PTO Today

We’ve seen our share of drives to bring in box tops, but this one has an unusual twist: A pair of middle schools in Westminster, Md., are locked in a collection competition in which the principal of the losing school must wear the winning school’s spiritwear and proclaim that the winning school “rocks.’’

Amy Gromada, principal of West Middle School

East Middle School and West Middle School, which share a typical school rivalry, began this contest on May 1 and have until May 31 to bring in the box tops. So far, East is maintaining a lead over West, reports Mary Bendel-Simso, box tops coordinator at West Middle. The schools must check in with each other on each Tuesday of the month to report their collections numbers.

Bendel-Simso is updating the tallies on a poster in the school lobby with two thermometers featured on it, one for each school.

Bendel-Simso says she came up with the East versus West

Christian Roemer, principal at East Middle School.

idea because she wanted to try a different approach to motivate families to send in their box tops. She of course knew the schools had a rivalry. But she also wanted to find an inexpensive or even no-cost box tops collections prize.

And, she was hoping for some pizazz—or more excitement than the typical pizza party thrown for the winners. When she broached the topic with West Middle’s principal, Amy Gromada, she received a unqualified yes.

“It’s always great to have them behind the idea,’’ she says.

We’ll keep you posted on the competition!

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).

So did you brave Black Friday? Getting any amazing bargains? Not me. I am not one for crowds, especially when it comes to the shopping mall! I did, however, get some fabulous bargains online in the electronics category. (Obviously my kids don’t read this blog ; )

While I am excited that I got some excellent technology deals, these gifts come with some serious mommy angst. After the holiday excitement fades, my biggest priority is to teach my kids to be safe and responsible online. And fast. It feels kind of daunting to me! That’s why I am excited that PTO Today has everything I need to know in this category in its Internet Safety Kit! Now, maybe I am a little biased, but I feel like this event is a gift to parents and to a school community. Teaching parents about how to keep their kids safe online… awesome. Getting all the parents in the same room to compare notes and swap stories… even better!

From an event planning perspective, the nice thing about our free Internet Safety Night Kit is that everything in the kit comes on one CD. Just pop it into your computer to download, email and print these tools:

• A FREE copy of Trend Micro™ Online Guardian software (retail value $49.95) to give away at your event
• Easy to follow step-by-step event planning guidelines
• Professionally written Internet safety PowerPoint presentation
• Discussion starters
• Educational videos about online safety, shot by real adults and kids!
• Take home flyers for parents (including a cyber bullying & cell phone handout)
• Promotional materials

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.

In elementary school, bullying might take the form of taunts on the bus or the playground. As kids get older, bullying can mean sending harassing text messages or posting embarrassing material on a social networking site. At every age level, PTOs and PTAs are working to prevent bullying and educating parents about how to respond when it does happen.

Elementary School

Many parent groups use interactive assemblies to get anti-bullying messages across to young students. In Cherry Hill, N.J., the Joyce Kilmer Elementary PTA sponsored an anti-bullying program that had BMX bike tricks. The Short Pump Elementary PTA in Henrico, Va., brought in a weight lifter for a program on the topic.

Elementary PTOs also work to educate parents about bullying issues. After its school district implemented a new anti-bullying policy, the PTA at Salisbury (Mass.) Elementary held a parent workshop to explain it. Speakers included the school social worker and a representative from the school bus company. The PTA provided free baby-sitting to allow more parents to attend.

Middle School

Middle school bullying programs often shift the focus to Internet safety and cyberbullying. The Wayland (Mass.) Middle School PTO addressed issues related to bullying at many meetings this school year. Parents learned about state anti-bullying legislation, received advice from local police officers on handling cyberbullying, and heard tips from the school technology specialist. The PTO also added links to Internet safety resources on its website.

Another middle school group, the West Jackson Middle School PTO in Jefferson, Ga., gave parents advice on what to do if their kids view objectionable content online or visit online gaming sites.

Talk about an amazing rate of return! The Merrill Middle School PTA in Des Moines, Iowa, gave 210 6th graders $1 each, and in just 32 days, the students had used the seed money to raise an additional $8,151.

For the project, called “Dollars Doing Good in Des Moines,” students were told to find a worthy cause to help with their dollars. They created their own projects to raise money and could choose which charity to donate it to.

One student made and sold bracelets, while a group of classmates held a bake sale. Another group hosted a garage sale to benefit an animal shelter and successfully solicited a corporate donation. Impressive!

Funds from the project were divided among 64 charities. The total amount donated, including the original seed money, was $8,361.

It’s no surprise that parents often find it harder to volunteer at the middle school level than at their child’s elementary. Still, parents at a California school were taken aback when an employees union came out against a new volunteer program.

The nonprofit Healthy Community Consortium launched the pilot volunteer program at Petaluma (Calif.) Junior High School this fall. About 80 parents signed up to welcome students as they arrive on campus and monitor a playing field during lunch, among other tasks.

Volunteers were needed to fill some of the roles because budget cuts have resulted in numerous job cuts at the school, says HCC volunteer coordinator and school parent Lynn King. However, the fact that the program would use volunteers to help fill gaps created by staff layoffs led to opposition from the classified employees’ union, which represents clerical, custodial, maintenance, and other workers.

One point of contention was the use of volunteers in the library to assist the school librarian. A library aide had been employed at the school until funding was cut in the spring, King says.

“Our stand is you can’t have volunteers. They can’t do our work,” union president Loretta Kruusmagi told the Press Democrat newspaper.

District deputy superintendent Steve Bolman said the district is working with the union and the volunteers so that volunteers aren’t used for positions included in the classified bargaining unit.

King says the union opposition is an obstacle, but won’t mean the end of the pilot program. “Everybody acknowledges that when you have more caring adults around, kids do better,” she says. “We’re making sure the positions we come up with are okay with them.”

After piloting the program at Petaluma Junior High, HCC hopes to expand it to other middle schools and to high schools in the district.

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.

Parent Involvement Day 2010 is Nov. 18; here are some ways to tap into the parent power at your school:

Coffee and Class
Work with administrators to invite parents to have breakfast at school, then go with their children to the first class of the day. Be sure to let parents know about volunteer opportunities.

A Banner Welcome
Recognize parents for their support of the school by hanging a banner outside the main entrance or placing a message on the school marquee. Hand out a brochure about the benefits of parent involvement.

Tutoring Sessions
Recruit parents to work with students struggling in math or reading. Then hold a family reading night or math night after school.

As school districts have tightened their budgets, PTOs have pitched in to landscape school grounds and make improvements to buildings during family workdays. Borrow ideas from these parent groups that put their own spin on events to work for their school communities.

All-Ages Project
The Gullett Elementary PTA in Austin, Texas, renovated the school courtyard to create a butterfly garden and a picnic area. Students and parents joined in on community workdays to move old fencing and prep the area for construction of a stone walkway in the shape of a snake. Kids too young for that work made birdhouses out of recycled milk cartons. After construction, students painted stripes on the snaking path.

Cutting Costs
To save money on a landscaping project, the Andrew Cooke Magnet School PTO called on home gardeners to bring cuttings from perennials to a workday at the Waukegan, Ill., school. More than 200 students and parents turned out to plant gardens and paint hopscotch squares, planters, and picnic benches.

Online Appeal
To find help for a summer workday, the Chelsea (Ala.) Middle School PTO went to where students are: Facebook. The PTO put up a day-before notice with a particular request for high schoolers needing community service hours.