Newton's Mason-Rice PTO Wins National Award

The Mason-Rice Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization was recently recognized with a national Parent Group of the Year Award.

The annual award is handed out by PTO Today magazine and includes a $3,000 prize along with a profile in the magazine, according to a press release issued last week by PTO Today.

The Mason-Rice PTO was selected as a winner for "the way it mobilized a large group of parent volunteers to support students and make campus improvements during the 2011-2012 school year," the press release said. Projects included volunteer opportunities for students, a playground installation and a composting effort that reduced food waste.

Overall, ten winners were chosen this year from a pool of 375 entries, the press release said.

The award check was presented to the PTO on October 2 at the elementary school's open house and the Mason-Rice PTO profile was featured in the September 2012 issue of PTO Today. An online version of the article can be found on the PTO Today website.

"The work that parent groups do is absolutely vital to the success of our schools and to children's education. All too often, that hard work goes unnoticed and unrecognized," School Family Media founder and President Tim Sullivan said in a press release. "With the Parent Group of the Year award, we celebrate and acknowledge the important work parent groups do in their schools and communities." 

School Family Media is the parent company of PTO Today magazine.