Questions you may have:
I joined the PTA when my child entered Kindergarten. Do I need to rejoin each year? Yes, a PTA membership is good for one year. Please continue to support the PTA by renewing your membership each school year.
How do I join? Please fill out a PTA Membership form with your check or cash. Forms are available in your PTA folder or in the lobby in the forms’ bin just outside the front office.
Why should I make a donation to the Oak Grove PTA? Donations help to fund the Oak Grove PTA programs; see the highlights on back for a brief description. We can’t do this without the help of the parents! Without you, some of the programs that Oak Grove offers won’t exist.
How does the PTA work at Oak Grove? At Oak Grove, the PTA Board is made up of Officers (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, VPs, the principal, a teacher liaison) and Committee Chairs. The rest of the parents at Oak Grove who join the PTA form our “general membership.”
What do you do at PTA Board meetings? The meetings are once a month and last about an hour. The purpose of the meetings is to discuss PTA-sponsored events at our school. The principal (or AVP) typically gives an update on events or issues of concern that have arisen. It is a great way to learn what is going on at your child’s school.
The Board sounds interesting. Is it a lot of work? I do not have a lot of time! It really is pretty easy to be a “board” member. All it really means is that you are taking responsibility for a project that benefits your child’s entire school instead of just the classroom – author visit or writer in residence are two examples. Without parent volunteers, these programs will not happen. So, for example, if not enough volunteers sign up to work on the science fair – it will not happen! That is why we are not able to implement all of the great ideas we receive – we love them – but we need parents who can help us make them happen – for our children and our school. That is why we are on the PTA – we want to help our teachers and our administration make this the best school it can be!
How do you decide how money is spent? The Oak Grove PTA is a non-profit organization. We get our finances from donations and fundraisers. We have a budget that defines how funds will be spent in the coming year. This budget is approved in July by the general membership. If you ever have any suggestions, speak with a board member and come to a meeting. We would love to hear your ideas!
What is my money being used for this year? The budget is allocated toward things like curriculum enhancement, cultural arts, media center, technology, building and grounds, school festivals, and other programs held throughout the year. See “highlights” for a brief description.
What if I do not want to be on the board, but I would still like to help? There are many volunteer opportunities within our PTA. There is room for everyone – men, women, and grandparents! If you like to work alone, in teams, with a friend, on art projects, projects that require thinking, projects that require no thinking, projects during the day or projects at night – there is something for everyone!
How do we benefit from being part of the County, State and National PTAs? Our children get to participate in the PTA Reflections program at all of these levels. Our PTA board receives support and training from these organizations and is eligible to receive awards for best practices. Our teachers are eligible for grants from the national PTA. In general, these organizations are working hard to advocate on behalf of all children, including ours and keep us up to date on the issues affecting children through newsletters, magazines and list-serves.
Please consider joining the Oak Grove PTA, and giving of your time, talents & funds! For more information, talk to a board member.