The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Parent Teacher Organization is a very active and valuable partner of the school community. It is our mission to provide a voice to enhance the quality of the educational, cultural, and social environments for the students, parents, and faculty. We strive to promote effective communication, develop and sponsor programs to address current social issues and concerns, and provide many special touches that add to NSA's warm, friendly atmosphere. The PTO also sponsors guest speakers, professional and social programs to enhance the school community. All parents and guardians of NSA students, plus its faculty and administrators, are members of the PTO.

The PTO serves the students, parents and teachers of NSA. Please contact any board member if you have any questions or concerns. Just like you each of us has a busy schedule. But volunteering time to NSA is an investment in your child's future.

Watch this site for upcoming PTO events.

The Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing the operation of the PTO. Each Board Member serves a maximum of three years.

The Officers and Members of the 2007 - 2008 PTO Board

Upper School Rep. Martha Maurno
Lower School Rep. Gwen Higgins

PTO Board meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month except December and July, alternating morning and evening meeting times.

We sponsor the monthly Coffee Chats on various topics, monthly teacher work room snacks, and encourage parents to communicate through venues such as Carpool Coffee Houses and other campus-wide events, such as Family-Movie night. We will also continue to communicate with parentsconcerning off-campus, alcohol/drug-free events for our students. Occasionally the PTO will host open sessions to provide a forum for discussion of specific concerns.

The PTO serves NSA with the following committees:

• Hospitality
• Communications
• Education/Programs
• Farm Fresh/Food Lion Program
• Volunteer

We can always use your input on one of these committees...

We look forward to hearing from each of you.

Treasurer

PTO 2007-2008 at a Glance

Your PTO strives to support NSA teachers, parents, and students. The following mid-year review examines these efforts thus far this year.

Support for NSA Teachers

1. A ‘teacher appreciation’ dessert table was provided at the August welcome-back luncheon.
2. A $25 gift certificate to the Spirit Shop/Cafeteria was presented to teachers.
3. A Parent Resource List has been formulated to provide teachers a list of parents with certain skills and knowledge who are willing to speak to their class.
4. The PTO furnishes snacks for the teacher lounges and participates in Teacher Appreciation Week.

Support for NSA Parents

1. New student families were assigned PTO ‘buddy families’ and contacted by a PTO member to welcome them and answer questions.
2. The PTO assembled school supplies required for grades K thru 4th that were available in the Spirit Shop. These ‘pre-pack’ bags with one price saved parents valuable time the first days of school.
3. PTO members volunteered at the Spirit Shop the first week of school to speed shopping time.
4. The PTO and the Alumni Association helped host the ‘Suffolk House’ at this year’s Home-A-Rama. A number of families contacted NSA Admissions from this event.
5. Coffee House Series- the PTO has made signs and sent emails to promote this valuable program that benefits parents and increases communication.
6. Speaker Programs such as “What Kind of Learner is Your Child” are provided to educate and enlighten parents on subjects that affect their children.
7. Parents wishing to be notified on PTO and NSA events have been added to a PTO email list.
8. PTO members have served as greeters, provided refreshments, student folders and info at the Fall Open Houses, and also at the January Admissions Open House.

Supporting for Students

1. The PTO supplied and manned the moonwalk, pony rides and petting zoo at Founder’s Day.
2. PTO Family Movie Nights have been a fun night out for both parents and children.
3. Students should benefit from the knowledge and skills of our many talented NSA parents who have volunteered to be on the Parent Resource List.
4. The PTO supports school activities by donating to The Scroll yearbook and other NSA programs.

Programs considered for the second half of the school year include a student reward program, more movie nights, a math night and continued parent communication. If you have comments or would like to become more involved in your PTO, please contact Mary Dewing at 238-8190 or email nsaPTOnews@aol.com.