Helen Thompson PTA

Helen Thompson School PTA Officers for 2012-2013

President - Sara Cotnoir, 624-1308 or sara.a.cotnoir@gmail.com
Vice President - Ann Plourde, 513-8180 or annplourdepta@gmail.com
Secretary - Cassie Soucy, 458-4171 or csoucy.pta@gmail.com
Treasurer - Cindy Smith, 724-5635 or csmith@midcoasthealth.com

Here is a sampling of the ways in which the Parent Teacher Association at the Helen Thompson School is working to enrich our children’s school experience. All are welcome to our monthly meetings held on the second or third Tuesday of the month in the school library at 6:30 pm. We welcome your participation at meetings and your time and energy volunteering with any of our working committees.

Fall Fundraiser
Each fall we have raised thousands of dollars by helping our children to sell products from school fundraiser catalogs. This fundraiser is especially important as it, together with the Peter Pan Fair, bring in the majority of the PTA’s income. This income allows us to offer special enrichment programs, field trips and other staff support throughout the year.

Enrichment Programs
The PTA provides special science, art, music, literary and theater presentations and artist-in-residence programs for the students throughout the school year. Over a third of the PTA’s budget expenses go towards providing these opportunities to the children and they appreciate them! In the past we have hosted storytellers, authors, artists and drummers as well as annual theater productions, natural history presentations, musical groups and various performance artists.

Scholastic Book Fairs
Each fall and spring we bring thousands of books to the school so that children and parents have an opportunity to purchase them. These fairs are run in conjunction with parent-teacher conferences. Volunteers are needed to help set up, take down and sell books to our eager readers.

Reflections Program
Each year in the late fall the PTA brings the Reflections Program to the school. Students are encouraged to be creative in interpreting a particular theme (past year’s themes have been “an unusual hero” or “I am happy when…” or “my favorite place…”). Students can submit entries in artwork, photography, musical composition, and creative writing, which are then anonymously judged. Each child who participates is appreciated and asked to participate in a celebration honoring their creative efforts – usually an ice cream social!

Holiday Fair
The PTA gives the students in the school an opportunity to “shop” for their loved ones before Christmas. The PTA organizes the event by collecting and creating items to be sold -- for just a few coins so that all can shop. This is not run as a fundraiser, but rather to provide each child with the opportunity to give. They love it! We need help organizing the event, selling items on fair day and especially donating items that the children can purchase!

Spaghetti Supper
Each year we enjoy our annual Spring Fever Spaghetti Supper. We welcome the community to come to the school for good food and socializing and a chance to win prizes – one of our theme baskets. The teachers support us by setting up special displays of their students’ work to show off in the gym. Lots of helping hands are needed to help organize this event and volunteer on that particular evening.

Teacher and Staff Appreciation
We love our teachers and all the staff at Helen Thompson School! Each spring and fall we provide them with a special meal that they can enjoy in between their school day and parent/teacher conferences. Those of you who love to cook can share your talents! In the spring we provide other special acknowledgments during National Teacher Appreciation Week.

Peter Pan Fair
Helen Thompson School’s own Peter Pan Fair near the end of the school year is one of the longest-running school fairs in Maine – and it’s a blast! It includes games, great food, sales, raffles and lots of fun for the entire community. It is always a big hit. This event takes many hands to help organize and run on fair day – and it provides the PTA with needed funds to offer other programs.

After School Enrichment Programs
Staff, parent volunteers, and community members have volunteered their time in the spring of the year to offer after-school “classes” for smaller groups of interested students. These programs have been free to the students and topics in the past have included cooking, book-making, science fun, fly tying, bird dog training and many more…

New Ideas….!?
Come share your ideas for new activities and challenges for the PTA to consider! Share your energy to make these new possibilities a reality. We welcome your new ideas, enthusiasm and time to turn great ideas into action.

Many hands make light work!

Helen Thompson School Parent Teacher Association Mission Statement

The mission of the Helen Thompson School Parent Teacher Association is to enrich the school experience of each child who attends Helen Thompson School by:
- Encouraging parent and community involvement in the education of our children,
- Supporting the efforts of the school staff to create a positive learning environment and provide each child with an opportunity to succeed,
- Working to keep communication between children, parents, teachers and administration open and constructive,
- Providing additional learning opportunities by bringing special arts and sciences educational guests to the school,
- Funding additional education supplies, tools, activities and/or celebrations that are not covered in the current school budget.