PTO Activities and Sponsored Programs
After School Clubs
PTO coordinates the After School Club program at St. Jude. This includes educational and fun after school clubs such as St. Jude Theater, Engineering Club, Pottery, Better Babysitters, Kids Home Alone Safety and more.
COSI
This event involves all the students in Grades 1 through 6 and is a hands-on learning science program.
Family Events
PTO coordinates and sponsors 4 family events throughout the year. This includes the Back to School Bash, Trunk or Treat, Breakfast at the North Pole, and the Easter Egg Hunt.
- Back to School Bash: This event celebrates the beginning of school with our St. Jude families. Families are invited to have dinner on the "Beth Wittich Memorial Field" and enjoy games, music, and a "back-to-school-blessing." This event is held on a Saturday late in August leading up to the first day.
- Trunk or Treat: This event is a fun way for the children of St. Jude to show off their Halloween costumes and "trick or treat" with their fellow St. Jude friends. Families bring candy to pass out and decorate their cards. This event is usually held on the last Sunday before Halloween.
- Breakfast at the North Pole: A fun family event in December that includes games and crafts for kids, breakfast with Santa and raffle baskets. This event is usually held the Sunday after Thanksgiving at 9:30am and 12:00pm.
- Easter Egg Hunt: A fun allergy-safe Easter egg hunt that PTO hosts on the "Beth Wittich Memorial Field." This event is usually held on a Saturday afternoon during Lent.
Field Day
Field Day is a fun day in May where all students participate in various field events. The students dress in their assigned team color for the day. Parent volunteers assist in setting up events, scoring and running field events, serving lunch and dessert, and clean up.
Grandparents' / Special Friends' Day
This special day is held usually in March or April to honor the students, grandparents or other special family members or friends. The day begins with an all-school Mass with students and guests and then a breakfast is served consisting of doughnuts, bagels, coffee, juice, and milk. After breakfast, the honored guests are invited back to the classrooms of their family members. They can view the students work and talk to their teachers. St. Jude School is one of the only schools in the area that still includes the whole student body in this special day. It truly is an awesome sight to see the two different generations brought together at Mass.
Lenten Penny Race
This fundraiser kicks off each year on Ash Wednesday and continues throughout Lent. Each homeroom is encouraged to collect loose change and donations towards a charitable organization. Past recipients have included building a home in Haiti, Children’s Hospital Brain Cancer Research, and St. Jude families in need.
One Call Now
This system provides blast information to parents via email and phone messages such as school closures/delays, upcoming events and other information that needs to get to the school families quickly.
Room Parents
Room Parents are responsible for organizing Christmas and any end-of-year parties. Any other parties are at the request of the teacher. The different PTO organizations may also contact the Room Parents to help with phone chains or miscellaneous all-school parties throughout the year.
School Supplies
PTO offers the parents the chance to order prepackaged supplies for the upcoming school year. Orders are taken at the end of the current school year. Packages include most of the items that the teachers in each grade requests on the school supply list found in the end-of-year registration folder. The supplies are then prepackaged during the summer and are available for pick up after the Church Masses on a designated weekend. If the supplies are not picked up after Mass, the package is placed on the students desk on the first day of school.
School Spirit Wear
PTO coordinates the semi-yearly sale of school uniform approved items including pullovers, crewnecks, and polo shirts.