PTO Today

Quick tip this week based on my belief that if your parent group isn’t fun, you are going to struggle mightily to get lots of parents and families connected. Therefore, three fun ideas:

1. Don’t be afraid of a post-event or post-meeting cocktail or social. Head down to Applebee’s or Starbucks (and open the invitation broadly — not just to your insiders) and add some downtime to your hard work. It can pay off.
2. Add some life to your newsletter. Photos of kids and families having fun. A random volunteer of the month. Baby pictures of your teachers. Steal some newsletter ideas from our File Exchange and try to make your newsletter 20 percent better than it now is (and 75 percent more fun). Your newsletter can really set a tone for your whole group.
3. Buy some pink flamingos and “flock” some folks. Use them to surprise an officer. Use them to surprise a volunteer who did a great job. Use them to decorate the school front lawn someday. They’re just goofy enough to always bring a smile.

Why did the chicken cross the road? Because this side of the road was boring! Good luck livening things up.

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.

Want to get a celebrity for your next fundraiser? It helps if you’re located in an entertainment mecca. 30 Rock actress Jane Krakowski didn’t have to travel far from the set of her TV show to headline a Manhattan PTA’s fundraiser in January. The “Reading, Writing, and Cabaret” benefit featured Krakowski performing a cabaret show. The event raised money for the PTA at P.S. 84, the Lillian Weber School for the Arts.

Earth Day, April 22, is a great time to involve students in projects that teach them about the three R’s—reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Go Outside
Hold a cleanup day. Give teams of students and parents assignments, such as planting flowers or picking up trash. Send a picture of the cleanup crew to the local newspaper.

Challenge Kids
If your school’s classrooms don’t already have paper recycling bins, purchase containers for this purpose. Ask teachers and students to collect recycled paper for a week, then weigh the containers to see which class saved the most paper from the landfill. Provide an eco-friendly prize.

Raise Some Green
Make an extra push in April for your profit-earning recycling programs. Gather all the aluminum cans, ink cartridges, and used cell phones that you can. Be sure to let families know how many items were recycled and how much money the school earned.

Here’s an interesting twist I thought I’d share. I recently heard from a TV production company thinking of creating a reality show around a PTO group. Seriously.

Well, if they’re looking for drama and human interest and good work and the occasional tear-filled dust-up – PTOs certainly could fit the bill. I personally hope they’re going more Extreme Makeover (“watch how this group transforms their school”) than Jersey Shore (“watch how this group drinks waaaay too much at the auction”), but either way I’d certainly watch.

Here’s the actual write-up from the producers:

“Do you believe that parent volunteers have the power to make a positive difference in the life of the children in your community? Is your PTO or parent group made up of colorful, opinionated characters that aren’t afraid to confront issues head on – even if it causes conflict within the group? Does it feel as though your organization is frequently struggling to find a middle ground on day-to-day issues, even though both sides feel they have the group’s best interests at heart? Would your group do whatever it takes to advocate for the well-being of your kids?”

If you’re interested in learning more for your group, email PARENTCASTING@GMAIL.COM with your name, location, and a brief summary of your organization.

If this thing takes off, we’ll certainly follow here at PTO Today. Are you the next reality star?

Join schools across the country in observing Music in Our Schools Month in March, sponsored by the National Association for Music Education. It’s a great way to show support of music education and let students shine. Here are a few ways to celebrate the occasion.

Spotlight Talent
Hold a talent show with a music theme. Encourage students to form vocal or instrumental ensembles or to perform a skit involving music. Invite staff members to share their musical talents, too. Instead of trophies or ribbons, give students small instruments like egg shakers or harmonicas.

Sing Along
Join the world’s largest concert on March 10. An estimated 6 million students, teachers, and other singers will perform the same pieces at the same time. Ask the music teacher whether the PTO can provide snacks at rehearsals or help promote the concert.

Show and Tell
Arrange for a local musician or band to perform for students and talk about the profession. Make sure to allow plenty of time for a Q&A session. Take pictures of students with their famous new friends.

Find more timely task and activity suggestions for March in the March PTO To Do List.

I don’t often do this, but I loved, loved an email I received yesterday and want to share it.  For 11 years we’ve been trying to do exactly what  Sara Nakai (from the Humphrey Elementary PTO in Chandler, Arizona ) captures here in her note:

Thank you so much, PTO Today, for offering such a helpful resource to PTOs around the country.  Our organization has benefitted so much from the ideas and advice in the pages of your magazine, your e-newsletter, and posts on your Facebook page.  The 2 Hour Power Pledge idea is pure genius and our group has more active members than it’s had in recent years.  During the second half of this year, we’re planning a Family Reading Night, a Family Fitness Morning, and several evening parent education classes to provide parents with strategies for dealing with topics such as bullying and internet safety.  Thank you for these golden ideas!

Man, that made my day!  I hope we can help your group in the months and years ahead in the same way.

For reference, here are some links from Sara’s note:

• Our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/PTOToday
• Our Two Hour Power involvement pledge program:  http://www.ptotoday.com/2hourpower/
• Family Reading Night Kit:  http://www.ptotoday.com/sfn/SFN_reading_leader.php
• Internet Safety Night Kit: http://www.ptotoday.com/pen/

Thank you, Sara, for taking the time to share those kind words.  And good luck to all for a great 2011.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone. I hope these weeks bring you well-deserved joy (and rest)!

Before we sign off for the year, I thought I’d write an email for you to use for the New Year. Please feel free to steal it or edit it to make it your own. January is a great time to reemphasize the key spirit behind your group. Here’s my recommendation for a New Year’s message from your parent group:

There’s my version. If you have your own, we’d love to see it; feel free to share your version on the File Exchange.

Thanks for all you’ve done in 2010; wishing you all the best in 2011.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

We spend a ton of time here at PTO Today talking about how PTO officers can thank their volunteers and appreciate their teachers. This week, we’d like to take some of that time and simply thank you for all you do for your school and the students and families.

I know it can be a thankless, tiring job. But it’s worth it; it really is. Because of your work, students are learning in a more welcoming environment and families are connecting with your school in ways that research tells us are extremely important. Great teachers are energized at just the right time by your support.

On behalf of all of those people who should be thanking you more and should see even more clearly the value of the work you’re doing — thank you!

From all of us at PTO Today, please have a wonderful Thanksgiving. You deserve it.

Work with teachers to celebrate learning and make the 100th day of school a special occasion for students. The 100th day of classes falls in January or February for most schools, but check with your administrators for an exact date.

Have a party
Hold a party for students to celebrate being 100 days smarter. Give kids 100 popsicle sticks or beads to create something with. Have them estimate the weight of 100 jelly beans, raisins, or marbles.

Help others
Choose a cause students can relate to and ask them to bring loose change or other small donations. Last school year, many schools had students bring 100 pennies for earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

Get physical
Assist the PE teacher or recess monitors in leading games that reinforce math lessons. Challenge kids to freeze in a silly pose for 100 seconds. Have them do other activities, like dribbling basketballs or doing jumping jacks, in units of 10.