McKinley PTO Newsletter
Where Every Parent Is A Member
December 10, 2018
President's Update
It's another bust week for McKinley!
Thursday and Friday features the McKinley Winter Sing Concert & Bake Sale Fundraiser. On Thursday, December 13th at 2 p.m., the Winter Sing Concert spotlights the talents of Senior Kindergarten - Third Grade students. Friday, December 14th at 2 p.m., the Fourth and Fifth Grade students take center stage. Both concerts will take place in the McKinley gym.
Also this Thursday, December 13th is our Ruby Tap Dine Out Fundraiser. Stop by and enjoy a beverage or stock up on holiday gifts (bottles of wine, gift cards, wine club gifts), mention McKinley and 10% of your purchases will be donated to McKinley.
I hope to see you there!
Support McKinley Elementary Through AmazonSmile
If you plan to do some holiday shopping using Amazon this year, please consider selecting McKinley Elementary PTO - Wauwatosa as your Amazon Smile charity. Remember, always start at smile.amazon.com and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.
PTO Dates to Remember
Make sure to put the following dates on your calendar!
- December 13th - Ruby Tap Dine Out Fundraiser
- December 13th, 2 pm - Winter Sing Grades SK-3 & Bake Sale
- December 14th, 2 pm - Winter Sing Grades 4 & 5 & Bake Sale
- December 24th-January 1st - Winter Break; No Classes JK-12
- January 2nd - Classes Resume
- January 10th - PTO Meeting
Ruby Tap Dine Out This Thursday!
Parents, please stop by the Ruby Tap in the village this Thursday, December 13th to raise money for McKinley. When you mention McKinley on that day, all of your purchases will earn 10% back for our school! This includes anything from the bar, bottles to go, gift cards, and wine club gifts! Ruby Tap is open 3 pm-10 pm on 12/13 so please stop by and have a glass of wine with other parents and do some holiday shopping to benefit McKinley! Thank you for your support!
Dana Wurzburger
Dine Out Chair
BAKE SALE THIS WEEK!
Hey McKinley Bakers and Treat Makers! The Winter Sing Bake Sale is this Thursday, 12/13, and Friday, 12/14, from 1-4 PM, and we need cookies, brownies and other treats to sell. Items can be dropped off outside the office beginning on Wednesday or brought directly to the bake sale tables on Thursday or Friday. Please have your items packaged, labeled and ready for sale. Also include any allergy information (for example, “no nuts”) if possible. If you have any questions, please contact
Lori Brandenburg at Crashburg@yahoo.com. Thank you!
Lori Brandenburg
Winter Sing Bake Sale Chair
Save the Date for McKinley's Biggest Fundraising Event of the Year!
2019 McKinley Auction & Social
Saturday, April 13th, 2019
Each year the McKinley PTO chooses a special focus (in addition to existing PTO funding) for the money raised during the McKinley Auction & Social. We are excited to announce that this year's focus will be our McKinley Teachers! The funds raised during this year's event will go directly to our teachers so that they are able to purchase the learning tools they need for their classrooms and our children. Each year our teachers either spend their own money or forgo purchasing classroom supplies that they need. This year, to show how much we love and appreciate our teachers, we would like to help ease this stain.
The Auction & Social Committee is already busy fundraising for this year's event. We are currently looking for donations for our silent auction, raffle, wine pull and gift card tree. Need ideas for items to donate? Here's a Wish List for this year's event. For more information or to make a donation, please contact Lindsay Stadler.
Lost & Found Reminder
2018 Secret Holiday Workshop Thank You
I want to thank everyone that made the Secret Holiday Workshop such a success this year. Our grand total from the Orchestra tip jar ($102.00), vendor raffle table ($374.00) and bake sale ($651.00) was $1,127.00 to help support a family in need this Christmas. This is another new record for us and I couldn’t be more proud of our McKinley community in helping make this happen.
Special thanks goes to the following: Mr Roloff for allowing us to take over his gym so early in the day. Juan Matute, the Building and Grounds crew, Margaret Stockbauer, Sue Weber and Amanda Mast for helping with set up. Mrs. Daily and her talented musicians for providing the beautiful holiday music. The Daisy, Brownie and Girl Scout leaders, troops and families along with McKinley Messenger students and families and the Wauwatosa West Key Club volunteers for helping bake all the delicious items for our bake sale, setting up and/or volunteering their time running the bake sale, raffle table, Secret Holiday Shopper Station, gift wrap area or door greeter. The other McKinley parents and students that were not part of those groups but still volunteered baked goods or helping out during the evening when needed. Amanda Mast, Jean Hoffmann, Terri Uden, Charlotte Garder and Lindsay Stadler for all of your support prior to and during the event.
Thank you to all of our amazing vendors, many of which were past or present McKinley students or families for crafting such amazing items and donating to our raffle table. Thank you also to all that shopped with your families, listened to our beautiful Orchestra’s music, enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate while nibbling on some baked goods and all of you that bought raffle tickets. Because you were there supporting the Secret Holiday Workshop is also why we were so successful in helping our adopt a family this Christmas.
A HUGE thank you to Amanda Mast and Elise Hetzel for co-chairing the Secret Holiday Workshop next year as my 5th grader will be moving on which means I will too. I have so enjoyed this McKinley tradition and look forward to attending next years event to get some more shopping time in.
I hope you have a very happy and healthy Holiday season celebrating with your families and friends!
A HUGE thank you to all!
Jamie Schwake
Secret Holiday Workshop Chair
Let's Kick Into Reading with Overdrive
For more information and instructions on how to access Overdrive, click HERE.
McKinley Battle of the Books Team!
Calling all Fifth Graders and a Few Awesome Parents to Join the 2018-2019 McKinley Battle of the Books Team!
What is Battle of the Books? Battle of the Books is a fun way to add games and teammates to reading. Kids get put into teams and help choose the books they feel comfortable reading from a group of amazing pre-selected books provided by the school, the district and the PTO.
Get more information or sign up HERE.
5th Grade Career Talk Speakers Needed!
Thanks for considering this opportunity!
Megan Hambrook, 5th Grade Career Day Chair
Teacher Treat Sign Up
If you'd like to show your appreciation to the McKinley teachers and staff by bringing in a treat for the teacher/staff lounge, please sign up for a day by clicking HERE.
Art Room Volunteer Sign Up
Please consider signing up to volunteer in your student’s art class by clicking HERE. K5 classes meet twice a week for 45 minutes. 1st to 5th grade classes meet once a week for an hour. It’s a fun opportunity to help kids express their creativity. If you can help mount or hang art at other times, please contact Heidi Engbring at hengbring@wi.rr.com.
How Do I Become a Member of the PTO?
You already are! If you are a parent, guardian or teacher at McKinley Elementary School, you are a member of the PTO.
Interested in becoming more involved? The PTO is always looking for help. Volunteer opportunities in areas of marketing, communication, social media coordination, event coordination, website design, merchandising and more! There are volunteer opportunities that fit everyone's schedule - during school hours, after school hours, work from home hours and one time event hours.
For more information about how you can become involved in PTO efforts, contact Lindsay Stadler lindsaystadler@gmail.com