September 21, 2007

School Briefs

Evergreen Community Education Group Celebrity Basketball Game set for Oct. 13

In an effort to build community awareness, spirit and unity and to raise money to be shared by Evergreen Elementary School District schools and Silver Creek High School, the Evergreen Community Education Group, a group of parents from all Evergreen Elementary School District schools and Silver Creek High School, is hosting the group’s first ever Celebrity Basketball Game, to be held on oct.13 at the Silver Creek High School Gymnasium at 7 p.m. Invited celebrity players include Bubba Paris, Eason Ramson, Eric Wright, Dave Fiore, Dana McLemore (all former 49ers), Vida Blue (former San Francisco Giant), Jeff Barnes (former Oakland Raiders).

Those interested in supporting this event through the purchase of raffle tickets, sponsorships and/or donations can contact Rena Malkofsky-Berger at renambmail@yahoo.com, Diane Straetker at dstraetker@scbglobal.net or Lynne Gray by phone at (209) 345-5494.

PTA membership drive is in full swing

PTAs across Santa Clara County have launched their fall membership drive, inviting all supporters of children and public education to sign on.

“Everyone in our community who cares about children and our public schools is invited to join the PTA,” said Sixth District [Santa Clara County] PTA President Barbara Spreng and Evergreen Elementary PTA Council President Diane Straeker.

The Evergreen Elementary Council PTA is part of the Sixth District PTA and the California state PTA and the National PTA, a 110-year-old household name and the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer association working on issues affecting education, youth and families.

PTA volunteers work in local schools and communities and also advocate at the state and national level to support adequate funding for public schools and for laws to protect the health and welfare of children. The California State PTA has been instrumental in efforts to support small class size, bring arts and physical education back into schools, and provide healthier choices for lunches at school.

PTA provides members with resources and training to build leadership skills. It also provides programs on a wide range of topics, including student achievement, childhood nutrition, and prevention of violence and bullying, to increase parent awareness of issues affecting their children.

To join PTA, parents, teachers, students and other supporters may contact their local school or visit the Sixth District PTA web site at www.capta6.org to join the countywide organization, Santa Clara Valley PTA.

Many local PTAs in middle and high school call themselves PTSAs to welcome and encourage student members’ involvement, which, in many cases, includes students holding officer or chairman position on the PTSA board.

For more than a century, the PTA has been supporting and advocating for public schools, children and families under the motto “Every child, one voice.” The PTA is non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian and non-commercial. For more information, go to www.capta.org.

The mission of the California State PTA is to positively impact the lives of all children and families by representing its members and empowering and supporting them with skills in advocacy, leadership, and communication.