Magazines and Why We Sell Them

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: