September 2008 Archives

Magazine sales are in full swing! If I had time to read all the magazines that seem interesting, my son would get the limo ride with a single customer. Unfortunately for him, I know I won't have time to read them all, so he's going to have to work a little harder (perhaps by asking mom?). I hope you and your kids are enjoying the experience and all the prizes.

The magazine sale is the primary source of revenue for the PTO. Without this event, the PTO would be extremely limited in what we could actually do. What is it the PTO does, you ask? We do a lot of things you probably already know about. Welcome back bingo, the sock hop, the carnival and the ice cream social are some of the big ones.

Before I get too far, I need to thank the small army of wonderful volunteers that make all these events and programs happen. If we had a stellar fundraiser, but didn't have the dedicated volunteers to back it up, we wouldn't be able to get many things accomplished.

To really understand what it is the PTO is about, you could read through the bylaws, which are posted here: http://www.isd12.org/rle/Bylaws.pdf

For the really curious, the board meeting minutes are posted here: http://www.isd12.org/rle/rlpto.htm.

For those without insomnia, I'll provide a quick synopsis of what the PTO does in a typical year.

To raise funds, the PTO coordinates the annual magazine and spirit wear sales. Thanks to a hard working committee, we're also able to sponsor the carnival. Last year, the PTO added a Smart Run specifically to raise money for SmartBoards. This year, we plan to acquire some funds via grants and will be asking parents to help us find grant programs that we should consider. Selling magazines is the primary fundraiser for the PTO.

Thanks to those funds and the great community of volunteers, we're able to do a number of things:

Sept 12th 1st Magazine turn in and Bingo
Sept 19th 2nd and final Magazine turn in
Oct 7th Board Meeting and Parent Meeting
Nov 8th Book Fair
Nov 11th Board and Parent Meeting
Dec 9th Sing-A-Long
Jan 13th Board Meeting
Jan 30th Sock Hop
Feb 10th Board and Parent Meeting
March 17th Board and Parent Meeting - 5th Grade Transition
March 29th Carnival
April 14th Board Meeting
May 7th Teach Appreciation Breakfast
May 12th Board Meeting and Award Night
May 12-14th Volunteer Lunches
May 28th 5th grade party
May 29th Ice Cream Social

Rice Lake Elementary PTO Boad Members for the 2008 - 2009 school year are:

Paula Smude, President 651-429-6443 paula.smude@hartfordlife.com

Patty Jennrich, Vice President 651-717-9873 ppjennrich@aol.com

Dawn Poellinger, Secretary 651-483-6890 dpoellinger@msn.com

Vicki Capistrant, Treasurer 651-484-0238 j-vplace00@msn.com

Suzy GuthMueller, Volunteer Coordinator 651-484-6634 sguthmueller@isd12.org

Bill Fischer, Community Liaison 651-762-1755 billfischer74@gmail.com