Annual Pancake Breakfast

The tradition must go on! Join us for the annual “Stokes PTA Pancake Breakfast – a Virtual Experience.” Registered participants will receive a special gift basket filled with goodies to help bring the spirit of Stokes into your home kitchen! Please register no later than Tuesday, Dec. 8th to receive a basket. 

Please email us at stokespta@gmail.com with any questions or to request free registration if needed and to register, please visit:

https://elsie-whitlow-stokes-pcs-pta.square.site/product/pancake-breakfast/2?cs=true

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Meet Your New 2020-2021 Stokes-Brookland PTA Board

President: Vacant
Vice President: Kristine Erickson
Secretary: Laura Alexander
Treasurer: Wahi Chisolm
Communications Chair: Erin Argueta
Events Chair: Jillian Jarrett
Membership Chair: Vacant
Fundraising Chair: Alexis Tyndle

In addition, Theola and Brian DeBose will be Room Parent Co-Chairs.

The next PTA meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 2 at 6:15 p.m.

There are still opportunities to serve as President and Membership Committee Chair; please email stokespta@gmail.com if you are interested.  

2020-2021 PTA Board Election Information

Deadline to submit nominations has been extended to October 21

The Stokes PTA needs you! We are accepting applications for individuals who wish to run for an elected office for the 2020-2021 school year. Positions are open to ANYONE in the E.W. Stokes PCS Community — parents, guardians, teachers, staff, administrators, and community members. (President is the only position unavailable to Stokes administrative staff.) If you would like to be an Executive Board member, please read the position descriptions below. If you know someone who you think would be a good leader, please encourage him or her to run.

Interested candidates should submit their nomination form by Wednesday, October 21. Candidates will be asked to give a short 2-3 minute speech at the PTA meeting on November 4. If you cannot attend, someone from the Executive Board will read your summary and distribute it to the wider Stokes-Brookland community. Live nominations on the night of the November PTA meeting are welcome.

The PTA Executive Board meets once a month in executive session and joins the full PTA monthly meeting.

We need candidates for the following officer positions:

President: Presides over Stokes PTA meetings, is an ex officio member of all committees, and coordinates the work of the officers and committees. Works with Stokes administrative staff to coordinate the Stokes PTA and Stokes School efforts.

Vice President: Aids the president and fills in for the president as needed.

Secretary: Records and maintains minutes of all meetings for the Stokes PTA.

Treasurer: Receive, record, and deposit all monies in a timely manner. Maintain Stokes PTA’s financial records. Present a treasurer’s report at each meeting.

The following positions also serve on the Stokes PTA board. These positions may have co-chairs.

Communications Chair: Leads communications committee in aiding communication of all Stokes PTA Events, undertakes the maintenance of the Stokes PTA website, manages social media platforms, and coordinates online payment for events.

Events Chair: Be point of contact for all the Stokes PTA Events. The Events chair works with Stokes administration and other staff to help plan dates of events and coordination between staff and the Stokes PTA.

Membership Chair: Creates flyer to secure PTA membership, collects annual PTA dues, develops/maintains yearly PTA membership roster.

Fundraising Chair: Manages the annual Community Campaign, identifies and reaches out to potential school sponsors to collect donations, seeks out fundraising opportunities, and participates in other fundraising activities/responsibilities as needed.

Room Parent Coordinator: Serves as a liaison between room parents and the PTA. Works with the school Parent Engagement Coordinator to drive parent involvement within the PTA.

Other Important Information to Consider

Renew/become a member of our PTA. 
Now is the time to renew your PTA membership. If you are new to Stokes, consider becoming a member. To be eligible to run for a position on the PTA Executive Board and to vote in the upcoming election, you must be a member of the PTA. (Note: 2019-2020 PTA members are eligible to run for a position and vote in the upcoming election.)

Annual dues are $10. (You may also mail a check to the Brookland campus. Please write “Attn. PTA” on the envelope.) Returned checks will have an associated fee. 

Join Today.

Work on a committee.
If you are not able to serve as a board member, consider volunteering for a committee. Some of the committees include:wellness, playground, scholastic, bylaws, events, fundraising, and membership.

Join a Committee.

Dates
October 21: Deadline to submit your nomination for a position on the Board.

Thank you and we hope you will consider running for a position.

_______________________________________________________________________________

La Asociación de Padres y Maestros lo necesita

La Asociación de Padres y Maestros lo necesita! Se están aceptando postulaciones de personas que quieran ser posicionados en uno de los cargos elegidos por votación. Todas las posiciones están abiertas a cualquier persona de la comunidad del colegio chárter E.W. Stokes- padres, tutores, maestros, personal administrativo y miembros de la comunidad. Si esta interesado en ser un miembro de la Junta Ejecutiva, por favor lea la descripción de las diferentes posiciones. Si conoce a alguien que considere puede ser un buen líder, por favor anímelo a postularse.  

Los candidatos interesados deben enviar la forma antes del 21 de octubre. En la reunión de la asociación del padres y maestros del 4 de noviembre, se le pedirá a los candidatos que den un discurso de 2-3 minutos. Si usted no puede asistir a esta reunión, alguien de la junta directiva podrá leer el resumen que usted envíe y distribuirlo a la comunidad de Stokes. Si desea postularse durante la reunión también podrá hacerlo.

Se necesitan candidatos para las siguientes posiciones:

Presidente: Lidera las reuniones de la Asociación de Padres y Maestros de Stokes, es un miembro de oficio de todos los comités, y coordina el trabajo de los oficiales y comités. Trabaja con el personal administrativo de Stokes para coordinar los esfuerzos de la junta directiva y el colegio Stokes.

Vice Presidente: Ayuda al presidente y reemplaza al presidente cuando sea necesario

Secretario: Registra y mantiene las actas de todas las reuniones.

Tesorero:  Recibe, registra y deposita todo el dinero de manera oportuna. Mantiene los registros financieros de la Junta Directiva de Stokes. Presenta el informe de  tesorería en cada reunión.

Las siguientes posiciones también son parte de la Junta Directiva de la Asociación de Padres y Maestros de Stokes Estas posiciones pueden tener director y co-director.

Director de Comunicaciones: Lidera el comité de comunicaciones para ayudar a la comunicación de todos los eventos de la Asociación de Padres y Maestros de Stokes, se compromete con el mantenimiento del sitio web de la asociación, gestiona las plataformas de redes sociales y coordina el pago en línea de los eventos.

Director de Eventos: Es el punto de contacto para todos los eventos de la Asociación de Padres y Maestros de Stokes. El Director de Eventos trabaja con la administración de Stokes para ayudar a planificar las fechas de los eventos y la coordinación entre el personal del colegio y la Asociación de Padres y Maestros de Stokes

Director de membresías: Crea los folletos informativos para invitar a los padres a ser miembros de la Asociación, recolecta las cuotas anuales y desarrolla y mantiene un listado anual de los miembros de la asociación.

Director de recaudación de fondos: Gestiona la campaña anual de recolección de fondos, identifica y contacta a posibles patrocinadores para recolectar donaciones, busca oportunidades de recaudación de fondos, y participa en otras actividades que involucren recaudación de fondos.

Coordinador de los padres lideres de cada clase: Sirve como enlace entre los padres del salón de clase y la Asociación de Padres y Maestros de Stokes.  Trabaja con el Coordinador de Participación de los Padres del colegio para impulsar la participación de los padres en la asociación.

Información importante que debe tener en cuenta

Renovar/convertirse en miembro de la Asociación de padres y maestros.  Ahora es el momento de renovar su membresía de la  Asociación. Si es nuevo en Stokes, considere convertirte en miembro.  Para ser elegible para postularse para un puesto en la Junta Ejecutiva de la Asociación de Padres y Maestros, y para votar en las próximas elecciones, usted debe ser miembro de esta organización. (Nota: 2019-2020 miembros de la PTA son elegibles para postularse para un puesto y votar en las próximas elecciones.)

La cuota anual es de $10. (También puede enviar un cheque por correo al campus de Brookland. Por favor escriba “Attn. PTA” en el sobre.) Los cheques devueltos tendrán una tarifa asociada.

Sea miembro de  un comité.
Si no puede ser miembro de la Junta Directiva, considere servir como voluntario en uno de los comités. Estos comités incluyen: bienestar, académico, eventos, recolección de fondos, y membresía.

Fechas
21 de octubre: Fecha limite para enviar las nominaciones a las posiciones de la Junta Directiva de la asociación de padres y maestros.

Gracias y esperamos considere ser un candidato para esta elecciones de la Asociación de Padres y Maestros.

Time and Location Change for October 5 Soccer Game/Asado Party

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we had to change the time and location of this event. The event date is still the same – Saturday, October 5. The event now will be held at:

Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center
501 Riggs Rd. NE
Washington, DC 20011

from

11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

We need your help to make this event a success; please sign up.
We need players for both the Spanish and French teams; we need volunteers to help set up and clean up. And we need folks to sign up to bring a dish to share. Please consider signing up! 

Join Us at the Soccer/Asado Party October 5

Photo by Aphiwat chuangchoem on Pexels.com

Lace up your cleats and/or party shoes and join us at the Spanish vs. French Soccer Game and Asado Celebration on October 5, from 5:30 to 7 pm at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center (1100 Michigan Ave., NE). 

Will Team French continue their rein or will Team Spanish claim victory? Cheer on your teachers, staff and parents as they compete in this friendly, yet competitive game. Popcorn and refreshments will be available for purchase. After the game, don’t miss the Asado, a potluck with an array of food, entertainment, and more in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. 

Players and Volunteers Needed
We need players for both the Spanish and French teams; we need volunteers to help set up and clean up. And we need folks to sign up to bring a dish to share. Please consider signing up! 

Community Campaign 2019

The annual Stokes-Brookland PTA Community Campaign kicks off May 13! The Community Campaign is Stokes School’s signature annual fundraising event.  Since it only takes place once a year, we are relying on the entire community’s enthusiasm and support!  

This year we’re aiming to raise $20,000 for our new playground between Monday, May 13 and Friday, May 24 – and we need YOUR help!

You can help us reach our fundraising goal and hit our goal of 100% community participation by:

  • Making a direct, tax-deductible donation | Donate Now
  • Collecting coins to contribute to Change 4 Change, our coin campaign – every class that hits 100% participation gets a popcorn party, and the class with the greatest weight in coins gets a popsicle party! We’ll weigh in coins this Thursday, next Monday, and next Thursday.
  • Sharing the donation link with grandparents, family, friends and neighbors who value Stokes.
  • Securing a matching donation from your workplace!
  • Promoting the Community Campaign on social media.
  • Buying your tickets to the Closeout the Community Campaign celebration happy hour on Thursday, May 23, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Smith Public Trust. Child care will be available from 6:15-8:00 p.m. at Stokes ($5 – includes dinner). Sign up for childcare
  • Contributing a dish to Heritage Festival Day on Saturday, May 18. Those who contribute a dish will receive a ticket for the prize giveaway at the May 23 happy hour.

For every $10 donated (up to $200), donors will get a ticket for the prize giveaway at the May 23 happy hour. Prizes include gift cards to Galley Foods, Excel Pilates, Patrick’s Pet Care, District Vet, and Primrose; merchandise from Stitch and Rivet and DC Brau; and a classroom experience from Bri’s Brookland Creamery!

The playground is an ambitious investment in our children and community.  Every dollar contributed puts us closer to construction — join us in making the 2019 Community Campaign a success!  

Elections: 2019-2020 Term

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

The Stokes PTA will hold a vote in June for the 2019-2020 executive board. We have current candidates for the president, vice president, secretary, communications chair, and events chair positions. If you are interested in running for treasurer or membership chair, please email stokespta@gmail.com.

Absentee voting for PTA members will be available at the front desk beginning Monday, June 3, through 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 5. In-person voting will occur for PTA members at the June 5 PTA meeting. Winners will be announced by Friday, June 7.

We will elect following officer positions:

President: Presides over Stokes PTA meetings, is an ex officio member of all committees, and coordinates the work of the officers and committees. Works with Stokes administrative staff to coordinate the Stokes PTA and Stokes School efforts.

Vice President: Aids the president and fill in for the president as needed.

Secretary: Records and maintains minutes of all meetings for the Stokes PTA.

Treasurer: Receive, record, and deposit all monies in a timely manner. Maintain Stokes PTA’s financial records. Present a treasurer’s report at each meeting.

The following positions also serve on the Stokes PTA board. These positions may have co-chairs.

Communications Chair: Leads communications committee in aiding communication of all Stokes PTA Events, undertakes the maintenance of the Stokes PTA website, and coordinates online payment for events.

Events Chair: Be point of contact for all the Stokes PTA Events. The Events chair works with Stokes administration and other staff to help plan dates of events and coordination between staff and the Stokes PTA.

Membership Chair: Creates flyer to secure PTA membership, collects annual PTA dues, develops/maintains yearly PTA membership roster.

Candidate Statements

Talitha Lindo (President Candidate)

I’d like to be an officer on the Stokes PTA Executive Board, because I feel strongly about giving back to the school, and the community where my daughter spends most of her time. Parent involvement is very important to the success of a school, and I believe it my responsibility to volunteer and serve. As the PTA President, I hope to carry out the school’s mission, and work with the entire school community in making Stokes such a great place to be. I’d like to build relationships, identify areas where improvements can be made, and also maintain the things that are working well. I offer new ideas and an a fresh outlook on how a PTA serves as the backbone of a school. My hope is to also bring new energy and excitement, that encourage more parents/families to be involved. 

I am currently the PTA President at Stokes East End. I have lead the PTA board at East End in establishing a brand new PTA. It’s been such a great experience, and I look forward to working with the Brookland PTA.  

For questions/more information: presidentstokeseastendpta@gmail.com

Taylor Beis (President Candidate)

I, Taylor Beis, am running for the position of President of the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Brookland Campus Parent Teacher Association. 

I  am running for this position because I would like to take an active leadership role within the school, among the parent community, and make a greater impact on the lives of all children attending the EW Stokes Brookland Campus. Previously, I served on the board of the Takoma Children’s School, and successfully co-lead the annual auction and school fundraiser. 

It is my goal, if elected to the position of President, to lead the PTA and the PTA executive board with the goal of promoting the welfare and education of our children and parents at home, in school and our community. 

My goals, if elected to the position of President, are:

1. Fulfill the duties of the position of President, according to the EW Stokes PTA bylaws, which includes coordinating the goals of the PTA and the Stokes Administration, coordinate the activities of the executive board and the board officers, the filing required tax forms by year end and bring transparency and inclusion to members of the PTA and the entire parent community.

2. Bring organization, efficiencies and professional decorum to the PTA organization.

3. Support the creation and advancement of the newly-formed subcommittee that promotes interaction and collaboration among the DCI feeder schools.

4. Better communicate the value of the PTA with the parent community.

5. Increase the interaction between the PTA, the parent community, the EW Stokes administration, and the EW Stokes Board.

6. Continue to promote the mission and goals of the PTA, by expanding the development and fundraising opportunities for the playground campaign, maximize parent, teacher and administration engagement opportunities, and better leverage the parent and broader school community to support the PTA and the EW Stokes institution.

I thank you for your time, and kindly ask for your vote of support for the position of president.

Taylor Beis
Parent to Colin (2f) and Olivia (PKFB)  

For questions/more information: taylorbeis@gmail.com

Brian Galvin (VP Candidate)

I’m currently the Board Chair for the Bylaws committee at the East End Stokes location and will be relocating to the Brookland campus with my daughter Diarra for the 2019-2020 school year (Kindergarten). 

During my tenure I not only worked to establish our bylaws but also assisted the President in growing membership, creating incentives for fundraising (popcorn sales, book exchange programs, etc) establishing our non-profit status, as well as interim Treasurer.

My objective as Vice President is to continue to be an active parent in my daughter’s school and assist in any and every way possible to ensure that we’re able to provide addtional tools and options not only for our children’s growth but also for the community.

For questions/more information: galvin.briank@gmail.com

Monica Bailey-Delissaint (Secretary Candidate)

My name is Monica Bailey Delissaint and I am running for Secretary of the Stokes Brookland Campus PTA.

BACKGROUND: My one and only child, Elle Delissaint is in 3rd Grade French. I have been an active member of the PTA for the past four years and have assisted in various volunteer roles throughout the school, most recently as 3F Room Parent.

CREDENTIALS: I am currently serve as 3F Room Parent, Member of the Brookland Campus PTA Bylaws Committee,Third Vice President of the Washington DC Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and Chair, Finance Committee for the National Institute of Government Procurement. I’ve also previously served as Secretary and Chair of various organizations in the past. This experience has afforded me the opportunity to be well versed parliamentary procedures. As Secretary, I feel it important to help the President and Vice President maintain order and professional procession at all meetings.

WHY I AM RUNNING: Being a member of such an active PTA organization allowed me to see the importance in the role the PTA plays in sustaining, maintaining, and taking ownership over the welfare of our children’s educational environment and school community. As parents, we must take an active interest in all of our children’s activities and environments to ensure that our values, ideas, and goals for our kids marry with the actions of persons involved in their life.

As my daughter prepares her transition to the 4th grade, I too feel the need to transition to a more active leadership role in the PTA. Please consider me for your vote as Secretary, thank you.

For questions/more information: mbdelissaint@gmail.com

Jillian Jarrett (Events Chair candidate)

I’ve served on the Stokes PTA since its inception. My son, Amari, is currently in 3F and my daughter is an alumna about to graduate DCI middle school. I started a new, more demanding job last year that led me to step away from the PTA. I also wanted to give others an opportunity to serve our school and students. I realized being part of the PTA kept me informed on what was happening in my son’s school life and it helped me feel a stronger sense of being part of the Stokes community. I miss that.

As Events Chair, I will share ideas on how to reach parents where they are. Whether at drop-off/pick-up or thru room parents. My goal is to help bridge the gap between the busy working parents that don’t have time to attend meetings or a lot of school activities but also still want to be aware of their child’s education and school happenings. 

For questions/more information: jilliansowah@gmail.com

Karen Beis (Communications Chair Candidate)

I, Karen Beis, am running for Communications Chair of the Stokes PTA, Brookland campus. I have close to 20 years of experience working in the Communications/Publishing field. I’ve volunteered and been involved with Stokes and the Stokes PTA a great deal this school year. I am a member of the Playground committee. At last month’s meeting, I presented a new subcommittee with a focus on increasing communication with the other DCI feeder schools and offered to co-chair it. I also took over the duties of Box Tops for Education coordinator for the school and will continue this role for the foreseeable future. I offered to help with the community directory for the 2019-2020 school year. Within the school, I volunteer for PK lunch duty, provide assistance in my children’s classrooms, and chaperone field trips. 

The ideas I have to improve communication between the school community and PTA are drafting a welcome letter to be sent at the beginning of the school year introducing the president and other executive board members and providing important PTA information to the school community. This information will be beneficial, especially to those who are new to the school community, helping them understand the value of the PTA to the Stokes community.

I would ask the PTA to purchase and hang a bulletin board in the front entrance of the school that is dedicated to Stokes PTA information; it will include important dates, Executive Committee members’ contact information, volunteer opportunities (both immediate needs and ongoing opportunities), and the monthly Treasurer’s report. This will improve transparency among the PTA and the Stokes community.

I will create a master communications calendar that will be used for planning purposes throughout the school year. It will include event dates, channels of communication, and deadlines.

Lastly, I will create targeted email messages about events and volunteer opportunities. Messages can be tailored; for example, we can send one version to the new school community (providing background information), another version to those who’ve been a part of the school for many years but may not have volunteered in the past, and finally a version for those who’ve volunteered in the past and we need their help again. 

We need to cut down on the number of emails sent on a weekly basis. We can do this by being more strategic about how and when we send email messages, placing flyers in kids’ folders and on the PTA bulletin board, and setting up informational tables at the front entrance of the school. 

I hope you will consider me for the position of Communications Chair for the 2019-2020 school year. Thank you. 

(Parent to Colin, 2F, and Olivia, PKFB)  

For questions/more information: kmlearner@hotmail.com



Coffee PTA Table at Celebration of Learning

When you come for the Celebration of Learning tomorrow, be sure to stop by the PTA table!  You will have the chance to sign up for membership for $10, and we will have available car magnets ($5) and mugs ($15).  We will also have information available about our upcoming pancake breakfast, and you can sign up to volunteer.
 
As an additional fundraiser, we will be selling Zeke’s coffee!  Enjoy for $2 in a disposable cup, or $1 in your reusable cup.  If you buy a PTA mug, the coffee is on the house!