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S2 E4 - Parent Teacher Organizations · Inside the OSD

• 0:01
  SPEAKER1: Strong family and community partnerships is one of our district values.
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  And there are many examples of this because our community truly embraces this value.
• 0:10
  One such example is our parent teacher organizations.
• 0:14
  Today we're meeting up with Nicole Dengel from Brooklyn Elementary PTO.
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  Jesse Totaro from the Forest Edge PTO, and Julie Klein, the Oregon PTO representing schools Netherwood, Prairie View, and RCI.
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  All three of our guests are presidents of their respective PTO, and we're meeting today to learn a little bit more about these organizations and how you
• 0:39
  can get involved.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER2: Welcome to this episode of Inside the OSD podcast, where it's all about the kids.
• 0:47
  Here is your host.
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  Lifelong educator, and our superintendent, Dr.
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  Leslie Bergström.
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  SPEAKER1: Welcome to all of you.
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  I know our listeners are going to be excited to hear about what's going on with our parent teacher organizations or PTOs.
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  So let's get started.
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  We'll begin by having each of you introduce yourself, the PTO you're representing, and how long you've been a part of the OSD community.
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  SPEAKER3: My name is Jesse Totaro and I'm representing the Forest Edge Elementary School, which my eldest out of three started in 2020-2021 school year.
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  SPEAKER4: Nice. Yes.
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  I'm Nicole Dengel. I'm representing the Brooklyn PTO and my only one is in first grade, so I've only been involved with PTO for about a year.
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  Okay.
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  SPEAKER1: And I'm Julie Klein, representing the Oregon PTO.
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  Our PTO supports Netherwood Knoll Elementary School, Prairie View Elementary School and Rome Corners Intermediate School.
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  My oldest daughter just started second grade, so I've only been a part of the OSD community for a couple of years.
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  Oh my goodness. All of you are in the early parts of your children's educational career.
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  That's nice.
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  So I know that you're focused on similar objectives, supporting and enriching educational experiences for students, and you all have varying efforts that you
• 2:05
  work on in each of your schools.
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  Everything's a little bit different, but could you explain at a high level the purpose of a PTO organization and why it's important for these organizations to
• 2:15
  be part of the school community?
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  Now, I know that you all probably have a slightly different answer, but who would like to start?
• 2:23
  SPEAKER5: So go
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  SPEAKER1: right ahead.
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  SPEAKER4: I think the PTO is really important because it's a way for teachers and parents to really work together to enrich our kids' educations and
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  really benefit the school communities.
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  We can all do our own part, but when we combine together, we have a much greater impact.
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  So that's why I think the PTO is really important because everyone has a way to kind of find their niche and contribute in their own special way.
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  SPEAKER1: Oh, that's nice.
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  Right. Everybody brings something different.
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  SPEAKER3: So and I'll just add on to that because I think that's perfect.
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  I think the main thing to your point is the partnership between the teachers and parents.
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  And you know, a lot of times you get to know the teacher that your child has or the students in your child's class.
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  But this gives you a much broader perspective and ability to have an impact on the school and a broader sense.
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  And so I think that's a big part of the PTO overall.
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  Thank you.
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  SPEAKER1: Yeah, I'll just chime in and say that our PTO tries to support our three schools in several different ways.
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  You know, providing volunteers which are critical at different points during the school year for all of the teachers and all of the staff.
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  We try to find a way to treat the teachers, you know, put a little smile on their face during teacher appreciation.
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  They really do love that.
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  And the conference nights, I mean, organizations do great things for them on conferences.
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  Yes. You know, the staff have been at school likely since early in the morning and they're there for the entire school day and then they're staying late.
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  So any way we can just put a little extra smile on their face.
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  And then, you know, for our organization, we really strive to raise funds for the schools themselves and for the individual staff members to buy things that
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  their classroom needs. So as you said, you know, we're all in it together, however we can help and make things better.
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  That's true.
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  SPEAKER3: Can I add one more thing? Please do.
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  Because I think that made me think of something with Forest Edge being a newer school.
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  I think in addition to what you mentioned, creating that community and like establishing the community across families through events or through activities
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  that we do is in addition to kind of like the teachers and the individual staff.
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  SPEAKER1: For sure, bringing people together.
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  SPEAKER3: In the community.
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  SPEAKER1: Yes. Because everybody cares about their student's education.
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  Right? So bringing people together on something that is uniting.
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  Yeah. Has a lot of power.
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  So you all serve in the role of president for your organization.
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  So what's your what was your path to this role?
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  I want to start with you, Julie. Yeah, I'd be happy to.
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  My oldest daughter started kindergarten.
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  I was looking for ways to get involved to kind of give back.
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  I'm currently a stay at home mom, so I have a little more flexibility in my day than some of my counterparts who are in the office all day.
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  So I started as the vice president of the organization her kindergarten year.
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  Talk about a jump right in.
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  Wow. So one year is vice president.
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  Then I transitioned to president last year and now I'm just starting my second term as president this year.
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  Wow. Thank you.
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  SPEAKER3: Yeah. Yeah.
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  SPEAKER4: So I started out just as a member when my son started kindergarten and and when they had a need to help make
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  lunches for teacher conferences, I was like, "Hey, I have some flexibility with work.
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  I'm going to jump in and get my hands dirty, literally, and just kept finding ways to be involved." So by March, a couple people were like, "Our
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  president is stepping down.
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  You should think about it." And I'm like, "I keep saying, I'm not going to take on like yet another.
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  .." Yes, trying to draw a boundary.
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  But, you know, it's just it's such a good group of people to work with and seeing like really tangible results of the things we do.
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  I couldn't say no.
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  So that's wonderful.
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  So, yeah, I caved into some positive team pressure and said I would do it.
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  And so now I'm now you're it.
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  Now I'm the Brooklyn president.
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  SPEAKER3: Awesome. With Lucas or my child starting kindergarten during Covid year, it was -- I started going to meetings as a way just to connect and be more aware
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  and then similar.
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  You know, you offer one thing, you kind of -- you kind of get the ball rolling.
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  So I then joined on as the fundraising chair two years ago for the last two years and then with the president, former president moving on to do other things
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  similar, similar positive pressure to kind of join in.
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  And I've enjoyed it thoroughly.
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  So also great group of people and I was happy to take on kind of a expanded role in the PTO.
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  SPEAKER1: Well, it's nice because it's obviously a great way to do good things for -- for your own children, but for more than that, right?
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  For a whole community?
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  But it's also a nice way to make friends.
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  Yes. You know, to meet people who care about things that you care about.
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  SPEAKER3: Exactly. And it's a great way to to learn about things going on at the school and thing-- I've learned so much through being participating through the PTO
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  that I would probably never have been aware of or had to really seek out.
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  So I think there's a lot of selfish benefits for the parents as well, that it just -- it connects you to the school and what's all going on.
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  So.
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  SPEAKER1: Well, that's that's a very good point.
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  And usually the principals attend or if not a principal, there's a staff member there at all of your meetings, right?
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  So that if you have questions, there's always somebody there to to answer them.
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  That's really nice.
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  So PTOs are a volunteer organization and we we all know that leading that takes a lot of time and a lot of dedication.
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  So what is it that makes you want to spend your free time volunteering this way?
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  And we got into that a little bit, but what would you like to add?
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  SPEAKER3: I can go this way. I think that having the connection and spending the time on something that obviously our children are probably the highest priority in our
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  lives. So having something that I can spend time on that benefits them and myself and kind of allows us to connect a lot of activities kids and parents get
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  to go to. So I just think that for me, meeting the people, getting the information and putting my time towards something I feel good about is has been
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  worth it for me.
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  SPEAKER6: So yeah, I
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  SPEAKER4: definitely agree with that.
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  I wanted to be able to meet kind of like minded parents.
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  And one of the greatest benefits I get from it is actually being able to see the impacts on the local community.
• 8:36
  Yeah. Brooklyn PTO helped sponsor Opera for the Young last school year and hearing how many of the kids loved
• 8:45
  it. Yes. And my son was talking about it for a month.
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  And then when I told him like the PTO worked on it, he's like, "Mom, you brought the opera to school?" Yeah.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER7: Sure, I'll take credit for it.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER4: So just really seeing like the students and the teachers enjoying like the end result of all the work really makes it worthwhile for me.
• 9:08
  Yeah, that's great.
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  SPEAKER1: Yeah, I'll kind of echo everyone's sentiments.
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  Jesse said it best. You know, you are selfishly trying to do what's best for your own children, and that's just, you know, as a volunteer on a field trip or
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  whatever that is.
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  And then you can see the impact of your participation and you get to know your children's friends and your children's teachers sort of in a way that you might
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  not otherwise.
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  You know, my husband and I built our house for the school district.
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  You know, we intentionally chose to live in Oregon because we knew the schools were so amazing.
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  And so spending my free time on something that I believe in so strongly, it does take a lot of time.
• 9:48
  Absolutely. But it's -- it's time well spent.
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  Yeah. Thank you.
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  That was that was really nice to hear because I understand how much time it takes.
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  So I'm glad.
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  It just it's really nice to hear this from you.
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  So what kinds of volunteer opportunities are available for those who are listening and might want to get involved just like you did?
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  SPEAKER4: So one of my big goals as president this year is to really find a lot of different ways that people can contribute.
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  Because whenever I start talking about to my friends about PTO, like, "Hey, come on, like you should do this," I hear, "Oh, I don't want to commit and then
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  not be able to fulfill it." So I really started thinking about it is a huge time commitment, going to a meeting every month, running a project, being
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  an officer.
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  But we're trying to really break down kind of like small bites of ways that people can contribute.
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  So volunteering to run or assist with a single fundraiser instead of committing to the fundraising committee and doing every meeting,
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  we're looking at redesigning our website so people who have skill in that would be able to contribute.
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  If someone's great at social media, they could join our social media team.
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  They could choose to coordinate a single project or even if the way people feel they can best contribute is like donating to the teacher meals.
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  We love that because when we can do different meal themed meals for our teachers, they really enjoy it.
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  Like we had mock margaritas for Teacher Appreciation Week last year because it was on Cinco de Mayo.
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  So even like donating some juice or some tortillas or things like that, there's lots of little ways to get involved without committing to
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  every PTO meeting and every fundraiser and everything like that.
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  SPEAKER1: Thank you for thinking about access points because not everybody is ready to jump right in the way all three of you did becoming presidents in a couple of
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  years.
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  SPEAKER3: No, I would just completely echo.
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  I mean, I think that there's -- that's a focus on ours because everyone's scared to sign up for and be like stuck in something.
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  But I think I'm just going to echo it and say in a different way.
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  I mean, there's you can participate in fundraisers that are going on.
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  Last night we had a dine out.
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  I know other schools do.
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  I mean, it's as simple as going to eat somewhere and and that's so easy.
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  And to your point, otherwise contributing items, coming to the meetings and really getting involved in the committees and chairs is is in one extreme for
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  sure. But there's so many little ways.
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  And I just want to emphasize that even just being aware of what's going on and figuring out what's important to you and putting a little bit of time to.
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  It's those items that that really hit you.
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  Is is enough to start.
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  It doesn't have to be this huge thing.
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  Yeah.
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  SPEAKER1: Yeah, absolutely. The only thing I'll add is that we also will try to recruit volunteers for specific events at the schools.
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  So last fall, Netherwood did a back to school night and the principal reached out and said, "Could you help recruit eight volunteers?" So it wasn't something
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  specific for our PTO, but we were helping run back to school night on behalf of the teachers and staff at Netherwood.
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  So there are certainly fundraisers and fun runs and little projects here and there that are PTO specific.
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  There are also ways to be directly at your child's school helping with this, helping with that, back to school nights, those kinds of things that are a great
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  way to meet teachers and staff and connect with families in a different way.
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  SPEAKER3: I'm just going to pull it all together.
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  I just want to emphasize, to not be scared to like dip your toe in.
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  You will not be sucked in.
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  You will not be forced to sign up for a million things.
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  But I would just say that everyone I have met and why I'm the president now has been very welcoming, very gracious and and very understanding that everyone has
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  a lot of a lot going on.
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  So we're just looking for as much as people want to do or as little as people want to do.
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  SPEAKER1: Thank you. And I also think sometimes the first step is just getting people comfortable coming into the building, because not every family has experiences
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  in their background that makes school a comfortable place for them.
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  So when you're doing the many things that you do that invite participation, oftentimes that's the very first step.
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  And then when they feel they've had a good experience and they've been warmly welcomed, they might be willing to take the next step.
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  So thank you very much for that.
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  And then any specific steps you recommend for those who want to learn more about PTOs?
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  SPEAKER3: I'll start because I'm a strong one.
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  I think just following on social or signing up for the newsletter, just to be aware, you literally have to do nothing but just if you're aware and then kind
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  of allows you to get more familiar.
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  I think that's the first step.
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  And specific to Forest Edge, we because of what we're just talking about, we started doing quarterly meet ups that aren't no agendas, no topics as a way kind
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  of to your point of like just trying to get if someone's a little bit interested, just come see what it's about.
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  No pressure. So I would say definitely sign up, follow on Instagram and Facebook.
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  Any of the PTOs is a perfect way to start and then you can figure out a little way to see what you're interested in.
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  So I think I'm going to
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  SPEAKER4: have to steal that "No agenda quarterly"
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  SPEAKER7: That's a
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  SPEAKER1: nice one!
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  SPEAKER4: So for Brooklyn, you can follow us on Facebook, you can email PTOpresident@Brooklynpto.com.
• 15:05
  You can go to our website Brooklynpto.com.
• 15:08
  I am almost always around school.
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  You will know me by all the kids yelling "Hi Finn's mom" at
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  SPEAKER7: me.
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  SPEAKER4: And then you can always join us at school for our meetings in person.
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  We're back from remote the third Monday of every month at Brooklyn Elementary School Cafeteria.
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  SPEAKER3: Sorry, I'm just going to go back.
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  We're also the third Monday of every month before, so.
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  Okay, perfect. Okay, sorry.
• 15:33
  No problem.
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  SPEAKER1: I think we probably all have exactly the same things to say.
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  I said a very easy step would be to follow us on social media.
• 15:40
  That's where the most up to date information.
• 15:43
  We're on Facebook as the Oregon parent teacher organization and new to Instagram @OregonPTO by visiting our website
• 15:53
  OregonPTO.Org.
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  You can subscribe to emails and find out our meeting schedule.
• 15:58
  We have opted sort of for a hybrid meeting option.
• 16:01
  The bulk of us will attend in person in the Netherwood library, but we also have a virtual option via Google meet for anyone who wants to join in remotely.
• 16:11
  We found for our principals who have so many meetings and really need time at home with their families, they will often connect remotely from home.
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  Okay, so that it's not just one more trip back to school, one more evening commitment for them.
• 16:26
  And then certainly we've had parents connect in that way too.
• 16:29
  It's just sometimes easier with spouses traveling or work schedules or whatnot.
• 16:34
  Yeah, that's a nice accommodation for people.
• 16:36
  Thank you. Yeah. So thank you all for your service and your efforts for our students, our schools, our staff.
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  It's very appreciated.
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  Remember that you can find links to all episodes of Inside the OSD and submit topic ideas on our website at
• 16:53
  OregonSD.Org/Podcast. You can find this podcast anywhere you can find podcasts.
• 17:00
  Make sure to subscribe if you're listening on one of these apps to get notifications on the most recent episodes.
• 17:06
  We'll see you next time on Inside the OSD, where it's all about the kids.