Rowe PTO News

11.17 - Panera Bread Night

11.23 - Thanksgiving - No School 11.22 - 11.24

11.26 - 12.10 - Print Online Book Fair

11.30-12.1 - Family Teacher Conferences

Mid-Nov - Mid-Dec - Holiday Gift Drive

12.4 - PTO Meeting. 6:30-8:00 on ZOOM with Principal Anton sharing info about Title 1 status

12.14 & 12.20 - Holiday Pop Ups

12.20 - Teacher and Staff Cookie Exchange

12.17 - Maine Mariners Hockey Game with Teddy Bear Toss(see below for more games!)

Hey Rowe Family! Welcome to your November newsletter! We are happy to have you!

We wanted to start with a HUGE thank you for all the work, donations, and encouragement you all provided for the walkathon.

The energy in the school building and walkathon loop was palpable! Our Rowe Otters ran a total of 704 miles in one day! Everywhere we looked, there were smiling children and adults donning their very own Rowe Otter t-shirt. It was a joyful day full of community, school spirit, and pride. Thank you to our incredible volunteers -old and new- supporting our students along the route, cheering them on, offering water, and raising $17,526.37! This is the most money we have ever raised and we are beyond grateful to our community and extended family and friends!

We can’t wait to put the funds to good use and give back to our students and staff. Shout out to Mr. Custeau (Coach C) for building our Rowe Otters endurance, stamina, and strength to reach their personal goals on the big day!

Read on to learn more about our upcoming bookfair, a Mariners game, PTO meeting and lots more!

Who wants to cook on a Friday night? Not us! How about Panera instead and a portion of proceeds will come right back to the Rowe PTO.

Don’t forget to use the promo code FUND4U online and at the counter!

Back by popular demand, our online book fair with Print: A Bookstore will go live November, 26 - December 10. Staff will create lists of books they hope to add to their classrooms and the library, or that your students might enjoy at home. Print will also add their own recommendations if you click on the “Book Fair Catalog.”

Using the code “Rowe”, buy for yourself, or fulfill your teacher’s wishlist, and Rowe PTO will get 20% of all sales in the form of merchant credit. This credit will then be used to help fulfill those wishlists.

The link for the fair can be found here, and will go live on Sunday, 11/6.

We earn that 20% for ALL books sold using the code “Rowe” online or in-store. Buy books for yourself, your kids, Rowe staff, or anyone else! Also share the code with family and friends who shop at Print this holiday season. It can be used by anyone at any time.. Happy shopping AND reading!

Calling all hockey fans! You are invited to join the Rowe Elementary School PTO at four different Maine Mariners games this season!

• Sun, Dec 17th @3pm
• Fri, Dec 29th @1pm
• Sat, Feb 17th @6pm
• Sun, March 17th @3pm

Tickets are $20 each and $5 of that will go straight to the Rowe PTO. At the March 17th game, the PTO will also host a 50/50 raffle.

Here is the link to purchase tickets: fevo-enterprise.com/group/RoweElementaryFundraiser/offers

We look forward to seeing you there!

Do you own or work for a great local business or organization? Do you have a special skill you can share? The PTO will be holding the annual Calendar Raffle in April, and we are starting to solicit donations in the form of restaurant gift certificates, event tickets, and more. Please contact Ashley Eiler (vicepresident@roweschoolpto.org) if you would like to donate something or help with soliciting donations.

Winter Beanies are back, AND we have a very limited number of the new Rowe River Otter adult sized shirts. Get them while they last!

Sorry, outfit in picture not actually available as spirit wear.

The PTO is working on a schoolwide directory that families can use to coordinate playdates, arrange carpooling, and send out birthday party invitations. You can also opt in to a classroom directory that Room Parents will distribute at the individual classroom level. SIgn up here.

We are still looking for volunteers to serve as Room Parents! This is a 1-3 hour per month commitment Room Parents help build community within classrooms.

The following classrooms are currently without any Room Parents:

• Allen (Pre-K)
• Donohoe (1st)
• Chepke (4th)
• Mirisola-Sullivan (4th)
• Soules (5th)

Sign up here and contact Ashley Eiler (vicepresident@roweschoolpto.org) with questions.

There is still time to be included in your class directory and/or Rowe School directory, which will be distributed later this month. Don't miss out on all those social invites your child will start to get!

Sign up here!

We often hear, “the PTO should do _____,” or, “I have a great idea I think the PTO should take on.” So who exactly IS the PTO? It’s all of YOU! If you are a member of the Rowe Community you are a member of the PTO. We have a board of six elected officers who just try to steer the ship, but we absolutely cannot do it alone.

Some great examples of Rowe community members who have implemented some great ideas with help from the PTO board are:

• Mike Best - his Craft & Quest, Pokemon Night, and Realm of Rowe activities are well loved by so many of our students. He leads the events, we help him with some funds and volunteers!

• Rania Bussiere - Rania recognized a grant that will be great for a student field trip this year, and asked if she could apply for it on behalf of the PTO. A great idea, that when brought to fruition, will be an awesome experience for our students.

• Jen Robinson & Steph Walsh - started the Odyssey of the Mind program at Rowe last year. This parent led club asked for financial support from the PTO in order to cover the membership costs, and we were happy to help!

Are you someone in our community who has a great idea, or a new way of doing something? We have a form for that. Please share your ideas with us and we’ll do everything we can to help make it happen.

Each year, the PTO receives requests from the Student Support Team to collect new items (clothing, food, home goods) to give to our Rowe families in need during the holiday season. If you or you know of a family in need of extra support this season or you are interested in helping, please send us an email.

Each year we raise approximately $30,000 (about $65 per student) to support classroom supplies, books, field trips, families in need, ad more.

You can help by:

Make a direct donation

Buy spirit wear

Use PTO Clynk bags for cans and bottles

Support our fundraisers