*PTO meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month*

We are now enrolled in the Good Food Store Giveback Program.  The program is easy and merely requires a mention of code 678 or Russell School when families are at the cashier/checkout.  Anyone can mention the code…neighbors, grandparents etc.  The GFS will return a percentage of sales to our school.   
Sarah Eiden from Garden City Harvest and Megan presented on the Garden
and ways to support/volunteer this year. 

Garden lessons will start in a few weeks.  Kindergarten and Third
grade will have garden lessons in the Spring, then in the fall when
they come back as first and fourth graders they will help put the
garden to bed for the winter.
Each year, the garden will need about $500 from PTO to maintain it.
There continue to be garden projects in the works funded by donations
and grant money.

Jeremy, PTO Treasurer, shared a spreadsheet of our current budget,
including details from last year. The Goal is to have $5,000 to carry
over into each new school year and funds are raised to meet the budget
for the following year. It was suggested we set a goal to raise 10%
over the previous year’s receipts to develop a grant program (teacher
and student requests) in addition to the classroom accounts.

Discussed holding one “cha-ching” challenge per year for annual garden
maintenance and the other for funds to support the Russell House
Program.  A cha-ching challenge is a coin drive fundraiser held twice
a year.

With money raised from the Walkathon, we will continue to provide
teacher accounts.  Each teacher will receive $250/year as long as
funds allow.

Elisabeth voiced a question/concern on air quality indoors in Russell
school, inquiry into MCPS infrastructure/policy for smoke season. She
and Principal Halloran will look into this further.

Officers were voted in unanimously for 2022/23. Kaylynn McDaniel is PTO
President, Rose Chadwell is PTO Vice-President, and Jeremy Schultz is
Treasurer.

Discussed Funding for a new speaker Mrs. Zschaechner requested for the
music room.  This speaker would also be utilized for PTO events,
assemblies, concerts, and other school events. Mrs. Z has a connection
that would discount the speaker to $340.  PTO approved the request.

The Walkathon, our main PTO fundraiser, will be Wednesday, October
19th from 1:30-2:15 behind the school on the track.  There will be
more information and volunteer opportunities as it gets closer.