Weaver Lake Elementary PTO
April 2024 Newsletter
(If you have trouble clicking links, please open this email in a browser - all the links and files will activate so you can view them properly.)
Dear Weaver Lake Elementary School Families & Supporters,
Wait... How is this the April newsletter already!?! The end of the school year is fast approaching! We were just tracking reading minutes for the read-a-thon and sending money to school for the book fair! As we reflect on the successful activities we've had recently, the PTO has been busy! We're still going strong and have more exciting family events planned. Please take a moment to review the highlights from our past activities and mark your calendars for the upcoming ones!
One important thing to note is that we are seeking individuals to help shape and guide the PTO for the upcoming school year! While we have received interest for Officer Positions (President, Vice President, Fundraising Coordinator, & Communications Coordinator), we want to ensure that all interested people have had the opportunity to participate in the election. All interested will have the opportunity to be on the ballet! These positions are not just roles; they are opportunities to make a significant impact on our school community. The elections will take place at our May 7th meeting. If you are interested, please look at the information below on putting your name in for one of the positions. Without the PTO, many of the educational programs the school relies on will not happen.
We want to give a special shout-out to Laura H. for running our Read a Thon and Book Fair again this year! (yes, she planned and organized both events!) With that said, we are looking for someone willing to take on the Read a Thon for the next school year. The event is in February, and you can run it with others. Grab a friend or meet a new friend to share the planning! If that isn't where your interests are, please see the other opportunities and ways to help!
As always, we are beyond thankful for you!
Thank you,
Weaver Lake Elementary PTO
www.weaverlakepto.org
officers@weaverlakepto.org
board@weaverlakepto.org
WELCOME
Welcome New Chairpeople
We want to take a moment to welcome our new PTO chairpeople! Thank you for volunteering to help the PTO. We are excited you will be sharing your skills and time with us!
- Jamie Piemeisl - Butter Braids & Co. Chairperson- She will work alongside the outgoing chairperson, Sarah Dammann, next fall.
- Zainab Kanan - School Supply Kits Chairperson
- Holly Marshall - Bus Driver Appreciation Chairperson
- Melissa Pedersen—Engineering Night Chairperson—She will be working alongside the current chairperson, Suzie Spatafore, for this year's event.
Event Recap
Recap: Read-A-Thon - February 1-29
What a great month for reading! The students got into the Read-a-thon this year.
Total funds raised: $19,001.74!
Total reading minutes recorded: 170,936
Registrations: 48% vs 44% last spring
We finished up the event with an author visit from Mathew Schufman for our top readers on 3/7. For more information about Mathew, please see the District 279 article on his visit.
We appreciate your support!
Laura H
Recap: Bus Driver Appreciation Day - February 21
On February 21st, our Bus Driver Appreciation Chairperson, Holly Marshall, and three other volunteers handed out goodie bags to the drivers of the 36 routes our school services! Many routes have a different driver in the morning than in the afternoon! The PBIS committee decorated a note of thanks on the bags; Holly and other volunteers filled the bags with goodies and handmade signs for the drivers to see when arriving at the school. Caribou donated a gift card for each driver, and Hometowne Pizza donated a slice of pizza for the 50 drivers! We all agree this event was a success! Thank you to Holly & other volunteers for helping us make this day special!
Recap: Literati Book Fair
Thank you to everyone who shopped at our Spring Book Fair! The PTO decided to try another book fair vendor to help provide variety to our students, media center, and teachers. This book fair was equally successful as our previous book fairs.
A few highlights of the book fair:
- Volunteers, you made this event successful! We had 80% coverage for this Book Fair, which helped us all succeed!
- Book donations!
- $139.50 in books donated to the Media Center from change and leftover gift card balances.
- $1,078.96 in books donated to Teachers & Staff by families & supporters. Which includes a large book donation from our custodian, Mike! (amazing!)
- $378.56 in books donated to Teachers & Staff by the PTO from this book fair.
- $223.78 in books donated to the Media Center from the PTO from this book fair.
- Total PTO cash profit: $2,000
- Total Titlewave credit profit+books from fair (similar to Scholastic Dollars): $1242.09
If you have any feedback on the fair, don't hesitate to get in touch with Laura at bookfair@weaverlakepto.org.
Recap: Weaver Wear Recycle Project
How To Request a Donated Weaver Wear Item:
If you would like your student(s) to receive a donated Weaver Wear item, please get in touch with Libby Lorron, Weaver Lake Elementary School Social Worker, at LorronL@district279.org. Libby maintains the stock of donated items and ensures every item can find a new home. She’ll work with you to find the right size and style so your students can rock their new Weaver Wear around the halls!
Beth Bergfield
Weaver Wear Chairperson
Weaver Wear Recycle Project Coordinator
Recap - Dine 2 Donate
Have you participated in our Dine 2 Donate events? Have you wondered how much of an impact you have made? As some of us know, our support for these events has exceeded expectations at our local restaurants! We are VERY appreciative of the support local businesses have shown us! Below is what we have received from these events year to date!
September - Chipotle - $563.92
October - Noodles & Co. - $ 312.47
November - Jersey Mikes (3-day event) - $713.00
December - No Dine 2 Donate
January - Skyzone - Play 2 Donate - waiting for information
February - Hometowne Pizza - $250 (they donated more than they committed to us!)
March - Famous Dave's - $150.28
April - Portillo's - No total yet
THANK YOU!
UPCOMING - SAVE THE DATE
SAVE THE DATE
Please mark your calendars now. The Weaver Lake Elementary PTO has many fun activities planned!
- April 5th, 2024 - Carnival Silent Auction Deadline
- April 10, 2024, 5:30-7:30 pm - Engineering Night - Free Event - Weaver Lake Elementary
- April 16, 2024, 5:00-8:00 PM - Dine 2 Donate - Portillo's - Maple Grove
- April 20, 2024 - Carnival Bingo Donation Deadline
- April 26, 2024 - Carnival Cakewalk Donation Deadline
- May 3, 2024, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm -Weaver Lake School Carnival - More Details
- May 6-10, 2024 - Staff Appreciation Week
- May 6, 2024, 11:59 pm - Nominations Due
- May 7, 2024 - PTO General Meeting - Media Center & Google Meet
- May 10, 2024 - Deadline to order Twins Tickets
Check out our online calendar for updated information on events.
Engineering Night - April 10th
The Works Museum brings a unique opportunity for children to engage in hands-on Engineering tasks, creating and taking home their creations. This exciting event will take place on Wednesday, April 10th, from 5:30 to 7:30. There will be 10 different stations to explore. This is a free event for families, generously sponsored by the Weaver Lake PTO with funds raised this year!
Please note—this is not a drop-and-go event. We value the safety of your children, and therefore, they need to be supervised by their adult(s). Siblings are also welcome to join in the fun.
We will also need volunteers for the event. If you or a family member would like to lend a hand, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48AAA72EAAFECF8-47476267-engineering#/
April Dine 2 Donate - Portillo's - April 16th
Eat Portillo’s and give back
Make a difference in our school community! Join us at Portillo's for a fundraiser that will directly support the mission of the Weaver Lake Elementary PTO.
When: April 16, 2024
Time: 5 pm - 8 pm
Where: Portillo's, 12251 Elm Creek Blvd N, Maple Grove, MN
What: 20% of sales will benefit our organization.
How: Order online or in-app for pickup using code PORTILLOS53 before checkout in the "Apply Offer" field, or show this flyer or a digital version to the cashier when ordering at the restaurant.
This offer is valid on drive-thru, pickup, curbside, and in-restaurant orders.
Order ahead online to minimize wait times
MN Twins Family Event
We’re going to a Twins game! Your entire family is invited to take advantage of the tickets offered to Weaver Lake Elementary School families.
Purchasing your tickets through Weaver Lake Elementary PTO is one of the most affordable ways to see a Twins game. Students and family members can purchase Twins tickets for only $24 or $40.
Weaver Lake Elementary afternoon at Target Field will be on Saturday, June 15, at 1:10 PM when the Twins play the A’s. We will have two ticket options this year. Upper Deck, 3rd level for $24/ticket or Lower Deck Field Deck for $40/ticket. Let’s all take this great opportunity for our community to get together outside the classroom, have fun, meet other Weaver Lake Elementary families, and cheer for the Minnesota Twins!
To join us on this special afternoon, please order by May 10th to reserve your tickets. Tickets will be sent digitally after May 17th to the email address provided on the online order form. Just to let you know, you must download the MLB Ballpark app to retrieve tickets.
Order HERE: https://weaverlakeptotwinsgame.cheddarup.com
We look forward to seeing you at the game!
Sincerely,
Randy Barreto
Weaver Lake Elementary PTO Twin’s Game Chairperson
763-221-3329
Ways to help
Are you interested in making a difference within Weaver Lake Elementary? Do you want to impact the educational experience for our students? If so, come and join us!! The 2024-2025 school year will start with three officer positions opening, cycling through a 2-year term. It's okay to nominate yourself to show interest in the openings. These positions will be voted on at our May 7th meeting, and the positions will start in May 2024.
If you are interested in ANY of these positions, want to learn more, or want to "job shadow" a current member - please email the PTO officers at officers@weaverlakepto.org. We are running without a nomination chairperson, so we are all working together to help fill these positions.
The PTO's governing documents (bylaws) state that the positions of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Communication, and Fundraising Coordinator are to be opened up every two years. Doing this allows fresh ideas and equal representation.
To view more information on various PTO Job duties, please view our Weaver Lake PTO Book of job duties.
Weaver Lake Elementary PTO
The Weaver Lake Elementary PTO is organized for the purpose of supporting the education of children at Weaver Lake Elementary by fostering relationships among the school, parents, and teachers.
Weaver Lake Elementary PTO is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions (EIN: 41-1728241)
Email: officers@weaverlakepto.org
Website: www.weaverlakepto.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weaverlakeelementary
To learn more about Weaver Lake PTO please visit www.weaverlakepto.org