Zionsville Middle School closed out the 2012-13 school year with significant increases in teacher grants and technology upgrades funded by the ZMS PTO. Generous donations and active parent participation fueled the growth in contributions to the school.
In April, the PTO conducted its annual 5K race, ZRun, under the leadership of chair Erin Wilson, which had more than 450 participants setting a record for spring fundraising. ZRun profits, along with two successful Scholastic Book Fairs and a record-setting fall 2012 membership drive, allowed the ZMS PTO to complete two teacher grant cycles totaling more than $17,000 in awards.
ZMS PTO funded fall 2012 grants to teachers including a wide range of books, visual aids, software and classroom equipment. Funds also were provided early in the school year for Mimio Whiteboard technology as well as Snagit and Camtasia Studio software purchased in conjunction with Zionsville West Middle School. Additional spring teacher grants were used for a variety of student-use equipment including digital cameras, pedometers, computer peripherals, Bamboo Connect tablets and more.
Additionally, the ZMS PTO Board voted in February to make a one-time gift of $10,000 to the school to be used exclusively for teacher computer hardware upgrades. This gift was approved by the Zionsville Community School Board at its March meeting.
“Our teacher laptops were over six years old, so this new technology, provided in part by a PTO grant, allowed us to place updated equipment in the hands of our teachers,” ZMS Assistant Principal Mitzi Macaluso said.
The technology grant is in keeping with the PTO’s mission to provide a wide range of services and support to the school.
“We are delighted that we had funds available to benefit 100 percent of ZMS teachers this year,” incoming PTO president Jenny Riegner said.
She also said that ZMS PTO provides many other benefits such as “organizing an annual food drive for local families, student appreciation events, the eighth-grade send-off party, seventh-grade Reality Store Program, staff recognition activities, and much more.”
The PTO welcomes parent involvement for the coming 2013-14 school year. For more information, visit the school website at http://cms.zcs.k12.in.us/zms/.