ROME TOWNSHIP — The Fairland Elementary Parent Teacher Organization elected new officers for the 2009-2010 school year at the monthly meeting on April 14.

Angie George was re-elected president.

Principals Teresa Johnson and Margaret Keeney presented plaques to the outgoing officers: President – Angie George; V-P – Lesley Thomas; Secretary- Catina Naegele; Treasurer – Jenny Dayton; Ways & Means – Jan Wilkes and Tammy Wilson; Funding – Angel Lunsford; Publicity – Kim Elliott; Homeroom Chairs – Lisa Galloway and Melissa Tubbs.

The PTO is planning a spring carnival for Saturday, April 25, to be held at Fairland West Elementary.

Admission will be $5 with gates opening at 10 a.m. There will be a Cruise In Car Show and a playground full of inflatables, cakewalk, jail cell, smoke house and fingerprinting. Vendors will be selling wares and kids can play 15 carnival games. Concessions will be selling pizza, hotdogs, cotton candy, popcorn, sodas, etc.

The carnival is one of the means of fundraising that the PTO uses to raise funds for the two elementary schools. The PTO has raised and donated more than $60,000 this year for use at Fairland East (K-1-2) and Fairland West (3-4-5).

Some of the fundraisers the PTO sponsored are candle sales, Dragon T-shirt sales, Pax cards, box tops for education, coin harvest and carnivals.

The PTO donates money for the schools to sponsor several programs such as the Character Counts program. Selected students are recognized for acts of good character, and are invited to a luncheon.

The PTO supplies an emergency clothing closet at both school clinics. A school supply cabinet is kept fully stocked by the PTO, so that students who do not have pencils, paper and other supplies will be prepared for class.

The PTO donates several hundred dollars annually to needy students at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The PTO funds several major projects including improving the playground at Fairland East and building a new playground at Fairland West.

The group has provided funds to build classroom storage units at the West building and purchasing library books for both schools.

They host teacher recognition luncheons and classroom holiday parties. Parents serve as volunteers for book fairs and assisting classroom teachers.

Other PTO officers elected for 2009-2010 are: vice president — Jan Wilkes; secretary —Kelley Smith; treasurer — Melanie Petrie; ways and means — Tara Hall and Delana White; funding allocations — Angel Lunsford; publicity —Kim Elliott; homeroom chairs — Heather Stewart and Lisa Galloway.