Week 18 - Dec 9 - PTA Newsletter

 

Dear Sulphur Springs Parents and Guardians,

It’s hard to believe this is the final week of the Fall Semester.  We have a lot of news enclosed about end-of-the-year goings-on as well as events for January that we want to be sure you know about.  So please do read through everything.  

And THEN go enjoy your break!  We wish you a wonderful three weeks of family togetherness, love, and laughter – and a most fabulous New Year!

4-Week Look Ahead

  • 12/11-12/15 – Spirit Week!  Check the Principal’s newsletter for dress-up day details.

  • 12/11 – BONUS PTA Holiday Shop Day!!!

  • 12/15 – SSPTA Recycling Drop-Off at all 3 valets; bring your CRV cans and bottles!

  • 12/18-1/7 – NO SCHOOL, Winter Break (School resumes January 8)

  • 1/11 – PTA meeting for all, 9am in Bungalow 41.  Please plan to attend!

    • The PTA Nominating Committee will be elected at this meeting.  This group will be seeking qualified candidates for PTA leadership positions next year.  

    • If you would like to serve on this committee (recruiting our next group of PTA leaders), or if you would like to be considered for a PTA leadership position for next year, please let us know!  You can speak to any PTA Board member or email our Parliamentarian, Karen Fidaleo, at kafidaleo@gmail.com.

 

Table of Contents

P.S.  BONUS PTA Holiday Shop Day – Monday, December 11

1. PTA Meeting for all – Save the Date, January 11!

2. PTA Membership ($7) – Required to serve in a leadership position or to vote

3. PTA Reflections Recognition – Winners from our school

4. Yearbook Purchases Due – Prices go up January 1

5. Special Volunteer Recognition – Thank you!

6. List of Volunteer Needs

 

P.S.  BONUS PTA Holiday Shop Day – 12/11

We are aware that some students did not get to see the Holiday Shop in all its glory.  By the time the last classes arrived, the best items had been chosen, and there were slim pickings.  We apologize for any students returning home disappointed.  We never want that!

To remedy this sad situation, we have made further shopping trips to restock the hottest items, and the Holiday Shop will reopen for an additional day Monday, December 11.  The last classes to shop this past week will have the first choice on Monday, and students can use any funds remaining on deposit.  (We will also accept additional online deposits until Sunday, 12/10, at 10pm, or you can send a check made out to Sulphur Springs PTA.)

https://www.sspta.org/collections/events/products/holiday-shop-deposit

The classes of Mrs. Green, Mrs. Riley, and Mrs. Skinner will be scheduled to come to the Holiday Shop as a whole class.  Students in any other class will need to let their teacher know that they would like to re-visit Holiday Shop, and their teachers will send them in pairs.

Some popular items may be limited to one per student.

We are also in need of additional volunteer power on Monday.  If you are available to help at all, please email Karen Fidaelo at kafidaleo@gmail.com or just show up to Room 4!

 

1. PTA Meeting, 1/11 at 9am in Bungalow 41

We welcome the New Year with a direction-setting meeting of our Association.  All PTA members are encouraged to attend, and all Mustang community members are welcome.  We hope you will join us!

At this meeting, our third of the school year, we will be discussing our current budgetary standing; reviewing our calendar for events that may need to be added, cancelled, or changed; and electing this year’s Nominating Committee.

What is a Nominating Committee?  Essentially, this is a small group of PTA members who will go out into our school community and talk with other parents about PTA leadership opportunities.  Their goal is to find qualified candidates to run for PTA Board positions for the next school year – President, Vice President of Programs, Treasurer, Secretary, Historian, and Auditor.  (We re-elect officers each year, and no one may serve as an officer in the same position for more than two consecutive years.  So, we’re always looking for new leaders!)

If you would like to serve on our Nominating Committee, you can simply show up to our meeting to announce your interest.  If you are not able to attend, please email our SSPTA Parliamentarian, Karen Fidaleo, at kafidaleo@gmail.com, and she will be sure that your interest is shared at the meeting.

If you would like to serve as a PTA leader for next year, you can also email that information to Karen, and she will make sure it is gotten to the Nominating Committee once they are elected.  (We also have a couple of leadership positions for this year that are available.  If you are curious about those, please email Jessica Coleman, the current SSPTA President, at President@sspta.org.) 



2. PTA Membership – How to Join ($7-$8)

If you are not already a member of our illustrious Sulphur Springs PTA, what’s stopping you?  It’s quick, easy, and inexpensive.  For less than $10, each member of your family can show their commitment to education and to the betterment of each child in our school.  Your fees will help to cover our expenses for enrichment activities on-campus, community-building events off-campus, and nationwide advocacy for children.

There is no commitment of any kind when you become a member.  You do not have to volunteer.  You do not even have to attend any meetings!

You do need to be a PTA member for at least 30 days prior in order to vote in our elections (the next one is March 12) or to serve in a leadership position, including on the Nominating Committee.  So sign up now!

You can drop your check or cash off at the school office ($7 per person).  Please include a note with your name, email address, and phone number along with a list of who you would like to sign up as members and the names and teachers of all your children who attend Sulphur Springs.  (This helps us know when each class has reached their goal for the number of members enrolled.)  The PTA has a locked deposit box right by the front door, inside the office, where you can drop your payment. 

Or you can sign up online at:  https://jointotem.com/ca/canyon-country/sulphur-springs-community-school-pta/join/register.  The cost for a membership online is $8.  This extra $1 covers the additional fees charged by credit card companies and the cost of the Totem software.

3. PTA Reflections Recognition – Congratulations to the winners from our school!

You may recall that our PTA sponsored an art show and contest back in October.  Well, our first-place winners from that show were moved on to the next level of the contest, and two of our students were awarded prizes for their artwork.  Woo hoo!

In the category of Visual Arts, Gabriel Kort, won 3rd place for his work Hope in Bloom. In Photography, Romina Pineda, won 2nd place for her photographic display Flower Power.  Congratulations to our talented Mustang artists!

We hope to have even more contenders in next year’s PTA Reflections Art Show and Contest.  Be on the lookout early in the school year for more information on how to participate.

If you can’t wait until then to share your creativity, be on the lookout in January for announcements about our upcoming Talent Show.  (Maybe start practicing over the Winter Break!)

4. Yearbooks – Prices go up January 1!

Did you know that your SSPTA puts together an annual yearbook for the students of Sulphur Springs?  We include photographs from on-campus and off-campus, as well as individual student pictures from the school’s photography company.  This is a great piece of memorabilia and nostalgia to remember your child’s year.  (They are also wonderful mementos for teachers, aides, and other school staff!)

You can buy a 2023-2024 yearbook now for only $20.  They are available on our website at https://www.sspta.org/collections/yearbook.  (If you prefer, you can send in $20 cash or check per yearbook with a note that says Yearbook, your student’s name, and their teacher’s name.)  If you would like to have a SHORT personalization on the front cover – for example, student’s name and grade – please note that as well.  Personalization is only available until January 1.  (Inscriptions more than 15 characters long may be truncated.)

After January 1, the price will increase!

We also need your photos!  We use candid photos to supplement the photos we receive from PTA volunteers and teachers.  You can send pictures of your kids dressed up for special events like Spirit Days or greeting friends at school.  We love to see class parties, restaurant night outings, and all SSPTA events.  (Please keep in mind that each person in the photo must be okay with your sharing their photo to be released for printing.)  We will be collecting pictures through April 1, so please continue to send them all year long.  Submit your photos to ss.yearbook.pics@gmail.com.  This is how you get your student in the yearbook more!                   

5. Special Volunteer Recognition

SSPTA would like to recognize these amazing volunteers for their willingness to donate their time to our student body!  Thank you for all the energy you bring to our community!

Extra HUGE Holiday Shop Shout-Out to:

    Jackie Ruiz

    Jeanette James

    Karen Fidaleo

    Sixth-Grade student volunteers (you rock!)

Angie Figueroa

Anthony Kibler

Bailey Johnson

Brianna Ahzura

Candice Murphy

Cassandra McCormick

Chelsie Senella

Christina Mackey

Chrystal Ramos

Claudia Pineda

Crystal Bennett

Daleen Narvaez

Daynabelle Anderson

Deering Viola

Emily Jones

Emma Villavicencio

Happy Georgeson

Heidi Wiglitton

Hrarpi Kevorkian

Jamie Fisher

Jamie Meyers

Jennifer Heuseveldt

Jennifer Issa

Jessica Coleman

Julie Ramey

Katie Bernards

Karen Preciado

Ken Newton

Kessa Taylor

Kevin Gamp

Kim Sperling

Kristen Barkhurst

Kristin Richardson

Laila Wardak

Mellissa de Conza

Nery Gallardo

Nicole Burch

Nicole Carruth

Piunik Masihi

Portia Franklin

Rose Carradine McGee

Sarah Scott

Sandra Zamora

Shamsia Haque

Yuka Kawasaki

Yukari Louden

Yvette Spencer

 

Also, to all our teachers and staff, Principal Ms. Katie Palacios, Assistant Principal Ms. Janine Terrazas, and our front office personnel:  Thank you for your support!

 

6. List of Volunteer Needs

We have an immediate need for volunteers in the following areas.  If you would like to donate your time, regardless of the amount, please reach out to the contact listed:

We need help during the school day and for clean-up (1:30-3:30).

  • Family Events Committee – We don’t have a chair, so we can’t plan any activities!

If you’d like to help/lead, please email President@sspta.org. 

  • Talent Show (early February) – Contact Rose McGee (818-818-9628) or Kessa Taylor to get more involved. The show is currently planned for February 8 or 9.

    • We also need contacts with business owners who might be willing to donate construction materials and with anyone who might have lavalier or headset microphones we could borrow.

  • Sweetheart Breakfast (2/14) – We don’t have a chair for this event, scheduled for February 14.  If you would like to take this on, please email President@sspta.org. 

 

Ways to Connect with PTA:  

https://www.sspta.org/pages/ways-to-connect-with-sspta

If you would like to know more about what the Sulphur Springs PTA does for our school, please check out:  https://www.sspta.org/pages/about-us

Email President@sspta.org with any questions!

We wish you a wonderful holiday season!