Busy October

Thanks to the moms that came out to help on Picture Day. Not only did Burks appreciate their help, but so did the photographers at Lifetouch. They gave each of the moms that volunteered one free package of photos. There are many more volunteer opportunities coming up in October with unforseen rewards and benefits!

To give teachers plenty of time for their conferences without growling stomachs, PTO is having the Teacher Appreciation Potluck Luncheon on Parent/Teacher Conference Day Monday, October 27. If you are interested in showing off your cooking or baking skills, get in touch with Judy Poe who is wonderful at coordinating all the crock pot soups, breads and desserts.

Field Day is another great opportunity for volunteers. Volunteers are needed for the morning and afternoon sessions of Field Day on Friday, October 31 (Halloween). For more info, contact Coach Klemm or Coach Hall (Did anyone see them at the Wellness Fair this weekend? We did!)

On top of that, Kinder is going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch, 3rd grade is heading to the symphony and 5th grade's camp is comping up too! Fill out those background checks now so you are ready to jump in and participate!

By now you should have seen our Fundraising Catalog floating around your house. I've already found something I want to order, a splash guard for the microwave. This is PTO's big fundraiser for the year where we get the majority of our money for school supplies and activities, from balloons and helium to author visits. All forms and money are due by September 13th.

Benefits of Volunteering & Fundraising Friday

If you haven't had a chance to take a look at the Handbook of Volunteer Opportunities, it's not too late to fill out the form or even just let us know what you are interested in doing. We've already had parents helping out on Curriculum Night and this week a few parents will be keeping the lines moving on Picture Day. These are great opportunities to help out the school and also to get to know the kids in your child's class and their other school friends.

Our Catalog Fundraiser starts this Friday, keep an eye for the fundraising packet! This year there is also a chance to take orders online- great for when your family is not in town. And the product will be delivered right to them, free of charge!

See you at CiCi's

This Tuesday is our first CiCi's Pizza Night from 5:00 to 9:30. Let the cashier know that you're from Burks and they will ring you up on their second register. Burks will then get 10% from all transactions done on that register! This includes families that eat at CiCi's and those that get their orders to go. CiCi's is at the Northeast corner of Central and Virginia.

CiCi's Pizza Night is every third Tuesday of the month for the rest of the year. Next month we are also starting a McDonald's Night. This is a no-brainer fundraiser, I know everyone at Burks must eat at McDonald's at least once a month!

Our myway email address went awry, you can reach us at our new email: burkspto@yahoo.com.

Don't Miss Curriculum Night

PTO President Teri Kirkpatrick will be leading the PTO meeting in the cafeteria on Curriculum Night. She'll talk a little about PTO's plans and goals for this year.

Teri initiated the PTO survey last year and the response was impressive. Most parents said they'd like about 3 PTO meetings and that they'd rather just pay money than have a second fundraiser. In the added notes more than one parent asked to do away with goldfish as a prize at the Carnival. I wonder if one of those comments came from one of the many parents that I saw in the pet department at Walmart buying a fish tank the night of the Carnival (Our goldfish, Sparks, just got upgraded to a 10 gallon tank).

If the PTO survey never surfaced at your house or you thought of something you would like to have added, don't hesitate to let us know. You can drop off a note in PTO's box (just outside of Mrs. Bendorf's office), or send an email to burkspto@myway.com, or talk to her directly about what you would like to see PTO do or how you would like to help!

Today is Science Day at Burks. Students are also getting a dose of science in P.E. this year. Ask your student what the Bone of the Week is this week. Last week was clavicle, skull was the week before.

Curriculum Night Meeting

This year's first PTO meeting will be at Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 11th.

I think the details are still being ironed out but it looks like K-2 will have their curriculum night from 6-6:45 and then there will be a half an hour long PTO meeting in the cafeteria and then 3-5th will have their curriculum night from 7:15-8:00. This is to give a chance for parents with students in different grades to meet their teachers. I heard rumors of some goody being served during the break too. Burks should be sending something official out soon...

BRING IN YOUR BOX TOPS AND NESTLE PURE LIFE WATER LABELS!

We are NOT collecting Campbell Soup labels this year- this program awards points when you turn in your labels, not money like Box Tops. It takes an enormous amount of points to buy something substantial so we'd rather focus on Box Tops and Nestle Life water labels where we get a nice little check for the school! Last year we made about $350, this year we are aiming for $500. I know we can do it!