Category: PTO Meetings

PTO Meetings

Agenda for January 13th PTO Meeting

jan-13Please join us for our monthly PTO meeting this Friday, January 13th from 9:15 – 10:15 am in the school auditorium. Items on the agenda include:

  • O’Hara Administration Update (Mrs. Batis and Mr. Edwards)
    • Update on lunch/recess policies/procedure
    • Update on dismissal
    • Explanation of Bench Marking (STAR)
  • PTO Board Update (Dana Rofey and Carrie Work)
    • Budget w/ Proposed Allocation of Reserve Funds to be presented for vote at February 10 PTO Meeting
  •  Project and Committee Updates
    • Fifth Grade Day (fundraising, volunteers and class gift)
    • Giant Eagle Apple for Students (supporters, money earned to date)
    • Square 1 Art (items still available for purchase with 15% profit to school)

Attendees should sign in at the school office before heading to the auditorium. Coffee will be provided!

For those unable to attend, a recap and minutes will be shared here after the meeting.  Questions? Comment below!

PTO Meetings

Proposed Changes for Dismissal | O’Hara Slated for Renovation

Approximately 35 people attended the November 18th PTO meeting, which kicked off with Mrs. Batis introducing herself and some proposed changes. Click here for the full meeting minutes.

Proposed Changes for Dismissal

Mrs. Batis shared that her initial impression of O’Hara is positive – the school is safe, secure and welcoming.  However, she and Mr. Edwards have observed some potential areas for improvement.  Their first initiative is to address the current dismissal process for car riders. Mrs. Batis, who is trained in FEMA emergency planning,  said that there is currently a lot of  “cross-over” traffic, with students and parents walking in front of buses to get to the parking lot. This cross-over traffic creates a potential safety issue. Mrs. Batis has proposed lessening the cross-over traffic by having car riders picked up from exits on the side of the school. Here’s a sketch of the proposed change provided by Mrs. Batis.

proposed-dismissal-change

Note that there are two pick up doors – one for Kindergarten and one for Grades 1 – 5.  In the case of families with siblings in Kindergarten, the older students would be dismissed from the Kindergarten door.

Parents raised several potential concerns over the proposed changes. These concerns included questions over adequate parking in the side lot, the safety of children getting into cars in a congested lot, and where parents would wait for students on cold days.  Mrs. Batis will take parent concerns into consideration as the plans are finalized. Questions and concerns regarding the proposed changes should be directed to Mrs. Batis.

Mrs. Batis and Mr. Edwards are looking forward to getting to know parents and guardians.  The principals will be hosting a monthly “Principal’s Coffee Hour.”  Each month will cover a different topic of interest and also provide the opportunity for informal discussion. The first coffee hour will be held on November 29 at 9am.  Subsequent meetings will include some evening options.  Additional information will be posted when available.

O’Hara Slated for Renovation

District Forum reps shared details of plans to renovate O’Hara beginning June 2017.  Click here for details of the proposed renovation.

School Superintendent Dr.Freeman also outlined the plans in a separate meeting with PTO presidents Dana Rofey and Carrie Work.

Good news: The playground will be included in the renovation plans! The PTO will have the opportunity to supplement proposed playground improvements, one possible use of the PTO reserve funds.

Upcoming Dates to Note

  • November 22, Nutrition Assembly
  • November 23, Early Dismissal (noon)
  • November 24 – 28, Thanksgiving Break
  • November 29, Principal’s Coffee Hour, 9am
  • November 30, PALS Meeting on School Performance Profiles, 9:30am, Roots of Faith (Sharpsburg)
  • December 12 – 16, Dollar Days Benefiting ALS/Live Like Lou (in conjunction with District Telethon)
  • December 16, PTO Meeting, 9:15am
  • December 23, Class Holiday Parties, 2:30pm
  • December 26 – January 2, Winter Break
PTO Meetings

Join the PTO November 18th – Meet Our New Principals!

november-meeting

Please join us for our monthly PTO meeting this Friday, November 18th from 9:15 – 10:15 am in the school auditorium. Items on the agenda include:

  • O’Hara Administration Update (Mrs. Batis and Mr. Edwards)
    • Introductions
    • Staffing Changes
    • Safety Concerns and Proposed Changes
    • Lunch and Recess Procedures / Supervision
    • Upcoming Events
    • Concerns / Issues?
  • Project and Committee Updates
    • Box Tops (Louisa Shin)
  • PTO Board Update (Dana Rofey and Carrie Work)
    • Update on PTO Financials / By-Laws
    • O’Hara Elementary Renovations
  • Items for Discussion:
    • Dollar Days
    • School Spirit Gear (Susan Buchman)
    • Teacher Supply Closet (Lauren Mohn)
  • Report from District Forum Meeting (Lisa Correnti and Elizabeth Carter)

Attendees should sign in at the school office before heading to the auditorium. Coffee will be provided!

For those unable to attend, a recap and minutes will be shared here after the meeting.  Questions? Comment below!

PTO Meetings

October 21 Meeting Recap – What you need to know

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to Friday’s meeting.  We were very lucky to have our two new teacher representatives, Mrs. Buckley (3rd grade) and Mrs. Sherwin (Reading) in attendance. Mrs. Fornari (Librarian) also stopped by to thank the PTO for our support at the Scholastic Book Fair and for providing new ink/toner for the large format printer.

A recap of what you need to know follows (full minutes available here):

Hot Topic Alert: PTO Financials

Treasurer Tonja Condron shared some exciting new:  the PTO has over $130,000 in the bank!

Tonja reviewed the 2015-2016 income and expenses, which showed $24,000 in net income. For the past several years, the PTO has accumulated a substantial amount of money, some of which is earmarked for specific departments (e.g. Scholastic Book Fair revenue for the past 4 years is being held for the school library). The bulk of the reserve funds were originally being saved for upgrades to the auditorium lighting and potential playground improvements. O’Hara received new auditorium lighting last year in conjunction with the high school renovation, leaving PTO members (that’s you!) with the opportunity to determine how the reserve funds should be spent.

If the news that the PTO has such a large amount of money in bank is new to you, you’re not alone. This information raised several questions from attendees, including how we determine where money should be allocated, how much (if any) should be saved for future projects, and how we communicate and share information with our whole membership.  These are all issues the PTO Board plans to tackle in the coming months with the input of parents, teachers and administration. We will also be developing a budget outlining planned spending for the 2016-2017 school year, and will keep parents apprised of planned v. actual spending throughout the year.

The board welcomes your comments and questions regarding the reserve funds and PTO budget.  You’ll be hearing a lot more from us on these topics throughout the year.  We would also welcome accounting-savvy volunteers (any CPAs out there?) to help us get our books in order. Email Tonja if interested!

Great News

  • Lunch/Recess – Many of you know that lunch and recess is frequently a topic of discussion at PTO meetings.  Thanks in large part to the efforts of our interim principals, progress is being made on the playground! The two principals have truly provided hands on support: Mr. Winkler was seen painting new football field lines and leading groups out to play, and Dr. McNamara was spotted providing jump rope lessons. We also learned that lunch monitors have completed their second training session, which corresponds with a new training manual introduced at the beginning of the year.  Expect to hear more on lunch and recess throughout the year as our new principals take over and we continue to advocate for improvements that get our students outside and playing in the space available.
  • Fundraiser Success! – The PTO Directory raised nearly $5,000 in ad sales, and revenue from the Scholastic Book Fair was around $3,000.  Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time!
  • New Principals – Our new Principal, Mrs. Batis starts 10/31! Vice Principal Edwards will begin working in the District on October 24th, but he won’t be full-time at O’Hara immediately.  You can expect some “guest appearances” from Mr. Edwards in the coming weeks. While we look forward to welcoming Mrs. Batis and Mr. Edwards, we’re very appreciative of all Dr. McNamara and Mr. Winkler have done in their short time with us.  Please join us in thanking them for taking a break from their retirement to help O’Hara – we wish them both the very best!

Help Needed

  • Student/Parent Lunches – volunteers are needed to quickly check parents in as they arrive.  Sign up for a shift before or after the time slot scheduled for your child’s lunch.
  • Library Assistance – there are several time slots available in November and December and throughout next year (search by “therehakfamily@gmail.com” to find available volunteer spots by month on Sign Up Genius).
  • Make Art Happen at O’Hara – the art department is seeking material donations.
  • Scholastic Book Fair – New committee chair needed for 2017-2018 school year.  Email Maggie Mulhern if interested.
  • SMART Flu Study – Stay tuned for information on signing up for a family SMART Flu study. Participants will be eligible to receive up to four $20 Giant Eagle gift cards, and will be entered in a weekly drawing to win a $300 gift card!
  • Calling all Writers! – Want to help share school and PTO news with parents? If you’d like to contribute a blog post, email Sarah Shaffer.  No clearances required and you can do it whenever is convenient to you!

Dates to Note

  • October 26, PALS meeting, 6:30pm, Sharpsburg Library
  • October 28, Halloween Parade, 2pm
  • November 1 – 11, Thanksgiving Basket Collection Period
  • November 11 – 18, Parent / Student Lunches
  • November 15, District Forum Meeting, 9am

november

The next PTO meeting will be held on Friday, November 18.  Comment below with topics you’d like to see addressed!

 

PTO Meetings

October 21st O’Hara PTO Meeting Agenda

october

Join the PTO on Friday, October 21st at 9:15am for our monthly meeting. Here’s what’s on the agenda for this month’s meeting:

  1. Meet our new PTO teacher representatives
  2. Share progress made on the playground
  3. Review the 2016 – 2017 PTO Budget and discuss planned spending
  4. Learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities

Dr. McNamara and Mr. Winkler will also be on hand to share administrative updates.

Attendees should sign in at the school office before heading to the auditorium.  Meetings typically last one hour and coffee will be provided.

For those unable to attend, you may ask your questions in advance by commenting below or submitting here.  A recap and minutes will be shared on after the meeting.  Be sure to “Follow” the blog for email updates of new posts.

PTO Meetings, Volunteer

PTO Meeting Recap

pto-officers
2016-2017 Officers (from left to right): Faith Moser (Vice President), Dana Rofey (Co-President), Tonja Condron (Treasurer), Sarah Shaffer (Secretary), Carrie Work (Co-President).

On behalf of the 2016-2017 Officers, thank you to everyone who came out to the first PTO meeting of the school year!  If you missed Friday’s meeting,   here’s what you need to know:

Administration

Dr. McNamara, interim principal, provided clarification on recent administrative changes.  As previously announced, Kristi Batis has been hired as Principal. Mrs. Batis is currently on maternity leave and will be begin October 31st.  A Vice Principal, Stephen Edwards, has also been hired. His start date is still TBD and will be based on his release date from South Fayette SD.

While Dr. McNamara and Mr. Winkler fulfill their roles as interim principals at O’Hara, they are available to address concerns from parents, and they are implementing changes that were planned at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.

One of these changes was the switch to an 8:40 a.m. official drop off time, a topic parents requested be addressed at the September 16th PTO meeting. Dr. McNamara shared that the reason behind the change has to do with contractual issues. Teachers will now have a full 40 minutes before students arrive for preparation and planning.  Dr. McNamara stressed that all changes are being made with the best interest of both students and teachers in mind and are consistent with other schools in our district.

Interim Principals, Mr. Winkler and Dr. McNamara, came out of retirement to help O'Hara Elementary. Both have ties to the school district and have dedicated their lives to public education.
Interim Principals, Mr. Winkler and Dr. McNamara, came out of retirement to help O’Hara Elementary. Both have ties to the school district and have dedicated their lives to public education.

Several parents also expressed concerns over late and/or inconsistent bus drop off times.  Dr. McNamara took down several bus numbers and will be speaking with the bus transportation company to address these concerns.

 Volunteer Opportunities

Committees are seeking volunteers for several projects. Details for current opportunities are included below. All of these opportunities require clearances be on file with the school.

  • Traveling Art Gallery (TAG).  As a Traveling Art Gallery volunteer, you will make four separate 20-minute presentations in four different classrooms on one great painting. You will schedule with a teacher assigned to you for the months of November, January, March and May. Volunteers are needed for all grades and NO art background is needed. Email Annie Avondolio with questions or to sign up.
  • Scholastic Book Fair  (October 3 – 7).  Volunteers are needed to help escort students to the book fair and assist with purchases, as well as to serve as cashiers. You can select you child’s scheduled time at the book fair. Email Maggie Mulhern for more information.
  • Yearbook (year round). A great opportunity for anyone with a decent camera (sorry, your iphone doesn’t count!) to help document the school year for the yearbook.  Email Lisa Correnti to learn more.
  • Library Helpers (year round).  Whether you are roughing it in the stacks, cutting out paper flowers, organizing books for research projects, putting up bulletin boards, or making copies, O’Hara Library Staff can use your help year round.  Visit www.signupgenius.com and search using the email address “therehakfamily@gmail.com” to find available volunteer spots by month.
  • 5th Grade Day.  In beginning planning stages – email Heather Strittmatter to help out!

Great News

  • The school greenhouse is being revitalized! Once repaired and fully functioning, it will be used for STEM activities in all grades.  We’ll be sharing more about this exciting project throughout the year.
  • The Back to School Social raised over $2,100!  Thank you to everyone who helped make the event a success.
  • Apples to Students raised over $3,600 for O’Hara last year with 933 cards registered to our school.  All you have to do to contribute to this no-cost fundraiser is register your Giant Eagle card and go about your grocery shopping as usual.  Our school code is 0790.

Want more information?

Read the full meeting minutes here.  Questions and feedback are always welcome and appreciated – Comment below or contact the PTO Officers.