Our teachers often do fundraisers with the kids like the student council the (4th & 5th graders). Sometimes it is for an outside charity, teaching the kids to help others. This is all and good but they don't tell us (HSA) about them beforehand. Well they really don't have to but, here we are trying to come across as not the fundraising group and every other month the teachers are send stuff out about this or that fundraiser. And guess who the average parent thinks is sending it out? The HSA. Maybe we should offer to help more just so we can be more aware of what's going on.
By the way, we give each teacher $125 dollars a year for their classrooms and give them over $30,000 in grants last year. We are not holding back on giving teachers funds.
Hey Chris!
The biggest issue we have at our school was just not knowing, not knowing what to expect anything. Fundraisers, activities, programs, etc. Very fustrating.
Not only does the PTO have a monthly newsletter but the school sends home one bi-monthly.
In our situation we were lucky enough to be put on the School Board agenda to address this issue and offer ideas/solutions. They honsetly had no idea information was not getting out to everyone. SO now, in the school newsletter are two calendars of events and the PTO lists 'Dates to Remember', also, at the begiining of each semester ALL the fundraisiers are listed in the school newsletter (the school does it's own fundraising). This has been the best resolution to a difficult communications nightmare.
The school also requires everyone to fill out an activites request form. Every form is them looked over, approved/declined, and worked into the calendar. This has been the one thing that has taken the longest to get used to but it's nice to be able to have PTO activites on the school calendar (esp. meetings!).
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who feels PTO should be helping the teachers. We have a newsletter that the office puts out once a month but it's not often enough to give current info. We do have a new middle school (we're K-8) teacher who wants to start a journalism club and will be putting out a newspaper. Until then, though, I think PTO should put out the information - if I can get the teachers to give it to me! That's a whole other problem - lack of communication!
Again, thanks for your input. I now feel I'm on the right track.
I definately think pto should be helping with anything they can. I have found that by getting involved with their events, etc i have gained their involvement in ours. I think that PTO or PAC in my case is meant to bridge the gap so to speak and also to free up the teachers to teach, and the admin. to administrate! Go for it!
In our school the PTO does just about everything! In a sense we are the principals right hand man.
We plug everything that goes on at the school no matter what it is.
Do you have a school newsletter? We have the "Wednesday Words" that goes out every week and seems to have all that info in it...some schools even e-mail their newsletters to families.
Our PTO provides volunteers for virtually every event at the school from Book Fair, Grandparents' Day, Halloween Carnival, etc. We do lots of fund raising, too..
Shelly
