The PTO provides for programs designed to enhance each grade’s current curriculum, provides teachers with additional
materials not covered in the school’s budget, and hosts many family-fun and community events.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Highland View PTO:  So much to know!

Hello Highland View Families!

October has been so busy!  Here's a quick recap of what's going on and what you can be a part of!

1)  Continuing a Highland View tradition, the PTO will provide FREE child care in the Highland View library during conferences.  (4-8PM 11/3 and 11/24)  There's no charge--just drop off your student on the way to your conference and (please!) pick them up before you go home.  If you can stay and help keep an eye on the kids, please sign up here.  It's super important to have more than one adult in the room!

 2)  Speaking of conferences, we can still use some extra help setting up the teachers' conference dinners in the teacher workroom on 11/3.  Check out the sign up page here to see where you're needed!

3)  And in case you missed it last time, make sure to visit the Amazon.com smile page for Highland View to lock us in to receive .5% of everything you spend on Amazon--at no cost to you at all!   Just click that last sentence!

4)  Highland View Phone Books went into teacher mailboxes today!  So expect yours to come home between tomorrow and Friday (if it didn't come home today.)  If the weekend rolls around and you didn't get a phone book even though you think you remember ordering one, let me know.  I'll double check your PTO membership form and get one sent right home for you!

Finally, with so much going on, there are a lot of people to thank:

Thanks to Kristi Settle and so many Highland View volunteer families for an AWESOME family dinner night!  It was a great way to spend a Friday night--wonderful food, and getting to know our fellow Highland View families.  If you see her around, make sure to thank her for her hard work.

Also, a big thank you to Cheryl Dewalt and all the volunteers that helped run the fall Book Fair.  I know we were able to get a lot of books from teacher's wish lists!

The appreciation keeps on rolling with Christie Kleinowski and our RIF volunteers who just wrapped up the first half of our RIF book give away (PM 4K, and 3-5th grades got their books on Monday.   AM 4K and 5K-2nd grades get their books on Friday.)  Reading IS Fundamental, and it's wonderful to be able to let the kids pick out their very own books for keeps!

And we HAVE to thank Mrs. Flater for being willing to get dunked 29 times (!!!) by students who registered for the Step Up To Better Health Fun Run.  Thanks for giving our students that extra fun experience.  I hope you're warmed back up in time for next year's run!  (Also, thanks to Colleen Thiel who organized everything for Highland View and to everyone who registered for the run and won Highland View  the big trophy.)

Finally, a big thanks goes to Bonnie Randow for her work getting everyone through the picture retake day today.  If your student got their picture taken today, and they look great--thank Bonnie!

And thanks to you who read this far!

Aleks Skibicki

Monday, October 19, 2015

Highland View PTO:  Dunk Tank Emergency!

Hello Highland View Families!

Dunk Tank Emergency!  We need an early riser with a 2" ball trailer hitch, and someone with a trailer hitch who's available after school.

As you know, one of the incentives for participating in the Fun Run was for students to get a chance to dunk Mrs. Flater.  Well, the Fun Run is now the Done Run (Highland View won!  AWESOME JOB!) and it's time to get our dunk on!

Since Wednesday is supposed to be a beautiful day (75 degrees outside) we talked to the dunk tank company and we can get the tank reserved for Wednesday, but we can't get it delivered.  It's built to be towed by a vehicle with a 2" ball hitch, and we can pick it up as early as 7:00 AM in West Bend.  (2001 Decorah Road, West Bend, WI 53095).  It's about a 45-50 minute drive.

If you didn't participate in the Fun Run, but can tow the Dunk Tank to Greendale (or back to West Bend) then your students will get a chance to dunk Mrs. Flater too!

The kids are really excited about dunking Mrs. Flater.  Thanks for your help making it happen!

Aleks Skibicki
Highland View PTO

Friday, October 16, 2015

Highland View PTO:  Fall Book Fair


Hello Highland View Families!

It's Book Fair time again!  Cheryl asked me to send out a request for help at the Book Fair next week (10/19-10/23.)

The Book Fair's great, because when the kids buy books from Scholastic, Scholastic pays for books  from our teacher's wish lists!

Mostly we'll need cashiers during the three selling times:  8:00-8:45 AM, 11:30-12:45 PM, and 3:15-4:00 PM.  It's pretty easy--just zap books and give change.  You may need to help students figure out how much they can afford with the money they were sent with.  You may also choose to gently prompt students to choose books instead of $20 of erasers and toys.  If there are multiple parents at any given shift, it would be great to have a parent circulating to help answer questions and find things for the shoppers.

We'll also need a cashier during Family Dinner Night on the 23rd, and hopefully some help cleaning up and tearing down the Book Fair afterwards.

You can sign up for a shift (or two or three) by clicking right here!

Thanks everyone!

The Highland View PTO

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Highland View PTO:  The shortest email of the year! (So far... )

Hello Highland View Families!

 Just three quick notes for everyone from our October Meeting (the full minutes will be out soon!) 

1) Family Dinner Night on 10/23 can use volunteers! Sign up here if you can help out.Nothing too tough--helping serve, or taknig admission or cleaning/setting up.

 2) Just one more call for the Fun Run! Remember, since your money comes right back to Highland View, it's like donating to the school but with the added benefit of your student getting a chance to dunk Mrs. Flater AND giving us a shot at the traveling trophy! You can get the registration form at the link here and turn it in at the Health Department or bring it with you on the day of the run (10/18--THIS SUNDAY!)

 3) Highland View is now a partner with Amazon Smile! If you start your Amazon shopping at this link, 0.5% of everything you spend will go back to Highland View. It's no hassle or expense at all to you! If we all use Amazon Smile, it'll hopefully make up for Target ending its school fundraising program next May.

 Thanks so much! Thanks for reading this far. Have a great weekend, and I hope to see you at the Greendale Fun Run on Sunday!

 Aleks Skibicki
Highland View PTO

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Highland View PTO:  Rocktober!  Read all about it!

Hello Highland View Families!

October's a great month; the leaves are turning colors, the weather is brisk, and you can buy pumpkin spice anything.  Speaking of pumpkins, do you know the best way to fix a broken one?  With a pumpkin patch!

Here are a couple quick October PTO updates for everyone:

1)  The October PTO meeting is 6:00PM Monday the 12th in the Highland View Library  See you there! Family Dinner Night, RIF, and the famous All the World event are on the agenda.  This is also your chance to tell us what you want to see at Highland View  As always, child care will be available and the teacher whose class has the highest attendance (at least 3 but they could be a family!) gets a $25 Learning Store gift card.

2)  Safe-Respectful-Responsible t-shirts are almost here!  The last classroom's sizes were turned in on Friday, and there are just a couple staff sizes left before I can get the order turned in.  Students and staff get one free from the PTO, and you can order extras in any size for $10 each.  On the front they have the Highland View logo with the Safe-Respectful-Responsible text.  On the back there's a panther track and the "Making a difference with the tracks I leave" motto.  This year's shirts will be black with green print.

3)  Highland View spiritwear:  The sale is on now!  You can order online here or use the order form sent home in your student's take home folder last week.  The sale will be completely closed as of October 20th, so don't wait!

4)  Highland View phone books should also be out soon.  The advertisements are all turned in, and on Monday, the proofs for approval will be emailed to the people who submitted ads.  Then it's just a question of getting it to the printer!

5)  FUN RUN/WALK!  Oh.  My.  Highland View is within 5 (FIVE!) registered participants of being the trophy winner this year.  So, while it's too late to get a t-shirt with your registration, it's not too late to sign up and support Highland View.  Every student registered--right through the day of the event--gets a chance to try to dunk Mrs. Flater!  Every penny of your registration fee goes right back to Highland View, and it is a great event each and every year.  This could be it!  This could be our year.  Help us bring the trophy to Highland View!  The registration form is available here.

6)  Fundraiser Order Forms are due Tuesday.  The fundraiser that went home last week is what makes PTO events and services from the Sock Hop to Teacher Appreciation Week to Bike Racks to Playground Equipment to Assemblies and to Field Trips possible throughout the year.  Five-hundred Highland View students give their heartfelt thanks to everyone who participates this year.

7)  Family Dinner Night is coming up Friday October 23rd.  You can pre-order tickets with the flyer that went home last week.  It's $5 per family in advance or $10 per family at the door.  The meal will be catered, and there will be entertainment by award winning magician John Lewit.

Thanks for reading this far!  See you on Monday,

Aleks Skibicki
Highland View PTO