Schmucker PTO Newsletter
September 2019
Letter from the President
Can you believe we are already 3 weeks into school? The PTO has been busy at work, since before school started. Thank you to everyone who helped with the Back-to-School packets and events at SMS. Those weeks before school are important to get all the information to our parents and Spartans! The PTO met on September 5th, and our next meeting is October 3rd at 1:00 at SMS. We hope to see you there!
The PTO typically has two fundraisers: For the past two years, there has been one in February, and then one in April/May. As of yet, no one has signed up to chair fundraising so we will be deciding as a board if we will continue to fundraise in the traditional sense, or find new ways to raise money. The funds we raise help “to promote on-going relationships between students, administration, parents, teachers and staff” and “to provide funding for supplies and sponsorship of various school-related activities,” as defined in our bylaws. When you come to meetings and read our communications, you will learn more about the specific uses of these funds. If you would like to help with a fundraiser, or in any other way, please reach out and ask questions or attend a meeting.
Another way the PTO communicates, is by sending information through the directory listings. If you have not done so yet, please update or add your info at https://schmuckermspto.membershiptoolkit.com. If you plan on using Scrip to raise funds for DC, your information must also be in this directory so it's very important to the PTO you use this tool.
Thank you for your support, and please contact me with questions.
Holly Bailey
Schmucker SCRIP Program
What is it?
Scrip is a national fundraising program for non-profit organizations. Over 30,000 different organizations use Scrip; the PHM district PTO’s have been running this program for years. The concept is simple. You purchase gift cards and a rebate is given back. It is truly free money! Here is why. There are over 700 retailers that sell their gift cards to Scrip at various discounts. You order these gift cards from Scrip at full face value, and the PTO, as the non-profit organization, receives the rebate. In our case, the PTO puts 90% of that rebate into your child’s school DC account and you receive the full value of the gift card - it’s a win-win!
How does it work?
There are 3 types of gift cards you can purchase (note - not every retailer offers all three options):
1. Physical - these are just like the gift cards you buy in a store. The PTO places an order for these once per month.
2. Reload - once you have purchased a gift card from Scrip, some retailers offer the ability to just “reload” that same card. Depending on how you pay for the reload, the amount will be applied to the card within 2 days.
3. ScripNow - this is an electronic gift card. The ScripNow “e-card” will be available for you to use within minutes. You will receive an email when your ScripNow e-card is available. It will also show up in your Scrip account online. It will also appear in your My Scrip Wallet account on your smartphone if you have the mobile website downloaded. Here is the only way to pay for your gift cards: PrestoPay and credit card. PrestoPay is a payment directly to Scrip. Your bank account is linked directly to the Scrip website via a secure ACH connection - the same way you pay bills online. You can also pay for your scrip cards with a credit card. You can load ScripNow onto your phone for easy purchases and reloads.
Where Do I Sign Up?
1. Sign on as a SMS directory member - This directory lets us know you are a current SMS family! https://schmuckermspto.membershiptoolkit.com/
2. SMS SCRIP Code: contact SMSscripcoordinator@gmail.com
3. Sign in at www.shopwithscrip.com. Push get started, family enrollment, join scrip program, enter code, link bank account, you’re ready to shop and start earning FREE MONEY!
Company Rebates
Amazon Smile:
Use this link to do your Amazon shopping and the PTO will earn 0.5% of your purchases at no additional cost to you! (The account is named PHM Non Profit Organizations Inc.)
Martin's Supermarket's Direct Your Labels Program:
By buying Our Family and Spartan brands at Martins you can support the SMS PTO! Just save the UPC barcodes from these brands and send them to the SMS main office in a plastic bag or labeled envelope.
Box Tops for Education
Box tops for Education is going digital! Download the Box Tops For Education app and scan both the box tops and the receipt from your purchase. General Mills, Ziploc, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Kleenex, and Yoplait are just a few of the brands that participate in this program. Head to BTFE.com for instructions. During this transition, if there are clippable box tops on a household item, you may still clip them and send them in!
Thank you for supporting the SMS PTO!
Don't forget to like us on facebook!
SMS PTO
Email: schmuckerpto@phm.k12.in.us
Website: https://schmucker.phmschools.org/pto-information
Location: 56045 Bittersweet Road Mishawaka, IN 46545
Phone: (574) 259-5661
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCHMUCKERPTO/