Schmucker PTO Newsletter
November 2020
From the President
We have been quiet with PTO communication this school year, but that doesn't mean we haven't been working to keep things moving forward with our organization to support the incredible students and staff at Schmucker Middle School.
I'd love to give a great big thank you to Amy Kuzmic for serving as Recording Secretary and to Meredith Santucci for serving as Treasurer and for the diligent work they have completed to date this school year. Most recently, Laura Utz agreed to serve as the Corresponding Secretary, and we thank her in advance for her assistance in this role. We want to thank all the people who have agreed to serve in different capacities for our PTO committees. We are continuing to build our team and are always looking for others to help us continue our diverse group of people who work together to improve our school. We have a great group of women working together on the SMS Board. We are still in need of a President-Elect for our Board, so if you are interested - please reach out to any one of us.
In this newsletter, please note we are including information in regards to the dues and direct donations. Please support us and share this information with other SMS families to do the same. This year, more than any other, we will depend on the support of our members to keep our budget where we would like to be in a time when we are pausing our active fundraising.
There is so much information available to us to consume day in and day out and we appreciate you reading this newsletter to keep up to date on the SMS PTO events. If you ever have any questions, ideas, or suggestions - please reach out to any of the Board members.
Claudia Mager
PTO President
SMS Staff Appreciation
Here at Schmucker, we appreciate our teachers and staff so much! We kicked off our school year by appreciating our teachers a ‘latte’ with a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, muffins, and fruit breakfast. We continued in September with a fun Schmucker Door Dash snack bag. In October, we provided a yummy dinner from Qdoba for Parent-Teacher Conference Night and showed SMS that we love them a ‘skele-ton’ with spooky treats donated by all our wonderful SMS parents.
Thank you so much for all your support and help. Your donations make it possible for me to showcase our teachers and staff the way they deserve! Looking ahead, we’re going to continue to support and praise our teachers and staff for all their hard work with exciting teacher appreciation displays and treats. November will include a hot apple cider bar with fresh, baked breads and in December, we will feature a cozy winter wonderland of hot cocoa, treats, and drawings for some awesome prizes.
We are so grateful for all your support! Please keep an eye out for future Sign Up Genius communication and volunteer opportunities.
Happy fall!
Cindy Basil
Teacher Appreciation Chair2020-21 PTO DUES AND DONATIONS
2020 has been one of the most challenging years many of us have had to face in our lifetimes. Life does go on and we are so grateful for the families and staff at Schmucker. We couldn’t be more thrilled that we are moving forward with the 2020/2021 school year.
Schmucker PTO plays a vital role in supplementing the educational experiences of our students. The funds and services the PTO provides allow for opportunities not possible as part of the traditional school budget. Some of the items and activities the PTO plans to fund this year:
Staff/Teacher Appreciation Events
Grant teacher classroom requests not covered by the school
5 Star Program
Educational Events
Field trips (if we get to take any in 2020/2021)
8th grade end of year party
PTO Dues: The above opportunities are not possible without the support of our Schumucker families through PTO Dues and donations. This year we are asking for $12 per Schmucker Family to be a part of PTO and help to fund these activities.
Additional Contributions: In the past, the PTO has spent $35 PER STUDENT in enhancements and supplemental programs. Please help us to meet or exceed this amount for the 2020-2021 academic year. Every donation, of any amount, helps us to reach this goal. Thank you in advance for your generous support of our students, our schools, and our PTO.
The PTO is a 501(c)3 organization; any financial donation you make is tax-deductible. 100% of your contribution directly funds programs to enrich our school and make our kids proud to be SMS Spartans!
Please use one of the two options to pay for your PTO Dues:
1) Click on the PDF below to print out a hard paper copy of the PTO Dues Form. You would fill this out and then return this form, along with your dues and contribution, to the SMS main office. Please make checks payable to “Schmucker PTO.” A gift receipt for direct donations will be mailed to you.
2) If you prefer to contribute electronically, you can do so by clicking the link below, which will direct you to our PTO Give Grove site. This is very convenient and can be done so in just a couple of minutes.
https://givegrove.com/smsptodues/
During this time of great uncertainty, we’ve been so incredibly thankful for the outpouring of generosity and contributions from our SMS community. We ask for your continued support as we move forward to make this an amazing school year for all of our Schmucker Spartans.
Thank you!
SMS Spirit Wear & PE Clothes
SMS Spirit Wear & PE Clothes are now available to order online through Graphie Tees. This is the PERFECT gift for those "hard to shop for" kiddos! The t-shirts are cool and the hoodies are so cozy & warm. These would make a terrific holiday gift!
Click on the link below to shop:
https://graphie-tees.mysimplestore.com/t/sms
The spirit wear sale will run now through November 15. Your order will be delivered to your student at school for free after Thanksgiving break (choose free pick up at check out) or you can pay to have your order shipped directly to your home.
Washington DC Trip Fundraising and SCRIP
Restaurant Nights
Box Tops, Spartan Labels, and Amazon Smile
You can also look for Schmucker Middle School in Amazon Smile. With all of our online holiday shopping, it's an effective way to easily give back to our SMS PTO.
SMS PTO
Email: schmuckerpto@phm.k12.in.us
Website: schmucker.phmschools.org/pto-information
Location: 56045 Bittersweet Road, Mishawaka, IN, USA
Phone: 574-258-5661
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCHMUCKERPTO