Let me make this easier...copy and past the following letters and change the necessary information to pertain to your school and PTA/PTO.
New Parent's letter (Pre-K, Kindergarten, new transfers, etc.):
August 26, 2002
Dear Parents:
The (Name) PTA would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our wonderful little school, nestled near the heart of historic (my town). Like you, we are looking forward to an exciting new year filled with lots of fun and learning, and we are so glad to have you on board as caring and involved parents. Please accept our offer to be of any assistance to you throughout the school year and the entire tenure of your child’s education here at (name of school).
(Name) PTA is kicking off its annual membership drive, “(name of theme here)”, for the 2002-’03 school year, and we would like to extend a personal invitation to you to join us and help make a difference in the education and quality of life for all of the children attending (School name).
As parents ourselves, we realize how important your children are to you and that you want nothing but the best for them when it comes to their education. (Name) PTA can help you achieve that! We all know children learn more and have better lives when parents, school staff, and the community work together. As members of each of those groups, the PTA brings us together to share thoughts and ideas about programs and activities that benefit the children individually and the school as a whole.
To help give you a better understanding of how (name) PTA works, we have included in this packet some information that may prove to be useful to you now as well as throughout the year. Included you will find the August edition of the (name) PTA NEWS newsletter, which will be sent home at regular intervals throughout the year and include some helpful, pertinent as well as fun information. There is also a parent involvement survey designed to gauge family interest, concerns, suggestions, and gather other information in order for the PTA to better serve the parents, teachers, and ultimately the students. As you continue to dig through the papers, you will come across a list of all the PTA Officers and Committee Chairpersons for this year, PTA meeting dates, and a list of School Board Meetings as well.
As a member, your support and involvement will help bring us closer to achieving our goals for the year. You can join by simply filling out the attached form, complete with your choice of activities with which you’d like to help, and send it back to us in the provided envelope with your dues of $5.00*. For more information about ways in which you can help, or if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact (name) PTA. Have a terrific year and we hope to see you soon!
Sincerely,
(name), President
*A total of $3.25 of the $5.00 membership fee applies to state and National PTA membership. The remaining $1.75 applies to funding of in-school programs sponsored by (name) PTA.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Letter to "Veteran" Parents (in our case 1st & second grade parents):
Dear Parents:
The (Name of School) PTA would like to take this opportunity to welcome you back for another exciting school year with us. (name) PTA is kicking off its membership drive, “(name of theme)”, for the 2002-’03 school year, and we are inviting you to join us and help make a difference in the education and quality of life for all children.
As parents ourselves, we realize how important your children are to you and that you want nothing but the best for them when it comes to their education. (name) PTA can help you achieve that! We all know children learn more and have better lives when parents, school staff, students and the community work together. As members of each of those groups, the PTA brings us together to share thoughts and ideas about programs and activities that benefit the children individually and the school as a whole.
In order to be of the most service to our children and their families, (name) PTA sponsors programs such as:
· Family Oriented activities and programs
· Safety awareness programs (dealing with a number of issues)
· Reading initiatives
· Incentive programs (BoxTop$ for Education)
· And more!
Our goals for (Name) PTA during the 2002-’03 school year include:
· New playground equipment to replace aging and unsafe equipment
· Generate more parental involvement in the educational and decision-making process
· Create more partnerships between the community and the school
As a member, your support and involvement will help bring us closer to achieving these goals. You can join by simply filling out the attached form, detaching it and sending it in with your membership dues of $5.00*. For more information about more ways in which you can help, please feel free to contact (Full name of school) PTA. And have an exciting year filled with fun and learning!
Sincerely,
(Name), PTA President
*A total of $3.25 of the $5.00 membership fee applies to state and National PTA membership. The remaining $1.75 applies to funding of in-school programs sponsored by (name) PTA.
Membership Application 2002-‘03
Name: _______________________ Phone Number: ________________
Address and/or Email: _________________________________________
Child(ren)’s name(s): __________________________________________
Grade/Teacher: ______________________________________________
Should we need your help, would you be available:
Mornings (9am – 11:45)? Afternoons (12:00 – 3:00)? For after school activities?
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday occasional Saturday
Areas in which you would be interested in helping:
Membership drive (year long) Playground duty (scheduled)
Reading Initiatives (year long) Lunch duty (scheduled)
Incentive programs (Box Top$ for Education) Classroom aide (scheduled)
Holiday Bazaar (fall) Teacher Appreciation (spring)
Fund Raiser (fall & year long) Chaperone field trips
At-Home Projects Child Care for activities, events
*Membership Dues are $5.00, $3.25 of which applies to state and National PTA membership and the remaining $1.75 applies to in-school programs sponsored by the (name) PTA.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
(Name of School) PTA
12345 I’m On My Way
Downtown, USA 12345
000-000-0000
Date
Dear Mr./Mrs. So-and-so,
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for signing up to be a part of our PTA. If you are at all like the scores of parents (including me) who have joined before you, you are probably wondering if you have made a mistake, if you will be over-committing yourself. But let me assure you, Mr./Mrs. So-and-so, that no where is it written in stone that one must give of his or her self in any one particular way in order to be considered a concerned and involved parent. In fact, those of us in the (Name) PTA believe that even the seemingly smallest measures of involvement and participation are important, because we know that children do better in school and in life when their families, communities and schools work together for their sake.
We have so many wonderful things planned for this year and are so glad to have you aboard to lend us your time, talents and ideas. (Pick an option below to go here.)
“(first option [img]smile.gif[/img] I was happy to see that you filled out the volunteer portion of the membership form and will be serving on the (list committee names) Committees. I know your time is valuable, so thank you for sharing it with us. Please feel free to offer your suggestions on old ideas or any new ideas you may have for projects. In addition, do not feel as though your thoughts and ideas must be confined to the committees on which you will be serving; we welcome fresh, new perspectives in all areas of our organization. We are not a “business as usual” group and are always searching for new and innovative ways to change the way we do things.”
“(second option [img]smile.gif[/img] I noticed you did not circle any of the projects listed on the membership form. Perhaps you may have missed it; if so, please take a moment to fill out the one I have attached, so that we may better understand the capacity and full scope of your interests in PTA. Or perhaps you purposely did not fill it out because you are afraid of taking on too much. I totally understand, but please take a moment to reconsider, for every one of us has something to offer, and each role we take is crucial to achieving our goals, no matter how small the role.
If you do not wish to be confined to a committee, perhaps you can volunteer to help in other ways. For instance, our Secretary can always use help in making phone calls to remind members of meetings, to help schedule volunteers for events, typing minutes, making fliers, addressing envelopes, and more. There are errands to run, businesses to contact, supplies to pick up, websites to research, and so much more. If you wish to help in a manner such as these or any other area not noted, please mark the “other” option and list your interests. And as always, new ideas, opinions, suggestions and perspectives are welcome in all areas of our organization.”
I would like to ask you to encourage other members of your family to join PTA as well. We have something to offer everyone, from Dad to Grandma and Grandpa, to your sitter or daycare provider, and more! But in order to have a better understanding of what each of these family members want from PTA, we need to hear from them as well. PTA does not stand for Mom/Teacher Association, and when we use the word “parent”, it refers to anyone concerned with and involved in the education of children. So to that end, we have also enclosed two more membership forms (more can be provided, if necessary). One of the benefits to having other family members active in the PTA is that even when you can’t attend a meeting or event, someone else in your family can, and your child will learn how important education is to your family. It also makes it easier for you stay on top of what is going on in the PTA without being spread so thin between your other responsibilities and commitments. Please take this first step in helping the PTA build membership and in helping your family build crucial involvement in your child’s education.
Thanks again, Mr./Mrs. So-and-so for your time and participation, and I am looking forward to an exciting year filled with fun and learning for us all. Welcome Aboard the (Name of School) PTA!
Sincerely,
(leave space for personal signature, preferably in blue ink)
President, Membership Chairperson, or other name
P.S.
Do not hesitate to contact me at anytime regarding an idea, question or concern you may have. I can be reached at home (daytime & evenings) at 000-000-0000, or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Hope this helps you guys! Again...sorry for taking so long in getting it out...We'll get through this somehow...but until then, I may be scarce around here.
