Welcome back, Puma Families! We hope you had a wonderful and relaxing winter break. It’s hard to believe that we’re already three weeks into the new year, and things are starting to pick up as we head into the second half of the school year.

We have some exciting events on the horizon! First up is our annual Bingo/Lotería Night—a night full of fun for the whole family! To make this event a success, we’re looking for volunteers to help coordinate/plan as well as support during the event, so if you’re available to pitch in, please send an email to volunteers@milwaukieelpuentepto.org.

We’re also gearing up for Read-A-Thon, a fun and educational way for our students to challenge themselves and raise funds for the school. Be sure to read below for more details!

There’s a lot more happening in the coming months, so be sure to read all the way through this newsletter to learn how you can stay up to date on everything going on with your PTO.

As always, thank you for your continued support. We look forward to making the second half of the school year a memorable one!

We’re excited to announce that we’ve set up a new WhatsApp community for the PTO! This will be a great way for families to connect with one another, with specific groups created for each grade so you can easily stay in touch with others in your child’s class. It’s a fantastic way to build connections and stay in the loop with all things happening with the PTO.

The PTO will also use this platform to share important announcements, updates, and newsletters. While newsletters will still be sent out via ParentSquare, we encourage you to join our WhatsApp community for the quickest updates. Additionally, members can request new groups to be added to the community as needed/desired.

This is a space for support, kindness, and positive engagement—please be mindful as we want to keep it a safe, welcoming space for all families.

To join, simply click on the blue button below to download WhatsApp and join our community. You can also scan or upload the QR code below using your WhatsApp camera. We can’t wait to connect with you all!

Please note: when you join, your phone number will be visible to other members of the community via WhatsApp.

It's time to get ready for Read-a-Thon!

Students spend extra time reading from Monday, March 3 to Sunday March 16 and keep track of their minutes to earn fun prizes. The top prize this year is a capybara stuffie that wraps around your arm!

It's also the spring fundraiser. Our goal is to raise more than $15,000 for the school, or about $60 per student. If we reach that goal, there will be an exciting school assembly. Funds raised are used by the PTO to buy books for the library, support special classroom supplies and teaching tools, and help us put on a fun and affordable spring carnival.

More details will be available soon, including the list of prizes. Envelopes to collect donations will come home in February. But new this year...online donations are open now!

Use this link to set up a page for your student/family and start asking family and friends to support our school. https://pledgestar.com/milwaukie/a/familyinstructions.html

Interested in being part of the read-a-thon volunteer group or have questions, email treasurer@milwaukieelpuentepto.org.

Our updated PTO website is now LIVE! Please click on the link below to check it out. This will be a great way to get news and updates from the PTO, so keep it bookmarked on your phone and computer.

I want to specifically highlight the "Teachers" page on our website as it holds many Wishlists for our wonderful teachers! Be sure to check them out.

We are still in need of volunteers to fill chair/coordinator positions. If you're interested in learning more about these roles, please contact Jamie or Regina for further details. Contact information at the bottom of this newsletter.

• Click here to sign up for a Chair position
• Click here to explore all available volunteer opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities

Morning Club

• We are always in need of morning club volunteers! Click on the link above to see available dates.

Bingo/Loteria

• Two coordinators/chairs
• Planning committee of 2-3 people to help
• Day of volunteers

Read-A-Thon

• Two coordinators/chairs (Heidi will support)
• Planning committee of 2-3 people to help

STEAM Night (April, 2025)

• Two coordinators/chairs
• Planning committee of 2-4 people to help
• Day of volunteers

Carnival

• Planning committee of 3-4 people to help
• Day of volunteers

If you haven't had a chance to fill out the volunteer application and you would like to, please click here.

PLEASE NOTE: You are required to be an approved volunteer by NCSD before you are able to volunteer for any event at our school; this includes field trips, classroom volunteering, events, etc. Submitting this application does not sign you up for any activity with Milwaukie El Puente. Once you are approved by the district you will be able to sign up for volunteer shifts with MEP through HelpCounter

The Green Team wanted to remind everyone that you can request Blue Bags for bottle and can donations. Just reach out to greenteam@milwaukieelpuentepto.org

If you have any photos from school or PTO events this year, please consider sending them over to yearbook@milwaukieelpuentepto.org for our 2024-25 yearbook!

31 No School

17 No School

20 PTO Meeting

24 No School

28 Bingo/Loteria Night (Tentative)

3 - 16 Read-A-Thon

24 - 28 Spring Break

Milwaukie El Puente PTO is a nonprofit run by parents who volunteer their time and partner with the principal, teachers, and community members. We fundraise to support the educational experience of all our students.

President

Email: President@milwaukieelpuentepto.org

Treasurer

Email: Treasurer@milwaukieelpuentepto.org

Volunteer Coordinator

Email: Volunteers@milwaukieelpuentepto.org

Fundraising Coordinator

Email: Fundraising@milwaukieelpuentepto.org

Secretary

Email: Secretary@milwaukieelpuentepto.org

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Milwaukie El Puente PTO Board Members