Our family of four moved into the Indian Hill School District a little over 10 years ago. At that time, our son Hayden was just ready to begin kindergarten. It is incredibly hard for me to believe that this year, he began his freshman year and our daughter Marin, seventh grade at the middle school.
Over the years, I have had the pleasure of chairing such events as Spotlight and Fifth Grade Celebration and held roles such as Room Parent, Playground Supervisor, and PTO Director, but what has meant the most to me has been the opportunity I have had to enjoy experiences within the school; to build relationships with teachers and staff as well as my children’s classmates. Precious memories of cooking in Mrs. Speno’s kindergarten class, wiping down tables with Marshall between lunches at the primary school, sitting outside Rosa Jason’s classroom while cutting classroom items and listening to her lesson plan. I warmly recall Halloween costume parades through the hallways, early morning choir rehearsals with Alice Bohn, and listening to Mrs. Jones read books to students during library duty. As the children have gotten older, ways of volunteering have inevitably evolved, but the school has always offered the opportunity to work with children and teachers in many different ways. I cherished the times I took the stage with Canned Goodness (the Indian Hill staff band), as well as had the pleasure of designing wild Seussical hair for the middle school musical. Our family has truly enjoyed being a part of the Indian Hill School District. We are blessed to have cultivated many special relationships and look forward to our remaining years here.
Indian Hill PTO is an organization that provides educational and enrichment opportunities for our children, offers support to our teachers and staff through volunteerism, and helps to facilitate communication between the parents and school administration. Our organization is responsible for activities such as field trips, author visits, guest speakers, assemblies, room parents, Spring Fling, International Fair, Pioneer Days, Spotlight talent show, Holiday Market, COSI Experience, Teacher and Staff Appreciation, Party in the Middle, After Prom, and Senior Week; to name a few. Not only do we fund these types of activities, but we are also responsible for organizing the volunteers for them.
My involvement in the PTO over the years has introduced me to so many creative, hardworking and passionate parents, teachers, and staff. I am proud to work alongside my fellow board members, who work tirelessly for our children, and am tremendously honored to lead this important organization.
Battling a life-threatening illness three years ago, I experienced firsthand what being part of the Brave family really means. Both of our children were attending the elementary school at the time of my cancer diagnosis and the level of support, care, and attention my family received from the school as well as from the community was like nothing I had ever experienced. I am grateful to be a Brave.
I believe the Indian Hill Promise is the promise that, above all, our school will put the needs of our children first. I’m proud of how our community rallies around challenges, such as COVID-19, and finds creative ways to ensure our children continue to receive the highest level of education and experiences.
Photo: Hayden, Chris, Mandy, and Marin Longbottom