Hello Falcon Families!

Wow, what a great turnout at the Back to School Night! It's been wonderful seeing all of you back in school the last 2 weeks. Special thanks to Jen Denton for organizing the Ice Cream Social and Coffee & Donuts on the First Day of School + to Ashley McLaughlin & Tyler Fuentes for manning the PTA table at Back to School Night!

The Franklin PTA will send a newsletter about once a month. This first edition covers:

• 📅 Upcoming dates (including our first in-person PTA meeting with childcare & pizza!)

• 🏫 What the PTA does

• 🤝 How you can help

• 💡 Helpful tips for new families

📅 Important Upcoming Dates

♟️ AEF After-School Class Enrollment – Wednesday, August 18, 9:30 AM
More Info & Registration

🎨 Art Docent Training – Tuesday, August 25, 8:30 AM in the Multipurpose Room
No art experience needed!
Sign Up via Konstella or email artdocent@franklinpta.org
Makeup Zoom (please do your best to attend the in-person training on 8/25) -Thursday 8/27 at 7pm Zoom Link

🚶🏻Walkathon Kickoff Planning Meeting - Tuesday, August 25, 6:30 PM on Zoom

🕙 PTA Meeting – Wednesday, August 26, 6:30 PM, Media Center (2nd Floor)
Our first in-person meeting! Childcare & pizza provided.

🏫 What the PTA Does

• Organize events like the Back to School Social, Spooktacular, Science Fair & Heritage Night

• Fund support staff like paraprofessional, art teacher & science teacher

• Pay for buses, classroom supplies, tutoring, and assemblies

• Run programs like Art Docent, DEI, Room Parents & Teacher Appreciation

• Advocate for all Franklin students

🤝 How You Can Help

1. Volunteer — Opportunities big & small: Room Parents, Art Docents, DEI Committee & more.

2. Join/Renew PTA Membership — $16 + $1 fee/year, vote on key decisions. Join via Totem

3. Donate — Goal: $500/student. Give via PayPal

💡 New to Franklin?

• Register on Konstella to get the calendar, join committees & connect with families. Pro tip: subscribe to the Konstella calendar (using a browser, not the mobile app). From the landing page, click on Calendar at the top, and then Sync to My Calendar on the right. 

• Check the PTA Welcome Packet for school tips & resources.

Questions or ideas? Email president@franklinpta.org or connect with any PTA board member.

Stay Connected:

• PTA Website

• Franklin PTA Facebook Page

• Franklin Falcons of Alameda FB Group (private – request to join)

Here’s to an amazing school year together!
Your Franklin PTA Board 🦅

 How Can I Help? 

#1. Volunteer

Our PTA programs, community events, and the classroom activities are only possible with the generous support of parents like you. All types of volunteering, whether directly with the kids at school or behind the scenes, helps enrich our students' academic and social experience. There are many volunteer opportunities to get involved. Below are some areas where help is especially needed this year:

• Room Parents— In addition to helping the teacher with classroom-specific jobs, Room Parents work closely with the PTA to help disseminate information to each class. You will also help with teacher gifts from the class and activities during Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week (early May). Please tell your child’s teacher if you’re interested in serving as Room Parent or Co-Room Parent and sign up in Konstella. Questions about what the role entails? email volunteer@franklinpta.org 
• Art Docent Program—Don't have an MFA? Don't sweat it- no art experience is required to be an Art Docent! You’ll be spending a few hours a month leading or helping with an art project for the classroom. Please sign up under the Art Docent Committee in Konstella or email artdocent@franklinpta.org. We recommend attending the in-person training on Tuesday, Aug 25, 8:30am in the Multipurpose Room. There will also be a make up training season on Zoom, Thursday, Aug. 27, Zoom Link
  
• Our 2nd biggest fundraiser of the year, the 11th Annual Walkathon needs you! Join the Walkathon committee on Konstella and join our kickoff planning meeting on Zoom, Tuesday August 25 at 6:30pm. 
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee—The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee promotes AUSD and PTA values of belonging and providing equitable opportunities for student success and well-being. We both joyfully celebrate our differences and support our community in doing the difficult work associated with dismantling dominant narratives. No experience necessary; all you need is an open mind! Please sign up under the DEI Committee in Konstella or contact Tyler Fuentes via Konstella.
• There are many more committees to join! Please see the Committees section of Konstella for the full list.

#2. Renew Your Membership or Join the PTA

The Franklin PTA gives parents and caregivers the opportunity to connect with other families and influence their child’s educational and extracurricular activities. Only PTA members are able to vote on decisions such as which programs to fund and which political measures that affect our schools to endorse. With schools facing challenges like shrinking budgets and lack of educational equity, PTAs are more important than ever. PTA dues are $16 per member per year (plus a $1 fee). Membership dues do not auto-renew. Renew or join the PTA through Totem here.

If financial hardship is an obstacle to joining the PTA, please email (ask@franklinpta.org) about our membership grant program. Requests will be kept confidential- no questions asked.

#3 Donate

The Franklin PTA is funded by families like you. We hold 2 major fundraisers a year: the Walk-a-thon in the Fall and the Auction Party in the Spring. Most of our budget comes from these two fundraisers plus general direct donations made to our PTA. Our goal is to raise at least $500 per student at Franklin. You can donate directly to the PTA at any time of the year through our Franklin PTA PayPal account at President@franklinpta.org.  Every little bit helps! 

New to Franklin?

In addition to the above, here are some tips to get started: 

• Make sure you've registered with the PTA's communication platform, Konstella. Registering allows you to do things like: sync the PTA’s calendar with your own so you don’t miss events, access the school directory to contact other families for play dates, join volunteer committees, send a message to your classroom, create or join a social group, and more! Emails were sent out with an invitation to register with Konstella. Didn't get one? Need help? contact communications@franklinpta.org
• Last but not least, check out the PTA Welcome Packet.

Got Any Bright Ideas?

Whether you’re a seasoned Franklin parent or are new to our community (welcome!) we want to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out to any PTA Exec Board member, or contact PTA president Hazel Archer at president@franklinpta.org.