Dear NHE Community
It has been my privilege to serve as President of the Newport Heights PTA over the last year. In that time, I have witnessed how a devoted and involved community can contribute to our children’s success. Hundreds of volunteers devoted thousands of hours to make our PTA events, programs, and activities a huge success.
On behalf of the PTA Executive Board, I want to thank our entire school community for their support of our many programs and events this year. Your membership, volunteer hours, donation of items and money and simply attending one of our events broadens our children’s educational experience. Further, your support of the PTA expands every child’s opportunity for growth.
Here are some of the highlights from 2021-2022:
PTA donated over $15,000 towards staff teaching expenses, curriculum enhancements, learning tools and more.
We funded multiple field trips and bus transportation, allowing teachers to provide students with exciting opportunities to take their learning off school property. Some of these trips included fun adventures to tide pools to experience some of the lowest tides in a decade and the Museum of Flight.
PTA volunteers assisted our amazing school nurse with the annual school hearing and vision screening and ran several COVID-19 vaccination clinics for students and their families.
They provided daily support to Ms. A in the library during student classes, helping to check books in and out and shelve returned books. And, under the direction of our amazing librarian, assisted with a very successful book fair that raised thousands of dollars for new books in the library. PTA also funded two author visits for students during library time.
PTA hosted a Back-to-School Meet & Greet & Popsicle Party where many of our kids got to see the school and teachers for the first time, our first annual Trunk or Treat, which was so successful it’s already been added into the schedule for next year, and two Walk to School days to raise awareness of alternate transportation methods and pedestrian safety. These events earned us over $1000 in safety equipment which was donated to the school Safety Patrol.
Our volunteers supported the Teachings of the First People presentation spearheaded by two of our 3rd grade teachers which brought the stories of the Coast Salish Peoples to life.
The PTA funded the Toymaker assembly which brought our NHE families together (virtually) for a much-needed night of fun,
And last, but not least, PTA ran multiple staff appreciation events through the year to make sure our dedicated NHE staff remembers how much we love and appreciate them. It was so wonderful to see their smiles throughout this challenging teaching year.
None of this would have been possible without your membership and support from the staff, teachers, parents, and many volunteers, not to mention the significant contribution and exceptional talents of my fellow board members: Sarah O’Brien, Caity Cummings and Tara Merino. They will be joining me next year again as your executive committee next year and I am grateful to them for volunteering their time to continue to make Newport Heights a school of which we are all proud. Special thanks also to Maureen Hallock and Jami Hellickson for agreeing to be next year’s Staff Liaisons to PTA.
Have a great summer and remember to watch your emails in August for important information as we get ready to kick of an amazing 2022-2023 school year.
In Partnership,
Ellen Martin
President NHE PTA
