We hired a new Executive Director.  The Board is working on grant writing and preparing the budget for next year.  The annual auction is next month.  Tickets are still on sale but will be closing at the end of the month.  If you haven't done so, please put a credit card on file for the auction.  Silent auction portion will be online and will start April 7.  Live auction will be at the event and will have some items that can only be bid on in person.  Golden tickets will probably go on sale next week.  Options will be Hawaii or Mexico.  Buy a ticket and winner will be chosen from tickets sold.  Limited number of tickets will be sold.  Contact Christa if you have items to donate or are willing to help.  There are teachers interested in attending the auction.  There is an option to 'host a teacher' or contribute to their auction ticket.  Look for more information on the auction website.

Currently organizing and creating work groups and and guides to help facilitate positions.  Trying to make the volunteer process more efficient.  We're working on a calendar of events that will hopefully be out this summer to cover the next school year.  Working on updating the website and the PTO bylaws

We will be using the volunteer interest form to reach out to volunteers to see if they can help in areas where they expressed interest.  Looking at a new volunteer platform that will make it easier for volunteers and the volunteer coordinators.  

Nothing to report from the room parents.  If you receive an email from the room parent coordinator, please respond so that they know you received the email.  Students are commenting on other classes having more parties.  Parties are up to the teacher and note that some 'parties' are actually projects related to what the class is studying, even though it seems like a party.

Socks from the sock fundraiser are here and need to be sorted for distribution.  

Papa Murphy's fundraiser ended up as a two week fundraiser: $188.60 first week, $198.32 second week, total $381.92

Chipotle: $251.92.  Not as successful probably since we had three weeks of fundraisers back to back.

Next focus for fundraising is the auction.  April fundraiser is Old Spaghetti Factory.  They donated gift cards to the auction and the fundraiser will be dine in and take out in April.  

FUNDrive coming up.  Start collecting soft good, anything that is salable.  Put goods in large black garbage bags to be stored until the turn in date.  Suggestions to make this successful: ask your buy nothing group, ask friends and family.  Hours spent collecting goods can be submitted for volunteer hours.  

Reach out to the PTO if you are in need of uniforms.  We are hoping to offer one more uniform exchange before the end of the  year and do one final collection at the end of the year.  We're hoping to offer uniform exchange opportunities at the summer playdates.

We collected a couple dozen bags at the last collection event.  Next event will be Earth Week which will be bonus points for the school.  We will be handing out blue bags a couple of times before Earth Week, April 10.  Ask you friends, family, neighbors, local buy nothing group for cans and bottles.  We will hold a couple of bag collection events in April for Earth Week.  More information to come.

Welcome to the new Executive Director, Jesus Urdiales.  He starts July 1.  

Yearbook is on sale now.  Sales will run until May 8.  We will not be ordering extras and there are no free yearbooks this year.  Cost is $15.  We're working on a way to see if there are students who can't afford a yearbook but would like one.  If you are willing to donate a yearbook, stay tuned for more information. 

Oregon Battle of the Books competition was March 3.  This is for 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and high school students.  Arco Iris had three teams this year for grade 3-5 and a middle school team.  The teams did great and made it into the Elite 8 and Final 4.  This event has a list of books that everyone reads for the event and then students try to answer questions about these books that are created by a committee and used statewide.

The last meeting was recorded and will be sent out to families soon.  Luis explained what they have been teaching and learning about social emotional learning this year.  This explained how these practices are being used daily in all aspects, not just as something that is taught during one part of class.  

Working on a project: a word cloud using words that are used to describe our school.

Next Meeting is April 18 at 6pm

Make sure that you are signed up in ParentBooker and have your background check, volunteer form, and proof of Covid vaccination approved.  Field trips are starting and they are phenomenal.  So far we've heard about the zoo and Nike.  

You can still order spirit wear.  We're filling order with items that we have in stock.

April 12: 4th/5th grade stock the breakroom

April 7: Counselor appreciation day

End of April: Admin appreciation day. 

May: Teacher appreciation week.

Let us know if you have any ideas for any of these events. 

School tours have been going well.  Lottery just happened 

April 11, May 23, June 6, 6 pm for upcoming tours.  There are waitlists for kinder/1st.  Next year: 62 kids in kinder with a waitlist.  Any student wishing to enter grades 3-5 will need to take a Spanish proficiency test.  They can test 2 grades lower in Spanish and still get admitted.  Class size max: 27 students.  Will have 3 classes per grade, except 5th will have 2 classes.

April 26, 6pm