The Ways & Means

The Ways & Means Committee will be responsible for the fundraisers during the year. Right now we have two major ones slated.

As you know, the Boosterthon Fun Run is already underway. This year, the officers have taken that one under their wing, since it is a new event, with a new company, and it started during the summer, we ran with it! Next year - we will be happy to turn it over to the committee! :O) The other big fundraiser we have annually is our esteemed Growing Dreams Auction in the Spring.

We have also added a Togo's fundraiser into the mix - much like we've seen in the past with Baja Fresh - where families eat at Togo's on a specified day and proceeds will come back to the PTA. This is a slam dunk for us! Who doesn't love Togo's?

We would love for this committee to also take on Grant Writing as well - there is a wealth of grants available to us on www.pta.org - it's a matter of someone taking the initiative and time to make this happen for us!

What other fundraising can this committee come up with for us? Creative minds are welcome!

If you are interested in chairing this committee and delegating these efforts, will look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, September 18th @ 4:00pm and have you join the PTA!

The Green Team

The Green Team will be responsible for the following:

• Box Tops
• Campbells Soup Labels
• Escrips
• Recycling Ink Cartridges - NEW this year
• Target Red Card

This is a Committee that would be great for a small group, that requires very little, to no time at school and can be done at home! This doesn't require any events, but will require a GREAT DEAL of marketing to get the words out to our parents! A LOT of funds can be brought into our schools with this programs, and I'm sure there are more that we haven't even tapped into yet! We leave it up to this committee to figure that out for us!

See you on Tuesday, September 18th @4:00pm and we look forward to you joining the PTA!

Health & Safety

The Health & Safety Committee is calling all DADS!!! (Moms are certainly welcome, but we need Dads here too!)

There is a new program we are looking to bring to Ponderosa this year called WATCH D.O.G.S. and we need DADS!!!

We have a week set aside in October for some Guest Speakers we've already hired to offer to parents on Cyber Bullying and Awareness - there is so much more we can offer in this week!

The Health & Safety Committee would be responsible for this, along with any other initiatives they can build into this category - this is a new one and we are relying on the committee to help expand in this area! This is where we need your help!

Show up on Tuesday, September 18th @ 4:00pm and join the PTA! See you then!

The Social Planners

My mind goes back to The Love Boat every time I think of this committee and really looking for Julie here! Does anyone remember this show? Come on - did you laugh with me? That's right - now you can't get the theme song out of your head either!

The Social Planners really - are just that - responsible for all the FUN at Ponderosa! But of course -we DO like to think everything the PTA does is fun! However - specifically, the Social Planners would be responsible for the following events:

Family Fun Nights such as:

• Bingo Nights
• Sock Hop ** NEW This year!!!

Is this something you have a talent for? This sounds like SO much fun!!!

See you on Tuesday September 18th @ 4:00pm and we look forward to having you join the PTA!

The Hospitality Team

Would you be interested in leading the following initiatives:

• PTA Membership Drive - September & January
• Back to School Events
• Meet & Greet with Parents
• Teacher Back to School Breakfast
• Teacher Appreciation Week
• Social Networking
• 5th Grad Move Up Ceremony

Then chairing the Hospitality Team would be a good fit for you! Plan on attending the First PTA Meeting on Tuesday, September 18th at 4:00pm for more details and to join the PTA!

See you there!

About Committee Leadership...

Our vision for this year is this:

• Teamwork
• Organization
• Delegation
• Commitment
• Volunteers
• Accountability

After much thought over the summer, we felt that by putting Committees together, and having a Committee Chair, this would help drive these visions to fruition. We also felt this would allow parents to volunteer their talents where they could, WHEN they could. So often, when the PTA reaches out and asks for time, parents shy away, because they see it being such a huge commitment of time and energy. And let's face it - we are ALL parents, many if not all of us work full time - we get it! We want to do both - but the last thing we want to do is fail and let anyone down! We want to make this work for everyone!

We think that the way we are organizing our committees will help everyone succeed and in the end help the end goal - support our children and our school with success! After all - that is why you joined the PTA in the first place right? We all need to be reminded of that! :)

Here is how a committee will work:

• There are five committees
• Within those committees are many activities, events and initiatives that we support throughout the year
• It is the Chair's responsibility to delegate and recruit additional volunteers to help run, organize, plan each of those ancillary events, activities, or initiatives.
• It is not the Chair's responsibility to single-handedly run each event, activity, or initiative
• The committee is a TEAM
• The Chair is responsible for being accountable to the PTA Board
• The Chair should be comfortable with delegation, but should also be VERY open to ideas, suggestions, and constructive criticism
• We want to break down the "army of one" persona and GROW the PTA - so the Chairs should also constantly be working to encourage more volunteer efforts for projects as needed!

If this is something you think you would be interested in, please continue to watch the blog, where we will be breaking down the individual Committees and descriptions and we look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, September 18th at 4:00pm!!!

Are YOU a Leader?



Ask yourself these questions:

• Are you organized?
• Can you delegate?
• Can you be accountable to the Executive Board?
• Do you have forward thinking ideas?
• Are you not afraid to push the envelope?
• Are you enthusiastic?
• Are you dynamic?
• Are you thoughtful?

If any or all of these things are YOU? We need YOU! We are looking for a total of Five Committee Leaders to chair five different committees this year for the PTA. We are taking a new approach as to how we organize our events and activities throughout the year.

Let me tease you just a bit...the names of the Committees are:

• The Ways and Means Team
• The Green Team
• Health and Safety
• The Social Planners
• The Hospitality Team

Want to know details? You want to know what these committees will be responsible for? I bet you do! I've got you curious now, don't I? To learn more you can check the blog regularly. OR....

...More importantly, you should attend the FIRST PTA MEETING OF THE YEAR - TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th @ 4:00PM IN THE PONDEROSA LIBRARY! Looking forward to seeing you all there!

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ponderosa Boosterthon Fun Run is Coming to Town!!!

Ponderosa Elementary School

Fall Fundraiser

We’re raising funds for things like IXL, Type to Learn, Battle of the Books,

Family Fun Nights – just to name a few!!!                              

The Boosterthon Fun Run program is a healthy alternative to traditional product sales that raises much-needed funds for our school and many others across America. The Boosterthon Program also promotes three specific values during the fun-filled experience:  Fitness, Leadership, and Character.

This year’s character theme is “HIGHWAY USA,” and it’s all about CHOICES! Our students will be building character by learning five important choices to make.

Boosterthon Fun Run Basics

The event will kick off with a 30-minute school-wide Pep Rally on September 21^st  and conclude on October 19^th with the Boosterthon Fun Run event.

Students will be getting pledges towards the number of laps they will run at the  Boosterthon Fun Run. Students will run between 25-35 laps. 35 is the lap cap.

Every student participates in the Fun Run, regardless of pledges raised, and receives a “Boosterthon All-Star” t-shirt.

Students will enter pledges online!  Each student will receive his/her own safe and secure Boosterthon Fun Run webpage to log in pledges and watch character videos.  Sponsors will also have the ability to pay their pledges online.  All pledges are tax-deductible! More info will be coming home soon! BE ON THE LOOKOUT!

·        Connect your child to sponsors – friends & family – who can give a pledge!

·        Come and cheer on your child at the Boosterthon Fun Run on October 19^th!

·        Go to www.boosterthon.com to learn more about the Boosterthon Fun Run or connect at www.facebook.com/boosterthon

The Boosterthon Fun Run Team spends 250-300 hours organizing the event, freeing up our teachers and administrators to focus on education!!!

How Can You Support Ponderosa Elementary?

More information will come home with your child prior to the event. Thanks in advance for supporting Ponderosa Elementary!!!

 



Welcome Back!!!

A Note From the Ponderosa Staff:

We are looking forward to the first day of school and want you to be aware of a few details:

• The first day of school is Wednesday, September 5th!  The first bell rings at 8:55 and school starts at 9:00.  We will have supervision after 8:30, so please do not drop off your children before then.  School ends at 3:30.

• There will be no office staff in the building on Tuesday, September 4th. 

• Starting on September 12, there will be an early dismissal time of 2:00 pm on Wednesdays. 
• Kindergarten staggers their start date; half of the students arrive on Wednesday and half on Thursday.  Friday, September 7th, will be the first full day for all kindergartners.  Wednesday dismissals after September 12th, will be at 11:00 for the morning kindergarten and at 2:00 PM for the afternoon session.

• If you are driving your child to school, or picking them up afterward, please do not park in the bike lane on Purcell.  You may park on the West side of Purcell, but please walk your child to the crosswalks located on Purcell if you are crossing the street to get to the school.  Be aware that the intersection of Empire and 18th will remain closed through October, which means there will be extra traffic on Purcell in front of the school.

• If you drive into the school parking lot to pick up your child, please do not park your car and leave it unattended along the curb in front of the school.  Park in the designated parking spots if you are coming into the building.  Do not stop to drop off or pick up your child in the crosswalk area directly in front of the school.  This area must remain open for pedestrian traffic. Vehicles can get very backed up in this loop, so it is imperative that everyone follows these simple guidelines.
It’s going to be a great year, thank you for all your support and encouragement as we work together to help our children reach their full potential!

Sincerely,
The Staff of Ponderosa