9/13 MM: Crew Parents Needed + Link your grocery cards!

Crew Parents Needed
Exploris September Newsletter online
Annual Fund Drive starts next week!
Snacks for Teachers- sign up
Link your grocery cards!
Calendar/Flex Days
Exploris PTO Meetings/Update
Carpool Map – thank you

Thanks for reading the Monday Minute, the regular Exploris PTO blog post. We publish these updates on most Mondays during the school year. If you would like to receive PTO emails please visit our website explorispto.org and enter your email address in the signup box in the right side column or where you see “Enter your email address to sign up for the PTO mailing list.” If you need help or have any questions about the Exploris PTO communications or need help subscribing, just contact us at new@explorispto.org.

This week:

Monday: Flex Day
Wednesday: Exploris PTO Board of Directors Meeting (see below)
Thursday: Yom Kippur Holiday, No School

1. Calling All Grade Level Parents!

The Exploris PTO is still looking for Crew Parent Volunteers for the 2021-2022 school year. Our teachers need our support more than ever, please consider volunteering.
Crew Parent Responsibilities: https://explorispto.org/about/crew-parents/

If this sounds like something you are interested in doing, please email Brooke Hedrick at volunteers@explorispto.org. Please include your name, email address and the grade your child is currently in at Exploris.

2. Exploris School Newsletter Online

The school publishes an important newsletter each month. Please read it for lots of Exploris information! See link below:

The Exploris School Newsletter September 2021

3. Annual Fund Drive starting soon!

We will be launching this year’s Annual Fund drive next week. Please plan to contribute, either one time or monthly. Your donations help us level the playing field. We use funds to purchase food for students and families in need, to cover teacher grants above and beyond the school budget, and to cover the many amazing contributions of the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization. Donations of every amount make a difference!

4. Snacks for Teachers! Sign up now

Here is the signup genius for the Teacher Snacks. It is broken down into Elementary and Middle school. Let’s treat our Exploris staff! Please try to choose snacks with minimal or earth-friendly packaging if possible. We have removed Kcups and bottled water from the snack list this year in an effort to reduce single-use plastics. Thanks!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F084FA5A62CA1F94-teachers

5. Exploris School PTO Passive Fundraising Opportunities

Thank you to everyone who is helping out with these easy fundraisers for our school! Right now we are encouraging everyone to re-link your grocery cards. This week we are featuring Lowes Foods and Harris Teeter:

*Exploris is partipating with Lowe’s Cart to Class! Link your Lowe’s Food Fresh Rewards card and earn money for Exploris on Lowe’s Food Private Brand items at https://rewards.lowesfoods.com/Account/SelectCard?mode=CartToClass

*Earn money for Exploris with Harris Teeter’s Together in Education program! Link your VIC card to our school today with code 3464, purchase HT brand products and prescriptions and you’re earning cash for Exploris! You must have an HT account to participate and you can register below. After creating an account, link your VIC card with Exploris using the second link, through the HT app or in store at checkout.Note-Both schools are under the Exploris Middle School account.

Please visit the Exploris PTO Passive Fundraising page for details and links! https://explorispto.org/fundraising/passivefundraising/

Harris Teeter VIC cards
Lowes Foods Cart to Class
Publix Partners
Box Tops 4 Education
Amazon Smile

Questions? Suggestions? Contact Richard Averitte – fundraising@explorispto.org

6. First Trimester Dates!

September 13: Flex Day (details below)
September 15: PTO Board meeting
September 16: Holiday/No School (Yom Kippur)
October 4-8: Fall Break/No School
October 20: PTO General Membership meeting
October 22: Teacher Workday: Parent Conferences
November 11: Holiday/No School (Veteran’s Day)
November 12: Flex Day
November 19: End of Trimester 1

View the 2021-22 school calendar and Google Calendar here: https://explorispto.org/calendar/

FLEX DAY ON SEPTEMBER 13TH: Our first Flex Day is here! On Monday, September 13th, most students are learning from home. All students will have asynchronous work to complete. Staff will be receiving some specialized training and will be working with small groups of students who need extra support. These days are part of our Covid learning recovery plans and will allow us to better serve all our students. Families, your crew teacher will be contacting you if your student is part of the groups that will be meeting on campus that day.

7. Exploris PTO Meetings/Update

This year, the Exploris PTO will be meeting on the third Wednesday of the month on Zoom at 6:30pm, unless otherwise announced. We had hoped to meet in person and may be able to do that later in the year. We’ll have general meetings every other month. On alternating months we will have PTO Board of Directors meetings. Everyone is of course welcomed to attend our board meetings.

The PTO board and committee members communicate via Slack. We invite you to join the PTO workspace on Slack if you’d like to get more involved with the PTO and the board! Here is the invitation link: https://join.slack.com/t/explorispto/shared_invite/zt-vkhj93eb-_gcVcFyBpd1wZ_9_TvM2GQ

Meeting Schedule:

August 18: General PTO Meeting
September 15: PTO Board of Directors Meeting (note: 5:30-6:30)
October 20: General PTO Meeting
November 17: PTO Board of Directors Meeting

8. Thanks for participating in the EXPLORIS FAMILY CARPOOL MAP!

Each summer, Exploris PTO volunteers help families connect by posting the Exploris Family Carpool Map. Whether you need a daily carpool, occasional rides, or just want to connect with families that live near you, we invite families to opt-in.

We are now finished updating the carpool map for this school year. The map will stay online but new addresses will not be added.

Feel free to email Dana and Jen at news@explorispto.org if you have any questions. Thanks!

Thanks for reading the Exploris PTO Blog Please follow our website to receive emails from the PTO. http://explorispto.org

If you would like to submit information for the Monday Minute, please email your text (copy ready), photos, and links to news@explorispto.org by 9pm Sunday.