WELCOME, NEW VISITORS:
To be included in our email list, please create your account.
To volunteer, please login to your account and click on the VOLUNTEER tab.
Welcome to the
Watchung PTO Website!
Here you can find information on upcoming events & details on what's happening at Bayberry and Valley View.
Visit often so you can stay up to date!
Questions? Contact Us
PTO Meeting
Date:
Time:
Location:
Passcode: Watchung
or
of Watchung!
Bayberry Spirit Wear!
Valley View Spirit Wear!
Not receiving our emails?
Check your Junk Mail and Spam folders!
Confirm that Watchung PTO is a safe sender. Make certain your account is updated.
Click here for the Watchung Schools Website.
Click here for the WHRHS Website.
Click here for the WEF Website.
Click here for the Friends of the Watchung Library.
Click here for Watchung SEPAG.
Click here for Watchung Hills Baseball & Softball Association
| 845740 |
WATCHUNG PTO
2025 - 2026 Executive Board Candidates
President
Victoria Yhlen
Hi, I’m Victoria Yhlen, and I’m honored to be nominated for PTO President. I have been part of the Watchung community for 3 years, with my children currently in Grades 2, K and Pre-k. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering at numerous school events, serving as PTO Treasurer for two years, Watchung’s Got Talent Chair and PTO Committee oversight as a board member. I’m excited about the opportunity to lead our PTO and continue to strengthen the partnership between parents, teachers, administration and students.
My vision as PTO President is to foster a collaborative environment where all parents and teachers feel empowered to contribute to the success of our school. I believe in creating open lines of communication and supporting our teachers and staff to ensure our students thrive academically and socially. I would love to see our events become something the entire membership looks forward to, bringing us together as an even more tight knit community.
With my background in project management and enterprise performance management, I am confident in my ability to manage the responsibilities of this role and work with our amazing team to create meaningful, engaging events for our school community. I’m excited to work with all of you to make Bayberry Elementary and Valley View Middle School even better places for our children to learn and grow.
1st Vice President
Veronica Gigi Kauffman
I accept the position for 1st VP moving into the 25/26 school year. I spent just over half this school year as 2nd VP and learned a lot about the operation of the PTO. I am now finishing this school year as president and learning quickly just how much goes into planning the end of the year! With the typical turnover in board members, I am seeing how valuable it is to have some consistency on our board. I believe that with repeat leadership, we can do better things and do them better because of the experience we had. I look forward to assisting next year’s president in preparing needed resources and activities for our schools and planning a great year for our students and staff.
2nd Vice President
Candidate: Lauren Pressman
Our family has lived in Watchung for five years, and I have a 2nd grader, Caleb, at Bayberry, a 5th grader, Owen, at Valley View and a 3 year old daughter, Clara, future Bayberry K class of 2027/28. I have enjoyed working with the PTO in various capacities - class parent, food sales volunteer, teacher appreciation committee, cultural arts/assemblies committee chair and author visits chair. I am also an active member of WEF. I am probably most recognizable as one of the few "walkers" to Bayberry - thanks for stopping for us to cross the street! I look forward to working with the incoming PTO Board to help ensure our kids have a successful and fun year of growth!
Corresponding Secretary
Amanda Slater
My name is Amanda Slater, and I am looking to run for the 2025-2026 school year for the position of Corresponding Secretary on the Bayberry Elementary School PTO. My daughter Shea will be entering Bayberry as kindergartner in the fall and I am very excited and encouraged to be part of the PTO and give my time to helping the school and supporting all the wonderful events the PTO puts on throughout the year.
As Corresponding Secretary I would be involved with communicating critical dates to the executive board, maintaining the social media account and sending email blasts for upcoming events , coordination with the BOE, Valley View Middle School and Bayberry Elementary School to ensure all important dates are on the district calendar and web pages. In my position at work I manage a national team of 9 underwriters and staff and have to be involved in constant communication as I run the environmental casualty product so timelines and communication are very important to me and making sure everyone is coordinated to get to the end goal.
I truly appreciate the opportunity to serve and am looking forward to becoming more engrained in the Watchung community and contributing to a great year for the kids.
Recording Secretary
Michelle "Bella" Desiano
My name is Michelle Desiano and I am running for the Watchung PTO Recording Secretary for the 2025-2026 school year. At present, I am an active member of the PTO, a class parent, the Chairperson of the Yearbook Committee, and a proud Girl Scout leader for a very amazing group of Bayberry Daisies. I am truly invested in the welfare and safety of our children and want to help in anyway I can to enrich their experience at Bayberry. I would be honored to join our PTO members in the capacity they most need me this upcoming year, as your Recording Secretary, in which I will use my organizational skills to keep detailed records of our PTO’s needs and accomplishments.
Treasurer
Diana Merkent
Throughout my 4th and 6th grader's (and one more coming to Bayberry in a couple years) time at Bayberry and Valley View, I've enjoyed being an active PTO member. I served as the PTO Treasurer for the 2022-2023 school year and would love to serve again. My professional experience as a Corporate Controller and licensed CPA provide me a solid background for the role.