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Below are events and activities traditionally organized, funded, or supported by PTO.  PTO provides an avenue for fundraising that allows for special purchases to support River Bend above and beyond its regular budget.  PTO also facilitates activities that provide fun and memorable events for the students as part of their elementary school experience.  Volunteers are also paramount to the River Bend community, and PTO helps to recruit and organize volunteers for both educational and social events.  

FALL EVENTS

Opening Night/Open House

An open house event for students to showcase what they have been doing in their classes.  Students present their leadership roles and goals, academic work, and special activities to their families.  Ways PTO may participate is by hosting an informational booth, organizing snacks and fun on the playground, or showing an outdoor movie.

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Coordinate with staff for PTO participation
• Plan fun activities for families
• Host PTO informational booth

Scholastic Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair is a major fundraiser for the RB library. The funds allow the library to purchase new books and products. Volunteers work with Scholastic to organize this event.

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Serve as the lead, working with the librarian and the Scholastic representative to plan event
• Recruit and schedule volunteers
• Advertise event
• Create and implement decorations
• Coordinate and/or assist with student shopping during the school day
• Restock items
• Customer service/POS
• Distribute student prizes and teacher books
• Set up and tear down

Fall Party

The Fall Party takes place in October.  Parent/guardians work together to implement games and crafts for their child's grade level/class.

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Grade-level captain to coordinate planning and logistics
• Recruit volunteers
• Plan games and craft
• Participate on the day of the party to help the kids do crafts and games

Trunk or Treat

Trick or Trunk is a fun community event where families decorate their cars with themed-elements and a game for kids to play and hand out candy.  Other activities also may include a bounce house, face painting, pumpkin decorating.  Typically, the 5th grade class provides a concession stand. 

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Plan event
• Recruit and coordinate participating vehicles
• Set up the event
• Decorate car and pass out candy
• Run ticket booth
• Work at the concession booth
• Clean up after event

 Abilities Awareness Day

Abilities Awareness Day celebrates people who overcome a variety of physical, mental, or behavioral challenges to live healthy, fulfilling lives.  In partnership with the school counselors, PTO assists with inviting and hosting special guests who live with one of these challenges to share their stories with River Bend students.  The goal is to help students understand that a disability doesn't have to be mysterious or a disadvantage and to show them how people adapt to accomplish life and recreational skills.

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Work with the counselors to plan the event
• Coordinate snacks and lunch for guests
• Host the guest speakers on Abilities Awareness Day by escorting them to classes and assisting with their presentation needs
• Write thank yous to guests

Veteran’s Day Assembly

The Veteran’s Day assembly is coordinated by the music teacher and honors Veteran's Day and veterans associated with River Bend staff and students.  

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Set up and tear down for the event
• Create display board of veteran's photos
• Shop for and layout snacks for veterans
• Host Veterans at River Bend before and after the assembly

 WINTER EVENTS

Winter Party

The Winter Party takes place right after the Winter Sing-A-Long, which is on the last day of school before winter break.  The party is similar to the Fall Party, but will have winter themes.

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Lead parent to coordinate planning and logistics
• Plan games, snacks, and craft
• Participate on the day of the party to help the kids do crafts and games.

Bingo Night

Bingo Night is a fun, social event for the school community.  It also serves as a general fundraiser for PTO.

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Recruit volunteers
• Set up and tear down
• Shop for concession items
• Shop for, request donations, and organize prizes for Bingo winners
• Run concession booth
• Run ticket booth
• Run prize table
• Call Bingo game or assist 
• Coordinate classroom winners of coin contest

Cultural Fair/Spotlight

Cultural Fair/Spotlight celebrates the multitude of cultures around the world, with a specific emphasis on the cultures represented by River Bend families.  This traditionally has been done via a fair-type event where families set up a booth displaying information, artifacts, and food about their home country, ethnic group, or heritage.  Additionally, the PTO crew has worked with student leadership crews and staff to highlight different cultures through video presentations and other activities.

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Plan event
• Publicize the event
• Recruit families to host a booth
• Set up/tear down
• Host a booth to highlight your culture
• Decorate a display for the week of Culture Fair
• Coordinate video elements or other activities
• Present at a PTO meeting 

STEM (Science) Fair

The River Bend STEM Fair is typically held at the end of January to coordinate with the Parkway School District STEM Fair.  Students work independently to design and implement a STEM related project and then display their work during the fair for peer viewing.  PTO offers project assistance to students and families via workdays, technical helps, and review of projects.  Along with the student project displays, PTO organizes local organizations, businesses, and individuals to host a day of demonstrations and interactive activities that highlight STEM concepts.

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Organize STEM Fair/act as liaison between RB and District Fair
• Publicize STEM Fair
• Recruit guest presenters for demonstrations
• Recruit volunteers to facilitate demonstrations and student displays
• Coordinate the day's schedule with teachers
• Coordinate prizes/recognition for students who complete a project
• Prepare/plan for lunch for volunteers/guests
• Set up/tear down
• Volunteer as a project coach
• Volunteer to run a demonstration or display (no science experience is necessary)
• Serve as a judge at the Parkway STEM Fair

Friendship Party

The Friendship Party takes place in February.  The party is similar to the Fall and Winter parties, but will have friendship/spring themes.

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Lead parent to coordinate planning and logistics
• Plan games, snacks, and craft
• Participate on the day of the party to help the kids do crafts and games.

Family Fun Night

Family Fun Night is our fundraiser for our Arts Partners program.  The Arts Partners Program gives each grade level an “arts opportunity”, which ranges from field trips to hear the symphony to interactive learning presentations with a local artist.  Family Fun Night is a carnival-style event with games, prizes, and food.  Other highlights include a silent auction and prize basket give-away.  This is the largest PTO event of the year.

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Serve as event captain
• Advertize event
• Recruit volunteers
• Schedule volunteers
• Coordinate games
• Coordinate and shop for concessions
• Solicit donations for the silent auction or prizes
• Coordinate "event with a staff person" donations from staff
• Shop for prizes and auction items
• Organize and wrap prize baskets/auction items
• Run a game at the event
• Assist in the concession booth
• Set up prize basket and auction tables
• Run the silent auction at event
• Sell tickets
• Collect auction winner payments
• Set up and clean up event

SPRING EVENTS

Used Book Fair

PTO hosts a Used Book Fair in the spring.  This provides an opportunity for students to purchase reading materials inexpensively (~0.50).  This helps provide families with access to books during the summer months.  The funds go to PTO to assist with various activities.  Used book donations are collected throughout the year.

Possible volunteer opportunities include: 

• Plan and publicize event
• Plan a book drive to collect donations from the school community and the local neighborhoods
• Collect and manage book donations
• Coordinate shopping times with teachers
• Organize books by reading levels/interest
• Volunteer to work at the fair
• Set up and clean up

Fun Run

This event is a partnership with the RB PE staff.  The goal is to promote a healthy lifestyle and provide an opportunity for RB families to give back to a health/medical-related organization.  The PTO works closely with the PE staff to plan the event and recruit volunteers.

Possible volunteer opportunities include:

• Plan event (get volunteers and work out logistics with PE teachers)
• Publicize event
• Recruit volunteers
• Collect registration forms and fees
• Coordinate t-shirt design and purchase
• Coordinate logistics for the run with the neighborhood and police department
• Shop for and distribute snack items after the race
• Work registration table
• Volunteer along run route
• Set up/clean up event

Field Day

During the last month of school, students participate in a Field Day, with fun outdoor/indoor activities organized by the school staff.  Students play/participate in a variety of challenges and games.  The PTO supports this day by providing snacks, snow-cones, and a sack lunch.

Possible volunteer opportunities include: 

• Serve as captain of the event
• Coordinate kitchen use with nutrition staff
• Recruit volunteers to package snacks, cook lunch, package lunches, and run the snow-cone machine
• Volunteer on event day to package, cook, or serve, food
• Shop for food
• Cook hot dogs
• Set up/clean up

 ALL YEAR

Fundraising

All PTO activities are funded through donations and fundraising events.  Each year, we create a budget based on our current assets and fundraising goals.  This dictates the extent of support we can provide to the school community.  For several years, we have limited our fundraising efforts to a direct giving campaign, event-specific fees/tickets/concession sales, and restaurant night fundraisers.  We also continue to promote Box Tops for Education.  

Possible volunteer opportunities include: 

• Serve on a fundraising action team
• Coordinate Pawsitively Giving, our direct giving campaign
• Coordinate school restaurant nights
• Coordinate Box Tops for Education
• Plan other fundraising opportunities (pizza sales, trivia night, sponsorships for specific items/event)
• Publicize events
• Recruit volunteers for specific events

Yearbook 

Every year, River Bend PTO helps create a yearbook capturing memories of students and special events from the year.

Possible volunteer opportunities include: 

• Volunteer as Yearbook captain
• Coordinate with school for picture days
• Take pictures for the yearbook
• Help with the layout of the yearbook
• Coordinate yearbook sales
• Partner with a student leadership team to coordinate yearbook content
• Sort and distribute the yearbook

Staff Appreciation

The PTO says thank you to our teachers and staff throughout the year with special treats, goodie bags, and other small gifts.  We recognize staff during special days of the year, such as School Nurse Week, and for celebrate them during Teacher Appreciation Week.  PTO also gives a gift to staff who are retiring or moving to a different job opportunity.

Possible volunteer opportunities include: 

• Coordinate treats for the teachers and staff for special recognition days and work days
• Plan food for conference night or Teacher Appreciation Week
• Donate food and help set up Teacher Appreciation Week lunches or conference night food
• Shop for end-of-year gifts
• Coordinate other treats or gifts, such as Holiday Baskets, thank you cards, etc.

Library Volunteer

The RB library and librarian depend on the help of volunteers for day-to-day operations.  No extra staff are hired to assist the librarian with the tasks below.

Possible volunteer opportunities include: 

• Sort and return books and materials to the shelves
• Assist students with finding and checking out materials
• Assist the librarian with special projects such as changing out seasonal displays, recording new books for cataloging, preparing activities for lessons, and coordinating the Book Fair
• Assist with check-in, inventory, and shelving materials at the end of the year.

Chalk Artist

Chalk art on the outdoor sidewalks and patios is one way that the PTO celebrates students and staff on special days, as well as advertizes events.  

Possible volunteer opportunities include: 

• Recruit volunteers to decorate 
• Chalk in various areas for events and activities (first day of school, Book Fair, 5th Grade Celebration, etc.)

Classroom Volunteer/Grade-level Captain

The PTO helps to partner parents/guardians with classroom teachers for facilitating parties and communicating about other volunteer opportunities and PTO activities.

Possible volunteer opportunities include: 

• Serve as a captain/party parent lead
• Help plan and run seasonal parties
• Communicate with other parents/guardians about upcoming activities, fundraisers, sales, and volunteer opportunities
• Plan and coordinate 5th Grade Celebration events (5th grade parents/guardians only)

PTO Board

The PTO is overseen by a group of volunteers who serve as executive board members in the roles of President, Vice-president, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and Volunteer Coordinator.  The Board provides oversight and leadership for PTO events, fundraising, and school support.  They promote volunteerism, parental involvement, and staff-to-parent partnernship.  They provide financial support to the school's academic and enrichment programs.  They also provide opportunities for students to experience fun and memorable events and activities during their elementary years.

Possible volunteer opportunities include: 

• Attend a PTO general membership meeting
• Serve as a captain or event lead
• Serve as a board or co-board member