Athens Ohio East Elementary PTO

05/28/2026

Big shout out to Playa Bowls on Court Street for their generous donation to our East Elementary staff this week! Nothing beats one of their Pura Vida bowls to keep the energy flowing through the final days of the school year 🙌

05/22/2026

🌿 Some of our parent volunteers were out in the heat this week tidying up the East Elementary sign, because we know how many of you will be standing in front of it this morning and this afternoon, trying to hold it together while your kid grins for the last day of school 🥰

Elementary goes fast. We're not crying, you're crying. 😭

This is just the beginning of beautiful things happening at our school, more to come. But first, please drop your last day photos in the comments. We want to see them all! 🐾

05/20/2026

🚀 Calling families with little ones ages 4–6! Camp Mini-Boost is a 2-week sports & academic summer camp at Ohio University, August 3–14, 8am–2pm.

All kids are welcome, plus spots reserved for kids with or at risk for ADHD.

Enrollment is open!

Head here to enroll and learn more: https://redcap.ohio.edu/surveys/?s=7ARDJ7H4TTEY3LFF

(This is not and East Elementary affiliated camp)

05/20/2026

We're wishing East Elementary's own Mrs. Ridgway a very happy retirement 🥳 Mrs. Ridgway has had a long career of teaching and nurturing young minds in our community and we'll miss having her at East!

Congratulations, Mrs. Ridgway! 💕😘

It is time to thank our retirees for all they have done for our students, our school, and our community, and wish them well as they begin new adventures! 💚

Kimba Ridgway is retiring from teaching 1 grade at East Elementary. She has so many good memories of teaching second grade at Chauncey, and teaching first grade at both West and East. She has enjoyed working alongside colleagues at each of these schools, making teaching experiences very rewarding. Upon retirement, Kimba and her husband (who is also retiring) plan to have a less structured and more flexible lifestyle where they can take walks and hike, read, and even do a little traveling.

May your days ahead be filled with happiness, health, and new adventures! Enjoy your retirement Kimba! 🎉

05/19/2026

Congratulations on an incredible career in education, Mrs. Abdella! We’re going to miss you at East Elementary and wish you all the best in your retirement! 💕😘

It is time to thank our retirees for all they have done for our students, our school, our community, and wish them well as they begin new adventures! 💚

Carole Abdella is retiring from teaching 3d grade at East Elementary. Looking back at her favorite memories during her 33 years in education, there are so many, but here a a few that come to mind: That feeling she gets at some point each year when she realizes her class has grown from a group of individual kids into a class family that takes care of each other. She's also loved seeing her students when they finally learn something they've been working so hard on...and then being able to continue to watch them as they grow up and pursue their dreams. And finally, that feeling at the end of each school year that what she and her students all did together really mattered. Upon retirement, Carole is really looking forward to simply having time - time to spend with family and friends who are near and far away, time to read, travel and to do the things she hasn't even discovered she wants to do yet.

May your days ahead be filled with happiness, health, and new adventures! Enjoy your retirement Carole! 🎉

05/16/2026

What a night at the East Elementary Garden Party & Art Show! 🌸

The glow-in-the-dark art tunnel stopped everyone in their tracks 🤩 Mrs. House and our students created something truly unforgettable in there.

The kindergarten concert with Mrs. Williams was pure joy. And the garden crew has built something so beautiful and lasting for our school — it really shone last night!

Families grabbed food from the trucks, struck poses at the TS Photos booth, and just got to enjoy a gorgeous spring evening together.

Our 3rd graders ran the bake sale all evening and hit their $500 goal! 🎉 Every dollar goes right back into the PTO’s garden fund for future plantings, improvements, and care that keeps that outdoor space so special for our kids.

Thank you to every baker, every donor, and every volunteer who helped.

We are so proud of this school and so grateful for this community. 💚💛

05/14/2026

Our 3rd graders are hosting a Bake Sale at the Garden Party on May 15 to raise money for our school garden and the goodies are going to be GOOD. 🧁🍰🍪

Can't make it but still want to support our young gardeners? 🌱

You can chip in to the garden fund anytime — no sweets required:
👉 https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/3rd-grade-school-garden-bake-sale

🗓️ Garden Party, Art Show & K Concert
📅 Friday, May 15 | 5:30–7:00 PM
📍 East Elementary

Support our 3rd graders as they grow, bake, and learn 🌱🧁Every cookie, brownie, and muffin sold helps build and care for the East Elementary Garden, giving students hands-on lessons in science, responsibility, and healthy food.Your purchase or donation goes straight to the Garden Fund to be use...

05/13/2026

🐾 East Elementary PTO wrapped up our final meeting of the 2025-26 school year tonight and what a year it has been! 🌼

We spent the evening planning the finishing touches for the 3rd grade bake sale at the Garden Party, Art Show & Kindergarten Concert (May 15! Mark your calendars!), celebrating the incredible progress on our Help East Bloom beautification project, and officially electing our 2026-27 board. The future of East PTO is in great hands. 🙌

This photo captures only some of our crew who showed up this year in ways big and small. To every volunteer, donor, meeting attendee, snack dropper-offer, and sign-upper: Thank you 💚

And to everyone who is moving on - whether your child is headed to TPIS, you’re celebrating retirement, or life is just taking you somewhere new - THANK YOU. We’ll miss you 💛

But first… Garden Party! 🌸 See you Friday! 🐶

05/12/2026

🌈 It's our final PTO meeting of the year and you're invited!

📅 Tuesday, May 12
🕠 5:30 PM
📍 East Elementary Playground

Bring the kids! They can run around the playground while we wrap up an incredible year and look ahead to the next one.

🗳️ We'll also be voting in next year's PTO board.
If you've ever thought about getting more involved, this is the moment — every officer role helps shape what's possible for our kids and teachers.

From Mum Sales to Jammie Jam to Help East Bloom, this year happened because of you. Let's close it out together and set the stage for another great one. 🐾