April 8, 2020 Special Event: PTO Roundtable

SPC PTO Roundtable – How is your organization adapting?

April 8, 2020 @ 6:30pm

Meeting Notes

Fundraisers

Several schools are holding online auctions that were already planned in association with a live event or in lieu of a live event.  Examples: Kivaprom.givesmart.com and Titans2020.givesmart.com. Charity Auctions Today is another online platform option.

Advertise auction links to communities outside of your school (other schools or the broader community)

Include items for people to donate towards that PTO would ordinarily be purchasing for the school (see examples on Arcadia auction site)

Ask principal to donate activity passes, parking permits, etc. that parents would be purchasing anyway.

Setting tone for fundraising during this time, see Arcadia’s auction letter for example HERE.  Consider adding wording suggesting people wait to redeem gift cards at local businesses until they have had a chance to catch-up on business.

 

Virtual Events

Continue with weekly PTO email newsletters.

Arcadia created yard signs for anyone to pick up. It’s a great way to build awareness for the school in the community.

Anasazi principal did a video for the school’s regular monthly assembly. As an outreach project, they are collecting letters and drawings to be sent to essential workers in the community.

Navajo principal has continued regular morning announcements through video.  Teachers post storytimes and there are regular Spirit Week activities.

“Bedtime Stories for #Read2Me” is a Facebook group with various SUSD students, teachers and staff reading a story at 8pm nightly.  Encouraging Senior class members to be a guest reader, particularly Spanish speakers.

Teacher Appreciation

Schools sending e-giftcards to teachers.  Ask for their personal email address since they will be blocked by @susd.org domain.  All school mail is being held at district, so nothing can be sent to the school.

Have students create videos or email messages for teachers.

Copper Ridge has a designated teacher who has home addresses of all the teachers, and PTO will be purchasing yard signs that say something special about being a teacher. Our designated teacher plans to put them in everyone’s yard. 

Graduation and Promotions

Arcadia made yard signs for all Class of 2020 students and (THIS PART IS A SECRET) bought a message for the digital signs by the school to recognize the seniors.  The teachers put together a video for the Class of 2020 HERE.  There is an Instagram site for seniors to post their Senior picture and where they are going to college.

There have been many discussions about how to handle graduation (postpone the event, car parades, a drive-in), and there hasn’t been much communication between all the parties: PTOs, principals and district.  Ultimately the decisions will need to be approved by district and the governing board. Be sure to be in communication with your principal and avoid speculation.

Kiva and Navajo creating t-shirts for their 5th graders.  Navajo has a system for collecting student signatures online, which will be included on the back of the shirt.

Copper Ridge – 8th Grade promotion: Selling yard signs to parents, PTO purchasing special t-shirts, video compilation of baby and current photos, Hoping to work with admin on doing a car parade with cars decorated and perhaps a balloon release as the cars drive around the campus. Teachers present but standing 6ft apart throwing confetti at the cars.

Helping Support Students in Need

Schools are staying in contact with their community specialists and principals to help address needs.  Scottsdale Community Partners, which provides the Healthy Packs program at SUSD schoosl (food bags that students take home for the weekend) is working with the district to add the Healthy Packs to the breakfast/lunch program the district is running.  Scottsdale Community Partners also runs the Vista Del Camino Food Bank and they are increasing the number of times a month they distribute food boxes.

Board Elections

DM is starting recruitment earlier than normal. Will reach out to feeder schools for volunteers. 

Kiva is holding a general PTO meeting over Zoom and will advertise board positions.

Most schools have an uncontested slate and will hold voting online through google a form. Copper Ridge plans to announce and congratulate all new board members on a FB Live, with a virtual passing of the torch to the new president.