The PTO sponsors a holiday store each December, usually held for two days during the last week of class before winter vacation. Students can purchase small holiday gifts for family members and friends. In the last few years, our emphasis has pulled away from resale items to focus on student-made gifts. A week before, the children come home with a shopping list you may help them fill out: who would they like to make gifts for? At school, the children will get to see the options available that year, and decide on their budget. Prices range from $1 to $5. Most are a craft the children will complete during their class's turn at the store, making useful items like stationary, bookmarks, magnets, and containers. A few items are also available to purchase for the hard-to-make-for demographics, like babies and pets.
Each year we need several volunteers to help at craft stations, with wrapping, and as cashiers. I love working the holiday store--it's full of generous spirits and grand MAKING.
We owe special thanks for the tremendous amount of preparation and work done by Joanne Meehan and Holly Kennedy to create a beautiful shopping and crafting experience in 2009 and 2010.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
What is the First Friday Coffee?
On the First Friday of every month, the PTO sponsors a get-together in the front lobby at drop-off time. Coffee, hot cocoa, and treats are served in the front lobby for parents, starting about 7:45.
First Fridays have been great, with fantastic food (especially thank the Wadlingtons if you see them!) and good attendance. If you haven't attended before, it's a great chance to meet other parents and visit with teachers; many have a substitute the first hour of school so they can make it. Derek and Kim Wadlington pull it all together, and we have recently started having one grade at a time join in to provide the food (tell your room parent if you're willing to help; you may receive a call to do so this year).
First Fridays have been great, with fantastic food (especially thank the Wadlingtons if you see them!) and good attendance. If you haven't attended before, it's a great chance to meet other parents and visit with teachers; many have a substitute the first hour of school so they can make it. Derek and Kim Wadlington pull it all together, and we have recently started having one grade at a time join in to provide the food (tell your room parent if you're willing to help; you may receive a call to do so this year).
What is the Spaghetti Dinner?
The Spring Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction, usually held in late March, is our major fundraiser of the year. If it's a success, we are able to offer Camp GBLUES, a really unique opportunity, to all of our students at no additional cost for families. The dinner is on a Saturday, with all-you-can eat pasta, salad, and breadsticks, as well as a spot of dessert. The silent auction, with both handmade items and donations from local businesses, runs throughout the afternoon and evening, and brings in the most money that day.
Wondering how you can help?
(1) Come! Eat! Bid! Bring your friends and family.
(2) Donate to the silent auction. Each classroom donates items for a themed basket, and we'd love to have your handcrafted items. If you run a small business or know someone who does and has something to contribute, we will happily accept those as well! We will also sell some specialty baked goods (what do you have to show off?).
(3) Volunteer to help.
Wondering how you can help?
(1) Come! Eat! Bid! Bring your friends and family.
(2) Donate to the silent auction. Each classroom donates items for a themed basket, and we'd love to have your handcrafted items. If you run a small business or know someone who does and has something to contribute, we will happily accept those as well! We will also sell some specialty baked goods (what do you have to show off?).
(3) Volunteer to help.
For 2011:
* The dinner will be held on Saturday, March 26, from 5-8 pm
*Ms. Deibler, our music teacher, is organizing students and student teachers to provide musical entertainment through the evening. Please contact her if you would like to take part.
*Auction: We will also have items available for viewing and bidding at the school for the week prior to March 26th, to try to bring in some of the campus community and others who may not be able to attend. Children love the excitement of the auction, and we're having a special table for them this year, with items targeted to the $3-$5 range.
Monday, February 14, 2011
What is Camp GBLUES?
Camp GBLUES is a beautiful, unique opportunity for children to learn about and in our Pennsylvania woodlands. With successful fundraising, it is offered to all students at Grace B. Luhrs as part of the regular school experience and at no extra cost to families.
For grades K-2, it is a day camp on Thursday. Grades 3-5 stay overnight and also enjoy a 1/2 day at camp the next day. Lessons are taught mostly by Shippensburg University students, with some back up from parents, teachers, and university professors. We need parents to lead family groups, help in the kitchen, and stay overnight. Plan now if you need to finish clearances (me!). All students will be released from school when the buses get back at approximately 1 pm on Friday.
After a few complications, Camp 2011 is now SET for April 28-29 (Thursday and Friday) at Camp Penn, a return to the venue of our past. Peek at Camp Penn here:
http://www.susumcamps.org/camp-penn
For grades K-2, it is a day camp on Thursday. Grades 3-5 stay overnight and also enjoy a 1/2 day at camp the next day. Lessons are taught mostly by Shippensburg University students, with some back up from parents, teachers, and university professors. We need parents to lead family groups, help in the kitchen, and stay overnight. Plan now if you need to finish clearances (me!). All students will be released from school when the buses get back at approximately 1 pm on Friday.
After a few complications, Camp 2011 is now SET for April 28-29 (Thursday and Friday) at Camp Penn, a return to the venue of our past. Peek at Camp Penn here:
http://www.susumcamps.org/camp-penn
2010-2011 Room Parents
Our excellent teachers have recruited room parents to serve as PTO envoys to their classroom's parents. The room parents will, we hope, be able to contact & utilize more of the talent and enthusiasm we have out there. (aka: they'll ask you to do things for the PTO. Thank you in advance for saying yes! Coersion? Just semantics...)
A bit late (posted here, anyway), the 2010-2011 room parents are:
A bit late (posted here, anyway), the 2010-2011 room parents are:
K – Misty Butler
1 – Erika Kyle
2 – Jennifer Clough
3 – Nicole Aikey
4 – Michelle Keyes
5 – Derek & Kim Wadlington
Pending reasons you may hear from yours soon:
Spaghetti Dinner help & First Fridays food
January 2011 newsletter
Hello, Parents & Teachers!
We're sad our mini winterfest PTO meeting was canceled this week, but hope we can utilize new media to bridge communication until our next general meeting (March 10th: game night!). Please watch for our PTO e-mails and offer your feedback and help in response. If e-mail is not convenient for you, please call me anytime: 300-3635 with questions or offers.
All of our attention is focused on March 26th's Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction, our major fundraiser of the year. If it's a success, we are able to offer Camp GBLUES, a really unique opportunity, to all of our students at no additional cost for families. The dinner is on a Saturday, with all-you-can eat pasta, salad, and breadsticks, as well as a spot of dessert. Mrs. Deibler, our music teacher, is organizing students and student teachers to provide musical entertainment through the evening. The silent auction, with both handmade items and donations from local businesses, runs throughout the afternoon and evening, and brings in the most money that day. We will also have items available for viewing and bidding at the school for the week prior to March 26th, to try to bring in some of the campus community and others who may not be able to attend. Children love the excitement of the auction, and we're having a special table for them, with items targeted to the $3-$5 range.
Wondering how you can help?
(1) Come! Eat! Bid! Bring your friends and family.
(2) Donate to the silent auction. Each classroom donates items for a themed basket, and we'd love to have your handcrafted items. If you run a small business or know someone who does and has something to contribute, we will happily accept those as well! We will also sell some specialty baked goods (what do you have to show off?).
(3) Volunteer to help. We'll start trolling for volunteers for that-night help (cooking, serving, cleaning, running the auction) via an e-mail at the end of the week. You may reply to the e-mail or sign up in the lobby for hour-long shifts (though of course we'll take you for longer). We'll do a last volunteer push at our First Friday coffee on the morning of February 4th, then room parents will solicit help to fill all of our slots. Since we have such a small student body, we need a higher-than-usual rate of parent participation. Thank you for always giving it! We are, in particular, looking for someone to shadow Rae-Ann Sprecher-Frey this year to head up the Spaghetti Dinner next year. Think about it... (it's almost down to a smooth science and ready for you to step right in!).
After a few complications, Camp is now SET for April 28-29 (Thursday and Friday) at Camp Penn, a return to the venue of our past. It's a day camp for grades K-2 on Thursday, and grades 3-5 stay overnight and also enjoy a 1/2 day at camp the next day. Lessons are taught mostly by Shippensburg University students, with some back up from parents, teachers, and university professors. We need parents to lead family groups, help in the kitchen, and stay overnight. Plan now if you need to finish clearances (me!). All students will be released from school when the buses get back at approximately 1 pm on Friday.
I'm working on getting summaries of all our major activities easily accessible on our PTO blog: GBLUESPTO.blogspot.com. Look on the right side bar.
First Fridays have been great, with fantastic food (especially thank the Wadlingtons if you see them!) and good attendance. If you haven't attended before, it's a great chance to meet other parents and visit with teachers; many have a substitute the first hour of school so they can make it. Thanks for your PTO support this year, most recently with the Holiday Store, fundraiser, and Thanksgiving Feast. We need you!
Best,
Valerie Goates
2010-2011 PTO Coordinator
We're sad our mini winterfest PTO meeting was canceled this week, but hope we can utilize new media to bridge communication until our next general meeting (March 10th: game night!). Please watch for our PTO e-mails and offer your feedback and help in response. If e-mail is not convenient for you, please call me anytime: 300-3635 with questions or offers.
All of our attention is focused on March 26th's Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction, our major fundraiser of the year. If it's a success, we are able to offer Camp GBLUES, a really unique opportunity, to all of our students at no additional cost for families. The dinner is on a Saturday, with all-you-can eat pasta, salad, and breadsticks, as well as a spot of dessert. Mrs. Deibler, our music teacher, is organizing students and student teachers to provide musical entertainment through the evening. The silent auction, with both handmade items and donations from local businesses, runs throughout the afternoon and evening, and brings in the most money that day. We will also have items available for viewing and bidding at the school for the week prior to March 26th, to try to bring in some of the campus community and others who may not be able to attend. Children love the excitement of the auction, and we're having a special table for them, with items targeted to the $3-$5 range.
Wondering how you can help?
(1) Come! Eat! Bid! Bring your friends and family.
(2) Donate to the silent auction. Each classroom donates items for a themed basket, and we'd love to have your handcrafted items. If you run a small business or know someone who does and has something to contribute, we will happily accept those as well! We will also sell some specialty baked goods (what do you have to show off?).
(3) Volunteer to help. We'll start trolling for volunteers for that-night help (cooking, serving, cleaning, running the auction) via an e-mail at the end of the week. You may reply to the e-mail or sign up in the lobby for hour-long shifts (though of course we'll take you for longer). We'll do a last volunteer push at our First Friday coffee on the morning of February 4th, then room parents will solicit help to fill all of our slots. Since we have such a small student body, we need a higher-than-usual rate of parent participation. Thank you for always giving it! We are, in particular, looking for someone to shadow Rae-Ann Sprecher-Frey this year to head up the Spaghetti Dinner next year. Think about it... (it's almost down to a smooth science and ready for you to step right in!).
After a few complications, Camp is now SET for April 28-29 (Thursday and Friday) at Camp Penn, a return to the venue of our past. It's a day camp for grades K-2 on Thursday, and grades 3-5 stay overnight and also enjoy a 1/2 day at camp the next day. Lessons are taught mostly by Shippensburg University students, with some back up from parents, teachers, and university professors. We need parents to lead family groups, help in the kitchen, and stay overnight. Plan now if you need to finish clearances (me!). All students will be released from school when the buses get back at approximately 1 pm on Friday.
I'm working on getting summaries of all our major activities easily accessible on our PTO blog: GBLUESPTO.blogspot.com. Look on the right side bar.
First Fridays have been great, with fantastic food (especially thank the Wadlingtons if you see them!) and good attendance. If you haven't attended before, it's a great chance to meet other parents and visit with teachers; many have a substitute the first hour of school so they can make it. Thanks for your PTO support this year, most recently with the Holiday Store, fundraiser, and Thanksgiving Feast. We need you!
Best,
Valerie Goates
2010-2011 PTO Coordinator
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