Creative Ideas Help PTO Thrive

For the Granby Elementary PTO in Granby, Mass., the focus is on building a sense of community at the town’s two elementary schools, West Street and East Meadow. Whether it’s holding PTO meetings during kids’ soccer games or sponsoring outdoor movie nights, Granby is finding clever ways to encourage the school-home bond. Just look at the ways this PTO keeps parents, teachers, and administrators working as a team.

Movie Under the Stars

The top event hosted by the Granby PTO was Movie Under the Stars in May. Undaunted by the prospect of poor weather, the PTO looked into obtaining a license to show movies (a modest $50) and renting an inflatable screen (a not-so-modest $1,000). To help cover costs, families were asked for a $5 donation.

Students were polled to decide between two movies, with Racing Stripes winning by a narrow margin. The event was well-publicized through posters, flyers, and the school’s automated phone system, which made reminder phone calls to parents on the day of the show.

As families waited for the sky to darken, they were treated to previews that highlighted PTO events and thanked volunteers for their hard work. One computer-savvy dad created a repeating show of photos from field trips, PTO events, and class performances. Volunteers circulated through the crowd in easy-to-identify red shirts.

The event drew nearly 500 people and was so successful that the group is planning to repeat it this fall. Although the cost of the large-format screen was not recouped, the event was easily paid for by earlier PTO fundraisers.

Movie Under the Stars was the last of a series of free family fun nights offered by the Granby PTO. During the winter months, fun nights brought families together on Friday evenings to watch a movie, play games, and make crafts. Each fun night had its own coordinator to allow PTO members to pick a night of interest, and high school students helped out as part of their community service requirement.

“For all of our big events, we include RSVP cards on notices home,” says PTO Chairwoman Sally O’Shea. “These cards have worked well to track both attendance and volunteerism. Although we get a 25 percent no-show rate, which we plan for, most parents mark their calendars for the entire series.”

The RSVP cards are a convenient way for people to volunteer with a minimal amount of effort. “At our craft night, we actually had more parent volunteers than we needed, although we found ways to keep them all busy,” O’Shea says.

The family fun nights also feature raffles of donated items and giveaway bags filled with candy, coupons, and FamilyFun magazines.

Ice Cream Social

At Granby, the PTO funds a $75 stipend for teachers to use for classroom supplies. “In the past, teachers would submit receipts for materials they had purchased, and we would reimburse them a little at a time throughout the school year,” explains O’Shea. “We decided to entice them to our September event by writing a check on the spot.”

The ice cream was a hit, and so was the idea of immediate reimbursement. Nearly half the teachers showed up for the event. Children had fun playing games and getting sticky, and parents got an extra chance to chat with teachers.

Principal Jim Pietras of East Meadow School, which serves grades 4-6, observes that encouraging the teachers to attend the ice cream social to receive their stipend “connects them to the kickoff activities of the PTO and demonstrates the value of parents and schools working as a team to improve the education of our students.” Plus it eliminates the paperwork involved in tracking receipts.