February's a long way away, right?

Mark your new calendars for the Winter Carnival! It's on February 1st. We also suggest putting an extra reminder on, like, January 27. Otherwise you'll flip the page and go OH MY GOSH TONIGHT'S WINTER CARNIVAL!!! Or, if you're like some people we know, you won't flip the calendar until, like, the 4th, and then you'll miss both Groundhog Day and the Winter Carnival. And we wouldn't want that to happen!

Meeting Time!

The RIS PTO will meet Tuesday, November 13 at 6:30 in the RIS Media Center, aka the library. In honor of the weather, we'll start talking about the Winter Carnival, among other interesting things. Please join us!

Hey You!

RIS PTO will meet Tuesday, October 9, 6:30 p.m. in the Library. Our last meeting didn't even last an hour.

Party party party!

Hey! It was a great Fall Fun Party. It ended 90 minutes ago and some students are still bouncing! Thanks to all of the volunteers for your participation and enthusiasm; we hope you had fun, too. Big thanks to Melissa B. for organizing the volunteers this year.

COME 'N' GET IT!

RIS PTO Fundraiser pick-up is today from 3:30-6 in the cafeteria. Park in the north lot (after the buses are gone) and enter through the north/gym doors. We'll get you your stuff and your prizes, too.

Then go make cookies!

It's Always Crazy in September!

Here's what's going on in the PTO.

It's Scholastic Book Fair week! Please check the backpacks for the flyer and your dates. Thanks to our fearless fair chair Heidi R. for all her hard work! And also to all the volunteers.

The fundraiser is almost over! Pick-up is scheduled for Sept. 27 from 3:30 to 6 at RIS. We'll be in the cafeteria, so you'll  need to park in the north/gym lot to enter ... but please don't enter that lot before the buses are gone. 

This week, we'll be posting the winners list from all the major fundraiser incentives, including the Money Machine drawing winners -- those lucky duckies will enter the Money Machine during the Fall Fun Party. Sellers who qualified for the money draw have drawn, and will receive their winnings at pick-up. Our sellers did a great job! For those that earned a Limo Lunch, that will take place on Oct. 5.

A big PTO event for the kids is Friday, when the Fall Fun Party takes place at RIS. During the school half-day on Friday, September 28, the PTO will sponsor a day of fun, games, music, snacks and bouncing around to thank our students for such a great kickoff to the new school year. We're looking for volunteers to help out with the activities from 8:30 to 11:30. Shifts are available if you can't stay the whole time. Please email Melissa Bandixen if you can help out: mbandixen@att.net

Weekend Update

The RIS PTO Fundraiser deadline has come and gone. The numbers are looking pretty good but if you haven't turned your form in, we'll still take it, at least for a few more days.

And hey, what are we going to do with all of that money? Join us for our first PTO Meeting of the new school year, Tuesday, September 11, at 6:30 p.m. in the Library at RIS. All are welcome!

And even if you can't come to the meeting, we still need your help with our upcoming events... lots of help! Check out the volunteer form here:

http://tinyurl.com/risptovol1213

or just email rocketpto@gmail.com if you can help with:
Fundraiser Distribution on September 27
The Scholastic Book Fair from September 24 to 28
and/or
The Fall Fun Party  on September 28

We'd really love for someone to step up and help us organize the Book Fair or the Fall Fun Party, so we can be sure those events are in good, experienced hands for next year.

Just a few days left!

The RIS PTO Fundraiser for this school year ends next Wednesday. Please continue to sell over this long weekend, but don't forget to send in those packets by Wednesday. Information about the Club’s Choice sale, and about the individual and classroom incentives the company offers, was included in the packet, but if you have any questions, you can email rocketpto@gmail.com. Remember, online orders are encouraged – let your faraway friends and family know! Club’s Choice offers free shipping for online orders over $60. Good luck and thank you all!

Donations instead of product sales are welcome. Incentives are available for that, too! See below for the incentives for that.

The RIS PTO Fundraiser Has Kicked Off!!

Fundraiser Info:Yesterday we got a  head-start on the RIS PTO Fundraiser for 2012. Students brought their Club’s Choice fundraising packets home and can start selling ASAP! Please join the PTO as we raise money to support many fun and educational activities and extras throughout the year, including that nice playground in the RIS backyard. All the info you need about the Club’s Choice sale, and about the individual and classroom incentives the company offers, is included in the packet. Online orders are encouraged – let your faraway friends and family know! Online, there are different catalogs to choose from, and Club’s Choice offers free shipping for online orders over $60. Good luck selling!

RIS PTO Fundraiser Opt-Out Update: If selling is not your thing, the RIS PTO will happily accept your donations in lieu of selling products. We've even come up with an incentive plan for those who choose to donate. First, we'll tally up all the the cash and check donations. Then ...

• If we reach the goal of $1000 total in donations, we'll draw from all donors for two $25 Scholastic Book Fair Gift Certificates. 

• If we reach the goal of $2500 in donations, we'll add a $100 Target gift card to the drawing 

• If we reach the goal of $5000 in donations, we'll add an iPod Touch to the drawing.

For every $20 donated, your student will get an entry in the drawing. Because the fundraiser company provides the incentives to sellers, donors aren't eligible for those incentives. But, if you want to both sell and donate, you qualify for both sets of incentives. Please send your donations in the white fundraiser envelopes so we can keep things organized. Thanks, from the PTO!

Need Food?

If you shop at County Market, make sure to attach RIS as your Max Card's school for "Max $ for Education." Here's a link:
http://springfield-6thstreet.mycountymarket.com/departments/?iid=111&did=24

Seriously...

At the RIS PTO, we take our volunteers VERY seriously. However, we do not take our Volunteer Opportunity Sign-Up Questionnaire seriously, at all. To be the first to find out just how serious we are about not being serious, click here:
http://tinyurl.com/risptovol1213
But seriously, if you click on that link, we hope you'll click away and join us for some of the fun we're planning for the 2012-2013 school year!

Summer Going By Fast?

You’re invited to join us for a fun-filled-year!

Last year was amazing for the Rochester Intermediate School PTO! Among other things, we built a playground, pulled off a spectacular carnival and totally appreciated our teachers and staff. If you were a part of these wonderful happenings, thanks! It was a great year!

Now, with an eye on the future, we’re looking for moms and dads to not only help us with our ongoing activities, but also to bring fresh ideas and perspectives for new ways we can work towards the PTO’s mission of creating educational support opportunities and lots of fun events for RIS. Soon, we’ll be needing new leadership to keep the PTO fun and productive.

We’d love for you to join us! The RIS PTO warmly welcomes new members, be it once a year or for everything we do. We’re always impressed by the creative inspiration, practical advice and new ideas we get from newbies (we don’t always see the forest for the trees).

Our kids and their teachers benefit the most!

Our first official meeting is September 11, but we’ll start rolling in August. Won’t you join us? Please email rocketpto@gmail.com to get in touch. Like us on facebook, too!

To Our Principal and Friend

To our principal and friend:

The RIS PTO will miss you very much. Thank you for your leadership, laughter, and everything else...

"May you never forget what is worth remembering; nor ever remember what is best forgotten."

Appreciate It!

We are blessed to have wonderful teachers for our children at Rochester Intermediate School. We always appreciate them, but this week offers us a special opportunity to show them just how much, in somewhat organized fashion.

Monday: PTO "Scoopable Snacks"

Tuesday: PTO Breakfast

Wednesday: (Student Council provides a lunch)

Thursday: Student Notes & Art, and PTO Treats

Friday: PTO Lunch

Thanks to the board, especially Angi the PTO Vice President and Executive Chef, the PTO regulars, the staff and the parents who helping out with this!

We're Honored

Our PTO was honored to be honored during National Volunteers Week! RIS students, staff and teachers prepared and performed a song just for us, and it was totally, amazingly, uniquely wonderful. Thanks to everyone who participated -- we are so happy to be YOUR volunteers and were quite touched by the performance. 

If anyone has video, or the song lyrics, we'd love to share them here. It was SWEET!

March Madness Meeting Coming Up

Hello! Did you go to the RIS Talent Show? It was so wonderful. RIS students are amazing!

Just a reminder that our March meeting is Tuesday, March 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the library at RIS. Hope to see you there!

February!

We hope you can join us for our February meeting, with a new* and improved date of Tuesday, February 21. We meet at RIS in the library/media center and everyone is welcome, even if you've never been to a PTO meeting before. We'll be reviewing the Winter Carnival and previewing our upcoming activities.

If you can't make it, but have something to share, please email rocketpto@gmail.com.



*Usually we meet the second Tuesday of the month; this year we decided to spend the evening of February 14 with our sweethearts and instead meet on Fat Tuesday.

Winter Carnival: Done!

Thanks, everyone!

QR!

Did you know you can download a free “QR Reader” app for you Smartphone? QR=Quick Response.

And even better, our very own RIS computer students have designed scannable QR codes for all the fun stuff at the Winter Carnival. Come prepared with the app on your favorite device, because this is amazing! 

FUN TIMES AHEAD: Winter Carnival is FRIDAY!

We are seriously in need of volunteers for Winter Carnival events. Don’t forget that a parent/guardian must stay on-site with the children. Since you’re there anyway, how about lending a hand for 90 minutes or so? We especially need the following:

• Cake Walks (both shifts)
• Classroom Basket Raffle (both shifts)
• Inflatables/DJ (second shift especially)

If you’re already on the volunteer list, you were sent a confirmation email Saturday evening. If you should have had a confirmation but didn’t, send us an email and we’ll fix that. If you intend to volunteer but haven’t yet, please email ASAP. Either way, the address is rocketpto@gmail.com. We very much appreciate your time.

PLACE YOUR WINTER CARNIVAL ORDERS NOW!!

Orders must be received in the office by 3 p.m. on February 1 in order to

1)      Be eligible for all the super prizes

2)      Qualify for “Rocket Pass” early pick-up which will take place from 7:30-6:30 on Thursday, February 2 and 7:30-3:30 on Friday, February 3, the day of the Carnival.

Also, don’t forget that tickets cost $5 when ordered ahead but $8 at the door.

Winter Carnival Flyers on The Way

Is it fliers? Or flyers? Whatever. Now, you'll want to:

1. Read the flyer to see what the Winter Carnival offers (a lot!).
2. If you plan to come, send in your order form and payment by Feb. 1.
3. If you do that, you qualify for Rocket Pass status.
4. With  Rocket Pass  status, you can pick up your order on Thursday, Feb. 2 or Friday, Feb 3.
5. Rocket Pass pick-up times are 7:30-3:30 both days, PLUS the afternoon of Feb. 2 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
6. And then you and yours can ROCKET right past the pick-up lines on Carnival night.

Can't find the flyer? Click here, these are printable on letter-sized paper:

The Flyer

The Order Form

The Dinner Info

Have questions?

Email rocketpto@gmail.com

RIS PTO Winter Carnival Volunteer UPDATE

Thanks to all those who volunteered to be team leads. We are now looking for regular volunteers to
help with the activities the evening of the Carnival, which is February 3. Please contact Kim Goertz
to volunteer: kim@goertzproperties.com and thanks from the PTO.