Week 2 - Aug 14 - PTA Newsletter

Dear Sulphur Springs Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back Mustangs! It was so great to have our school community – students, families, teachers, and school staff – back together on the first day. Thank you to all who were able to attend the Welcome Back Coffee and Meet the Principal meeting. We enjoyed seeing so many friendly (and new) faces! Ms. Palacios engaged with our school community by providing a short presentation outlining valet drop-off and pick-up procedures, tips for communicating with teachers and the office, and a reminder about Back to School Night on August 24. As we gear up for another amazing school year, our PTA is thrilled to bring you important updates and opportunities for getting involved in our vibrant school community. Read on to find out how you can participate, connect, and show your school spirit!

Ways to Connect with SSPTA:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/sscspta

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sulphur_springs_pta/

SSPTA Website – www.sspta.org

Join PTA -https://jointotem.com/ca/canyon-country/sulphur-springs-community-school-pta/join/register 

Email – President@sspta.org   

Here’s everything you need to know:

Important August Dates

  • 08/15 – Welcome Back BBQ – 5:30pm at the MPR

  • 08/24 – Back to School Night 

    • 12:45pm Release – Minimum Day

    • 4:45pm – Volunteer Training w/ Ms Palacios and the PTA

    • 5:30pm - Title 1 Meeting

    • 6:00pm to 6:30pm – 1st Classroom Session

    • 6:30pm to 7:00pm – 2nd Classroom Session 

  • 08/25 – CRV Recycling Drop Off (@All Three Valet LInes)

Table of Contents

  1. First PTA Meeting Recap

  2. SpiritWear

  3. Valet Line Guidelines

  4. Welcome Back BBQ (08/15)

  5. First Day Packet Forms

  6. Back to School Night (08/24)

  7. Save the Date: Mustang Roundup (10/07)

 

  1. First PTA Meeting Recap

In case you missed our meeting on Thursday, we shared a brief overview of our plans for the year. (Don’t worry, our SSPTA calendar came home in your first day packet.  You can use that to note our future meetings and to see our upcoming events.  You are invited to all of them, so go ahead and save the date for any that look interesting.  Please note the change of date for Back to School Night; the correct date is August 24 — our calendars were printed before that change was made). We hope to see you at future meetings and at our fun family events! If you would like any information regarding the meeting or the handouts that were available, please contact president@sspta.org.

2. 👕 **Show Your School Spirit with Spirit Wear!**

Get ready to sport your Sulphur Springs Mustang pride with our stylish and fun Spirit Wear collection! From cozy hoodies, trendy tees, comfy joggers, and trucker hats; we have something for everyone in the family. Our Spirit Wear not only shows your school spirit, but it also supports SSPTA's initiatives and activities; we earn a portion of each purchase. We will have samples of some of the options at the Welcome Back BBQ and Back to School Night, as well as volunteers who can help you make selections and process your orders. All orders must be placed by Labor Day weekend, so don’t delay! https://www.stepinhouse.com/product-category/sulphur-springs-elementary-23-24/

3. Valet Line Guidelines

Valet is the name of our drop-off and pick-up system for students. Ms. Palacios shared a pdf and videos of the valet line guidelines on ParentSquare and at her Welcome Coffee. Please review those materials to help all of us get in and out quickly and safely. And remember, we’re all in this together, so please leave plenty of time and be patient with students and other families.  We don’t know what kind of day they’re having! You can locate Ms. Palacios’ valet message here: https://www.parentsquare.com/ValetLineGuidelines

4. Welcome Back BBQ - 08/15 @5:30pm

We are thrilled to invite you all to our much-anticipated "Welcome Back BBQ-Potluck" event! Mark your calendars for August 15th and join us from 5:30pm to 8:00pm outside the Multipurpose Room (MPR) for an evening filled with fun, food, and a fantastic opportunity to reunite with old acquaintances while making new ones. We can't wait to celebrate the start of a new school year with laughter, friendship, and yummy food. 

What to Expect:

  1. Delicious Hot Dogs: The SSPTA will be generously providing tasty hot dogs for all our guests. 

  2. NEW: Tikiz Shaved Ice Truck will be joining us at the BBQ to cool down the summer heat. They accept cash and cards.

  3. Potluck Delights: We invite everyone to participate in the potluck style for side dishes, drinks, and desserts. 

 

Please bring a dish based on the first letter of your student's last name to ensure a variety of delectable treats. 

  • A-H - Side Dish

  • I-M - Salad

  • N-S - Dessert

  • T-Z - Drinks

Let's see what culinary surprises each family brings to the table!

4.     Cake Walk: Support our PTA and enjoy a fun event with delicious prizes.  If you would like to donate a cake, please contact Karen Fidaleo at kafidaleo@gmail.com.  Tickets to participate will be available on the night of the event.  Be sure to treat yourself to some sweet goodies while supporting our kick-off event of the year!

5.     Books, Games, & Puzzles Swap Extravaganza: Calling all bookworms, gamers, and puzzle aficionados! We will have a designated table outside the Multipurpose Room (MPR) for a fantastic book, game, and puzzle swap. Bring any of these items that have been gathering dust on your shelves or your students’ favorites that they'd love to share with their peers. This exchange of treasures will surely spark engaging conversations and create a bond over shared experiences. Plus, you get to clean out your closet!

 

5. First Day Packet Forms

You should have seen a rather large packet of forms come home with your student on their first day back at school. Each form is equally important; however, we’d like to encourage you to return these forms as soon as possible:

  1. Communication opt-in form – Throughout the year, we will have different types of communications. This form will allow us to share only the communications you are interested in. For us to tailor your communications, we need to receive this form from each of our Mustang households. You can return it with your child or email a picture of the filled-out form to our Communications Chair, Jennifer Salinas at jennifermsalinas@gmail.com.

  2. Family participation form – This form will allow your family to participate in all PTA activities, without having to fill out a waiver at every event. Please return this form to your student’s teacher; we only need one form per household completed. 

  3. Volunteer interest form – We have a lot of fun events coming up, and we would love to have families join us in planning those activities (and hearing any ideas you might have). Whether you have just a couple of hours to share or can commit to a regular schedule, your help is invaluable in making a difference to our students and our whole Mustang community. This form will help us align people in the volunteer areas they’d enjoy participating in. You can send this form back in with your student or fill out the google doc at https://forms.gle/SFVXB3pncjUfZVfF8

  4. PTA Membership form – The PTA plays a vital role in supporting our school, and we encourage everyone to become a member (parents, students, grandparents, aunts and uncles, family friends and neighbors, etc!). You received an informational flyer in your packet, or you can register online at https://jointotem.com/ca/canyon-country/sulphur-springs-community-school-pta/join/register

 

6. Back to School Night – 08/24

We are thrilled to invite you to the school’s annual "Back to School Night" on August 24th. Please note the date has changed from August 31st. This is an excellent opportunity to meet your children's teachers, explore the classrooms, and gain insights into the curriculum and classroom expectations. 

At Back to School Night, there will be a volunteer training held with Ms. Palacios and the PTA at 4:45pm in the Multipurpose Room (MPR); please join us if you can. For anyone planning to volunteer on campus (or to chaperone on field trips) this year, this training is mandatory. You can attend the training in person at Back to School Night, or online training will be available for those unable to attend in person.

  • Volunteer Training with Ms. Palacios and the PTA in the MPR – 4:45pm

  • Title 1 Meeting in the MPR – 5:30pm

  • First Session in the Classroom – 6:00pm to 6:30pm

  • Second Session in the Classroom – 6:30pm to 7:00pm

Please also note that there will be a Minimum Day on 08/24 to allow our teachers time to get their rooms ready for visitors.  All students will be dismissed at 12:45pm.

7. Save the Date: Mustang Roundup – 10/07

We can hardly believe that we are only 8 weeks out from our much-anticipated, adults-only "Mustang Roundup", being held on October 7th, from 6:00pm-10:00pm, at River’s End in Canyon Country. This is SSPTA’s largest fundraiser of the year, and we are celebrating our 25th anniversary of this amazing event! Roundup allows us to fund most of our programs for the school year, ensuring that each student has an opportunity for enrichment and fun. Our success at this event also determines how much additional fundraising SSPTA must perform throughout the year to continue to provide the amazing programs, activities, and school support we have planned. 

It will be an evening filled with delicious BBQ food, a live band, a live and silent auction, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and time to spend with current friends (and to make new ones)—all in the name of raising money for our students and school.

Our event co-chairs are Victoria Skornia (victoria.skornia@gmail.com) and Jennifer Salinas (jennifermsalinas@gmail.com). Be on the lookout for flyers and social media postings soon with more details. We will be having a pre-sale ticket run; be sure to grab those early to save some money! 

  • Purchase Mustang Roundup Pre-Sale Tickets here: https://www.sspta.org/collections/events/products/mustang-roundup-october-7-2023

  • SSPTA is looking for donations for the live and silent auction: any kind of product, service, or experience that you, or someone you know, would be willing to contribute. If you have a donation in mind, please contact our co-chairs Victoria Skornia or Jennifer Salinas, and they will arrange a pick-up or other details.

  • We are also looking for volunteers: to help solicit and pick up donations, to set up the day of the event, and to help during the event with the raffle(s), auctions, check in, and cleanup. If you can give a little, or a lot of, time to this impactful event, please contact Victoria Skornia or Jennifer Salinas. It will be very much appreciated!

Many may wonder where – and what – is Rivers End. Rivers End is located at 13130 Soledad Canyon Rd, just up the road in Bee Canyon. It was originally an RV park but has since grown into an amazing outdoor event space, one that is truly beautiful and captures the essence of our local community, surrounded by trees, a creek, and a pub that serves food, non-alcoholic drinks, and beer—and it’s within about 5 minutes from our school!

We look forward to an exciting year ahead filled with wonderful experiences and opportunities. We hope you’ll all be involved!

Jennifer Salinas, SSPTA 2023-24 Communications Chair

jennifermsalinas@gmail.com; c. 661-607-5387 (voice & text)


Week 1 - Aug 7th - PTA Newsletter - https://www.sspta.org/pages/week-1-aug-7th-pta-newsletter