Joined the PTO and jumped right in with General Fundraising and have had that chairperson position & responsibility for the past 5 years. Also, Chairperson for Fun Fair, Fall Festival, Playground Fundraising as well as all the little events that pop up (barnes & noble night, blood drive, minor league baseball or hockey games).
Have been President for the past 2 years and have made quite a few positive changes in our school to include more parents and get them more involved. By using bulletin boards located near the front entrance, parents can see what we have done & what we are planning, our agenda & minutes of meetings are on line for those that can't make it which has pleased many! We began utilizing a voicemail system in the school as well as a new email address so parents and others can reach us. Parent involvement has actually increased which is great.
My greatest accomplishment (unfortunately no one else had the time to work on this project) was to coordinate the installation of our playground additions. We have installed a large blacktop area, basketball courts, swings, benches & picnic tables & ADA pieces as well. Since our school is only 3 years old, we didn't have much out there, but now the kids look forward to recess. Knowing I made that difference to so many children made all the long hours worth it!

Jim--you rock...stepping up is a very big step....

for me: Comms person for 1 year and the Prez for the last 2 and future 1 in a 3 year old school...

Love getting everyone moving and being able to inspire folks to reach beyond themselves. Am very proud of our spirit award and our Dream Catchers day...they, in particular, show we are in this for every student...every day.
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This was my first year as an active PTO memebr and I stepped up for the role as President once I found out that the group had not had one for over a year and a half.

We added over ten new events and fundrasiers/programs this year, including a Back to School Ice Cream Social, Harvest Party, February Party, Golf Tournament, Vendor Night, and playground cleanup. We requested that the new Principal reinstate Field Trips and we provided $7 per student for this purpose. We recommended the idea of a new mascot to the Principal and I designed the logo, based upon the children's final selection of the husky. We now offer t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, water bottles, magnets, and a coffee mug. I held a special fundraiser in order to pay for a mascot costume, which is now used at all of our events. We even just raised over $8000 in order to support our Principal's goal of a wireless Laptop cart for in classroom training, where every student recieved a system of their own during the lecture. This allows a much more interactive learning environment.

-PresidentJim

I was a faithful member. (and sometimes the only parent there besides the officers and teachers)

I was secretary and now president. I'm planning to stay with our group until my child moves on to high school.

I'm in my 12th year of PTOing overall. I've been treasurer a total of 5 years (2 PTOs), secretary 3 years (2 PTOs), and President 2 years. I've chaired several committees over the years, too.

I definately found my volunteer niche with PTO. It has gotten me involved in my childrens' schools (and other PTOs) in ways I never dreamed of. I've very blessed to be able to stay home during the day and indulge my volunteer obsession.

I've had tons of great memories, but two stand out. This year I chaired (with about 12 other key volunteers) our first ever fun run. It was a huge success, involved over 100 parents and raised 3x the money we usually raise.

The other special memory: this is my 10th and final year chairing a special art committee at the elementary school. This has been a very rewarding experience for me, and the kids, too I think. Our most memorable event of this committee was a couple of years ago when we hung over 700 paintings made by our students along our chain link fence. The local (famous) artist who inspired the project came to the school and the school got lots of favorable press. I was even filmed for a 2 minute public service announcement for our local public television station about the importance of art in schools. It was very cool and definately one of my most special PTO memories.

My personal PTO count-down is on as my youngest child finshes elementary school this June. Lest I be wandering in the wilderness next year....the middle school PTO president has asked me to be treasurer there next year!

This is my second year as PTO President at my son's school. I have a total of 12 years volunteering at the preschool, elementary, and middle school levels. I have helped with art projects, homework, classwork, attended field trips, wiped noses, helped on picture day making sure the children looked good, graded papers, and the list goes on and on. My greatest accomplishment so far as PTO President would be running the most successful raffle yet - we made $2,054, writing a PTO Handbook, and starting a monthly newsletter. Decorating the teacher and staff lounge with new furniture, pictures, and curtains was also a huge accomplishment. We spent $2,100. Now the lounge actually gets used. I still want to get our website up and running. I honestly believe that elementary school years are the best years of a child's life. I am having so much fun, and my son loves seeing me at the school all the time. However, I need to get back to work. That is going to be hard on my son, me, and the school.