Our Mission
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The Battlefield High School Parent Teacher Organization is a non-profit organization whose membership includes parents, legal guardians, faculty, and staff at Battlefield High School.
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Our mission is to promote open and positive communication and understanding between parents and staff of Battlefield High School. We also help fund projects the school budget cannot. Our efforts serve to enhance the educational opportunities and environment of all students attending this school. We hold fundraisers to provide financial assistance for various school clubs, events, and classrooms. In addition to financial support, we volunteer our time at school-wide events. We organize teacher appreciation events to boost the morale of the faculty and staff and to support school and family social interaction. We believe that the team effort of a parent teacher organization offers the best possible learning environment for our students.
Our PTO is made up of hard-working parents & teachers who pool their talents to provide practical support for our school. Those listed below volunteered to provide leadership this year.
Get to know their names and faces, and feel free to ask them if you have questions.
Meet Your 2024 - 2025 PTO Team
Anita Vettickal
President
BHSPTOPresident@gmail.com
Anita brings over 15 years of executive leadership to the Battlefield High School PTO. For over a decade Anita has worked for a Venture Capital firm investing in software and technology companies. During her tenure, Anita not only focused on client success, but also took part in Merger and Acquisition due diligence, evaluating both private and public companies. Anita's most recent project has been co-founding a successful consulting company with her husband of 21 years.
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She and her husband have lived in Haymarket for 19 years. They have a Freshmen and a Junior at Battlefield High School. Over the past year Anita, has helped the Battlefield High School PTO serving as the Membership Chair. Anita isn't new to helping our local schools and community. Anita has been an active volunteer at both Alvey Elementary and Ronald Reagan Middle School.
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Fun Fact: Though she doesn't practice, a fun fact about Anita, she holds a Doctorate of Dental Surgery. Anita is native of a state that is known to be "wild and wonderful", but has called the DC metro her home for over 25 years.
Vice President
BHSPTOVP@gmail.com
Please email the President at BHSPTOPresident@gmail.com if you are interested in this position.
Jennifer Meyers-Heeter
Treasurer
BHSPTOTreasurer@gmail.com
I have been a PTO Board Member since the 2019/2020 school year. I have held positions as a Treasurer for PTO and the Senior After-Grad subcommittee, as well as Chair and Co-Chair for After-Grad.
I work full-time as an Accounts Receivable Manager for a local Government Contractor. I have lived in Haymarket with my husband Kris and our 2 children since 2012.
Our daughter graduated from BHS in 2020 and just graduated from The University of Mary Washington and our son is a senior this year.
This will be my last year at Battlefield but I'm looking forward to helping make this year a successful year for our PTO and After-Grad party for our seniors. I have loved working with some of the most incredible men and women over the years and will definitely miss being apart of the PTO.
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Fun Fact: I love everything about Harry Potter and I have a pretty large collection of Harry Potter Lego's.
Jen Koehler
Secretary
I am a Jersey girl at heart, but have lived in Gainesville, VA for the last 25 years. This is my sixth year as a Battlefield parent with one Class of 2023 graduate who attends NC State, and one Class of 2025 Senior!
For the last three years, I volunteered with the Battlefield Athletic Booster Club as their secretary and was heavily involved with concessions and cheering for our Bobcats!! One of my favorite volunteer positions has been helping with the Senior After-Grad Committee and celebrating our amazing Seniors since 2022.
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When I am not volunteering, I work part-time at BAE Systems in Manassas as an Electrical Engineer designing ASICs for space products. For the last 20 years with BAE, I helped create and coordinate our Women in Technology program which is a 14 week hands-on introduction to engineering for our local high school women interested in STEM. I enjoy sharing my experiences in the field with these bright young women and strongly encourage them to seek a career in engineering because we need more diverse thought.
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Fun Fact: Part of my work with BAE is putting life on Mars! Both the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers contain ASICs that I helped design and verify.
Elan Keene
Élan Keene is a seasoned data-driven marketing strategist with a rich marketing operations, strategic planning, and analytics background. Holding an MBA with a focus on global management and marketing, she has worked across diverse industries, including technology and healthcare.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Elan actively engages in community service, serving as a dedicated board member at the James E. Lewis Museum of Art and volunteering with various other nonprofits. She has also previously served as a pack leader for Cub Scouts, where she led her son's troop. In her spare time, she enjoys genealogy research and spending quality moments with her family.
Laurie Burke
Membership Chair
bhsptomembership@gmail.com
A native of Northern Virginia, I completed my K-12 education in Prince William County, graduating from Osbourn Park High School. Since 2014, I've called Haymarket home, where I live with my husband and our two children. My son is entering his fifth-grade year, a significant milestone in his elementary school journey. Meanwhile, my daughter is beginning an exciting new chapter in her life as she prepares to enter her freshman year at Battlefield High School.
Volunteering has been a significant part of my life, especially in my children's schools. Over the years, I've taken on various roles, including room parent, where I've had the privilege of working closely with teachers to organize memorable events for the students. For the past five years, I've also taken on the responsibility of cookie manager for my daughter's Girl Scout troop.
Most recently, I had the honor of serving as the PTO secretary at Alvey Elementary from 2022 to 2024. This position provided me with invaluable insights into the inner workings of school administration and allowed me to play an active role in fostering a strong sense of community among parents, teachers, and staff.
I'm excited to familiarize myself with Battlefield High School and contribute to making this year a success for its students, teachers, and staff.
Xanthe Larsen
Senior Scholarship Director
BHSPTOscholarship@gmail.com
​I am excited to be returning as the scholarship chair for 2024-2025 and help create opportunities to recognize some of BHS’s exceptional students. I have three children, one who graduated from Battlefield and the Governor’s School in 2020 and is now a Science Research Fellow at Baylor University, one who will be a senior at Battlefield, and one who will be a sophomore at Battlefield.
Fun fact about me: I tried my hand at homeschooling during Covid. I gave that up when in-person school resumed and returned to practice as partner at the New York based law firm Harris Beach PLLC, which is much easier than homeschooling – kudos to all the homeschooling parents and our awesome BHS teachers for doing it so well.
Sarah Cho
Gainesville has been home for me and my family since 2005. I've been volunteering at school since my kids were in preschool and most recently served as PTSO president at Bull Run Middle School. As a full-time realtor, I own a real estate business, helping people buy, sell, and invest every day. I love coffee , traveling, and playing board games with friends & family!
I'm excited to join the PTO at Battlefield High School this year, where my oldest is a rising freshman. I look forward to serving the school community and getting to know everyone at BHS!
Our Vision
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Through the power of positive influence, the Battlefield HS PTO helps to ensure that every day, every student is safe, nurtured, encouraged and challenged to learn.
Emily Shin
Hospitality Chair
I started living in Haymarket in 2005, and it has become my hometown as I raised my three children here. Over the past two years, I volunteered as a member, and I am honored to be volunteering again this year. I serve as the PTO president at St. Paul Chung Catholic Church and work as an admin at a second language school in the Fair lake area. I am very pleased to be a volunteer with wonderful PTO members and volunteers.
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Volunteer Desired
Volunteer Coordinator
bhsptovolunteer@gmail.com
Please email the President at BHSPTOPresident@gmail.com if you are interested in this position.
Volunteer Desired
Fundraising Chair
BHSHospitality@gmail.com
Please email the President at BHSPTOPresident@gmail.com if you are interested in this position.