Welcome to 2024-25 School Year

Dear Ella Baker Families,

 

As a parent or guardian of a student at the Ella Baker School, you are automatically a member of the Parent Teacher Association, or PTA, an organization committed to making a difference in the education, health and safety of all of our children.

 

We personally invite you to become involved through volunteering your time, special skills, and resources to help run events and raise money for EBS. Today we are writing to appeal to all families to support programming at Ella Baker through dues and fundraising, especially our biggest event of the year, the Winter Potluck & Auction, on Friday, December 7th.

 

WHY RAISE MONEY?

Like most public schools, EBS depends on funds raised by parents to provide many class trips, music, dance, sports and other enrichment programs. Without it, our children’s school experience would not be as rich as it is now. Last year we raised over 75K for programs, funded partially or fully, including:

 

• Programs/trips requested by teachers: NY Transit Museum (1st/2nd); Individual class trips: trout trip, African dance, South St. Seaport (3rd/4th); China Institute (5th/6th)

• Ice skating for the entire school

• S’Cool Sounds Recorder music program (1st-4th)

• Swimming at Asphalt Green (1st & 2nd)

• Workshops on empowering youth against violence (8th)

• Manice Environmental Science program, a 7-week environmental science curriculum that includes a field trip to the Berkshires for the Upper Grades

• Technology meeting (Screenagers) for parents & kids, other workshops for parents at PTA mtgs

• 8th grade graduation ceremony and lunch

• Teacher/staff appreciation luncheon, celebration

• Professional development for EBS teachers

 

PTA DUES

Dues are the major way that parents raise money for the school. Our goal for this year is to raise 90K through 100% family participation! We depend on every family to pitch in something, and we are already off to a great start! All amounts are welcome! Donations can be made online via PayPal at http://bit.ly/EBSPTA2017.

 

ANNUAL WINTER POTLUCK & AUCTION

Our biggest fundraiser of the year is coming up on Friday, December 7th! We need your help to solicit donations from corporations, community businesses and even talented fellow Ella Baker parents, for items that will be auctioned or raffled off in order to raise money for school. Items can include gift certificates, services, lessons, event tickets, jewelry, electronics, memorabilia and more! Help is also needed to coordinate the event.  

 

OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT THE PTA -- AND YOUR CHILD’S ENRICHMENT  

• Bake Sales & Book Fairs -- Donate goods and volunteer time.

• “Amazon Smile” -- Visit smile.amazon.com and designate “Ella Baker PTA” as your charity.  When you shop, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to EBS.

• “Box Tops for Education” -- Clip off box tops with this symbol and turn it in to Valerie at Ella Baker. The school receives $0.10 per top, which adds up if we have enough volume!

• “Fairway”- - Pick up a Fairway Community Card and start earning money for EBS every time you buy groceries.

• “Might Nest” You can support Ella Baker while helping the environment. https://mightynest.com/schools/ny/new-york/ella-baker-school

• If your workplace participates in matching gift funds, please include the Ella Baker School!

 

Thank you so much for reading! If you ever have questions or ideas, reach out to us at ellabakerpta@gmail.com.

 

Sincerely,

Ella Baker PTA Board  

 

Presidents: Nailah Ricco-Brown and Julia McNally

Vice President: Jackie Bernard and Kimani Fowlin

Treasurer & Assistant Treasurer:  Suha Samara and Sailifa Nzwalo

Secretaries:  Stephanie Yung and Carlos Quintana

Class Parent Liasion: Nicole Duncan and Michelle Echeverria

 

The PTA has two goals for this school year: raise funds to help support EBS, and host events to help build a sense of community at the school. Every parent and guardian is welcome and encouraged to join us as we work toward these goals. Throughout the year, the PTA will raise money to help support EBS. We work with EBS’s administration to determine funding priorities to ensure that we are supporting the school in the best ways possible. In past years, the PTA has funded events that enhance the school experience for all of our students, including theater productions, school trips, graduation ceremonies, as well as science and language programs. 

 

Attend Monthly Meetings and Events

In addition to fundraising, the Parent Teacher Association strives to build and nurture the school community by hosting events throughout the school year. These events allows EBS families the opportunity to get to know the school staff, learn what’s going on at EBS, and have some fun during the process. Please consider getting involved in the Parent Teacher Association. We need your help, ideas and enthusiasm. Consider joining one, a few aor all PTA meetings. We want to hear from you!

 

Annual PTA Family Dues

With your support, we can continue to make the Ella Baker School academically robust and nurturing for our children. Your contribution, whether it is your time, knowledge, or resources, makes a difference. 

 

To make your annual donation, refer to the document here for specific instructions along with three options of payment: PayPal, mail-in, or monthly installments. Thank you for providing in any way you are able. 

 

PTA Executive Board

The executive board is responsible for the governance and management of the PTA. It seeks to build diverse community participation, increase community engagement and spirit, as well as fundraise for EBS.

 

The members of the PTA Executive Board were elected in June to serve for one year beginning on July 1, 2017. We hope that you will contact these officers to share your ideas and volunteer to work with the PTA.

 

Classroom Parent/PTA Liaison

Each classroom has up to two very important volunteers who are your classroom's PTA representatives. These representatives participate in PTA activities, keep information flowing to their classroom families, and encourage family participation. If you would like to volunteer to be a grade representative, please contact us @ ellabakerpta@gmail.com. Classroom parents/PTA liaisons are appointed in the fall.

 

PTA Committees

There are many ways to get involved at EBS and everyone is encouraged to participate. We have different levels of involvement—from chairing a standing committee to selling tickets at an event. Volunteering is a great way to support EBS, it’s a great way to meet EBS staff, families and students, and it’s fun!

 

If you want to serve on a regular committee, please contact us at ellabakerpta@gmail.com and let us know which one you are interested in joining. Click here to view our Committee Projected Projects 2016-17

 

Not sure which committee to join?

Writers are needed on both the Communications and Fundraising committee. The Special Events and Online School Store committees all need graphic designers. 

 

Are you super-social and happy to send emails/talk on the phone? The Fundraising committee needs people on phone in November, then again in the spring. Grade Reps have a great chance to talk to almost every family in their class and to organize grade-wide social events. Are you interested in stepping up to take a leadership role on the Executive Board next year? The Grade Reps work closely with the Executive Board and have insight into the year’s challenges and accomplishments.

 

If you speak Spanish, consider joining the Communications committee to help with translating written school materials and in helping some of our families feel more comfortable at EBS events.

 

If you are good with technology, we need people on the Fundraising Committee and the Communications committee to help with both managing data and social media policy.

 

Are you super organized?  We’re looking for someone to be our Volunteer Coordinator and help find and coordinate volunteers for EBS and PTA events.

 

Are you interested in participating, but can’t commit to an on-going role?

In the early months of the school year, you could help with the Family Grade Directories: working in Excel on your own computer, update last year’s Family Directory for one or more grades. Help EBS families get in touch and stay in touch.

 

Throughout the school year you could help out for a few hours at events such as curriculum night, the pot luck dinner, parent cocktail parties, raffle ticket sales, student talent shows, and more.

 

We encourage everyone to get involved with EBS, and the PTA is a great way to do this. Join a committee, volunteer at an event, or come to a meeting, and we think you’ll agree!

 

Photos Needed for EBS Photo Gallery

Do you have great photos of EBS students, faculty or events? Please share them with us at ellabakerPTA @gmail.com.

 

The Parent Teacher Association has started a Photo Gallery to celebrate EBS and bring our school spirit to life. We hope to create the first of these pictures and have them hanging in the school’s lobby.

 

We are looking for pictures that help showcase many of the varied experiences that EBS students have. If you have some great shots of students, faculty or events, please send them to us.

 

Thank you.

 

Ella Baker School PTA