PTO Monthly Matters - March 2026
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- 5 min read
MARCH 2026 PTO MONTHLY MATTERS
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME
March has always felt like a month of change – weather starting to warm, trees and flowers starting to bud, far too many bunnies showing up in my yard. And the change isn’t just happening at home or outdoors, it’s also on the PTO side with our continued roll-out of new programs, nominations for next year’s slate, and more.
Our next meeting will be Monday, March 9th at 9AM. Our PTO After Party will dedicate time for a progress update on D29’s Spanish and English (ELA) programs, so plan on staying after the meeting to hear more.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 818 3080 9002
Passcode: 423325
Pro tip: If you don’t want to miss any future PTO or D29 event please be sure to subscribe to the district calendar here.
Sarah Cohn
STAY INFORMED
Board Reports and Committee Budgets 📑
Reminder: Please send in your board reports!! Once your event/activity is done for the year, update the old board report while it’s fresh on your mind. Please ensure you have submitted all your receipts for reimbursement and that you have updated the expected budget on your board report. These are so important as we finalize the year's budget!
Email completed board reports to Gretchen Swank: Gretchen.swank@gmail.com and send any budget related questions or updates to Annie Hendricks: treasurer@district29pto.org.
International Night 🌎
Save the Date: March 18, 6PM at Sunset Ridge School!
All families are invited to D29’s Second Annual International Night at Sunset Ridge on Wednesday, March 18 from 6:00-8:00PM. Come celebrate different cultures with food, student performances, art, and more! The musical performance will begin at 6PM and the doors to the World Showcase will open at 6:30PM. Any questions? Email Carolyn Kelley at carolyn@alumni.nd.edu.
March Takeout Tuesday – Chipotle Night! 🌯
Head over to the Chipotle in Glenview (near Target) on Tuesday, March 17th from 4-8pm and 25% of your purchase comes back to the PTO! Order online for pickup using code QWBGMLJ or show the flyer in the restaurant when you order.
CALLING ALL PARENTS – PTO Board Positions for 2026-2027 school year 🙋🏽♀️🙋🏻♂️
The PTO programs are only possible because of our dedicated parent volunteers. It's a great way to get involved with your child's school and to meet other parents!
It's time to start filling the various PTO Board Positions for next school year and we have plenty of spots across so many great committees. Specifically we are looking for committee leads for:
Assistant Treasurer
Lunchroom Volunteer Organization
Sunset Ridge Photo Day
Sunset Ridge Book Fair
School Supplies
Welcome Team for both Middlefork and SRS
Family Fun Fair
and more!
Not sure which role you are interested in or looking to see if there are other committees you might be interested in? Check them out here PTO Board Positions. Click on a position to see a short description at the bottom of the webpage, or click on the paper icon to the right to see more details. Reach out to the PTO Nominating Chair, Ranjini Shankar at ranjkrish88@gmail.com or 408-821-5151 with any questions or to express your interest in a position. All are welcome!
COMMUNITY NEWS
A Message from the Northfield Park District
Please visit the Northfield Park District website for information and registration for the upcoming 2026 Summer Camps. Register before March 31st for early bird savings. If you know someone interested in applying for a summer camp counselor they can apply here.
Spring class registration will open on March 2. Click here for our spring class calendar. The Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt is on Saturday, March 21st from 10:30-11:15 am.
On March 17th, remember to vote on the Park District Referendum, which asks for a 0.1% tax rate increase to support the implementation of the Comprehensive Master Plan, strengthen ongoing maintenance, and expand the Park District’s capacity to grow.
Sign up to receive the Park District news here and follow the Northfield Park District on Instagram and Facebook!
A Message from the Northfield Library
Please visit the Winnetka-Northfield Library website for information on upcoming events and more!
Go Green Northfield
SRS Battery Collection
The new Battery Stewardship Act now prohibits the disposal of batteries in our curbside trash or recycling. Bring your used household batteries (think AAA, AA, C, D, and 9V) to the front office at SRS until April 19th and our local students will take care of the rest! And as always, thank you to Northfield's very own North Shore Pizza Company for providing the pizzas to the two winning advisories who collect the most batteries!
Election Yard Sign Recycling
Drop off any hard lawn signs and their metal stakes in the marked containers at the Northfield Community Center or Village Hall March 17-22, and GGNF and the Northfield Park District will deliver them to our friends at Chicago Logistic Service in West Dundee. From there they will either be reused as shipping packaging or delivered to a specialized recycling facility. Important note: Hard yard signs and metal stakes only (no flexible plastic signs or plastic stakes), and please separate the stakes from the signs. If you have more than 10 signs to drop off, please contact us at gogreennorthfield@gmail.com.
Cub Scouts
The annual Pack 17 Cub Scout Pancake Breakfast is coming up! What a great way for us to gather as the Scouts serve you and your family a hot and delicious breakfast. You can dine-in or take it to go. There will also be a raffle with fabulous prizes!
When: Saturday March 21st from 8:00 - 11:00 am
Where: The Hyde Park Day School gym at St. Philip the Apostle Church, 1980 Old Willow Rd.
Cost: $10 a person (free for kids under 3)
12U Travel Softball Tryouts – Trevian Girls Fastpitch
Open tryouts for 12U athletes! Current house league players are encouraged to participate. The team will play a local travel schedule with most practices in Northfield. Eligible players must be born on or after September 1, 2013. Contact Dana Dolinko at danadolinko@gmail.com for details. GO TREVS!
SHOUTOUTS AND THANK YOUS
Teacher Appreciation Chairs Sandy Norbot, Alyssa Cochran and Anne Skaggs for the fun game-day themed snacks at the February Teacher & Staff meeting.
Conference Meals Chairs Jayaa Poddar, Ema Dzaka, Maria Mastroianni, and Catherine Dicke for ensuring our teachers were fully fueled with empanada energy to get through spring parent-teacher conferences.
Middlefork Family STEAM Night Chairs Gretchen Fitzgibbons, Jocelyn Huffer, and Dana Santostefano for taking on a large-scale new PTO event. They thought of every last detail to make the evening fun for 200+ students and parents. A big thank you to all of the teachers who ran activity stations, all of the parent volunteers who helped staff the event, and to all of the families who attended as well!
Sixth Grade Social Dance Chairs Emily LeMire, Erin Dotzler, and Sara Thompson for organizing two fun dances for our 6th graders. Not only did the kids have fun learning some new dance moves, they also enjoyed the pre-dance dinners and got to let loose at the end of the evening with a glow stick dance party. A big thank you to the Seth family for their generous donation of Jet’s Pizza for the first dance!
All the Room Parents for their help in creating such great memories at the Valentine’s Day parties across both schools.
COMING SOON & NOTES
Important Dates 📅
March 9: PTO Meeting 9AM
March 10: Board of Education Meeting 7PM
March 17: Takeout Tuesday at Chipotle in Glenview from 4-8PM
March 18: International Night at SRS from 6-8PM
March 25: RULER Family Night at SRS from 5-6PM
March 27: Early Dismissal - School Improvement Day
March 30 - April 6: No School - Spring Break
April 13: PTO Meeting 9AM
April 14: Board of Education Meeting 7PM
April 24: Early Dismissal - School Improvement Day
All Zoom links can be found on the District 29 Calendar.
How to Help
Community involvement is instrumental in making the PTO a success. Please consider volunteering your time! Contact Sarah Cohn at president@district29pto.org to get involved or with any questions.