Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
Whitemarsh Elementary PTO Officers
President:
Nancy Rosefeldt
Vice President:
Amanda Boylan
Co-Treasurer:
Kelly Weidman
Jeannette Wood
Co-Secretaries:
Erin Desmet
Elise LaChapelle
CLICK HERE TO CONTACT THE WES PTO BOARD TO VOLUNTEER OR WITH ANY QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR FEEDBACK.
WES PTO Activity Descriptions
The WES PTO holds a number of fundraising events throughout the year that, along with the activity fee, will fund assemblies, classroom needs, field trip buses, and more. These events have become a tradition that everyone looks forward to each year. The events are made possible by the event committees that plan, organize, and promote their events.
For anyone interested in being part of a committee, sign-ups are available at the beginning of the school year. In addition to the committee, many events require volunteers to help at the actual event. Sign up lists for the event volunteers will be shared throughout the year and are great way to get involved. Please note that clearances must be completed and current before you can volunteer.
Pretzel Day
Held generally on the first Friday of each month. Students who purchase pretzels will receive their pretzels delivered to their classroom prior to their snack time. Mini pretzels from the Soft Pretzel Factory are provided. Pretzels can be pre-ordered for the whole year or monthly. There will be a limited number of extra pretzels each month in the event of any day of requests.
Spirit Wear
WES Spirit Wear is a great way to stock up on all your Whitemarsh Elementary logo’d gear for the kiddos to wear throughout the year. The sale takes place twice a year in the fall and early spring.
Book Fair
Book Fair is an opportunity for the students to shop and purchase books from Scholastic books. The books fair is set up in the school library and each classroom has a time to come to the book fair and shop. The book fair takes place for a week in the fall and a week in the spring. Students can bring in money or money can be added to an e-wallet for the student to use.
Both book fairs have opportunities for parents and guardians to shop with their student. In the fall they can shop during the Ice Cream Social and in the spring there is a family night with brownies and books.
Scarecrow Day
Scarecrow Day is a favorite of the WES students. Wooden scarecrows are set up around the front entrance of WES. Each classroom will have a scarecrow to decorate according to the class’s chosen theme. Parent Liaisons will work with their classrooms to create a list of items to donate for the kids to create their scarecrow. The scarecrows are on display around the front drive of WES throughout the month of October.
Ice Cream Social
The ice cream social is a chance for the WES community to come together and enjoy an ice cream treat together and socialize. Attendees have their choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream along with a large assortment of toppings to make your ice cream extra special. Held in October, it is a fun kickoff to the PTO activities for the year!
Pasta Palooza
Take the night off from cooking and enjoy a lovely Italian dinner served by the WES 3rd graders at Pasta Palooza! Bring friends and family members as this event is open to the community and always a fun time. The high school cafeteria is transformed into an Italian restaurant with the WES 3rd graders as your waiters to serve you a delicious pasta dinner complete with salad, bread, and dessert.
WES Serves
This is a great opportunity to give back to those families in our school and district. Each class is assigned one item for each child to bring into school in the month of November. We collect all the items and make Thanksgiving baskets for those families that need a little extra help during the holidays. Any leftover baskets from the WES Serves Project are gifted to the other Elementary schools in our district.
Holiday Shop
The Holiday Shop is a high-energy, week-long event for all grades at WES. Students come during their scheduled class time to shop for items range from .50-$11 per item with the majority between $2-$5 per item. Participation is voluntary and materials will be sent home to help families to talk to their students about the Holiday Shop, including gift planning envelopes. Parent Volunteers make this event the huge success and the students get such a thrill being able to shop for their loved ones (and sometimes themselves).
Bingo Night
Join us for a night of fun friendly competition—and a chance to win incredible prizes, all while supporting our PTO. Bring your best dauber and a hearty appetite for pizza, snacks, and a whole lot of fun. Held at the high school cafeteria, this is a roaring good time with a healthy amount of competition trying to get a BINGO before their friends.
Plant Sale
The WES Plant Sale occurs in May and is the perfect opportunity to start your flower, herb, and veggie gardens or buy a colorful Mother's Day gift. Our spring fundraiser includes options for hanging baskets, herbs, veggies, and flowers. More information including descriptions and pictures of the available plants are sent home ahead of time so you can choose the perfect assortment. On delivery day, your selected plants will be available in front of WES for you to pick up.
Carnival
The school carnival is the largest PTO event of the school year, both in attendance and money raised for the PTO. The field behind WES is transformed with several bounce houses, games, face painting, balloon animals, and more. Each classroom creates an amazing raffle basket that are so good it’s hard to choose which ones you will use your tickets and hope to win. There is also a silent auction which includes incredible items ranging from gift cards to sports tickets as well as the opportunity to be a teacher for a day, eat lunch with Mr Perlman, or even get a ride to school on a firetruck. Come hungry, because there is also a large selection of food and snacks including pizza, Kona Ice, and a bake sale. Everyone looks forward to this final and biggest event of the year which requires over 90 volunteers to help run and is a great way to get involved.
Yearbook
Keeping the tradition going, the yearbook offers the students a way to look back on all the good times they had at WES throughout the year. Pictures are taken by the WES community through the year and submitted to the yearbook committee who arranges them into a fabulous keepsake that your kids will love.
Restaurant Nights
Restaurant Nights or Dine and Donates are designed to bring our community together and give families a night off from cooking while supporting Whitemarsh Elementary School. Typically, a percentage of all sales is donated back to the school. Keep an eye on the PTO page and Friday emails for any upcoming Restaurant fundraisers.
Pizza Kits
A fun activity to do with the family or friends, pizza kits are pre-measured kits from Collegeville Bakery. They include enough dough, sauce, cheese, and spices to make a 12” pizza. Orders are placed and then on the selected Friday they can be picked up at the school to make at home.
Teacher Appreciation Week
We are so lucky to have such an amazing group of teachers and staff at WES. During Teacher Appreciation week the WES PTO committee chooses a theme and then plans food, activities, and give aways throughout the week that fit with the theme. This is a wonderful way for the WES community to show how much we appreciate everything the teachers and staff do for our kids.