Summary and Overview
The Eagle PTO is a self-funded, nonprofit organization that works with parents, teachers, staff, students, and community members to provide fun and educational opportunities for our stakeholders. Eagle Elementary is a warm and inclusive school, and our PTO prides itself on the same values that we teach our students every day!
Our PTO is only as strong as our volunteers. If you would like to volunteer to be a part of the PTO please fill out the Eagle PTO Volunteer Signup Form. We are always looking for committee chairs as well as families that may only be able to give an hour or two of their time. Our Executive Board meets monthly, and we hold general meetings several times a year. Please do not hesitate to email or contact us on Facebook if you have any questions!
Activities
Our school is active during the entire school year! Below is a list of the typical activities that our PTO puts on over a school year. We are always open to new ideas for activities and keeping our time-honored favorites. In addition, our PTO tries to engage in one-time special events during the year such as author visits, the mobile Nature’s Classroom, and much more!
Fall
- Fall Family picnic – a perfect time to gather on our athletic fields, make new friends, and dance to songs from our DJ.
- Spooktacular – the best Halloween party in Bethlehem! Fifth-grade students usually take turns as ghouls and ghosts in our Haunted Hallway. Parents volunteer for our Trunk or Treat, and families paint pumpkins, trick or treat, and play scary games.
- Lip Sync – a time-honored Eagle tradition where students from all grade levels form groups to perform dance numbers with the support of parents and staff. This event is usually standing room only for spectators. Keep your eyes open for an appearance from Eddie the Eagle!
- Fall Book Fair – A great way for parents and grandparents to share in the love of reading!
Winter
- Eagle After School Enrichment – Need a way to beat the winter blues? Eagle brings in local instructors in music, dance, cooking, and much more for an after-school enrichment program that usually sells out very quickly and keeps the kids busy!
- CAPER (Children and Parents Enjoy Reading) – Kids wear their favorite pajamas and snuggle up as we turn the lights down low in the cafeteria and students read their favorite short books open mic style. Special guests have included therapy dogs and renowned local authors!
- Movie Night – Grab your popcorn and come to a family-friendly movie in our gymnasium for kids of all ages.
- Science Fair – Future scientists wanted! Teachers serve as judges as our students proudly display their scientific experiments.
Spring
- Art Fair & Ice Cream Party – Our students’ art is proudly displayed around the school for all to see. Stop by and grab an ice cream sundae too!
- Spring Book Fair – Grab your summer vacation reading material!
- Bike & Roll to School Day – a school-wide celebration where students are encouraged to bike or walk to school as different volunteer captains lead kids from several neighborhoods!
- Pit Party – An end-of-year celebration for our graduating fifth graders to let loose in a safe and fun environment.
Summer
- Eagle Garden – We are fortunate to have a full vegetable garden in our backyard! The garden is planted and cleaned in the spring, and families take shifts over the summer to weed and pick vegetables. We are usually overflowing with yummy and healthy treats!
Fundraising
Our PTO does not receive any funding from the school district, and we pride ourselves on making our events free to all students. Fundraising is a big component that allows us to keep a robust slate of events and teacher support. We try to use local vendors as much as possible to keep our money in the community. Typical fundraisers are:
- Fall Plant Sale (through a local gardening company)
- Thanksgiving pie sale through Schuyler Bakery
- Krause’s Spring Chocolate Sale
- Luck of the Irish raffle drawings
- Silvergraphics Art Fundraiser (you can get your student’s artwork printed on several different items!)
- Scholastic Book Fairs
- School Pictures
- Back-to-School Supplies
We are open to any fundraising suggestions as a way to maximize the programming for our students and support our teachers!
Staff Support
Our PTO knows that our teachers and staff are the heart of our building. We try to support our teachers as much as we can. We give all staff a yearly Amazon gift card to purchase class and school supplies. We host a staff appreciation week and fund special projects, such as adding books to the library’s catalog. We also work to beautify the school including adding warm classroom signs around the building as well as setting up a Little Free Library near our playground.