It's May, and that means we're coming to the end of our 2016-2017 school year. Which means, it's about to get real in here.
Before that, three quick announcements:
One: This year's parent satisfaction survey is available from the Greendale School District right now! The school district is always interested in knowing what you have to say--so say it! One way our schools stay as strong as they do is through input from parents like you. Click here to go to the survey.
Two: Here's the list of candidates currently nominated for PTO officer positions for 2017-2018. Elections will be held at our meeting on Monday. They each have my heartfelt thanks for stepping up and taking on this (actually really fun!) responsibility!
President: Kristin Settle Vice President: Jen Schmidt Treasurer: Amber Hugo Secretary: Christie Kleinowski
Three: Our meeting for May is on Monday May 8th. 6:00 in the Highland View Library. Keep reading to see why it's possibly the most important meeting of the year.
And now, on to the most important email of next year.
The PTO does a lot.
The PTO isn't simply an event-making robot though. The PTO is you, and me, and the parents and teachers and staff that call this school home. So when we say: "The PTO does a thing," we mean: "people like you and me put their time into doing this thing to make the school a better place for our kids to grow into the kind of people we want them to be."
No matter how much we love something, no matter how amazing it sounds, if no one makes it happen, it won't.
Below is a (long) list of the events and activities that the Highland View PTO puts on, contributes to, and needs help with, along with a short description of each. Along with each description are two links.
The first goes to a page with a specific list of the tasks the PTO needs to complete to make that thing happen.
The second goes to a page where you can sign up to help with that event or activity.
If no one signs up for an activity, then it won't happen. It won't be the first time. So if you think something is worth having at Highland View, don't wait and hope someone else will sign up to help make that thing happen. Because they won't. If you see someone else has already signed up for something you think is worth doing--sign up too! Give them a hand!
On Monday, at our May PTO meeting, we'll look at the list, and decide what to do next year.
Without further ado, the list:
Phone Book Committee The Highland View PTO publishes the school phone book every year--that's not from the school, that's from us! So if you like having that resource, sign up to jump in and help keep it alive. The Phone Book coordinator for the last several years is graduating out, but is still happy to help and answer questions if you have them! More detailed committee jobs list here.And then, sign up here.
Yearbook Committee The Highland View Yearbook is organized and published by PTO Volunteers each year. The kids love it, and it's a really great way to keep your memories from year to year. But without someone stepping in to handle it, there won't be one next year. More detailed committee jobs list here.And then, sign up here.
Meet Your Teacher Day Ice Cream Social For the last several years, we've welcomed families back on Meet Your Teacher Day with an ice cream treat. The ice cream and volunteers are brought in by the PTO, and we'll need someone to keep it cool next year! More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
4k Welcome Breakfast Coming to school for the first day of 4k can be intimidating and a little scary--for the parents! So the PTO puts out a breakfast spread and encourages 4K parents to stick around and meet each other at school here. I believe it's one of the most important things we do. But that's one too that's usually coordinated by someone who's graduating out of the school, so without new help... More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Welcome Back Breakfast (5k-5th) Committee Just like welcoming the new families to Highland View, a longstanding tradition is to welcome back returning 5K-5th grade families on the first day of school. Is it "Yahoo!" or is it "Boo-hoo," you decide! More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Step Up to Better Health Fun Run Committee For many years the Step Up To Better Health Greendale Committee has held a Fun Run/Walk in fall to raise money for our schools. Highland View generally earns $3000 from it's participation in the run, and, for the past two years, has won the "most participants" trophy for the run too! Every school needs a representative on the Greendale Committee, and next year Highland View will need a new one. More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Family Dinner Night Committee Family Dinner Night is usually our first PTO event of the year. Families get together, talk, eat, and enjoy some entertainment. The great news is that the coordinator from the past couple years will still be at Highland View next year--but she can use your help. This is a great time, let's keep it that way! More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
School Fundraiser Committee So much of what the PTO does is equally reliant on volunteers to do the work, and money to buy the supplies. The money comes from many sources, but the primary one is the school Fundraiser (typically in October.) Without a successful fundraiser, cuts may be unavoidable. This is another event whose coordinator is graduating out, and will need a new fresh face for 2017-2018. More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Conference Childcare Hiring a babysitter for a 15 minute parent-teacher conference isn't a great choice for a lot of families, so the PTO started offering child care during teacher conferences several years ago. Literally hundreds of families every year take advantage of this PTO service, so it would be disheartening, and incredibly inconvenient for it to end. More detailed committee jobs list here.And then, sign up here.
Conference Dinners for Teachers Committee The PTO also provides dinner for teachers during conference days. Often conferences are the tail end of a 12+ hour day for our teachers, so knowing that dinner is right there for them makes the evening so much easier. Fortunately, the past coordinator is still at Highland View next year, but don't you want your teacher to know you helped provide that dinner? More detailed committee jobs list here.And then, sign up here.
All the World Event Committee One of the Marquee events at Highland View, something envied, and copied by schools throughout the district and beyond, is the All the World Celebration. Families are invited to share a little bit of a culture that's important to them with other Highland View families for a night. It has become a wonderfu evening of food, dancing, singing, crafts, and fun. Sra. Bradley does most of the work on this, but to make the event the kind of success we're used to, she needs all the help she can get. More detailed committee jobs list here.And then, sign up here.
Neon Dance Night Committee Highland View only has one dance night throughout the year, but the PTO does it right! The Neon Dance Night is a memory that many students never forget. Fortunately the coordinators will be at Highland View next year, but they won't always be, so please sign up. It's a big event with a lot of moving parts, which means they need a lot of people. More detailed committee jobs list here.And then, sign up here.
Book Fair Committee The PTO is also responsible for the Book Fairs at Highland View. Obviously you know kids can buy books at the book fair, but did you know that every Book Fair provides enough scholastic incentives for the PTO to buy thousands of dollars worth of books for our teachers too? That's why we do it! The past coordinator for the Book Fairs is graduating out of Highland View this year, but someone has offered to take her place. However, the Book Fair is another big, week-long job, and many hands make short work, as the saying goes. If she doesn't have enough help to run the Book Fair, there still might not be one. More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Testing Treats Committee State Testing is a big deal. At Highland View, everyone from students to staff gets involved making sure it's the best experience it can be, and of course, even the PTO gets involved! The PTO supplies healthy snacks to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders during their state testing weeks, so every student has enough brain fuel to keep those minds moving. The coordinator for this is graduating out this year, so new faces will be needed. (It's really easy though!) More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Read me a Story Night Committee One of the growing PTO events at Highland View is Read Me a Story Night. Students are invited to wear their PJ's, bring a stuffed animal and blanket, and listen to staff share some of their favorite stories. in recent years, crafts and activities have been added, and it just keeps getting more and more fun for everyone! Fortunately the current coordinator has some more time ahead of her at Highland View, but in order to keep this event growing, extra hands will certainly help! More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
STEMfest Committee STEMfest is a newer event the PTO puts on at Highland View, but it has already made it's mark. Hundreds of students come to see projects displayed by their friends (we had so many projects this year!), do STEM related activities and crafts, and celebrate science, technology, engineering, and math. The STEMfest coordinator is graduating out of Highland View this year, so please help keep STEMfest around! More detailed committee jobs list here.And then, sign up here.
High Interest Day Committee 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders get to spend an afternoon learning and doing all sorts of fun pursuits (sports, cooking, crafting, science, professions, etc.) that they may want to follow up with beyond the classroom. It's an amazing day and opportunity for students to try new things. The coordinator for High Interest Day is also graduating out of Highland View, so if we want to keep this going, we really really need you. (Historical note: several years ago, High Interest Day did disappear for a couple years when no one was interested in coordinating it. It was a very sad time.) More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
RIF Committee Do you like giving books to kids? Then RIF is for you! Because that's what it is. The PTO RIF committee orders and gives books to every kiddo at Highland View to keep for their own. Give-a-ways are twice each year. The current RIF coordinator has some time left at Highland View, but I know she's looking for help! More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Read and Roll Committee Before there is "Battle of the Books," there is "Read and Roll!" Read and Roll is a literacy based game where kids in 5k-3rd grade answer questions about books they've read in and out of class, and race each other around a life-sized game board. It's so much fun! And it teaches the kids how much fun reading can be too--and remembering what you read! Our Read and Roll Coordinator is sticking around Highland View, but might not be able to spend as much time working with Read and Roll as in the past. Please join in and keep this great Highland View tradition around! More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Musical Lunches Committee Some years we have more music than others. But Musical Lunches are a PTO project where we invite volunteer musicians to play during lunch time for the kids. It's a great way to foster appreciation of music, and spice up the lunchroom. More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Olympic Day Committee In June every year, Highland View celebrates Olymic Day with all sorts of great outdoor activities for the kids. Mrs. Muschinski handles most of the work, but the PTO provides water and frozen treats for the end of the day. The coordinator for this is also graduating out this year, so we'll need someone new to jump on in! More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Awards Committee The PTO provides a couple different awards at the end of the year--an Alumni Scholarship, and a Volunteer Recognition award. We need a committee to meet in May each year to decide who gets each one. Easy-peasy! More detailed committee jobs list here.And then, sign up here.
Grants Committee The PTO also has a process to provide grants to fund projects for Highland View classroom needs. We dedicate a significant portion of our budget to these grants, and in order to make sure the process is smooth and efficient, there's a committee to provide recommendations to the PTO based on grant applications. More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
School Pak/School Supplies Committee The PTO has coordinated with a local company to pre-package bundled school supplies and get them delivered right to your door! Te coordinator for this will still be at Highland View next year, but she could also use whatever help you can give. This is such a helpful time-saver for parents, it would be terrible to see it end. More detailed committee jobs list here.And then, sign up here.
Dine Out for Highland View Committee You may have noticed that monthly, the PTO has organized "Dine Out" nights to bring families together while at the same time, raising money for all the projects we do at the school. It's a newer thing, but it's been incredibly valuable and has made a lot of other projects possible. The coordinator is sticking around Highland View next year, but if we could make her life easier and share the burden, it would be appreciated. More detailed committee jobs list here.And then, sign up here.
Fitness Activity Committee You have your panther tracks sheet at home right now! That's a PTO project! The coordinator for the "Get Your Panther Home" fitness activity tradition at Highland View is graduating out, so if you think this is a project worth keeping around, you know what has to happen. More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Spiritwear Committee Everyone loves to show their school spirit, and spiritwear is a great way to do that. last year's spiritwear coordinator is sticking around Highland View next year, but the committee could use some members to help with some of the jobs that go along with it. More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
PBIS School Shirts Committee Your student got a Safe-Respectful-Responsible T-shirt for free the last several years. The PTO did that. In addition to paying for the shirts, the PTO collects sizes, collects the design, and coordinates with the printer to get everything printed and delivered. That takes people-power. More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Art to Remember Committee The PTO also organizes the Art to Remember sale before Christmas. if you like having your child's artwork available as holiday gifts on everything from mugs to dinner plates to seat cushions, sign up, because the coordinator for the last few years is also graduating out of Highland View this year. More detailed job list here. And then, sign up here.
Teacher Appreciation Week Committee The PTO coordinates the Teacher Appreciation Week activities at Highland View. Between gifts, treats, breakfasts, lunches, prizes, fun, and games, we try to show the teachers how much they mean to us in as many ways as possible. Do you appreciate your teacher? Here's a great way to show it! More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Crossing Guard Appreciation Week Committee The PTO also coordinates the Crossing Guard Appreciation Week activities at Highland View. Those crossing guards are out there facing inattentive drivers and the worst of the elements day in and day out, and we definitely appreciate the work they do. Please sign up so we can continue to show them that we see what they're doing, and that we care. More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
Membership Committee Fundamentally, the PTO boils down to its members. So, while it's not glamorous, the most important thing we do every year is also one of the simplest things: get members. We need people to get membership forms distributed, and then record the information when they are returned so we can continue all the amazing things we do at Highland View. More detailed committee jobs list here. And then, sign up here.
THAT'S IT! (Can you believe it?)
Here's that joke I promised if you read all the way through--three since it was so long!
What school do ice-cream-truck drivers go to? Sundae school! What school did King Arthur go to? He mostly took knight classes! Do you know where surfers do their learning? Boarding school!
P.S. Don't forget to use the "Amazon Smile" button at the bottom of the email for all your online shopping. It doesn't cost anything and Amazon sends a part of your purchase price to Highland View!
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