SD Unified Council of PTAs Donates 170,800 Volunteer Hours

Barbara Flannery, Jose Gonzales, Superintendent Bill Kowba and Board Member Kevin Beiser

Arika Daniels, Bey-Ling Sha and Derby Pattengill

Bey-Ling Sha, Mary MacKenzie, Ann Marie Haney, Barbara Flannery

Barbara Flannery and Melissa Whipple

The San Diego Unified Council of PTAs presented Supt. Bill Kowba with a mock check for $4,000,139, which represented the estimated dollar value of the 170,800 volunteer hours donated by PTA members this school year to the district. Board member Kevin Beiser joined the superintendent for the special presentation, which took place at the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs Founder’s Day Meeting on May 23.

“In reality, a dollar amount cannot be put on the volunteer hours given by PTA members each year,” said Kowba. “These committed volunteers are priceless to the district.”

The Council of PTAs also presented four service awards, recognized special unit PTAs who met the membership challenge and one National PTA award winner.

Mary MacKenzie and Mary Ann Haney accepted the Honorary Service Award presented to Community Council for Music in the Schools, a non-profit agency that revitalizes donated instruments to ensure that all San Diego Unified students have access to good musical instruments. The council also hosts the annual Honors Orchestra. The Honorary Service Award recognizes outstanding service to children and youth.

Melissa Whipple, family engagement resource teacher at the Ballard Parent Center, was presented an Honorary Service Award for her continuing support of student success through parent education. Melissa uses the National PTA Family Engagement Standards to frame her program.

PTA Council board members, Derby Pattengill and Bey-Ling Sha,each received Very Special Person award for outstanding service in the Our Children, Our Future [www.ourchildrenourfuture2012.com] ballot initiative – an initiative to solve the continuing school budget crisis.

Twelve district school PTAs were recognized with membership awards. Whitman Elementary PTA was recognized for its Family Evenings Science Week, which was funded by the National PTA “Take Your Family to School Week” grant. Benchley-Weinberger Elementary PTA was recognized by Ninth District PTA for Best Printed Newsletter and La Jolla High School PTA was recognized for Outstanding Continuing Program – Life 101.

The San Diego Unified Council of PTAs is comprised of 81 school-level PTAs in the San Diego Unified School District. To start a PTA at your school, contact Barbara Flannery at sducpta@yahoo.com.