The Parent Faculty Organization (PFO) at EHHS is bringing in the Harlem Wizards on May 5, 2023.
The PFO is a combination of staff and parents at EHHS that is dedicated to benefitting the students in our school district. EHHS’ culinary teacher, Mr. John Profetto, along with EHHS’ librarian and capstone teacher, Mrs. Patricia Robinson, have created this new organization and are hoping to create as many opportunities as possible for students to have new learning experiences and benefit from them as often as possible.
One fundraiser they are planning to benefit the EH community is the Harlem Wizards coming to EHHS on May 5, 2023, to play against teachers in the EH district. This fundraiser has been done in the past and was very successful, so this is a good opportunity for the PFO to make some money for future activities. It was simple to get the Harlem wizards to come since they rent out their services frequently. Mr. Profetto said he is nervous about getting people to come to the event but thinks it will be a good night as long as a lot of popular teachers participate. He believes students will be excited to go watch their teachers play against basketball players.
General admission tickets will be $15 and VIP tickets will be $25. The target audience for this event is middle school and elementary school students, although all members of the EH community are encouraged to go. This night will need about 50 volunteers, and those interested in volunteering can talk to Mr. Profetto. It will be a fun experience for students and families. Ms. Robinson said the money that is made from this event “will go towards programs in the school that will bring new learning experiences to students in cool ways.”
With the money raised, the PFO does activities to support the EH community. One activity the PFO has done in the past is putting school supplies out for students that may still need them. Another event the PFO has done is selling wreaths and poinsettias at Christmas. An upcoming event the PFO is taking part in soon is wings and stuffed bread (they are working with Mrs. Spinelli and Mrs. Martin). Events the PFO hopes to have in its future are teacher appreciation week activities, bringing in speakers to talk to students, and educational field trips.
The PFO also raises money through memberships. The most basic membership is $5, but members can have higher levels of memberships. The bronze membership is $25 annually and the gold membership is $100 annually. If a parent or teacher cannot pay the $5 membership fee they can still come to meetings and contribute ideas because the goal of the PFO is to include everyone and hear all ideas.
Mr. Profetto wants to set up this organization so it lasts for a long time and is a place for everyone to come to and share ideas. He wants to let parents know they are welcome to participate in the school and have an impact on these four years of their child’s life. Right now there are only about 15-20 members, but he hopes to get more parents involved and 100% of the staff at EHHS. Teachers should be involved in the school and find a reason to stay after to benefit their school. He thinks the teachers should want to welcome families to the school. There is something for everyone in the PFO. Mr. Profetto said, “I hope everyone will join, you don’t have to make a big commitment, just a small one. If you can’t be here physically, every donation helps.”
