June 2011 Archives

Update: Please see our Welcome Back to Pompo-Center! posting for the beginning of the 2011-12 school year. It contains important back-to-school information.

Become Active in Stow PTO in 2011-12

We know it's a busy (and exciting) time of year. But before you head off on well-deserved vacations, we hope you can take a few moments to help us as we plan for next year. We are all aware of the many changes happening at Pompo-Center, and your SPTO will continue to play its role in helping to strengthen the school community.

All the familiar functions of SPTO will stay in place, including Services, Arts & Cultural Enrichment, Fundraising, Lip Sync, Arts Buffet Festival, Auction (in 2013), and the Pompo-Center Picnic. We just completed allocating $79,000 from funds raised this past year, and a snapshot of how your money was spent is available at Pompo-Center PTO 2011 Allocations.

For next year, based on feedback we have received, we are planning to add efforts in:

• Science Enrichment with after-school groups and a "Science Evening" led by parents

• Social Committee to have more opportunities for the school community to get together in informal social settings, be they parent-student dances, game nights or other events

• Spirit Committee to boost school spirit through themed days and more

• Music Showcase performance recital with Stow Friends of Music

And we are open to other ideas! But we cannot do any of them without your help! None of what the SPTO does would be possible without the dedication of an army of volunteers.  So, thank you to everyone! We are looking to recruit both mothers and fathers who may be interested in being active in SPTO. There is something for everyone! There are jobs large and small. Together, we are part of a team of parents who play a crucial role in helping our schools come alive.

For Fall 2011, we will be having an informal SPTO Mixer-Fair with refreshments on September 13, 2011 in the Pompo Gym at 7PM. This will be an opportunity to socialize with other K-5 parents, learn firsthand what the various functions of PTO are and consider becoming involved. Our first formal PTO monthly meeting will be September 20, 2011 also at 7:15PM at Pompo. All are welcome!

Thank you for a wonderful year, have a great and safe summer, and see you in the Fall!

For more information, feel free to contact incoming co-Chairs Kristen DeLuco or Paul Trunfio

Have you ever wondered what happens to the funds that are raised at all the fun and exciting SPTO events throughout the year? We thought so... Well wonder no more! The following is a snapshot of the major areas in which we just last week allocated $79,000 in funds for the Pompo and Center schools:

• $16,000 for 2011/12 and $16,000 for 2012/13 for Arts & Cultural Enrichment; the informative and fun assemblies and special presentations that your children enjoy throughout the year - see our ACE page for a complete list of all the programs we brought in this past year

• $6,000 for 2011/12 and $6,000 for 2012/13 to offset the cost of a second field trip for each grade

• $2,000 for 2011/12 and $2,000 for 2012/13 for costs related to the new administration and school

• $1,000 for 2011/12 and $1,000 for 2012/13 for Activity Day supplies

• $600 for 2011/12 and $600 for 2012/13 for Field Day supplies

• $4,150 for keyboards and related music equipment

• $2,000 for parent-initiated science groups and Science Evening

• $1,400 for in-class science supplies

• $2,000 for Mark Rothstein's Master Jump Rope Presentation for 4th and 5th grade

• $1,200 for a Bose Wave System for Pompo PE

• $1,000 for playground supplies for both schools

• $1,000 for the libraries at both schools funded directly by Box Tops money!

• $2,800 for the current event magazines for all classes

• $700 for Storyworks readers for fourth graders

• $1,500 for leveled readers

• $1,100 for materials for Literacy Teachers

• $500 for materials for OT Specialists

• $500 for art supplies for both schools

We want to thank everyone who volunteered and participated in the events that made it possible for the SPTO to provide funds for these items. They will have a positive affect on your child's educational experience, and were decided through a partnership between administration, teachers and the SPTO.

Are you an artist?

We'd like you to design the cover of the 2011-2012 Stow School Directory!

Stepping up! Can you take a step up and be a better YOU the next school year? How could you be a better friend? A better brother or sister? A better student? Draw for us a picture that incorporates your personal hopes and dreams into how you will step up this year! Use your imagination, and any medium you want (markers, pencils, paint, crayons, collage...) but keep all artwork within the borders of the box below. Return this completed entry to your school office by September 9, 2011. The judges will select one or more entries to be printed on the cover of next year's school directory, and many others will be featured on the pages inside.

Be creative and have fun! Open to all students who will be in grades K-8 in the 2011-2012 school year.

Click on the image below for a printable electronic copy.

For any questions, please email Kristen Straub (kstraub@stowpto.org) or Jane Bolinsky (jane@stowpto.org)

What an event the 2011 Pompo/Center Picnic, hosted by the Stow Parent Teacher Organization, turned out to be this past Friday! Families gathered at the new venue of Stow Community Park with their blankets and picnic baskets to dance to the music, participate in all kinds of field games, try their luck at winning fabulous raffle baskets, pet many exotic animals and enjoy delicious treats of baked goods and ice cream. The kids especially enjoyed dunking their favorite teacher in the dunk tank! Thank you Ms. Grady, Mr. Topalian, Mr. Egan, Ms. Harris and Mrs. Mayotte for taking the plunge! And let's not forget the surprise visit from PC Penguin or when the kids broke out into a "Flash Mob Dance" to the Black Eyed Peas' "I've Got A Feeling." They secretly learned this from SPTO volunteers Julie Fish and Nora Lemieux during PE classes. A huge thanks to all the families who attended and supported the picnic!

We want to send out a heartfelt THANK YOU to each of you who volunteered your time and/or baked goods and treats. Without you, this event could not happen. As you saw at the picnic, your generosity benefited not only all of our children but also the entire community. It is so very much appreciated!

• Kristen DeLuco - Baked Goods
• Maureen Hogan - DJ Assistant
• Danielle Gregorie - Drinks
• Arlene Santini - Dunk Tank
• Colinda Samarjian - Entertainment
• Melissa Beck - Finance
• Julie Fish & Nora Lemieux - Games
• Sheila Drugotch, Amy Parquet, Kim O'Connor, Andrea Hill & Julie Connelly - Raffle Baskets
• Mary Kathryn Quinn, Marguerite Reilly & Kim Gesualdi - Set-Up
• Kristen Collins - Signs

A super special thank you goes out to all the "Classroom Parents" for coordinating the beautiful individual raffle baskets! And Mary O'Brien who sent out school notices.

Thank you also to the many behind-the-scenes community sponsors: Laura Greenough and Stow Recreation, Advanced Mechanical Systems, Dunkin Donuts of Stow Plaza, Murphy Insurance Agency of Hudson, Village Real Estate of Hudson, J.P. Routhier and Sons of Ayer, EPIC Enterprises of Ayer, Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Worcester.

A sincere thanks to all again for making the picnic so much fun and such a success!

We look forward to seeing you all at the Pompo/Center Picnic in 2012!

Jane Bolinsky, Amy-Jo Conant & Alison Wallace (2011 Picnic Co-Chairs)

For more information, visit our Picnic page

Update: Thank you to everyone who contributed to the 2011 picnic. Please see our picnic homepage for an image slideshow.

The picnic has been rescheduled to Friday (June 10) due to the weather. The decision to reschedule was not only an issue of oppressive heat, but there is a strong likelihood of a band of severe thunderstorms heading our way for the late afternoon.

All volunteers will be contacted by their respective volunteer coordinators about the change. If your availability has changed please let them know.

Most especially, if you did not sign up to volunteer, but are now able to for tomorrow, we will most certainly need your help. Please contact Jane Bolinsky at 978-897-9908 or jbolins@aol.com

The "Picnic in the Park" will be from 5PM-7:30PM at Stow Community Park (Snow Field) on Old Bolton Road.

Please make sure you bring your own picnic (as we will not have food like past years) and a blanket. We will have homemade desserts, cold drinks, and ice cream for purchase. We will also have DJ music, dunk tank, raffle baskets, "PC" the penguin, face painting, field games and much more!

We hope you can join us. The weather tomorrow will be fantastic!

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact picnic coordinators Jane Bolinsky, Amy-Jo Conant or Alison Wallace at picnic@stowpto.org

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