Welcome to Dapplegray PTA!
April 2022 President's Message:
Happy April Dapplegray Families!
I hope you all had a wonderful and restful Spring Break. Before we know it, the school year will be over!
This month the PTA is focusing on diversity and inclusion. Multicultural Day kicked off that theme and it was an amazing (and very hot!) day. We hope your kids enjoyed learning about different cultures all over the world. A huge thank you to Natsu Haga, the Multicultural Day committee, Anna Littleford and the DEI Committee, and all of the parents who volunteered their time to provide an incredible day for our Colts!
On April 22, the students will attend an assembly featuring the Infinite Flow, a nonprofit dance company that employs dancers with and without disabilities with a mission to use dance as a catalyst to dismantle biases and promote inclusion. See 80-second sizzle reel here for a sneak preview: https://vimeo.com/463202810. Dapplegray PTA, Booster Club, and Student Council are proud to bring this special assembly to our Colts!
This month the PTA elected our executive board for the 2022-2023 school year. I would like to warmly congratulate the following people to their new positions. I know they will lead with compassion, kindness, and grace.
President: Becky Cohu
Executive Vice President: Dara Adams
Treasurer: Natsu Haga
Recording Secretary: Carla Harwell
Financial Secretary: Melissa Sawoya
Corresponding Secretary: Catie Mintz
Auditor: Pamela Hamel
Historian: An Pham
1st Vice President Organization: Julianne Lusain
2nd Vice President Hospitality: Katie Buckley
3rd Vice President Education: Meagan Patterson
4th Vice President Community Service: Tracy Smith
5th Vice President Communications: Kelly Sedano
6th Vice President Ways and Means: Nattaly Licon
7th Vice President Legislation: Anna Littleford
8th Vice President Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:Yvette D'Elia
May 10 marks our last meeting of the 2021-2022 school year. I hope you can join us at 7pm via Zoom.
Thank you all for your continued support of Dapplegray PTA. I hope you enjoy the month of April!
Warmly,
Holly Woesner
Proud Dapplegray PTA President
March 2022 President's Message:
Happy March! Welcome to the month where we will be celebrating the love of reading all month long! Our theme is: Reading Takes You Places - All 50 States! To embrace our theme, we are encouraging all students to read a book that takes place in or is about one of our great 50 states.
We kicked off the month with Read Across America where kids dressed up like their favorite book characters. The students were able to dance with the Cat in the Hat at recess and share their costumes and their favorite book character at the Grandstand during lunch while we listened to music from our favorite movies based on books.
We will also be holding a bookmark making contest and the template and instructions went home last week. All bookmarks are due by Friday, March 11 and can be turned in to the bookmark box in the main office.
Next week, we will kick off the Read-a-Thon! The class who reads the most minutes will get a popcorn party and their teacher will receive a Kindle! Ask your child about his or her visit to see Miss Jess, our wonderful librarian, this week. Ms. Jess has some suggestions for books that she will be sharing. Starting March 2, Colts can log their book title or a line from the book on a large map that will be displayed in the Library.
On March 9, eat at San Pedro Tacos (carryout or food delivery app) to help benefit our Dapplegray Library. Our library is in desperate need of new and updated books. Please support our library by eating some yummy tacos!
To cap off the month, Dapplegray's Book Fair will return on Monday, March 14 - March 18. This is a wonderful way to build your at home libraries and add books to your student's classroom while raising funds for our Dapplegray library. Classes will have a chance to go purchase books in person. For families, we will hold a family reading night from 4-7 PM on campus in the Grandstand on March 17. Dapplegray cheer will perform, celebrity readers will read, there will be an In-n-Out food truck and free cookies for the first 200 kids, the winners of the bookmark making contest will be announced, and everyone will have a chance to shop at the book fair. All proceeds benefit the Dapplegray Library.
We hope you enjoy a wonderful month of reading! We look forward to seeing you all in person on March 17 from 4-7pm at Dapplegray!
Warmly,
Holly Woesner
Proud Dapplegray PTA President
December 2021 President's Message:
Dear Dapplegray Family,
Happy Holidays! 2021 is almost over and we are ending this year in a much better place than we did in 2020. As we wind down 2021, let's reflect on times of happiness and joy, times of sadness and loss, and everything in between. Mrs. Stutzel and the Dapplegray teachers and staff have worked so hard to keep our kids safe and happy at school. The parents have also worked tirelessly to support the students and teachers from home and now back on campus. And, our wonderful students have given their best each day this school year to embody the Colts Care motto. PTA is so proud of our community and we are so grateful for a slow return to normal. We are BETTER TOGETHER!
Throughout this year and this pandemic, we hope that you have felt the support of Dapplegray PTA. We continue to give it our best to stand strong to support all children in our community. We continue to find new ways to keep our community connected through the welcome back decorations at the start of the school year, the first ever Trunk or Treat, the popsicle membership appreciation event, virtual evening PTA meetings, Red Ribbon Week, the Pumpkin Carving Contest, the canned/boxed food drive, class parties, the Reflections Art program with an in person celebratory ceremony, and the Holiday Boutique.The Dapplegray PTA Executive Team and Chairpersons worked hard this summer and fall to make these events happen, and I could not be more proud of our volunteers. And, we thank all of you who donated to and joined PTA. Without you, we could not create these programs!
We look forward to more programs in 2022, including field trips, Yellow Ribbon Week activities with a very special assembly, Multicultural Day, Sweetheart Dance, Read Across America and Book Fair activities from the Friends of the Dapplegray Library Committee, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee's Legacy Project and parent book club, and Arts Alive. And, it's not too late to donate to or to join PTA to ensure we can continue to offer innovative programs to keep our community connected. Our hope for 2022 is that our parents will continue to give their time and their talent to our schools, setting a great example of generosity and caring for all of our students. We hope our Dapplegray Families stay healthy, safe, and happy, and we hope you all enjoy this special holiday season.
Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Omisoka, or any other holiday in December, PTA wishes you the very best holiday season!
Warmly,
Holly Woesner
Proud Dapplegray PTA President
dapplegraypta@gmail.com
November 2021 President's Message:
Dear Dapplegray Family,
As we approach Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving, it is a great time to honor and thank those who have sacrificed for us and for our freedoms. We are especially thankful for the Dapplegray Family veterans and we look forward to honoring them this week with a special presentation organized and created by Dapplegray Parent Aly Beck. Thank you, Aly!
We approach the month of November with thanksgiving for our classroom volunteers and that they are able to be back on campus. We are thankful for our incredible teachers and staff for their dedication to our students. We are grateful to the Dapplegray Community for generously giving of your time, your money, and your resources. Because of you, PTA met and exceeded our membership goal, had an abundance of candy for the Trunk or Treat, and donated hundreds of pounds of canned and dry goods to Toberman Neighborhood Center.
Each month we experience more "return to normal," which makes us hopeful that this pandemic is nearing its end. We hope this month allows our Dapplegray Families a time to rest and celebrate together. Happy Thanksgiving, Colts!
Warmly,
Holly Woesner
Proud Dapplegray PTA President
October 2021 President's Message:
Dear Dapplegray Families and Teachers:
The Dapplegray PTA knows that a strong partnership among our families, school leaders, and community members is important to the success of our students and school. That’s why we are participating in the National PTA School of Excellence program, which grows partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of all students.
At a National PTA School of Excellence, families feel welcomed and empowered to support student success, and PTA is a key partner for continuous school improvement. We feel Dapplegray and Dapplegray PTA can achieve that together—and the result will be national, state and community-wide visibility for the positive impact we are making together at Dapplegray.
We need your help! As part of the process, National PTA requests feedback from families, administrators and teachers at two points in the school year—the beginning and the end. Your feedback will help us improve our family-school partnership and achieve excellence.
Please take 5-10 minutes to reflect on your experience at this school.
Click Here to access the survey.
Please complete the survey by November 1.
Does this sound like a PTA program you’d really like to help with? Join us! Contact Holly Woesner at dapplegraypta@gmail.com to learn more!
Warmly,
Holly Woesner
Proud Dapplegray PTA President
2021-2022
Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we work toward becoming a National PTA School of Excellence!
August 2021 President's Message:
Dear Dapplegray Families,
On behalf of the PTA, welcome back to our returning families! To our kindergarten and new families: we warmly welcome you to the Dapplegray community!
What is the PTA and who can be a Member?
PTA stands for Parent Teacher Association. The PTA consists of parents and teachers working together to support and enrich all students. We support school staff, help promote student self-esteem and wellness, build community, and assist in efforts to solve school needs through volunteering and funding. We work in partnership with the Dapplegray Booster Club.
The PTA Board is made up of several officers and chairpersons; the association membership is made of parents, teachers, and students of Dapplegray. Who can be a member of PTA? If you’re a father, mother, protector, guardian, grandparent, family member, student, and/or a person who teaches, instructs, or works at Dapplegray Elementary, you can become a member!
PTA Programs & Fundraising
The Dapplegray PTA is an integral part of our school. Our primary objective is to provide our school with funds, programs, resources, and services that will enrich and maximize the education of every child and to benefit the school. Here are a few programs that we plan, sponsor and/or support throughout the year: Welcome Back Event, Holiday Boutique, Red Ribbon Week, Yellow Ribbon Week, Multicultural Day, Arts Alive, Read Across America, parent coffees, Donuts with Dearest, Diversity and Inclusion events and activities, Sweetheart Dance, Mock Election, Capitol Convoy, and Teacher Appreciation.
We are able to provide these activities because of the support of our Dapplegray families. We fundraise through our annual membership drive, donations, and other passive fundraisers throughout the year. Every penny of your donation goes back to Dapplegray and its students and teachers. We encourage you to give what your heart and wallet allow and please consider that some of our Dapplegray families are struggling financially during this time. To quote the amazing Glennon Doyle : “There is no such thing as other people’s children.” We are all in this together and WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER!
Membership Drive
Right now, our Dapplegray PTA Membership Drive is under way! This is our biggest fundraiser of the year. I encourage you all to renew or start a new membership for only $12 per person. Your membership gives you a voice at PTA meetings, access to the bi-weekly PTA newsletter featuring Dapplegray news and events, discounts at various businesses and – most importantly – you are supporting the oldest and largest child advocacy organization in the USA. Please click HERE to register and join Dapplegray PTA.
Becoming a PTA member does not mean you are expected to give your time at school; however, for our community to be strong, everyone’s participation is essential. Many parents feel they cannot participate in the PTA because of work commitments. Please don’t let that discourage you! Whether you have 30 minutes or a few hours, your time, your ideas, your talents, and your voice are truly needed and appreciated. There are endless possibilities for mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to contribute on campus and off campus, and we can match your time constraints and abilities to needed tasks. I promise that the time and effort you give to Dapplegray and PTA will be well worth your while – and fun!
As we are all aware, due to the Covid pandemic, this school year may look differently from years past. That said, it is the mission of the PTA to support the educational and recreational needs of all of our students. We will promote communication between the administration, staff, parents, and the community. Accomplishing this goal takes the volunteerism of many, and we are very lucky to have a strong PTA Executive Board in place ready to meet the challenges we find our community in today.
And, we still have space for YOU if you’d like to join the PTA Executive Board! We would love for you to show your support by participating in the events and activities planned throughout the year whether they are virtual or in person. The calendar of upcoming events is below and you can find regular updates on our website and on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. In addition to events, we invite you to attend all or as many PTA meetings as you can. Typically, meetings are held once a month on the second Tuesday of every month either on campus or on Zoom. Some meetings will be held in the morning and others will be held in the evening to accommodate as many participants as possible.
I am looking forward to a year of growth and fun for our kids. I look forward to meeting you all at the first PTA Association meeting on Tuesday, September 14. The location and time will be determined soon. Please contact me anytime about PTA events, activities, or questions you may have.
We want to do everything possible to make this year special and memorable for all of our Dapplegray students because Colts are Better Together!
Warmly,
Holly Woesner
Dapplegray PTA President
2021-2022
dapplegraypta@gmail.com
