PTO
NEWS FROM THE PTO 3-5-10
There are many opportunities to be involved in the PTO next year, and we welcome everyone. One example is the Policy and Planning Committee. This group of parents and faculty thoughtfully review the school's strategic plan, help guide us in achieving the goals in this three-year vision and oversee the Tiger Fund.
The committee meets at least three times a year, with some business conducted electronically. If you are interested in serving a two year term on the Policy and Planning Committee, please contact Rebecca Swan.
Rebecca and Angie
NEWS FROM THE PTO 2-26-10
Thanks to everyone who attended the PTO meeting on Tuesday night. Dr. Wynn and Mrs. High deserve a special thank you for their presentation on "The World of Mathematics at PPE." It is clear that our school is invested in improving our children's math skills using proven resources that are interactive and fun. We hope you'll join us for more math fun tonight at Math Night. See your child's Friday folder for more information about this family event.
Rebecca and Angie
NEWS FROM THE PTO 2-5-10
Last week's Used Book Sale raised over $1000, all of which will be donated to Mercy Corps Haitian relief efforts! Thanks to event chairs Susan Kennedy and Delaniah Bringle and to the many volunteers and book donors who helped make the sale a success. Unsold books will be donated to the Regional Prevention Center (RIP).
We may be facing six more weeks of winter, but our spring auction committee is already hard at work on this year's event. Priest-a-Fiesta will be held Friday, April 16 at Travellers Rest Plantation. This fun-filled, adults-only evening will feature a live and silent auction, music, food and beverages, and much more. See your child's Friday folder for information about how you can help make this event a success. We need auction items and help with classroom auction projects. Check out the Priest-a-Fiesta page on the PPE website for updates and more information.
Rebecca and Angie
NEWS FROM THE PTO 1-15-10
Thank you to the Policy and Planning Committee for a productive (albeit long) meeting on Monday. Join us at the PTO meeting on Tuesday, January 26 at 6:30pm to hear updates on the strategic plan as well as new technology equipment at work in a 21st Century Classroom.
Please see information below regarding the Used Book Sale, scheduled for January 26-29. We need lots of donations and volunteers to make this event a success. Also, plans are underway for Math Night on Friday, February 26, 6:30 - 8:30pm. Mark your calendars now for this fun and educational family event. This year, participants will travel around the world using math as a passport. Volunteers will be needed to help with a variety of activities. Please contact Blaire Rose Rios (377-1040) if you would like to help.
Rebecca and Angie
NEWS FROM THE PTO 12-11-09
This is a busy time of the year for all of us and PPE is no exception. From service projects to holiday parties, there is a lot going on.
Please remember to support the Scholastic Book Fair, which started yesterday and runs until next Wednesday.
The Hillsboro Cluster meeting is next Wednesday, December 16 at 11:30 in the JTM Library. Everyone is welcome to bring his or her lunch and find out what is going on around our cluster. Everyone is invited to attend the Hillsboro Cluster Cocktail Party (adults only) at the Patton's home (110 Lynnwood Blvd, 37205). This fun event is tonight from 6-8 PM. Wear your holiday attire and bring an appetizer, if you want. RSVP to terridpatton@hotmail.com.
Rebecca and Angie
NEWS FROM THE PTO 12-4-09
We hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving break, with lots of food and family time. Thanks to the faculty and staff who made it possible for our entire school to attend the TPAC play on Monday (and thanks to our generous families, since the PTO was able to cover the costs).
Mark your calendars now for the holiday parties in your child's classroom on Thursday, December 17th (which is also a half-day, so dismissal is at 11:30). Room parents will be contacting you with details
.
The next Policy and Planning meeting will be held on Monday, January 11th at 3:15 in the library. We will be reviewing our strategic plan as well as Tiger Fund requests. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Rebecca and Angie
NEWS FROM THE PTO 11-20-09
Thanks to everyone who made our recent PTO events successful. Our fall Bake Sale raised approximately $1500 - that's a lot of cookies, cakes and pies! Many thanks to Bake Sale chairs Michelle Owens and Amanda Gibbs, and to the many volunteers who donated baked goods and staffed the sale.
Our fall family event, Friday Night Fever, was also a big hit thanks to the hard work of event chairs Jennifer Gaw and Mellissa Henson. Everyone looked great in their disco duds! Thanks to Publix for donating refreshments and to the JT Moore ambassadors for their participation in this event.
Tuesday night's PTO meeting was especially informative. Thanks to Dr. Alice Henley for educating us on reading assessments that are used at PPE. We also enjoyed a presentation from Beth Fernandez of MindMatters, a locally owned tutoring and enrichment center and PPE's newest Pencil Partner. MindMatters is offering a 15% discount on all services to PPE families. For more information about MindMatters, visit their website: www.M2LC.com.
See below for updates about important fundraisers. Please note that Hunt Brothers Pizza labels are due next week, and Davis-Kidd gift card sales have been extended until after Thanksgiving. We appreciate your support of these fundraising efforts. Finally, we would like to recognize PPE parent Chad Hollingsworth for donating a portion of the proceeds from the Take Arts Gallery liquidation sale
to the PTO. Thanks, Chad, for your generosity and support.
Rebecca and Angie
NEWS FROM THE PTO 11-13-09
Please join us for the PTO meeting next Tuesday, November 17th at 6:30 PM in the library.
Are you dumbfounded by DIBELS? Stumped by STAR reading assessments? Dr. Alice Henley, our Reading Specialist, will explain these and other reading assessments used at PPE.
We will also have a presentation from MindMatters, a locally owned tutoring and enrichment center, and Percy Priest's newest Pencil Partner. Everyone present at the meeting will be entered to win a door prize drawing for a free hour-long session at Mind Matters, valued at $56.
In addition, we will have a conversation about technology at PPE - what is needed and why, and ways to pay for it. We'll also get an update on library expansion progress. Don't miss this information packed meeting!
Rebecca and Angie
NEWS FROM THE PTO 11-6-09
Thanks to all who helped make the PPE Open House for Prospective Parents a success. Open House chairs Heidi Esposito and Terri McConnell did a fabulous job organizing this very important event. The Hospitality Committee, including Ali Rutherford, Catherine Clark, Kelli Weaver and Betsy Wright, provided refreshments and decorations, while a great crew of volunteers led tours for prospective parents.
Congratulations to all the Rising Stars in our 2nd - 4th classes! Many thanks to Davis-Kidd Booksellers for donating gift cards for these children. Remember, the annual Davis-Kidd gift card fundraiser starts today. It's a great way to get a head start on your holiday shopping while supporting PPE.
Finally, a big thanks to the PTO Audit Committee for completing a review of our 2008-09 finances.
Committee Chair Gretchen Horner presented the audit report at the last PTO meeting and announced that our finances are in good order. Other committee members are Ashley Mathews, Keith Sykes, Kirsten Coleman and Lynne Trost. Thanks for sharing your time and talents to complete this important task.
Rebecca and Angie
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NEWS FROM THE PTO 10-30-09
Thanks to everyone who attended the PTO meeting on Tuesday night. Dr. Gary Hughes, Assistant Principal at JT Moore, and Amy Cates, the IB Coordinator there, gave a brief presentation on the school and the IB program, as well as answered lots of questions. The JT Moore Open House is next
week and is another opportunity to explore the exciting things going on there.
Did everyone see the Nashville Scene's "Best of Nashville" issue? Percy Priest Elementary School was voted the best elementary school! (Julia Green and USN tied for second place).
Rebecca Bourlakas has submitted her resignation as the VP for Policy and Planning, although she will continue to serve on the Policy and Planning Committee as a faculty and parent. The Executive Committee has nominated EnaShea Kohler as the new VP for Policy and Planning. This nomination was announced at the PTO meeting on Tuesday and will be voted on at next month's meeting.
Rebecca and Angie
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NEWS FROM THE PTO 10-15-09
The flu is on everyone's minds these days. Washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes and trying to avoid sick contacts are great ways to prevent getting it (or sharing it). But what do you do if your child gets the flu? The flu makes you feel bad: fever, headache, muscle aches, sore throat, maybe vomiting and diarrhea. Use Tylenol or Motrin to control the fever (remember to avoid aspirin). Encourage drinking: popsicles, ice chips, juice, water. Although we want our children to eat, food is not as critical as fluid intake. And, please, keep your child at home until he or she has not had a fever for 24 hours (without Tylenol or Motrin) and feels well enough to participate in routine school activities. The fever may be gone but your child may still be too tired to go seven hours without napping. It is OK to keep the child home another day. Our teachers will be happy to help get assignments home and make sure your child gets caught up.
You may have heard that not everyone (who is otherwise healthy) with the flu needs to be seen by a
doctor. So when do you need to seek medical care?
-if your child is having difficulty breathing or complaining of chest pain
-if your child is less responsive then usual, seems confused or really irritable
-if you notice signs of dehydration: no urination in 6 hours, dizziness when standing up, or lack of
tears when crying (in infants).
-if your child seemed to be getting better for a day or so but now seems worse (fever returns, less
active).
And, of course, if you ever have a question, please contact your primary care provider.
Remember our next PTO meeting is Tuesday, October 27 at 6:30 PM in the Library. Ms. Jill Pittman,
the principal at JT Moore Middle School, will be our guest Have a wonderful Fall Break!!
Rebecca and Angie
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NEWS FROM THE PTO Oct 9th
We join everyone in welcoming Dr. Rebecca Bourlakas as our new first grade teacher. She comes to PPE with an M.Ed. in education and as the former director of the Westminster School for Young Children. She is already known to many PPE families as mom to first grader Katie and kindergartener Maggie and will be a wonderful addition to the PPE faculty! As she assumes her new professional responsibilities, she will resign from her PPE parent position as PTO Co Vice President for Policy and Planning. We hope to present a new candidate for a vote at the October 27 PTO meeting. If you are interested in learning more about this important PTO position, contact Rebecca Swan mcswan@comcast.net or Angie Howard angiephoward@att.net .
Please note that next week's newsletter will be distributed on Thursday, October 15. For this reason, all submissions and flyer distribution forms must be submitted by noon on Tuesday, October 13.
Rebecca and Angie
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August 2009
Dear Percy Priest Families:
The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a critical part of the effort to ensure the highest quality programming for all students at Percy Priest Elementary. Through the hard work and generous donations of many Percy Priest parents and members of the community, the PTO is able to:
• Develop a strategic plan every 3 years to ensure our continued success
• Provide salary for a science lab instructor and maintain science lab materials
• Provide salaries for 3 part-time educational assistants, allowing teachers more time in the classroom
• Provide funding toward a Spanish teacher
• Provide funding for additional professional development for faculty and staff
• Purchase new computers and maintain technology throughout the school
• Provide funds for every teacher to use for classroom supplies
• Provide funds for art and music supplies not covered by Metro’s budget
• Provide funds to maintain our library collection
• Fund school-wide cultural events.
This is an exciting year to be a part of the PTO because we will be implementing our new three year strategic plan. Your participation will be crucial. There are many ways to be involved at Percy Priest, and we hope that something will suit your time and talents. Throughout the school year, you will be invited to volunteer your time and financial resources for a wide variety of opportunities. From fundraising to volunteering in the classroom, you can make a difference at Percy Priest Elementary.
We look forward to seeing you at the PTO meetings - usually held the 4th Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm - where we focus together on important topics that affect our students and families. PTO annual membership dues are $5 per person, $10 per family. We encourage you to join the PTO and attend as many PTO functions as possible. All students will benefit directly from your involvement.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Swan, PTO Co-President, Policy and Planning
783-1563
Angie Howard , PTO Co-President, Fundraising and Membership
385-8183
