What is the Hiawatha PTO?

The PTO is an organization of parents and teachers committed to enriching the educational and social experience of students and their families. The Hiawatha Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) welcomes new and returning Hiawatha families. The purpose of the Hiawatha PTO is to create enhance educational opportunities for students. It is our intention to encourage families to participate in both educational and social events that build pride in our school and in our community.

The PTO also provides family-friendly, wholesome, fun, safe and FREE activities such as ice cream socials, movie nights, potlucks, bingo nights, ice skating events, etc. These community-building events allow Hiawatha kids and their families to socialize and have fun together in healthy ways. This year we hope to create a family hiking event on a fall weekend. We encourage your family to attend as many of these activities as you feel reasonably possible. Students have enjoyable, meaningful experiences as a result of your involvement, and see the importance that you place on the school and Hiawatha community.

Every parent or guardian of a child at Hiawatha is considered a member of the PTO. We are not a PTA which requires members to pay dues and attend meetings. Instead, we recognize that most parents wish to be actively involved in their child’s school experience, but can’t always attend the monthly PTO meetings. Don’t worry – you can be an active supporter of the school in a myriad of ways: as a once-a-month volunteer in the classroom for Four Winds; by assisting with set-up and clean-up on a movie night or ice skating event; by volunteering to be an Odyssey of the Mind coach; by making a healthy treat for the school staff members to enjoy on a long day of parent-teacher conferences; by donating money to the PTO to support our science and artistic programming, either through a direct donation or by participating in a fundraiser.

Raising money allows the PTO to provide the enrichment activities described above as well as other events that enhance our children’s experience at Hiawatha. A number of fundraisers will be held throughout the year. We hope that you will participate to the extent that you can, but never feel that you are under any obligation or pressure to make purchases. Raising money is not the primary purpose of the PTO – creating educational opportunities and community building are the PTO’s goals.

The PTO meets on the the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are usually one hour. Childcare is provided and is free! Remember, you don’t have to attend PTO meetings to be actively involved at Hiawatha.