012 Back2School program giveaway.

Right about this time of year it happens: you can’t help but start thinking about the next school year. What teachers will my kids have? Who will be the new parent group officers? What will our group do differently at our back-to-school events to get more parents involved?

While we can’t help you with the first two questions, we CAN help you with the third! Next week we are chatting about all things parent involvement. Join us on our Facebook page  for Destination Parent Involvement! Week to get parent involvement tips, chat with other leaders and learn more about our free Back2School program and how it can help enhance your back-to-school events. And for those of you (all?) trying to recruit new board members for the 2012/13 school year, invite them along. The feeling of support and connection they will get from Destination Parent Involvement week may just be the ticket to have them say yes to a board position!

Best part: stay tuned to our Facebook page next week for a big announcement about our 2012 Back2School program giveaway. You’re going to love it!

Not familiar with our Back2School program? Here’s the scoop: the program is designed to help your group make a fantastic first impression on parents at back-to-school, get parents involved and keep them involved all year long! Here’s what Back2School participants receive:

• Copies of Jump In! magazines and high value coupons for parents
• Back-to-school event planning guide
• A parent involvement banner to hang at your fall events
• Chance to receive free parent sample packs for parents, full of goodies
• Exclusive online access to new back-to-school and parent involvement downloadable tools
• Tune in next week for more details…

Well, it’s January and the holidays are squarely behind us. Every January I do the same thing: I sit down and regroup about how Christmas and New Years went. I write down what went well and what I would change. I jot down decorating ideas, fun family event ideas, and reminders of what made me crazy this year. I think back-to-school season for PTO, PTA, HSA leaders is a lot like the holiday season. You do your best to be organized, and then you dive head first into this insanely busy time. Have you regrouped with other volunteers on how your back-to-school season went?

What would you like to do differently for back-to-school 2012? How can you make it better? Now is the time to think about it. I bet getting more parents involved at the very start of the school year is TOP on your list!

Here’s where PTO Today comes in. Make your back-to-school life a whole lot easier and productive — sign up for our Back2School program. It just kicked off and boy, are people signing up quickly! They know that participation in our FREE Back2School program is a fantastic way to get helpful tools and resources to make a great first impression on parents this fall. That first impression can make or break your year, in terms of involvement!

Here’s what Back2School participants receive:

• Jump In! magazines and coupons
• Back-to-school event planning guide
• Chance to receive parent sample packs
• And more!

If you are not familiar with our Jump In! magazine here’s the scoop: It’s a magazine that’s brought to you by the same team that produces PTO Today magazine — for you to pass out to parents at a back-to-school or parent/school event. Parents love the insightful articles that are meant to help parents bridge the school-home connection, as well as high-value coupons from family-friendly brands.

If you’d like to hear what other parent group leaders thought of the Back2School program, check out their testimonials and photos. If you still have questions, visit the Back2School FAQ. Sign up is here.

So, what are you going to do differently for back-to-school 2012?

One PTA found a way to take the sting out of back-to-school shopping for families. The Reeves-Hinger Elementary PTA in Canyon, Texas, bought supplies for all the school’s students and had them set up on desks on the first day of school. The group spent $10,000 and purchased all but three items on each list. The preK-4 school has approximately 750 students. That’s a lot of no. 2 pencils!

Judging from my news feed, things are heating up in parent groups across the country. So refreshing to read how PTOs and PTAs are making the first day of school fun and memorable for anxious kids and teachers! Here are some of the highlights:

–One Missouri PTO brilliantly sponsored a back-to-school event that let students and parents check out their classroom and local businesses set up booths to hand out goodies to connect with families. “The businesses give so much to PTO.This is our way to support them,” said, PTO Co-president Cherie Horn said.  Sounds this school is thinking ahead and starting their year off right!

–Like how this Illinois PTO recognizes that going back to school is not a picnic for students — so they start the year off with a back-to-school party!

–This PTO’s First Day Celebration invites parents and kids to the first day of school! What a great way to emphasize how parent involvement is encouraged and valued.

–One Texas school hasn’t started yet but their PTA has been busy buying back-to-school supplies, in effort to help cash-strapped parents. Bet these families will be more likely to say yes to that call to volunteer!

–Kudos to this Illinois PTO for kicking off the school year by getting kids involved in a community service program. Kids at this elementary school are learning the valuable lesson of helping others by bringing in gently-used backpacks and school supplies to send to Tanzania.

Remember, if your school is in the news we’d love to share it with other parent groups. Share your story on our Facebook page or by emailing me at lgundlach@ptotoday.com.