A Letter from our PTA President:

Kristen Allen-Bentsen

"Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."
Vince Lombardi

This quote really spoke to me when I came across it recently. Any group effort is only as strong as the individuals involved in it. This year the PTA has had amazing folks working hard at each of our programs and on the board. I am so grateful to each of these individuals for their commitment to our kids and to making IVE a strong, rich, enriched school community. Many of these parents work, some of have small children at home, others work at PTA’s in several schools, and some have been committed to our PTA for years. Thank you to each of you, for the hard work, the countless hours and the unceasingly positive attitude that you have displayed in your tireless efforts. It has been a pleasure to work with you.

As the 2007-2008 school year comes to a close, the IVE PTA is already hard at work on next year. And we can’t do it without the commitment of individuals toward our team effort. While our executive board is in place, we are still in search of committee chairs and a few more board positions to round out our leadership team.

As committee chairs, you work on a specific program or event at school. Some of the committee chair positions are relatively short in time commitment (a month or so…Vision and Hearing is only one day!) and others are longer (Popcorn is a year-long committee) but all of them are important to the kids at IVE. We would love to continue to be able to offer all of these programs and even more, but we are completely reliant upon the volunteers we have committed as leaders. The board promises full support, training, a notebook that details the committee’s past work and lots of enthusiasm.

And speaking of new programs, what would you like to see at IVE that isn’t right now? Spring is a perfect time for you to come forward with positive suggestions for new programs, events or even advice about how we can get better at serving our school. Our ears are open and we’re always looking for a fresh new perspective.

Please plan to attend our final PTA meetings of the year (Tuesday May20th at 7pm in the library and Tuesday June 10th at 7pm in the library). We will be goal-setting, calendar-setting and budget planning. Essentially, the work we do in the next two months will shape what PTA at IVE will look like next year. Now is the perfect time to get involved.

And as we race toward summer vacation and (hopefully) warm weather and lazy afternoons in the sun, pat yourself on the back for the work you have done this year whether it be running a committee, volunteering in the classroom or providing food for staff appreciation. Your contributions have made such a difference!