A Letter from PTO President Mara Ackermann Ziminski
Dear New Albany Families,
I’m Mara Ackermann Ziminski, President of the New Albany PTO, and I’m so excited to welcome you to a new school year. Over the past year, we’ve been on a journey to bring five separate PTOs together—and this year marks the official launch of our unified New Albany PTO, supporting all five schools with one shared mission.
Our goal in merging was simple: to create one streamlined PTO for families, greater efficiency in fundraising and communications, and a stronger, united voice supporting every child—while still celebrating the unique spirit of each school.
To bring this mission to life, we launched our new integrated platform, Membership Toolkit (MTK), on August 1. MTK gives families one easy place to join the PTO, sign up to volunteer, and stay connected throughout the year. It’s designed to make participation simpler and more rewarding for everyone.
We’re looking forward to a fantastic year ahead—connecting families, teachers, and our community.
With gratitude,
Mara Ackermann Ziminski President, New Albany PTO
Back-to-School Fun So Far
Thanks to your support and participation, we’ve already kicked off the year with amazing events:
Open Houses across all schools
Curriculum Nights at ELC–IS
Popsicles on the Playground for new to the district PS & IS families
Two Farmers Market Nights
Family Flick Night under the Stars in collaboration with the New Albany Foundation
Youth Night at the Football Game (our Spin-the-Wheel booth was a crowd pleaser!)
Faculty & Teacher Hospitality: M&M Bar at the HS and Donuts & Coffee at the ELC
Fundraising in Full Bloom: We also wrapped up our first-ever Mums Fundraiser for ELC–MS families, which bloomed with community participation and support. Results will be shared soon—thank you for helping make it a success!
Spirit Wear with Summer Sunday
Every year, families look forward to seeing the latest spirit wear designs- and this year was no exception! We were thrilled to partner with Summer Sunday to bring you a fresh collection made just for our New Albany community.
Member Perk: Families at the $50+ membership level received a $5 off code to use on their order.
The collection was a hit and sold quickly.
Thanks to Summer Sunday’s generosity, 20% of all sales came right back to the PTO.
Please note: the shop closed on September 9.
💛 We're off to a great start!
We’re thrilled to share that our membership drive is off to a fantastic start! The PTO offers five membership levels so every family can find the right fit.
All members receive discounts, spirit wear perks, and volunteer opportunities.
Families needing assistance can request a confidential discount code through their school counselor or directly from PTO President, Mara Ackermann Ziminski at marajimzim@gmail.com.
If you’ve already joined, thank you—your support makes a direct impact in our schools.
If you haven’t yet, there’s still time to be part of this year’s PTO community. Memberships start at just $25, with five levels to choose from.
A heartfelt thank-you to the families who joined at the Soaring Eagle ($250) and The Perch ($500) levels! Your generosity powers events and programs across all five schools. We’re proud to recognize you below and look forward to welcoming more families as the year continues. We also extend our gratitude to families who chose to give anonymously—your support makes just as big of an impact.
Soaring Eagle Families
Bar-Lev
Berg
Byers
Deal
Essay
Gauss
Gupta
Kale
Morrison
Mullendore
Perez
Persichetti
Salehi
Smith
Steckman
Steele
Weick
Welsh
Williams
Yim
The Perch Families
Burkhardt
Carroll
Hagele
Kieninger
Martin
Twomey
Vallimont
Wilson
Wiltrout
Ziminski
Get Involved
Volunteer
Since August, 83 parents have volunteered their time to support more than 20 events and initiatives—and we’re so grateful! We couldn’t do this without you.
We’re also excited that so many families are stepping up to join committees and support our PTO chairs. So far, 60 unique volunteers have gotten involved—and there’s always room for more!
In addition to joining as a member, families are welcome to make a monetary donation at any level—and to share the opportunity with friends, relatives, and neighbors who want to give back.
