Category Archives: PCO Business

Feb. 7: Future of the PCO

Hey ECS community, join us for the next PCO meeting on Thursday, February 7th from 6:30-8 in the Upper School Cafe to discuss and plan for the future of the PCO.

How do you want the PCO to evolve with expansion? What can we do better? What activities do you want to see? Do you have fresh new ideas for the PCO? Would you like to be more involved?

We need your help and ideas to make this next phase of life for the PCO bigger and better than ever! Please join us and bring your ideas.

Free pizza and childcare will be provided. Any questions, please contact parents@ecspco.org.

Join the PCO Steering Committee!

The PCO Steering Committee is looking for additional members. The PCO is organized and operated by a Steering Committee. We are looking for up to seven new members to help shape the rest of this school year and beyond… to work together to plan and organize meetings, brainstorm ideas, spear-head fundraising efforts, plan fun events, and much more. The Steering Committee currently has the following openings available. We’d love to welcome some new faces to this friendly team.

Chair – lead the group in meetings, help plan meetings and be the point person for communication between the PCO and the school.

Members at Large – participate in activities of the Steering Committee including meetings, participate in PCO events, vote on important PCO decisions, and share thoughts and ideas.

This is an open, friendly, and welcoming team and we hope you will consider joining us as we continue our work in making ECS a great place for our kids, staff, and families.

More information about Steering Committee responsibilities.

Contact parents@ecspco.org.

PCO Meeting – November 9

All ECS families are invited to the next PCO meeting on Thursday, November 9 at 7-8:30pm in the Upper School Cafe. PCO Meeting Topic: Choosing a High School/Are ECS students prepared for high school? We will invite some ECS graduates to share their experiences transitioning from ECS to high school. Join us for a discussion among parents, staff and students. Free childcare will be provided for school-aged children, and we’ll also have pizza available for all. Questions? Email parents@ecspco.org.

PCO Kick-Off Meeting

The first PCO Meeting of the year will be held on Thursday, September 28 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm in the Upper School Cafe. All K-8 parents, guardians, and ECS staff are invited to join us to kick off the school year with the PCO. You’ll hear from ECS leaders about ECS expansion efforts and ECS’s work on diversity and equity in our organization.

We would like to know what questions YOU have about the Parent Community Organization and what YOU want from the PCO this year. Submit your questions or comments about the PCO and then come to the meeting to hear more and be part of the discussion.

ALL PCO MEETINGS include free childcare for school-aged children and free pizza for parents and children.

We want all ECS families to feel involved, connected, informed, and valued within the PCO community. If you plan to attend a PCO meeting, please reach out to another ECS family in your community to offer a ride or share information about the meeting.

Read our PCO Welcome Letter for more information about the PCO.

parents@ecspco.org

ECS PCO Mini-Grants Doubled for 2017-2018 School Year

For this school year, the Parent Community Organization has doubled the total amount of money available for mini-grants. As a result of this, we have also increased the maximum amount for mini-grants from $250 to $500. If you have an innovative idea for a project you would like to see implemented at the school, consider applying for a mini-grant. The next deadline is September 29. More information here.

PCO Steering Committee is Seeking New Members

Did you know that the PCO is organized and operated by a Steering Committee? The Steering Committee is a group of parent volunteers who work together to plan and organize meetings, brainstorm ideas, spear-head fundraising efforts, plan fun events, and much more. The Steering Committee currently has the following openings available and we’d love to welcome some new faces to join group. We’re in search of a few folks who will join us as:

  • Members at Large – participate in activities of the Steering Committee including meetings, participate in PCO events, vote on important PCO decisions, and share thoughts and ideas.
  • Lower School Vice Chair – assist the Chair in planning meetings and events, serve as parent representative for the Lower School, and check PCO mailbox once a week.
  • Upper School Vice Chair – assist the Chair in planning meetings and events, serve as parent representative for the Upper School, and check PCO mailbox once a week.
  • Treasurer – oversee the financial operations of the PCO including record keeping, reporting on budgets, and other financial activities.

This is an open, friendly, and welcoming team and we hope you will consider joining us as we continue our work in making ECS a great place for our kids, staff, and families.

More information about Steering Committee responsibilities

Contact parents@ecspco.org

March 9: PCO Meeting

Nurse Judy is working with the American Healthcare Group and the ACHD to provide the ECS community with information about the HPV vaccine. ​A representative from ​each will be present at the ​​March 9th PCO ​M​eeting at 7pm for a short presentation and to answer questions. ​This vaccine is especially pertinent for ​kids age 11 and 12. Even if your kids aren’t of age yet, it is a good idea to get information about this vaccine ahead of time because the timing of it contributes to its effectiveness. Click here for more information.

NEW: Jon McCann will be there to share information about the expansion and answer questions.

We’ll also hear from Julie Paris with an update from Grade Level Reps as well as more info about the best way to utilize this resource. As always, there will be free childcare for school-aged children and free pizza… see you at the Upper School Cafe on Thursday, March 9, 2017 at 7-8:30pm!

January 12 – PCO Meeting

Come to the next Parent Community Organization Meeting to hear about the work that Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) is doing with ECS’s 4th-8th grades. Gail Brown, PAAR’s Manager of Prevention and Outreach Services, will present to parents.

We will also learn more about how ECS is faring academically relative to other public schools in the city. James Fogarty, Executive Director of A+ Schools, will present on ECS’s data collected for the A+ Schools Report to the Community.

Join us on Thursday, January 12 at 7-8:30pm in the Upper School Cafe. Free childcare will be provided for school-aged children, and we’ll also have pizza available to accommodate families’ busy after-school schedules. Questions? Email parents@ecspco.org.