Announcements

PTO Meetings

PTO Approves Budget at First Meeting of School Year

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our first meeting of the year.  We started the year off with some administrative items, including the approval of the budget for the 2017-2018 school year.

The budget includes over $20,000 towards curriculum support in the form of $500 stipends for each grade level, special area instruction, music, art and athletics.  It also includes the purchase of 2 additional Chromebook carts, completing the PTO’s commitment to the school (approved last year).

The PTO has largely spent down the reserve funds which were held in the PTO account in the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year through the contribution of $80,000 to FCASD to supplement the new playground equipment. Another $20,000 has been earmarked for O’Hara courtyard improvements.  Teachers are already making use of the courtyard tables purchased by the PTO, which included six tables with umbrellas.  The district matched the PTO purchase, providing an additional set of 6 tables. A rotating schedule for courtyard use will be set up beginning this week; the courtyard can be used at teacher’s discretion for lunch and classroom instruction/activities.

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Mrs. Batis shared a quick update on construction, noting that work is progressing as planned and thanking everyone for their patience and understanding.  She also provided further clarification on O’Hara’s Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTII) program, a brief overview of which was presented at Curriculum Night. Mrs. Batis emphasized that while the RTII team meets formally each month, students can be referred to RTII at any time needed.

Parents are encouraged to complete the PTO volunteer form if they have not already done so, and to please GET YOUR CLEARANCES.  Initial volunteers for classroom and school-wide events will be pulled from the volunteer form respondents.  The volunteer form also asks respondents to indicate if they would like to be a PTO member, a new change for the school year that is a necessary step in updating the PTO bylaws. PTO membership remains open and free of charge, but parents and teachers/staff must elect membership to vote and participate in PTO business.  Proposed changes to the bylaws were presented at the meeting and will be voted on by members electronically on or after October 24.

Finally, the PTO Board announced that, based on various requests received and poll results, we are going to alternate morning and evening meeting times for the rest of the calendar year. Evening meetings will be held on TUESDAY, October 24th and December 19th at 6:00pm in the Auditorium. Future evening meetings will be determined based on attendance at these two events. We look forward to seeing many new faces!

Full minutes from the 9-22-17 meeting are available here.

PTO Meetings

Social Tonight – PTO Meeting Friday

The PTO is looking forward to seeing you all at the Back to School Social tonight for the grand opening of the O’Hara playground!!  The Steer and Wheel and Franktuary will be on site (hello, dinner!) and of course Good Humor Ice Cream (yeah, dessert!).  There will also be some great raffle prizes.  This is one of the PTO’s largest fundraisers. If you can’t make the event, please consider making a donation via Paypal.

We also invite all who can to attend the general PTO meeting this Friday at 9:15am in the O’Hara Auditorium.  Items on the agenda include:

  • Administration Update from Principal Batis
  • Review of Draft Budget
  • Summary of proposed Bylaw Revisions
  • Volunteers – Clearances Needed and Open Committee Positions
  • Report from 9/19 District Forum Meeting

For those who can’t make Friday’s meeting, a recap and minutes will be shared after the meeting.

Finally, we’d like to thank those who participated in our informal poll on PTO meeting times.  There appears to be some interest in evening meetings. Because previous turn out for evening meetings was low, the Board would like to try alternating meetings only through the end of the calendar year.  The general meetings for October and December would be held in the evening to gauge attendance.  Further details on days/times will follow.  We hope to see many new faces!

Announcements

PTO to Provide School T-Shirts for All Students

The PTO is excited to share that we will be providing each student with a t-shirt for this school year to wear with pride to school events, on field trips and for demonstrating their school spirit!

Shirt sizes will be distributed as follows in early October:

  • K – 1st:  Youth Small
  • 2nd – 3rd: Youth Medium
  • 4th – 5th:  Youth Large

(Note: If you would like to request a different size for your student, please do so here by no later than Friday, September 15th : https://goo.gl/forms/3KdMsNuVaFkwjLu22)

The PTO is able to provide t-shirts to all of the students because of the generous support of parents, families and local businesses!

Last year the PTO:

  • donated 56 Google Chromebook computers
  • donated date book/class organizers for all classes in grades 3, 4, 5
  • purchased banner paper and ink for the large format printer
  • planned and paid for a Fall assembly
  • provided tees, medals and new games for Math Pentathlon
  • provided $500 Student Scholarship Fund for extracurricular activities
  • provided supplies for outdoor recess
  • purchased 6 new display boards for the art department
  • set up e-commerce website for spirit sales
  • provided O’Hara pencils for each student
  • donated $2,000 towards Fifth Grade Day
  • organized and hosted several events for students, teachers and staff

This year the PTO has done or is planning on doing:

  • paid for a portion of the new outdoor playground
  • purchased an additional 56 Google Chromebook computers
  • purchased and implementing six Indoor Recess Bins filled with
    activities, games and crafts for active and stationary play
  • planning and providing a Fall assembly
  • working to develop a garden in the courtyard with new chairs and
    tables for students and teachers to use
  • providing date book/class organizers for all classes in grades 3, 4, 5
  • providing new art for the Traveling Art Gallery (TAG) program
  • supporting Math Pentathlon with any financial needs
  • donating $2,000 towards Fifth Grade Day
  • providing $500 Student Scholarship Fund for extracurricular activities
  • funding mini-grants for teaching staff by grade level

Please consider making a donation to support projects for the 2017-2018 school year.  All donations go directly back to the students, teachers and school! You can make a donation here via Paypal or by sending in cash or check made payable to OEPTO.

The O’Hara PTO is dedicated to offering enriching enhancements for our children’s social and academic success.  We welcome your participation; meetings are held once a month. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for reminders and updates on all of the exciting things the PTO is doing.

Thank you for your support!

Volunteer

Fill Out Your PTO Volunteer Form Online

Welcome back to school O’Hara families!

Parents and guardians are needed to help with a variety of activities in and out of the classroom throughout the year.  Please fill out the PTO Volunteer Form to express interest in upcoming volunteer opportunities or to serve as a Homeroom Representative.  You only need to submit one form per family (we hope you appreciate the reduction in paperwork as much as we do!), and it will take less than a minute to complete.

Also new this year, we are asking that you opt in to become a PTO member (see Section 2 of the online form).  PTO membership is open to any person who is a parent or a guardian of a child attending O’Hara Elementary School or any member of the O’Hara Elementary faculty, staff, or administration. There is no fee to join. Membership is required to vote on PTO business.  If there is a second member of your household who would like to be a PTO member and/or volunteer, we ask that each of you complete the online form separately.

Please submit the volunteer form by Friday, September 1st.

O'Hara Elementary PTO

Thank you for your willingness to provide support in your child’s classroom and at the school! We look forward to working with you this year.

p.s. Don’t forget that clearances are required for almost all volunteer opportunities.

PTO Meetings

Meeting Recap: Principal and PTO Board Updates, Planning for Next Year

recap

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the last PTO meeting of the 2016-2017 school year! Here’s what was discussed at the May 19 meeting:

Principal’s Update on STAR and Class Assignments

Students have completed the last round of STAR assessments for the year. Students in all grades will be going home with a copy of their student STAR folder by May 31st. Teachers will be meeting individually with each student to review results, with a focus on celebrating growth and identifying areas of opportunity for the future.

Principals Batis and Edwards have formalized a new data-driven process for class assignments.  The process is designed to achieve balanced classrooms that meet the diverse needs (academic, behavioral and social) of all learners.  Teacher feedback, including input from specialists who work with students at multiple grade levels, will be part of the class roster process.

For more details on STAR and the class roster process, refer to the May Principal’s Update.

Budget and Construction Update

Outgoing Treasurer Tonja Condron provided an update on year-to-date income and expenses.  This year’s income/expenses effectively net out, which was identified as a PTO Board objective for the 2016-2017 school year after careful consideration of the reserve funds held in the PTO account and concerns voiced by families.

Major expenditures for the year include purchase of Chromebooks for students and new art boards.  A significant reserve amount is still set aside for the greenhouse and playground.  Payment to the school has been delayed due to the construction bid process (re-bids are still pending
public school board vote), but construction is still currently slated to begin on June 12th.

Kristina Adams will begin a two-year term as treasurer in the 2017-2018 school year.

Plans in the Works for Next Year

The PTO is working on adding some organized activities to indoor recess.  The plan currently involves several rotating carts that would house various activities, including an option for physical activity designed for the classroom.  If you would like to help,  email Dana Rofey.

Mrs. Johnson also announced plans to increase O’Hara student involvement in the Kids of Steel Marathon Program. Anyone interested in supporting this initiative for the 2018 Marathon should contact Mrs. Johnson directly.

With the school year coming to an end, the PTO Board will be planning out goals and projects for the 2017-2018 school year over the summer. We’d love to hear your ideas!  Comment below or email Sarah Shaffer with suggestions on what you think we should focus on or areas where we can improve.

Committee Chairs and Members Needed

There are several open committee chair and member positions.  Please email Carrie Work if interested in serving on or chairing a committee.

  • Yearbook – Cari Tarasi will be taking over chair position; Interested volunteers should email outgoing chair Lisa Correnti 
  • Hospitality Committee – 3 to 4 members needed
  • Thanksgiving Baskets – Chair needed
  • Book Fair – 3 to 4 members needed
  • Fifth Grade Day – multiple positions open