Stafford Middle School PTA
What is the Parent Teacher Association (PTA?) The overall purpose of the PTA is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. The PTA is not an organization that just raises money and plans parties – it is so much more! The bottom line is that PTA focuses its efforts, events and activities on education, advocacy and family engagement. Here are just a few examples of what your Stafford PTA has done over past years and continues to do for Stafford students, staff and parents. PTA provides educational enrichment for students Funds educational programs such as Katie Greer Technology Safety, James Muton Cyber Safety, Girls Summit, and the Red Ribbon Week drug awareness program Encourages interest and action in environmental issues with Clean It and Green It Cares for the community by sponsoring need-based drives for Frisco Family Services and other charities Celebrates arts in education through the annual Reflections art contest Coordinates and supports school dances and other fun activities PTA supports our school Provides volunteer support for PTA and school-related events Hosts hospitality events, including staff back-to-school lunch, monthly teacher/staff treats and luncheons, and daily activities during Teacher Appreciation Week Funds mini-grants to teachers for classroom resources to enrich student learning Sponsors fundraising activities such as sports concessions, Fall Bazaar and Spirit Nights at local establishments, earning money that goes directly to the school Supports Watch D.O.G.S. organization to promote a positive impact on students through fathers and father figures PTA celebrates our community Offers Spirit Wear items at Camp Sparta, schedule pick-up days, Meet the Teacher Night and online throughout the year Celebrates teachers with PTA Lifetime Awards and mini-grants Offers scholarships to graduating seniors Partners with local businesses for sponsorships and event raffles Works with the community to build relationships and support Where does my membership fee go? From the annual membership dues, $10.50 pays for local, state and national dues. The PTA organization advocates for teachers and educational staff by taking actions and building coalitions for positive change that affect policies that most impact children, families and schools. The remaining dollars support your student and all of the activities, events and purchases from the PTA. These funds go directly to Stafford to provide student programs, host concessions at athletic events, show appreciation to teachers and staff through hospitality events, create mini grants for teacher purchases and more. PTA membership also comes with discounts with companies such as Enterprise Rent-a-Car, DELL, Great Wolf Lodge, Nationwide Insurance and others. In addition to the multiple ways in which you support your student and our school, certain perks come with your membership, such as free Spirit Wear, lunch in the courtyard or other incentives. If I join, do I have to…Volunteer? No. Joining the PTA is not the same as volunteering. We have numerous activities planned during the school year and need plenty of volunteers to make it all happen, but volunteering is not required. ...Go to meetings? No. However, we encourage you to as we have lots of resources we provide to parents at these meetings. We have three to four general meetings a year and you are welcome to attend. ...Spend a lot of time at the school? No. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities available with the PTA. We have things that can be done at home, opportunities for working parents, activities that require a lot of hours and others that require minimal amounts of time. Simply let us know what you are interested in doing and how much time you have available to volunteer and we will help you find the right “job” for you. How do I join the Stafford PTA? Click Here to Join PTA Where can I keep up-to-date with the Stafford PTA? Watch for updates here on our website or on our Class Facebook Pages. Class of 2029 - Join Here Class of 2030 - Join Here Class of 2031 - Join Here What does the Texas PTA do? The Stafford Middle School PTA – as a membership organization – is part of the larger Texas PTA association. The Texas PTA is the largest child advocacy organization in the state, with over 500,000 members. Their mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. The Texas PTA also recognizes local PTA groups for their effort with awards for membership, communication, advocacy and other categories. |