Well we and our school couldn't survive without our fundraisers though we do only 2 "big" ones- one in the fall and one in the spring. We seek donations from our CASE partners and other community businesses to help us out. We work in conjuction with our LSIC to get info on community and Board news. We work with our Title 1 program on providing dinner with our family fun nights. As a former PTO President I spoke with the teachers on a regularly basis and they knew if they had any concerns or needs they only needed to ask and I would take it from there- same thing with the school needs. We hold a Holiday workshop, dances, spring carnival and 2 annual dinners that make a small profit but are mainly an inexpensive way for tthe families to come together and socialize. We donate money for our schools copier and risograph and to our 5th graders who can not afford the annual trip they take. (we never ask for names only the amount needed). I along with several parents had concerns on the credentials of some teacher- I just asked the principal and she provided the info which I passed on as needed. I attend as many LSIC and BOE meetings as I can to get info to share and our principal is wonderful about getting us updated. At each general meeting we let the parents know the money that was spent and taken in as well as the monthly balance. We always let the parents know about the events coming up and what worked out and what didnt.
Fundraisers, fundraisers, fundraisers. Thats all our group seems to discuss through-out the year! What do other groups do in support of thier schools that do not include fundraising? In what ways do other PTO's gather and share information regarding thier school district, community,and keep up with the teachers on whats happening in the classrooms, and the needs of the school? Should parent clubs be involved with knowing what credentials the teachers that are teaching thier kids have? And, What would a tactful way of asking for this information be? Please share with us what your clubs agendas are, it would be greatly appreciated...Thank you