Fall Carnival! Thursday, Oct. 28

We are thrilled to announce your Fall Carnival will be held

Thursday, Oct. 28!

Mark your calendars for an evening of fun and food for the whole family!

Check back for details coming soon.  :)

Walk-a-Thon a Wild Success! Pledges Due by Oct. 4

Hello, Mustangs!

The Walk-a-Thon was a WILD success!!

Our MAJOR MUSTANG THANKS go out to all who helped:

• Kara Hoopes, Chairperson who donated many, many hours in coordinating the Walk-a-Thon!
• The Walk-a-Thon Committee who helped out with planning, setup, registration, stamping, snack sales, first aid, cleanup and all that goes with coordinating an event of this magnitude!
• Tara Justesen and Brenda DeGiulio for their support in promoting the Walking School Bus during the Walk-a-Thon.
• PTO Officers Jennifer Horrocks, Kara Green, Jane Webb and their spouses.
• Mr. Armes, and teachers who participated:  Mrs. Mosher, Mrs. Augustus, and Mrs. Steele!
• And most of all...

Thanks to all our students and families who came and participated this morning! 

What a terrific turnout!  With a sunny day, clear skies and no wind, it was a "one in a million" gorgeous day in east Idaho. Everyone was enthusiastic and had a great time walking for exercise and to earn money for our school.

We are now looking forward to seeing the pledges come in and counting how much money all you awesome Mustangs earned for our Pre-School/Kindergarten playground and other needed equipment.

WHAT TO DO NEXT:

1. Students need to take their pledge forms around to their sponsors and collect their pledges.
2. Please return the completed form, the "Laps Completed" tally card and funds inside the manila envelope to school on Monday, or as soon as possible this coming week.

PLEDGES ARE DUE BY MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

Thanks, again, for all your support and purchases at our Snack Shoppes! 

WAY TO GO, MOUNTAIN VALLEY MUSTANGS!


--Angelina Farnes, Secretary

“It’s not the majority of people that make things happen, it’s the majority of people who get involved that makes things happen.”  -- Mike Adams, host of Idaho Up Close radio program

Inaugural Walk-a-Thon! Sept. 25, 2010

It's Time for Mountain Valley Elementary's First Annual
Walk-a-Thon! 

Saturday, September 25, 2010
Check in 9:40 am at Eagles Homestead Park by the baseball diamond

1. Walking will be one hour, from 10:00 - 11:00 am

We encourage families to walk together with their students.

PLEDGE FORMS & FUNDS ARE DUE BACK BY MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

• Familes will be walking with their students for one hour, completing as many laps as possible, helping students earn funds for the Mountain Valley PTO. 
  
• All proceeds will benefit the Mountain Valley PTO in funding playground equipment for the Pre-school and Kindergarten age children, and other needed equipment, such as microscopes for our Discovery Room.  Please view our Fundraising link to view our various and urgent needs at school. 
  
• Pledge forms (attached to manila envelopes)  have been sent home.  We encourage parents to help their children obtain pledges from at least ten sponsors each. 
  
• Pledges are accepted per lap completed (each lap is approx. 1/2 mile) or as a maximum pledge.
  
• "Laps Completed" tally cards will be given to each participant at the event to help keep track of progress.
  
• Please dress weather appropriate-- so far the weather looks great!
  
• Please wear sturdy walking shoes.
  
• Girls with long hair-- please put your child's hair up in a braid or pony tail, as we'll be taping the "Laps Completed" tally cards on the back of participants' shirts with painter's tape, similar to the official number in a road race.  Thus, having participants' hair up out of the way will be helpful.
  
• After the Walk-a-Thon, students will return to their sponsors, show them their "Laps Completed" tally card and collect the sponsors' per-lap pledge or maximum pledge. 
  
• Funds collected and the tally card should be kept in the manila envelope.
  
• Checks are preferred.  Please make checks payable to:  "Mountain Valley PTO".  All contributions are tax deductible.  Your cancelled check is your receipt.
  
• Once the student has collected all pledges:

1. Fill out the Pledge Form
2. Put all funds and the tally card in the manila envelope
3. Return the manila envelope to your student's teacher by Monday, October 4

• Bring some extra change to enjoy a drink and snack at our Snack Shoppe!  The following items will be available for purchase for your hungry, thirsty walkers!
• Bottled water - $1.00 each
• Hot cocoa - $1.00 each
• Donut - $1.00 each
• Two granola bars - $1.00
• Cup of cocoa & one granola bar - $1.00 

 Any questions or comments, please post here or e-mail us at MountainValleyPTO@gmail.com.

Thanks for your terrific support, and we'll see you there!

--Angelina Farnes, Secretary

“It’s not the majority of people that make things happen, it’s the majority of people who get involved that makes things happen.”  -- Mike Adams, host of Idaho Up Close radio program

Mountain Valley PTO announces new Officers!

Mountain Valley PTO is delighted to announce two new Officers for the 2010-2011 school year:

Our new Vice President is Mrs. Lauri Thurber!

Our new Fundraising Coordinator is Mrs. Kara Green!

We already miss Mrs. Jenifer Cabrera who did a FANTASTIC job as our inaugural VP, and send our best wishes to her as she continues to help out in the classrooms and supports our events/projects.

We greatly appreciate Mrs. Thurber's willingness to volunteer in her new capacity as Vice President, which oversees the non-fundraising PTO activities this year, such as Teacher/Staff Appreciation, Kindergarten Roundup, and Registration.  Mrs. Thurber has already donated many hours in getting our "Mustang Market" up and running (i.e. Friday Snack Sales-- more info to come).  We now need a Chairperson to oversee the Mustang Market.  If you're interested, please let Mrs. Thurber know when you see her or drop us a line at MountainValleyPTO@gmail.com.

We also greatly appreciate Mrs. Green's willingness to volunteer in her new capacity as Fundraising Coordinator, which oversees the PTO fundraising activities this year, such as Box Tops, the Walk-a-Thon, Fall Carnival, Book Fair, and working with community businesses such as Domino's Pizza, Wendy's, etc.  Mrs. Green, as well, has already donated many hours in getting the Walk-a-Thon coordinated and working on other fundraising sources.  Please contact her with any ideas or comments or drop us a line at MountainValleyPTO@gmail.com.

This is also a Shout Out to our fabulous President, Mrs. Jennifer Horrocks, and Treasurer, Mrs. Jane Webb, who are doing an outstanding job so far this year at inventing the wheel and getting it turning quickly!  Phew!  What a JOB and a HALF, and we thank them for the already many, many hours of work they have put in.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments, we love to hear from you-- this is YOUR organization and we want you to feel enthusiastic and supportive of our efforts to enhance our children's education and Mountain Valley Elementary.  But we can't take the approaches and directions you'd like to see us take if we don't hear from you, so please talk to us!

E-mail:  MountainValleyPTO@gmail.com
Blog:  MountainValleyPTO.blogspot.com
Facebook:  Mountain Valley PTO
Twitter:  MVPTO

Thank you, and thanks for all your terrific support!

--Angelina Farnes, Secretary

“It’s not the majority of people that make things happen, it’s the majority of people who get involved that makes things happen.”  -- Mike Adams, host of Idaho Up Close radio program

Grandparent's Day Today!

We are excited to welcome all our wonderful parents, grandparents, --and all who serve as terrific friends and role models for our students-- to Mountain Valley Elementary today!

Students will be dismissed by family groups according to the grade level of the youngest child, as follows:

Kindergarten and 1st Grade:  11:00 am
2nd Grade:  11:20
3rd Grade: 11:30
4th Grade:  11:40
5th Grade:  11:50

6th Grade students will not be in the building today, as they are attending the COW (Careers On Wheels) workshops today. 

Grandparents:  please arrive 5 minutes prior to your scheduled time.  We will have greeters at the front door of the school to direct you to the correct classroom.

THIS IS A HUGE THANK YOU  to  Ms. Andrea Poppleton who has served as our Grandparent's Day Chairperson-- with little to no notice!  You are wonderful!  And THANK YOU to all our amazing volunteers who have stepped up to help make this happen.  Thank you!

We're, again, delighted to have you visit our school, and to show off our wonderful facilities, staff, teachers, and of course allow your grandchildren to show off their classrooms and schoolwork! 

Thank you to all who are supporting your students in this event, and for the wonderful, vital role you play in our children's lives. 

MOUNTAIN VALLEY LOVES  OUR GRANDPARENTS!

-- Angelina Farnes, Secretary

“It’s not the majority of people that make things happen, it’s the majority of people who get involved that makes things happen.”  -- Mike Adams, host of Idaho Up Close radio program

Grandparent's Day! Sept. 24, 2010

Hello, PTO members!

Our MVE inaugural everything is this year and what better way to kick off the festivities this year than by going back to our roots!  By celebrating our kids' wonderful grandparents, we honor those who helped make us the people we are, and who have kept us sane while tackling this parenting thing ourselves! 

We're delighted to invite the students' grandparents, parents, other significant adult in their lives or "adopted grandparent for the day" to join us, as follows:

Friday, September 24, 2010
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Come enjoy lunch with your grandchildren, then visit their classrooms!
Check in will be in the front lobby of the school, where grandparents will then be directed on how to join with their grandchildren for lunch. 

All students from the same family will be dismissed for lunch at the same time as the youngest sibling's lunch time.  Grandparents who ordered school lunch will be given a ticket (pizza or turkey wrap) to present to Mrs. Call, our fabulous lunch lady, in the lunch room, to confirm payment has made made for the meal.

After lunch, grandparents are welcome to visit their students' classrooms briefly, and then separate as the children go out to play at recess.  At this point grandparents may return home, as the day is a full scheduled day of school and students will be expected to remain at school until their normal dismissal time at 2:56 pm.

Parents, please forward this information or a link to this info to your students' grandparents so they will know what the plan is for the day.  And please stay tuned to this page, as updates may be posted as we get closer.

Thanks, and we're looking forward to being graced by the presence of so many wonderful, wise, and adorable grandparents in our school! 

-- Angelina W. Farnes, Secretary

“It’s not the majority of people that make things happen, it’s the majority of people who get involved that makes things happen.”  -- Mike Adams, host of Idaho Up Close radio program

Help Needed - First Grade Beautification Project - Flower Bulbs!

Hello, PTO members!   Here's a chance to help out if you have any gardening compost or garden soil connections.  Following is a letter from one of our outstanding First Grade teachers, Ms. Holly Weber:

Dear Mountain Valley Elementary PTO,

Greetings from first grade.  Our kiddos started pulling weeds today in preparation for planting bulbs this Friday afternoon. [Editor's note:  that is Friday, Sept. 17.  And... can you First Graders please come to my yard next? :) ] They had great fun but the soil quality is pretty poor and may be difficult to plant in.  I was wondering whether we have anyone with connections to a local garden center that might be willing to donate some compost or garden soil?  Our three classes are tackling the small planter area surrounding our mailbox.

Thanks so much!

Holly Weber 

Please contact any of the First Grade teachers: Ms. Weber, Ms. Mosher or Ms. Zaranek,  or a PTO Officer, right away if you can help!  Thank you!

-- Angelina W. Farnes, Secretary

“It’s not the majority of people that make things happen, it’s the majority of people who get involved that makes things happen.”  -- Mike Adams, host of Idaho Up Close radio program

September PTO Meeting: 9/1/2010

I’ll admit it:  the first PTO Meeting had me a bit nervous.  –What if no one volunteers to help?  What if no one shows?  Or if those who do show start arguing?!  Lol 

I was reassured by President Jennifer Horrocks that it would be a fantastic meeting—and it was!  I had nothing to worry about.  We had a terrific turnout and the response exceeded my expectations.  Please see our PTO Meetings tab for notes and details to be posted soon. 

THANK YOU, thank you, everyone who came and who joined an Event/Project group and got to work right then and there, after the meeting!  And if you have signed up on the  general PTO list, please consider signing up to help in a specific Event/Project group.  Your help is needed!  (see meeting notes for Event/Project details).

But first and foremost, we ask for your help in your student’s classroom(s).  If you then have extra time you can give to the PTO, we would love to have you! 

The spirit of helping, service, community and unity was palpable that night and your PTO Officers thank you so much for everyone stepping up to the plate.  Thank you to those who already picked up the ball that night and have started to run with it!  Wahooo!  Several people have approached us/e-mailed us who couldn't make it to the meeting, as well, and have gotten involved. When we all “lift where we stand”, as a wise man said, we will see amazing things, even miracles happen!

“It’s not the majority of people that make things happen, it’s the majority of people who get involved that makes things happen.”  -- Mike Adams, host of AM Idaho radio program

I LOVE that quote and am glad to see it in action in our very own PTO community.  Thanks, again!

--Angelina Farnes, Secretary 

First Day of School

Dateline: August 31, 2010, the first day of brand new Mountain Valley Elementary. A historic occasion!

The first day of school is always a mix of emotions-- sadness at the summer fun and sun winding down, but excitement and anticipation of the new adventures, learning and friends the new school year brings.

Toss in a brand new school, principal, teachers, staff, curriculum, and varied backgrounds and expectations from parents, and we were all a bit antsy!

I wholeheartedly agree with comments from staff that this is an amazing student body with wonderful self awareness and social skills!  There is not the usual jostling, clowning around and horseplay when the students are in line and walking down the halls.  Perhaps the newness of everything will wear off and the boisterousness will rise, but I think the overall atmosphere of Mountain Valley is a palpable respect for each other, for the fabulous gift the taxpayers have given us in this new facility, and a desire to make each day count for each student.  I LOVE it!

As we continue through the year, there will be, and there already have been, a few hiccups, but I feel the general direction of the school is postive and exciting.  Thanks to all who have already worked so hard to bring the school to where it's at, and most of all, thanks to each one of you parents who do the most important work of all: teaching and nurturing in your own homes.

--Angelina Farnes, Secretary

“It’s not the majority of people that make things happen, it’s the majority of people who get involved that makes things happen.”  -- Mike Adams, host of Idaho Up Close radio program