Welcome to Houghton Elementary School

PTO

The following are answers to some frequently asked questions about PTO. Please feel free to ask any PTO Board Members any additional questions you may have.

1. Who makes up the PTO?

All parents and/or legal guardians of children who currently attend Houghton Elementary School and all current faculty and staff of Houghton Elementary School are automatically members of the PTO. 

2. What does the PTO do?

The purpose of the organization is to aid the children of Houghton Elementary School by providing support for their educational and cultural needs and to promote open communication between the administration, teachers and parents. The PTO provides personnel, support, services and funds necessary for accomplishing these goals. This includes funding classroom enrichment programs, teacher mini grants, teacher resource funds and family fun nights. The PTO relies completely on the fundraising that is done throughout the school year to provide the necessary funds.

3. What is the best way to become involved in PTO?

The best way to become involved with the PTO is to attend the meetings, which are held the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the Houghton Library. You can also keep up with PTO happenings by reviewing the updates and agendas which are sent home monthly in your child’s backpack and by checking out the PTO website at: www.houghtonpto.com.

4. What happens to those yellow volunteer request forms after I fill them out?

The forms are provided to a volunteer committee and compiled into a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet contains each individual’s contact information and his/her specific interest. The spreadsheets are provided to activity/committee chairs who will then contact the listed volunteers as needed. After the volunteer committee is finished with the yellow sheets, they are grouped by classroom, placed in a packet, and given to each room coordinator during the volunteer orientation meeting held in October. The room coordinator can use the yellow sheets for contact information throughout the school year.

5. What is a room coordinator, and how are they chosen?

A “room coordinator” or “room parent” is a parent who acts as a liaison between a teacher and the parents of the children in the classroom for that school year. The room parent coordinates classroom needs, i.e. holiday baking, parent volunteers, teacher gifts. If you are interested in being a room parent, please indicate it on the yellow volunteer forms. Each teacher will let the volunteer coordinators know his/her needs for room parents. The volunteer committee will provide the teacher with the list of all parents interested in the position. The teacher may indicate a preference as to who is chosen. In the event that the teacher has no preference, the volunteer committee will do its best to choose names fairly to give everyone a chance at serving as a room parent.

6. Who votes on issues?

All members present at a meeting are eligible to make a motion and to vote, excluding the Principal and Assistant Principal. Motions requiring the expenditure of more than $100.00 must be voted on and approved by the membership.

7. Who makes up the PTO Board and how/when are Board members elected?

The PTO Board consists of four officers: two co-chairs* (2 year term), treasurer (1 year term), and secretary (1 year term). Interested candidates should notify the members at the May PTO meeting and voting is held at the June PTO meeting. *The co-chair position is structured so that one co-chair is in the second year of his/her term and the other co-chair is in the first year of his/her term.

8. What are Classroom Enrichment programs?

Classroom enrichment programs are special programs which enhance classroom curriculum, but which fall outside of the school budget. These programs often involve presentations by outside sources, i.e. “Native American Dan.” Classroom enrichment programs can be either a school wide event, i.e. “Tribal Rhythms,” or for a specific grade, i.e. this month’s Plantmobile program for the 4^th grade. A PTO representative works with the Principal and staff in the spring to select and schedule these events for the following school year. Typically, there are at least two enrichment programs per grade level and two or three school wide programs. The funding for these programs comes solely from fundraising events sponsored by the PTO.

9. What are Mini Grants?

Mini Grants are a one time monetary grant given to a teacher or group of teachers to fund a specific project or activity. Mini grants shall not exceed $750. First, the teacher must obtain the Principal’s approval. Once approved, the teacher will present his/her proposal at the monthly PTO meeting. Typically, the teacher also provides the PTO with a written summary of his/her idea, needs, and anticipated budget. Mini grants have been given in the past in connection with such programs as the walking club and the owl pellet science project.

10. What happens once I volunteer for a committee or activity?

First, thanks to anyone who volunteers his/her time in our school or at a PTO sponsored event. We cannot do it with out your help. If you have expressed an interest on the volunteer registration form to help with a particular event or area, you will be contacted by the co-chair of that event or person responsible. There may be times when more people sign up to help than are needed (this is a wonderful thing!). In that event, you may not be called. Attending monthly PTO meetings is the best way to get involved and stay informed.

11. What is SIMCO?

SIMCO, or School Improvement and Modernization Council, is a volunteer committee comprised of teachers, administration, parents, and community representatives which meets monthly during the school year. The focus of SIMCO is school improvement.

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