☆ ☆ ☆ 2018-19 PTA EVENTS & NEWS ☆ ☆ ☆
U P C O M I N G E V E N T S
DECEMBER 6
KMAG Meeting at 7:30AM
DECEMBER 14
Teacher/Staff Appreciation Party
Our incredible teachers and staff are the heart of our school, please help us shower them with the goodies they deserve! We’re collecting gift cards, cookies, and volunteers. Sign up here and help make it a special event!
P.S. For those of you who remember the scam affecting schools, boosters, and PTAs involving sending gift card codes (scroll down to bottom of page to see the warning), this is NOT a scam. We are asking to send actual gift cards to the school. If you have any questions, please contact Jayne Rosso, PTA President, at president@kealingpta.org.
JANUARY 19 | SATURDAY | 12-3PM
MLK Day of Service - Save the Date
Please block your calendars for our annual MLK Day of Service / Peace Through Pie event. We'll have a community pizza/pie event from 12-1pm, then gardening/grounds work/neighborhood clean-up from 1-3pm. This is a great opportunity for NJHS kids to get some service hours! Watch for more details and a sign-up sheet coming soon.
N E W S
#EveryMemberCounts JOIN THE PTA <<== CLICK TO JOIN & LEARN THE BENEFITS!
We have 174 more memberships or 87 more family memberships. We are asking you to back the future of all children by joining Kealing PTA. Thank you for your commitment to be the strongest possible voice for all kids!
Texas PTA adopts priorities for next Legislative Session
Texas PTA has adopted priorities for the 86th Session of the Texas Legislature that begins on January 8, 2019. Top priorities include:
- Public school funding reform to make funding more equitable and adequate to meet the needs of all students
- Literacy by third grade - prioritizing funding for full-day pre-kindergarten school for at-risk students
- Comprehensive school safety legislation, including policies to improve access to Texas School Safety Center programs and services and funding for hardening of school facilities
- Comprehensive student mental health plan of programs and services to help students be mentally strong, and systems to identify and provide services to students in need of mental health intervention
- Funding for special education services sufficient to address the Federal Government’s corrective action
- Support policies to strengthen anti-cyberbullying laws
AISD Budget shortfall - Did You Know?
If you are not aware, AISD is facing a $30 million shortfall in their upcoming budget.
There are a lot of different people looking at all the options and providing suggestions on where to cut.
One question stood out to me: “How do we find a way to create revenue?” AISD faces pressure to make its buildings and grounds available for public use. Currently, we have community groups and for-profit youth sport groups that use AISD facilities and do not even pay for the janitorial costs.
Perhaps given AISD’s financial situation, we need to rethink this? Other ideas welcome--let's get creative! Please reach out to Jayne Rosso, PTA President, at president@kealingpta.org if you have ideas you'd like to share.
McCallum Cabaret - DECEMBER 6-9
You are invited to attend the McCallum High School Choir Department’s annual Cabaret extravaganza! This year’s show entitled “When You Wish…” features music from many of your favorite childhood movies ranging from “Snow White” all the way up to “Coco.” Performances will be December 6th through 9th. For showtimes and tickets, visit mccallumchoir.ludus.com.
Kealing Marquee is On and Communicating!
- Check out our new marquee as you drive up Pennsylvania Avenue
- We will be posting PTA, KMAG, School and community info
- Brought to you by Kealing PTA
everychild.onevoice
Texas PTA Mission: To make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.
My FAMILY + PTA =
A place where every child feels safe and supported
A place where all families feel welcome
A place where parents feel informed
A place to build relationships
A place to volunteer
A place where you can make a difference at our school and across the state
Membership goal is 650 - We can do this!
ALL Kealing parents, guardians, teachers, staff, and community members are encouraged to join the Kealing PTA.
$10 Individual (one membership), $19 Family (two memberships)
[Membership scholarships available]
OR
Download 2018-2019 Membership Paper Form:
2018-2019 is a very important year as it is a legislative one. PTA is the largest child advocacy organization in the US. Please help us grow our membership to greater than 500,000 Texans. This will help Texas PTA have a voice that will in turn put pressure on the legislators to fix the funding formula that is so negatively affecting Austin ISD schools.
2018-2019 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Let us know how YOU can help by submitting this form:
For more information, email volunteer@kealingpta.org.
☆ ☆ ☆ IMMEDIATE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ☆ ☆ ☆
- Reflection Judging Volunteers. Local artists and art lovers are needed this fall to serve as judges for a K-12 student arts contest called Reflections, sponsored by the Austin Council of PTAs. We ask for one hour of your time at Kealing (please email reflections@kealingpta.org) and at the district level. Reflections recognizes and celebrates thousands of student artists across six disciplines. Today’s art-loving students are tomorrow’s artists, and we want them to know that art is an essential part of what makes Austin the city that we love! You can register here to help at the district level.
- Business Supporter Program. Click here if you are with a local business that would like to donate to the PTA or would like more information. If you are interested in helping visit 3 or more local businesses in August, please contact Ellen Anspon at business.supporters@kealingpta.com.
- Membership and Hospitality. Do you like meeting new people? Do you like you bake? Or, can you help pick up early morning coffee donations? Sign up to help with PTA's fall membership drive and back-to-school events in August and September. Please complete our 2018-2019 Volunteer Interest Form.
The Kealing PTA supports the education and success of all children at Kealing Middle School. Here's a look at how your membership and donation to the PTA made a difference at Kealing last year:
- Technology: purchased Chromebooks, the marquee is on its way. We should see it in about 6 weeks
- Teachers: provided a supplies grant for EVERY teacher (shared program w/ KMAG), sent an Academy teachers to a national conference , and organized multiple Teacher Appreciation days
- Programs & Events: Thanksgiving Community Dinner, 8th-grade celebration and graduation, School Partnerships with Vertical Team Elementary, Young Scientists Club, Kealing Men, and Parent Education
- School Grounds: Grounds improvement days, Monarch Heroes garden grant, Bright Green Futures grant for courtyard natives planting
- Community Engagement: Business Supporter program building connections w/ surrounding community.
Warning Phishing Scam - Do Not Fall for This
In the past view months, emails for PTA Board members on various campuses around AISD have been asking Parents in a direct email to go out and buy gift cards and then to take the picture of the codes on the back and email them back. KMAG and PTA are never going to ask you for the codes. During the teacher appreciation holiday party in December, we may ask for physical gift cards to donate. We will never describe a big need scenario and then ask you gift card codes! Be on the lookout!