Welcome to the 2007-2008 School Year from your PTA; we know that with your help we can make this the greatest school year ever!
One of the best ways to help your student is to GET INVOLVED. Studies have shown that students who have adults actively involved in their education do much better in school. WME PTA strongly encourages everyone to find a level of involvement that is comfortable for them, whether on campus or behind the scenes.
We have many fun, exciting events planned this year, from Book Fairs to Movie Nights to Holiday Activities, all of which offer opportunities for you to be involved in your child's school life.
If you have questions about how you can help, please contact XXXXX or XXXX at (school phone), or just stop us in the halls, we'd love to talk to you!
-When I showed this to our President she said it sounded like she'd written it, which was precisely what I was trying to achieve, lol.
We actually started a monthly PTO newsletter last year and will continue it this year. I already have it done. It includes a welcome back message, Box Tops info, attendance info, lunch info, uniform info, etc.
I am also starting a faculty and staff newsletter this year.
Here is the welcome back letter I put on the reverse side of our contact form. Hope it helps.
Dear Farmer Families,
I sincerely hope everyone is having a nice summer. I hope you are grilling hotdogs and splashing in a pool and chasing fireflies until the dew covers your shoes. Soon it will be time to think about the new school year and I wanted to get a head start on welcoming you to the Shawswick School PTO!
The PTO has been growing by leaps and bounds and we are thrilled to see the changes that are happening. There is always room for more people in the PTO though!
I want share a few myths and facts about the PTO with you.
 Myth: It’s too late in the school year or my child’s school career to get involved.
Fact: It’s never too late to get involved. We need input from parents of children in all grades and it is very likely that you have a tremendous amount to contribute to our PTO! We are very happy to see new faces at each meeting and you’ll find that it’s a good way to meet other parents!
 Myth: It’s too time consuming to be involved with the PTO.
Fact: PTO meetings are once a month…usually the second Monday of the month unless there is a conflict in the school schedule. Meetings start at 6:00 PM and I try hard to keep them brief! I know everyone leads a busy life…we don’t know whether we are coming or going…but even thirty minutes of your time goes a long way! Don’t be shy! We can NEVER have too many volunteers!
 Myth: I can’t come to meetings because I don’t have childcare.
Fact: Kids are ALWAYS welcome at the meetings. We are all parents, right? All the work we do is for the KIDS who attend Shawswick School and for the ones who will attend it in the future so bring them along!
 Myth: It takes too long to establish membership in the PTO.
Fact: We recently voted to change the membership rules so that anyone attending at least one PTO meeting will have full membership and voting rights. You can make an important contribution to the school by sharing your opinion on how the money we work so hard to raise is spent for the school.
There are so many new fundraisers and events that we are planning…there is something for everyone. Take a peek at our committees listed on the reverse and let us know where you want to be involved. As the school year starts, committees will start meeting and we want to include you in all of the planning!
Plan to come to our first meeting, which is scheduled for September 10th at 6:00 PM. We want to start this school year out with a bang and you can help by being part of our PTO!
On behalf of the entire PTO board best wishes for an awesome school year!
We are putting together a welcome back folder to hand out at our open house and then to send home with the kids whose parents aren't there. We are going to include a letter,box tops info, go play labels info, upcoming events,campbells info. and also a new membership form.
