Happy first week and (almost) September! While it still feels like summer with this heatwave, fall will be here before we know it. I hope this first week of new classes, teachers and transitions has been smooth so far and a sign of a great year to come.

We are sending this a tad early to make sure everyone is aware of the first PTA meeting on Tuesday, September 3, with dinner starting at 6:30pm and the meeting beginning at 7:00pm (hybrid). We hope you'll join us! KAH will be available as well. PTA meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of the month, so that should be easy to remember.

During the meeting, we'll share and vote on the PTA, elect two board members, and give an overview of the year and the major events. We'll be sending around a sign-up form for volunteer opportunities and would love support in any way shape or form. More to come there.

Very importantly, any votes that take place on Tuesday can only be done by PTA members. That means THIS WEEK is the best time to join! See below for more details on our fall membership drive, and much more!

I hope you're as excited as I am for a fresh start and a new school year. Let's do this!

As of this weekend, we have reached 25% of our goal in just the first week! We'll have a table at back to school nights next week for you to join, but don't wait! Join via the website here.

Just as a reminder, the three classes with the highest percentage of membership signups by 30 September will win either Singer t-shirts, a pizza party, or an ice cream party.

Those who sign up at the Bronze level or higher by September 30th will be automatically entered into a raffle for a Singer Swag gift basket that includes a custom Singer water bottle, t-shirt, car magnet and cinch bag. PTA members at any level are automatically entered into a monthly raffle for Singer swag.

FRIENDLY REMINDERS:

• Only PTA members have voting privileges - if you'd like to vote at the Sept. 3 PTA meeting, please sign up no later than Sept. 3 at 6:30 pm.
  
• Memberships do not roll over from last year.
  
• There is no obligation to volunteer when you sign up for a membership, the membership itself is a show of support for the school community.

Every year, the PTA shares the teacher and staff wish lists so that families who want to help teachers stock their classrooms with supplies, books, and more know exactly what each staff member needs. Don't forget to visit the pages of our counselors, therapists, and other staff, as well as your child's teacher. Visit the wish lists here.

Last academic year, the Flora Singer Elementary School initiated a new program to intentionally introduce a diverse set of books into the classrooms so that the cultures, holidays, rituals, and ideas that our kids are exposed to reflect the diversity of our community. Please support this laudable initiative by fulfilling the Equity Books Wishlists.

Our Spirit Wear store is now open!

It's time to make sure get your Sea Turtle (or yourself) geared up! Check out a new t-shirt design in kid and adult sizes in the online Singer Store. This Flash Sale runs through September 16th, and orders will be delivered to kid backpacks by mid-October. All purchases from the Flash Sale will have free shipping to the school. Following the flash sale, an “on-demand” store will open with more items that can be shipped to your home. Every purchase raises funds for the PTA. I am happy to answer questions!

Now that you know your child's teacher, please consider being their favorite parent 😀 by volunteering to be the room parent for the class! You will:

• Organize class parties (in conjunction with the classroom teacher); typically this is twice per year: Fall Festival and Valentine's Day

• Organize the class basket for the Silent Auction

• Communicate key messages from the PTA to the other parents in the class

• Coordinate activities for Teacher Appreciation Week for your class

If you're interested, please fill out this form,

If you have any questions, please email Shira Printup (shira.fishman1@gmail.com).

After-school activities are a GREAT way for your children to continue learning outside of school hours through engaging programs! We are excited to invite a variety of vendors this fall, who will offer activities such as: sports, chess, hip hop dance, karate, coding, science, Spanish, pottery, and new programs like Little Medical School, My First Piggy Bank and more.

To help streamline the registration process, we work with Kiddo, an online platform that organizes registration for all activities in a single website. Please check out the Kiddo link for more information about available after-school activities offered at Flora M. Singer this fall! If you are new to Kiddo, we've put together a document with instructions on how to get started. This is found in our parent resources folder. Inside this folder, you can also find the schedule and flyers from all the vendors.

Scholarships are available for students. The scholarship application is coming soon and we will distribute application information on the PTA listserv soon. For more information about scholarships, contact: Mrs. Kimberly Kincaid Kimberly_E_Kincaid@mcpsmd.org

Dine Outs are a delicious way to support the PTA. Each month, we host "Dine Out" events in partnership with local businesses as a way to get out and have fun with other Singer families while supporting the PTA at the same time. Join your friends or bring your neighbors, have fun, take the night off from cooking -- and support the PTA, all at the same time.

Save the date for our first dine out on Wednesday, September 11 from 5pm to 9pm at Five Guys Kensington (10510 Connecticut Ave, Kensington, MD 20895).

Five Guys will donate 15% of your purchase to the Flora Singer PTA.

You do not need to bring the flyer to the event but please identify yourself as part of the Flora Singer PTA fundraiser when ordering and/or picking up.

Please only order in person or from Five Guys' website - orders from UberEats, DoorDash, or other third parties do not go towards the fundraiser

Please nominate a Singer Elementary staff member to be recognized as Staff Member of the Month! All staff members are eligible. PTA members may complete this easy form to make a nomination. Each month one nominee will be randomly drawn for the grand prize of the Staff Member of the Month parking spot! All nominees will receive recognition!