MLS PTO

Serving the children, families, teachers, and staff of
Meriwether Lewis School.  

This week the MLS PTO Board met with Matt Haas, ACPS Assistant Superintendent, and Clare Keiser, ACPS Assistant Director of Educator Quality, to discuss the process for selecting the new MLS principal.  We were impressed by how quickly they are moving ahead with this.  If all goes according to plan, they are hoping to have selected our new principal by spring break.

There will be several opportunities for parents to be involved in the selection process.  One of the first steps in that process is to define the unique needs of the Meriwether Lewis community and then incorporate those into the interviewing questions and selection criteria .  To that end, the school division will be requesting parent input via a survey which will go out this Friday, Jan. 31.

In addition, the PTO will host a gathering on February 12th 6-7pm at which parents can also provide input on the qualities our new principal should have to best serve our school.  The PTO is planning to provide free childcare during this meeting.  Watch for further details next week in Meriwether Matters regarding how to RSVP for that childcare.

Lastly, the ACPS Assistant Director of Educator Quality, Clare Keiser, is looking for a handful of MLS parents to serve on a school level interview committee. The committee will meet for a full day sometime during the week of Feb 24th.  If interested in serving on this committee, please contact Clare at ckeiser2@albemarle.org with your name, email, grade level of your students at MLS, the number of years you have been a MLS parent, and the reason you would like to serve on this committee.

We encourage you to take advantage of these unique opportunities to participate in the selection of our new principal! If you have any questions, feel free to email PTO co-Presidents Laura Steenburgh, lsteenburgh@gmail.com, or Kristina Parker, kparker5555@yahoo.com.

Monday, Feb 3rd, 6-7pm at MLS.

The PTO invites you to an informational meeting about the long range planning direction of the Albemarle School Board such as: the use of trailers in elementary schools, the possible new northern high school, expansion to Crozet Elem., etc. Two of the MLS School Board representatives, Erik Struko and Kate Acuff, will be on hand to share some information and answer questions from MLS parents. 

Bingo Night Prize Collection Going on NOW.

Ready to get rid of the toys your kids never seem to touch?  Need to re-gift unwanted gifts that you received over the holidays?

We are looking for donations for Bingo Night prizes: pre-school and school age appropriate gifts as well as gifts for adults, but we will appreciate everything you can donate. Prize collection boxes are under the PTO bulletin board near the pencils.  If you have any questions contact Loretta Willis at:  willispups@gmail.com

Bingo Night:  Friday, February 7, 6:30 - 8 pm

The Box Tops Contest Posters are up in the MLS hallway.  

6000 new Box Tops came in this week (that is $600 for our school).  So far 7700 Box Tops have been collected (for a total of $770).  Let's keep those Box Tops coming in!  

Sam's is having a great promotion through 1/31/14 where you can earn 75+ Box Tops.  Click here for the details.  They are eBox Tops - but if you earn them and credit them online to MLS, just send me an email or drop a note in the Box Tops bin and I will count them toward the classroom you tell me to.

The classroom contest will run through February 21.  The winning classroom will get a reward.  Mrs. Benoit's first graders are currently in 1st place with 763 Box Tops!  Mrs. Kirtley's third graders are a close 2nd with 749, and Mrs. Kuhn's second graders are in 3rd with 739. Feel free to email me with any questions.   Thank you  - Brooke Reid, MLSPTO Box Tops Chair

Spring Session I EZ registration is now closed and courses will begin on Monday, February 3. If you have not submitted payment for Spring 2014 courses, please do so. Payments may be made by cash or check (payable to "MLS PTO") and should be returned via backpack mail, ATTN: Enrichment Zone.

Spring Session II course registration will remain open until Monday, March 10th and you can sign-up online now at Spring 2014 EZ Registration. Visit the MLS PTO Enrichment Zone webpage for the complete spring schedule, course descriptions and additional program details. Thanks for your continued support of the MLS PTO EZ Program!

Please come out and support our MLS 5th graders as they participate in our 4th Annual Halftime Show!  They will be performing at halftime of the Western Albemarle basketball game this Friday, January 31 at WAHS.  The game starts at 7:30pm.  We would love to see some of our younger students at the game as they will see the fun and excitement firsthand, as the rite of passage will be passed down to them in future years.  Come on out and see what the fuss is about!

PTO Nominating Committee Needs Volunteers

Does your daughter want to play softball? The Jefferson Area Girl's Softball league is forming teams now and each of the Western Albemarle elementary schools are encouraged to form a parent led/coached team. Practices would be held at MLS and games would be played at WAHS. Please view this flyer and registration form for more info. It takes 10 girls to field a team and coaches are needed. You can also register your daughter in person at the Mudhouse in Crozet, Wed., Jan 29th from 6:00-8:00pm

Kids Night Out - Feb. 21st

Activities include:

Drive a robot

Have your picture taken with a winning robot

Play active games in the gym

Build with Legos and play board games

Watch a movie (Wall-E)

Have pizza

Decorate your cookie

See the flier for more information.

Harris Teeter VIC Parents, Check that You Are Linked!

Next time you shop at Harris Teeter, check the bottom of your receipt. If your card is linked, it should say "Your TIE school links for 2013/14: Meriwhether Lewis Elementary School".

Golden Apple Award Nominations

Dana Quist, Communications Coordinator

Meriwether Lewis School PTO

please email mlsmatters@gmail.com. 

Community events are listed by request as space is available.  The MLS PTO does not endorse or have any additional information regarding these events.