Week 25 - Feb 18 - PTA Newsletter

Dear Sulphur Springs Parents and Guardians,


It was wonderful to see so many of you at the Sweetheart Breakfast last Wednesday.  With a week full of love, family, and friends, we hope you are enjoying your long holiday weekend.

Our newsletter this week is chock full of information about our Book Swap, STEAM Night, Read Across America Family Event, and Book Fair – books, books, books!  We hope to see you at all of those great events (and read more to find out how to get free pizza).


4-Week Look Ahead

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

  • Remind your students to bring their PRIDE slips, earned for good behavior.

  • 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!

  • 3/4-3/7 – Scholastic Book Fair, run by the PTA (flyer coming soon)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F084BA4A722A7FD0-47835728-book

  • 3/5 – MINIMUM DAY, students are dismissed at 12:45pm

    • Teacher-Family Conferences

  • 3/7 – MINIMUM DAY, students are dismissed at 12:45pm

    • Teacher-Family Conferences

  • 3/8 – NO SCHOOL, Teacher-Family Conferences

(Questions?  Email daynabelle@gmail.com.) 

  • 3/12, 1:30pm – SSPTA Association-wide Meeting and Elections.  All are invited!



Table of Contents

1. SSPTA Book Swap – 3/1, with a pre-drop-off on 2/23

2. STEAM Night and Read Across American Family Event, sponsored by the SSPTA

3. Scholastic Book Fair, hosted by the SSPTA

4. Special Volunteer Recognition – Thank you!

5. List of Volunteer Needs



1. Book Swap on March 1

On March 1, the SSPTA will be hosting our second book swap of the year for our second year in a row).  This is a great time to clean out your closets and cabinets of all those games your kids have outgrown or that they no longer play.  

Start now, and set aside your old books, used puzzles, and outgrown games.  Everything should be in good shape with all the necessary pieces.  We will be collecting items at the Recycling Drop-Off on February 23 (THIS FRIDAY), or you can bring them to the Book Swap event on March 1.

We will organize everything by age/reading level or genre.  Hopefully you’ll go home with something new (to you) to enjoy!


2.  STEAM Night and Read Across America Family Event, March 1

The Book Swap is only one small piece of a really fun family event on Friday, March 1.  Our combined STEAM Night and Read Across America Family Event will include:

  • Fun engineering prototypes

  • Math games by Mathnasium

  • Art projects

  • Reading activities

  • FREE PIZZA

  • Raffles and great prizes

  • A book, game, and puzzle swap – bring ones you don’t want anymore!

  • And possibly a preview of the upcoming Scholastic Book Fair

There is no cost to this event, and it is always a good time.  We hope to see you all there!



3. Scholastic Book Fair, March 4-8

Our Book Fair is coming!  While a flyer will be coming home soon with more information, we wanted to give you a brief overview here.

In addition, we do need more volunteers to help with the Book Fair.  We are setting up on Thursday, 2/29, or Friday, 3/1, and kids will have a preview on one of those days as well.  They will visit with their class to see what’s available and make a “wish list” to bring home to you.  Classes will visit again Monday, 3/4, through Thursday, 3/7, and students can make their purchases then.  There will also be time for you to visit with your children after school.  Packing-up will take place on Friday, 3/8.  If you would like to sign up to help, you can do so here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F084BA4A722A7FD0-47835728-book

There will be one preview visit for all students to come with their classes to see what’s available – on Thursday, 2/29, or Friday, 3/1.  This will let your kids come home with a “wish list” of what they would like to purchase, so you can give guidance and set a budget.  

Students will then visit again, during the week of March 4-7, with their teacher/class.

There are two ways to provide funds for the Scholastic Book Fair.

  • Scholastic provides a way to set up an e-Wallet.  You follow the instructions on their flyer (coming home soon) and pre-purchase an amount to go into each student’s e-Wallet.  When your student comes to the book fair, their purchases are deducted from the amount you have funded.  Scholastic does NOT provide refunds for money leftover on e-Wallets, but they will roll that money over so that it can be used next year (or, I believe, you can also use it on their website).

  • OR, you can send cash.  If you choose this option, please write the student’s name and the amount of cash included on an envelope, seal the cash inside the envelope, and attach that envelope to your student’s Wish List (coming home after their preview day).  Any money not spent at the Book Fair will be returned on that same day in the envelope you provide.

Reminder:  Teacher conferences will take place the week of March 4-8 on campus.  We would love to have you stop by on your way in or out to see your teacher.  We are still waiting to confirm the exact location of the Book Fair, probably in Room 4 but possibly one of the Bungalows. 

If you would like to visit the Book Fair with your student, you may do so during the following times (after school hours).  Some of these are early, as there are two minimum days:
- Monday, 3/4 - 3:15-4pm
- Tuesday, 3/5 - 12:45-3pm
- Wednesday, 3/6 - 2:15-3pm
- Thursday, 3/7 - 12:45-3pm

We MIGHT also have an additional time when families can come together during our STEAM Night and Read Across America Family Event, March 1, 5-7pm.

If you have any questions about the Book Fair, please contact the Chairperson Julie Ramey at JulieRamey@yahoo.com or sign up to volunteer online (we need lots of help!) at: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F084BA4A722A7FD0-47835728-book


4. Special Volunteer Recognition

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

Adrienne Andalon (T)

Alan Sperling

Alexander Torres

Anabel Perez

Bailey Johnson

Carmen Feliciano

Claudia Pineda

Crystal Bennett

Daynabelle Anderson

Deering Viola

Emma Villavicencio (T)

Emily Jones

Erin Riley (T)

Gary Laramore

Happy Georgeson

Heather Lopez

Heidi Wiglitton

Jacqueline Nelson

Jada Dunn (T)

Jamie Fisher

Jeanette James

Jen Heuseveldt (T)

Jenna Green (T)

Jessica Coleman

Julie Ramey

Karen Fidaleo

Karen Preciado

Katie Calnan (T)

Kellie Bousquet

Ken Newton (T)

Kessa Taylor

Kim Sperling

Layla Wardak

Maria Ortiz

Mellissa de Conza

Nicole Burch

Nicole Carruth

Portia Franklin

Rachel Cooper (T)

Rachel Villanueva

Rose Carradine McGee

Shamsia Haque

Sophia Leao (T)

Tina Collier (T)

Yuka Kawasaki

Yukari Louden

Yvette Spencer


(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!

Thank you also to our Sulphur Springs Spirit Squad, who helped with setting up the MPR for our awesome Sweetheart Breakfast!  You guys are so sweet…. Thank you!

We also appreciate all the Mustang families who provide generous donations.

And, to all our teachers and staff, Principal Palacios, our new Additional Administrative Support,  and our front office personnel (Dionne, Holly, and Gale):  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 any amount of your time, please reach out to the contact listed:

  • 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 February 29, previewing the store (helping kids pre-select what they would like) March 1, manning the “store” and checking kids out with their purchases (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 or sign up online at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F084BA4A722A7FD0-47835728-book

  • 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 (K.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.) or headset mics.

    • 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.  Even if you can’t commit to every rehearsal and show, please let us know where you can help!

  • Game Room (ongoing) – We have a volunteer coming once a week to play board games with the kids, and we have another volunteer coming once a week to do art projects with them.  This is during their lunch recess time, so approximately 12:15-1:35pm.  If you would like to help with these activities, or if you would like to run your own activity during this time, please email the Chairperson, Daynabelle Anderson, at daynabelle@gmail.com, to coordinate.  The PTA has board games available if you would like to do those with the kids, and we may have some budget to support new activities if you wanted to add something (like organized field games or Spanish conversation); just let us know!


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!