WELCOME NEW KEALING FAMILIES and STUDENTS
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
☆☆☆ 2018-19 PTA EVENTS & NEWS ☆☆☆
U P C O M I N G E V E N T S
(For upcoming school events that are non-PTA-related, view Kealing's school calender...)
ONCE A WEEK | OUR NEW SHADE TREES NEED WATERING
We have six shade trees located in the back field of Kealing Middle School that need watering on Sundays or Mondays. We don't think the whole process will take longer than on hour. Equipment is available. Please sign up to help out.
We have six shade trees located in the back field of Kealing Middle School that need watering on Sundays or Mondays. We don't think the whole process will take longer than on hour. Equipment is available. Please sign up to help out.
N E W S
We need volunteers and lots of them! It's hard to believe we are almost out of Middle School! The past 3 years have gone by so fast! Please join us as we embark on our final events as KMS 8th grader parents! Please complete this form to indicate which event(s) you are interested in helping with!
SHADY SPRINGS:
This event is on 5/23 and open to all 8th grade students (450) at KMS! Obviously this is a HUGE group as we need as many parent volunteers as possible to keep this event fun and safe for everyone! You will receive a detailed email closer to the date!
Thank you for all your support!
Angi Menell
angi.menell@gmail.com
2019-2020 PTA VOLUNTEER NEEDS
PTA is looking for great people who care about kids and advocating for them to fill volunteer positions on the PTA board and to serve as event coordinators next year. Please contact Jayne at president@kealingpta.org if you are interested and/or have questions about the positions listed below.
PTA EXECUTIVE BOARD & CHAIR POSITIONTreasurer
EVENT COORDINATORSMartin Luther King Day of ServiceSchool volunteers, parents and kids come to the school one Saturday in January to do school and neighborhood projects. The coordinator chair would need to fill out a website form for Keep Austin Beautiful (to secure tools and neighborhood maps), call Domino's for the pizza, contact the Kealing Garden teacher, and the Kealing PTA grounds chair. You might have to call a meeting with the interested parties to see if there is a specific project at the school. You will have to write the sign-up that will be posted online. You might have to pick the supplies at HEB and Keep Austin Beautiful, and then spend a Saturday at Kealing overseeing the event. "I know there are some wonderful parents in our community who are thinking 'this is my skillset.' I would love to chat with you!" - Jayne, 2018-19 PTA President
Secret Pal Coordinator
3 People to Review the Treasurer’s Work (approximately 3 hours in July for next year)
M E S S A G E S F R O M A C P T A - A D V O C A C Y N E W S
Dear PTA Supporters,
We appreciate your ongoing support of the important legislative priorities that Texas PTA has set out to improve the health, welfare, and safety of students throughout Texas. Each legislative session, a new issue always seems to emerge that wasn’t on the policy horizon when the session began in January. HB 281 is this session’s surprise for PTA and I’m personally asking for your help to stop this bill.
HB 281 strikes down the core of our PTAs’ collaborative relationships with the school communities they serve and strips away the ability for our PTA Leaders and Members to effectively support the education of all children. While most policymakers indicate that the impact on PTA is an unintended consequence in their efforts to curb publicly-funded lobbying, there is still an unwillingness to change the language in the bill to protect the good work of PTA and the genuine efforts of families and educators around the state.
PTAs provide tens of millions of dollars each year in supplemental funding to our schools, not to mention the additional millions of dollars in volunteer hours. In return, schools typically allow PTAs the use of meeting space, electricity, water, and other basic needs to fulfill our mission of making every child’s potential a reality.
If passed in its current form, HB 281 will end this in-kind support for our nearly 2700 Local and Council PTAs. The fall festivals and carnivals that have been part of our communities for so long would likely become financially impossible for PTAs in Texas. Health fairs, parent education programs, field day, Reflections ceremonies, and teacher recognition – all are at risk because of HB 281.
Unfortunately, one version of this bill has already passed through the Senate and HB 281 is awaiting a date for a floor vote in the House. I need our hundreds of thousands of supporters to step forward and help us defeat HB 281 before it reaches the House floor!
Call or email your Representative today and tell them that HB 281 should NOT be set for a floor vote by the House Calendars Committee.
We appreciate your ongoing support of the important legislative priorities that Texas PTA has set out to improve the health, welfare, and safety of students throughout Texas. Each legislative session, a new issue always seems to emerge that wasn’t on the policy horizon when the session began in January. HB 281 is this session’s surprise for PTA and I’m personally asking for your help to stop this bill.
HB 281 strikes down the core of our PTAs’ collaborative relationships with the school communities they serve and strips away the ability for our PTA Leaders and Members to effectively support the education of all children. While most policymakers indicate that the impact on PTA is an unintended consequence in their efforts to curb publicly-funded lobbying, there is still an unwillingness to change the language in the bill to protect the good work of PTA and the genuine efforts of families and educators around the state.
PTAs provide tens of millions of dollars each year in supplemental funding to our schools, not to mention the additional millions of dollars in volunteer hours. In return, schools typically allow PTAs the use of meeting space, electricity, water, and other basic needs to fulfill our mission of making every child’s potential a reality.
If passed in its current form, HB 281 will end this in-kind support for our nearly 2700 Local and Council PTAs. The fall festivals and carnivals that have been part of our communities for so long would likely become financially impossible for PTAs in Texas. Health fairs, parent education programs, field day, Reflections ceremonies, and teacher recognition – all are at risk because of HB 281.
Unfortunately, one version of this bill has already passed through the Senate and HB 281 is awaiting a date for a floor vote in the House. I need our hundreds of thousands of supporters to step forward and help us defeat HB 281 before it reaches the House floor!
Call or email your Representative today and tell them that HB 281 should NOT be set for a floor vote by the House Calendars Committee.
Sign up for Make It Matter Mondays emails
Send a message to ACPTA Advocacy Chair Sonya Kaleel at advocacy@austincouncilpta.org.
Please save the date! If you want to help organize this great event, please email president@austincouncilpta.org. If your students would like to perform, please email vpverticalteams@austincouncilpta.org. We hope to see you there!
Coming on September 28, 2019 - ACPTA Back the Future 2019-2020
Please make plans to join us on September 28, 2019, for the second annual Back the Future event! It’s a free, fun event for families and open to all. Last year’s event featured 100 exhibitors and brought people from more than 70 AISD schools. Visitors enjoyed student performances, tons of exciting free activities, some great free food and lots of terrific information for your PTA. The goal is to connect local organizations with parent leaders, so you can invite them to bring great programs to your campus. Most exhibitors offer free programs and more than half offer programs in Spanish and other languages.Please save the date! If you want to help organize this great event, please email president@austincouncilpta.org. If your students would like to perform, please email vpverticalteams@austincouncilpta.org. We hope to see you there!
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.
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!