Happy New Year!

We hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's! Don't forget school starts back on Monday January 5th!

Last Week of School Before the Holidays!

We hope everyone has a great last week of school before the holidays. Thanks to all who have made this year such a success! Watch for a New Year membership drive coming in January.

Stay warm!

Meeting next week!

Don't forget the next PTA meeting will be on Tuesday at 2pm.

And thanks to everyone who helped make the Holiday Gift Shop an absolute success! The kids had an awesome time, and so did the volunteers. Thank you again everyone!

Holiday Gift Shop Schedule

Tuesday Classes Visiting the shop are: 102, 103, 207, 209, 308, 306.

Wednesday: 208A, 107,211,104,105,303, 301.

Thursday: 205, 202, 206, 304, 305, 302.

Friday: 203, 210, 212, Make-up time for students who missed their shopping day.

We still can use extra help during these days including Friday when we need to take down the Holiday Shop. If you can volunteer please email oathorppta@gmail.com

Holiday Gift Shop

The auditorium is decorated and the Holiday Gift shop is ready to open... We still need volunteers to help Monday through Friday next week. If you would like to volunteer please send an email to oathorppta@gmail.com Any time you can give would be greatly appreciated.

The classes scheduled for Monday are:

204

201

109

101

309

310

As always, thanks for your support... and Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Tree!

Yesterday our tree was decorated at Brookfield Zoo. We are located in the East Mall, tree number 181. Stop by and check out our tree in person, and feel free to add your own ornament to it. (Just remember the rules... no glass and no metal hooks...)

We need help for the Holiday Shop!

We are in need of volunteers for the Holiday Gift Shop on Dec 1-5th. This event is sponsored by the PTA so the students have an opportunity to buy small holiday gifts for their family. Even if you can only volunteer for a few hours we would appreciate your help. Please email or call if you can give us some of your time.

No Time? We understand...

We all know it can be difficult to find the time to volunteer and help out the way you'd like to. And until we can figure out a way to add a few more hours to our days, here a few simple ways you can help the PTA without giving up your time:

Turn in your used ink cartridges to the PTA. Send them in to the office (in a plastic bag if they are leaking please!) and we will get them to recycle. The PTA gets money for turning them in so if you normally throw them out please send them our way! (And a big THANK YOU to the incredibly dedicated mom who takes care of turning these in for us! We appreciate it so much!)

Sign up at Box Tops for Education at http://www.boxtopsforeducation.com/ They almost always have a contest going on for schools to win extra boxtops. Right now Betty Crocker has a contest to win 10,000 extra boxtops! You can enter once a day, so if you are online anyhow, pop over to the website and enter for Thorp. (And of course keeping sending in your boxtops to school... this year we are doing awesome turning them in!)

thanks for helping!

Annmarie

Thank You!!

I have to say thank you to everyone who made today such an incredible success!! The teacher's luncheon was AMAZING!! Huge thank you's to everyone who donated something for the event. I heard so many wonderful comments from the staff...

And thank you to the parents who donated the gym wear that was sold today. The sale was such a success that we will be collecting clothes again to have another sale in the Spring! If you want to donate clothes at any time of the year just send them to the school office and the PTA will get them.

And I have to give a huge thank you to all the officers and chairpeople of the PTA this year... You all are so awesome to work with. I have loved getting to know all you better this year and I have a great time working with all of you... so thank you, thank you...

So back to school tomorrow : )

Annmarie

Don't Forget!

There is no school on Monday and Tuesday... and Report Card Pickup is on Wednesday.

Have a great few days off!

Used Gym Clothes Wanted

We are going to have a used gym clothes sale on November 12th during Report Card Pickup. If you have any gym clothes in good condition that you would like to donate, please turn them in to the school office. All proceeds are going to go towards Thanksgiving dinner for 3 O.A. Thorp families in need.

Thanks for helping the school community. We appreciate it!

PTA Meeting on Tuesday!

We are having our next meeting on Tuesday the 4th at 8:15 am. Hope to see you there!

Happy Halloween!

We hope everyone has a safe Halloween on Friday.

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the Taffy Apple Sale. Apples will be sold tomorrow (Fri) outside the lunchrooms between 10am and noon.

Tomorrow morning is also the day for "Coffee With the Principal." This is a great way to find out current events happening at the school.

And mark your calendars for November 4th... Besides being Election Day our next PTA meeting will be on this day at 8:15am. We hope you can join us!

Taffy Apple Sale and Pick Up on Thursday and Fri!

Don't forget we will be selling taffy apples during lunchtime tomorrow and Fri. Orders will also be ready to go home as well. If you placed a large order we ask parents to come pick them up as they might be difficult for students to take home themselves. The PTA will also be giving each student a free apple as a Fall Treat! Yum : )

(And thanks to all the parents who came to school to pick up the candy orders today.)

Market Day Orders Due Thursday

If you want to order from Market Day, forms are due at school on Thursday. If you want to order online you have until noon on November 3rd. If you aren't familiar with ordering online you can place your order and choose to pay at the sale instead of using your credit card online. (Our school number is 6360). This month they are featuring desserts for the upcoming holidays. Pick up for items is November 6th between 5:45pm and 6:30pm. And, of course, volunteers are always invited!

http://www.marketday.com/

***Extra Reminder*** Candy Sale pick up is tomorrow from 8am to 1pm.

Candy Sale Pick Up on Wednesday!

Just a reminder that the Candy Sale pickup is on Wednesday from 8am to 1pm in the auditorium. We ask that large orders be picked up by parents during the pick up time.

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Family Night at the Chicago Wolves

Tickets are still available for the Saturday November 22nd game at 7pm. Tickets are $14.00 dollars each and can be paid for by cash or check. (Checks need to be made to the O.A. Thorp PTA). With each ticket purchased you will receive a collectible Skates mini-bobblehead doll and a complimentary ticket for the December 3rd, 2008 game. Order deadline is October 30th, 2008.

And don't forget... no school tomorrow!

Relections Program

We are currently accepting entries for the Reflections program sponsored by the PTA. The following is information from the national PTA website...

Reflections Program

Designed to enhance rather than replace a quality arts education, the Reflections Program provides opportunities for students to express themselves and to receive positive recognition for their artistic efforts.

2008-09 Reflections Program Theme: "Wow!"

National PTA believes all children deserve a quality arts education and encourages students to pursue artistic expression through participation in its annual arts Reflections Program. The program offers students the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition. Students in preschool through grade 12 are encouraged to create and submit works of art in six areas: dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography, and the visual arts (which includes art forms such as drawing, painting, print making, and collage). For nearly 40 years, the program has encouraged millions of students across the nation and in American schools overseas to create works of art. The Reflections Program was started in 1969 by then Colorado PTA President Mary Lou Anderson.

Entry deadline is November 21, 2008. Submissions can be dropped off in the "Reflections" box across from the school office. Last year we were thrilled that Thorp had three students advance in the contest. Good luck to all who enter!

(We are also currently looking for a volunteer to help coordinate the Reflections program for next year. If you are interested and want more details please contact us!)

Annmarie

Welcome to the O.A. Thorp PTA Blog!

Thank you for coming to our new blog. Your taking the time to check out our page means something to all of us... It means you are interested in your child's school and what's going on there (and we LOVE that!!). Visiting this page will keep you up to date with all the activities the Thorp PTA has planned this year. You will find everything you need to know to attend a meeting, contact the PTA, or volunteer for a PTA sponsored event.

You might want to check back often (maybe even put us in your "favorites") because we have a lot planned for this school year.

And if I can also thank everyone who has joined the PTA this year... Your support means the world to us!

Annmarie Ortega