Brighton PTO Newsletter

Sept 3 ~ Meet the Teacher 10am-12pm

Sept 3-13 ~ Brighton Gear Store Open

Sept 4 ~ First Day of School

Sept 6 ~ Parent Coffee Social 8am-10am (STEAM Room)

Sept 20 ~ Family Skate Party 5pm-7pm (Lynnwood Bowl & Skate)

Sept 24 ~ September PTO Meeting 7pm (Location TBD)

Sept 27-Oct 3 ~ Scholastic Book Fair (Gym)

The PTO’s mission is for parents and teachers to work together to support and enrich all Brighton students. We support school staff, help promote student self-esteem, and assist in efforts to solve school needs through volunteering and funding. As a Brighton parent or guardian, you are automatically a member of the Brighton PTO. Welcome! We invite you to join us and actively participate in school life, whether by attending a community event or volunteering alongside us. Our fellow Brighton parents not only fuel enriching and fun activities and support our classrooms, they provide an inspiring example for our students of an engaged community.

The Brighton PTO focuses its efforts in 4 key areas:

1. Enrichment Programs

The PTO funds and organizes in-school enrichment programs such as Lunar New Year, the Toymaker Workshop, Alex “The Zaniac” Zerbe, and Animal Encounters, as well as a Homework Club for Elementary, Tutoring for Middle School, Earth Day projects, and a new STEAM Night. If you know of an exciting enrichment program that would benefit our students, we would love to hear about it.

2. Overnight School Trips

Grades 3 through 8 take an overnight field trip each year. These trips are a cornerstone to what makes Brighton special. The PTO subsidizes the cost of these trips to help offset the financial burden on individual families.

3. Community Events

The PTO organizes and funds a variety of community events throughout the school year including Family Skate Nights, Fall Party, Book Bingo, Candy Heart Hop, Spring Fest, group sections at Seattle Mariners and Everett Silvertips, Spring Cultural Fair, and End of Year Parties.

4. Staff Appreciation

Traditionally, the PTO has organized parents to celebrate and support our amazing teachers and staff members through appreciation events throughout the year, from providing lunches and coffee drinks to holiday cookies. New this year, the PTO is dedicating more funds to these events to take the load off individual parents. For example, instead of parents volunteering to bring a dish for a potluck lunch, the PTO would buy lunch for the staff. We are not able to fully fund all the staff appreciation events, but will undertake a portion and organize parents for the remainder. Also under this category, the PTO organizes the SCRIP program to pool gifts to teachers twice a year. Stay tuned for more SCRIP program details.

Your 2024-2025 PTO Officers are:

President ~ Sara Garcia

Vice President ~ Ketra Marker

Secretary ~ Jo Heinan

Treasurer ~ Marcella Medearis Tran

Contact us at info@brightonpto.com or find us at www.brightonpto.com

The Brighton PTO is entirely volunteer led. Please consider joining us and helping make the magic happen. Volunteer sign ups for the Scholastic Book Fair and the Toymaker Workshop will be posted in a few weeks. We are also looking to fill the following roles: All School End of Year Picnic Organizer, Spring Cultural Fair Organizer, and Fun Run Marketing & Promotion. These roles can always be shared if you have a friend you want to sign up with. Also, if you have an idea for an activity or a skill you want to offer, we want to hear from you.

Fundraising is essential to continue the PTO’s mission to support and enhance learning and community at Brighton. To sustain our efforts for the next school year, we aim to raise $100,000 over the course of this school year. Based on our community’s response to past fundraising efforts, the PTO will focus on two large fundraisers this year - GIVING TUESDAY in December and the SPRING FUN RUN. Please consider gifting and know that your gift will directly impact your student’s school experience and help build our Brighton community. Gifts are also tax deductible, as we’re a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We sincerely appreciate your financial support.

New this year, the PTO is providing each grade with funds to help pay for a gathering of YOUR choosing. We hope this will help build community among your fellow class families. This can be used towards a student party, family picnic, or parent social. If you have ideas on a fun gathering, contact your Class Coordinator or email the PTO and we will put you in touch.

BRIGHTON GEAR

September 3-13

Link to Gear Shop

Get ready to purchase your Brighton Gear for the year! The online store will be open from Tuesday, September 3 through Friday, September 13. Orders will be shipped in late September. You can find samples at the PTO table during the September 3 Meet the Teacher event as well as on display next to the front desk.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL PARENT COFFEE SOCIAL

Friday September 6 8am-10am

STEAM Room

The PTO wants to treat you to a celebratory back-to-school coffee. Enjoy a latte from a catered espresso bar while catching up with your fellow Brighton parents.

FAMILY SKATE PARTY

Friday September 20 5pm-7pm

Lynnwood Bowl & Skate - 6210 200th St SW, Lynnwood

This is an all Brighton family event. Brighton PTO covers admission and skate rentals. You can find us in the roller rink at the back of the building.

SEPTEMBER PTO MEETING

Tuesday September 24 at 7pm

Location TBD

Learn about upcoming activities, get involved, and meet other parents.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

Date: September 27 - October 3

Location: Brighton Gym

Hours: 8am-4:30pm

The Scholastic Book Fair is returning to Brighton Friday, September 27 - Thursday, October 3! The Book Fair is a great opportunity to buy books for home and support your child’s classroom. Brighton teachers receive 50% of all profits from the Book Fair to buy new books for their students. Students visit the Book Fair with their class during school hours, but the shop is open to parents and families throughout the day and after school. Come on in!

More details to come on volunteer signups and how to set up a Scholastic eWallet.

Support the 8th Grade trip to Washington, D.C.

Welcome back Brighton families! The culmination of Brighton’s 8th grade US history studies is a trip to Washington, D.C. This trip is an opportunity for our students to enrich their learning, foster a deeper understanding of their civic responsibilities, and shape their perspective for years to come.

8th grade students and families are organizing several fundraisers throughout the year to help offset the cost of this special trip.

8th grade will be hosting a virtual online auction in late October - please consider donating an item, service, experience, use of a vacation home or timeshare, unique piece of art or furniture, wine, or another beverage to this fundraiser. I will be in the parking lot collecting donations on Monday mornings (Sept 9, 16, 23, 30 and Oct 7) from 7:45am-8:30am, or email me directly at jenparlatore@gmail.com to coordinate a pickup time. Please include a short note with your name, email, value, and description of the item you are donating. Thank you for your support!

-Jen Parlatore, 8th grade parent

Pizza Wednesdays are returning this Fall

Pizza Wednesdays return! The 8th Grade is offering pizza at lunch each Wednesday to middle-school students, as well as Brighton staff for $4.50/slice. Proceeds go towards their East Coast trip next Spring. Like prior years, you'll be able to place your order for two months at a time, but ordering later for the remaining weeks is fine too. New for this year is electronic ordering and payment; cash and checks can still be sent in with your student as well. Order now for September/October!

https://forms.gle/YMcd8NJvTuKn7qt49

-Kirsten Johnson, 8th grade parent

Oct 9-11 ~ The Toymaker (K-8 Enrichment Program)

Oct 25 ~ Monster Mash (Fall Community Event)

Dec 3 ~ Giving Tuesday

More details to come in our October Newsletter and at www.brightonpto.com.

Website: www.brightonpto.com
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Also look for our Mailbox next to the Front Desk

GO BRIGHTON EAGLES!