One of my favorite things was turning the "Red Ribbon Week" into a year long event. Instead of red ribbons, we purchased longer-lasting pins that read "I Believe In Me Drug Free". I staged several surprise "Drug Free Days" during the course of the year, where I would just show up in the classroom (I always gave teachers in grades 1 and 2 extra notice). If a child had their pin, they got a small prize (all prizes were donated and ranged from decks of cards to plastic puzzles). I think the best moment I had, whole-school-wise, was when I walked into classrooms with my prize box, and every child was able to say "Look Mrs. Metz! I have my pin!". They showed me their pins in the hallways, at recess, at lunch, in the library, etc. I thought it was very exciting to see even the jaded 6th graders showing me their pins! Children who didn't have their pins got a new one. I did it for the last time 3 weeks ago. I had EVERY CHILD
tell me what the pin said (of course I had mine on!). I was surprised to see how many didn't have to look at their pin, or my pin, to tell me that "I Believe In Me Drug Free". I told them each, all 750 of them, that I too believed in them drug free.

Unfortunately, this program has already been voted down for next year. Seems that when they voted in a new prez, they voted out the programs that involved 'work'. This was the first one to go. It broke my heart, but it still remains my favorite memory (and new program) of the year.

My favorite PTO activity this year was "Breakfast with the Easter Bunny". Every year there has been a rather lame egg hunt (but it's a tradition!!!) so one of the moms made the suggestion about this theme. I had someone bring me a pattern from the states and proceeded to create an Easter Bunny costume. One of the NJHS kids volunteered to don it. The kids still did their egg hunt, then one of the moms lined the kids up and performed the bunny hop into the cantina where we had transformed it into bunny central. The tables were covered with white butcher paper sponge-painted with Easter shapes. We served muffins & juice. And then....out came the Easter bunny. It was great! He came around to all the kids with a basket full of treat bags. Kids had fun, parents had fun, it's amazing how being open to new ideas can improve an already existing tradition!

Tina

I've already scanned some of the incoming end-of-year surveys and am amazed that in the area ranking how important different activities are, getting a newsletter from the PTO gets rated 2 or 3 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being important). We publish a monthly newsletter with all the PTO info, plus we send home flyers on EVERYTING.

Yet on most of those same surveys, in the text areas that asks what we can do to improve for next year - we get "more communication" or "more information sent home in backpacks"

I know as a parent, it's overwhelming how much stuff comes home to read. It's just human nature to want more info, but not have time read it. Still, it can be frustrating.

Let me just say that if I hear the words "the President has always taken care of that" one more time...

Okay, how about we close out this year by sharing some of our funny stories from this year, wacky things people said to us, or other fun tidbits?

Luckily, some of those "tense" moments do actually seem funny later - sometimes MUCH later...

[ 05-11-2002: Message edited by: JHB ]</p>