Our PTO is made up of hard-working parents & teachers who pool their talents to provide practical support for our school. Those listed below volunteered to provide leadership this year. Get to know their names and faces, and feel free to ask them if you have questions. Here at Stratton, everyone is a member of the PTO, we look forward to seeing you at events and meetings!
The PTO meets once a month. Join us for a meeting! Check out the PTO calendar for up-to-date meeting schedule.
What the PTO Does:
- Write a Bi-monthly newsletter & organize Stratton's social media -- Follow Us on Stratton PTO Facebook or Stratton PTO Instagram
- Organize In-Person events like Back-To-School bash, Stratton Spooktacular, book fair, and End-of-year Kickball game!
- Organize virtual events like the Gingerbread House competition
- Fund teacher grants and school field trips
- Produce Stratton t-shirts and end-of-year teacher gifts
- Much much more!
Our PTO Executive Board 2022-2023:
- Co-Presidents -- Kim Van Winkle & Chris Owens
- Treasurer -- Cathy Bui
- Secretary -- Barrie Tysko
- Fundraising Chair --
- Enrichment Chair -- Carisa Klemeyer
- Events Chair -- Twyla Fink & Maggie Masui
- Stratton Admin/Faculty Members -- Principal Amy Kelly, Asst. Principal Taylor O'Brien
- Communications Co-Chairs -- Patty Campbell & Danielle Monroe
- Room Representative Liaisons -- Candice Campbell & Kristina Konnath
PTO MEETINGS: What Did You Miss?!
Every parent/guardian in our school community is automatically a member of the PTO, and every monthly meeting is open to you! If you missed our last meeting, get caught up on YOUR contributions to the learning and success of students, teachers, and staff. Check out a PDF of the most recent meeting minutes:
PTO Newsletter
- When is the PTO Newsletter published?
- Every Wednesday morning, every other week
- Click on the Calendar to view the upcoming schedule
- Every Wednesday morning, every other week
- Want to Submit Content?
- Please provide content to DanielleHMonroe@gmail.com via email the Monday prior
- Be sure to have "Newsletter Submission" in your subject line
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Please note, that she can take certain items the Tuesday before, if you can get it to her by noon. However, this can be challenging. The newsletter takes time to develop so getting content the night before is not ideal. She is happy to be as flexible as she can, but no promises. :)
Meet Kim Van Winkle, your PTO Co-President:
Hello! My name is Kim Van Winkle.
- I have one daughter currently at Stratton, a 3rd grader and a recent graduate
- By day, I am the Chief Compliance Officer for a financial services firm
- By night, I am a Girl Scout cookie coordinator and troop volunteer
- I'm a Cheer/Soccer/Swim fan, and
- I volunteer as your PTO Co-President
When my oldest started Stratton, we did not know anyone. We had gone to daycare/preschool outside of Arlington, so we did not have those built-in connections everyone seemed to have on that first day at drop-off at the Kindergarten doors. I wanted to connect with my Stratton community and get to know our new school faculty and administration.
I decided to join the first monthly PTO meeting. I enjoyed meeting the parents, faculty, and administration involved with PTO. It was great to be part of such an open and collaborative working group within our school community.
Now that I have been at Stratton for a few years, I have been able to be a room parent, field trip volunteer, PTO Communication Chair, and now your PTO Co-President. Most of the time that I dedicate to PTO is spent from the comfort of my couch.
"Teamwork makes the dream work" is a saying we use a lot at our house. It's also what I believe makes the Stratton PTO successful in its mission. The Stratton community has fantastic parents and caregivers who help our "team" achieve great things for Stratton in many different ways.
I hope you'll join us at the next PTO meeting. We can't do it without you! ~ Kim Van Winkle
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I’m Chris Owens. I’ve got 2 kids at Stratton; Ben (4th grade) and June (2nd Grade). In the real world, I work as an Optician, sometimes Musician, occasional Substitute Teacher, and Stay-At-Home-Dad.
I wanted my kids to know that their school was important to me, so I signed up to help with the Halloween event Ben’s Kindergarten year. My wife and I tried to help out with events as we could. When my daughter came into Stratton it was September 2020, the first year of pandemic schooling. I knew it was going to be a tough year so I signed up to be a room parent, and grade-level enrichment coordinator. That year we organized virtual field trips to the Aquarium, acquired Stem Kits for the kids to make at home, and tried to keep people connected through the disconnect of Covid. I was able to attend virtual PTO meetings and saw the work that went into all the extras the PTO facilitates.
Last year I was asked to join as an Enrichment chair. I had a lot of questions about how things are done, and worries if I would be able to commit the time to the PTO, but the enrichment position was really fulfilling. I brainstormed in-person programming, virtual programming, field trips, etc… All the stuff the kids get really excited about. After a few months helping where I could, I noticed that fundraising had a vacancy. Having been in the Enrichment role, I knew that fundraising was crucial to making those programs happen, so I volunteered to swap positions and dove right into the PTO Camp Auction.
By being a part of the PTO I feel intricately connected to the school. When I was young I struggled in school and it wasn’t until my parents got involved with school organizations that I was able to find success. Their commitment reinforced my own. Today I want to pay the work they did forward, and so I try to volunteer my time to my kids school.
Even if you only have a small window of time to help, it’s worthwhile. The PTO can use you for 30 minutes of set-up for an event table, or as a room parent to help your child’s teacher, or chaperoning a field trip. My grandmother always said “many hands make light work” an adage I can see come to life every day at Stratton School.
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Meet Carisa Klemeyer (Enrichment Chair)
I am mo
m to Jasper (5th grade) and Elliot (2nd grade). This is my third year as a PTO enrichment chair and grade-level enrichment coordinator.
In these roles, I:
- attend monthly PTO meetings,
- plan community-wide enrichment programs (like author visits), and
- coordinate the logistics for second-grade field trips and in-school enrichment presentations.
Before I joined the PTO board, I:
- served a room parent for at least one classroom for six years running,
- volunteered to help with first grade “book shopping,”
- chaperoned field trips, and
- helped with the PTO book fairs and swaps.
I encourage anyone who has considered it to volunteer with the PTO. There are jobs for as little or as much time as you have to give. It is the best way I know to be engaged in the school community, and most importantly, your work provides an enormous benefit to our community.
My fifth grader’s favorite day at Stratton was when Annawon Weeden came to visit his third-grade class. He came home excitedly talking about all he learned about the Mashpee Wampanoag people. To this day, he examines shells on the beach for the deep purple that was so valued by that culture.
We are so fortunate to live in an area full of amazing opportunities to bring the curriculum to life for our students. But we need volunteers to help make it happen!
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Kelly Mountain: Fundraising Co-Chair
Hello! my name is Kelly Mountain. I have two kids at Stratton: Steve (5th) and Natalie (3rd). I love this community and Stratton School! When the kids are in school, I work part-time in skincare and do other volunteer work outside Stratton.I'll never forget dropping off my oldest at Stratton to start kindergarten. Does anyone remember the modulars that took the blacktop over as Stratton was being remodeled in the Fall of 2016? There were no big windows to look into like the kindergarten rooms have now. Instead, there was a metal door, and it shut quickly behind my son. I missed being able to look into the kindergarten room and see all the little kids putting their coats on at the end of the day. And we didn't get much info from my son at home about what was going on in school during the day. After a few months, I decided to start attending the monthly PTO meetings. It was an excellent opportunity for me to get information on what happened inside that modular building!
Another thing I'll never forget was my son's excitement when he came home from the Book Swap that Spring with many new books! I heard there would be an opening to run the book fair and book swap for the following year. So I took on this role, found another parent to help me, and we have become and stayed very close through our PTO work all these years.
I've also been copying/compiling/distributing our Stay Sharp summer folders for a few years now. This PTO volunteer job has allowed me to see just how many students are at Stratton School!
I've also assisted with the nominations committee, talking to other Stratton parents/caregivers to fill the PTO positions for the following year. The most common reason I've heard for not getting involved is lack of TIME! Of course, all parents are busy, and it comes with the job. We can all relate! But I can't imagine NOT having things like the Stratton Halloween event, Earth and Science Fest, and author visits like Christina Soontornvat's that PTO volunteers work on every year. The PTO can not function successfully with just one or a few people leading the effort.
I have recently served as co-chair of fundraising this school year, and I'm so glad I did! I've learned so much about teamwork, the inner workings of the PTO, made closer friendships, and I've grown as a person!
I encourage you to get involved!
Hello!
I have two kids at Stratton school, a 1st and 3rd grader. I decided to volunteer for the PTO because I grew up in such a great community here in Arlington. All the parents helped out with activities and through all coming together, a community was formed. Growing up there was a huge feeling of support and comfort from this community and I volunteer to try and create the same for my children.
I also volunteer for the teachers. We have such amazing teachers at Stratton, and I feel anything we can do to assist and help them only helps them and helps our children. It is a small percentage of my time weekly, and keeps me connected with the school, friends and families. If you can spare some time, volunteering can be rewarding and helped to continue to grow our wonderful Stratton community.
Hello!
I am the proud parent of Noelle (3rd grade) and Avi (Kindergarten). When I'm not working full time as a writer and editor, I enjoy volunteering with the PTO. My first years at Stratton I felt like I never knew what was going on. Volunteering has helped me stay on top of all the wonderful events Stratton puts on every year. And I've seen how my work has made Stratton better. I know I'm a small part of what makes Stratton a great place for my kids. I fit my PTO work around my schedule. And while I know I'm making a positive impact on my community, there are other benefits as well. So consider volunteering. Board position expire after two year and the PTO is always looking for help. Do it for your children and do it for the chance to convince people you look like Scarlett Johansson!
