Below is a summary of what your PTO is up to throughout the year.

 

Family Events

  • Pizza Party & Open House: (September) Visit students’ classroom and teachers, followed by pizza on the playground.
  • Winter Dance: (January) Music and the disco ball, fun for the entire family.
  • Book Fair: (November, March) Purchase books for your family or for your students’ classroom.
  • Carnival: (Feb) An evening of games, food and a raffle event.
  • International Night: (March) A potluck and program celebrating our school’s cultural diversity.
  • Talent Show: (April) A showcase of Van Hise student talent.
  • Ice Cream Social: (June) Our end of the year party on the playground.
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Fundraising

  • Direct Appeal: (Fall)
  • REAP Taste of Wisconsin Holiday Fundraiser: (Fall) Earn money for Van Hise while buying a variety of high-quality, locally-produced items from sustainable farms and businesses in Wisconsin.
  • Rummage Sale: (April) Support the PTO by donating items for the sale, or by searching for that perfect treasure at the Rummage Sale.
  • Amazon.com: Help Van Hise Elementary make money when you shop and order on Amazon.com. Next time you place an order on Amazon, first click on the Amazon School Rewards link on the left, then do your shopping. Up to 15% of your purchase at Amazon.com will go to VHE. Note that only new items added to your cart will count.
    Share the Van Hise Amazon link with friends and family!
  • Office Depot: (ongoing) Mention Van Hise Elementary when making purchases from Office Depot and 5% of your sale will be donated to Van Hise. Online purchases can also be made through officedepot.com; our school code is 70109360.
  • Target RedCard: Take Charge of Education program is a credit card program through Target. Designate Van Hise Elementary as your school of choice, and Target will donate 1% of every purchase you make with your Target REDCard. You can also use your Target REDCard for online purchases through target.com.
  • Boxtops for Education: (ongoing) Bring in your General Mills boxtops, trimmed. This program funds ‘specials’ like art, music, and gym. Online purchases can also be made through this program: boxtops4education.com
  • Swiss Valley: Caps for Cash and Kemps: Nickels for School: (ongoing) Mrs. Cantwell collects milk caps for the art program. Each cap collected is worth 5 cents. The caps have a sticker on the top indicating that they are part of the school donation program. Caps can be turned into the art room. Thanks for drinking milk and helping art!
  • TerraCycle: (ongoing) Earn money for Van Hise while preventing non-recycleable materials from going into the landfill. Collect ELMER’s glue sticks and bottles, SCOTCH tape dispensers, and plastic (#6) cups. These products will be upcycled into products such as totes and shower curtains.
  • DonorsChoose.org: Van Hise Teachers post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. When a project is funded, the teacher receives the materials. The number of active projects (overall and at Van Hise) varies as projects are added and funded. Donations are tax-deductible! This is a great way for friends and family to contribute to Van Hise and/or your child’s classroom.
  • The Endowment Fund: (ongoing) Established in 2000 by the Foundation for Madison Public Schools (FMPS), Van Hise Endowment’s earnings will fund unique learning projects for VHE students. The PTO has set a goal of reaching $50,000. Currently, the VHE fund balance is $19801.55. Your donation can be given securely on-line at fmps.org.
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Teacher Support

  • Teacher Grants: (October) Grants (typically $200/year for full-time teachers) are awarded annually. Unique grant requests from teachers are also accepted.
  • Teacher Appreciation Day: (May) Teachers are treated to a wonderful potluck meal provided by VHE families and fabulous door prizes.
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For Parents & Students

  • PTO General Meetings: At least two are offered per year and are theme-centered. Parents are also welcome to attend regularly scheduled PTO business meetings on the second Tuesday each month, 7-8:30p, during the school year.
  • Safety Patrol: The PTO provides equipment for our young crossing guards, hall, and playground monitors.
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Publishing

  • PTO Newsletter: (monthly on turquoise paper) PTO, school, and District news.
  • Yearbook: (June) The year in review.
  • Student Directory: (October) The VHE phone book.
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