Join PTSA Today!

Joining PTSA isn’t “just another way to raise funds“! It’s a way to support your child’s education in many countless ways. Your membership fees support your child on local, state and national levels in a way you couldn’t do alone because you are purchasing a membership to Blackwell’s PTSA, Washington state PTA, and national PTA all for one nominal fee.

Here are just some examples of how Blackwell’s PTSA fulfills that mission in our community:

• Providing enrichment programs for children -- PTSA offers enrichment opportunities for children. These opportunities include providing social events; encouraging children to write articles and poems and publishing them via Golden Pencil awards; encouraging children to explore the arts via the Reflections and Art Start programs; pro-viding enrichment opportunities via Read Naturally, Destination Imagination, Science Fair and assemblies.
• Providing parenting classes -- PTSA provides parenting education in conjunction with their meetings, including such topics as parent involvement in education, understanding learning styles, building children's self-esteem, helping your child succeed in school, and youth violence prevention.
• Influencing local legislation on behalf of children -- PTSA advocates for local issues that affect the children in our community. In the past, some individual PTSAs have advocated for mandating bicycle helmet usage in their community, for increased pedestrian safety laws, and for safer yard maintenance at school by eliminating the use of pesticides, to name a few.
• Making the school a better place to learn – PTSAs all over Washington state have purchased and donated computers, playground equipment, and volunteered countless hours in the classroom and in conjunction with programs and activities.

What is the Washington State PTA? Blackwell’s PTSA unit is a member of the Washington State PTA. The State PTA is the common thread that links nearly 900 local PTSA units throughout the state. This thread is what gives PTA clout and prestige to influence state laws, policies and attitudes affecting your children.

The State PTA also provides local PTSA units and members with services, material, and information to enable parents to protect and nurture their children in their schools and your communities. Specifically, some of the services provided by the Washington State PTA include: a daily representation in Olympia and at regulatory agencies where decisions are being made that will affect your children; leadership training; a website (www.wastatePTSA.org) with parenting resources and quality leadership materials.

What is the National PTSA? National PTA is the largest volunteer child advocacy organization in the United States. PTA is a leader in reminding our nation of its obligations to children. National PTA has nearly 6.5 million members nationwide.

The mission of National PTA is threefold:

• to support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community, and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children.
• to assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children; and
• to encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.

JOIN TODAY! More than 6.5 million people can’t be wrong!