Sep 09, 2024

Preston Elementary PTA

Volume 8 Issue 03

Information from Mrs. Wendland

We have a busy week ahead! We hope to see you tomorrow night, September 10, in the Preston Cafeteria to hear important information from Dr. Robin Bullock regarding the upcoming bond election.

Then Friday night is the annual Jenny Preston Jamboree! Have you given to the PTA No Fuss Fundraiser yet? We are inching closer to our goal of $11,000....if we reach it, I will pucker up and kiss a farm animal at the petting zoo on Friday night! We've been talking about the various animal options on announcements each day, and I'm really hoping for something cute and furry! You won't want to miss out on this fun!

Speaking of animals...I LOVE animals, especially those with four legs and fur; however, we cannot allow pets on campus UNLESS they are service animals or hanging out in your car in the carpool line. With cooler temps on the way, it is tempting to leash up the dog and walk the kids to school. Please remember to stop short of school grounds if you choose to do so as not all children or adults are fond of pets Thank you in advance for your consideration.

If you'll be visiting for lunch, be sure that you've checked out the new guidelines below. As with any new process, there may be glitches, but I am confident this "reservation" procedure will be an easy habit to adopt once we get past this initial phase.

Just a reminder that students have an additional 3-day weekend coming up. Monday, September 16 is a staff development/student holiday! Enjoy the extra time!

Again, thank you for trusting us with what you value 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

Learn About the Allen ISD Bond at the PTA Meeting

We’re kicking off the PTA year on September 10th at 6:30 pm in the cafeteria with a special parent education program during our first membership meeting. This event presents an excellent opportunity to gain insight into our district and receive firsthand information regarding the upcoming bond election.

Following the PTA business proceedings, Allen ISD Superintendent Dr. Robin Bullock and her team will provide a comprehensive overview of the Allen ISD Bond 2024, including the selection process and implications for our schools. A Q&A session will ensue, and PTA members will have the opportunity to vote on whether Preston PTA supports the bond at the subsequent Council meeting. While the entire community is invited to attend, only PTA members are eligible to vote. We look forward to your presence at this informative event.

Picture Day is Coming

Bring on the cute outfits and get those smiles ready!

Preston will be having Picture Day on Thursday, September 19th.

Want to volunteer to help on Picture Day? Keep an eye out for a signup sheet on the Preston PTA website.

Fall Family Event Sept. 13th

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

This PTA sponsored event will have a petting zoo, foam party (bring a towel), DJ, games, music, balloon twisters, popcorn, Crunchies food truck, Dippin Dots, and more.

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

We can't do this event without the help of our amazing Preston Pride parent volunteers so if you'd like to Volunteer for this event, you can see all the details here! Service Hours are available for teen volunteers!

Preston Elementary No-Fuss Fundraiser Challenge!

Help us reach our FUNDRAISING GOAL and have some fun along the way!

We’re excited to announce a fundraising contest for the No Fuss Fundraiser at Preston Elementary! The homeroom class with the highest percentage of participation will win some amazing rewards!

Contest Details:

Donation Period: July 30th through September 13th at 3:00 pm
How to Win: The class with the highest percentage of donations will win the rewards listed below!

Rewards Include:

🎁 Gift Card: The winning class’s teacher will receive a $25 gift card!
🏆 Special Class Reward: Ask your student what special surprise their teacher has planned for the whole class!
🎉 Watch Our Principal Kiss a Zoo Animal: If we reach our goal of $11,000, Mrs. Wendland will kiss a petting zoo animal at the Jenny Preston Jamboree on September 13th!

Let’s Hit Our Fundraising Goal of $11,000!

To DONATE now, SCAN the image below and help your child’s class win!

Want to see the TOP 5 CLASSES? Click here.

Thank you for supporting the Preston Elementary PTA! Remember, all donations are tax-deductible. For any questions, please contact Jessica at waysandmeans@prestonpta.org.

Calling all Dads, Stepdads, Grandpas, and Father Figures

Join us from 5:30-6:30 on Tuesday, September 17th to learn more about the PTA's Watch DOGS program and how you can make an impact at your student's school. A pizza dinner will be provided.

Volunteers Needed!

Volunteers are vital to helping Run Club go smoothly! You will be:

Assisting students to get into the building at arrival
Ensure the students are completing their laps
Help track student progress.
Monitoring the health and safety of students while they are running
Making sure they exit safely

Run Club starts September 17th.

It's Time to Get Creative

Do you have a budding artist who is always covered in markers and paint? Does your child dream of being a famous filmmaker? Are they always dancing or writing stories? Harness that creative energy with the PTA's Reflections program! The theme this year is Accepting Imperfection.

Reflections allows students to explore their own ideas, thoughts, and artistry through dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts. Submissions are due on October 17th in the art room.

We cannot wait to see the creative ways our Preston kiddos interpret this theme! Visit the PTA website for important dates and information.

Spirit Wear Delivery Date

Field trip and Spirit Wear Shirts will be delivered to the student's classrooms on Tuesday, September 24th.

If you placed an order, please visit the PTA's Registration and Forms page and add your student's Homeroom teacher by clicking on the "Family Information" link and selecting it from the dropdown menu in the Student Information section.

Yeehaw! Lets Get Reading

FALL BOOK FAIR

September 30th to October 4th

The book fair is a great way to get kids excited about and interested in reading! Parents will be allowed to shop with your student during lunch time and after school until 3:30pm.

Volunteers are needed for set up and to help the students browse and shop. Sign up here.

We've been busy the past two weeks! The PTA's snack cart made its 2024-2025 debut, filled will all sorts of fantastic treats. The snack cart is a staff favorite and we were thrilled to get those wheels rolling. Thanks to Marisa Medrano, Kristen Hill, Allison Gnade, Erin Byrd, and Emily Hale for your help.

The PTA also conducted trainings for our Room Parent and ArtSparks volunteers. This great group of parents is ready to help assist the teachers and bring an additional love of art into the classrooms. We are thankful to have so many volunteers for these programs! Special thanks to Linda Nab and Erin Byrd for heading up those two groups.

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!

9/9	Sadeghi, Tracy

9/26	Branscom, Courtney
9/26	Howard, Kelly

Information from Allen ISD

Allen ISD Community Engagement Night

Allen ISD invites community members to join us for a Community Engagement Night on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Allen ISD STEAM Center, located at 1680 Ridgeview Drive, Allen, TX.

The evening will begin with a complimentary pizza dinner for all attendees from 5:30-6 p.m. followed by informative sessions at 6 p.m

This conference-style event offers a unique opportunity for community members to engage with district leaders and explore a variety of important topics.

Want more info? Visit the Allen ISD website. Click here to RSVP.

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.