)]O][\-);<-:67:-/768):-6<
Gear up, parents – connect with your child’s school
ŝŶŐƚŚĞĮƌƐƚǁĞĞŬŽĨƐĐŚŽŽů͘ĂůůLJŽƵ
school and ask if they have a group
and if not, what you can do to start
one.
/ĨLJŽƵƌƟŵĞŝƐ
just too limited
to join a Parent
Teacher orga-
ŶŝnjĂƟŽŶ͕LJŽƵ
ĐĂŶƐƟůůƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ
your child and
their school by
communicat-
ing with teach-
ers regarding
your concerns,
ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƟŶŐŝŶ
parent/teacher
conferences, and
ĂƩĞŶĚŝŶŐƐĐŚŽŽů
events. Volun-
teer to help with
a “Box Tops for
ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͟ĨƵŶ-
vary greatly but the target is always draising drive, which pays schools
ƚŽĞŶƐƵƌĞĂƋƵĂůŝƚLJ͕ǁĞůůͲƌŽƵŶĚĞĚ
10 cents per box top collected. A
ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĨŽƌƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͘/ĨĂŶĂŶŶƵĂů dime may not seem like much, but
ŵĞŵďĞƌƐŚŝƉĨĞĞƉŽƐĞƐĂĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů
ŵƵůƟƉůŝĞĚďLJƚŚŽƵƐĂŶĚƐƚŚŝƐŵŽŶĞLJ
hardship, ask about a fee waiver –
ĐĂŶŵĂŬĞĂĚŝīĞƌĞŶĐĞƚŽĂƐĐŚŽŽů͘
don’t let it become a roadblock to
Your help could come in the form of
ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƟŽŶ͘
ĐŽůůĞĐƟŶŐƚŚĞďŽdžƚŽƉƐĂƚŚŽŵĞĂŶĚ
How can you become involved
ensuring they get to your school
ŝŶLJŽƵƌĐŚŝůĚ͛ƐƐĐŚŽŽů͍tĂƚĐŚĨŽƌĂ
program. Encourage family and
ŇLJĞƌŝŶLJŽƵƌ͞ƉĂƌĞŶƚƉĂĐŬĞƚ͟ʹƚŚĂƚ friends to join in – they don’t have
stack of paperwork sent home dur- to be local to support your child’s
school, box tops can be sent to you
by mail.
The Campbell Soup Company
also has a school funding program
ĐĂůůĞĚ͞>ĂďĞůƐĨŽƌĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͘͟ŶĚ
many stores provide funding for
541-481-7 212 • 450 Tatone St., B oardm an, O R 97 818
M on. 7 :30 am - 7 :00 pm ; Tu e. - Fri. 7 :30 am - 5:00 pm
local schools when parents shop at
ƚŚĂƚƐƉĞĐŝĮĐďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐʹĂƐŬǁŚĞŶ
you stop in.
zŽƵĐŽƵůĚŽīĞƌƚŽĂƐƐŝƐƚLJŽƵƌ
ĐŚŝůĚ͛ƐƚĞĂĐŚĞƌǁŝƚŚ^ĐŚŽůĂƐƟĐŬ
ŽƌĚĞƌƐ͘dĞĂĐŚĞƌƐŽŌĞŶƋƵĂůŝĨLJĨŽƌ
free classroom books with every
By VIRGINIA JUSTICE
PTA, PTO, parent club, booster
ĐůƵďʹƚŚĞLJŵĂLJŚĂǀĞĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ
names but they all share a common
goal, to support
schools. PTA
(Parent Teacher
ƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶͿŝƐĂ
ŶĂƟŽŶĂůŐƌŽƵƉĂĚ-
ǀŽĐĂƟŶŐĨŽƌ<ͲϭϮ
ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͘WdK
(Parent Teacher
KƌŐĂŶŝnjĂƟŽŶͿŝƐ
ĂůƐŽĂŶĂƟŽŶĂů
ŐƌŽƵƉƵŶŝƟŶŐƉĂƌ-
ents and teachers
ŝŶĂĚǀŽĐĂƟŶŐĨŽƌ
ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͘DĂŶLJ
schools in our
area are not a part
ŽĨƚŚĞŶĂƟŽŶĂů
groups but instead
create their own
clubs to support
their local schools.
WĂƌĞŶƚĂůŝŶǀŽůǀĞŵĞŶƚŝƐĂĐƌŝƟ-
ĐĂůƉĂƌƚŽĨĞĚƵĐĂƟŶŐŽƵƌLJŽƵƚŚ͕
but that involvement can have a
larger scope. Empty nesters, grand-
ƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ͕ŽƚŚĞƌƌĞůĂƟǀĞƐŽƌƐĐŚŽŽů
alumni can also get onboard. Par-
ent teacher groups typically meet
ŵŽŶƚŚůLJ͕ŝŶĂĚĚŝƟŽŶƚŽĞǀĞŶƚƐ
they may sponsor throughout the
LJĞĂƌ͘KŌĞŶƚŚĞƐĞŐƌŽƵƉƐƉůĂLJĂŶ
integral role to ensure the school
ŚĂƐĨƵŶĚŝŶŐƚŽĮůůƚŚĞŐĂƉďĞƚǁĞĞŶ
what taxpayers provide and what
is needed. Fundraising methods
C olu m bia R iver
C om m u nity H ealth Services
See u s for all you r m edical
needs. M ost m ajor
insu rances, M edicare and
O regon M edicaid accepted.
W e are an insu rance
exchange and M edicaid
A ssistor Site. Please give u s a
call for m ore inform ation.
H ablam os E spañ ol
2016 School Start Dates
Athena-Weston ..............Aug. 25
Echo ..............................Aug. 29
Helix ..............................Aug. 29
Hermiston ......................Aug. 29
Milton-Freewater
Kindergarten ............. Sept. 6
Grades 1 to 9 ...........Aug. 29
Grades 10 to 12 .......Aug. 30
Morrow County .............Aug. 29
Nixyaawii
Grade 9 ....................Aug. 23
Grades 10 to 12 .......Aug. 24
Pendleton
Grades K to 5 .......... Sept. 19
Grades 6 to 12 ..........Aug. 29
Pilot Rock......................Aug. 22
6WDQÀHOG ........................Aug. 22
Umatilla .........................Aug. 29
order they submit; however, put-
ƟŶŐƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌĂŶŽƌĚĞƌƚĂŬĞƐƟŵĞ͘
Organize a “supplies round-up” to
ŐĂƚŚĞƌƐƵƉƉůŝĞƐƚŚĂƚƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐŽŌĞŶ
pay for out of pocket – most are
happy to provide you a wish list.
As state and federal funding for
schools is reduced it is important
for the local community to step in,
whether or not you’re a parent.
Some school districts have a “read-
ing with grandparents” program
ǁŚĞƌĞƌĞƟƌĞĚ͞ŐƌĂŶĚƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ͟ĐŽŵĞ
into the schools to read stories with
the children.
dŚĞƐƚĂƌƟŶŐƉŽŝŶƚŝƐƚŽĐŽŵŵƵ-
nicate with your school of choice
and its teachers – ask what you can
ĚŽƚŽŚĞůƉ͘,ĂŶĚƐͲŽŶƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƟŽŶ
is ideal, but any form of support is
appreciated.
________
WĞŶĚůĞƚŽŶƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚsŝƌŐŝŶŝĂ:ƵƐƟĐĞ
ŝƐĂĨŽƌŵĞƌƐƵďƐƟƚƵƚĞƚĞĂĐŚĞƌ͘^ŚĞ
and her husband have two college-
aged daughters.