On May 4th, 2017, the PTO Board approved an updated version of the Constitution and added By-Laws. Please see the new information at this link.
From Your PTO Our January meeting was a great success. We want to thank everyone who attended and offered input into our awesome capital funding proposals! The PTO is able to offer funding for capital projects as a direct result of the success of our fundraising, significantly the fall Silent Auction and the Spring Walk-a-Thon. If we don’t meet our fundraising goals, we are unable to commit money to large spending projects that really have the ability to impact our students. All this to say—THANK YOU. Thank you for engaging and allowing your PTO to really make large-scale impacts on our children’s educational experience! Because of the success of our auction, we were able to approve: IPads for 3rd and 4th grade: 30 IPads + Cart ($16,960.68) The impact of this expenditure cannot be overstated! With the addition of 30 iPads, our upper el AND lower el teachers benefit! This will provide more differentiation in classrooms, and allow more intentional use of technology in the classroom. Yearbook funding: (roughly $1600) The PTO voting to cover the cost of yearbooks for all students on free and reduced lunch for the next two years. Funding for ancillary school staff in Responsive Classroom: (cost to be determined) This came up when deciding whether or not to approve the Buddy Bench proposal. What a great discussion. Essentially, everyone likes the idea of the Buddy Bench, but we also recognize the drawbacks. In our discussion, it became clear that what would be more beneficial to our student population would be to continue to ensure that all staff are trained in responsive classroom. Responsive Classroom is a school-wide philosophy and approach to learning that ensures positive social-emotional interactions which leads to high academic success. Ultimately, while the Buddy Bench might be a great stopgap measure for bullying problems, it could also undermine the lessons and approaches used with responsive classroom. So, instead of using money for a bench, we will focus on making sure our lunch staff and other ancillary staff members are trained in this approach to interactions. All of our kids benefit because of YOU! Thank you!!! Next Year is Not Far! …And the PTO needs YOU! We will have several significant spots opening up for the 2017-2018 school year, including President. Please consider joinging as a Board Member. Email: haisleypto@gmail.com or jklozik2002@yahoo.com
The time has come for the PTO Board to vote on all of the capital improvement proposals we've received. At our January 12, 2017 meeting the board will review all proposals and vote. We welcome public commentary, however only PTO Board members may make an official vote for a proposal. Also, in the interest of time, we will be keeping commentary timed and moving along efficiently. I want to thank everyone who participated in this process, and presented AMAZING ideas to the board through the first 4 months of our school year. We are lucky to have community members who are always looking for ways our school can be better, and engage the PTO to help make some of those happen. You can find each proposal here: Water Station Proposal Yearbook Proposal IPADs for 3rd and 4th grade (3 proposals in one) Library Shelving/construction
It's that time again! Find the PTO Agenda November 2016 and two new capital campaign proposals that will be presented at the meeting Thursday, 11/3/2016 at 7:00 PM. See you there!
At this point, all Haisley Families have received a hardcopy of the new Parent Handbook! If you need to print out the page of corrections, click here. The link to the Handbook on this website links to the most up-to-date Handbook, which includes all corrections. We hope you find this helpful as you and your child navigate the school year!
Another new for this year! An at-a-glance calendar to help keep you up-to-date on Haisley events. You can find the most recent calendar to download at this link. Have something to add? Email us!
From Your PTO Board Can you believe it? September has come and gone and we are well into the swing of things! We hope your family has found your “school groove” and that everyone is off to a great start. It Takes a Village In keeping with our ongoing theme, we want to remind you that the PTO Board is here to serve and represent your interests. Please do not hesitate to call on us. You can also visit www.haisleypto.org for more information. Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 6th at 7PM in the Media Center. Some of our agenda items include: Enrichment update A capital campaign proposal Project Lead The Way Funding info We hope to see you there! Funding That Enriches Our Kids’ Lives Coming up—The Silent Auction! Have you purchased your tickets yet? You won’t want to miss out on this annual event. Save the date—Friday, November 11th at the Polo Fields Country Club. It’s a casual, adult-only event where you can get to know your Haisley community and raise money for your kids all while having fun. The PTO continues to rely on our community’s financial support, as well as volunteers. While there are many ways to contribute, the vast majority of our operating budget is established through three events: an envelope drive, the fall auction and the spring walk-a-thon. This year, we are budgeted to spend close to $200 per student. These are activities the district does not fund. We hope you will continue to support the PTO. Wanted: Your Capital Improvement Ideas Each year we raise funds to support our operating plan. If we exceed our annual goals, the surplus funds are moved to a separate account for capital spending. Over the last few years we’ve been fortunate enough to exceed our fund raising goal. We need your input! The PTO is soliciting capital improvements ideas through the December PTO Meeting. Nothing is too big or too small! In January we will award funding. Have an idea? Proposal forms can be found on the PTO bulletin board. Grab a form, fill it out, and let us know what your idea is! Please note, once the board moves funds into the capital account they are not available to the general operating budget. That’s why it’s critical for each year’s PTO to initiate new fund raising campaigns. Our current capital fund is not enough to cover the annual budget. Do not consider this fund a reason to abstain from the envelope drive or auction, or any other fund raising campaign. Thank you EVERYONE! Jen DeCapua PTO President
It's time for our October meeting! Thursday, October 6th from 7-8:30 PM in the Media Center. Remember-- we will have school-age child care available! October 2016 PTO Agenda
Do you have an idea for a capital improvement or new program/project that would benefit all the kids at Haisley? We want to hear it!! In order for a project/program/expenditure proposal to be considered, we ask that you fill out the proposal form (which can be found at this link), let a PTO Board Member know that you'd like to come to the next meeting and present the proposal. We will fit you in on our agenda, and hopefully be able to vote on the project that evening. In some cases, we may have questions that might need more time answering, in which case we will vote on the program/project idea as soon as we can. If it is a capital improvement expenditure, we accept all proposals through December, and the Board will vote on them collectively in January. Come one, come all! Let's see your ideas for how we can make Haisley better!
Last year we started a dialogue to help create a clearer vision for our school community. We were overwhelmed by the positive force that brought us together in support of a better Haisley. Our work towards that end as parent advocates was just beginning. It takes a village and many hands make light work. There are so many ways to plug in and become active at our school. We invite you to the first PTO meeting of the year on Thursday. Come to meet Ms. House and stay to learn how you can help make your child’s elementary experience the best it can be.
Families! This year, the PTO introduces a Family Handbook. This online handbook has been prepared to provide Haisley families with helpful information about our school. All families will receive a paper copy within the first two weeks of school, and it can be found on our website at the link below. Please refer to this handbook throughout the school year as a reference. It should provide the answers to most questions, but feel free to telephone us or stop in at school should you need more information. We believe that your child's success in school is dependent upon good communication between school and home. If you have any suggestions, comments, or ideas, please feel free to reach out to us. We hope you find this helpful and informative! Haisley Parent Handbook
It's the end of the year and our final PTO meeting. Come and join us on Thursday, June 2 at 7PM. Dawn Linden, Executive Director of Elementary, will be our special guest from 7-7:45PM. We look forward to seeing you there as we debrief from our town hall and plan the 2016-2017 school year. Thanks to everyone who came to our Town Hall meeting on May 18. It was a great success, and we are so happy and proud to be a part of this community.
Please click here for important information on the new front door entry system. Here are some key points: For safety purposes all doors will remain locked throughout the school day. Please follow these steps in order to access the front door. 1. At the locked Main Entrance press the button on the video intercom system. 2. Be sure to stand inside the painted footprints to ensure you are visible to school 4. School personnel will respond to your entry request. This may not be immediate as office professionals may be managing multiple requests. Please be patient. You can help by identifying yourself, your child’s name and nature of business at the school. 5. School personnel will briefly unlock the door for your entry. You will hear a clicking sound when the doors are unlocked. 6. Upon entry, all visitors must report to the office to sign in and receive a visitor tag.
Parents and teachers, clear your Thursday, 2/4/16 night calendar! At the next Haisley PTO meeting, 826michigan will be presenting for us. Megan Gilson will be on hand at the PTO meeting from 7-7:30 PM to introduce parents to the amazing progamming that 826michigan does. Megan will review: The national umbrella organization 826 National Founded by Dave Eggers Why they have store fronts The theme Student population in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit And then talk about programs that are open to the public: Creative Writing Workshops! Drop-in writing in A2 and Ypsi TUTORING in A2 and Ypsi (students ages 8-18, drop-in, homework in all subject areas, and parent/guardian needs to come on the first day to provide some info and fill out paperwork Hand out programs flyers Show some examples of our student publications Megan will end by leading a fun/silly 826-style activity for the parents. Plan to be there-- it promises to be a fun presentation! For more information on 826michigan visit their website. See you Thursday, 2/4/2016 at 7PM!
The school year is back in full swing, and there are a ton of exciting events planned for Haisley students and families. Thank you to all of our amazing Haisley families who spend time volunteering, both in and out of the classroom, to make these events possible. Special Events, Field Trips and More The Enrichment committee is in full swing, too! This month, the committee presented to the PTO the 2015-16 enrichment plan, which includes the opportunity for every class to experience an environmental field trip, a large “landmark” experience (like the 5th grade’s visit to the State Capitol), a music or art-based trip, and multiple local field trips that support each classroom’s curriculum. We’ll also be sponsoring many school-wide enrichment events: Science Olympiad, the Book Fair and Reading Night, Science Make It Fair, resident artist and musician programs, Heritage Night, a host of productions from area performers, and much more. It’s going to be a fantastic year! Peace Neighborhood Center, Thank You! The Haisley PTO would like to thank Kevin Lill and MaryAnn Meyers from Peace Neighborhood Center for coming to our October Meeting. Peace Neighborhood Center serves many families in Ann Arbor, including Haisley families. For more information on Peace please visit their website. November PTO Meeting: Cyberbullying Presentation from Washtenaw Area Council for Children. Please Join Us! Envelope Drive! Our children need your help. In the last school year our Haisley PTO spent over $50K improving the education experience for our children; that’s over $140 per student. While there are many ways to support the PTO, the vast majority of our financial support is raised through only three events: the fall auction, the spring walk-a-thon and the envelope drive. Your child will be bringing home an envelope drive form in the coming week. Please consider contributing to the PTO today. Remember, without the generous support of people like you our children wouldn’t go on field trips or participate in many programs we’ve all come to regard as essential. There is no minimum donation. Every dollar helps our children. You can also donate through Pay Pal through the link on our website. Thank you! Reminder: Capital Improvement Ideas Wanted Each year we raise funds to support our operating plan. If we exceed our annual goals, the surplus funds are moved to a separate account for capital spending. Over the last few years we’ve been fortunate enough to exceed our fund raising goal. We need your input! The PTO is soliciting capital improvements ideas through October 31, 2015. Nothing is too big or too small. Every idea will get its fair consideration. All ideas will be made available to the public for feedback and in January the PTO will award funding. All constructive ideas that do not receive funding will be kept as a priority “wish list” for future capital initiatives. General criteria for Capital Improvement Project Proposals: Items must be usable over multiple years Items should touch upon one of the missions of Haisley PTO: Enrich the curriculum, enhance the classroom, build community, build social responsibility Items should benefit the student body Items should be tangible, keeping in mind that we don’t want anything to be reallocated to other schools Please note, once the board moves funds into the capital account they are not available to the general operating budget. That’s why it’s critical for each year’s PTO to initiate new fund raising campaigns. Our current capital fund is not enough to cover the annual budget. Do not consider this fund a reason to abstain from the envelope drive or auction, or any other fund raising campaign. Room Parent Handbooks The importance of the room parent role in Haisley classrooms cannot be overstated, and we thank each of you who has taken on the role over the years. This year, each classroom is equipped with a Room Parent Handbook. You will find in there a lot of useful information, a calendar, and a copy of the Classroom Snacking Policy. There is also a place to write notes for next year’s room parent. Ask you teacher for more info!
Welcome back Haisley families! Please allow us to introduce ourselves - we are Jennifer DeCapua and Nicki Pilz, proudly serving as this year’s PTO President and Vice President. Haisley is an exceptional community of teachers, families and friends, and we so excited to be serving as your representatives. What is the Haisley PTO? As a nonprofit 501(c)3, the Haisley PTO exists to enrich the educational experience for our children. Our mission is our KIDS! We do that by building community, supporting the teachers and curriculum, and creating supplemental learning opportunities. Last year, we sponsored over 50 field trips, a host of in-school events, summer learning books, and much, much more. We want to build off of the previous years’ of success and continue to provide new and innovative ways to support our children. To ensure a successful year, we need your help. There are many ways to contribute. Volunteers: It takes a Village This year, we’ll be using the weekly e-mail blast to announce upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. Please contact this year’s Family Involvement Coordinator, Courtney Nathan, callennathan@gmail.com, with questions or to volunteer for an upcoming Haisley event. Still interested in getting involved on the PTO Board? We have 3 open positions: Fund Raising Coordinator, PTOC Rep, and Member-at-Large, Upper EL. Contact Courtney or Jennifer! New Communication Tools This year, Haisley and the PTO will be communicating through tried and true methods like the weekly Eblast and backpack mail, and also through: The Haisley School Website You will find Principal Scarnecchia’s blog here, and links to teachers’ websites Haisley’s Twitter Account The PTO Facebook Page The PTO Website and Blog Note: The Haisley Happenings monthly newsletter is no more. All communications will be via the School Website and PTO Website. Funding that Enriches Students’ Lives The PTO continues to rely on our community’s financial support, as well as volunteers. While there are many ways to contribute, the vast majority of our operating budget is established through only three events: an envelope drive, the fall auction, and the spring walk-a-thon. This year, we are budgeted to spend over $100 per student. These are activities the district does not fund. We hope you will continue to support the PTO. Wanted: Your Capital Improvement Ideas Each year we raise funds to support our operating plan. If we exceed our annual goals, the surplus funds are moved to a separate account for capital spending. Over the last few years we’ve been fortunate enough to exceed our fund raising goal. We need your input! The PTO is soliciting capital improvements ideas through October 31, 2015. Nothing is too big or too small. Every idea will get its fair consideration. All ideas will be made available to the public for feedback and in January the PTO will award funding. All constructive ideas that do not receive funding will be kept as a priority “wish list” for future capital initiatives. Please note, once the board moves funds into the capital account they are not available to the general operating budget. That’s why it’s critical for each year’s PTO to initiate new fund raising campaigns. Our current capital fund is not enough to cover the annual budget. Do not consider this fund a reason to abstain from the envelope drive or auction, or any other fund raising campaign. Finally, we’d like to remind all families that we are here to serve and represent your interests. Please do not hesitate to call on us. You can also visit www.haisleypto.org for more information, and please “like” our active Facebook page! We wish everyone a fabulous school year! Jennifer DeCapua Nicki Pilz PTO President PTO Vice President 2015-2016 PTO Board Position Name E-Mail President Jennifer DeCapua jklozik2002@yahoo.com Vice President Nicki Pilz nicki.pilz15@gmail.com Treasurer Marc Volger mvolger@umich.edu Secretary Audrey DiMarzo audrey.dimarzo@comcast.net Enrichment Coordinator Colleen Klus-Salisbury colleenklussalisbury@gmail.com Fund Raising Coordinator OPEN Family Involvement Coor. Courtney Nathan callennathan@gmail.com PTO Council Representative OPEN Member at Large Upper El OPEN Member at Large Upper El Luci Fry lucifry@yahoo.com Member at Large Lower El Kourtni Awwad kourtnidawwad@yahoo.com Member at Large Lower El Laura Koch laurakrn@gmail.com Member at Large Lower El Rosy von Rütte rosyvonrutte@gmail.com Principal Kathy Scarnecchia scarnecc@aaps.k12.mi.us Teacher Ellen McGee mcgee@aaps.k12.mi.us Teacher Audi Hahn hahna@aaps.k12.mi.us
Hello Haisley Community! First of all, we want to thank everyone who participated and offered feedback for the classroom food and snacking guidelines. Parents and teachers alike came together, and after much input and several revisions, we now have the final document. You will find the Classroom Food & Snacking Guidelines 2015 here on the PTO website. These will be the guidelines that Haisley Elementary will use starting in the 2015-2016 school year. Again, thank you for all your feedback and support!
2015 Haisley Walkathon News This year, we will be changing the way we solicit funds for the walkathon. 1. We have a NEW website, dedicated to the Walk-A-Thon and donations! Please go http://haisleywalkathon.com. Share this site with your friends and family members-- quick and easy way to get them to donate and sponsor your walker! 2. We will still be collecting cash and check donations, but no longer on a "per lap" basis. We will only be taking "set" donations. We decided to only collect prior to the event this year so that we do not have to chase down outstanding donations. Also, be on the lookout for pledge envelopes coming home in backpacks this week. 3. Lose your pledge envelope? No worries! Click here for a download of the pledge form. MORE WALKATHON NEWS: The 2015 Haisley Walkathon is just around the corner! This year the event is scheduled for Thursday, May 21st. The lower el will walk from 9:30-11:30am and the upper el will walk from 1:30-3:30pm. WE NEED YOUR HELP to make this event a success. Here are a few ways you may be able to help: VOLUNTEERS: Please consider volunteering for this event. Mark your calendar and let me know if you are interested in counting laps, preparing for the event on race day, and also cleaning up once the event is over! SOLICIT CASH DONATIONS: Every child will be sent home with an envelope requesting they raise money for the event. Last year, we almost raised $19k. This year, we hope to raise over $20,0000. Please ask neighbors, friends, and family to support your child’s efforts. We will be offering on-line donations this year, so it will make it easier to donate! Any questions? Would you like to volunteer? Please contact Susan Courtright: susanmidwest@aol.com
Ever wonder what foods allowed in our classrooms? This year a team of staff and parents have been working to create a school-wide plan. Once approved, these guidelines will take effect in the 2015-16 school year. The draft guidelines are posted here. We are asking for public comment Thursday May 7th during the PTO meeting (7:00 PM, Media Center). If you cannot make the meeting please forward any thoughts to HaisleyPTO@gmail.com Haisley Classroom Food & Snacking Guidelines – DRAFT Draft Date: April 16, 2015 Introduction: The Ann Arbor Public School District encourages healthy choices whenever food is made available within the classroom. Beyond that however, there are little or no specific policies in place to govern classroom eating. In an effort to provide clarity and guidance the Haisley PTO, a partnership of staff and parents, has developed a set of Food & Snacking Guidelines. The intent of this document is: Healthy, Safe and Successful Children Equity: Procedures and programs that do not alienate students Consistency: Procedures that are commonly followed across all classrooms and events In-Scope In-Class Snacking Birthday Celebrations Classroom Parties (eg – Holiday parties) School-wide Assemblies (eg – Pep Rally) Any event conducted on-site, starting one hour before the school day to one hour after Out of Scope District Managed Hot Lunch Menu Teacher Meals and food kept in the teacher’s lounge Evening Events where students are accompanied by parents (Heritage Night, Ice Cream Social, etc.) “Wellness” plans that include physical activity, etc. Note, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), Public Law 111–296, established a requirement that all schools receiving federal funds for school meal program maintain a Wellness Policy. The current AAPS Wellness policy is posted on the district website. That policy is up for review pending new USDA guidance expected in the 2015-16 School year. Ground Rules & Disclaimers The health and safety of our students supersedes any other policy. In the event that a student is found to have an allergy or health restriction that requires action in excess of the standard guidelines, that students requirements will be followed. September Quarantine: Due to constraint in timing for allergy communications, the entire school will follow a vegetable-only classroom policy for first two weeks in September. Teachers have ultimate responsibility and authority for their classroom. While it is expected that all students will have the ability to consume a snack during instructional time, it is at the express discretion of the classroom teacher to determine when snacking is permitted. Instructional Candy: The staff will refrain from using candy as a reward or treat. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the school principal. Classroom Snacking The Haisley Community encourages healthy snacks of fruits and vegetables. In addition to fruits and vegetables, the following food items are approved for classroom snacking. Fruit cups or “sqeezable” fruit pouches Cheese, Cheese Sticks, etc. When there is not a conflicting classroom allergy, peanuts and tree nuts Popcorn, Whole-Grain-Rich Chips (eg. Sun Chips) or Pretzels Granola, Granola Bars, misc. protein or grain-based snack bars Excluded Foods: Fruit Snacks, fruit rolls or fruit leather Candy of any kind Yogurt or “Go-Gurt” Jello or Pudding Cups Cake, Cupcakes, Cookies, misc. sweet baked good Soups or other messy, spill-able prepared food Beverages: Students are limited to water in the classroom unless otherwise required by a medical professional. Birthday Celebrations Parents are encouraged to consider non-food goodies or activities to recognize birthdays. That said, it is acceptable for students to bring a classroom treat in recognition of their Birthday. It is at the discretion of the teacher to determine the appropriate timing for Birthday treats. Please communicate with your teacher before sending birthday treats. As always, fresh fruits and vegetables are encouraged. In addition to the normal list of acceptable snacks, Birthday treats may also include: Yogurt or “Go-Gurt” Jello or Pudding Cups (low-calorie or fat-free preferred) Frozen treats like ice cream, popsicles, fruit bars (note, classrooms do not have freezers. Frozen treats should be delivered at the time of consumption) Individually portioned Cupcakes, Cookies or misc. sweet baked goods Beverages: Students are limited to water in the classroom unless otherwise required by a medical professional. Classroom Parties It is acceptable to include snacks during classroom celebrations. As always, fresh fruits and vegetables are encouraged. Classroom parties may include the same items listed as acceptable for Birthday Celebrations. Packaged Candy: Packaged Candy will only be permitted two times per year, Halloween and Valentines, though parents are encouraged to consider alternatives to candy. Beverages: Students are limited to water in the classroom unless otherwise required by a medical professional. School-Wide Assemblies Food will not be served during assemblies. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the school principal. When exceptions are made, the allowable food items will be limited to Fresh Fruits & Vegetables. Other food items may be permitted only when they are essential to instructional content (EG. sampling bread during a King Arthur Flour presentation).
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