Fir Grove PTO Newsletter
November 2019
- November 7 PTO general meeting featuring Jon Franco (Options Schools - fifth grade parents, this is great info for you!) and Linda Feldhan (Safe Routes to School/Walking School Bus),
- Beaverton Education Association Student Success Act survey,
- Fun Run - goal ACHIEVED, prizes coming,
- Piccolo Mondo Toys holiday shopping fundraiser Nov 11-17,
- Sweet Tomatoes restaurant fundraiser Nov 13,
- Donuts With Your Grownup Nov 15,
- Volunteer needs,
- Fir Grove health room needs,
- proposed PTO bylaws amendments,
- a calendar of upcoming events - now, by popular demand, including school board meetings,
- and more!
PTO General Meeting November at 7pm featuring Jon Franco - Option Schools and Linda Feldhan - Beaverton Safe Routes to School/Walking School Bus
Our featured speaker for November is Jon Franco from Beaverton School District. He will speak about Option Schools so this meeting may be especially interesting for parents of fifth graders!
Also, Linda Feldhan from Beaverton Safe Routes to School will speak about walking school busses. If you are interested in starting or joining a walking school bus but are not able to attend the meeting, please email Linda at Linda_Feldhan@beaverton.k12.or.us
If you have questions you would like us to give to the speakers in advance, please email officers@firgrovepto.com
PTO meetings are held every month, generally on the first Thursday of the month unless there is a conflict with that date. We feature a guest speaker/highlighted topic at every meeting.
Beaverton Education Association Student Success Act survey
Fun Run goal ACHIEVED!
If your student's Fun Run envelope didn't make it to school, it's not too late - please send it in! Every dollar we receive will be put to good use at Fir Grove.
Piccolo Mondo Progress Ridge holiday shopping fundraiser November 11-17!
Sweet Tomatoes fundraiser on November 13!
Donuts With Your Grownup on November 15 from 7:15-7:55am
Volunteering
We need you! Volunteers make PTO programs and events happen!
This month our biggest need is for help with Donuts With Your Grownup on November 15. We will need to set up for the event Thursday, November 14th after school. Volunteers are needed for set up, to serve, and also to help clean up. Click here to sign up!
Indoor recess is a new volunteer opportunity - help supervise first and second grade students in the library from 11:25-12:05. Ideally it will take place once or twice a week with consistency (every Monday, for example). Activity options may include board/card games, books, coloring, or tech lab. To sign up or get more information, contact Lyndsay at volunteer@firgrovepto.com
To volunteer for Fir Grove programs and events, parents and other family members must register online with Beaverton School District. For more information, visit www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/communications-community-involvement/volunteer
Volunteer Spotlight!
School health room needs - pants, bandaids, ACE bandages, and non-latex medical gloves
PTO Bylaws - proposed amendments - vote at November 7 PTO general meeting
Section 11.01 of the PTO’s bylaws provides that “These bylaws will be reviewed by the Board of Directors at minimum every three years and amended as necessary.” Since the current bylaws were last amended more than three years ago, during summer 2019 the 2019-20 PTO board reviewed the bylaws. Here are the proposed amendments which we discussed at the September PTO general meeting.
Article VII, section 7.01b (President duties):
- Remove “Promote PTO events using regular newsletters.”
- Purpose of proposed amendment: The newsletter is the secretary’s responsibility. Moved to secretary duties section.
Article VII, section 7.01d (Volunteer Coordinator duties):
- Remove “and provide the school with a list of volunteers and where they are placed.”
- Remove “The volunteer coordinator is responsible for monitoring the volunteer computer and keeping its records up to date.”
- Add “Manage the volunteer database.” as the last sentence of the section.
- Purpose of these three proposed amendments is to align the bylaws with current Beaverton School District policy.
Article VII, section 7.01e (Secretary duties):
- Add “Promote PTO events using regular newsletters.”
- Purpose: Previously this was in the president’s duties section. Moved to secretary duties section because newsletters are the secretary’s responsibility.
Article IX
- Add section 9.01k. “All field trip expenses paid by the PTO must be used for educational purposes.”
- Purpose of this change is to clarify that the PTO’s field trip budget is to be used for educational field trips.
The bylaws provide that “One month notification to all members must be given before voting on potential amendments.” We will vote on these proposed changes to the PTO bylaws at the PTO general meeting on November 7, 2019.
You can view the current bylaws in their entirety on the PTO website at https://firgrovepto.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/bylaws-revised-october-2014-approved.pdf
Fundraising opportunities
Here are some easy ways to raise money for Fir Grove:
- Get Bottle Drop blue bags at Fir Grove’s main office, fill them with returnable bottles and cans, and drop them off at a Bottle Drop center! Visit www.bottledropcenters.com/Give for more information.
- When making purchases on Amazon.com, use Amazon Smile by going to smile.amazon.com and selecting Fir Grove Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization as the charity.
- Sign up for Fred Meyer Community Rewards by linking your Rewards Card to Fir Grove PTO at www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards. Fir Grove PTO’s non-profit number is NQ402.
Like Fir Grove PTO on Facebook!
Upcoming Events
- November 1 - No School - grading day
- November 7 - Principal Chat 6:15-7:00 PM Library
- PTO Meeting 7:00 PM Library
- November 11-17 - Piccolo Mondo Toys Holiday Shopping Fundraiser
- November 11 - No School - holiday
- November 13 - Sweet Tomatoes fundraiser 3-8pm
- November 15 - Donuts with your Grownup 7:15-7:55am
- Picture Retakes
- November 18 - Beaverton School Board meeting, 6:30pm, District Administration Offices (16550 SW Merlo Road)
- November 27-29 - No School - Thanksgiving
- December 2 - No School - Staff Development
About the Fir Grove PTO
Email: officers@firgrovepto.com
Website: firgrovepto.com
Location: Fir Grove Elementary School, Southwest Wilson Avenue, Beaverton, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 356-2110
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FirGrovePTO/