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Welcome to the Newfield Parent Teacher Association (PTA) website!

From President Debi Brown...
Welcome to the 2008-2009 school year!  All parents are encouraged to participate in the Newfield PTA and its many programs.  The first meeting is Tuesday, September 16th a 7:00pm in the Elementary School Library.  This is a chance to meet the PTA leaders, to hear about plans developing for the year, and to give us your ideas.  Refreshments and childcare are provided and there's always a chance to get to know other parents and the school staff.

All parents, guardian, staff, and community members are welcome to attend our meetings and events.  We want to help you get involved with supporting the school and our children in many ways; through volunteering on a regular or occasional basis, organizing enrichment opportunities, raising funds for special programs, publishing a monthly newsletter and more.  The PTA serves the needs of parents by offering information about school curriculum and programs, about other programs within our community, by providing a forum to voice issues or concerns to school officials and by providing a means of making new friends.  We hope to see you at this month's meeting and at other PTA and Newfield Central Schools Events.

Future meetings:
Tuesday, September 16
Tuesday, October 21
Tuesday, November 18
Tuesday, December 16
Tuesday, January 20
Tuesday, February 24
Tuesday, March 17
Tuesday, April 21
Tuesday, Map 19

Location: Newfield Elementary Library
Time: 7:00 PM
Childcare is available in the Pre-K classroom
Membership Dues: $5/person or $8/family.  Additional contributions to the PTA treasury are accepted and will support scholarships and projects to enhance the educational programs at all Newfield Schools.

Newfield PTA Events & Fundraisers

  • School Open Houses - Sept
  • Old Home Days - Sept
  • PTA Membership Drive - All year
  • After School Enrichment - All year
  • Student Directory - Fall
  • Holiday Sale - Fall
  • Santa's Elves - Dec
  • Staff/Teacher Appreciation Luncheon - May
  • PTA Newsletter - All year
  • Volunteer Coordinator - All year
  • National Night Out - Aug
  • Back to School Packets - Aug
  • Box Tops for Education - All year
  • Spring Sale - Feb

Tompkins Weekly: "To School Staff: Thanks for All You Do"

by Laura Ulrich
For public school students, the weeks between spring break and the last day of classes can seem endless; mastering the year's last set of concepts, wrapping up term papers, reviewing a year's worth of work and preparing for final exams.  With eight months of snowy, gray school days under their belts and steadily sunnier days beckoning outside the classroom window, springtime can find kids a little burned out on school.

What few people tend to remember is that teachers and school staff feel exactly the same way.

Fortunately for the employees of the Newfield Central School District, the PTA realizes they're in the home stretch of a long year and strategically plans a wonderful pick-me-up for the second week in May.  Staff and teacher appreciation luncheon, lifts spirits, boosts morale and is by all accounts one of the most anticipated events of the year for the district's 180 employees.

"The teachers and staff at Newfield work so hard and they're a great group," says PTA president Debi Brown.  "Anyone who spends just a little bit of time at school during the day can see how challenging and busy their jobs are, and they can sometimes be under-appreciated.  We've done this event for the past three years to make sure they know how much their work is valued."

This year, festivities began Monday, May 5 with the first of 60 prize giveaways, announced each morning throughout the week.  Employees whose names were drawn at random received items from spa treatments to free gasoline for their cars to VIP tickets to Hangar Theater, golf passes at Hillendale, dinner at John Thomas and a cruise on Cayuga Lake.

There was a new twist on the prize giveaways this year, as elementary music teacher Sunny Miller facilitated a partnership with Ithaca's Barnes & Noble bookstore.  For several hours on March 15, a portion of each purchase made at the store was donated to Newfield in the form of gift cards that were added to the prize list.  Newfield's elementary chorus, brass quartet, and drama troupe entertained customers in the store's cafe during the event.  "We ended up with $850 worth of gift cards to give to teachers and staff, which was fantastic," Brown says.

On Friday, PTA members and parent volunteers transformed the upper gymnasium in the Newfield Elementary School into a cafe where teachers and staff enjoyed a mid-day meal together.  With a menu of sandwiches, specialty salads, and decadent desserts and a background of classical music, the experience differs greatly from the average day's lunch for teachers and staff, according to Newfield school social worker Jamie McCaffrey.

"Throughout the year, too many of us eat at our desks, eat on the run, or grab something with the kids," she says.  "It's great to sit down and relax and eat together, to enjoy fresh, healthy homemade foods and having people filling our plates for us.  It makes us feel truly appreciated."

Other school employees apparently agree.  Since the luncheon, Brown's email inbox has been filling up with thank-you messages.  "We all look forward to this event and the wonderful dishes served!" one employee writes."  It sure beats yogurt and fruit!" Another employee adds, "Yet another reason why Newfield school is such a wonderfully unique place to work, raise one's family and spend time with good folks doing good things for kids."

"May is such a busy time of year for us," McCaffrey says.  "Everybody looks forward to the luncheon.  It's an opportunity for us to slow down and relax and enjoy each other's company, and especially to connect with people from the other buildings who we don't see every day.  It's a wonderful treat, and when it's over, nobody wants to get up and go."