The PTSO - the Parent Teacher Student Organization - is involved in a variety of tasks at McCarthy-Towne. The PTSO meets monthly. All members of the McCarthy-Towne community are members of the PTSO, and are encouraged to participate. The PTSO focuses on four main areas: Communication, Social Activities, Committee Involvement, and Finance.

Communication

The McCarthy-Towne Bulletin is sent home monthly. Usual articles include a message from the principal, another from the PTSO co-chairs, a calendar of upcoming events, reports on school or classroom happenings, and information from faculty, staff, and parents. The PTSO also sponsors an email newsgroup and publishes a School Directory. The Safe Arrival Hotline, which is staffed and funded by the PTSO, reconciles the daily attendance with parents' phone messages notifying the school of absences.

Social

The PTSO sponsors events throughout the year that help families get to know each other. Included may be such special events as a fall Social and Book Fair, a spring Ice Cream Social and the annual Auction.

Committees

Parents are involved in many PTSO committees, among them: Hospitality, which provides refreshments for school events; Social; various Fundraising committees; International Liaison; and Parent Education. The Cultural and Performing Arts Committee (C/PAC) arranges school-wide and grade level performances and presentations. Parents also observe at School Committee meetings, share at Inter-School Council meetings and Inter-PTO/PTSO Chair meetings, and serve on the Parker Damon Building Steering Committee.

Financially

The PTSO is involved in extensive fundraising to help the school acquire services, materials, and equipment beyond what is provided by the school district's appropriated budget. Recently, the PTSO has funded educational and cultural presentations for school assemblies and in-school field trips, scholarships for field trips, classroom assistants, reading assistants and other personnel, and equipment that falls outside the school district's budget. Among the many fundraising activities are a gift wrap sale, SCRIP sales, a book fair, school and family photographs, and an annual auction.

The PTSO and staff work together to provide a school experience that will be satisfying and enriching for each member of the school community: student, faculty, and parent.

For more information about our PTSO, please visit the PTSO website.