(Check back often. This site will be updated frequently with timely information. If you have a PTA-related item to add, please e-mail Melinda at mallens@mindspring.com)

Looking for the Yates Mill Elementary Web site? You can find it at http://yatesmilles.wcpss.net/ 




Bingo Night Supplies and Volunteers Needed
On Friday, February 3 we will have our annual Bingo Night.  This is where we recognize all kids and staff who made it to the Adult Frog level on the Reading Pond, and then we finish the evening with a fun family night of Bingo.  As always, it takes a lot of volunteers to make Bingo Night work.

**First, we are asking parents to help with drinks for Bingo Night by sending in 2-liter bottles of soda.  The PTA is providing lemonade and water and there will be dinner available to purchase at a reasonable price. Soft drinks can be sent in with your student to their classroom, and we will collect them from there. We are asking for the types of drinks listed below from each grade. Please send in sodas by Wednesday, February 1.

Kindergarten & 1st grade:  Orange soda
2nd & 3rd grade:  Sprite or similar
4th grade:  Diet cola
5th grade:  Regular cola

**Second, we need several volunteers to make Bingo Night possible.  This year we are utilizing Signup Genius for the volunteer signup.  Please visit http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B4CA9AA2C7-bingo.



Family Nights / Fundraisers
To help raise money for YMES PTA, which provides support for school technology, as well as many other projects, we sometimes have "Family Nights," or Family Fundraisers. This is the last scheduled Family Night Fundraisers for this school year. Look for more information to come home in your child's Friday Folder. Please mark your calendars and join us! 

Feb 28 (all day) -- Red Robin (across from Crossroads)



Open House and Guided Tour Dates for Prospective Yates Mill Students
Are you considering Yates Mill Elementary for your children next year? We have concluded hosting several Open Houses. Please attend a Guided Tour for more information. Also visit the Yates Mill Elementary school's Web site.  

Guided Tours
Staff will be available at 10:00 on Tuesdays for anyone who would like to tour the school.  Parents need to call ahead to let us know they will be here so that we will be sure to have plenty of staff available. 919. 233. 4244  



Upcoming Special Education Workshops
See the Special Education Workshop flyer for details and workshop descriptions.
Jan 24: Accommodations, Modifications and Levels of Service
Feb 6: IEP Workshops
Feb 23: College Disability Services
March 1: Special Education Open House



YMES Monthly One-Day Food Drive The first Monday of each month, YMES is collecting food to benefit students and their families here at Yates Mill and the Food Bank. Each one-day monthly food drive has a theme. 
Monday, February 6: TBA
Monday, March 5: Rice
Monday, April 9: Canned fruits
Monday, May 7: Pasta
Monday, June 4: Mixes for cakes, muffins, bread   



New Fundraising Opportunity...and It Involves Pizza!
Wake County Papa John’s pizza restaurants will be donating a portion of their proceeds on the second Wednesday of each month to all schools in the Wake County Public School System. All of the donated funds will be divided evenly between the 165 WCPSS schools. Have a Slice. Support a School.



Box Tops for Education
The first semester Box Tops/Campbell's Classroom Competition deadline has passed, but keep saving box tops and labels for the second semester classroom competition. The grade winners will enjoy a classroom party in the Spring!   
Keep collecting those box tops for the second semester contest!  
PARTICIPATING PRODUCTS: General Mills Cereal Cheerios® (14oz), Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17oz), Lucky Charms® (11.5oz), Trix® (10.7oz), Apple Cinnamon Cheerios® (10.7oz), Honey Nut Chex® (13.8oz), Honey Nut Cheerios® (12.25oz), Frosted Cheerios® (12oz), Cocoa Puffs® (12.2oz), Fiber One® 80 Calorie (11.75oz), Cookie Crisp® (11.25oz), Fruity Cheerios® (12oz), Basic 4® (16oz), Betty Crocker® Cookie Mix, Supreme Brownie Mix, Warm Delights®, Warm Delights® Minis, Fruit Gushers® (all varieties), Fruit Roll-Ups® (all varieties), Fruit Shapes (all varieties), Fruit by the Foot® (all varieties), Chicken Helper®, Hamburger Helper®, Tuna Helper®, Nature Valley® Crunchy Granola Bars (6ct), Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bars (6ct), Granola Thins (10ct), Chewy Trail Mix Bars (6ct), Roasted Nut Crunch™ Bars (6ct), Chex Mix® (8.75oz), Bugles® (7.5oz), Old El Paso® Refried Beans, Shells, Dinner Kits, Tortilla Stuffers™, LÄrabar ®, Pillsbury® Ready to Bake!™ Cookies, Refrigerated Cookies, Grands!® Biscuits (8ct), Dinner Breads, Sweet Moments™ Bite Size Brownies, Microwave Pancakes, Toaster Strudel® Pastries, Egg Scrambles™, Grands!® Biscuit Sandwiches, Yoplait® Light 4 Packs, Totino's® Pizza Rolls® (15ct-40ct), Party Pizza® 



Stay in the Loop with the YMES Yahoo News Group 
To join the YMES Yahoo News Group, either:  

- (This is the easiest way to join!) Send a blank e-mail to YatesMillElemInfo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. You will recieve a comfirmation e-mail. Reply to the confirmation e-mail and you will be a member of the YMES Yahoo News Group!

- Go to the news group page and follow instructions:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YatesMillElemInfo/

Web Tip from YMES:  Safe Web Surfing
Many students and parents are looking for Web sites that are not only safe but also provide learning opportunities. There are several kid-safe search sites, such as: www.sldirectory.com/searchf/kidsafe.html, www.surfnetkids.com, and www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/kids. 

Parents Policy at Lunch (updated policy 2010-2011 school year)
Parents have always been encouraged to come to school to eat with their children. This typically involves you sitting at a guest table in the cafe and the child inviting one or two classmates to join you. There is a new policy on eating outside at the picnic area. If you choose to eat outside, you can sit at the picnic tables next to the gym (cannot eat on Butterfly Hill) and you can only take your OWN child without friends joining you. It is too hard for the assistants to try to monitor the other children outside. Thank you for understanding this new policy.

How Will You Be Involved This Year? 
You are invited to volunteer for the PTA ANY TIME DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.  Lend a hand by giving just a few hours of your time to help plan and run any of our activities and fundraisers. We have tasks for everyone---moms, dads, kids, teachers, relatives, and family friends---at various levels of participation. The strength of our PTA lies in the number of volunteers. If your schedule allows for more time, join a committee or work in the classroom. Giving of your time, talent, and ability not only helps the school, it also enriches our children's education.

The PTA holds open meetings every month. Look for the dates and times of upcoming events and meetings in the PTA Newsletter your child will bring home bi-weekly, and on this Web site.