Be in the know.
PTO Community Grant Program Funds Nine Projects in 2022-23
Tumwater PTO’s Community Grant program funded nine projects this school year, supporting the science, technology, art, band, library & after school club programs of TMS.
In total, Tumwater PTO awarded over $18,000 to support these specific asks of Tumwater staff:
C02 Probes ($3492): 16 Vernier CO2 Probes for 7th Grade cellular respiration & photosynthesis labs
MYP Drone Design ($2776): x4 DJI Mini 3 drones & accessories to support 8th grade orthomosaic mapping design unit
Physics Supplies ($4240): 10 force & acceleration sensors, 10 motion sensors & 10 sensor carts to support the TMS Science Department
Library Literacy Incentives ($300): Incentives to support literacy passports in the TMS library
Classroom Band Tuners ($1632): One set of 40 tuners & 40 microphones (with batteries) for TMS Band program for classroom use
Temp & Gas Pressure Science Supplies ($3060): 18 temperature probes & 18 gas pressure sensors to support the TMS Science Department
Clay ($1900): Clay for Art Department for use in 7th & 8th grade units
D&D Minifigures ($750): Funds to support the design & creation of personal character minifigures; additional fundraising through BEF
CoSpace Licenses ($550): 100 CoSpace licenses to support design & coding in 3-D environments to support TMS’ Technology department; licenses to be rotated through the units/students as necessary for maximum efficiency
Note: The $500 unused science fair line item was absorbed into the community grant budget.
Special thanks to our staff reviewers this school year: Ben Lloyd, Laura Hoffar, Rob Hillhouse & Kristin Hayward.
None of this support would be possible without the generosity of our Rising Tides donors. THANK YOU to all who donated to our students’ success.
Open PTO Positions for 2023-24
Several exciting positions are opening up for 2023-24. See how you can make a positive impact on our Tumwater community!
VP OF FUNDRAISING
This Board position oversees our annual fall Rising Tides fundraising campaign & coordinates our matching funds program. The bulk of the work takes place in mid-August through mid-October. This role is also a member of our PTO Board, allowing for greater input into the goals & direction of the organization & reviewing grant applications throughout the school year.
STAFF APPRECIATION
The least controversial position of all! This role is sheer joy, organizing monthly (or so) staff appreciation events for our grateful TMS staff. This position is great for 2-3 friends & has the freedom to be as creative (or non-creative) as possible. Start a whole new vision or turn the wheel from the last two years— it’s up to you!
SOCIAL MEDIA
Join our communications team by managing our social media! Use canva & meta business suite to create (from templates) & schedule our latest news. All previous posts & images are stored for your reference, so you won’t be reinventing the wheel.
WELCOME EVENTS
The event planning role will coordinate with TMS on the ice cream social (the ice cream part) & organize the welcome coffees. You’ll be done by August 29th! All details from past years is well documented & ready to be your resource.
Read to learn more? Email Hannah (president@tumwaterpto.org).
April 2023 Community Meeting Minutes
The April Community Meeting included updates from Principal Jill O’Neil and your Tumwater PTO Board. The Board also held a listening session to plan for next year! Highlights include:
Information about upcoming school events.
An update on all of the amazing community grants that were funded this year.
PTO Committee updates.
Upcoming volunteer opportunities.
Read the full minutes & click through the slideshow to learn more. Remember to check out the action items for parents/guardians.
We look forward to seeing you at our last Community Meeting of the year on Thursday, April 20.
Questions? Email the PTO Board (board@tumwaterpto.org)
March 2023 Board Meeting Minutes
Your Tumwater PTO Board and a volunteer staff member reviewed this year’s last round of Community Grant Applications and awarded funding to an additional two projects. Your generous donations have funded over $16,000 in grants so far this year! Read the latest meeting minutes here and join us at the next community meeting on Thursday, April 20.
Winter Approvals for Community Grant Program
Tumwater PTO’s Community Grant program funds purchases that inspire, inform, and support educational inquiry and innovation at Tumwater Middle School, specifically asked for by TMS staff & students. The total line item for the school year is $17,500, 36% of TMS PTO’s total annual budget.
Last January, three community grants were approved at the winter review date:
Physics Supplies ($4240): 10 force & acceleration sensors, 10 motion sensors & 10 sensor carts to support the TMS Science Department
Library Literacy Incentives ($100): Incentives to support literacy passports in the TMS library
Classroom Band Tuners ($1632): One set of 40 tuners & 40 microphones (with batteries) for TMS Band program for classroom use
These grants are in addition to the four that were approved last November:
Temp & Gas Pressure Science Supplies ($3060): 18 temperature probes & 18 gas pressure sensors to support the TMS Science Department
Clay ($1900): Clay for Art Department for use in 7th & 8th grade units
D&D Minifigures ($750): Funds to support the design & creation of personal character minifigures; additional fundraising through BEF
CoSpace Licenses ($550): 100 CoSpace licenses to support design & coding in 3-D environments to support TMS’ Technology department; licenses to be rotated through the units/students as necessary for maximum efficiency
In total, $12,232 in funding has been approved in 2022-23 (70% of this line item). The final grant review date is March 21.
Special thanks to our staff reviewers this school year: Ben Lloyd, Laura Hoffar & Rob Hillhouse.
None of this support would be possible without the generosity of our Rising Tides donors. THANK YOU to all who donated to our students’ success.
February 2023 Community Meeting Minutes
The February Community Meeting included special guest Sunset High School Principal Elisa Schorr and updates from Vice Principal Kimberly Haskins and your Tumwater PTO Board. Highlights include:
An overview of academic and extracurricular options at Sunset High School.
Information about upcoming school events.
PTO Committee updates.
Upcoming volunteer opportunities, including on next year’s PTO Board.
Read the full minutes & click through the slideshow to learn more. Remember to check out the action items for parents/guardians.
We look forward to seeing you at our next Community Meeting on Thursday, April 20.
Questions? Email the PTO Board (board@tumwaterpto.org)
Parent Presentation on Internet Safety on 2/23
Mark your calendars for THIS Thursday!
Tumwater PTO is proud to host Tumwater SRO, Daniela Bastinelli, for a parent presentation on kids & internet safety, with a Q&A to follow.
Join us on Thursday, 2/23 from 6:30-8pm in the TMS library.
January 2023 Board Meeting Minutes
Your Tumwater PTO Board and a volunteer staff member reviewed Community Grant Applications and awarded funding to an additional three projects. Your generous donations have funded over $12,000 in grants so far this year! Additional grants will be funded in the spring. Read the latest meeting minutes here and join us at the next community meeting on Thursday, February 9.
Upcoming Deadline for Intel Employees to Submit Volunteer Hours
The deadline for Intel employees to submit 2022 volunteer hours or monetary donations for Matching Funds is Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 3:00pm. If you work for another company that matches hours and donations, please check for their deadline!
To log your hours, you will need the dates that you volunteered, which can be found in the district’s volunteer system. Just log in to myimpactpage.com, and click on the Hours tab at the top of the page to see your most recent volunteer activity.
If you’d like a more detailed report, click on the Reports tab (along the top) and enter your date range in the Detailed Hours Report section at the bottom of the page.
Head to https://intel.benevity.org/ to submit.
To log monetary donations, you will need to submit a copy of your donation receipt.
Questions? Hannah (president@tumwaterpto.org).
Donate Cookies to Staff Appreciation December Event on 12/15
Bakers or buyers needed! Our inaugural staff appreciation cookie buffet is next week & we’re hoping that all 70 staff members can take home a dozen.
Sign up here to drop off two dozen cookies (homemade or store-bought) on Thursday morning, 12/15.
Thanks for considering!
Questions? Breanna (staffappreciation@tumwaterpto.org)
November 2022 Community Meeting Minutes
The November Community Meeting included updates from Principal Jill O’Neil and your Tumwater PTO Board. Highlights include:
Information about student clubs and upcoming school events.
A report on the first round of grants of this school year that your support funded.
PTO Committee updates, including Art Literacy and OBOB.
An update on the Rising Tides fundraising campaign.
A discussion of volunteer opportunities and how to sign up, including for next year’s PTO Board.
Read the full minutes & click through the slideshow to learn more. Remember to check out the action items for parents/guardians.
We look forward to seeing you at our next Community Meeting on Thursday, February 9, when Sunset Principal Elisa Schorr will answer questions posed by our community members.
Also, save the date for a Parent Presentation on Internet Safety on Thursday, February 23.
Questions? Email the PTO Board (board@tumwaterpto.org)
November 2022 Board Meeting Minutes
Your Tumwater PTO Board and two volunteer staff members reviewed Community Grant Applications and awarded funding to four exciting projects. Read the latest meeting minutes here.