Special Edition: August 7, 2023

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The start of a new school year means that the MES PTA is starting to kick off all of our work as well. We are setting our sights high this year, with big plans for an expanded classroom support program, increased support of the school's yearlong garden projects, and the return of the International Festival in late September. Of course, we'll also have our annual favorites, like the Monster Bash Halloween Carnival, the WAVES arts showcase, Family Science Night, and Field Day. Read on to learn more about how you can be part of this great work throughout the 2023-2024 school year!

OPEN NOW: Volunteer Sign Ups via Membership Toolkit!


Now that everyone is settled into their classes, it’s time to think about how you might want to get involved with the school this year. Sign ups are open NOW for three types of volunteer positions: Classroom Parent Leaders, Grade-Level Social Chairs, and PTA Committee volunteers. You can sign up for all of these positions via the Volunteer section of Membership Toolkit, which you can find HERE.


Classroom Parent Leaders


This year, we will have four classroom volunteer roles for each class room: Classroom Parent, Party Planner, Sustainability Wellness and Garden (SWAG) Coordinator, and Yearbook Coordinator. For more details on what each role entails, please visit here. Signups for each of these roles are open now on Membership Toolkit and will remain listed until the positions are filled. Please note that you will need to register or update your family information on Membership Toolkit to sign up for these roles, if you haven't done so already.


For questions about the Classroom Parent Leaders program and roles, reach out to Classroom Parent Coordinators: Yasuko Toeda (for grades K-3) and Marla Johnson (for grades 4-5).


Grade-Level Social Chairs


Each grade level has one or two social chairs who help plan two to three grade-wide social activities where MES families can get to know each other outside of school. Grade-level events may include park playdates, movie nights, picnics, or whatever fun ideas the chairs come up with. Social chairs may also work with the class parents to plan end of the year grade-level parties. For more details on this position, please visit here. Signups for these positions are open now on Membership Toolkit and will remain listed until the positions are filled.


PTA Committee Sign Ups


In addition to the classroom volunteers, sign ups are also open now for all of our assorted PTA committees. Through these sign ups, you'll be able to indicate which event(s) and/or committee(s) you may want to help with this year, either as a full committee member or as an event day volunteer. Our committee chairs will then use these sign ups (as well as the information previously shared through the Volunteer Interest Form) to reach out to interested individuals about the different roles they need filled. To learn more about the different events and programs that our committees support, please visit the PTA section of the MES website, here.


As with Classroom Parent Leaders, sign ups for committee opportunities will be facilitated via Membership Toolkit.

Learn More About the PTA at First PTA General Meeting of the Year - Thursday, August 10th at 8am


If you'd like to learn more about the PTA's plans for the new school year, please mark your calendars for the PTA’s first general meeting on Thursday, August 10th at 8am in the MES Auditorium. This meeting will also be livestreamed in the MES Facebook Group for those who cannot attend in person.


We are sure to have lots of exciting agenda items, including introducing the new Executive Board for the 2023-2024 school year, sharing PTA priorities and ideas for the new year, and voting to approve the budget. You can learn more about the MES PTA here. Please note that while this meeting is open to everyone, you must attend in person AND be a paid member of the PTA to vote during the meeting.

Join the PTA for the 2023-2024 School Year!


PTA Memberships for 2023-2024 are on sale now via the PTA Square Site. Becoming a voting member of the PTA will cost $10 for teachers and parents and $5 for non-certified paraprofessionals employed at MES. These one-time membership fees help support the work of the PTA throughout the year, so thank you for becoming a paying member!