I totally agree that the middle school doesn't have the support that the elem. does. We have almost 400 kids at our school (k-8) and only maybe 10 kids from middle school with help with the fundraising. The teachers won't help with anything but they are always wanting something bought.
I'm sure kids are mixed in their views. But in elementary school there were lots of opportunities for volunteering in the classroom. Not as much in middle school. Of course there are special situations or projects, but less of the day-to-day stuff. But there ARE volunteer opportunities. I've done all the following:
* helped in library
* registration or ticket sales for special events
* organized contact forms
* sold PE uniforms first few days of school
* washed and sorted athletic uniforms (not my favorite...)
* served on an adult panel to hear/rate group presentations
* decorate for various events
So there were definitely times I was on campus - and my daughter may have appreciated that fact (my son, not so much). But neither would have wanted me WITH THEM as a volunteer on a regular basis.
There are always volunteer opportunities. For instance, any parent would be extremely welcome as a mentor, tutor, or helping with an after-school club. They don't need us sitting at the lunch table to open ketchup packets or escorting them to the restroom to wash hands. The kids are getting more and more independent, so our roles must also change.
I don't know.... I think the kids REALLY do want us there, they are just 'too cool' to tell us :cool: My daughter wants me there and her friends always come and talk to me when I'm there. It helps that volunteered at the elementary school and helped run a photo club with another parent. We recently started a PTO at the middle school to help coordinate volunteers for the teachers. That is about the limit, but with the state of young teens today I'm just happy to be there and let them see that I care enough to be there... let them know 'someone' cares. More parents need to "be there" I always appreciated my Mom volunteering at my school when I was growing up.
Unfortunately that's VERY common. It's just an entirely different ballgame. Kids are a lot more independent and many don't even want their parents on campus. Plus there are usually numerous clubs and school groups (choir, athletics, band) that have fundraisers and where parents may play a specific role. So you have your "band parents" and "football parents" already contributing major chunks of time to running concession stands and helping with other events for their own specific group. Tasks traditionally left to an elementary school PTO are no longer so clear. The Journalism Club (or some other) may publish the school directory. There may be many different school T-shirts.
In our case, our PTO acknoweledged all this and decided to serve a very niche role. It focused on Teacher Appreciation, organized the 8th grade "prom", and helped recruit parent volunteers for the few times they were needed. Our group had very little in the way of fundraising so easily existed in the category that brought in less than $5000 per year and didn't have to file the formal application with the IRS. We kept the group simple and focused on its narrow purpose.
There are certainly other schools who have run much larger, more successful parent groups in middle school. Your task now is to survey the environment and see what's realistic for YOUR school.
Hey! Anyone else involved in the PTO at a middle school?
The drop in the level of involvement by parents from elementary to middle school is really dramatic (at least in our district). Was wondering if other middle schools experience the same thing and what they do about it.
