Frequently Asked Questions
- What exactly is the PTA?
PTA stands for Parent-Teacher Association. It is a a formal membership organization composed of parents, teachers, and students who work together to provide feedback and material assistance to the schools. There is a board of representatives consisting of parents and teachers. - What does the PTA do?
The Sweetwater Springs (SWS) PTA Board meets regularly with the school's principal to plan and discuss upcoming events such as book fairs, parent/child activities, art influenced activities, community activities, fund raisers, and more for our Sweetwater Springs Community School and its students.
- What does my PTA Membership include?
Each $10.00 membership includes: PTA Membership card, student entry into our Principal for a Day drawing, 1 Free Otter Pop or Popcorn ticket, Pencil, and an opportunity to serve as an officer or chair at SWS. We do encourage PTA members to become familiar with our programs and attend the quarterly PTA Association Meetings to vote on PTA business. (Because knowledge is power!) You also get benefits provided by California State PTA (CaPTA) and vary year to year. Some past benefits have included free ice cream from Baskin-Robbins, reduced rental car fees from Enterprise, and more. You can always check CaPTA's Member Perks page for current offers. - How often are membership dues paid?
Don't worry, PTA Memberships are good for the school year (July 1 - June 30); pay once a year. - Where does the money go?
The first $4.25 from each membership goes to support Council, District, State and National levels of PTA. Any and all profits the PTA receives from our fundraising events (Popcornopolis, Chareston Wrap, Butter Braids, etc.), Popcorn & Otter Pop Fridays, Recycling, Tummy Tickler Thursdays, Book Fairs, Jog-a-Thons, Original Works, etc. go directly to the school (teachers and students). See our Be PTA page for an glimpse at what we provide. - What is expected of me?
A common misconception of joining the PTA is you'll have to volunteer your time. That's not true! The choice to volunteer, participate in fundraisers, or serve as an officer or chair is totally up to you! However, by being a PTA member you have a voice. So use it!
Facts
- The challenges of delivering quality education are daunting due to shrinking budgets, increasing class sizes and government mandates.
- Throughout California, the average school districts must spend 86% of its funding on costs that cannot be avoided, leaving 14% of the budget for books, supplies, and technology. While our school district has several plans in place to manage this situation, the highly constrained budget highlights the importance of the PTA and parent involvement.
- SWS PTA fundraisers are vital to providing quality education for our children.
- Any one can be a PTA member! This includes parents, students, teachers, aunts/uncles, siblings, grandparents, members of the community who care about education.
- Becoming a PTA member does not require a HUGE commitment of your time and resources, but it is vitally important in maintaining the strong parent-school-learning community all students at SWS benefit from.
- There are many ongoing and short-term projects that can benefit from just 30 minutes of your time. We typically don't post these due to their short-term nature. But if you check in at the school office, the staff can direct you to the right person. Or you can inquire below.
I want to be a BIGGEST Fan!
Getting your PTA Membership is easy! We now offer Electronic Membership along with our more traditional ways of joining the SWS PTA. If you decide to sign-up electronically you'll have access to your membership card and state offered perks immediately. If you're joining during our Membership Contest, please add a note letting us know the student and room number. We'll make sure they get credit! Get your PTA Membership here.
Annual Membership Types:
Not ready to join electronically? That's okay! You can still join the traditional way, see below for details. |
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Send (or drop-off) your completed membership form and/or envelope with a check payable to:
SWS PTA
10129 Austin Dr. Spring Valley, CA 91977 |
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Thank you for your support!