Dear Willow Glen Elementary Families,

As PTA president and on behalf of the PTA board I’m pleased to welcome you to the WGE PTA.  I’m heading into my second year as PTA president and I have learned a lot from the last year and hope to use that experience to make the 2010/2011 year a success.  I continue to enjoy the many opportunities of working with the WGE families, teachers, and staff and love meeting all the new parents.  I am also grateful to work with such a dedicated and resourceful board, many who remain the same for this year.  These parents make the PTA run so well and they’re a nice group of people too.  Take a look at the PTA board link to see the names of these volunteers.

Just a little bit about myself - I am the mom of two students here at the school; Emma is in 5^th grade and Aidan is in 2^nd.  They are both happy, energetic kids and are very proud of their school and all it has to offer.  They are especially excited about the art and science docents that visit their classrooms!  I have worked for the Santa Clara County Office of Education for almost 13 years and work mainly in educational research and program evaluation.  It’s a job I love and one that helps me in my role with the PTA.

Before I tell you about the PTA and how you can be involved, I want to welcome you to the WGE PTA website.  Like me, this site is in its second year and we continue to add features to it so parents can easily navigate and find all the answers they need.  The site highlights the new and exciting PTA opportunities and events, as well as provides a one-stop shop for your PTA needs.  Please take some time to look around; it’s a great way to learn about the PTA, the school community, and the upcoming events.  And if you see Maren Sederquist at school please take a moment to thank her for developing this site and continually improving it.

Now, on to how you can be involved….

There are various ways you can be involved in your child’s school experience; one such way is to become a PTA member.  Joining is easy and costs only $10– click here to join now if you’re not a member already. It's not too late!

There are also a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the school year that can fit nearly every schedule.  Please look at our volunteer link, and contact Patrice Regan - the volunteer coordinator to sign up. 

Attend the monthly PTA meetings.  Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month (see the meeting calendar for exact dates) during the regular school year.  It’s a perfect way to hear about what’s happening, what’s going to happen, and to thank those who made it happen.  It’s also a good chance for you to participate in discussions and vote on issues that impact the classrooms and school.

Even with the challenges the education community continues to face, the PTA continues to be optimistic and excited about the many program offerings through the PTA, the dedication of the PTA members, and the financial support from parents - especially through the Annual Giving Campaign that began in Fall 2009 and raised almost $20,000 in pledges.  Let’s try to beat that this year!

I’ll finish by thanking you for your support and dedication to the school; the WGE families are truly what make our school community so wonderful. 

Warmly,
Suzanne Carrig