PTO Handover meeting

10 february 2023

PTO Mission

The PTO is a non-profit organization committed to promoting, encouraging, and building the school community. We strengthen the relationship between home and school by providing our intercultural parents’ community opportunities to communicate, connect, and promote engagement.

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key partners:

PTO 6 main tasks

1. Class & grade representative program
2. Country representative program
3. International Day & Celebration of Cultures
4. PTO events: Homepreneur, coffee mornings, teacher appreciation day
5. Rhino Hut sales
6. Routine meetings with ISHCMC leadership

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Class & Grade representatives

• Primary: 36 class reps
1. Each year we recruit for reps
2. Class fund for teacher/ TA birthdays/ class party/ teacher appreciation
3. Class rep coordinator(s) (Sun - leaving in June)

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• Grade level reps: 7 grade level reps
• the reps usually move up with their child’s grade. (check first)
• Instrumental in raising issues/ complaints/ ideas
• No class fund. they have events that are often student led. (halloween etc) PTO pitches in when needed

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• Job description to be found here:https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1MBdo9S3Nyy_YYJYTFgg2Lp2p9iMyBpd4

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Country Rep program

• Each nationality should have at least one country representative for the full year. (usually when they leave the school they find a replacement themselves.)
• At least 1 PTO Country Rep coordinator that is the liaison between Events and Reps is advisable
• Country Rep main tasks:
• Welcome new families to ISHCMC*
• Participate in Celebration of Cultures and Flag parade (optional)
• participate in The International Day Food Festival (optional)

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*Contact details aren’t shared with the reps due to privacy policy. We have asked many times whether new families could agree to sharing their details with their country rep to make contact easier.

International Day & Celebration of Cultures

1. Celebration of Cultures is always held on the last day of the first term & is an ISHCMC owned event.
1. PTO connects with the parent community and recruits the country representatives. That means, at the very start of the year your priority will be making sure you have as many reps as possible for a quick start.
2. The PTO usually assist and liaises between events and reps. The plan is formulated between Events, Community & PTO. PTO supports the events team with reminders and questions.
3. The Flag Parade has been ran in the past by PTO.
1. Materials needed: flags/ country signs (paid for by ISHCMC)
2. Cat will provide you with a nationality list. Check the list a month in advance so you can see what you need to order in terms of flags and country signs
3. Music Playlist & volunteers
4. Script

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PTO owned events

• Teacher Appreciation Tea
• each class brings 2 dishes (one sweet and one savory) for Primary
• Secondary sends out how many dishes they need and any one can bring
• Sign up by sheet
• usually no budget is used for this event
• Parent Coffee mornings (every first monday of the month) cost 5 Million VND per event
• held at a venue outside of ishcmc
• Choose venues with in the ISHCMC communi
• Homepreneur markets ( once a month at each campus)
• feedback was maybe 1 x every two months to keep it special
• Secondary campus: should be more geared towards students. I.e. : small purchases around 100k/150k and food. Communication is key with the secondary market, as students often don’t have money on them
• Movie Nights: in the past there have been movie nights on the field at primary campus.
• There were a few challenges with this event (weather, technical issues) but usually well received by community. PTO has purchased a projector and screen that you can use.
• Caterers like snap cafe, thai street, Eddies and body Impact were partners.

PTO owned events- tips

• PTO events are funded by the profit of Rhino Hut Sales
• Always check the master calendar and Catherine for availability of dates for your event. As well as Kate & Caleb. Its always good to get their input
• You can create a flyer with Rob Hagget & his design team. He will share a document to fill out and create a design for you. (allow ¾ weeks)
• Promote your events through whatsapp groups, Rhino Weekly and the screens in primary campus.
• We also have a Facebook page. We havent used that for a while, it has been hacked once and ISHCMC official account highlights our events too.
• Quyen is your go-to at primary school. You can always call her and text her for Tables, Coffee Set up, or any other facility needs
• Evan is our go to at secondary for facility needs.

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Rhino Hut Sales

• The Rhino Hut funds PTO activity
• At the beginning of each year we have 1 colorful uniform shirt (the special of the year)
• Rhino Hut frequency: 2 times a month at each campus
• during lunch at secondary
• around 2:30 pm at Primary
• There is a group of volunteers that helps with the sale
• Best to always announce the sale so that parents can plan ahead/ send their child with money

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Routine meetings with ISHCMC leadership

• The PTO meets with ISHCMC leadership on a monthly basis:
• 50 % of the meeting is to raise concerns and ideas from within the parent community
• 50% of the meeting is to work on projects, new initiatives that have been raised.
• The frequency of meetings is meant to build relationships and keep the relationship with PTO and ISHCMC.
• Minutes should be written and shared with Catherine & Rob Hagget - they will post on the Rhino Hub. The link to the Rhino Hub will be shared through the whatsapp groups. (Aim is to do this within 48hrs of the meeting )
• Meetings that are important are:
• Catherine Nguyen with her team
• Kate Grant
• Caleb Archer
• Kim Green (less frequent, maybe bimonthly)

what does our calendar look like?

Final note

• Have fun!!! The PTO is here to lift school spirit and create a happy & tight community
• If parents have an issue, their first point of contact is the school. If they don’t get anywhere and have exhausted all their resources, then help them out if they need it. Parents will try to contact you as first step, its is not your job.
• Make sure you are a good team! PTO will send you on a whirlwind of activities, and you will spend a lot of time together. Trust and respect between team members is important.

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Good luck & enjoy!!