Harrison PTA Newsletter March 2020
Check out news from the Robotics tournament and information about ordering yearbooks! Click HERE to see the newsletter.
Harrison PTA February 2020 Newsletter
It’s time to get ready for this year’s Science + Art Fair and Hearts for Harrison! Please click on the PDF link HERE for more information and all the latest PTA news!
Harrison PTA Newsletter January 2020
Our next meeting is coming up on January 13th at 6:00 p.m. in the Harrison library. In addition to our regular updates from the PTA board and Dr. Haynes, we will also hear from Harrison’s wonderful counselor, Mrs. Dani Herzog, about using Secret Kindness Agents to encourage students to create a better and kinder world.
We’ll also looking forward to sharing information about Hearts for Harrison, a direct donation campaign that we’ll begin in February through the Omaha Schools Foundation. This will be a great fundraising opportunity for Harrison!
If you haven’t made it to a PTA meeting yet this year, we’d LOVE to see you! It’s never too late to check it out or get involved. Free pizza is provided, and childcare will be available (freewill donations are appreciated). Please join us!
Harrison Yearbook
The yearbook deadline is fast approaching! Please consider sending in any photos you’ve taken at Harrison events and classroom parties this year, or even just at school lunch or recess. You can send digital photos to Annie Johnson at anniejohnson78@gmail.com.
HyVee Receipts
Thanks to all who have sent in their HyVee receipts so that Harrison can earn money through the Cash for Students Program. HyVee donates $1.00 for every $200 spent from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31. Please turn in all receipts to Harrison by January 10.
Winter Wear
Winter has just begun! Please consider donating winter wear (new or gently used) to Harrison’s clothing closet. Donations should be placed in the blue bin near the Harrison entrance. Thank you for helping all Harrison students stay warm this winter!
Stay Connected!
It’s never too late to get involved! Follow the PTA on Facebook, check out our website, or subscribe to our emails by contacting harrisonelementarypta@gmail.com. Thanks!
Harrison Staff Wishlist 2019
Dr. Haynes Principal
Foods: Mr. Goodbar, anything chocolate, Dr. Pepper, Cherry Coke
Restaurants/Stores: Charleston’s, Target
Activities: shopping, DIY projects, baking
Mrs. Davey Secretary
Foods: Seedless grapes, popcorn, Diet Dr. Pepper
Restaurants/Stores: La Mesa, Don & Millie’s
Activities: reading, crocheting, manicures, pedicures, Huskers
Mrs. Herzog Counselor
Foods: Raw unsalted almonds, Reeses Pieces, Milky Way, Black Tea
Restaurants/Stores: Dario’s, Plank, McDonald’s, Panera
Activities: reading, pedicures
Ms. Collins Instructional Facilitator
Foods: Haribo Gummy Bears, fruit, smoothies, cold Peach Tea
Restuarants/Stores: Shucks, Jersey Mike’s, Lighthouse Pizza
Activities: cooking, gardening, decorating
Ms. Nelson Part-Time SSL
Foods: plain popcorn, Hot Tamales, Coke
Restaurants/Stores: Pitch, Pickleman’s, Chick-Fil-A
Activities: running, reading, pedicures, Huskers, Vikings
Mrs. Rivedal K
Foods: fruit, almonds, popcorn, Monster cookies, unsweetened iced tea
Restaurants/Stores: La Casa, Romeo’s, Don & Millie’s, Panera
Activities: going out to eat, massages, pedicures, allergic to scented items
Mrs. Wilcox K
Foods: Hot Tamales, protein bars, Bai Bubbles
Restaurants/Stores: Leadbellys, Qdoba, Amazon
Activities: reading, Hawkeyes, KC Chiefs, Chicago Cubs
Mrs. Quackenbush 1
Foods: mangos, dark chocolate, decaf hot tea
Restaurants/Stores: Rivera’s Mexican, Qdoba’s
Activities: reading, manicures, pedicures, Huskers
Mrs. Borgstadt 1
Foods: Skinny popcorn, Kit-Kats, Sour Brite Crawlers, Diet Coke
Restaurants/Stores: Block 16, Jimi D’s, Runza, Jimmy John’s
Activities: manicures, pedicures
Mrs. Portis 2
Foods: almonds, flavored pork rinds, Chex Mix, water, wine
Restaurants/Stores: Taxis, Mexican, Panera, Jimmy John’s
Activities: reading, yoga, massages, Nebraska Huskers
Mrs. Lenz 2
Foods: healthy trail mix, Chex mix, water, wine
Restaurants/Stores: Charleston’s, Bonefish Grill, Panera
Activities: reading, Nebraska Huskers
Mrs. Larrabee 3
Foods: dried mangos, scotch-a-roos, Dr. Pepper
Restaurants/Stores: Raising Cane’s
Activities: reading, manicures, pedicures
Ms. Brodkey 3
Foods: Glucerna 80 cal. snack bars, almonds, fruit, unsweetened iced tea
Restaurants/Stores: Lo Sole Mio, Dairy Queen
Activities: reading, movies
Mrs. Choquette 4
Foods: almonds, chips, Diet coke
Restaurants/Stores: Pitch, Canes
Activities: yoga, manicures
Mrs. Copenharve 4
Foods: guacamole & chips, NO sugar, water
Restaurants/Stores: Blue Sushi, Qdoba
Activities: walking, Bears
Ms. Owen 5
Foods: trail mix, Dove chocolate, Hershey Nuggets, Raspberry Ice Tea
Restaurants/Stores: Red Lobster, Chick-Fil-A
Activities: baking, cooking, Kay Nails pedicures
Mr. Cruz 5
Foods: protein bar, cheddar popcorn, Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper
Restaurants/Stores: Pizza Hut, Wendy’s
Activities: working out, MN Vikings
Mr. Stuthman 6
Foods: dried fruit, donuts, Bai Bubbles, allergic to peanuts
Restaurants/Stores: Blue Sushi, Panera, Panda Express
Activities: movies, seeing Broadway shows
Mrs. Barber 6
Foods: green bananas, peanut butter cups, Crane coffee
Restaurants/Stores: Romeo’s, Taco Bell
Activities: reading, gardening
Ms. Weber Primary BSP
Foods: popcorn, Reese’s, Peanut Butter M&Ms, tea
Restaurants: Blue Sushi, Hoppy Taco, Qdoba, Culver’s
Activities: pedicures, volleyball, Huskers
Mr. Cosby Band
Foods: Milky Way, pretzels, ginger ale
Restaurants/Stores: Harold’s Koffee House in Florence, Cabela’s
Activities: truck restoration, NASCAR
Mrs. Anding Speech
Foods: Almonds (Habanero BBQ), donuts, flavored water
Restaurants/Stores: Okinawa, Blue Sushi, Arby’s
Activities: horseback riding, pedicures, massages, Huskers, KC Royals
Mrs. Norman Music
Food: chocolate, potato chips, coffee, not sweet red wine
Restaurants/Stores: Old Chicago, Panera, Starbucks
Activities: music, pedicures, NDSU Bisons, MN Vikings
Mrs. Rickard Art
Foods: Mixed nuts, Snickers, Arizona Green Tea
Restaurants/Stores: Jimmy John’s, Taco Bell, Raising Cane’s
Activities: massages, facials, UNO
Ms. Prieksat Library
Foods: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, kiwis, cashews, donuts, Diet Dr. Pepper
Restaurants/Stores: Summer Kitchen, Le Peep, McDonald’s
Activities: reading, dancing, music, pedicures, Boston Red Sox
Mrs. Beeghly Gifted and Talented
Foods: popcorn, chips & salsa, dark chocolate, coffee, tea
Restaurants/Stores: Modern Love, Mark’s, Qdoba
Activities: reading, cooking, genealogy, massages, theatre
Mrs. Barnes-Pence Resource
Foods: popcorn, chips & salsa, almonds & pistachios, unsweetened tea
Restaurants/Stores: Olive Garden, Taco Bell
Activities: reading, manicures, pedicures, Huskers
Miss Johnson Resource
Foods: almonds, Cheetos, Diet Pepsi, Diet Dr. Pepper
Restaurants/Stores: Sgt. Peffer’s, Arby’s
Activities: running, massages, Huskers
Ms. Behrens ESL
Foods: dates & nuts, Chex mix, Cheetos, coffee, Kombucha
Restaurants/Stores: El Basha, Chipotle
Activities: reading, massages, pedicures
Mr. Hesser Psychologist
Foods: Snickers, popcorn, Dr. Pepper
Restaurants/Stores: Zio’s Pizza, Barnes & Noble
Activities: reading, golf
Mrs. Bradford Nurse
Foods: fruit, popcorn, Snickers, Almond Joy’s, coffee, ice tea
Restaurants/Stores: M’s Pub, Culver’s, Chick-Fil-A, Raising Cane’s
Activities: reading, dog walks, Husker football/volleyball
Mrs. Dauner Instructional Paraprofessional
Foods: popcorn, Dove milk chocolate, Diet Coke
Restaurants/Stores: Hunger Block, Freddy’s, Dunkin’ Donuts
Activities: reading, manicures, pedicures, KC Chiefs
Mrs. Bowden (ESL)
Foods: Kit Kat, Candy Corn, popcorn, Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, Coffee
Restaurants/Stores: Shucks, Sonic, Target, Von Maur
Activities: photography, reading, pedicures
Mr. Saw (ESL) Paraprofessional
Foods: rice, candy, water, Fanta
Restaurants: Salween Thai, burgers
Activities: music, singing
Ms. Caguioa Paraprofessional
Foods: sugar snap peas, nuts, berries, juices, wine
Restaurants/Stores: Saigon, Via Farina, Chipotle
Activities: flower gardening, yoga, massages
Mrs. Fischer BSP Paraprofessional
Foods: Dove Milk Chocolate, half-salt popcorn, Diet Coke
Restaurants/Stores: Pitch, Raising Cane’s
Activities: puzzles, reading, pedicures
Mrs. Suter (BSP) Paraprofessional
Foods: chocolate, grapes, coffee (no nuts)
Restaurants/Stores: Blue, Runza, Taco Bell
Activities: estate sales, manicures, pedicures, Creighton
Mrs. Gilquist (K) Paraprofessional
Foods: trail mix, birthday cake, Diet Coke
Restaurants/Stores: Salween Thai, Chipotle
Activities: music, baking, crossword & jigsaw puzzles, MN Twins
Ms. Smith (Library) Paraprofessional
Foods: Berries, plain potato chips, caramel latte
Restaurants/Stores: Spaghetti Works
Activities: massages, facials, pedicures, arts & crafts
Mrs. Davis PAC
Foods: popcorn, Sour Patch Kids, M&Ms, Diet coke
Restaurants/Stores: Qdoba, R Taco
Activities: reading, pedicures
Ms. Labenz Health Aide
Foods: red seedless grapes, Take 5 candy, diet Mountain Dew
Restaurants/Stores: Texas Roadhouse, Burger King, McDonald’s
Activities: walking, pedicures, Huskers, Packers, boating
Mr. Ademi Head Custodian/Engineer
Mr. Dorador Custodian
Mr. Morris Security
Ms. Redd Cafeteria
Mrs. Smoot Cafeteria
Foods: nuts, plain potato chips, diet Crush (orange)
Restaurants/Stores: likes wide variety
Activities: knitting, sewing, British mystery novels/DVDs
Ms. Shanna Brown Cafeteria
PTA Meeting Minutes October 7, 2019
Treasurer’s Report
● Current account status: We currently have $18,402 in the bank account; an additional $975 arrived today from the Omaha Schools Foundation.
● Our tax filing is complete for the year. Past versions of our 990 form have indicated that the fiscal year ends on July 31, but the IRS says it ends on June 30. Rebecca has adjusted our budget to reflect this.
● Budget/Expense updates:
○ We have hit our projections for membership dues.
○ We are budgeting for $700 in TAGG revenue. Rebecca asks that members
continue to use their TAGG app
○ PTA picnic: We were over budget by about $20
○ We have currently used about 50% of the teacher reimbursement fund.
● Rebecca would like to organize a budget committee to help make decisions about extra revenue, reallocating funds as needed, looking at shortfalls, etc. The goal is that we keep our budget dynamic rather than stagnant from year to year.
Principal’s Report
● Mrs. Herzog has organized a Girls’ Night Out. This evening will focus on authentic friendship and is intended to empower girls to help combat the “drama” that is often found in the 5th and 6th grade. Juniors and seniors from South High will also attend to mentor
● Report cards will be distributed at Parent/Teacher Conferences. Conference times will stay the same in the spring as in the fall unless otherwise requested.
● October 31 is Harrison’s annual Trick-or-Trunk parade and Halloween classroom activities. An alternative activity will be provided in the library for students who do not participate. Mr. Morris will do a safety check beforehand for those community members who are handing out treats.
● The winter program will be held on December 13 at 9:30 and 1:30. Band and strings will only perform in the afternoon.
● Harrison is partnering with Championship Martial Arts to provide an after school Martial Arts Club for several weeks. Students pay $25 to participate, and all the money goes directly to the school.
● Dr. Haynes is still looking for coaches for both the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams. Any Harrison parent or OPS staff member can coach. The time commitment is typically 1 night/week for practice and 1 night/week for games.
● Dr. Haynes is working with Hillside Solutions to find a way to continue our composting program. There was a problem with maggots on the side of the building where our compost totes were stored.
Committee Updates
Staff Appreciation:
● PTA will provide a staff dinner of chicken and lasagna from HyVee for Wednesday’s conference night.
● This year, staff will receive Eileen’s Cookies to celebrate birthdays.
● We are currently looking for ideas for our annual staff holiday gifts. The budget is around $5 per staff member.
BASH:
● The Bash Committee is still looking for donations. One possible idea is to donate a house party. Simply determine your theme and how many spots you are willing to host. Please talk to Molly Carpenter if you are interested in donating a house party.
● Sarah Wynn and Deb Heimes are working on securing the food for the Bash. It will likely be from Raisin’ Canes as it was last year.
● Charlotte Shafer has sent out a sign-up genius regarding themes for classroom baskets.
Robotics:
● Frank Luceri shared a little about the selection process. Teachers fill out a rubric in the event that there are more applicants than available spots.
● Practices will begin in November.
● Harrison will host a tournament on Saturday, February 15th. We welcome volunteers to help with concessions, set-up, etc.
Yearbook:
● Please continue to send any pictures to Annie Johnson. She will be collecting pictures through Valentine’s Day.
Star Grants:
● Scott shared that we had budgeted $2400 for Star Grants. We received requests totaling roughly $3000. We had $500 budgeted for Dancing Classrooms, but this program will likely need to be funded with other grants if possible. Scott suggested that we reallocate that money to fund the remaining grants. Angela Smith moved to vote on the motion.
The motion was carried.
New Business
● A new member has suggested hosting some sort of grandparents’ event at the school. Dr. Haynes suggested scheduling a day when grandparents could come for lunch (maybe in the spring). A read-and-feed is also a possible idea. Please let PTA know if you are interested in helping plan such an event.
● The PTA board is interested in forming a Cultural Diversity Committee. Harrison is such a wonderfully diverse community, and we strive to make our school community more inclusive. Some ideas are: Buddy programs for school events (BASH, Carnival, etc), International Day, a school cookbook, Culture Fest, the Thrive program (this is an afterschool program designed for kids from different cultures), World Fest, etc. Rebecca Firestone is the point person on this committee. Please email the Harrison PTA if you are interested.
Guest Speaker: Melissa Cleaver from Common Sense Media
Melissa Cleaver shared some eye-opening statistics: Did you know that that the average age a child receives his/her first cell phone is ten? That 98% of kids ages 0-8 have access to a mobile device in their home? That a third of all screen time is on a mobile device?
Common Sense Media (commonsensemedia.org) provides guidance on how to navigate the digital age with our children. The website has information on multiple topics, including:
· how to know when to buy a smartphone for your child
· how to handle/avoid digital drama
· popular apps such as Snapchat or TikTok
Parents can look up information by topic or by age. The website als provides the Parents’ Ultimate Guide to websites like Roblox, YouTube, etc.
In addition, parents can receive weekly text message tips on technology balance. Simply text 21555, type in the words “kids,” and fill out the survey to get started.