Week 19 - Jan 7 - PTA Newsletter

Dear Sulphur Springs Parents and Guardians,

Happy 2024! And welcome back. We hope you had a fabulous time making fun memories with your family and friends over the winter break.

Please plan to attend our first PTA meeting of the calendar year on Thursday, January 11. This is very soon after we return to school, so be sure it’s on your calendar now. 9am, in Bungalow 41 (back left corner of school, from the office). We’ll have coffee and snacks to keep you warm and an exciting agenda to help us set course for the remainder of the school year. Come share your ideas and determine what gets done.

4-Week Look Ahead

1/08 – School resumes January 8.
1/11, 9am – PTA meeting for all, in Bungalow 41. Please plan to attend!
- While we prefer seeing you in person, you can also attend online: https://deainc.zoom.us/j/92575646656?pwd=WkJpQVlOcjBnVVR2NHJHSVZtMkVoUT09
- 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 President@sspta.org.
- PTA Elections will be held March 12.
1/11, 5:30pm – New Families Orientation (tell your friends!), in the MPR
1/15 – NO SCHOOL, MLK Jr Day
1/23, 9am – Coffee with the Principal, in the MPR
1/25, 7:30am – Site Council meeting, via Zoom
- Request the link from Ms Palacios if you would like to attend.
1/26 – SSPTA Recycling Drop-Off at all 3 valets (new volunteers always welcome!)
1/26, 9am – Spirit Assembly
Early February – Tentative date for the Talent Show/Variety Show

Table of Contents

1. PTA Meeting for all – January 11, join us!

Meet in Bungalow 41 or attend online:

https://deainc.zoom.us/j/92575646656?pwd=WkJpQVlOcjBnVVR2NHJHSVZtMkVoUT09

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

3. Talent Show Coming Soon

4. Special Volunteer Recognition – Thank you!

5. List of Volunteer Needs

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 President, Jessica Coleman, at President@sspta.org, 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 Jessica, letting her (me) know what position(s) you are most interested in, and she will make sure it is gotten to the Nominating Committee once they are elected. (We also have a couple of leadership/board positions for this year that have opened up and become available. If you are curious about those, please email Jessica at President@sspta.org.)

Please note, this meeting will be in-person. However, if you are unable to attend, we will also have the meeting accessible by Zoom. Just join at 9am: https://deainc.zoom.us/j/92575646656?pwd=WkJpQVlOcjBnVVR2NHJHSVZtMkVoUT09

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 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. Talent Show – Coming Soon (tentatively planned for early February)

Sulphur Springs Has Got Talent is set to return this coming February. Look for a flyer with more information during the first week we are back from Winter Break.

Students can start planning their acts now. We will also be looking for student and adult volunteers to help with behind-the-scenes tasks, flower and snack sales at our evening performance, etc.

If you would like to get involved, please contact Rose McGee (818-818-9628) or Kessa Taylor (323-274-6804).

4. 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.

Alisha Michaelson

Angie Figueroa

Ashley Stone

Bailey Johnson

Candice Murphy

Claudia Pineda

Crystal Bennett

Daynabelle Anderson

Deering Viola

Emily Barkhurst

Emma Palacios

Emma Villavicencio

Happy Georgeson

Heidi Wiglitton

Jackie Ruiz

Jamie Fisher

Jeanette James

Karen Fidaleo

Karen Preciado

Ken Newton

Kessa Taylor

Kim Sperling

Kristin Barkhurst

Mellissa de Conza

Nicole Burch

Nicole Carruth

Niza Ortiz

Portia Franklin

Rose Carradine McGee

Sarah Scott

Shamsia Haque

Shane Kilmer

Yuka Kawasaki

Yukari Louden

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

5. 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:

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 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.
- We are also seeking a volunteer who could help with filming and/or editing the students’ performances. (We can probably get access to a camera or two, but we need someone who can use it and then ideally do something with the recording so we can share it.)

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!