PTO Newsletter - September 11, 2023

Presidents' Message

Dear Ryerson Families,

Welcome back to School and a very warm welcome to all our new students and families! Ryerson Elementary School is a very special community filled with incredible teachers, staff, students and families. The PTO Board is ready and excited for the 2023-2024 school year with fun events sprinkled in throughout the year, all with the same goal to support our school community and ultimately all our children.

Our hearts are with Principal Spooner, who is taking a leave of absence to be with her family. Her tentative return date is October 10. We are so grateful for the hard work of Mrs. Sherry Farmer and the other staff who are keeping the tight ship running!

Thank you so much to those of you who have paid your PTO dues. As a reminder, these funds go directly to enrichment activities, in-school assemblies, classroom resources, school wide events and other direct support to the school. The PTO website is our central hub for all things PTO and school related. You will find an easy way to pay dues, register for events, view event calendars and district links, purchase sprit wear, sign up to volunteer, and view newsletters. We encourage everyone to register on the site and update your student information so you are sure to be able to participate in all PTO activities. There is also a very user-friendly Membership Toolkit app!

We have so many ideas to ensure that this year is a memorable one! And, in order to do that we need your help! If you have not already, please consider signing up to volunteer at some of our upcoming events, including this month's School Store!

We hope to see you at the General PTO Meetings, which are invaluable opportunities to connect with Ryerson and town leaders. Our first General Meeting is September 18 at 7pm in the Ryerson Library.

Please never hesitate to reach out to us at PTORyerson@gmail.com for any questions, ideas, or concerns you would like to share. We are looking forward to meeting all of you soon and working together to make the 2023-2024 school year a resounding success for everyone!

Warmly,

Charissa Benak and Erica McMillian

Ryerson PTO Co-Presidents

Ryerson PTO Website

Our website is a great way to find information about current and upcoming happenings around school! This is the place to pay dues, register for events, find important dates, and sign up to volunteer. Make sure you've created an account so you don't miss any of the fun!

PTO Dues Drive

We are more than halfway to our $6200 Dues goal! With over 320 Ryerson students this year, the PTO is hoping to be able to fund many exciting activities. But we can't do it without you! This year's dues are $35 for one student, $55 for two students, and $75 for three students. We have had over 100 families pay dues, and we are so grateful to all of you for your generosity and support!

Parent Night - September 12

We look forward to seeing you all at the Ryerson “Back to School” Parent Informational Night on Tuesday, September 12th. This is a great opportunity for parents to learn more about the curriculum, expectations and routines your child will be experiencing this academic year. The evening sessions begin in the classrooms. This is an adult-only evening. The schedule for the evening is as follows:

Kindergarten & Grade One Sessions - 6:30 pm - 7:15 pm
Grade Two & Grade Three Sessions - 7:30 pm - 8:15 pm

Spirit Wear Sale - thru September 22

Show your School Spirit! Our Spirit Wear shop includes cozy hoodies, tie dye shirts, waterproof stickers, baseball caps and more. Be ready for Friday Spirit Days! The Ryerson Store closes on September 22 so don't delay!

Ryerson Welcomes Sherri Duskey Rinker - October 6

Get ready for takeoff! We've teamed up with Sherri Duskey Rinker, author of the bestselling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series. Sherri Duskey Rinker will be visiting Ryerson on October 6 to meet with grades K and 1 to share the newest addition to the series, Construction Site: Taking Flight!

All parents are invited to purchase a signed copy of the new book from RJ Julia now! We will distribute purchased copies to students during Sherri's visit on October 6.

Purchase Now

Extracurricular Enrichment Classes

We are pleased to be able to offer extracurricular classes again this year! Our fall classes will be offered to students in grades 1 through 3 - not to worry Kindergarteners, your turn will come soon!

The following classes will be offered throughout the week:

Coolology
Lego STEM
Chess
Animals Galore!

There will be spaces for up to 64 students. Each student may enroll in only one class. Enrollment will open on September 16 at 9am. Sign ups will be exclusively through the PTO website, so be sure you have your account set up ahead of time.

School Store - September 29

This student favorite is not to miss! Our parent-run sale is held in the school lobby at the start of the school day. Items are priced from 25¢ to $2. We would love your help in staffing the store, so please check out our School Store Sign Up.

General PTO Meeting - September 18

All are welcome to the first General PTO meeting to be held on Monday, September 18th at 7:00 pm in the KHR library. The PTO provides a great opportunity to become more involved in our school community and to learn more about what is happening on the hill! Bring your ideas, questions, and concerns. We hope you plan to join us!

School Pictures - September 18

School Picture Day is Monday, September 18th. Please note that every student will have their photo taken for the Yearbook and Infinite Campus, even if they do not purchase a photo package.

If you would like to purchase photos online please see the click the Pre-Order link below and use the password RYER23. This password is case sensitive. Pre-orders will be accepted until midnight on September 18th. If you do not order before that deadline, you will have to wait until the photos are returned to the school (approximately three weeks after photo day). At that point you will receive a proof slip with a unique code to order your photos. Shipping will be charged on all orders placed after the ordering deadline.

Please contact Steady Photography or the Ryerson main office at 203-245-6440 with any questions.

Pre-order Now

Beach Clean-Up Day - October 7

Join the Ryerson, Jeffrey, and Brown PTOs for a fun morning at the beach making our world a cleaner place! We will be at Garvin's Point on Saturday, October 7 from 8am-10am.

The Long Island Sound is one of the nation's greatest estuaries, and by coming together to clean Madison's beach areas, we can prevent harm to our environment! We will bring supplies, but if you have any extra gloves please bring them along. We also recommend wearing work clothes, and closed toe shoes, and bringing plenty of water, a hat, and sunscreen.

No need to register, but please save the date, bring a friend, and join us!

Lyman Orchard Pies and Cookie Dough Fundraiser

Stay tuned for more info on this yummy fundraising starting in late September!

Volunteer Opportunities

The PTO Volunteer Program is one of the best ways that parents can support the students and staff at our school. We will have multiple opportunities throughout the year to help out, during the school day or outside of school hours. By filling out the volunteer interest form, it helps us to organize our planning. This will not commit you to volunteer, but your contact information will be forwarded to the PTO board member or Committee Chair that is coordinating that activity and they will be in touch with you. Thanks for volunteering!

School Store

Lend a hand at this student favorite! We need volunteers almost monthly to help the kids shop and check out at the School Store.

Room Parents

Room Parents are an integral part to our PTO! We are asking for three parents per class to work with the teacher to help special classroom events to run as smoothly as possible.

Volunteer Now!