Welcome to Vista’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
Our objectives as a PTO are:
· to maintain a working relationship between school, parents, and teachers
· provide child enrichment programs that complement the curriculum
· enhance the quality of education through volunteer hours and financial support
· develop a closer connection between school and home by encouraging parent involvement
To maintain a working relationship, we need you as parents to talk to your child’s teacher and find out what you can do to be involved in your child’s class. Ask your child’s teacher if you can come listen to kids read, make copies, or plan an activity. You are welcome at school anytime! Just sign in at the office in the PTO volunteer log and get a bright orange volunteer badge!!!
One enrichment program we as parents teach is a 4-6 week course from Jr. Achievement. Jr. Achievement is a program dedicated to inspiring kids to learn the economics of life through free-enterprise education. Kindergarten begins with coin recognition all the way through 6th grade where they learn about world trade relationships. Other enrichment programs we support or sponsor are educational assemblies and field trips.
We earn money through fund raisers and participating at Harmon’s Day. Harmon’s has adopted us as their school. At Harmon’s Day in February, we earned just over $700 from them donating 5% of all monies people paid when purchasing their groceries. We also collect Box Tops for Education, Campbell Soup Labels, and Capri Sun pouches to generate funds and gifts for the school. So save your goodies for your PTO!
We use funds to provide Family Events such as skate night, family picnic, Zumba , and an occasional carnival. We also use funds to acknowledge each child’s and teacher’s birthday at our PTO birthday table during the month of their birthday with a small gift. Our Book Fair funds are donated to the school library in the Fall at SEP’s (Parent Teacher Conferences). We also donated money to kindergarten to purchase graduation caps and gowns for you to snap a photo of them in at their graduation performance!! Treats for 6th grade advancement is also included in this area. New to the funds area is insurance, Incorporation fees, and licensing.
An event your child might be interested in participating in is our Festival of the Arts. Children can enter in the areas of art, music, dance, literature, and photography. The last six years, we have Field Day at the end of the year where they participate in outdoor fitness activities. As a PTO, we decorate the halls and honor our Teacher’s the first week in May.
To meet our final objective, of developing a closer connection between school and home by encouraging parent involvement, we need you!! The Vista PTO purchased a new program called PTO Manager that allows us to contact parents via email, we have a facebook page (Vistapto), a blog (vistaelementarypto.blogspot.com), and emails so you can contact board members (vistaelementarypto@yahoo.com or vistapto@gmail.com). We also send home flyers!
Please know you are an integral part of making Vista’s PTO an enriching part of your child’s education!! ~Kammie Jones, Vista PTO President
