President's Report January 2014

I hope everyone's break went well!  (Especially the two bonus days courtesy the polar vortex!)

There are just a few PTO projects I've been working on over break.

1)  The election/polling places issue.  We've taken quite a few early steps on this project and more are on the way.

First of all though, thanks to everyone who took the school schedule survey put out by the school district.  Of the four options parents were given concerning elections in schools (do nothing, move polling locations, reschedule students, provide village staff to manage traffic) switching election locations was far and away the most common choice.

On to where we are in the process:  Several Highland View parents spoke at the School Board meeting in December, and shared our concerns.  The PTO also approved the letter and sent it to members of the Greendale School District administration and the Greendale School Board.

We're on the agenda for College Park's January 15th PTO meeting, as well as the January 30th meeting of the Canterbury PTO where we'll ask them to get involved too.  We'll also be talking with members of the Greendale Teachers' Union on the 15th to see how they can be involved, since this is an issue that affects faculty too.

We're also planning on attending PTO events at all three schools with a table to collect signatures and postcards from families to deliver to the Greendale Board of Trustees who ultimately decide where election polling places will be located.  We'll also work on getting families to Board of Trustee meetings to continue to apply pressure and show the Village Board that this is an important issue to school families and staff.

2)  On a lighter note, I met with several 3rd grade students to make a brainstorm list of ideas for winter equipment for the PTO to purchase so the kids have something to play with during winter.  The next step is to narrow the list by safety and by pricing then to actually by the equipment.  The list we came up with is below, feel free to let us know if you have other ideas!

Sleds
Pulling sleds (for moving snowballs, like sleds with ropes or sledges)
Snow block/brick makers
Snow shovels
Small shovels
Hula hoops
Chinese jump ropes
Plastic balls
Wiffle balls and bats
Buckets
Containers with lids
Skip-its
Snowman kit (with plastic facial features a la Mr. Potato Head, like plastic carrots for noses, etc.)
Tug of war rope
Books
Benches
Dividers/plastic walls/fences
Snow slide
Snow sculpting tools (like sand rakes and scrapers, etc.)
Cardboard boxes
Snow snakes (Toys that slide across the snow)
Plastic animals
Bowling set
Hand helicopters (not the remote control ones—ones you spin between your hands and they fly)
Snow molds (different shapes, like the old fashioned jello molds)
Plastic igloo
Fort builder

3)  Musical lunches.  After a couple month break, tomorrow (1/9) is our next musical lunch at Highland View.  We'll be hosting a harpist, so that should make for a great dining environment for the students!