What is a school PTA, really? Some know that the PTA raises money for field trips and runs book fairs, but its members do that and so much more at Springs School.
The PTA implements amusing activities for students. It works hard to bring Scholastic Book Fairs to the school, and during the holidays, the PTA organizes the Penguin Patch, which is a place for students to buy holiday gifts for family members. To start the school year off with a splash, the PTA hosts a back to school barbecue, where students love to gather around the dunk tank to see their teachers take a swim — the students’ way of paying them back for homework.
Let’s face it, school can be stressful, and these activities keep students engaged in their learning.
Danielle Fine has been on the PTA for about five years and has been its copresident for two years. “I love that it [the PTA] allows me access to the school in a way I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t a volunteer here,” she said. “I think being a part of the PTA gives you insight into the school community that I feel I didn’t have before I joined this group.”
Last year, the Springs School PTA raised $140,000 and this year it set its biggest goal yet: raising $170,000.
The system works like this: The money this year goes into a fund for next year, so last year’s almost $140,000 will pay for activities this year. For example, the PTA covered most of the kindergarten’s field trip to go apple picking early in the year. It also received a request to contribute to a trip to the Montauk Lighthouse. These are the first field trips of many.
Asked what she wants people to know about the role of the PTA, she said, “There is a large portion of our community that is underserved and underfunded.” She wants families to have a safe space here in the school, and for the PTA to help connect the community with the school. The PTA is a go-between with the administration and the families in the school, a bridge, if you will.
Noticing that a lot of Springs students play soccer on a team or at recess, she said the PTA is thinking of hosting a soccer-related activity.
The first president of the Springs School PTA, which was started in 1988, was Jane White. She began her PTA journey at Springs. Then, when her kids went to East Hampton High School, she was on the PTA there. After that, she joined the board of the Suffolk County PTA and later the state board, where she won an award for her service. She is now a part of the school’s prekindergarten support staff.
Anyone can volunteer with the PTA, even high school students looking for some community service hours. Connecting as a community is what we need now more than ever.
By Alexa Salcedo Rivas, Grade 8