PTO Today

Now here’s a school that know how to have fun! Parent volunteers at the Learning Community Charter School in Jersey City, N.J., recently held a Pi-e Day celebration in honor of Pi Day, which is celebrated on March 14.

The event featured a bake-off, pie arts and crafts, and a pie-eating contest. Organizers said it was expected to raise more than $3,000 for the school. The idea was to get a message out about pi, the mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter (equal to 3.14159).

Pi Day has become a fun way for PTOs and PTA to get kids excited about math. Last year, we got a great response to ideas for Pi Day, so we wanted to offer them again to any groups that may be looking for last-minute ideas:

• Fun with teachers: Many schools observe the day with activities using pies or pizzas. You might recruit teachers who agree to be “pied,” then invite students to vote for one teacher to take a pie in the face by putting coins in a jar. Or you could help teachers with their Pi Day lessons by supplying pizzas for their classes. Teachers can use the round pizzas to demonstrate lessons before students eat them for lunch.

• Games with kids: Have kids count off from 1 to 9. Then recite the digits of pi, with a person representing each number moving to the appropriate place in order, until you run out of people. Plan math games and invite students to challenge each other.

• Pi Contest
Challenge students to write poems about pi or to memorize as many digits as they can. Give winners storybooks that involve pi, such as Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Cindy Neuschwander, or gift certificates to a local pizza place.

Fun runs have long been a staple for many parent groups. Now groups are getting even more creative with these runs to help them appeal to more people and raise even more funds for their schools. Here are some examples:

Color Their World
The Swans Creek Elementary PTA in Southbridge, Va., wanted to capitalize on the popularity of color runs, in which runners get “splashed” with multicolored, cornstarch-based powder while running a 5K. So the PTA gave runners the option of running a color lap at the end of its fall fun run. During this lap, parent volunteers tossed the powder onto the runners as they passed a series of color stations. Runners got free sunglasses to shield their eyes. As they completed the color lap, they were transformed into walking rainbows.

Zombie Chase
The PTA at James A. Garfield Elementary in Collingswood, N.J., asked its fun run participants to run for their lives when zombies suddenly appeared to chase them along the route. The group even added a hearse from a local funeral home and parked it at the finish line to add to the spooky atmosphere. The Zombie Chase 5K was held close to Halloween and a trick-or-treat walk was offered after the event.

Family Fitness
Even without zombies or a color lap, a PTA 5K in Lexington, Ky., drew an estimated 1,275 participants. A main draw for families was a free eight-week training program offered through the YMCA. Thirty-eight PTAs participated in the event organized by the 16th District PTA. Participating PTAs were required to create a healthy lifestyles committee. The hope is that the run will become a way to showcase healthy habits that will continue long after the run is over, says Liza Holland, president of the 16th District PTA.

We’ve had a big blast of bad news from the parent group world recently. First, there was another batch of embezzlement stories. Then there was a story concerning a PTO’s role in a misguided effort to single out kids who did not make fundraising goals. And the real topper was a piece about a parent volunteer who threatened to harm a public official.

Really? And it’s what season?

Luckily, we have you—our parent group community—to remind us that most PTOs and PTAs are far more focused on building community and taking care of others. So what exactly are you up to this time of year?

Well, here’s just one example. We posted a simple question on Facebook last week asking about your holiday plans. Here’s what we got:

• Parents Night Out—Fun and games for the kids while the parents enjoy kid-free shopping

• Annual Christmas Fair: Two-day event that dates back at least 40 years

• Santa Shop

• Parent/child cookie contest

• Selling discount gift certificates to local playhouse

• Annual Movie Night, free cocoa and cookies
• Advent Mass, refreshments for 70

• Santa Shop and two winter shows

• Pancake breakfast, along with a craft fair and a book fair

• Santa Shop with candles fundraiser

• Book Fair, Santa Shop, Pizza Night With Santa

• Christmas Store

• Holiday shopping and a personalized ornaments project for the kids

• Cookies With Santa

And that’s hearing from just a few of you! So thank you again for the reminder that, yes, there are some unfortunate (even strange) stories in the news, but there are plenty of good things happening every day.

We know many PTO leaders are already working on spring events, but our guess is some of you are putting the finishing touches on your holiday programs.

No worries—some of the best creative work comes when there’s a deadline looming!

Check out our story, 12 Holiday Ideas for Your PTO or PTA, and you might find some last-minute tips. For instance, if you are having a holiday event, consider adding a Frosty the Snowman or Santa Claus photo opportunity for the kids. It’ll be a great keepsake. But you need two things fast: a good-sport volunteer and a holiday costume!

If you’ve planned a Breakfast With Santa event, consider sending this flyer as a reminder to parents. You can find this downloadable in our File Exchange along with other holiday-related documents.

Or how about this quick turnaround idea? It’s based on a cute poem published by a parent group leader on our Message Boards. You could enlarge a copy of the poem, mount it on poster board, and have the children sign it.

Here’s the first verse below, and you can find the complete poem here.

Holiday Thanks to Our Teacher

T’was the week before Christmas at the elementary school

And all the weary teachers were losing their cool!

Santa searched for the ones that gave their time and hearts

He wanted to thank them but how could he start?

Candygrams are always fun at school, and it’s something that you can pull together really fast. Just get our free downloadable Holiday Candygrams, buy candy, hold a candygram purchase during a lunch hour at school, and you are all set.

Last, the holiday season is a great time to make a Box Tops for Education or Labels for Education push! We have lots of collection sheets in our File Exchange, such as this Christmas tree sheet or this one featuring snowflakes.

Parent and teacher communication, a key piece to effective parent engagement, may not be perfect, but clearly both parties are working on it, according to the results of a recently released national survey.

The report showed that nearly half of the parents surveyed would give teachers an “A’’ when it comes to communications. But the survey also revealed that parents and teachers do not always view their communications in precisely the same light. For example, 68% of teachers surveyed said they had had some difficulty in interacting with parents. Meanwhile, 63% of parents said they’d never had difficulty communicating with teachers.

Another disparity: Nearly half of parents surveyed said their opinions are always taken seriously by teachers, but only 17% of teachers felt their opinions were taken seriously by parents.

The report is based on a survey of 1,000 parents and teachers and was conducted by Parenting Magazine and the National Education FoundationWhile some of the data shows parents and teachers can view things differently, both parties are also clearly working on communications. The majority of parents said they believed teachers offered supportive responses to their concerns and a whopping 80% of teachers consider parents to be supportive of them.

Also, almost 90% of parents said they consider their child’s teacher as a partner and 54% of teachers said they felt parents were doing their part at home to help their kids succeed.

This survey follows a report earlier this year that highlighted big increases in parent engagement. That report, sponsored by Met Life and conducted by Harris Interactive, showed that nearly half of the students it surveyed reported their parents visit their school at least once a month.

For years, research has identified a direct link between parent involvement and a child’s overall performance in school. It’s simple: Kids do better when their parents play an active role.

Looking for ideas to get parents involved? One of the key things a PTO can do is build community and help parents create real connections with other parents, teachers and kids. Whether it’s a potluck dinner or a night at the local bowling alley, events that focus on building friendships (and not necessarily raising funds) go a long way at fostering an open environment where parent engagement can grow.

Also, it helps to reach out to families and spread the simple message to parents: the more they get involved, the more successful their kids will be.

Remember, you are the ground troops, PTO leaders! You are the ones running the events that can get the ball rolling when it comes to parent involvement.

Middle school changes the rules for a PTO. The classroom parties and reading nights, some of the biggest successes of elementary school days, won’t cut it on the middle school level.

The challenges that middle school presents were evident this week during a Twitter discussion called #PTchat with parents and educators. The discussion centered on the big question of how to foster parent involvement to benefit the kids, parents and the school (and not embarrass or upset anyone along the way!).

We know these issues make a PTO’s mission really tricky. If you are about to enter this new territory of middle school, or are even in the thick of it now, here are some things to keep in mind:

For starters, embrace the fact that the job of a middle school PTO will be different. Often, middle school PTOs find themselves helping parents in new ways, such as giving them information to support kids outside of school, on such matters as cyberbullying, drugs or sex. Workshops or parent nights on those subjects can be a big draw.

When it comes to planning events, don’t think you know best. The kids do and a key success factor is to let the kids come up with event ideas. If they think it’s cool, they’ll want to attend.

Keep in mind that after-school clubs and enrichment programs are big in middle school. PTOs can bolster a community spirit (and help parents better connect with their kids) by fostering good relationships with these clubs.

It’s also important to remember that some things won’t change. Working on a good relationship with the principal still matters and the basics of running a group, such as a good organizational system and sound financial practices, are still key.

During this week’s #PTchat discussion, which is hosted by Joe Mazza, principal of Knapp Elementary School in in Lansdale, Penn., and an active voice on Twitter, participants raised questions about how to maintain a community when so many folks are actually starting to disengage from their kid’s school.

Some participants put forth good ideas you might want to consider:

• Try an off-site event that’s interesting to kids. Make it stress-free and low-key. One idea was a family fishing day.

• Make events authentic and casual, like having a get together at a local pizza shop for families rather than hosting a more serious event like a workshop where parents learn how to engage appropriately.

• School pride days can be a safe way for families to engage. A cleanup day that involves lots of outdoor work can be considered fun (or at least not too uncool) for lots of kids.

• Reach out to adults beyond the parents, including grandparents and community members, when hosting an event. This gives the kids access to additional good role models, who can be helpful when communications between parents and kids can at times be strained.

• Have parents do fun jobs that aren’t too high profile for events, such as running valet parking. This keeps them in the loop but not in the spotlight (which is what can sometimes make kids uncomfortable).

Can you smell the fresh air and hear the kids laughing? Our stories this week highlight some great outdoor events being held around the country.

The Williamston, Mich., school district, helped along by parent volunteers, held a Walk- to-School day last week and plans to create “Walking Wednesdays’’ through the month of May. A parent volunteer reported the kids were “having a blast’’ and “full of energy’’ as they walked and socialized with friends. These events are part of a Safe Routes 2 School program the district launched this year with a $248,000 grant. The district is also doing walking school buses, participating in the National Bike to School Day on May 9, and holding a “Caught Being Safe’’ Day where students and parents are rewarded for good driving.

Who knew mulch could mean so much! The Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Va., did.  It just completed its 8^th annual springtime mulch sale and brought in $20,000! Run by the Combined Parent Council at MVHS, the mulch sale is used to fund the seniors’ all-night graduation party. The group sold over 9,000 bags of mulch!

The PTA at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Port Chester, New York recently held its 5^th annual walk-a-thon this month and had 500 participants. The PTA gave cash prizes to three students who raised the most money through pledges. The group also offered a pizza party to the class that brought in the most money and an ice cream party for the class that had the most participants.

The John W. Decas Elementary School in Wareham, Mass., has a beautiful new $30,000 playground, thanks to a dedicated playground committee and many months of fundraising, (spaghetti suppers, Hat Days) and seeking donations. The committee brought in a crew of volunteers who managed to assemble the entire thing (including pouring concrete!) and put down child-safe mulch in one day. Job well done!

Parent groups and schools try a range of approaches to help parents with limited English skills feel comfortable on campus.

How do you get a message across to someone who speaks a different language than you? By getting creative. These parent groups took steps to help parents speaking English as a second language feel welcome at school.

Multilingual Leaders
Many parent groups arrange for translators at their meetings. When the PTO at the International Charter School in Pawtucket, R.I., meets, its leaders can often do this job themselves. The president, treasurer, and secretary speak four languages combined: Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, Spanish, and English. The PTO lists the languages spoken by each leader when providing their contact information to parents.

Parent Academy
In South San Francisco, parents at Sunshine Gardens Elementary started the state PTA’s School Smarts Parent Academy, in which moms and dads meet for two hours a week and learn how to be involved with their children’s education.

At the mostly Hispanic school, parents who might otherwise be too timid to take an active role in their child’s schooling learn how the public education system works and how to reach the school board and the superintendent. The academy also teaches leadership skills and how to communicate with your child about school. The school’s principal has reported a sharp increase in involvement with school events.

Language Lessons
At 11 schools in Salt Lake City, parents can take English-language lessons offered by the nonprofit English Skills Learning Center. The program stresses the importance of parents being involved in their children’s education. Parents learn English vocabulary used frequently in a school setting as well as how to join the school’s parent group and how to communicate with their children about their performance in school.

It’s hard to find a parent group that’s slowing down. This week we found groups running Creative Writing Clubs, Tricky Trays, House Tours and Safety Nights.

Now this takes dedication! The PTA at the Walker School in Clarendon Hills, Ill., is running a Creative Writing Club before school. More than a dozen children have joined and need to arrive at school by 7:45 AM for the 40-minute weekly. The idea is to give the children the chance to write in an easy, relaxed atmosphere.

Who said Tricky Trays were old-fashioned? They are actually pretty popular. The PTO at the Greenbrook Elementary School in Kendall Park, N.J., is going all out with a tricky tray event this Saturday offering prizes that range from $50 to $500. They are giving away a flat-screen TV, iPad 3, and Disney tickets, just to name a few hot items. PTO President Sabuha Din was quoted as saying what she loves is this event “gets the whole Greenbrook community involved.’’

We could all use some safety tips. The PTO at the Lackawanna Trail School District in Factoryville, Penn., is putting together a Safety Night to help families with a variety of concerns, from car seat safety to protecting kids online. The group is bringing in various law enforcement folks to provide parents with information.

Here’s a fun idea for a spring event: The Falls Church City Elementary PTA in Falls Church, Va., is planning a home and garden tour this weekend that will feature Victorian homes along with new eco-friendly houses. PTA volunteers helped decorate homes and will act as docents at various locations along the route. The tour, the group’s biggest fundraiser each year, benefits elementary schools in the district. The event typically brings in between $10,00 and $15,000.

Late last month, we wrote about the upcoming inaugural National Bike to School Day, which is sponsored by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, and will be held on May 9. The group has now opened registration for this event. Groups and individuals can sign up. It looks like parent groups could turn National Bike to School Day into a great community event that gets kids outside and focuses on safety issues. Considering the May is also Physical Fitness and Sports Month, as well as Family Wellness Month, this event could fit nicely with some bigger get-healthy goals.