Every year the PTO helps fund many initiatives throughout our school. For example: The PTO pays for all class field trips, including the bus tours. The PTO provides mini-grants to each teacher. This allows teachers to buy supplies for their classroom and provide an enriched learning environment. The PTO also sponsors and funds several school functions, clubs and the below initatives:
AAPAC (Parent Advisory Council): The Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee for Special Education is a group of parents whose focus is on supporting children in AAPS who have IEPs or 504 plans. This groups meets the first Monday of each month from 7 – 8:30pm at Tappan Middle School. These general meetings are open to the public. You can find more information on their website here: https://a2pac.wordpress.com/
Academic Games: Academic Games (AG) is a fun way to learn through playing games in serveral different subject areas. Students use math, language, etc. creatively to outsmart their opponents. Students have fun testing their problem-solving skills with, other smart, motivated students from across the state and (at Nationals) across the country! Ann Arbor Public Schools has strong AG teams through 12th grade so AG is an extracirricular activity that students can build on through high school. All 4th and 5th graders may join. Practices are in the evening twice per week, usually Tues & Thurs from 7 – 8:30pm) from September to March. Regional tournaments are once per month on Saturday morings from September through Februrary and the State Tournament is in March.
Bagel Fridays: This is a casual monthly gathering before school (starting around 8:10) to socialize with friends, families and teachers while enjoying bagels, muffins, juice and coffee. This event is for students and families!
Bingo Night: Bingo night is exactly what it sounds like…a night of Bingo! Bingo night is an event for the entire family. Students and their families gather by grade level in the multi-purpose room and enjoy a night of fun. Everyone plays Bingo until they win!
Book Fairs-Scholastic and Follett (and Used Books): The two King Book Fairs are among King’s most successful PTO fundraisers and also provide access to books for all of our students. Our Fall Book Fair will be through Scholastic and our Spring Book Fair will be through Follett, along with our used book fair. Many volunteers are needed to help us with planning, set up, clean up, organizing, back orders, 2 preview days and 3 sale days – both during school hours and before/after school. Please help us make the book fair successful!
Box Tops: Start collecting your box tops now! Turn them in at the end of May and our PTO will earn cash and the winning class, a party! Typically, our school has earned between $2000-$3000 annually from Box Tops!
Community Action Network: Community Action Network partners with children, youth and families from under-resourced Washtenaw Country neighborhoods to create better futures for themselves, and improve communities in which they live. The PTO supports all families regardless of ability to pay by making sure that all students receive a school picture package, field trips, free passage to any PTO event, any spirit wear available and a holiday family-to-family Snowman giving program.
Disability Awareness Workshops: The Disability Awareness Workshop is a one day program to teach 4th graders an empathetic understanding of physical, developmental, and learning disabilities. The hands-on-activity based program is designed to help student’s understand how difficulty and complex daily living cna be for individuals with disabilities. At the same time, the workshop’s, “I can” message challanges cultural stereotypes that marginalize people with disabilities. Where others see adversity, challenge and problems we see opportunities, possibilities and potential. The workshops help to build a cultture of understanding that is invaluable, with the goal to learn, through experience. Students learn that given the right tools and adaptations individuals with disabilities can accomplish everyday tasks, be successful and live happy lives. Volunteers are needed to assist our 4th grade students with hands-on activities to simulate disabilities.
Grocery Cards/Amazon Smiles: With a few clicks you can support the King PTO with your purchases! It’s our easiest fundraiser! We can easily bring in over $3000 annually by earning money for our school while shopping at Amazon, Kroger, Office Max and Busch’s.
Field trips: The PTO pays for all school field trips through fundraisers and parent donations.
Harvest Moon Festival: The festival is a celebration of cultural customs, coinciding with the first full moon in early October. Crafts depicting the ways in which each culture celebrates the harvest moon will be available for the children to make. Children and adults are encouraged to wear costumes for a lantern parade that will take place at close to the end of the event. Prior to the event, we will need assistance preparing the crafts and games and coordinating the food vendor(s).
Ice Cream Social: End of the school year social with friends, ice cream, pizza and carnival like games. It is a fun event for the entire family to enjoy. Many volunteers are needed to run games and serve ice cream and pizza.
International Night: Every year, children at King Elementary school are invited to celebrate cultures and countries of the word at the school’s International Night. Children share their culture through song, dance, instruments, fashion, etc. Children can sign up for any culture they chose and rehearsals take place for approximately 2 months after school. The performance then takes place at a local high school with over 20 performances in total! We need parents to organize and lead these performances. Look for signs ups in December/January.
Learning Garden: The King Learning Garden is a place for children to learn and experience hands-on the importance of locally grown food, sustainability and the biodiversity that exsists in our schoolyeard. Our vision is that the King Learning Garden provides a source of locally grown organic food for our school community and offeres a connection to the earth that inspires new ways of to think, learn and live. The King Learning Garden committee is lead by a group of parents working with teachers to help teachersguide students to care for the learning garden and outdoor classroom. Committee members work with classes in the garden during the school day throughthe entire planting process – seed to serving. We’ve extended our growing season with the addition of a Solar Passive Greenhouse.
Math Club: The Math Club is focused on building problem-solving skills and reinforcing math concepts. Students apply math concepts that they have already learned at school to solve a wide variety of problems. We foster enthusiasm in math, help students build good work habits, and develope their creativity in problem solving. Any 1st to 5th grade student who enjoys math and seeks a challenge is welcome. We meet once a week starting roughly in October until March. We ask parent volunteers to coach, provide in-class assistance, to monitor student behavior during classes, make copies of the class materials, etc. We encourage the students to participate in the annual mathematics competition called Math Kangaroo, which happens in mid-March.
PTO Council: The PTO Council is the umbrella organization supporting PTOs throughout Ann Arbor Public Schools. It is made up of a member representative from each PTO and PTSO in the district. The PTO Council facilitates parent involvement, shares ideas and innovations, and works to advance the quality of schools. They have monthly meetings that are open to the public and the meetings are on Monday evenings at 7pm at the Balas Administration Building. You can find more information here: https://www.a2schools.org/ptoc
PTO Thift Shop: Shop, Donate, Fundraise! Ann Arbor PTO has a Thrift Shop that supports all AAPS PTOs. Please donate your goods and shop for bargains at the thrift shop. The thrift shop also sponsers a Veterans Day Cash Raffle. Our school also earns money when we advertise the PTO thrift shop.
Science Olympiad: Science Olympiad is a fun, friendly competition between Washtenaw County Schools. We are able to send over 120 King students in grades 2-5 to compete annually. The competition typically happens in May or June for the school year. Practices start in January or February (depending on the date of competition). We are volunteer driven and need 25-40 adults to coach events. As an event coach, you will spend about 2-3 hours per week in coaching activities from Jan/Feb through the competition in May/June. You can pick your own practice day and time to make it convenient for your schedule. It is very rewarding to watch your students learn and master materials!
Silent Auction: King school organizes one main fundraiser with big results! It highlights our community AND is a night filled with excitement, energy and fun. It features 300 items – generously donated by families, businesses and King teachers. Much volunteer help is needed organizing donations, preparing for the auction and helping on the night of the event! Read more
Spirit Wear: We design and sell all King Elementary merchandise available for purchase. All profits go to the PTO.
Teacher Appreciation: The work of this committee is to support and show appreciation for King teachers adn staff at a few key times a year: during the fall teacher conferences, the holiday season and during the spring national Teacher Appreciation Week. Involvement withthis committee might take teh form of set up or clan up during these key events or helping provide food or materials. Creativity and new ideas for these events are always welcome.
Turkey Trot: The annual King School Turkey Trot will take place during school hours on a Friday in November. All King students will run/walk laps behind the school. Once the children finish, they can enjoy cider and donuts in the gym. We would love volunteers to join us in the gym to pass out cider and donuts to the students.
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