Franklin PTO Mission Statement

2007-2008 School Year 

The Franklin Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a volunteer based group whose goal is to foster a forum where open dialogue between parents and teachers is encouraged and supported. It is the mission of the PTO to work in conjunction with both parents and teachers to provide a comprehensive, enriching and collaborative educational experience for the students of Franklin Elementary through the efforts of its parent based volunteer groups. 

The PTO provides support to the school by raising money to fund selected classroom activities, necessary supplies, donations, teacher mini grants, school programs, improvements, and much more. The PTO activities held throughout the year are made possible by the volunteer efforts of both parents and teachers. The success of each PTO activity is dependent upon the charitable efforts and ingenuity our Franklin community. 

The 2007-2008 PTO Board seeks to continue the endeavors of past PTO Boards in improving the overall educational experience for our students. The measure of the success of the Franklin PTO is dependent upon the willingness of parents and teachers to become involved. A wide array of volunteer opportunities are available and parent participation is both needed and encouraged to reach our goals. 

This is your PTO. No contribution is too small. Together we can make a measurable difference for our school.  Together we can provide the means for our students and teachers to achieve the quest for quality.

The PTO Welcomes You Back to School

September 5, 2007

Dear Franklin Families,

Welcome back to all of our returning students, and a warm welcome to the many new members of our Franklin community! 

The PTO is a volunteer based organization that works hand in hand with parents and teachers to raise funds to help enhance and enrich the educational experience for our students by supplementing classroom activities, necessary supplies, school improvements, and much more. In times of fiscally strained school budgets, the role of the PTO, and your support, has become even more crucial in providing funds to supplement the many educational needs of our students.

We are pleased to welcome back Charlotte Lambert and Jane Sances as our Co-Vice Presidents and are thrilled to announce our new additions to the PTO Board this year.  Denise Balaguer will be assuming the position of Secretary, replacing outgoing PTO Secretary, Dena Paris.  This year’s Treasurer position will be held by Jen Killilea and Kelly Michaud, who will be replacing outgoing Treasurer, Mark Bohrer.  We would like to extend our thanks to Dena and Mark for their time and efforts serving on the Board and for their continued involvement in PTO sponsored events.

Through your generous donations and participation in fundraising events last year, the PTO netted approximately $48,000 for our school.  These funds have allowed us to provide so many wonderful and needed items for our school including reimbursement for teacher professional development/continuing education; the purchase of supplemental curriculum/reference materials and textbooks for our classrooms; funding of annual educational subscriptions; new Franklin rugs for our entry; Smart Boards for our classrooms, a new and exciting interactive and innovative approach to teaching; and of course, the much needed, and even more appreciated makeover of the teacher’s lounge! 

We have many events planned for the Fall. Serving as a PTO volunteer is a great way to meet other parents and to make a difference.  The PTO offers many opportunities to become involved during the school year.   Please mark your calendar with these upcoming PTO fall events:

Back to School Picnic – Monday, September 10th from 5 to 7 p.m. Pack your picnic basket and blanket and join us in the school courtyard for an informal get together. Meet our principal, Ms. Lathrop, and mingle with other Franklin families.

Welcome Back Coffee – Join us on Friday, Sept. 14th from 9 to 10 a.m. in the school library. Parents will have a chance to socialize over coffee and treats, while learning about the many ways they can become involved in the PTO this year.

Open Houses – Open houses will be held on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 17 and 18 for grades PreK – 5. Specific information regarding your child’s open house will be provided through backpacks. This is a wonderful opportunity to familiarize yourself with the school, staff, and curriculum for the school year and meet your child’s teachers. In addition, you will have an opportunity to meet PTO Board members and be provided with information about the many opportunities to become involved in the PTO.

PTO Meeting – Join us on Thursday, Sept. 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the school library for our first monthly meeting of the year. We will discuss our fall activities and ways in which the PTO can make a difference.  If you’ve never been to a PTO meeting, now is a perfect time. PTO meetings occur typically on the last Thursday of each month, with a few exceptions due to holidays, vacations, etc. Please see the website (http://www.franklin.northandoverpublicschools.com/) for a listing of our monthly meeting dates.

PTO Fall Fundraising Campaign - Our Fall Fundraising Campaign begins with the Direct Donation Drive, followed by Genevieve Catalogue Sale on September 14th. The Direct Donation drive seeks to fundraise by financial contributions from parents to the PTO.  Participation is not required although we would greatly appreciate whatever amount you can give. Your Direct Donation is tax deductible.   This year’s Fall Fundraiser, offered through Genevieve, provides a refreshing assortment of quality products in a wide price range, most of which are manufactured in New England.  The PTO earns up to 50% on every Genevieve purchase made.  Through these two fundraisers, the PTO strives to fund three core PTO initiatives:

1)  School and Teacher Mini Grant Program:  The PTO provides supplemental funding to our classrooms to encourage creative curriculum opportunities for our children. This is our largest budget item. The PTO provides money for our teachers to use for special projects, supplies, field trips, and other items not otherwise covered by the school budget. This year, the PTO will provide $750 for each grade, K-5, $525 for each specialist and $1100 for All School Events.

Total cost: $9,100

2)  Teacher Incidental Program:  The PTO provides funding for each K-5 teacher to be reimbursed up to $150 for items they need to create a dynamic classroom. Specialists also receive up to $100 each.

Total cost: $4,700

3)   North Andover Enrichment Council:  Franklin School has a commitment to the North Andover Enrichment Council to support them in providing enriching and educational programs for our children.                                                         

Total cost: $4,275

The total budget for these three programs alone is $18,075.  Our hope is to raise the majority of funds to support these Core Initiatives through Direct Donation and/or Genevieve.

We can accomplish so much together, but we need your support. Your Direct Donation is an easy way to contribute, and to ensure that we continue to provide all the extras that make the Franklin School such a great place for our children to learn and grow.  Please note that your employer may offer a matching program and this is a great way to contribute additional funds to the school.

Please consider supporting our school by making a Direct Donation to our PTO.  Simply fill out the Direct Donation form (downloadable here on our website), and return it to school by Friday, September 21st in an envelope marked PTO Fall Fundraiser.  Although amounts vary, a suggested donation is $25 per child, although we appreciate whatever you can give.  As always, we will have credit card machines available at the open houses on Sept 17^th and 18^th for your convenience in making a direct donation at that time.

Our Box Tops for Education Program is another way of simple fundraising that really makes a difference.  Last year the PTO earned almost $800.  We are seeking to exceed the amount we earned last year through this simple fund raising initiative where box tops of participating merchants are clipped and sent into school.  If you haven’t signed up already, please take a few minutes to do so at www.boxtops4education.com.

Throughout the year, we will continue to provide you with information regarding the PTO activities, community involvement initiatives, budget updates and school events. Monday Minutes is a weekly publication sponsored by the PTO, which will provide information about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.  In addition, the PTO Bulletin Board, located in the school entrance, posts upcoming events.  There’s always something new happening, and we hope you will keep informed and involved.

Working together, we can support the Franklin School, and continue to support the needs of our children and their teachers.  Please remember to use the Franklin Staples Rewards Account each time your purchase supplies as we receive a percentage of your total purchase in rewards when you mention that you are a Franklin parent at checkout! 

The successes achieved by an almost entirely new PTO Board last year could not have been possible but for the commitment, dedication and the enthusiasm of the many parents of our school.  This high involvement level allowed us to surpass our initial fundraising goals and enabled us to provide so much more to a system in need.   We hope that we can continue to count on your participation to reach this year’s goals for our school.

Sincerely,

Wendy Beth Kahn and Jennifer Scarpa
PTO Co-Presidents