WELCOME!

The McBain PTO has been in existance for several decades, and has evolved over time to become a primary financial supporter of many events and organizations within the McBain Rural Agricultural School system.  The PTO also promotes school spirit and pride in our school!

Do you know who you are supporting when you help support the McBain PTO?  Here are just some of the groups/events receiving sponsorship from the PTO:  Senior Prom and After-Prom Activities, Homecoming, Sophomore Carnival, National Honor Society, Project H.E.R.O., Girls on the Run, Feelin' Good Mileage Club, field trips, senior scholarships, arts & sciences scholarships, Middle School Natural Helpers, and Reading Month activities.  The PTO has also brought lots of exciting and educational assemblies and events to the school over the years.

Without the support of many parents, students, school staff, friends, neighbors, and community members every year, the PTO would not exist.  Thanks to everyone who supports our efforts! 

If you would like to be on our list of volunteers, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Denice Overmyer at 825-2021.  By adding your name to the list, you are not committing to any certain number of hours or dates...just that you would be willing to be contacted for events that may come up where we need some extra help.  You can decide at that time whether or not it works with your schedule.  It could be helping with a popcorn day, the Book Fair, the Rambler Room, the bake sale table or raffle table at the Holiday Craft Market, helping during Parent-Teacher Conferences, etc.  If everyone gave just 1 hour a month, we could accomplish such great things!  Please seriously consider this, as a way to get involved in the lives of your children and their school.

ANNUAL HOLIDAY CRAFT MARKET

The PTO sponsors events throughout the school year to increase funds.  The largest fundraising event is the PTO's Annual Holiday Craft Market, which is held each year on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.  This one-day show brings crafters from all over the state to display their hand-made wares to the many shoppers that have made this annual event part of their Thanksgiving tradition!

Our 2009 show will be held on Saturday, November 28th.  

For more details about renting a booth for the show, click Holiday Craft Market, or send an email the PTO.

LABELS PROGRAM

Another way to help the PTO is to clip and save various labels that we turn in for points or cash.  We collect Campbell's labels, General Mills' Box Tops for Education labels, Tyson Project A+ labels, UPC's from any Spartan product, and "School Spirit" labels from bread wrappers.  It may seem silly to some, but can you believe the PTO earns over $3,000 each year through our labels program?  

In the elementary grades, each teacher has agreed to keep track of labels each student turns in and the student's name is placed in a prize drawing for every twenty labels turned in.  Additionally, at the end of the collection period, the class with the most labels wins a pizza party! 

For parents of middle school or high school students, labels can be dropped off at any of the offices, and they will get them to the PTO.  These students will also get their names in a drawing for prizes!

For more details on some of these programs, including a list of participating products, please click on the links below:

General Mills:  www.BoxTops4Education.com

Campbell's:  www.labelsforeducation.com/eligibleproductsEN.aspx

Tyson:  www.tyson.com/projectaplus/labels/products

RAMBLER ROOM

When attending a school function, it always brings a smile to see how many people are wearing our school colors, green and gold.  In an effort to get more of it out there, the PTO has the "Rambler Room" in the lobby of the gym.  In this school store you will find numerous items sporting the school's logo and colors:  t-shirts, sweatshirts, polo shirts, jackets, windbreakers, hats, umbrellas, key chains, coffee mugs, foam hands, pennants, pompoms, temporary tattoos, pens, pencils, window stickers, mini-footballs, glow-in-the-dark necklaces, and more!  New this year:  clothing in ladies' styles (some with bling!), some new colors (banana and oregano), button-front oxford style shirts, and rally towels!  Many clothing items are available in both adult and children's sizes.  Be sure to stop by to check it out during many sporting events and school functions. 

 MEIJER COMMUNITY REWARDS

As a non-profit organization, the McBain PTO is always looking for ways to help fund our operations without putting a financial burden on the people we serve.  With that in mind, we took advantage of an opportunity to participate in a program offered by Meijer, called "Meijer Community Rewards". 

Here's how you can participate:  we need you, our supporter, to join Meijer Community Rewards.   It is free and can be done online at www.Meijer.com/rewards or stop by the store for an application.  (The PTO's organization number is 395894 - you will need that for the application.)  Applications are also available at the school by calling 231/825-2021.  When you receive your card in the mail, simply use it when you shop at Meijer, paying with a debit card or cash.  If you have a Meijer Credit Card, just call 1-800-962-7011 to add Meijer Community Rewards to your credit card account.

Though it only earns a small percentage, every dollar helps.  This program can make a wonderful difference in enabling us to help many groups and students throughout the school.  The sooner you join, the sooner the PTO bill begin receiving rewards!

SCRIP

One of the PTO's newest fund-raising ventures is the SCRIP program, which allows supporters to purchase gift cards (SCRIP) for everyday expenses like food, clothing, gasoline and entertainment, which in turn earns the PTO a percentage of each dollar back in revenue.  It's "no-selling" fundraising.

SCRIP is a term that means "substitute money".

When you purchase SCRIP, you purchase negotiable gift certificates that are used just like cash. The SCRIP is issued by the national and local retailers where many of us already shop. These merchants want to support non-profit organizations like the PTO, and in return ask you to support them by shopping with SCRIP at their stores. You can use SCRIP to purchase everyday expenses like food, clothing, gasoline and other essentials, and with every purchase, you earn revenue for the PTO.  You can also use SCRIP for gifts - whether you give the gift certificate itself, or purchase a present using one of the gift cards you have already purchased.

During the school year (September through May), orders may be placed with the PTO whenever you wish to purchase SCRIP.  The PTO places an order every Monday, and the orders are usually available for pick up Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.  Orders are processed through the elementary office.

Here are just a few of the businesses that participate in the PTO's SCRIP program:

• American Eagle, JCPenney, Kohl's, Payless Shoes 
• Amoco, Marathon, Shell, Sunoco 
• Burger King, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Quizno's, Subway 
• Applebee's, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday's
• Lowe's, Menards, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Sears
• Bath & Body Works, Toys-R-Us, Goodrich Theaters
• Wal-Mart

For a complete listing, including the earnings percentages offered, click on the following link:  http://www.glscrip.com/retailerlist/index.aspx

Is the SCRIP Program a Bit Confusing to You?

There are several links to the left, or contact the PTO with any questions about the SCRIP program!

UPCOMING EVENTS/FUNDRAISERS

(contact the PTO for more details on these upcoming events/fundraisers):

KEEPSAKE COOK BOOK  Cookbooks are available in the office.

CRAFT SHOW  November 28th