Everhart PTO

Gretchen Everhart School PTO

The following links or pages reflect the effort of your GES PTO to make our school a better place! 

• PTO By-Laws Revised 11/8/07
• PTO Approved Budget 07-08 SY
• PTO Officers 08-09 SY
• PTO Officers Duties
• PTO Activity Calendar
• PTO Meetings & Activities
• PTO Committees
• Fundraising Activities
• PTO Meeting Minutes
• Looking Forward to Next Year (SY 07-08)

Thank You PTO Volunteers!

Volunteers are an important part of the PTO and so a special thank you to all of the PTO volunteers who donate their time and effort to making the events and the PTO at Gretchen Everhart School a success!

PTO By-Laws

Background

In the majority of public schools, the School Advisory Council (SAC) and Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO) are separate entities. Previously our SAC/PTO was a combined effort.  The feeling has been expressed by some parents that our school is in need of a separate PTO where parents can become more involved in school  activities. Doing so would take some of the weight off the shoulders of the teachers previously responsible for such activities. Our children should be the teachers #1 priority.

SAC will continue to focus on School Improvement issues, while the PTO will be designed to assist in volunteer opportunities; heading up various committees, such as festivals, dances, and fundraising.  

PTO By-Laws (PDF 23 KB)

Note: You will need Adobe Reader to view this document (and the budget below).  If you do not have this application, you can download the reader for Windows by clicking on the icon.

PTO Approved Budget SY 07-08

The PTO Budget for SY 07-08 was approved at the General PTO Meeting/Open House on September 11, 2007.

PTO Approved Budget SY 07-08 (PDF 6 KB)

PTO Officers SY 08-09

The following people have agreed to serve on the Executive Committee this year.

• Debra Taube President
• Linda Ray Vice President
• Tracey McKinless Treasurer
• Jackie Livingston Secretary
• Donna Gabordi Fundraiser
• Angela Hendry Volunteer Coordinator
• Rosalyn Deckerhoff Co-Volunteer Coordinator

Notes:

• Clyde Benedix will continue to handle the on-line volunteer database and to serve as Webmaster for Gretchen Everhart School.
• Sandra Buchanan has agreed to continue to handle the collection of the Box Tops for Education as well as the Campbell’s Labels for Education

PTO Officers - Duties

President - Debra Taube
Duties: Preside at all meetings, prepare an agenda for each meeting, appoint committees to oversee and coordinate all projects, and functions of the organization.

Vice President - Linda Ray
Duties: Assistant the President in the performance of the duties and responsibilities of that office and to preside at meetings in the absence of the President. The President Elect shall automatically become Chairperson the following year.

Secretary - Jackie Livingston
Duties: Take all minutes of the organization and keep a permanent record of all business; assist in written communications between the organization and parents, staff and teachers.

Treasurer - Tracey McKinless
Duties: Receive and disburse all funds; make disbursements in accordance with the approved budget, as authorized by the PTO; present a financial statement at each meeting.

PTO Volunteer Coordinator - Angela Hendry
Co-Volunteer Coordinator - Rosalyn Deckerhoff
Duties: Attend an orientation meeting at the Leon County Volunteer Office; provide a system for keeping records of the time invested by each volunteer; design a recognition program for volunteers.

Fundraiser - Donna Gabordi
Duties: Present fundraising activities to the Board for approval; coordinate fundraising activities, assist the fundraising company, maintain records of money received from orders, work with the Treasurer regarding all funds received and distributed, assist the Chairperson as needed.

Gretchen Everhart School PTO
Looking Forward to Next Year

From the PTO Executive Committee

After getting the PTO By-Laws in place at the start of the school year your PTO has been working on helping our teachers by increasing parent and guardian participation in volunteering at Gretchen Everhart School. We have made a great deal of progress these past two years but it is an area that can still use improvement. Your PTO, in conjunction with our school's administration, will have activities and events planned for the coming school year, and you will be able to sign-up for them at the beginning of the school year. We all understand the strain that raising children with special needs can put on our social calendars, but hopefully there will be some activity or event for which you will be able to contribute your special talents.

Another area of concern that your PTO is working on relates to the need to improve communications to parents and guardians regarding upcoming activities and events at Gretchen Everhart School. In order for you and your children to participate, we need to improve the timeliness with which you receive notifications for these activities. To accomplish that goal, we need for everyone to sign-up for the Gretchen Everhart School Listserv. We know that we keep nagging you, but currently only 23 parents and teachers have signed up. It is our hope that everyone with a computer, whether at home or work, will sign up so that we could know with some certainty if we send out weekly notices that almost everyone would receive it. (If you do not have access to a computer you will still receive flyers but those who do have access really should sign-up.) The listserv will be the PRIMARY method for keeping you informed regarding school and PTO activities and events. We have parents and staff available to help you if you have questions or need assistance in making the connection.

Along the same lines, school staff is currently working on development of a Calendar Website (using Sharepoint software) that will be available through a link on the Everhart Website (http://www.everhart.leon.k12.fl.us. You will be able to go to one place and see all of the activities and events planned for our school as well as all other important instructional/educational dates. While at the above site, visit the "What's New" webpage to see what has been added to website.

The PTO has taken the lead in developing a parent packet that is going to be a resource of information about everything having to do with the Gretchen Everhart School and your PTO. We will be including a Student Directory that can easily be updated throughout the year with current information.

Through your participation in activities such as the Owl Run, Book Fair, Spring Fling and the purchase of Everhart Cookbooks and the support of some very special donors, your PTO has provided funds to the following groups or activities this past school year:

$1,000 for Extended School Year supplies; $3,000 to Everhart's SITE Committee for purchase of supplies identified by Teachers and staff; Awards for the Owl Run; Funds for School Dances; Purchase of plants and supplies for Spring Clean-Up; Purchase of food to help our Wonderful Everhart Cheerleaders go to the "Showdown in O Town"; Funding for the Instructional Assistants/Support Staff and Teacher Appreciation Weeks; Funds for the purchase of lamination supplies for our Teachers; and Funding for the end of the year "Fun Day".

As an organization your Gretchen Everhart PTO is still very young and has a lot of growing to do in the coming years. Your PTO Executive Committee is committed to make the PTO a success, but to do this we need your support and involvement. Please feel free to contact us for more information.