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Originally delivered on 8/16/2018 7:00 am

SUBJECT: Cambridge Chronicle - PTO August Newsletter


 

WELCOME TO CAMBRIDGE!

 

A Letter from the 2018-2019 PTO President

Dear Cambridge Families,

On behalf of the Cambridge Parent Teacher Organization, welcome to the 2018-19 school year! Our purpose is to support the Cambridge administration, faculty, students and families through fundraising and volunteer efforts.  There is a place for EVERY parent with the PTO and I hope that you will find a way to get involved.

I would like to personally invite each of you to the Tears and Cheers breakfast right after drop-off on the first day of school in the auditorium.  Our principal, Jana Needham, will be speaking, and I will be speaking more about PTO, how we support Cambridge and how you can help. I hope to see you there! 

In the meantime, please visit our new website at CambridgePTO.org.  There you can learn more about our events and programs, as well as purchase your PTO membership, spirit wear and sign up to volunteer.

Please mark your calendars for our first PTO meeting of the year, Wednesday, September 12 at noon. We will meet in the Cambridge auditorium and lunch will be provided.  This is a great opportunity to meet other parents and keep informed of everything going on at school.  We are ready for a great school year and are excited to have you be a part of it!

All the best,

Jenny Cummings

Cambridge PTO President

DON'T FORGET!

 

 Now that you received that much anticipated phone call from your student's classroom teacher, please log back in to the PTO website and update your child's teacher information. This is very important!

CLICK HERE FOR THE CAMBRIDGE PTO WEBSITE

It's simple! Click on My Account and scroll down to click on My Forms/Paperwork. Now click on Family Information.  Scroll down and click Next Step.  This next page is your student(s) information.  You will be able to update the teacher information here.

*Please note that we need you to update your child's teacher for your Mule Market items to be delivered to the classroom.

PTO 101

Check out this section of the newsletter each month to learn some of the basics of the PTO. To start us off, why is fundraising such a huge focus for the Cambridge PTO? And how do I know which PTO opportunities to support?

DID YOU KNOW…

- AHISD sends the state nearly $30 million in taxes and receives only $1.3 million back to fund our district and multiple campuses. 

- Both the Alamo Heights School Foundation and our campus PTOs previously shared the responsibility for grants to support classroom and campus-wide supplies and educational tools. In a concerted effort with all Alamo Heights support organizations, the Alamo Heights School Foundation is shifting it's financial support to fund teacher and staff salaries, making up for the loss that is left by state funding. Given this change, the PTO will be the largest support organization funding our classrooms and our campus needs. 

- Cambridge PTO has two BIG fundraisers, Mule Games in the fall and Balloonfest in the spring. In addition, we raise funds through Membership, Mule Market, Dining Nights, Box Tops, HEB Cards, and School Supplies. 100% of the funds we raise go directly back to Cambridge! 

- Last year, the PTO gave over $128,000 in support to Cambridge Elementary. This included everything from library books to science lab equipment to professional development conferences for our staff to PTO programs such as Snack Pak 4 Kids and Cambridge Cares.  

As you can see, the funds raised by our Cambridge PTO are an integral part of our school's success! The best fundraiser to support is the one that makes the most cents (pun intended) for your family. We hope that you'll start by joining as a member. Membership levels start at $10 and increase in levels up to $150. That way you'll continue to get these amazing newsletters (wink, wink) and stay up to date on all of the ins and outs of our organization. And don't forget that monetary donations to the PTO can be claimed at tax time - hello tax returns!

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tears & Cheers

Monday after you drop your child off for the first day of school, please come to the Cambridge Auditorium for Tears & Cheers Breakfast! Whether your crying into your coffee or doing herkies off the stage, we'd love to see you. Plus, we'll bribe you to be there by supplying breakfast goodies and coffee. 

Join us Monday, August 20th from 8:15am - 9:30am.

 

September PTO General Meeting

Join us for the first PTO Meeting of the year on September 12 at noon in the Cambridge Auditorium. If you are anything like us and your life slipped into summer chaos and your children are resembling rabid javelinas, have no fear! Our speaker will be professional organizer, Sarah Halbach, with helpful information about getting your family organized for back to school. Not only is Sarah an AH Graduate but she is featured regularly on Great Day SA. Plus, hear from Cambridge Principal Jana Needham. Lunch will be provided (yes, another food bribe). 

 

Stop by the PTO Table at Meet the Teacher

The PTO will have a table at Meet the Teacher for all of your PTO needs. Purchase your spirit wear from the Mule Market, join the PTO, find out about ways you can get involved....or just stop by to say hello! We'll take money in all forms - cash, credit card or check.

IMPORTANT PTO INFORMATION

Get involved as a PTO Volunteer!

Throughout the school year, the PTO's success is dependent on our team of parent and community volunteers. Whether you are chairing a Cambridge fundraiser (come on, you know you want to!) or volunteering for an hour at Book Fair or Bike Rodeo, our volunteers are vital to our organization. Please take a look at our full list of volunteer opportunities offered here and we'd love to get you involved in a role that best suits your availability and interests. If the thought of the PTO leaves you with sweaty palms and breaking out in hives, shoot us an email at cambridgeptosa@gmail.com and we'll find a job that is perfect for you! Or check out these positions below that need YOU! If you see one that strikes your fancy, be sure to mark your interest on our Volunteer Page

Monday Mail Editor & Monday Mail Translator

Monday Mail is sent out weekly and includes information from our staff, our PTO, and the district. We are looking for two positions, a Monday Mail Editor to put together the Monday Mail each week, and a Spanish Translator to edit the Spanish version of the Monday Mail. 

 

Balloonfest Committee

Be a part of Cambridge's FUNdraiser and one of Alamo Heights's most beloved events, BALLOONFEST! Balloonfest is currently recruiting both leadership and committee members. Make lifelong friends and a true impact on the lives of your children's education by being a part of a timeless tradition for our school.

 

Hospitality Committee

Are you the host with the most or hostess with the mostest? Our Hospitality Committee is in search of a few good men and women to assist with needs throughout the year. This team attends PTO general meetings and teacher conference luncheons to assist in setting up, greeting, serving, and clean up. 

YOUR PTO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Your Cambridge Elementary 2018-2019 Executive Board

President - Jenny Cummings

President Elect - Lauren Vielock

Treasurer - Catherine Bishop

Assistant Treasurer - Kelly Moody

Secretary - Kim Johnson

Parlaimentarian - Lauren McLaughlin

Vice President of Communications & Literacy - Brooke Meabon

Vice President of Fundraising - Marie Turner

Vice President of Health & Wellness - Leslie Edwards

Vice President of Special Projects - Vicki Kindt

 



Cambridge Elementary PTO
1001 Townsend Ave
San Antonio, TX 78209
(210) 822-3611