August 28, 2026

We hope you found Back to School Night resourceful! Speaking of resources, the PTA bulletin board right outside the school office is filled with information about the PTA and the latest news. Be sure to stop and take a look on your way in or out!

THIS WEEK’s HIGHLIGHTS:

• Fall Book Fair

• Volunteering Opportunities: Room Parents, SEL Readers, Book Fair, Library, Picture Day

• Join/Renew PTA Membership

• NexTrex Plastic Recycling

• Upcoming Events:

• SAVE THE DATE [Wed. 9/9] PTA General Association Meeting - all are welcome to attend

• [Tue. 9/15 – Thu. 9/17] Fall Book Fair

• [Thu. 9/17, 5–7pm] Welcome Back Picnic

• [Fri. 9/18, 8:15am] Principal’s Coffee

• [Mon. 9/21] Picture Day

• Reminders

• Last Chance to pre-order your adult Imai t-shirts before the 12pm deadline today

• [Mon. 9/7] Labor Day - No School

• MVWSD Volunteer Application process is live - www.mvwsd.org/parents/volunteering for more information

Read below for additional details…

FALL BOOK FAIR

Get excited about the Book Fair! Linden Tree Books returns with a great selection of popular titles and new releases.

Reasons to Come to our Book Fair:

• We’ve got an extensive selection: picture books, early readers, chapter books, graphic novels, fiction and non-fiction… something for everyone!

• Empower students by allowing them to choose their own books. It sparks interest in reading and exploring a new genre that they normally would not read.

• Purchasing physical books helps build a strong home library.

• Help your teacher build their classroom library by buying books from their wishlist or send them a gift card.

• A portion of the proceeds will be donated back to our school.

Things to Know about the Book Fair:

• Hours: Refer to above

• Special Hours: 

• Our youngest students (TK & Kinder) can shop with a parent/caregiver exclusively from 1:30–2:30pm on Tue. 9/15 and Wed. 9/16 before the rest of the school is dismissed.

• Extended shopping hours 5–7pm during the Welcome Back Picnic on Thu. 9/17.

• Prepaid Gift Cards: Parents are encouraged to purchase gift cards for shopping at the fair in lieu of cash/credit card. Get yours today via Linden Tree’s portal by Mon. 9/14 at 6pm.

• Book Signing: Our very own Imai parent and author Jasmine Fang will hold a special signing of her new book Beneath the Same Round Moon on Thursday 9/17 from 4–5pm in the Imai Library. Stop by to purchase your book and have it signed, and shop the rest of the Book Fair before the Back to School Picnic.

• Teacher Wishlists: Your teachers will get a special preview of the book fair and the chance to pick out a few books for their wishlists. We encourage you to buy a book or 2 to help them grow their classroom collection!

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES 

You’ve probably heard about volunteering opportunities from your teachers at Back-to-School Night. The PTA appreciates all sorts of volunteer support throughout the year, and here are a few that you can jump in right from the start.

Class Level:

• Room Parent

• Serve a valuable role as a point of contact between your teacher and parents, spearhead class parties and teacher appreciation events, etc.

• There are usually 2-3 room parents per classroom. Partner up with a friend or meet someone new!

• Rooms that still need Room Parents: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22, 22A, 22C

• Contact your teacher to let them know you’d like to volunteer, or email roomparentcoordinators@imaipta.org.

• SEL Reader

• For one hour each month, volunteer to read in a classroom and discuss with students about managing emotions, showing empathy, making responsible decisions, etc.

• 2–3 readers per classroom is recommended. You do not have to read for your own child’s classroom in order to volunteer.

• Rooms that can use more readers: 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 19
  Email cornerstone@imaipta.org to sign up.

• Library

• Help our librarian manage returns, shelving, check-outs, etc. during the school week.

• Email Ms. Alisa (astutzbach@mvwsd.org) if you’re interested in volunteering. 

School Level:

• Book Fair – go to sign-up sheet 

• Staff Appreciation, Community Swap Events (Halloween Costume Swap is just around the corner!), Annual Fundraiser, Walkathon, Eaglefest – to get more information on any of these, please fill out this interest form.

• Picture Day 9/21 – go to sign-up sheet

JOIN/RENEW PTA MEMBERSHIP

• Why join and donate to the PTA? To show your support, advocate for your children, and vote at PTA meetings. Each year, the Imai PTA spends ~$300+ per student ($150K annual budget) to provide enrichment programs, field trips, teaching materials, community programs, staff appreciation, and much more! See our website for more details.

• Suggested donation is $200 per child, but any amount is appreciated!

• How do I join?

For New Members: 

• • Go to the Totem website and click “Join Now”

  • Follow the prompts to create an account.

  • For membership type, select “Parent/Guardian” or another appropriate option 

  • Check out with credit card. Membership is just $12 (+$1 convenience fee).

To Renew Your Membership:

• • Log into Totem with your email and password

  • Renew your membership

• How do I donate?

• Via Totem: When you become a member or renew your membership, you can add a donation

• Via employer giving portal (e.g. Benevity): Search for “Amy Imai Elementary PTA”, Tax ID:77-0492242, and don’t forget to request a match!

• Via check payable to “Amy Imai Elementary PTA”

• Our annual Membership Drive and Contest is coming soon!

• Any questions regarding PTA Membership can be directed to membership@imaipta.org.

NEXTREX PLASTIC RECYCLING

• Thank you if you’ve brought plastic film packaging to recycle over the summer!

• If you are new to Imai, we started this initiative with NexTrex last year to collect acceptable plastic bags and films which they turn into eco-friendly outdoor products.

• Our goal is to collect 250-lbs of plastic by the end of December so we can be entered to win a reward worth $500 (e.g. bench, life-size Jenga, life-size Connect4).

• We encourage everyone to drop off their clean plastics in the NexTrex recycling bins—we now have 4 locations on campus!

• In front of school office

• By the Lost & Found rack

• Inside the copy room

• Inside the staff lounge

DESTINATION IMAGINATION (Gr. 3–5)

• Destination Imagination (DI) is back at Imai for a second year! It’s a fun, hands-on program where students in 3rd through 5th grade work in small teams to solve creative, STEM-based challenges. You can learn more about it at https://www.destinationimagination.org/challenge-experience/.

• Where: On campus

• When: Fridays 2:50-4:00pm starting Sept 11th until the regional tournament in late February (or April/May for teams that advance and compete in the state tournament or global finals)

• Cost: sponsored by the school and PTA so only $50 per student

• There will be online info sessions for parents on Tuesday 9/1 at 8pm and Thursday 9/3 at 8pm. Signup at https://forms.gle/xm3Dn6LxR2KGaj4UA to get on the mailing list and we will share the meeting invites for the info sessions with everyone who responds.

FALL AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT CLASSES

• Registration is on-going for After School Programs for Sep - Dec 2026. The list of classes and registration details can be found here: www.imaipta.org/after-school

• For classes that are full, please register for the waitlist to indicate interest and they may add capacity. Classes that do not meet minimum enrollment may be cancelled.

• To suggest a vendor or program to be considered, or for general questions, email  afterschool@imaipta.org

• Join the Konstella → Social Groups → After School Care Needs for real-time updates and quick answers from the parent community.

Check our website, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to our Google Calendar to stay in-the-know for upcoming dates and events!

Got something to say or looking for ways to volunteer? Contact us by filling out this form.

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