Ditto to mykidsmom's recommendation. You will have to decide how much time you have to give and where it would best be spent. Perhaps if you get involved in your child's classroom, you can get a feel for what the teachers need volunteer-wise and could then make some recommendations to the PTO on organizing a volunteer program. A place to start anyway!

Have faith, it's like making supper for the kids and the baby is over there "eating" with more on the floor and her and the other drawing on what was thought to be paper but ends up the phone bill! ---that only happens at my house???

They need you and honestly don't know it yet! Hang in there, if the PTO is really just getting started there will be so many little jobs that will need to be done
*researching fundraisiers
*by-laws
*misc. paperwork
*membership drive
*etc!!
If this is just not where you want to be then talk to your child's teacher and see how you can help there. I'm at home but with two little ones it's hard to be at school so I do her gift bags during the holidays, cards, and lots of cutting out art projects!

If you are the kind of person that walks up to the pool and jumps in, I would jump in with the PTO. If you like to hang out awhile and just get your feet wet, I would contact the teacher and start there...then jump into the PTO when the "water is warmer".

welcome!!!!

There is not really a comittee per se. There is a administrator that is willing to help us get this going and two others that have been involved with this PTO in the past. It just seems that this PTO is at a lost.

I would love to play an active role in the PTO, and I will try, but I feel this may be very time consuming to get this up and going. I work full time and so does my husband plus we have a 13 month old daughter.

I am a very organized person and seeing this is very disturbing. I am going to subscribe to this magazine. It looks like it will definetly help this PTO out a lot.

Are there currently some people who are "in charge" of the group such as a board or committee? If so, I would approach some of these people and ask if there are currently any volunteer programs, family programs, or other things that might interest you. If not, maybe you could make some suggestions of programs you would like to see. If your group is starting up, you may have to take a very active role in getting some of these non-fundraising things going. Are you willing to take that on?

You are correct in that a PTO sould be more than a fundraising machine for the school. Some of our most beneficial programs cost nothing. Having parents help in the classrooms or other areas of the school, informing parents about school budgets, curriculum, safety, health, and other issues are extremely important efforts of our PTO and help to make our school a great place to learn.

Good luck and keep looking here for ideas and advice.

I need help. I just went to our first PTO meeting last night. I'm a kindergarten parent and this is my first time. I'm a little confused on PTO. It seems the information I was given last night was confusing. They stated that PTO was basically a fund raising group for the school. I thought that PTO was for the parents and teachers to help the children out.

If anyone can help me further, that would be wonderful. This school is trying to get the PTO back up and running and we have election of officers next week. My husband and I will love to join but not if it is strictly a fund raising group. I have read a little in PTO Today and found it helpful in ways to not make it that.

I need help from someone. We love to be part of our children's school and found this might be the way.