During a break in the action at a faculty basketball game, teachers at Grafton (Mass.) Elementary suddenly started dancing. The basketball players were joined by school staff members from around the gym to create a flash mob to a version of the song “Do-Re-Mi” from The Sound of Music. The dance and game were a hit with students; some wore wigs, body paint, and leis in their favorite team’s color. The school parent group sponsored the April event.
A hearty congratulations to newly-elected officers! We have heard from many of you that you’re excited about your new role, but also a little nervous. No need to worry, we’ve got you covered! In this video, Tim gives some good advice to get you started.
Another tip for newbies: Make sure you register your new officers with PTO Today to stay on top of all the new programs and tools (and to receive a free Communication Handbook.) Also, if you are interested in receiving a tip a week from Tim and learning about the next free giveaway or sample offer from PTO Today and our partners, be sure to opt in to our Leader Lowdown Newsletter.
One last piece of advice: connect with other leaders! Sometimes being a parent group leader can be isolating. Our message boards, Ask a Question section, Facebook page and Twitter feed are great ways to chat with other leaders and swap stories and ask questions… maybe even brag a little.
In this week’s video blog Tim answers the much-asked questions: Can we carry money over to the next school year? — and — How much money should we carry over to the new school year?
This past Monday I asked folks over on our Facebook page what projects they had cooking. The responses made one thing infinitely clear: spring is crazy busy! Can you feel the PTO or PTA leader fatigue setting in yet? The last thing you need is to have fewer volunteers for your spring events and programs, right? In this video blog Tim Sullivan talks about a common mistake that leaders often make this time of year — a mistake that can cost you good volunteers and your group’s reputation.
Have you gone back to your volunteer interest surveys recently? How are you doing for recruiting volunteers for spring events and programs? Here are a few articles that may spark some ideas on how to get more parents involved in your end-of-year events:
Treasurer’s reports, meeting minutes, fundraising results, bank statements… how much should you make public to your parent group and the school? The question of transparency comes up a lot! In this week’s video blog Tim answers the question, “just how transparent should our parent group be?”
How open is your group with information? How do you share your records so that there are no misconceptions? We’d love to hear from you.
“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” ~ Maya Angelou
Wouldn’t it be great if our PTOs, PTAs and school events had equal representation from every ethnic group in our schools? But, it’s harder than you think, isn’t it? Language barriers and cultural differences often prevent many families from connecting to the school community. This week Tim talks about an event that is a great starting point for reaching out to minority groups at your school and forging new connections.
Much of our focus as PTO or PTA leaders is on building involvement and fundraising. This week Tim suggests that you add another focus to your agenda: serving parents at your school. No, we’re not talking about serving them spaghetti or ice cream at your ice cream social. We are talking about serving parents by delivering programs that provide pertinent parenting information without asking for anything in return. There are so many hot topics that dominate the side lines at the soccer field: How to deal with homework, internet safety*, and the college application process, to name a few. Watch Tim’s video blog to hear his thoughts on these events.
How can you improve communications and get more parents involved? Tim has a recommendation: Parent Express Email. Parent Express Email is a simple, quick and effective way to get emails out to people in your school as often as you would like. Listen to what Tim has to say about it:
If you asked me what one question we get asked the most by parent group leaders, I would say without hesitation: “How do I get more parents involved in our parent group and school?” This is the topic of our video blog this week. Tim talks about his top 3 things PTO or PTA leaders can do to encourage more parents to volunteer and get involved this school year.
As Tim mentions in the video, we have tons of information about these tips on our site. Here are some links to get you started:
Get the latest expert tips, free tools and special giveaways delivered right to your inbox: