PTA recent News

Mon, 09/18/2023 - 2:37pm

THANK YOU!!

 

Thank you to all the parents who have signed up to volunteer in the past few weeks. We have great teams in place for many of our events this year, which means we’ll have happy teachers and students.  Thank you in advance to all who have volunteered and continue to make SJLES such an amazing community.  We still have plenty of room if you are looking for ways to help, please check out the Committee Sign UP 2023-2024 for opportunities. 

And of course a continued THANK YOU to parents and friends who have joined the PTA! For our Gold Membership members, your magnet will come home with your child (or if you have more than one child at SJLES, with your eldest child) in the next few weeks.  

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, October 4th at 8PM on Zoom. 

 

Restaurant Night: Thursday, September 28th

Mark your calendar! SJLES PTA is hosting their first Restaurant Night of the 23-24 school year at Zen Garden on Thursday, September 28. Mention SJLES PTA for all online, phone, and dine in orders and 10% of your total will be donated to support our school!

Spirit Wear is Coming Soon!

You’ll soon be able to purchase new Spirit Wear  for students, friends and family in the coming weeks at our online Spirit Wear store. Stay tuned for additional information!

PTA of Howard County Updates

The PTA Council of Howard County (PTACHC) hosts monthly General Meetings as an opportunity for local PTA delegates to present ideas, debate issues, become better informed and vote on PTACHC business. At each meeting, SJLES will be represented by one of our delegates, Sarah Sherry or Seba Kurian, who will share our collective voice and bring back information to share with our community. 

Notable updates from the first PTACHC General Meeting (Aug 28) are as follows:

  • The Maryland State Legislative Delegates will be in attendance at the PTACHC General Meeting on Monday, Oct. 2 for their annual visit to listen to and understand the priorities of the PTA. What feedback, questions, and concerns do you want our state lawmakers to know? Please share your input to the Google Form by Friday, Sept. 29, so we can make sure the voice of SJLES is heard.

  • The Howard County General Plan - a document that guides land use, growth and development decisions in Howard County and is only updated once every ten years - is in its final review. The last Public Hearing on this document is being held on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7PM - this is the last opportunity to provide input. For more information, visit HoCobyDesign.com.

  • For more information on PTACHC business, including monthly meeting notes and legislation, please visit https://www.ptachc.org/.

SJLES is a strong voice in our community because we have informed parents who can impact decisions and policies which will affect our children. USE YOUR VOICE TODAY to make a difference on these and other issues that shape the future of our county! If you have general opinions and input you would like shared to the PTACHC or Maryland’s State Delegates, please share it with us through the Google Form, here.

Ready to Get Involved?

Another great way to get involved during the school day is to Sign up for Lunch & Recess Volunteering.  Some specific lunch tasks that we need help with are:

  • Helping students in the cafeteria open lunch item packaging, refilling water cups, obtaining spoons when needed

  • Responding to students when they raise their hand for something they need (bathroom, etc). 

  • “Traffic control” in our hallway intersection when outdoor lunch students transition back into the building

  • Assisting school staff in wiping down tables in the outdoor tent in between lunch shifts

Lastly, the PTA funds school-wide assemblies, family fun events, teacher appreciation activities, teacher-requested classroom supplies, and so much more. Without a PTA these events would not be possible.  Visit our online Membership site to make your tax-deductible donation. 

 

*Important Reminder for Volunteer Requirements

All volunteers must complete a Confidentiality Training Course about protecting the privacy of our students, staff, and schools, and the Child Abuse and Neglect Training about reporting any suspicion of child abuse or neglect to Howard County Department of Social Services. Once you complete the courses, which take 10 or so minutes, please print out the certificates and give them to the front office prior to your volunteer shift. These need to be completed every year, before any volunteer shift at SJLES. 

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