Newsletter - January

Community News!

The John Muir Elementary PTA is a volunteer group of families, teachers, and staff who support and celebrate the success, diversity, well-being and equitable opportunity of all students at our school. We serve as a liaison between families and advocate for all students, sponsor fun events, and provide financial support to classrooms. Our mission is to advocate for kids furthest from educational justice. We welcome all to join - please reach out with questions, ideas or to learn about volunteer opportunities! Info@themuirpta.org

Stay up to date with PTA events by subscribing to our calendar


Highlight: Business Meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 11th at 7pm (link and info below)


Upcoming Business Meeting


Agenda includes:
-Fundraising update
-Advocacy update
-Club update
-February Community Event planning
-Recruiting for next year’s PTA leadership

Fundraising Updates

We’re incredibly humbled and grateful to report that our Year-End fundraiser generated over $8,000 in support from this amazing community. This includes a generous match of $2,500 from an anonymous donor, which was unlocked with the help of over 40 donors from our community. It was so encouraging to see this outpouring of support, especially as we approach this coming year, with ongoing uncertainty and challenge around our collective response to the pandemic and Omicron. With this support, the PTA will be in a strong position to provide assistance and advocacy to staff, teachers, families, and students in the Muir community. Next up – we’ll be all-in on work with the Southeast Seattle Schools Fundraising Alliance, and participating in a Southend-wide Move-A-Thon this spring, raising funds collectively and equitably for Southeast Seattle public schools. And you can help! Let us know if you’d like to volunteer to be on the Move-A-Thon committee.


Warmly,
The John Muir PTA

Newsletter - December

Community News!

The John Muir Elementary PTA is a volunteer group of families, teachers, and staff who support and celebrate the success, diversity, well-being and equitable opportunity of all students at our school. We serve as a liaison between families and advocate for all students, sponsor fun events, and provide financial support to classrooms. Our mission is to advocate for kids furthest from educational justice. We welcome all to join - please reach out with questions, ideas or to learn about volunteer opportunities! Info@themuirpta.org

Stay up to date with PTA events bysubscribing to our calendar -
Highlight:Business Meeting next Thursday, Dec. 9th at 7pm(link and info below)


Volunteers Needed! 

We wanted to highlight an important need we have for volunteers. Julia MacCracken has been our representative on the Southeast Seattle Schools Fundraising Alliance (SESSFA) and the first big event we are planning with that group is a Move-A-Thon May 2 through May 13, 2022. Julia highlighted at the last business meeting the major needs:

  • Help facilitating corporate or small business sponsorships for the spring Move-a-Thon (blind asks will also be going out, but there will be an up front push to explore community channels)

  • Help with creating press connections or experience with media outreach to help promote the spring Move-a-Thon and the overarching mission of SESSFA (press for SESSFA has been limited, but last spring this article in the South Seattle Emerald spurred a bump in donations)

We would like to create a working group for this event that would begin meeting in the next several weeks. Roles to kickoff the working group are as follows:

  • Move-a-Thon Site Lead/SESSFA contact: Julia MacCracken

  • Finance Lead (Role: oversee procedures for collection of cash & check donations at John Muir, consolidate collected funds from John Muir for transfer to Alliance for Education, submit tax forms to Alliance for Education to receive dispersed funds):

  • Event Lead (Role: brainstorm & help plan a community Move-a-Thon event at John Muir--could be virtual or in-person, taking COVID safety and protocol into account):

  • Teacher Representative (Role: lead efforts to engage teachers in encouraging student Move-a-Thon participation, help brainstorm ways teachers can incorporate Move-a-Thon "bingo" challenge activities into class time):

  • Communications Lead: (Role: lead efforts to promote community giving & student participation in the Move-a-Thon through email(s), social media, take-home flyers, etc.)

  • PTA/PTO Board Representative (Role: represent PTA mission to support our students and families, help facilitate communications between work group leads, John Muir staff, volunteers, and more):

If you are interested in joining this group, please email info@themuirpta.org ASAP and we will connect everyone with Julia.  If you cannot join the group but can help with corporate sponsorships or media outreach, please let us know that as well. 
 

Thank you notes

Vaccine Clinic:

Thanks to everyone who participated in the vaccine clinic at John Muir several weeks ago! Kids were superstars . Please take a minute and join us in thanking the awesome staff from Othello Station Pharmacy and Somali Health Board for staffing the SPS COVID vaccine clinics.
 https://padlet.com/erin474/PediatricVaccine 

John Muir second-dose clinic will be on Monday, December 6th from 8:00-10:30 a.m.

Students can also get their first dose at this clinic, but will need to follow up outside of school for the second dose, as this is the last vaccine clinic at John Muir.

A parent or guardian is invited to attend the school day clinic with their child but does not need to attend. Make sure to bring the child’s vaccine card or send it with your child. See Principal Haider's December 1st Community update for more information from the school including consent forms, etc!

 

Talent Show:

Thank you to everyone who participated in the talent show at John Muir a couple weeks ago! Please take a minute and join us in thanking our teachers for hosting the talent show. 
 https://padlet.com/chenkatherine29/qon5632m74klyskc 


Upcoming Business Meetings

  • Thursday, December 9th, 7-8 pm

Join us for our next business meeting on Thursday, December 9th - from 7-8 pm. Come connect with other volunteers and help make events happen.
Business meeting zoom link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82564688327?pwd=WXpJS2t4b0VnMHVSWnhRUnZzOFlHdz09
Meeting ID: 825 6468 8327
Passcode: 225398

  • Tuesday, January 11th, 7-8 pm

Join us for our next business meeting on Tuesday, January 11th - from 7-8 pm. Come connect with other volunteers and help make events happen.
Business meeting zoom link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83738355750?pwd=Yk9wRFhjZ3VJdUNYQW1SWjYrdTV1dz09
Passcode: 467679


Warmly,
The John Muir PTA

Art Night with Ms. T! Nov 16, 7-8pm

At the next community event on November 16, we will have the opportunity to experience a bit of our school's art curriculum and even tap into our own inner artists. Ms. T will lead us in a drawing activity that begins with a mindfulness moment and ends with a short dance party! Bring a pencil, some paper, and your creativity!

Art Night with Ms. T
Come celebrate, make art and create joy!
On Zoom!  Tuesday, Nov. 16, 7-8 pm
Creativity and Community Fun! No special supplies are needed.
Mindfulness, Art, and a Dance Party! 
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83432590197?pwd=YTRRb09nSk9EVjNWNXpISWZkVjR0Zz09
Passcode: 264395

PTA newsletter - updates galore!

Community News!

The John Muir Elementary PTA is a volunteer group of families, teachers, and staff who support and celebrate the success, diversity, well-being and equitable opportunity of all students at our school. We serve as a liaison between families and advocate for all students, sponsor fun events, and provide financial support to classrooms. Our mission is to advocate for kids furthest from educational justice. We welcome all to join - please reach out with questions, ideas or to learn about volunteer opportunities! Info@themuirpta.org

Stay up to date with PTA events by subscribing to our calendar

Join the PTA by signing up online

  • Why become a member? We are only as strong as our members. While anyone can attend meetings, only members are legally allowed to vote to approve the PTA budget and to approve key strategy decisions. In addition, all Executive Board members must be members. According to PTA regulations, we must have at least 25 members to officially run as a PTA.

Community Calendar

  • Upcoming PTA Business Meeting - November 9

    Join us for our next business meeting on November 9th - from 7-8pm. Come connect with other volunteers and help make events happen.
    Zoom link to the business meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89630777330?pwd=OUY5QjFYNndVOVoycG11YXdQK2ZRQT09
    Passcode: 906451

  • Community Event - Art and Mindfulness with Ms. T on November 16th

    At the next PTA community event on November 16, 7-8 pm, we will have the opportunity to experience a bit of our school's art curriculum and even tap into our own inner artists. Our own Ms. T will lead us in a drawing activity that begins with a mindfulness moment and ends with a short dance party. Bring a pencil, a bit of paper, and your creativity!

    Zoom link to the community event:
    https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83432590197?pwd=YTRRb09nSk9EVjNWNXpISWZkVjR0Zz09
    Passcode: 264395

  • School Talent Show - November 18th on Teams

    Let's come together to celebrate and inspire each other with a Back to School Talent Show! Families, parents, and caregivers are invited to send in submissions. Email your 3-5 minute video submission of parent or family talent to our PTA intern, Kat Chen chenk52@uw.edu - by Nov. 8th. A HUGE thank you to Ms. Noriega, Ms. Jemonica, and Miss Amanda who are doing the amazing work of organizing and making this all happen. We so appreciate you! Read more

    Fundraising Updates

    The John Muir PTA is excited to announce plans to join the Southeast Seattle Schools Fundraising Alliance, a coalition of 15 elementary and K-8 schools in Seattle Public Schools District 7. SESSFA unites PTAs and PTOs to fundraise collaboratively through events that pool funds and distribute them equally to participating schools.

    In addition to building strong relationships between neighboring schools, collaborative fundraising can help refocus PTA and PTO efforts on advocacy and community building by reducing the need for individually-organized fundraising. This spring, the John Muir community will be invited to participate in a collaborative Move-a-Thon fundraiser in partnership with 15 SESSFA schools representing 4,800 students. We look forward to this fun opportunity to get out and move with our John Muir community--and our larger Southeast Seattle community--for the benefit of all our District 7 elementary and K-8 schools!

    The South Seattle Stroller Brigade and Families Crafting Change are partnering in a fundraiser benefiting the SESSFA - They will have info and links available in early November. The sale event is 11/28-12/5. Be on the lookout for more details in November

    Finally, please continue showing up for our community.

    Please keep sharing as you are able to the two Go Fund Me drives going for Ms. Noriega and Mr. Zerihun. This is a small and simple way we can live out our values.


    Warmly,
    The John Muir PTA

A welcome back message from the PTA

Dear Muir Parents, Caregivers, Teachers, Staff, and Community Members:

We made it! Congratulations on making it through one of the hardest imaginable school years. Collectively we have endured and learned so much, and we (adults and kids) have displayed incredible amounts of resilience. We are SO GRATEFUL to our dedicated teachers and staff for all you have done this year to invest and love our kids. Thank you, thank you!!

We are so excited to be BACK! As we think about the upcoming school year, the return to full-time in-person instruction, and the unknowns ahead we wanted to reach out and let you know the John Muir PTA is here and continuing to support our community. Our mission is to advocate for kids furthest from educational justice.

This is where you come in! We welcome everyone to join our meetings and to take part in making our school community all it can be.

Updates:
School supplies have been ordered for all kids, and teachers will be picking them up on Thursday August 26 to get ready for welcoming all kids back to class. If you’d like to contribute to this effort you can donate here. By purchasing school supplies in bulk we dramatically reduce costs for everyone.

Meetings:
We want to be more transparent about when meetings are happening and sharing minutes. Going forward ALL our meetings will be public, accessible via Zoom when remote, with interpretation available.

The next two meetings will be online - links to come!
- September 14th, first business meeting - for volunteers to connect and plan for the year
- September 21st, first community meeting - to welcome everyone back and introduce the PTA board

Keep your eyes peeled for a full calendar of events coming soon.

Who we are:
The PTA is excited to announce that we recently elected our 2021-2022 school year PTA Executive Committee:
President: Anetria McCraney (president@themuirpta.org)
Co-Vice President: Maymuun Aden (president@themuirpta.org)
Co-Vice President: Catherine Seaver (president@themuirpta.org)
Co-Secretary: Karen Woodburn (secretary@themuirpta.org)
Co-Secretary: Karina Derksen-Schrock (secretary@themuirpta.org)
Treasurer: Dashel Schueler (treasurer@themuirpta.org)

Thank you also to those of you who volunteered for other crucial roles with the PTA. Below, please see current opportunities (many - in BOLD - still in need of volunteers! ):

  1. Building Leadership Team (BLT) representative (1 person): Meagan Dixon

  2. Race & Social Justice (many members):

  3. Communications (1-2 people):

  4. Fundraising (need chair): Julia MacCracken, Ali Swift, Amy Stelljes

  5. Events (3-4 people): Emily Miller, Kate Schueler, Habone Ahmed

  6. Welcome Committee (3-4 people): Jeremy Kraft

  7. Advocacy (1-2 people): Lul Ali, Fatiya Mohamed

  8. School Supplies (3-4 people): Chelsea Dziedzic (support)

  9. Staff Appreciation (many members): Habone Ahmed

  10. Translation & Interpretation Coordinator (1 person):

  11. John Muir Garden (many members): Jill Newton, Karen Woodburn

  12. Volunteer Coordinator:

  13. Membership Coordinator:

  14. Grant Writer (paid position):


Our incredible community thrives when we all can participate and when the work is shared among many. Would you please consider investing in one of the volunteer opportunities above? We are a community that strives to center relationships over productivity, connection over efficiency, and advocacy over fundraising. We strive to live out anti-racism values in our work.

If you are interested in getting more involved or have questions, please email Anetria and the PTA Executive Committee at info@themuirpta.org.

Warmly,
Anetria McCraney, PTA President
Maymuun Aden and Catherine Seaver, PTA Co-Vice Presidents

PTA Updates - PTA Meeting, Virtual Coffee Hours, and Virtual Book Sale!

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Upcoming PTA Community Meeting, Thursday, January 21st 6-8pm

Please join us! Click here for Zoom link.

Friday Coffee Hours is Back (Virtually)!

A relaxed way to connect with other Muir families. Pour yourself some coffee or tea at home or work, and join us (open house style - join when you can even if only for a minute) on Zoom every Friday from 8:45 am – 9:15 am for Virtual Coffee Fridays. Click here for Zoom link.

Virtual Book Sale at Third Place Books to Benefit Muir Families: January 25th - 29th

From January 25 – January 29, John Muir PTA will receive 20% of any purchase you make at Third Place Books, online. You will also be able to purchase books from our reading staff's "wish list." Mention John Muir when you check-out, and see the attached flyer for more information. You can shop using this link (it will only work between Jan. 25th - 29th). Please share this with others in our community!

Kulankeena Xiga ee Bulshada PTA waa Khamiista, Janaayo 21Fadlan kaqeybgal kulankeena soosocda ee Bulshadda PTA! Waxaan ku tala jirnaa inaan isku turjunno af-soomaali, iyo Isbaanish.

Khamiis, Janaayo 216:00 - 8:00 pmKu soo biir kulanka halkan!--
Nuestra próxima reunión comunitaria de la PTA es el jueves 21 de enero¡Por favor asista a nuestra próxima reunión de Zoom de la Comunidad de la PTA! Tenemos la intención de tener interpretación simultánea en somalí y español.Jueves 21 de enero6:00 - 8:00 pm¡Únete a la reunión aquí!
--

ቀጣዩ የ PTA ማህበረሰብ ስብሰባችን ሐሙስ ጥር 21 ነው
እባክዎን በሚቀጥለው የ PTA ማህበረሰብ ማጉላት ስብሰባችን ላይ ይሳተፉ! በሶማሊኛ እና በስፔን ቋንቋዎች በአንድ ጊዜ ትርጓሜ እንዲኖረን አስበናል ፡፡
ሐሙስ ጃንዋሪ 216:00 - 8:00 pmእዚህ ስብሰባውን ይቀላቀሉ!
--
Cuộc họp Cộng đồng PTA tiếp theo của chúng tôi diễn ra vào Thứ Năm, ngày 21 tháng 1
Vui lòng tham dự Cuộc họp Thu phóng Cộng đồng PTA tiếp theo của chúng tôi! Chúng tôi dự định có phiên dịch đồng thời bằng tiếng Somali và tiếng Tây Ban Nha.
Thứ năm, ngày 21 tháng một6:00 - 8:00 tốiTham gia cuộc họp tại đây!

PTA update - Community Meeting, Thursday Nov. 19

Screen Shot 2020-09-03 at 9.18.05 PM.png

Our Next PTA Community Meeting is on Thursday, November 19
Please attend our next PTA Community Zoom Meeting! We intend to have simultaneous interpretation in Vietnamese, Somali, Amharic, Oromo, and Spanish.

Thursday, November 19
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Join the meeting here!
--

Cuộc họp Cộng đồng PTA tiếp theo của chúng tôi diễn ra vào Thứ Năm, ngày 19 tháng 11
Vui lòng tham dự Cuộc họp Thu phóng Cộng đồng PTA tiếp theo của chúng tôi! Có phiên dịch bằng tiếng Việt.
Thứ năm, ngày 19 tháng 11
6:00 - 8:00 tối
Tham gia cuộc họp tại đây!
--
Kulankeena Bulshada ee xiga ee PTA waa Khamiista, Nofeembar 19
Fadlan kaqeybgal kulankeena soosocda ee Bulshada Bulshadda!Oo af soomaali ku tarjuman toos.

Khamiis, Nofeembar 19
6:00-8:00 pm
Ku soo biir kulanka halkan!
--
ቀጣዩ የ PTA ማህበረሰብ ስብሰባችን ሐሙስ ህዳር 19 ነውእባክዎን በሚቀጥለው የ PTA ማህበረሰብ ማጉላት ስብሰባችን ላይ ይሳተፉ! በአማርኛ ከትርጓሜ ጋር

ሐሙስ 19 ኖቬምበር
6:00-8:00 pm
እዚህ ስብሰባውን ይቀላቀሉ!
--
Nuestra próxima reunión comunitaria de la PTA es el jueves 19 de noviembre
¡Por favor asista a nuestra próxima reunión de Zoom de la Comunidad de la PTA! Con interpretación en español.

Jueves 19 de noviembre
6:00 - 8:00 pm
¡Únete a la reunión aquí!

 

Our goal in this meeting is to continue building community among families and staff, to share updates and opportunities for folks to be involved in our advocacy for all families.  Join us!

--

Paid interpreters needed!
As a practice, the PTA compensates our bilingual Instructional Assistants to support the interpretation of PTA meetings but if they are unavailable we could use additional support. Compensation is $50/hour. Please email info@themuirpta.org if you are interested in interpreting or translating in the following languages: Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Oromo, and Amharic.

Catch up on previous meetings minutes.
As we adjust to running Community Meetings via Zoom we want to be more transparent in providing access to and minutes for these meetings.  You’ll find our Community Meeting Minutes all listed here.

https://www.facebook.com/themuirptaseattle/
www.themuirpta.org
info@muirpta.org

Sharing Community Meeting Minut

Hello wonderful community!

As we adjust to running Community Meetings via Zoom we want to be more transparent in providing access to these meetings (check out this website, our FB page and the school messages from Principal Haider).

You’ll find our Community Meeting Minutes all listed here. We’ll also share them with our email list (to sign up, scroll down to the bottom of this page and fill in the form).

Finally - fill out this form to join the PTA - We are only as strong as our members. While anyone can attend meetings, only members are legally allowed to vote to approve the PTA budget and to approve key strategy decisions. In addition, all Executive Board members must be members. According to PTA regulations, we must have at least 25 members to officially run as a PTA.