Dear Parents, Patrons and Students:
Recently, the Jefferson-Farnsworth Elementaries Parent
Teacher Organization sent out a SurveyMonkey survey asking for feedback about a
possible upcoming school supply fundraiser.
The number of responses we received was extraordinary, and we truly
appreciate all the comments that were left, both positive and negative. We rely on your feedback to give us
direction, and it was fantastic to get your input.
Based on some of the comments that were left, we as the PTO
wanted to address some misperceptions about who we are and what we do. The Jefferson-Farnsworth PTO is a completely
volunteer driven organization. Our board
consists of a President representative from each school, a Vice President from
each school, secretary, treasurer, and teacher liaison. We also have numerous parent volunteers who
help out with our many events and fundraisers.
We are a non-profit organization. We currently are not tax-exempt, but are
working with the IRS to earn that status.
Because we are completely volunteer run, nearly all of our proceeds go
back into our schools, with a very small amount covering the costs of project
supplies, etc. We work closely with both
schools and the school district to ensure that we are working towards a common
goal. The PTO, Jefferson and Farnsworth
all have the same goal; providing the best education possible, while working
towards the betterment of our student body as a whole. The PTO is NOT a part of the school
district. We are a completely separate
entity. The district has no operational
control over our organization, and the PTO has no control over the decisions
made by the district, although we work closely to avoid duplicating our efforts
and to ensure we are both in compliance with State and Federal laws.
The PTO has made some missteps in the past. We started this school year with an entirely
new board, new organizing by-laws, and a determination to make right as many of
the wrongs of the past as possible. This
school year, we set the goal of raising $7,000 to purchase playground
equipment, books for the libraries, gym equipment, and some other school items
that the district just doesn’t have the money to buy. The split of our two schools left both
needing a lot of the essentials and our goal this year is to replace as many of
those items as possible.
We are always looking for volunteers, donations, and
fundraising ideas. We welcome any and
all comments, both positive and negative.
We want to improve and above all, we welcome you to join us!
Please join us at our monthly meetings, which are announced
on our Facebook pages, as well as through the School Messenger system. You don’t have to volunteer but we always
welcome parent input! You can also visit
our blog for updated information as it becomes available. We try to publish as much information about
both the PTO and our schools as we can.
http://www.bulldogsandpatriots.blogspot.com/
Thank you for your support!
Jefferson-Farnsworth PTO
