2007-2008 PTO Officers

If you have any questions concerning the Black Elk PTO please contact any of the
above by clicking on their link.

General Meeting Dates*
All General Meeting dates are on Monday Nights at 7 PM in the music room.
Babysitting is provided.
August 27, 2007
October 8, 2007
December 10, 2007
February 4, 2008
April 14, 2008
May 12, 2008
*dates are subject to change

Our Mission and Goals
The Black Elk Elementary PTO has four areas of focus that embody our mission:
1. Enrichment: To sponsor a variety of enrichment programs for the elementary students that will augment the curriculum as established by the Millard Public Schools.
2. Parental Involvement: To sponsor family-oriented activities and/or programs which support and enhance parental involvement in the schools. To attract new parents and/or guardians to the PTO organization, keeping the organization energized and open to new ideas.
3. Communication: To inform parents and/or guardians of the issues, programs and activities of the Black Elk School and of the Millard Public Schools in general. To keep communication lines open between the Black Elk PTO and the community at large.
4. Fundraising: To raise funds for our elementary school in the most productive and unobtrusive way possible in order to support all of our activities.

We would not be able to fulfill our mission without the significant resources of talent, time and voluntary donations of funds from our parent population. Additional cooperation and financial support comes from our school administrators, educators, and local businesses and organizations.

Our Organization
The Black Elk Parent Teacher Organization exists as a non-profit organization to promote a closer relationship between home, school, and community.

As parents and/or guardians of students at Black Elk Elementary you are already a member of the PTO. We encourage you to participate in the many committees and activities sponsored by the PTO throughout the year. It is an excellent opportunity to stay involved with your children and their teachers and to meet other parents.

The PTO Board consists of the following positions which are elected in the spring: President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. Please feel free to contact any of the board members with questions.

As parents, you are invited to attend the PTO general meetings held every other month and Monday nights. These will address upcoming events, discuss prior events and budget issues and provide an informational seminar. Watch for announcements either on the PTO bulletin board, in the newsletter or on the website.

Minutes will be available through the PTO secretary, posted on the PTO bulletin board and also the website.

Enrichment Programs
Enrichment is our term for the special PTO-sponsored assemblies our children attend during school. The goal is to have the children experience many different categories of arts education (story-telling and hands on art, etc). Due to school budget limitations, our children many not have the opportunity to experience these arts-related programs if it wasn’t for all the hard work both in terms of fundraising and donations.

Keeping You Informed
Our newsletter, the PTO NEWS, is designed to bring you the latest news on our activities. This will compliment the principal’s school newsletter, the Eagle Express. Also, look for information on the PTO bulletin board.

Budgets and Fundraising
Fundraising is a necessary ingredient in the PTO. We are limited to (2) fundraisers held each year and are continually looking for those which offer the most for their money while providing the greatest margin for profit. Admittedly, it maybe a hardship for some too. Please keep in mind that your PARTICIPATION is TOTALLY VOLUNTARY in ANY fundraisers, and we thank you in advance for helping us reach our goals.

This year’s budget was presented at the General PTO meeting in May 2007. You may view it on our bulletin board or contact any of the board members. In the past, the PTO has provided funds for the enrichment programs, K-2 Reading Connection books, field trips, teacher grants, student directory, student folders, playground equipment, and classroom supplies. There are a few methods of securing these funds, each relying upon volunteers like yourself. These include participating in credit programs, fundraising sales and donations.

Credit Programs
Collect General Mills Box Tops
In exchange for box tops collected from participating General Mills products and its partners, our school receives a rebate check. So please save these, and send them into school with your child for deposit in the envelopes in their classrooms or at the collection box in the school lobby. Don’t forget to ask relatives to collect them too!

Fundraising Sales
The PTO has traditional sales fundraisers which for the fall is Club Fundraising and in the spring we will hold an Auction and Carnival.

Donations
The PTO also accepts cash donations throughout the school year. Participating in a school wide fundraiser is always OPTIONAL.

Other resources of donations come in the form of services, materials and expertise. We welcome donations so if you are in a position to donate a service, please contact anyone on the board.

PTO Activities and Services
The PTO has many activities that encourage our children to learn, grow, ask questions and have fun! For a list of committees please read the Committee description.
In addition, PTO sponsors the following events as a service to our members.
1. Student Directory- Forms are sent home separately at the beginning of the school year for inclusion in the directory.
2. McGruff – Safe houses

Fundraising Schedule