I took French in school, not Spanish. So if you were hoping for a story about my beloved Spanish teacher and the perfect gift I gave her, I’ve got nothing. But if you ever end up in Miami in a part of town where folks only speak Spanish, well I’ll be able to order us...Continue reading
In my high school PTA, we had a Vice President of the Junior Wall of Fame. Yep, that was a real officer title. (And honestly, one of my favorites- I held the position twice!) The Junior Wall of Fame was a recognition program for members of the junior class. Family, community members, and students in...Continue reading
Winter break was starting on December 15th that year. I had elementary aged kids at the time. And if you have ever lived with a young kid who is counting down to Christmas, you know ten days of waiting feels like ten years. So I got to thinking about how to fill that stretch for...Continue reading
Confession time. My kids only rode the bus to school never rode the bus to school for three years. So I’m not exactly the first person you’d expect to be writing about bus driver gifts. Anyhow, I’ve spent plenty of years in PTO land, and here’s what I’ve noticed. Teacher appreciation gets the banners, the...Continue reading
Some school events need a stage, a sound system, and a stack of permits. A school family game night needs a room, some tables, and a date on the calendar. That’s pretty much all it takes to run this fabulous event. If you’re the family fun chair at your school, staring at a small budget...Continue reading
My PTA ran a cookie decorating party for our school families, and I’ll be honest, a room full of kids, frosting, and sprinkles sounded like chaos waiting to happen. It was not chaos. Okay… it was a little chaotic. (Sprinkles were involved and that always means a little chaos.) But the teachers loved getting the cookies. And...Continue reading
There’s many fantastic reasons to add to your bank of custodian appreciation ideas. Before we get into them, let me tell you about my personal inspiration. I had the best relationship with one of our school’s custodians, Ralph. He was a teddy bear of a guy who never hesitated to help our PTA out, no...Continue reading
When I first got involved with the PTO at our lower elementary school, Halloween party season came with a side of complaints. Lots of them. Some classrooms were getting a full-on extravaganza. Balloons everywhere, loads of cupcakes, and bags of take-home treats for every kid. Then you’d walk next door and that class got a...Continue reading
I once organized a 6th grade glow dance and thought I had every detail covered. Black lights rented. Playlist approved. A giant box of glow necklaces ready to hand out at the door. About ten minutes in, I looked across the gym and saw a pack of boys swinging those necklaces over their heads like...Continue reading
Look no further for halloween class party ideas both elementary students and teachers will love. But first, settle in for a quick story. Picture it… a 5th grade Halloween party, a stack of toilet paper rolls, and me standing in the middle of the classroom with my arms out like a scarecrow. I was the...Continue reading
Quick question. When you made your teacher gift list for the winter holidays or the end of the school year, who was on it? If you’re like most parents (and a whole lot of PTOs), the answer is your child’s classroom teacher. And that’s it. It’s one of the most common mistakes I see parents and...Continue reading
Welcome to your step-by-step guide for Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) ready to go nonprofit without hiring expensive help. I get emails from PTO leaders who’ve gotten quotes from nonprofit consultants and basically thrown up their hands because the cost was hundreds of dollars. Here’s what I want you to know: you absolutely do not need...Continue reading
So you said yes to being PTO secretary. (Or maybe you got a little “voluntold” at the last meeting… it happens more than anyone admits.) Either way, welcome! The PTO secretary is the person who keeps the whole group on the same page, from taking meeting minutes and keeping records to making sure families actually...Continue reading
I still remember my first meeting with the teacher as a newly appointed PTO Room Parent. Standing in a hallway with a clipboard and tons of questions, but no idea (yet!) what I was doing. Turns out most room parents feel exactly that way. Excited, a little nervous, and wondering if there’s a manual somewhere...Continue reading
The start of the new school year is a high energy and stressful time of the year for Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) volunteer leaders So the thought of planing a PTO back to school party as a kickoff event may seem like it’s a bad idea. It’s actually just the opposite and is a fantastic...Continue reading
Are you a new Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) volunteer trying to make sense of how your school parent group operates? One issue that pops up frequently for new PTO leaders and parent volunteers is that they might think the executive board and the committees are basically the same thing. They’re not. And that’s actually the...Continue reading
School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) parent groups run on volunteers that give their time and talents to benefit the entire school community. PTOs struggling to attract parent volunteers isn’t new issue facing most PTOs. It’s the perennial challenge every PTO leader faces. But just because it’s a common issue pretty much every PTO will face...Continue reading
Thinking about getting PTO shirts for your executive board this year? Please don’t! Let me explain why I strongly recommend against PTO board only shirts. For the most part, they’re a huge turn off to everyone not on the board and further the clique stereotype of PTOs! Think that’s not the case? Try asking a...Continue reading
A common question I get from Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) volunteers is if their PTO can use Venmo or PayPal to collect money from parents. The good news is yes you can. But PTO payment app use comes with a huge caveat! You have to set up the account the right way (legally!) or risk...Continue reading
Here’s the thing the IRS knows that a lot of us don’t: your Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), from the government’s perspective, is a totally separate entity from your school. Even though you’re raising money for field trips and reading programs and all the things that make a school better, the IRS doesn’t automatically treat you...Continue reading
Dealing with taxes for your Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) or Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is one of the most stressful things about being Treasurer for your school parent group. Have no fear, we’re breaking down all you need to know about PTO nonprofit 990 filing with the what, when and how to file your PTO’s...Continue reading
If you Google “PTO meaning school” right now, you’ll get the official answer fast enough. Parent Teacher Organization. But that definition doesn’t tell you a single true thing about what a PTO school parent group actually does. So let’s clear up the stereotypes first, because I know you’ve heard them. A PTO is just a bunch...Continue reading
If your Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) has been around for at least a year, chances are you already have a bunch of paperwork that’s getting passed from one volunteer leader to another. And if your school parent group has been around for many years a PTO record retention policy will serve you well, especially since...Continue reading
Can you imagine packing up your whole elementary school PTO playbook, carrying it into a middle school hallway, and realizing… half of it doesn’t fit anymore? That’s basically what happens when you go to a middle school PTO from an elementary school parent group. I’ve had a bunch of readers and viewers reach out with...Continue reading