What your board should be doing right now

Every month of the PTO year, by role — the tasks, the deadlines that bite, and the things to start now so they're ready later. Assumes a July–June fiscal year; adjust if yours differs.

December: Holiday shop and half-time

December is a short sprint then silence: the holiday shop runs, school events stack up, and then everything stops for two weeks. In December a PTO board should run the shop cleanly, reconcile it immediately, thank staff before break, and use the quiet week for a half-year review — what worked, what to drop, and whether the budget is on track.

President

Run the half-year review

One honest hour over break: budget vs. actuals, what fizzled, what to cancel in spring. Killing a tired event is a gift to every future board.
Thank the board itself

The board thanks everyone else all fall. A handwritten note to each member over break costs nothing and retains officers.

Treasurer

Reconcile the holiday shop fast

Daily counts already signed — final reconciliation and deposit before break, reported in January.
Mind gift limits on staff and volunteer thanks

Commonly cited guidance keeps individual thank-you gifts modest (under ~$100) — generosity above that creates tax questions nobody wants.
Half-year budget vs. actuals

Feed the president's review with real numbers — it's the mid-course correction meeting.

Secretary

Mid-year records check

Minutes through December filed, roster current, event notes captured while chairs still remember.

Events & volunteers

Run the holiday shop

Volunteers briefed on prices and the "budget envelope" kids, restock between classes, teacher schedule honored.
Support winter concerts

Cookies and coffee in the lobby is cheap, easy, and the whole school sees the PTO being useful.
Write the December debrief

Twenty minutes on what to order more/less of next year — December-you is the only one who knows.

📅 Start now, thank yourself later

Book spring event vendors

Fun-run companies and auction platforms fill spring calendars in January — email over break.
Teacher Appreciation Week seeds

TAW is the first full week of May; themes and big-ticket ideas start in February.

Prefer the readable version? Read the December guide · or see the whole PTO year at a glance.

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