Budget & Fundraising Meeting Information Mission Statement Forms 

About Us Turtle Lake Elementary PTA Logo

Our PTA is made up of hard-working parents & teachers who pool their talents to provide practical support for our school. 


Interested in getting involved in planning or implementing events and programs? Fill out our Volunteer Form and we can help find a good fit. Alternatively, check out our Leads list below for various roles. Detailed descriptions can be found here: PTA Role Descriptions (PDF)

 

 

 

Turtle Lake PTA volunteers plan and implement several programs and events throughout the school year.

 

Programs

Yearbook

Restaurant Nights 

Staff Appreciation

Gifts for Everyone

Grade Level Projects

 

Fall Events

Turtle Trot 5k Fun Run

Fall Carnival 

Fall Book Fair

Spring Events

Culture & Heritage Night

Read-a-Thon 

Spring Book Fair

5th Grade Celebration 

For reimbursement requests or special funding requests, please visit our Forms site.

 

Leadership

Those listed below volunteered to provide leadership this year. Get to know their names and feel free to ask them if you have questions. 

  Become a Member 

2025-2026 Executive Board

President - Jennifer Hopp (TurtleLakePTA@gmail.com Attn: Jen)

  • Jen is entering her 2nd year as PTA President and has also served as Treasurer. She has 2 children who attend Turtle Lake - Carolyn (4th) and Charlotte (2nd). She is passionate about the PTA's mission to engage and empower families and communities to advocate for all children and is excited to continue the PTA's momentum helping to make Turtle Lake so special.

Photo of Jen Hopp and her family outside in front of a waterfall

Vice President - Elizabeth Ryan (TurtleLakePTA@gmail.com Attn: Elizabeth)

  • Elizabeth is serving her second year as Vice President. She has one student at Turtle Lake, Violet (4th), and two at Chippewa, Owen (8th) & Elodie (6th). Elizabeth volunteered at Turtle Lake for many years before joining the PTA. She got involved more directly with the PTA in fall of 2023 as the Communications Chair. After seeing the huge role the PTA plays in the school experience at Turtle Lake, she offered to fill the role of VP while continuing with her Communications duties. As she works part time in the library, Elizabeth will abstain from all votes on motions regarding the library. 

Image of elizabeth ryan and her family outside in front of a tunnel

Secretary - Lily Bray

 

  • Lily is joining the PTA board for the first time this year (2025-2026).  Not only does she have a first grader and a third grader at Turtle Lake, but she is an alumnus, too.  With a background in early childhood education, she hopes her experience in teaching and administration will guide her new role with the Turtle Lake PTA.  She believes that when families support teachers the entire community benefits.
 Photo of Lily and her family at a bowling alley

 

Co-Treasurers - Aleisha Gottlund (Bookkeeper), Leslee Maki

 

 

 

2025-2026 Leads

5th Grade Celebration - OPEN

Book Fair - Vanessa Petrulo, Whitney Wojahn 

Classroom Enrichment & Grade Level Projects - Rebecca Marr

Carnival Baskets - 

Carnival Games - Jennifer Oxendale

Carnival General Store - Meg Cambronne

Communications & Volunteers - Elizabeth Ryan

Culture & Heritage Night - Ana Cantell

Fall Festival Coordinators - OPEN 

Fall Festival Outreach - 

Read-a-Thon - Michelle Morse

Gifts for Others - Michelle Lucarelli, Katie Peatross

Grade Level Socials - Lauren Ashwood

Kindergarten Liason- OPEN 

Restaurant Nights - Amanda Isvik

Spirit Wear - Ana Cantell

Staff Appreciation - Sarah Horrigan, Gwen Cox

Turtle Lake 5k Fun Run - Sarah Keane, Kelly Dunn

Yearbook - Lauren Kavan, Kim Rueb, Abby Hansen

 

 

 

 

PTA Budget & Fundraising

We have an annual operating budget of $63,000 and allot only $11,700 to fundraising expenses and overhead. The rest of the money goes directly to classrooms, students, and events. The vast majority of our money comes from our two major fundraisers: the Fall Festival and the Read-a-Thon. We raise the rest of our funds by partnering with local businesses to host restaurant or fundraising nights, through cash back through Scholastic Book Fairs, and through direct donations. We also participate yearly in Give to the Max day in late November. 
 
Give between now and November 20! Click here to donate! 
give to the max day logo with state of minnesota and words "give to the max day" and date november 20, 2025
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Donations are always welcome. Click here to donate directly.
Clickable image with words sayind turtle lake PTA direct drive donations
Image showing budget allocation. Operating budget is $63,000. $34,950 goes to classrooms and students.
 

PTA Meetings

The PTA meets regularly in the library at Turtle Lake Elementary. Topics of discussion include upcoming PTA events, fundraising reports, updates from teachers regarding the latest news in each grade level, and updates from the administration. Meetings are always open to everyone; however, to vote, one must be a member. 


All meetings are from 6:30-8:00pm in the Turtle Lake Elementary Library. Childcare is provided.

 

Typical General Meeting Format: 

  • Sign in upon arrival, this helps us determine if we have enough members present for quorum.
    • Quorum is needed for voting matters. We need 7 voting members present. 
  • Meeting is called to order.
  • Introductions (name, role in PTA or at school, children at school, etc.) This includes people joining virtually.
  • Updates from PTA, School Board, Admin, Teachers, Specialists.
    • School Board Member Heidi Danielson usually attends meetings or emails updates. 
    • Principal Skinner has been able to attend all meetings so far this school year, but in his absence another member of the admin at Turtle Lake would give updates. 
    • There tend to be a few teachers representing various grades present to give updates on current projects or skills their classrooms are working on. 
  • Special Funding Requests
    • The budget has line items for programs that happen every year. Any requested payment that is outside the scope of those budgeted items must be done as a special funding request and be approved at a general meeting. Past examples: Rollerblades for PE (approved Spring 2024), Scooter T. Turtle (approved Fall 2024), large paper cutter for Art Department (approved Spring 2024), artist-in-residence mosaic project for January 2026 (approved Nov. 2025.)
    • Only members are allowed to vote on how to spend PTA money.
    • After discussing the request, a member will bring forth a motion to pass the request (Literally "I move to fund ____/this request for ____ dollars.") A second member will second the motion (literally "I second.") Then we vote--usually a show of hands. We follow Robert's Rules of Order, this is so we have a process in cases where there isn't consensus. 
  • Other matters
    • Volunteer needs, ideas for new fundraising methods, ideas for enrichment, etc. 

2025-2026 PTA General Meeting Dates: (Calendar Link) 

Upcoming Meeting Agenda

 

Most Recent Meeting Summary

At the November 20, 2025 Meeting:

  • We approved the following:

    • Artist-in-Residence Mosaic project set for January 2026 (Up to $9,000 approved)
    • Color-coded playground supplies for extra recess (2 sets per grade--approximately $2,000 approved.) 

Links to Past Meeting Minutes

 

 

Mission Statement 

Our purpose, along with the National PTA and the Minnesota PTA, is to:
  • Promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship.
  • Raise the standards of home life.
  • Secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
  • Bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
  • Develop united efforts between educators and the general public to secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social, and spiritual education.

 

Forms

For Teachers/Staff:

Classroom Enrichment Funds

Each teacher gets PTA funding to cover expenses for their classroom experiences. 

Grade-Level Funds

Funding is apportioned on a per student basis. It is to be used for grade-wide experiences, events, software, etc. 

Special Funding Requests:

 

Special Funding is to cover any funding requests after using classroom enrichment and grade-level funds. Approved special funding requests provide a school-wide benefit. 

 

 

For Event Reimbursements:

 

PTA Expense Reimbursements:

Use this form to request reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Turtle Lake PTA. Send the request along with images of original receipts to Leslee Maki at lesmaki@msn.com and cc:TurtleLakePTA@gmail.com