Lowe’s has been a huge supporter of schools and of PTOs and PTAs these past few years (their Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program has given millions to PTOs and PTAs these past 5 years), and I’ve really enjoyed working with their whole team on a variety of projects.

But when they started talking about Lowe’s giftcards as good teacher appreciation and holiday gifts, even I was a bit skeptical. After all – you can’t exactly buy ceramic apples at Lowe’, right?

After they walked me through a few things they’re doing though, I was impressed. And I think it’s worth a look for you.

First of all, while you can’t get ceramic apples — you can get about a billion other things, tons of which would be great for a teacher. (Classroom stuff and stuff for when the teachers are being actual normal everyday people). Think: plants, gardening tools, organizing bins for the classroom, even Christmas decorations. And a whole bunch more.

Even better, Lowe’s now has the ability for you to customize your gift card in a very cool way. You can, for example, add a picture of your son or daughter along with “Mrs. B – thanks for helping me with fractions!” right on the giftcard. How cool is that?

Check out their Lowe’s giftcard page and the personalization features before you make your holiday gift choices this year.

Some of the article highlights in this issue include:

• Yearlong Travel Theme Makes Learning Fun
• Creating a Long-Term Plan
• Get Out and Smell the Coffee
• Sample PTO Strategic Plan

Happy reading!

There have been dozens of articles out in recent weeks with predictions for this coming flu season and tons of news about schools possibly being the first line of defense in preventing the flu from really devastating communities.  It makes sense – schools are both: 1) where kids can so easily pass bugs from one to another; and 2) where we can most easily get the kids in one place for prevention.

That’s why I’m so thankful for Teach Flu a Lesson. The free kit has everything you need to know about your PTO or PTA bringing vaccinations right to your school.  Great fit as part of a health fair or as part of a Health Week or – this year especially – as a stand-alone program, since interest and concern is so high.   Hit that link to learn more or sign up.

New to PTO leadership or just want some quick reminder reading, as the new year begins?  Then this thread – entitled “Tips, Tricks and Peeves” – is perfect for you.  It’s a list of all the little things that a whole bunch of PTO leadership veterans have learned over the years.  Everything from “if you have a sign-up sheet, bring extra pens” to “don’t tape your directions to the table because no one can read them once the crowd comes in”.  Stuff like that.  Priceless.

Hope you’ll also feel free to add your own hard-learned words of wisdom…

What caught my eye in the article though, is how the writer suggests that the answer to this question affects parent involvement at the school.

…national research suggests that increasing the number of years a student attends middle school — from two years to three or four — can strengthen student connection as well as parent involvement. Those factors have been linked positively to student achievement.

We all can agree that a parent’s involvement at school has a positive impact. What’s less than clear, relative to parent involvement during the middle school years is: What’s the right type and amount? In other words, tweens aren’t the only ones who feel like they are “caught in the inbetween!”

Volunteering at our kid’s elementary school is a given for many of us. In high school, parents jump back in to extracurricular activities, like booster clubs and graduation projects.  But when our kids hit middle school and are trying to separate — what form does parent involvement take? How much is the right amount to make you feel connected to your kids and their school without crossing the proverbial line?

We have several good articles about parent involvement in middle school. Check them out, then tell us how you think parents should be involved in their middle schooler’s school? What do you think in the *right* amount?

Interested in hearing your thoughts.

For me, back-to-school time also brings thoughts of how we’re going to introduce the PTO to parents this year.  That first Open House or back-to-school night can be so important for setting the stage correctly.  This article from Denver  gives parents advice for making the most of back-to-school night, but what about advice for us PTO and PTA leaders.

My 3 best tips:

1. Think welcoming and serving. Do not – I repeat do not – make it all about fundraising.  Parents will support you with their pocketbooks and wallets *after* they connect with your group and your good work.  Have a column on this concept of The Welcoming PTO here.

2. Address parent fears.  Nearly every parent in the room is thinking either: 1) “they’re a clique”; or 2) if I volunteer once (like a Black Hole) I’ll never get out.  You can’t ignore those thoughts.  Address them head-on. My column on PTOs and Cliques is here. And the best solution to the Black Hole problem, is our 2 Hour Power program.

3. Be fairly quick and light-hearted. You’re trying to draw people in.  Don’t use guilt.  And don’t drone.  You won’t completely convince all your future volunteers with one speech, but you could completely lose a whole bunch of them with one overly-long, too-heavy or guilt-giving speech.

Our editors and writers have covered best back-to-school advice for PTO and PTA leaders in loads of ways.  Take some time to review, and I know you’ll do great.

A number of PTA and PTO groups put together packages that let parents take advantage of bulk purchasing savings without having to hunt every item down in the store. Chesak/Martin PTA President Dana Wiley said the “Wrap Paks” that her group assembles have quality items that are cost-effective for parents. The kindergarten package costs $55, she said. But for families where that is still too steep, the PTA has bought a few extra supply kits.

Has your PTO or PTA done anything differently this year to help out in the area of back-to-school shopping?

Share your thoughts and ideas!

Are you ready for your first meeting of the year? It’s the one time when you’re most likely to get a lot of new folks attending, and it can really set a tone.

For better or worse, people will judge your group based on what happens at that meeting. If you make people feel welcome and needed, listen to what newcomers have to say, and keep the meeting to less than an hour, you’ve laid the groundwork to build some momentum. But if that meeting doesn’t go well, you will have missed a chance to bring in some new recruits. First impressions are lasting, so you may not easily get that chance again.

You’ll find lots of tips for running a successful meeting on the Meetings/Robert’s Rules page at ptotoday.com. A few of my favorites:

• Successful Meetings: 14 Tips
• An illustrated handout of Robert’s Rules basics
• My first meeting: PTO presidents share their stories

The bottom line: Keep the meeting moving, don’t get bogged down in details, ask your veteran members to make personal contact with the new people, and demonstrate during the meeting that you’re willing to listen to new ideas. Oh, and avoid insider talk — make sure you explain things so that everybody understands what’s going on. Do that, and you’ll be well on your way toward building involvement.

Plan out your entire year. Write down all the activities, programs, fundraisers, etc. that you hope to run. Include when they’ll start and when they’ll end. Think about how much each one will cost (or raise), and think about how many volunteers you’ll need for each. You want to make sure that you have a balanced year, that you aren’t caught off guard, and that you have the resources you need at the time you need them. And by the way, it’s OK to change your plan along the way. Starting with a road map makes picking a new route a lot easier.

Plan to build involvement. How will you attract the volunteers you need and the participation you’re hoping for? Getting people connected to the school and to your group through family events and low-key activities is an important first step. Make sure a big part of your plan for the year focuses on building involvement. The better you do that, the easier everything else will become.

Use our tools. We have lots of free planning tools on ptotoday.com. Finances are not a sexy topic, but we have two terrific articles
that walk you through the basics of creating a budget for the year and figuring a budget for a specific event, even if it’s one you’ve
never run before. Our 2 Hour Power volunteer pledge program has proved to be a successful way to build involvement all year long. And ”9-Stress Busting Organization Tips” offers a nice list of objectives to make your year a success.