August 2024 Newsletter: What is PTA?

PTA is not a social club for stay-at-home moms. PTA is not a booster club for bake sale aficionados. PTA is not the school’s party planning committee.

PTA IS A NONPROFIT ALL-VOLUNTEER ADVOCACY ASSOCIATION MADE UP OF EAGLE VIEW PARENTS AND TEACHERS SEEKING TO ENRICH EVERY CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE!

PTA offers ALL caregivers the opportunity to be engaged in their child’s potential. Being a member of our PTA means that you are part of a powerful community focused on programs and initiatives - such as STEM Night, Literacy Week, Spelling Bee, and the Reflections Art Contest - that strengthen your child’s education.

Our PTA meetings are venues for discussions about a variety of educational issues. Administrators may talk to the parent community about a new reading program or student discipline issues. Parents may raise concerns about such things as homework policies or proposed changes in the school curriculum. The PTA can also provide a powerful mediating function, providing a neutral forum for resolving conflicts that sometimes occur in schools around controversial issues.[A1] 

When you pay the annual membership dues – that again go directly back to the school and directly benefit our students – you become a member of our PTA and can help us make decisions about our goals, programs, and financial expenditures. Beyond that, your level of involvement is up to you. You can donate to our fundraising activities, volunteer at school events, become an Executive Board Officer, or contribute in whatever way you can. And if you can’t, that’s okay too.

There is no wrong way to PTA!

DID YOU KNOW PTA DOES THAT??

Our PTA provides valuable support to our school and EVES families in various ways:

School Upgrades

As a nonprofit, all of our fundraising money goes back into EVES for technology upgrades, school improvements, educational programs, educator appreciation, classroom support, and information dissemination.

Programs and Events

PTA coordinates afterschool programs and sponsors educational and engaging events throughout the year like STEM Night and Literacy Week to bolster academic achievement and promote family engagement.

Educator and Classroom Support

PTA coordinates Teacher Appreciation Week, oversees the Room Parents program, supports field trips, and helps fulfill all classroom needs by seeking donations from community partners for what we cannot directly fund ourselves.

Information Sharing, Networking, and Support

PTA serves as a vital source of information for caregivers and support for those seeking to enhance their child's educational journey. We disseminate important announcements, updates on school policies, curriculum changes, and educational resources to provide parents with valuable insights into parenting techniques, child development and educational topics. We also create a platform for caregivers to connect and build relationships with other caregivers. These networks provide support, advice, and a sense of community.

Advocacy

PTA advocates for caregivers' interests and concerns at the school, district, state, and national levels to influence school policies and decision-making processes in a way that benefits parents and their children.

Volunteer Opportunities

PTAs often offer various volunteering opportunities for parents within the school. Volunteering not only strengthens the school community but also provides parents with a chance to be directly involved in their child's education and create lasting memories.

PTA NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

Researchers have been studying the effects caregiver attitudes and actions have on their children's academic success for more than 30 years. This research shows that when caregivers are involved in their children's education at home, they do better in school. And when caregivers are involved in school, it reinforces the idea that school and home are connected, and that school is an integral part of the whole family's life in the student’s mind.

While this isn’t a complete list, this year we most need volunteers for the following:

·       Afterschool programs monitors (every afterschool class must be monitored by a PTA member)

·       Room parents for each classroom (one primary and several assistants per classroom)

·       Reflections Program (October; Judges and Winner Celebrations[A1] )

·       Boosterthon [A2] Fundraiser (October)

·       STEM Night

·       Event coordinators (BINGO, Cocoa w/ Kids, Movie Nights, Community Day, Fall Festival, etc.)

·       Committees Members: Fundraising, Membership, Communications

·       Campus Beautification (gardening, painting, carpentry, etc.)

Involvement can make a dramatic difference for your children. Volunteer with us!