PTOMomof5, what the heck is the sun riped rasberry bath and body gel for?! My children have been very fortunate not to get lice, but the only thing I have ever heard of is to use Neutregena(?)dandruff shampoo to repel lice from even jumping on your childrens' heads. My curiousity peaked when I read your post. Care to share your info? I know this isn't really an PTO "official" topic, but I'll bet I'm not the only one wondering if there is something out there besides pouring chemicals on our childrens heads.
Our school will print our newsletter but we have to provide the paper. Big stink one year that teachers were using to much paper. One teacher, for his class fund request, last year wanted us to buy him paper he was tired of having to save things that were one sided to print on the backs. I have come up with so many new ideas for our news letter it will probably be 10 pages to begin with lol. Some ideas thanks to this forum. I wanted to let y'all know of one (new to us article that I will be writing, a nurses corner). Sorry if anyone gets to scratching their heads lol. I plan to do an article on lice. Last year there was a girl in my sons class that ended up being turned of for truancy because she'd missed so much on account of lice. We have a no nit policy but, they still send them to school with it. In this article I am going to write about the different ways to get rid of it, besides the chemicals, the olive oil treatment, and the bath and body works sun ripened raspberry bath gel. Also that if you add mouse, gel, of hair spray to your child's hair they are less likely to get it. And that if your child does get it, if you want to see the nits and bugs better get some of the hair spray used at Halloween, (can stock up after Halloween for 30-50 cents a can. the drug store sales it but it's like $9.00 a can here) Spray the hair well, brush out the spray and it will leave the nits and bugs easier to see. Just thought I'd share that for those that might not know, those few tricks. I know lice is a taboo subject but it's a fact of life unfortunately. If you have any other great articles that would interest people please post them. We have no newspaper in our town so we're trying to add things that will be of interest to all. Lice, yep that's interesting. lol Thanks a bunch.
Our PTO newsletter is designed by one of our officers...she uses a simple Microsoft Works template. On one side of the newsletter is "PTO News" on the other side is the "School's News". The secretary gives her all of the info the school wants in by a specified date. We have also worked out a paper system as well, the first year the PTO paid for the paper, the next year the school. It has worked out wonderfully for us because many times parents were not reading our PTO notes but they typically always read "school" notes. We are saving paper and accomplishing all we want to do
Our school secretary (with the Principal and Vice Principal) publishes a monthly newsletter the 1st of each month. It's primarily announcments, reminders, recognition, dates. Usually, it's 1 page front and back. Frankly, they've been doing it for so long that they have a pretty good history of what information needs to go out each month. So, so probably 50% or more would be the same for a given month as it was last year.
The PTO publishes its newsletter each month around the second week of the month (after the Board meeting). We re-emphasize dates and deadlines but deal more with PTO news. Ours runs 2-4 pages.
One of our 6th grade classes does it for us. The teacher of that class oversees it as a year-long class project, acting as the Editor In Chief. It usually carries not just school news and upcoming events, but interviews of teachers and staff members, as well as interviews with the Students of The Month. It has an area "From The Principal" and carries some PTO news as well, usually upcoming events, as well as how well events already ran went. Our PTO usually sends home a separate PTO Newsletter that contains specific PTO stuff, Meeting Minutes, Agenda, events, requests for help or items, etc. The school itself also sends home a newsletter periodically, usually dealing with school-specific items like busing, parking lot problems, events, safety issues, etc.
Describing it, I must admit, makes it sounds like it is redundent, but in truth, it isn't. Plus it gives the children some great experience in journalism.
HI,
It is VERY hard to put out a newsletter solely by a PTO officer. I know I do it. I design, write, print, collate and distribute our newsletter. It has the PTO news, news from each class and school wide news in it, plus the school breakfast and lunch menu, this year I am adding pictures of the students that for example win the spelling bee, one of our contest and such. I put a note in the teachers boxes that I need their news by such and such date. If they don't get it in I have hunted them down. I have finally left them out a time or two to make a point. The teachers usually just make notes, that I have to put into a readable sentence/format. The school secretary was told to start proof reading it, as I made a few parents mad when I told them to quit sitting in front of the school, waiting for it to get out, for 1-2 hours and come in and volunteer. Some of these parents stated that they sit this long so that they can be the first out and home in time for their soaps. (I do not kid you on that). I agree with you that it is "a main source of communication between the school and parents--that someone on staff who is there every day and able to communicate with all parties involved should be editor of the newsletter". I guess until I find that special teacher that will go an extra step and at least help then I will continue to write it, for this year anyway. This year my last child starts, (I have 5, a girl 22, and 4 boys ages 20,17,7 and 4.(all mine too) Oh and a son in law and soon to be daughter in law. This year I consider mine. I plan to sub at the school so that I can work when I want and have a few days that I can just go and do. Now the next year is another matter they will probably be having to find a new editor/publisher then, because I'll probably have decided on what I want to be when I grow up and will be working on that.
