Each year in March, parents gather for our annual General PTO meeting where we share updates, look ahead to next year, and celebrate accomplishments.
In addition to celebrating a great first year in the MakerSpace and Learning Lab – and congratulating Ms. Bahr for being named Outstanding Educator of the Year by the Archdiocese – we also celebrated some additional “heroes” of our St. Martha community.
Dana Bale continues to wow her colleagues and parents alike. Dana founded the schools robotics program which started with 4 students in 2016 and grew to 85 students in 2018. This exponential growth required St. Martha to form multiple teams – and buy more robots! The team has participated in the VEX IQ State Tournament both years, and Dana served as a volunteer college referee in the VEX Worlds tournament in 2018.
Beyond robotics, Dana’s ability to win grants that advance technology and enable evidence-based approaches to education are unmatched. These grants are quickly setting St. Martha apart as a leader in STEM – a huge advantage for helping attract prospective families and for the accreditation goals of our school. Beyond her contributions in the classroom, Dana has 4 children who graduated from St. Martha. She’s been a member of the Moms Club, been a booth captain at the picnic, coached volleyball, coached girls and boys basketball for ten years, been a Eucharistic Minister , and worked Martha Gras. Dana received the CEF Innovator of the Year Award for the 2017-2018 school year. She received the National Energy Education Development award for energy achievement in 2018. She participated in the NEED Energy Tour with 19 Kentucky educators in 2017.
Katie has served as PTO treasurer for the past 3 years. She’s managed significant growth in PTO’s fundraising power and the number and size of events that are now sponsored by PTO. You can find Katie serving as the “banker” at many of our events, making sure all of our financials are in order. She’s been a stalwart advisor and counselor to the PTO as we decide on the committee’s future direction and the impact of our decisions on fundraising and the future of the school. Katie’s also been a great advocate and driving force for programs like Barton’s that has been overwhelmingly beneficial for students with learning differences even in its first year. She also was the first proponent for the school refresh work that’s been underway this year (and even helped paint the office). In addition to her PTO duties, Katie also serves as a coach for a variety of St. Martha volleyball teams.
Tina has been a member of PTO for the past 5 years and a member of the executive committee for 4 of the 5. As a nurse, Tina leads our health records and events committee – a service provided by PTO that keeps us in compliance with the Jefferson County Health Department. Tina’s involvement in the Chili Supper, the Horserace Bingo booth at the picnic, Spring Fling (and MANY OTHERS) have helped us elevate our fundraising capabilities. She can also be counted on to for just about anything – cleaning up the Father Daughter Dance on late Saturday nights, counting Box Tops at her kitchen table, calling people one by one until we have enough volunteers for an event – you name it, and Tina’s either done it or is still doing it. In addition to her PTO duties, Tina serves as the coordinator of Pretend Mass for 2nd grade families preparing for First Holy Communion. Tina and her family have given countless hours and been tireless supporters of St. Martha.
We appreciate all you do! Don’t forget to nominate someone you know who goes above and beyond for St. Martha! Nomination forms are available in both the school and parish offices.
