Week 23 - Feb 4 - PTA Newsletter

Dear Sulphur Springs Parents and Guardians,

Look for our slate of candidates for PTA Board positions (leadership roles) for the next school year in our next newsletter, and remember to save the date for voting – March 12 is our election day (1:30pm)!

If you forgot to sign up in time, you can still run for PTA Office.  Just come to our Election Meeting (3/12 at 1:30pm in Bungalow 41) or email the chair of our Nominating Committee at mrschrystalramos@gmail.com.  Be sure your PTA membership is active by February 11!

If you want to get involved with the PTA right now, please check out our List of Volunteer Needs, towards the end of this newsletter.  We would love to have you join us in planning and running these upcoming activities.  We have immediate openings for volunteers at our Sweetheart Breakfast (February 14), Game Room (weekly during lunch, days at your convenience), Mustang Store (February 26-28), Book Fair (early March), Multicultural Fair (March 22), Talent Show (April), and Spring Carnival (tentatively set for May).

          Note:  The Spring Carnival will NOT happen unless we get several volunteers by 2/15.

4-Week Look Ahead

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/409044BACA629A1F94-47510452-mustang

  • Remind your students to bring their PRIDE slips, earned for good behavior.
  • 2/29, 7:30am – Site Council meeting on Zoom
  • 3/1, 5pm – Read Across America and SSPTA STEAM Family Night in the MPR
    • Join us for fun activities, prizes, and pizza!
    • Bring old books, puzzles, and games to swap with other families!

 

Table of Contents

  1. PTA Memberships Due February 11
  2. Sweetheart Breakfast
  3. Founder’s Day
  4. Special Volunteer Recognition – Thank you!
  5. List of Volunteer Needs

 

  1. PTA Memberships Due February 11

In order to run for office (to be on the SSPTA Board or to have a leadership position) and in order to be eligible to vote at the next PTA Election (March 12, 1:30pm on campus), you need to be a PTA member for at least 30 days before the election – that’s February 11.

So, sign up now!

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

There is no commitment of any kind when you become a member.  You do not have to volunteer.  You do not have to donate any additional money.  You do not even have to attend any meetings, events, or activities!  (Though we would love for you to do all those things!!!)

You can drop a check or cash off at the school office ($7 per person) with a note including 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 your children at Sulphur Springs.  (You can sign up anyone in your family, adults, students, other children, grandparents, family friends, even your pets!  The money goes to a good cause – our school and national advocacy for kids).

Or you can sign up online at:  https://jointotem.com/ca/canyon-country/sulphur-springs-community-school-pta/join/register.  The online cost is $8, with the extra $1 to cover the additional fees charged by credit card companies and the cost of the Totem software.  (We do not set that charge; it was negotiated by the California State PTA.)

 

  1. Sweetheart Breakfast

We hope to see you in the MPR on the morning of Wednesday, February 14, for a SWEET time.  The SSPTA will be hosting a light breakfast (bagels, muffins, donuts, fruit, etc.), from 8:00am to 8:30am, and there will also be a LOVEly photo opportunity for students and their friends and families.  Non-student siblings are welcome at this event.

Please plan to arrive early so you have plenty of time to enjoy the provided food and the wonderful company of friends and family.  Non-students will be asked to leave the campus before the start of the school day (8:45am).

We are delighted to have donations of food and beverages for this HEART-warming event,

and we are seeking additional volunteers for set-up, serving, and/or clean-up.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080549ABA82AA3FB6-47429622-sweetheart

 

  1. Founder’s Day, February 17, 1897

On February 17, 1897, the PTA was formed.  It was started by Mrs. David O. Mears, a charter member of the National Congress of Mothers (which in turn was founded by Alice McClellan Barney and Phoebe Aspersion Hearn).  The organization changed names in 1925 to the National Congress of Parents and Teachers.  And, in 1970, it united with the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (which was founded in 1926 by Selena Sloan Butler) and changed names again to the National PTA.  (National Parent and Teacher Association)

During this time of year, we like to think back on the countless hours of volunteering, fundraising, child advocacy, and so much more that the PTA has brought to literally millions of children across the country.

Later this Spring, we will present our Founder’s Day awards to volunteers from our school and our community who have gone above and beyond for the students on our campus.  If you know of a volunteer who deserves extra recognition, please reach out to our PTA Historian (and Volunteer Appreciation Expert) Yuka Kawasaki at Yuka0924@hotmail.com.  She will work with you to ensure that person knows how much they are appreciated.

 

  1. Special Volunteer Recognition

Here are some of the amazing volunteers the SSPTA would like to recognize right now: 

Adrienne Andalon (T)

Angie Figueroa

Bailey Johnson

Chrystal Ramos

Claudia Pineda

Daynabelle Anderson

Deering Viola

Emma Villavicencio (T)

Erin Riley (T)

Gary Laramore

Heidi Wiglitton

Jada Dunn (T)

Jeanette James

Jen Heuseveldt (T)

Julie Ramey

Karen Fidaleo

Karen Preciado

Ken Newton (T)

Kessa Taylor

Kim Sperling

Mellissa de Conza

Nicole Burch

Nicole Carruth

Portia Franklin

Rose Carradine McGee

Shamsia Haque

Sophia Leao (T)

Yuka Kawasaki

Yukari Louden

Yvette Spencer

 

Thank you for your willingness to donate your time to our student body! 

Thank you for all the energy you bring to our community!  We appreciate you!

(T) = A special thank you to our teacher members who are actively volunteering to support, run, or lead various PTA programs and special student opportunities.  You guys are awesome!

And, to all our teachers and staff, Principal Palacios, and our front office personnel: 

Thank you for your support!

 

  1. List of Volunteer Needs

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

  • Game Room (ongoing) – Our volunteers who were running this fun activity with the kids during lunchtime had stuff come up and can’t make it anymore…. The kids are super-sad, as they love that activity (and the art projects that were added too!).  We are seeking people who can ideally come once a week, 12:15-1:35pm, to play board games (provided by the PTA) with the kids.  If you are interested, please email the Chair, Daynabelle Anderson, at daynabelle@gmail.com.  
  • Mustang Store (February 26-28) – For three days in February, the PTA creates a “store” where students can exchange their PRIDE Slips, earned for good behavior, for a variety of fun and exciting prizes. We are looking for volunteers to help set up the store on Friday, February 23, and then to staff the store (never on your own) Monday through Wednesday.  This is a great way to meet other involved parents and to enjoy the smiles of our students.  To sign up, you can email the Chairperson, Yuka Kawasaki at Yuka0924@hotmail.com or text her at 818-749-2203.  You can also sign up online at: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/409044BACA629A1F94-47510452-mustang
  • Book Fair (March 4-7) – Our Book Fair Chairperson is now working full-time! She needs help with everything:  setting up on March 1, manning the “store” and checking kids out (March 4-7), and packing things up on March 8.  We don’t need anyone to commit to all of these days and hours, but we would love for as many people as possible to commit to an hour or two over the course of the week.  If you can pitch in, please contact Julie Ramey at JulieRamey@yahoo.com.
  • Multicultural Fair (March 22) – This will be the second year of our amazing multicultural fair, sharing some of the cultures of our school with our students. Last year, we had tables representing Argentina, Japan, Peru, and the Philippines.  If you would like to host a table for a country (educating students about local foods, clothing, music, customs, etc.), please be in touch with Daynabelle Anderson (daynabelle@gmail.com). 
    • If you don’t want to commit to hosting a table/country but would still like to help in some way, we would love that too! Email Daynabelle, and she’ll help you figure out the best way you can contribute.
    • We are also considering an evening component where students, families, or groups could perform – music, dance, song, etc. If you know of someone who might be interested in doing that, please contact Daynabelle.
  • Talent Show (April 22-26) – Contact Rose McGee (818-818-9628) or Kessa Taylor (TaylorMoore@gmail.com) to get more involved in our talent/variety show.
    • We need contacts with business owners who might be willing to donate construction materials (plywood, 2x4s, paint, etc.).
    • 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 edit the recording so we can share it with families online – or on DVD.)
    • And, of course, we need people to help with make-up and hair, to supervise the kids backstage, and to help with our sound system during rehearsals and shows.
  • Spring Carnival (May 17) – This event requires a dedicated team of volunteers to coordinate food vendors, games, and fun activities for a fun family night. The Spring Carnival is at risk of cancellation.  We do not currently have a Chairperson, nor a team of willing people to be key volunteers for this event.  If we do not have this team in place by February 15, the Carnival will not happen.  If you are interested in saving the Carnival, email President@sspta.org ASAP!

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!