As we enter the season of giving Schoharie CSD is extra thankful for…..our EPTSO!
Most recently, the EPTSO (Elementary Parent Teacher Student Organization) led a highly successful Boosterthon, which resulted in $16,800 raised to support activities and events at the Elementary School.
But that effort, that wrapped up in November, is just one piece of what the EPTSO does.
Here is a quick Q&A with EPTSO President Kelly Seamster:
What do you think has contributed to the success of the EPTSO in recent years? You seem to do very well with fundraisers and do a lot of activities for students, as well as for staff appreciation.
“I attribute our fundraising success to discovering Boosterthon. We’ve been participating with Boosterthon for the last 3 years. I am a teacher at another local district and saw the success my district had. We decided to try it in Schoharie and were surprised by its success. This year we asked for support from local businesses and our community really came through! Everyone was so generous. Because of our success, we are able to put on fun events, support teachers, buy supplies and pay for field trips instead of asking parents to pay for them out of pocket.”
What do you have coming up in terms of fundraisers and/or activities? What are some of your bigger events planned for later in the year?
“We are planning a “Special Person” dance for March and will have a DJ. We may be doing our end of year carnival again but only if we have enough parents to volunteer. Our EPTSO volunteers are small but mighty. Honestly, we have been stretched thin and we only have a handful of consistent members. We are always looking for more parents to join us! Meetings are the first Tuesday of each month at the Schoharie Library at 6 p.m. It’s a rewarding experience and you get to know other parents in the community.”
If you had any advice for a PTO-type organization that might be forming in another school or looking to become more active, what would it be?
“I’d suggest looking into Boosterthon. You can choose from doing a run or a dance-a-thon. I’d also suggest trying to have as many members as possible since many hands make light work.
I also want to add that our success is largely due to the hard work of our officers. We all bring different skills to the table whether it be financial sense, organization, graphic design, secretarial skills or leadership. We are a great team.”
