Dear Parents and Guardians,

The BLES PTO Executive Board would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of you for your support throughout the 2008-2009 school year. The investment that you make today in our children will pay off greatly in the future. The BLES PTO was able to accomplish a lot of wonderful things for the students this past year. Because of your support, the BLES PTO was able to provide the funds needed to purchase Time for Kids, Scholastic News, SC Weekly Reader, Brain Pop, Ed Helper, Word Masters, and Continental Math League for the students and teachers. In addition to classroom enrichment products, the BLES PTO was also able to provide PASS testing snacks and Field Day popsicles for every student at BLES.

In order to continue to make these purchases possible, the BLES PTO has many exciting fundraising events planned for the 2009-2010 school year, in addition to the ongoing fundraising programs such as Box Tops 4 Education, Campbell’s Soup labels and Tyson Foods A+ labels. Most of these events are already in the planning stages and we are always looking for volunteers for help. Check out the BLES PTO website for more information, www.bles-pto.org.

For the 2009-2010 school year, the BLES PTO is sponsoring a “GOT PTO?”challenge for the teachers and parents and guardians. This challenge gives credit each time a teacher or parent/guardian attends or participates in a BLES PTO meeting or fundraiser. The classroom at the end of the year with the most credit will win a class party and the teacher will win a gift certificate of their choice from such things as spa treatments, movies or restaurants.  Check out the BLES PTO website for more information, www.bles-pto.org.

Another challenge that the PTO is sponsoring is the BOX TOPS 4 EDUCATION CHALLENGE. All that you need to do is download the BOX TOP forms from the BLES PTO website, collect box tops from many products that you already purchase, attach the box tops to the forms and then turn in all 3 pages filled with box tops the first week of school. Each student that turns in 3 full pages will earn a free second BLES Spirit Card when the family joins the BLES PTO. (See below about the Spirit Card.) The student that turns in the most box tops to their teacher, the first week of school, for each grade will earn a free BLES Sprit T-Shirt. Check out the PTO website for more information, www.bles-pto.org.

The BLES PTO is offering a BLES Spirit Card as part of your BLES PTO membership. The card will have discounts from local merchants. If you are a local merchant and you are interested in advertising, for free, on the BLES Spirit Card, download the BLES Spirit Card Merchant form from the BLES PTO website and fax it to the BLES PTO. The first 12 businesses to send a completed BLES Spirit Card form in to the Bluffton Elementary School PTO by August 1, 2009 will appear on the back of the card and on the BLES PTO website, www.bles-pto.org. The remaining businesses will appear on the website. So, don’t delay in sending in your Spirit Card form.

In order to save paper and trees, the BLES PTO is asking that you download any forms that you need from the BLES PTO website. BLES is very committed to reducing, reusing and recycling. Any form that you would need from the PTO is always available on the website, www.bles-pto.org.

Have a wonderful, happy and healthy summer!!

The BLES PTO