academic activity (such as field trips) per academic year.  These funds are to be used to reduce the costs per student to participate in the activity.  In addition, the PTO provides the principal with a set amount of money each year for him to use to supplement his building fund; this fund is used to pay for assemblies, awards, etc.

 

The PTO strives to have a true partnership with the administration and staff of the building.  Staff members chair some of the PTO committees, while others have co-chairmanships (parents and staff members).  Staff members are encouraged to attend PTO meetings, and to contribute articles to the monthly PTO newsletter.  Thank you notes are sent to any staff member that attends a PTO meeting.  The PTO president attends the first staff meeting of the school year to briefly address the staff.  The school principal attends the monthly PTO meeting and reports on the building at the meetings. 

 

Parent involvement is crucial to the success of the PTO.  For some reason, many PTOs have the reputation of being a closed or cliquey organization.  To get parents involved at the middle school level, the PTO needs to be viewed as a welcoming organization, and to make it easy for parents to be involved and feel connected.  Every year, the MMS PTO publishes a handbook that contains information about the PTO and its committees.   A list of the PTO meeting dates and its officers and chairperson is posted on the district website.  At open houses, back to school nights and Main Event (an event held for 5^th graders in the spring to introduce them to the middle school), the PTO sets up a table with information on the PTO.  It also has sign up sheets for its committees, including a “Spur of the Moment” sign up for those that are not sure what to volunteer for, and one sign up sheet to be a part of a PTO email distribution list. Friendly PTO board members man the table so there is a welcoming face to every parent.

 

Communication in varied forms helps to connect with parents.  In addition to the above, MMS PTO publishes a monthly newsletter so that all can read about the PTO and school events.  The newsletter contains articles from committee chairpersons, staff members, as well as other community and school related activities.  To ensure that all parents have the opportunity to read the newsletter, it is sent home the first Tuesday of the month and is posted on the school district website.

 

The MMS PTO president also maintains an email database of middle school parent emails.  On a weekly

basis, an email blitz will be sent out to parents in the database; the email blitz contains only school related items, usually PTO committee or staff requests for help.  To protect the privacy of email addresses, the blitz is sent out as a “blind cc” (so individual emails are not revealed).  The emails are grouped by grade (grade 6, grade 7 and grade 8) to make for easy updating year to year.  The emails addresses are obtained from volunteer sign up sheets.

 

It is important to maintain open lines of communication with parents and staff members, and to make sure parents and staffs know they are an important part of the PTO.  Any inquiries should be returned promptly and courteously.  Our PTO listens openly to suggestions for new projects.  If it’s a project that the PTO is willing to take on, we ask the person who offered the suggestion to chair the committee. Committee chairpersons are encouraged to call every volunteer on his/her list, even if it’s to tell them that they won’t be needed for the event or activity. Each call includes a thank you and appreciation for volunteering.

 

MMS PTO meetings are open to all parents and staff members, and it is advertised that the meetings are not just for board members.  All are encouraged to attend. 

 

Obtaining volunteers to chair committees is always a challenge for any volunteer organization.  The MMS PTO starts looking to fill open positions in January.  The 6^th grade representatives work with the PTO Nomination Chairperson to fill the open positions.  The goal is to draw from the different elementary schools so that all the elementary schools are represented on the board. This helps to build a feeling of one community.  Open positions are advertised in the monthly newsletter and through the email blitzes.   Phone calls are made to “gently” encourage involvement.  At the end of the year, outgoing board members are recognized, returning board members are thanked, and incoming new board members are welcomed.

 

Do whatever you can to get parents involved.  As their child transitions into middle school, their involvement in school also changes.  Although parents may not get in to the classroom, it is still important that parents be involved.  One way to be involved is through the PTO.  For those parents that were involved in PTOs in elementary school, encourage them to stay involved.  For those that weren’t involved, middle school may be their last time.  The PTO is one way for parents to feel connected to their child’s school.  Encourage them to become involved for themselves.