WHO CAN JOIN HICKS PTA?

Anyone! Faculty, parents, grandparents, students, community members.

 

WHY SHOULD I JOIN HICKS PTA?

PTA’s mission is simple: To make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

 

As a PTA member, you’re supporting our school and staying informed about what’s going on at our campus! You’re automatically joining PTA in programs like the following:

  • Reflections®, the national art program
  • Resources for parenting in the modern world
  • Exclusive member discounts
  • Automatic triple membership with Texas and National PTA, advocating for children in Texas and across the United States ($8 goes back to our school and $4.50 goes to National/Texas PTA dues)

The Hicks PTA works hard to ensure our fundraising opportunities support our school, administration, and students in the best ways possible.

 

PTA offers all parents and caregivers the opportunity to be engaged in their child’s potential. Being a member of PTA means that you are part of a powerful association and action plan that is focused on programs and initiatives that strengthen your child’s education.

 

PTA membership and dues support your child by funding essential educational and curriculum needs; advocating on behalf of children and educators at the local, state and national levels; and building an inclusive school community for all families. Join PTA for your child because increasing our membership, even by one, makes it possible to provide important educational resources, speak up on important issues and create a stronger school community.

 

WHERE DOES MY MONEY GO WHEN I PAY MEMBERSHIP DUES?

PTA dues directly support your child. The $13.00 Hicks PTA dues include $8 that goes directly to Hicks Elementary and $5.00 to the National and Texas PTA dues membership. The Hicks PTA dues help fund essential school resources and curriculum needs, including money for teachers and staff to purchase supplies for their classrooms and services (yearly), photo ID badge system, hand sanitizer stations, school planners, student financial assistance, library furniture, playground equipment, free birthday ice cream, funding for three classroom parties per year (winter, Valentine’s day, end of year), and student assemblies and family events.

 

PTA dues support advocacy efforts at the local, state and national levels, impacting decisions affecting your child’s health, safety and quality of education. PTA dues support our work to strengthen connections between your family, your child’s classmates and their families, and teachers to build a thriving and inclusive community for everyone.

 

DOES PTA MEMBERSHIP REQUIRE VOLUNTEERING AND ATTENDING MEETINGS?

The only thing required of you to be a member of PTA is to pay the annual membership dues. Beyond that, however you choose to PTA is up to you. PTA offers all parents and caregivers the opportunity to be engaged in their child’s potential.

 

From volunteering at school events to participating in local, state and national advocacy efforts to holding PTA leadership roles –the level of involvement is up to you. There is no wrong way to PTA!

We LOVE volunteers! Visit our Volunteer page for more information and register for volunteer/background clearance on the Lewisville ISD Voly site: https://lewisvilleisd.voly.org/

 

HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE TO COMMIT TO BEING A MEMBER OF PTA?

Membership in PTA can involve as much or as little time as you have to offer. There is no wrong or right way to be involved—anything you can give, whether it’s time or money, will support your child’s potential.

 

ISN’T PTA A SOCIAL CLUB FOR STAY-AT-HOME MOMS?

First and foremost, PTA is for every family who has a child at the school. PTA is for moms, dads, caregivers, grandparents, teachers and the broader community!

 

While some of the work done by PTA may appear purely social—including family events like our Fall Festival/Silent Auction, Classroom parties, or Fun in the Sun (end of year event) that are organized to strengthen the school community—much of PTA’s work focuses on funding essential school resources and curriculum needs, as well as advocating at the local, state and national levels, impacting decisions affecting your child’s health, safety and quality of education.

 

HOW DOES PTA ENSURE IT REPRESENTS EVERY CHILD AND FAMILY AT THE SCHOOL?

We encourage every family in the school to become a PTA member to support the success of their child. We want a diverse membership base that reflects all of the families and needs of students at the school.

PTA strengthens connections between your family, your child’s classmates and their families, and teachers to build a thriving and inclusive community for everyone.

 

HOW DOES PTA IMPACT MY CHILD? HOW DO YOU ADVOCATE AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVELS AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO MY CHILD?

Local Level: Hicks PTA raises funds to support extras at our school like school planners; student financial assistance for field trips, lunches, and more; financial assistance for each staff member to provide whatever is needed in their classroom, office, or lab; recess equipment; library furnishings, books, technology, etc.; funds for parties and student assemblies and ceremonies.

State Level: Texas PTA fights for our children by introducing and requesting legislation at the state level. Some examples of state advocacy include Safe Neighborhood Resolution, Crimes against Children, Parental Involvement, and Sexually Oriented Businesses; launch of student vaping legislation campaign "Straight Talk at the Capital: A Matter of Life and Breath,” and recent petition to the Texas governor to delay the STAAR testing during 2020-21 due to Covid-19. During 2019-2020, Texas PTA with the help of its Governmental Affairs Team, Arnold Public Affairs, tracked 776 bills this session involving public education and the welfare of our students. 623 of those bills were heard in committee and 139 passed and awaited final approval/veto by the Governor.

National Level:

  • PTA provides schools access to experts, resources, trainings and dozens of nationally recognized educational enrichment programs that impact a child’s education such as the Family Reading Experience, in partnership with the Reading is Fundamental.
  • PTA funds the nation's largest and longest running student arts program, Reflections®, which provides students access to arts, music, literature, dance, drama and visual arts.
  • PTA’s national advocacy efforts have helped establish universal kindergarten and the National School Lunch Program, the juvenile justice system and anti-child labor laws.