Fun run volunteer sign up here! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D44ADA62AA3FE3-2022

Fun run volunteer sign up here! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D44ADA62AA3FE3-2022
PTA is very excited to announce that Rattlesnake Fun Run will take place Friday, May 20th. The Fun Run will look different than in years past. This year PTA has teamed with Boosterthon to put on a fitness-based fundraiser. Students will have the opportunity to get pledges for the number of laps they will complete. Boosterthon anticipates most students will complete 35 laps. Thus, a pledge of $1 per lap would come out to $35. However, students can also receive flat donations. All students will have the opportunity to participate in the Fun Run whether or not they choose to get pledges.
Families will be able to register to participate in the fundraiser and enter donations at mybooster.com. Tracking donations, collections, and rewards will all occur online. Additional information regarding how parents can volunteer and participate in the event will be available on the PTA website in the upcoming weeks. Additionally, your child will receive a “Giving Guide” on May 9th which explains the program further and how to register. The PTA’s goal is to raise $20,000. Chief Charlo and Jeannette Rankin schools each raised over $30,000 with this same fundraiser. The money raised will be put towards funding PTA’s annual budget items, including classroom teacher’s annual grants, teacher appreciation, and the school’s reading specialist.
Here is a quick video regarding the program:
Attendees: Janel Chin, Dana Hupp, Melody Nelsen, Pam Wright, Sarah Lee, Lauren Sheetz, Molly Bradford, Jen Oakland
8:15 a.m. – Welcome, Intros and Call for other items
8:20 a.m. Presentation of Standing Rules for adoption, approved
8:25 a.m. – Principal and Teacher Updates
8:30 a.m. – Fundraising
8:40 a.m. – Committee Updates/Reports
– MCT directors worked with all RE students earlier this year. Big thanks to Dana for coordinating this and Worden and Thane for sponsoring it financially.
– “Montana Shakes,” Montana’s Shakespeare in the Parks’ elementary school program is coming to do a 35 minute performance (interpretation of the classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream called Bottom’s Dream by Matt Foss) + 15-20 minutes Q&A and up to 9 workshops for all grade levels will be held on Tuesday March 15th
– Battle of the Books update (Dana)
– There has been interest in forming a Lego Robotics club at RE, SpectrUM is interested in supporting this and some ATG employees may be interested as part of their community volunteer program as well.
– There would be costs for a coach (unless a volunteer is found) and for the lego sets.
– Pam is checking to see if any of the teachers or staff would like to coach
– For more information on Lego Robotics visit: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/fll/what-is-first-lego-league.
– Any interest in a bike rodeo? In the past it was held in conjunction with Parks n’ Rec/Missoula In Motion
8:50 a.m. – RE saw unprecedented levels of COVID this winter and we are pleased that numbers are now falling throughout our community. Please continue to do your part to keep vulnerable members of our community safe by:
9:00 a.m. – Announcements
In attendance: Janel Chin, Shannon Murphy, Melody Nelsen, Pam Wright, Molly Bradford, Sara Lee
8:15 a.m. – Welcome, Intros and Call for other items
8:20 a.m. – Principal and Teacher Updates
– Questions about the 2022-23 school year calendar as many working parents are needing to request any needed time off now.
8:25 a.m. Committee Updates/Reports
– Book Fair (Dana) – We are waiting until the busyness of the holiday season winds down to hear our total funds earned from Fact and Fiction but big thanks to everyone who helped with set-up, selling and take-down and to everyone who purchased books. Molly Bradford can screenshare online shopping/making wishlists to share
– Battle of the Books (Dana) – first competition will take place December 16th. RE has multiple 4th and 5th grade teams competing. Big thanks to coaches and other volunteers for making this possible!
– Theater Enrichment (Dana)
– Worden & Thane is once again sponsoring MCT coming to RE to work with our students. Every class will do a workshop this winter with an MCT employee
– Our Leadership Board voted to fund “Montana Shakes” which is Montana Shakespeare in the Parks elementary school program coming to RE on March 15th to do an age appropriate performance (interpretation of the classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream called Bottom’s Dream by Matt Foss) followed by nine workshops for students to work with our actor-educators ($800 cost). Pam may be working with this actors to see if they could do two different shows instead of workshops
– ROC Discussion of top priorities to keep the space usable in 2022 – We are still accepting donations for future enhancements to that space such as picnic tables, bird boxes, elk spotting binoculars and/or native plant displays. Janel will discuss with Jen Oakland if we need to get another volunteer involved.
– Teacher Appreciation (Lauren / Jen S. )- stock the fridge/FCC event last month was well received: HUGE thanks to everyone who donated!!!
– School garden is hoping for a new, larger shed if anyone wants to support this, let us know. There is funding available. Jen Oakland and Molly Bradford need to get together ? Hellgate high school make one?
8:35 a.m. – Future Fundraising/Events – The following events are in need of volunteer committees in order to occur, please let us know if you might be willing to help out with the:
– Focused giving. Please let us know if you are someone you know would be interested in giving to specific projects/efforts in our school community. For instance, the school garden could use a new shed, landscaping and maintenance needs exist south of the school and there are opportunities to increase arts enrichment at RE. The improvements made last summer to seating in the ROC improvements were largely funded by one RE family.
8:45 a.m. – Health and Safety Discussion Items:
8:50 a.m. – Announcements
In attendance: Pam Wright, Janel Chin, Dana Hupp, Melody Nelsen, Sara Smith
4:30 p.m. – Welcome, Call for other items and Principal/Teacher Updates
4:35 p.m. Committee Updates Reports
4:45 p.m. Discussion of leadership recruitment efforts: Janel (President) and Shannon (Treasurer) positions will be up for re-election in May and neither plans to run for a second term. Dana would consider running for President but we need to recruit a competent Treasurer for her to feel okay about taking the presidency on. We also would need to recruit a Vice President to fill the end of her term if she were to do that…
4:50 p.m. – Health and Safety Discussion Items:
4:55 p.m. Funding Requests
1. LANGUAGE: Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say. Using Shakespeare’s text, students will explore how context and subtext can change the meaning of words. They will explore tone of voice, body language, and social cues to determine meaning and make new stories.
2. PHYSICAL: March to the Beat of Your Own Drummer. Students will create original characters using physical theatre techniques and games. They will create a space where all these characters can co-exist as expressions of “their full selves”.
3. CRAFT: One Person’s Trash. By giving value to items that are often discarded, we can make art out of unusual objects and even some “garbage”. Students will explore what the voice in their head sounds like and give it shape and meaning with this hands-on workshop.
5:00 p.m. Fundraising
5:15 p.m. Announcements
This year’s PTA Book Fair will be held in the school library Tuesday through Thursday, November 9-11. Students and teachers will have the opportunity to complete book “wish lists” during the school day Tuesday. Books will also be available online for purchase at http://www.factandfictionbooks.com between now and the end of November. Please use coupon/promo code “Rattlesnake” when making purchases online so that PTA receives a percentage of the sale.
In-person Book Fair hours have been modified from past years due to COVID-19. This year books will be available for sale in the library:
Tuesday, November 9: 3:15 pm to 6 pm
Wednesday, November 10: 7:30 am to 8:30 am / 3:15 pm to 6 pm
Thursday, November 11: 7:30 am to 8:30 am / 11:05 am to 12:05 pm
Rattlesnake swag, including new zip-up hoodies, will be also available for purchase in person. Additionally, books for the Battle of the Books program will be available for purchase in person or online for 4th and 5th grade families who may be needing to purchase those books.
Please join us in thanking Fact and Fiction for assisting us with this event and providing PTA a percentage of the sales. Money from the Book Fair sales helps PTA support the school community, such as: paying for the school’s reading specialist, funding educational opportunities like field trips and visiting naturalists and poets, and providing $300 to every classroom teacher and specialist. PTA funds fun, educational events like this year’s Wizard of Oz movie night and the Animal Wonders presentation. PTA also organizes, and helps to fund, Battle of the Books and the Missoula Children’s Theater residency week.
If you would like to volunteer at the Book Fair, please sign up below.
10/15/21
5:30 to 7pm
Located just west of the school building on school grounds.
Animal Wonders will be doing an exciting educational presentation with live animals to celebrate the Rattlesnake Outdoor Classroom (ROC).
The ROC has turned out beautifully! This was a collaborative effort with help from the Rattlesnake PTA, parent volunteers, Missoula Neighborhoods Grant, and many business and private donors.
We are so appreciative of the businesses who assisted and donated to this project; WGM Group (site design), Native Yards, Mutual Materials, Grant Creek Excavation, and Wild Rockies Landscaping.
Rattlesnake PTA, in conjunction with Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS), is bringing Battle of the Books (BOB) to Rattlesnake Elementary School this school year.
BOB is a volunteer reading program for Rattlesnake Elementary 4th and 5th graders. The purpose of the program is to encourage students to read and help increase their reading comprehension. Participating students meet weekly and also participate in reading comprehension “Battles” in teams of three every two months. The program takes place during school hours. The goal is to make reading fun!
See below for the invite letter, the handbook, and the sign up sheet.