NEW Morley Spirit Merchandise is available for ordering now!!!! Order forms will be coming home with students Friday, February 17th and are also available for download here. Be sure to check backpacks for them! Orders will be due by March 2nd!! Checks should be made out to Blue 84.

You can also order with a debit/credit card directly from Blue84 at http://www.blue84spirit.com/moel

There will be some blank samples in the main hallway next week so you can check items for sizing, there are also size charts available on the web site listed above.

We will be continuing our school year with a Morley "Spirit Day" on the last Friday of every month, so mark your calendars today (this may vary by month, depending on the school calendar)! On these "Spirit Days" students and faculty/staff should wear their Morley gear and/or school colors to show their school spirit! Our next Spirit Day will be Friday, February 24th!!

Any questions, please contact Tara Haar.

I know it seems early, but it’s that time again to get our Committee Chairs in place for the next school year! Please look over all the different committees, we have such great opportunities to lead in something that you excel at or make if interesting and try something new!! It is such a great way to meet people, get to know the teacher’s and make a valuable contribution to you children’s school. We have lots of laughs, and the kids get such a kick out of seeing their parents helping at THEIR school. (See the full list of committees and their responsibilities here.)

Come join the fun and make a huge difference!!!

A Committee Chair meeting is planned for April 19th at 9:15 AM in the Morley cafeteria where last year’s chairs will “hand off” their notebooks to the New Chairs. This is a great time to meet and greet and gather tips and information for next year.

Sign up today! Please return the form to the school office by March 9th or contact Sarah Burden.

It is time to register any girls 3rd through 5th grades for Girls on the Run!! We had so much fun last year and can't wait to get started again! My name is Kristi Puls and I was one of the coaches last year and am looking forward to coaching again! I also have several wonderful moms who are excited to help!

The Girls on the Run program is centered around positive interactions between peers, living a healthy lifestyle, and giving girls confidence. The girls will also train to run in a 5K at the end of the season.

Girls on the Run will start March 5th and go through May 18th. We will meet every Tuesday and Thursday right after school until 5:00 p.m.. Mark your calendars for the 5K that will be held on May 12th.

The fee is $75 and to register your student, please go to www.GOTRNebraska.org. There is a $20 late fee if you register after Feb. 11th, and financial aid is available. Please see website for details.

Also, if you are a mom interested in helping, we would love to have you! You can email me at mpuls@neb.rr.com with any questions.

The due date to submit your donations to That’s Amorley was January 13th but if you would like to donate and haven’t done so please send your filled out donation letter and the item or items donated to the school as soon as possible!!! We are still in need of donations. We need every family and every staff member to make one donation to make this event a success!!

Ideas for donations include gift certificates or merchandise from a business that you frequent or own. Items from where you are employed or from your home business. Household items, leisure items, handmade items. Example of things that my family has donated are golf packages from my husband’s work, football tickets, and a cool brownie pan that they advertise on TV---items can be big or small.

ALL ITEMS BIG OR SMALL ARE NEEDED AND GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

On Friday, January 20th from 5-7 pm at Skate Zone at 300 North 48th Street come join your Morley friends at our all-school skating party!!

It’s just $5.00 per person to skate and your parents skate for free. Morley PTO will benefit from $2.00 of the proceeds. One child will be eligible for a drawing for a free pair of skates from Skate Zone.

Bring your friends and join the fun!!!!

Our 4th annual Morley Great American SpellCheck Spell-A-Thon will take place on Thursday, February 2, 2012. By now your child should have brought home the Spelling Bee packet containing grade level spelling words, a pledge form, the prize list, and a letter covering all the details.

(Note: study groups that were planned had to be cancelled due to low numbers. To help your student study for the spelling bee please visit www.spellingbee.com, then click the "Students & Parents" tab. Then, you can choose "Study Tips" for ways to help your child study.)

We are also in need of several volunteers to help facilitate these study groups. And volunteers are needed on the day of the test. If you are available to volunteer please contact Sarah Bienka.

It’s that time of year when the Morley PTO is asking you to consider how your talents might match with PTO leadership opportunities that will be available during the next school year (2012-2013), so as to assist our new president and her nominating committee with leadership selections. Please check out the vacancies below and then fill out the form indicating your interest in serving on the Executive Board next year. We have a large dedicated team of talented, committed, fun-loving parents who make things happen and make such a difference in our children’s education. It is a total team effort, so take a chance and join the team!!

PTO Executive Board for 2012-2013

• President - Sarah Burden
• President Elect - VACANT
• VP of Communication - Amy Birkholz
• VP of Technology - Troy Thompson
• VP of Volunteer Coordination - Stacie Arndt Secretary-Peggy Dynek
• Treasurer - Jan Griffin
• Assistant Treasurer - VACANT

With the new year in full swing here are some fun and VERY exciting facts for all our Chamberlain Challenge Champions!!

Box Tops has brought in $2,631.00 for Morley Elementary!!! Labels for Education has had a total of 11,855 points submitted!!!

Sunny D Labels has raised enough for 11 classrooms to earn the free books BUT EVERYONE will receive a breakfast bag for helping those 11 classrooms reach their required label limit!!!

The Valentine's Day Room Party planning meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 31st at 7:00 p.m. in the Morley Cafeteria.

During this meeting you will be able to get together with other parents to help plan your child's Valentine's Day Classroom Party (which will be held on Tuesday, February 14th). Contact parents should bring to the meeting the green party planning binder with all the game and activity ideas. This meeting is open to everyone who wants to help plan the party (not just contact parents). All, please come join in the fun!

If you have any questions please contact Shelly Laessig or Laura Matoush.