General PTA 

Alki PTA Recognized as National Leader in Strengthening Family-School Partnerships

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Leslie Boggs, National PTA President, has recognized Alki PTA’s efforts to improve family school partnerships with a certificate thanking Alki PTA for raising our voices to support every child. The Alki community can be proud of our resilience in the face of the COVID19 pandemic. 

 

Due to nationwide school closures, National PTA Stakeholders made the difficult decision to suspend the final steps of this year’s School of Excellence program. This decision was made after careful consideration and input from participating PTAs across the country. Many PTAs reported they did not have access to the tools needed to complete the program, and most PTA’s said their work was cut short by COVID19 school closures.  

 

Alki PTA is considered a national leader in strengthening family-school partnerships. Next year’s panel of judges will consider this year’s work to determine which schools will be awarded the distinguished School of Excellence title in the Fall of 2021. These successes belong to every family, educator, and student in our community: 

  • Welcome banners hung in languages spoken by Alki families to improve school climate
  • Participation in the 2019-2020 National PTA Reflections Art Program 
  • A community forum in partnership with the Families of Color organization (thank you Harris family!)
  • Weekly Brew at the Bell engagement opportunities with our PTA President & Alki Principal
  • Strong turnout for our Family Math Night in partnership with West Seattle Mathnasium 
  • Moving our general membership meetings to an online forum VIA ZOOM amid school closures
  • Awarded $1000 Google Be internet Awesome/ PTA Connected Grant in January 2020
  • Awarded $5000 TikTok COVID 19 National PTA Relief Grant in June 2020
  • Serve families experiencing food insecurities with a new on campus food pantry program in 2020 
  • Town Hall organized by our Advocacy Committee with District 34 Legislatures Senator Joe Nguyen, Representative Eileen Cody, and Representative Joe Fitzgibbon to discuss funding school nurses
  • Drafted a Legislative Proposal for Washington State PTA Advocacy Committee, compelling them to make funding school healthcare professionals one of their Top 5 legislative priorities
  • Supported small businesses and Alki PTA by the launch of the grassroots “In It Together” initiative
  • Held a virtual Scholastic Book Fair to help motivate kids to read during the closures
  • Created online events (teacher appreciation week, Alki art walk, Mrs. Iba’s library events, Monday morning assemblies, spirit week, 5th grade promotion and many more) to keep our community connected and engaged
  • Sold out 3 shows at West Seattle High School featuring our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in the Alki PTA Musical production of Shrek Jr.
  • Started a new Alki Seagulls Facebook community page to showcase our families creativity with distance learning 
  • Mother’s Day bouquet fundraiser supporting local Seattle flower growers impacted by COVID
  • Alki Cares Fund to support families in need during the pandemic

 

There is a place for everyone at the table to collaborate with our educators to strengthen Alki’s family school partnerships and school climate. Erica Sullivan, next year’s FACE Co-Chair, and I look forward to building bridges with you next fall. Please email Family and Community Engagement at Alki  (FACE@alkipta.com) to learn more. 

 

Mel  Spiker
School of Excellence Program Chair
Family and Community Engagement