By now the lastest issue of the issue of PTO Today should be in your PTO or PTA mailbox. Don’t let it sit there — lots of great stuff to make this your best year yet!
Some of the article highlights in this issue include:
Happy reading!
A long-time stalwart of our message boards reminded me today about a great thread that is perfect for this time of year.
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…
Have seen countless articles about how the economy is impacting back-to-school shopping. This recent article talks about how parents and PTO & PTA groups are getting creative for back-to-school shopping during a recession. Many are taking advantage of the power of a group to help parents out.
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!
Smart and creative PTO group ideas, from awesome leaders — we love to hear them! I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss the latest, greatest ideas that leaders have contributed to our Idea Bag. Here are the highlights:
Keep those great ideas coming!
In our last post Tim talked about the importance of planning out your entire year. Good stuff. Once you have that down, consider thinking about long-term planning for your PTO group. Hot off the “press” is a new article about how to create long-term plans without the headaches. Read that for some practical tips, then check out our new Sample PTO Strategic Plan.
Check out this article about a North Carolina elementary school that is getting their students moving to raise money for their school. The Hendersonville Elementary School PTO put together a fundraiser called “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds: Move Across America.”
How does it work? Kids choose different ways to exercise and each way has mile equivalent associated with it. Then the kids log their exercise and total up the miles. The goal of the school is to exercise for 24,902 miles. That’s the distance around the earth! Wow!
What a great way to inspire healthy habits, sharpen math skills, and build community at the same time!
Had a chance to sit down yesterday with Jon Carson, the founder of web auction services cMarket and Bidding for Good. Before that, Jon was founder of Family Education Network. (Yes, he’s been busy.)
We’ve been following trends with school auctions for years now, and cMarket’s work in that space has been the most interesting recent development. First, it was just adding online bidding to your traditional school auction. That’s worth a look in its own right. More recently, though, the offering has gotten even better, as cMarket now has a host of items that you can add to your auction at no risk to you. Things like vacations and hotel nights that can only add dollars to your auction’s bottom line. I know the auction chairs at my children’s school used cMarket for the first time last fall and – besides some nice results from adding online in general (they placed several of the silent items into an “online only” category) — they also made nearly $1,000 extra just from the items that cMarket added to the auction.
The upshot: if your group is running an auction, definitely worth exploring how cMarket can help you make it better. URL = www.cmarket.com
Here’s a creative fundraising idea that involves the entire community and beyond. Piggybacking on a popular annual event, 3 PTOs in Newburyport, Massachusetts are working together to run a kitchen/home tour. 12 Kitchens around the city to check out. Proceeds will go to the city’s three elementary schools. Sign me up!
Let’s face it, PTO school events can make or break your parent involvement equation. A well-planned, well-attended event not only builds community — it brings in more volunteers! Our new Event Planning Kit takes all the guess work out of creating PTO events that rock. Download your free kit today and learn:
And you’re one step closer to achieving unforgettable events in the 2009/10 school year.
Came across this article about a Rapid City Elementary School “joining the green scene.” Kudos go to their PTA group for taking a lead on this initiative in their school.
Working in conjunction with the non-profit organization, Michigan Green Schools, Rapid City Elementary is pledging to be more environmentally friendly and to educate students on the importance of good ecological and environmental practices.
This article is a must read for any school who is looking for ideas of ways to make their school more eco-friendly. Also, lots of great ideas about how to teach kids about conservation and the environment.
 Tim Sullivan |
 Lisa Gundlach |
Follow Tim and Lisa on Twitter: twitter.com/TimPTO and twitter.com/ptotoday
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