PPE PTO Newsletter – Friday, January 16th, 2026
Important Dates
Note: Dates are subject to change. The BEST way to stay updated is with our PTO Google Calendar – view and subscribe here!
- January 19th: MLK Day (District closed – Students do not report)
- January 25th: PPE Night with Belmont Bruins Basketball
- January 30th: Family Dance (more info below!)
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February 2-6: Teacher Appreciation Week
- February 17th: Read-a-thon kick off!
SCHOOL UPDATES
Can you believe Read-A-Thon is right around the corner?!It kicks off on February 17th and we need help making it come alive for the students (aka, bringing the magic). Without giving away our top-secret theme, we are looking for a few things to help us build a themed set in the library. If you have connections for or access to any of the following items, thanks for letting us know (emily.stuart@mnps.org). OR if you have carpentry skills and want to donate your labor, we can purchase the supplies.Our needs:
Promising Scholars – Save the date!
MNPS School Start Time Survey and Conversations
LAST DAY FOR SURVEY SUBMISSIONS. The districtwide survey on school start and end time options is now live. We encourage families and staff to take a few minutes to review the proposed models and share feedback.
This week, MNPS is also hosting several in-person and virtual town halls to provide an opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and engage in conversation. The latest updates on the study and models, along with dates, times, locations, and the survey link are all available on the MNPS School Start Times website.
No decisions have been made at this time. Feedback from the survey and town halls will be reviewed alongside transportation and operational analysis before any recommendation is brought forward.
OPTIONAL SCHOOLS INFORMATION & PATHWAY CONTINUATION FORMS
The MNPS Optional Schools Application for the 2026-2027 school year will launch on Tuesday, January 20th. Applications for optional schools must be submitted by Friday, February 6th. A few notes on the optional schools process:
- Percy Priest is part of the optional schools process. Each year the number of available spots for students in grades K-5 is determined based on our enrollment projections.
- If you are a current preK family living outside of our school zone and wish for your student to remain at Percy Priest for kindergarten, you will need to reapply to be considered for the lottery.
- If you are a current K-4 family attending Percy Priest through the lottery process, you do not need to reapply to remain at Percy Priest next year.
- If you are a 5th grade student attending Percy Priest through the lottery process and you wish to continue to our pathway feeder school, J.T. Moore Middle, you will need to complete a pathway continuation form.
- This is separate from the process for applying to the preK lottery. The preK lottery for 2026-2027 will open on March 2, 2026. A reminder that all preK spots are lottery based, but there is a sibling and zone preference for the preK lottery.
For more information about optional schools, including entrance qualifications for academic magnet schools, please visit https://www.mnps.org/learn/register-for-school/school- options. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
USED BOOK SALE
Used Book Sale – Donations needed!
Are your kids eager to read new books? Are they ready to move on to more challenging content? Gather the old books and make room for the new: the Used Book Sale is happening in February, and we need donations. We welcome books that are appropriate for Pre-K through 5th graders, and we especially need chapter books.
A donation bin is outside of the front entrance of the school.
We will need volunteers to help during the sale in February, so be on the lookout to sign up for that in the future. Feel free to reach out to Jamie Kuhlman, jamiekuhlman@gmail.com, or Avery VanPelt, avery.t.vanpelt@gmail.com, with any questions!
January 30 Family Dance
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 2026 PPE AUCTION PARTY
Silent Auction: Calling all PPE families who love to host! We have begun building out the Parent Party category for the silent auction. The Parent Party is hosted by one or more people for 6-20+ people depending on the theme/location. The host(s) decide a theme, location, date, time, number of guests, and cover the cost of the party. Once cleared with the PPE Auction Committee Chair, the party will be listed in the online silent auction catalog as a “Buy it Now” option with a limited number of tickets available. All proceeds go directly to PPE. Excited to share that we already have a Mahjong party planned for May (thank you Meredith Austin aka Mahjong Meredith and Anna Dorris!). In years past we have had flower arranging parties, pickleball tournaments, workout classes, elegant cocktail parties, and so many more! Interested in hosting a party? Email Kristen at PercyPriestAuction@gmail.com.
Auction Party: Tickets to PPE’s A Night of Wonder slated for April 11 from 6-11pm will go on sale very soon for a spectacularly fun night where funds raised directly impact our PPE students. You won’t want to miss the cirque-style performers from Beyond Wings, Magician Ramtin sharing excitement and wonder with guests, or incredible live music/DJ from RHYTHM!
YEARBOOK – SUBMIT PHOTOS!
FUNDRAISERS
SMALL FUNDRAISERS
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