Aug 26, 2024

Preston Elementary PTA

Volume 8 Issue 02

Information from Mrs. Wendland

We've had a FANTASTIC start to the 24-25 school year! Students and families seem to be settling into the routines, and we are so excited about the learning taking place each day in our classrooms! We appreciate the efforts of our staff and community who come together seamlessly to ensure a smooth start for our students. It absolutely takes a village!

I want to personally thank the PTA for providing a delicious salad bar lunch for our staff on the first day of school! We were so very thankful to have one less thing to think about and prepare for on that extremely busy day.

Thank you as well to our PTA volunteers who have braved the heat to help direct our new families through the maze that is our carpool line! We appreciate your willingness to help out when our staff is occupied with the students!

Speaking of carpool...Please pack your patience when you line up for arrival and dismissal in the carpool lane. We are constantly monitoring students here on campus and have their safety as our top priority. We are not able to police adults out in the neighborhood but do encourage you to follow the traffic flow pattern and use common courtesy when traveling to and from campus with your students. I know this has been shared on the PTA Facebook page and I am sharing the traffic map once again in hopes that our community will work together to make the trip to school safe and as stress-free as possible.

As a friendly reminder, motorists MUST stop when they are behind a school bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped. Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety. Allen PD will be patrolling the area and enforcing this law.

Don't forget that Monday, September 2nd is a staff and student holiday in observance of Labor Day. Enjoy your long weekend! As always, thanks for trusting us with those you value the most!

Warm Regards,

Mrs. Wendland

Lunch News

Parents and special guests may start visiting for lunch on Monday, September 9. Guests are limited to 2 per student, per day. We can only accommodate 8 guests per grade level. Please plan to visit only ONE time per week, as lunch time with friends is an important opportunity for students to practice age-appropriate social skills. Use this link to sign up so that our front office will know you're coming! Sign-up for lunch is something new this year and we thank you in advance for honoring this request. This will give our office staff time to print your visitors badge in advance, check that the visitors signed up are authorized to be with your child, and make sure that we have enough seating a space for your visit. Don't forget to bring your photo ID when you come.

Just a few lunchtime guidelines to keep in mind:

Parents and guests will sign in at the front office
Parents and guests will meet their student on the stage at the designated lunch time. Students and parents must remain seated on the stage throughout the lunch period - no one is permitted to leave the stage and mingle with students or teachers in the cafeteria.
Parents and guests are not permitted in other areas of the building.
Students will rejoin their class in the cafeteria at the end of the lunch period.
Please use trash receptacles provided and keep the area clean for the remaining guests.

The lunch visitor sign-up for the fall semester can be accessed HERE. You will also find it linked on the Preston website.

Message from PTA

First PTA Meeting is September 10th

Come join us for the first PTA meeting of the year! At this membership meeting we will conduct the business of the PTA and then have a presentation by Superintendent Dr. Robin Bullock and other Allen ISD cabinet members.

Earlier this month the Allen ISD school board called a bond election for Nov. 5th. Dr. Bullock will be presenting information about the Allen ISD Bond 2024.
Following the presentation, the members of Preston PTA will vote on whether Preston PTA will support the bond at the upcoming Allen ISD Council of PTAs meeting. All parents are welcome to attend the meeting, however, only Preston PTA members will be allowed to vote.

Please visit this link to learn more about Allen ISD Bond 2024

Allen Council of PTAs Bond Info Sessions

If you can't make it to our PTA meeting on Sept 10, two other informational meetings are being held by the Allen ISD Council of PTAs. These meetings are for PTA members only.

Click on the image for a larger view of the flyer. RSVP here for either Allen ISD Council info session.

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Become a Member Today!

Become a member of the Preston PTA and join the 360+ parents, community members, and school staff who support our campus.

With your support the PTA brings extra fun to Preston through student enrichment, family education and engagement, and staff support.

Visit our website to join!

NO FUSS FUNDRAISING

Join in on the fun with Preston PTA's signature fundraising event of the year, the No Fuss FUNDRAISER! It’s the easiest way to show your support for your child or children at Preston Elementary.

Our goal is to wrap up all our fundraising efforts at the start of the school year. Forget about the hassle of selling wrapping paper, baking treats, or canvassing your neighborhood. All you need to do is make a donation on the Preston PTA website by clicking the image below.

Help us reach our goal of $11,000 by September 13 so we can fund all of the amazing activities we have planned. Remember, your donation is tax-deductible! Please check with your employer about matching charitable donations. If you have any questions about fundraising, feel free to reach out to Jessica at waysandmeans@prestonpta.org.

The Spirit Wear Store Closes Tuesday, August 27th

Be sure to order your child's Field Trip Shirt and any other spirit wear for you and your student by the end of the 27th. All families are invited to wear Preston shirts to show they are a member of the Preston Pride! Click on the image above to see what's available.

Fall Family Event Sept. 13th

The annual Jenny Preston Jamboree will be held on Friday, Sept 13th from 5:00-7:00 on the Preston Playground.

This PTA sponsored event will have a petting zoo, foam party, DJ and more!

Mark your calendars and bring the whole family. We'll see you there!

Visit the Preston PTA website to see what volunteer opportunities we have available!

SAVE THE DATE

FALL BOOK FAIR

September 30th to October 4th

Parents will be allowed to shop with your student during lunch time and after school until 3:30pm.

Look out for the volunteer link coming next week on our PTA Facebook page! Our amazing Book Fair would not be possible without the help of our amazing volunteers!

What is Watch DOGS?

Watch DOGS is brought to you by a partnership between the PTA and Preston's amazing counselor, Calli Smith.

Watch DOGS is for dads, stepdads, uncles, grandpas, and all male role models in your child's life. It's a unique opportunity to spend a day on campus with your child, volunteering and highlighting the fact that everyone supports education.

The Watch DOGS info night will be September 17th from 5:30-6:30 in the Preston cafeteria.

Last week Preston PTA had volunteers out in the morning to help direct traffic around the school. A big thank you to Austin Hill, Tejaswini Devireddy, and Theresa Ginsburg for your help!

Everyone who wants to volunteer at Preston needs to fill out the district's volunteer application/background check.

The application can take 2 weeks to come back, so be sure to fill it out soon!

https://www.allenisd.org/page/register-volunteer

Subscribe to Our Calendars

Stay up to date on all things coming to Preston! Use this link to manage your calendar subscriptions including PTA Meetings, PTA Programs & Events, Allen ISD Academic Calendar and the Preston Elementary Calendar.

Navigate to your subscriptions on the PrestonPTA.org website under Account / Calendar Subscriptions.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/PrestonPTA

http://www.instagram.com/prestonPTA

Parent lead Facebook Groups for each Grade Level also exist. These are a great way to meet other families and ask questions you may have!

Contact communications@prestonpta.com for more information!

8/26	Rees, Heidi
9/6	Bush, Jennifer

9/9	Sadeghi, Tracy

Information from Allen ISD

Raising Eagles Webinar with Ronald Ferguson

Allen ISD is excited to announce the launch of a new program, "Raising Eagles," which will replace the former Parent University. This initiative is designed to inform and engage parents and caregivers as partners, advocates, and continuous learners in their child’s education.

We believe that Allen High School graduates will be:

Effective Problem Solvers
Responsible and Engaged Citizens
Academically Prepared for Future Pursuits
Effective Communicators

Through carefully crafted engagement opportunities, "Raising Eagles" will strengthen these attributes by fostering collaboration within the school community to support our students.

RSVP to the August 28th Online Event

Student Nutrition

Allen ISD offers free and reduced-price meal benefits to students who qualify. Reduced-price meals at all campuses are $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch. Please use the following link to apply online or print a paper copy: https://www.allenisd.org/o/aisd/page/free-and-reduced-price-meal-applications

In addition, the following link gives additional details regarding our online payment system: MySchoolBucks

Please visit the Student Nutrition page of the district website https://www.allenisd.org/page/student-nutritionfor all other information, including our refund/transfer/donate form, account restrictions and disability and food allergen information. Feel free to contact our department directly with any questions or concerns at (972) 727-0545.

Looking Ahead

Tuesday, September 10

9:30a PTA Board Meeting

6:30p PTA Member Meeting & Parent Education Program

Friday, September 13

5:00p Jenny Preston Jamboree on Preston Playground

SUBJECT: Preston Newsletter 08/26/2024