Meet your newest PTO presidents
Want to get involved at your child’s school this year? These women are the ones to know.
Shannon Bond Taylor
► School: Edgewood Elementary
► Contact: taylorshannonb@gmail.com or ptoedgewood@gmail.com
► Children: Hunter (fourth grade)
► Past experience: Grandpals’ Day chair, Spring Festival chair and Hospitality Committee
Q: Why did you want to serve as PTO president?
A: I have fully enjoyed chairing Grandpals’ Day and Spring Festival, but I wanted to take a more active role in all aspects of the PTO and devote more time to volunteering and helping raise more funds for our school, our teachers and our students.
Q: What are your major goals for this year?
A: I want to build up our PTO’s online presence and parent involvement. I want all our parents to feel they have the opportunity to attend our monthly meetings and volunteer in whatever capacity that fits into their schedules.
Eva Shelton Gonzalez
► School: Hall-Kent Elementary
► Contact: evasheltongonzalez@yahoo.com or 253-1293
► Children: Hunter (9), Gabby (7)
► Past experience: Fall festival chair, president-elect
Q: Why did you want to serve as PTO president?
A: I feel quite strongly about giving back to our schools and being involved in my community. Serving as PTO president allows me to do both, while personally getting to know Hall Kent’s faculty and staff.
These educators play a very important role in my children’s lives and I’m honored to help them in any way possible. I believe we have one of the best schools around with engaged parents, fabulous teachers, eager students and great resources.
Q: What are your major goals for this school year?
A: We aim to grow our fall festival, allowing us to raise more funds for worthy grants. Also, the PTO is working on better communication with the upcoming launch of the Hall-Kent PTO website. This will allow for instant access to information, scheduled events and a directory, as well as an online Spirit Store.
Mary Scott Pearson
► School: Shades Cahaba Elementary
► Contact: maryscottpearson@gmail.com
► Children: Samantha (12), Becca (9), Blake (6)
► Past experience: Seven years in PTO, supply day chair, room parent coordinator and secretary
Q: Why did you want to serve as PTO president?
A: I am thankful to live in a community that values education and wanted to give back. The Homewood school system has given so much to my children and I am honored to be able to serve in this way.
Q: What are your major goals for this school year?
A: My goals for the year are to improve communication and parent involvement. I recently launched a new website for SCE PTO and plan to build that to enhance communication with parents, teachers and administrators.
In addition, I am hoping to improve participation in PTO. PTO is a great way to stay informed about what’s going on at your child’s school and to get to know other parents. I hope to encourage parents who may not have been involved in the past to get involved now.
Susan Baskin Gray
► School: Homewood Middle School
► Contact: president@hms-pto.org
► Children: Jack (16), Ellie (16), Sam (13)
► Past experience: Shades Cahaba winter festival chair, design and communications chair; HMS FEST design chair; HHS South Central Classic design chair
Q: Why did you want to serve as PTO president?
A: I wanted to give back to a school system and community that has given so much to my children. We are so fortunate to live in such a unique community that helps prepare our kids for the “real world,” both academically and socially. I consider our school system and teachers to be a “gift” to our children.
Q: What are your major goals for this school year?
A: The HMS PTO would like to improve communication, encourage great parental involvement, raise more funds for our Academic Enhancements and have fun while doing it.
Ashley Condon
► School: Homewood High School
► Contact: hhsptopresident@gmail.com
► Children: Caroline (17), Paul (16), Brian (13)
► Past experience: HMS PTO president, Homewood City Schools Foundation president
Q: Why did you want to serve as PTO president?
A: I am fortunate to have a job where I work from home. This allows me the freedom to get involved.
At the high school level especially, most parents work and their time is limited. I thoroughly enjoy participating in PTO because it allows me to get to know our teachers, administrators and Homewood families. I feel blessed to work around so many servant-hearted people. They make serving fun and the task of being president a reward.
Q: What are your major goals for this school year?
A: Increased parental involvement and communication. If our board can accomplish these two things, then I know we will be successful at meeting our financial goals. Raising money enables us to fund grants and teacher events for our school.