Hongwanji Mission School PTO

On behalf of the 2010-2011 Hongwanji Mission School Parent-Teacher Organization Board, it is with great pleasure, anticipation and excitement that I welcome the start of the 2010 fall semester. As I write this we are only days away from the first day of the new school year, and, if you are like my family, you are busy running around trying to get everything from school supplies to clothes that fit – I had no idea kids could grow that much in one summer!

President Craig P. Wagnild
Vice President Dean Isono
Treasurer Craig Uyehara
Recording Secretary Stephanie Helbush
Corresponding Secretary Violet Kim
Auditors Mark Tanaka and Stephanie Helbush
Faculty Representative Ed Nishikawa
Room Parent Coordinators Wendy Harmon and Bryan Hata

The Board has been meeting over the summer to begin planning the fundraisers and the many fun events that will take place this school year. We look forward to your support and participation in these events. One of the things that truly makes HMS special is the sense of community fostered in the classrooms, between the different grades, and among the parents and families of our students. We look forward to helping put together events and opportunities that bring our families together to enjoy sharing the learning experiences, friendships, challenges and excitement that our children are discovering each day at HMS. We hope that you will make plans to attend each of these events and help with them when you can.

Let me also mention that our HMS teachers have been busy this summer too. Dr. Riley, our Head of School, will report more on all of the professional development programs and seminars attended by our teachers, but our children will quickly see some exciting changes in their classrooms, including some high technology improvements and new collaborative learning programs. All of this builds on the wonderful results of the accreditation review earlier this year, which awarded HMS with the highest accreditation available – accreditation for the next six-years with one mid-term review. This is a wonderful comment on the efforts, commitment, enthusiasm and support of HMS’ teachers, administration, staff, students and families.

I look forward to seeing you at the next PTO meeting – this Friday. Please come see all that we are doing and be an active participant in the PTO. We are so fortunate to have wonderfully supportive, active parents and appreciate all of your efforts. See you soon.