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Originally delivered on 12/8/2025 3:46 pm

SUBJECT: Allen ISD Council of PTAs Quarterly Newsletter December 8, 2025

A Message from our President

Thank you all for the dedication you have demonstrated over the past year. Your leadership, effort, and unwavering commitment to our schools and students have truly made a meaningful difference, and we are deeply grateful. As the holiday season nears, we hope you find time to unwind, reflect, and enjoy well-earned moments with the people who matter most. Looking forward, we are excited for the opportunities the new year will bring—and with your continued drive and enthusiasm, we are confident that even greater achievements lie ahead.


President’s Checklist

January/February

  1. Elect a Nominating Committee and alternates in accordance with the by-laws.
  2. Ensure that the Parliamentarian provides clear instructions and guidelines to the Nominating Committee.
  3. Form Life Membership committees and open nomination forms.
  4. Extensive training on nominations and elections by TX PTA: https://www.txpta.org/nominations-elections



Looking ahead: What should you look at before the end of the year?

  1. Meet with your Executive officers and Standing Chairs. How are they doing with their PTA responsibilities? Where do they need help?
  2. Begin explaining to board members how to prepare and organize a binder, flash drive or Google drive for their position that includes a timeline of the work they are doing during the year, their POW, board reports, and other documentation. It's never too early to start preparing for passing information to the next board!


Jyothi Reddy

President, Allen ISD Council of PTAs

president@allenisdcouncilpta.org

2025 Allen Rotary Parade

Allen ISD Council of PTAs participated in the 2025 Allen Rotary Parade on Dec 7th.  Thank you to everyone who joined us at the parade. 

Leader Board

Top 3 PTAs as of December 7, 2025

1. Allen High School & Lowery Freshman Center PTSA

2. Norton Elementary

3. Preston Elementary

Angel Memberships Still Available!

These make it easy to join all of the PTAs in Allen ISD, or you can join the schools in one middle school feeder pattern.  For more info or to sign up, visit: https://allenisdcouncilpta.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/1619

Golden Apple Award Deadline Soon!

Has your PTA recruited 100% of your school faculty to be members of your PTA?!

Then your PTA qualifies for the Golden Apple Award! 

Friday, December 19th is the Award Deadline.  And don't forget that for this award,  your principal must complete the form and you must fill out an application.  Don't delay, the form closes on Dec 19th. 

Click here for form link for school principals. 

Click here for application link. 

Early Bird Achievement Award

Congratulations to our local PTAs Honored with the Early Bird Achievement Award from Texas PTA! Boyd Elementary, Reed Elementary, Story Elementary, Vaughan Elementary & Curtis Middle School!

Snappy Increase Award

Congratulations to our local PTAs Honored with the Snappy Increase Award from Texas PTA! Boyd Elementary, Story Elementary, Boon Elementary, Reed Elementary, Vaughan Elementary & Curtis Middle School

Life Member Banquet

Save the date for the Life Member Banquet: Monday, April 6, 2026 at the PAC

Be on the lookout in January for the nomination form for Council Life Membership & Extended Service Awards. 


Please direct any questions to membership@allenisdcouncilpta.org

Save the date for the upcoming Allen Eagle Run. Register now for the early bird price!

Arbor Day Poster Content Winners

Arbor Day Poster Contest winners – recognized at the Fall Festival/Arbor Day Celebration on October 11, 2025:


1st Place – Daniel Gwie, 5th Grade – Cheatham Elementary

2nd Place – Annika Srinivasan, 5th Grade – Lindsey Elementary

3rd Place – Gaganadeepika Satish, 4th Grade – Lindsey Elementar

The Waste Works Winners:

Cheatham Elementary PTA

Norton Elementary PTA

Lowery Freshman Center

Curtis Middle School PTA 

Dillard Special Achievement Center

Green Elementary PTA

Kerr Elementary PTA

Chandler Elementary PTA

Preston Elementary PTA

Ereckson Middle School PTA


STEAM Center - In spring for Earthfest

Treasurer’s Corner

Dear Treasurers,

As we wrap up the calendar year, I want to take a moment to thank each of you for your consistent work, attention to detail, and dedication to keeping your PTA’s finances running smoothly. Your efforts often happen behind the scenes, but they make an enormous difference. Wishing you and your families a warm and joyful holiday season!

As we move into the final stretch of the calendar year, here are a few important reminders to keep everything on track:

  1. Monthly Reconciliations
    • Please continue completing your monthly bank reconciliations on time. Regular reconciliation helps us stay audit-ready and prevents surprises later. Ensure the Non-Signer Review is being completed each month and read into the board meeting minutes. Reconcile the checkbook/MTK to the monthly bank, e-commerce or merchant account statements.
  2. Budget Amendments
    • If your PTAs spending has shifted or any new programs have been added, be sure to present and approve budget amendments at your next membership meeting.
  3. Un-Cashed Checks
    • Take a moment to review any outstanding checks. Follow up with vendors, board members, or recipients so those old checks don’t linger into the new year.
  4. Insurance Status
    • Confirm that your PTA insurance is current and fully paid. Texas PTA recommends that all PTAs have General Liability, Directors and Officers Coverage, and Embezzlement insurance. To learn more about these and other options, visit http://txpta.org/pta-insurance or contact AIM Insurance, our preferred provider at 1-800-876-4044.
  5. January Sales Tax Filing
    • January is around the corner, which means it’s time to start preparing the worksheets for your sales tax report. I encourage everyone to attend the Texas PTA Sales Tax workshop—it’s a helpful refresher and keeps the process simple. Deadline for filing the sales tax - Annual AND Quarterly - January 20, 2026. NOTE: You must file even if you had zero sales tax.
      • File With Confidence: Sales & Use Tax Returns For TreasurersIf you already have a Sales Tax Permit,  join on Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM CST to learn about completing this return correctly and timely.  Please register here.
      • Available Recordings: Navigating Sales & Use TaxDid you miss the Sales & Use Tax Learning Lab that was held in October? To learn more about how to find the appropriate forms requested by vendors for exemption status, apply for or get a copy of a sales tax permit, and more, you can watch the recording here.
  6. In-Kind Donations & Gift Cards: 
    • Here are the guidelines on tracking in-kind donations and gift cards in your PTA’s budget, as required by TX PTA. You’ll also find a sample in-kind donation form and donation receipt acknowledgement. 
  7. Treasurer Resources

Thank you again for all you do. Please reach out if you need support with any of these items.

Questions? Email Durga Karthikeyan at treasurer@allenisdcouncilpta.org.


Parliamentarian Reminders

Presidents should start appointing a BYLAWS AND STANDING RULES REVIEW COMMITTEE soon, with executive board approval. Remember that recommended changes to either of your governing documents must be presented to the executive board for approval before being voted on by your membership. 

•    Bylaws amendments require 30-days’ notice to your membership of the proposed changes and a 2/3 vote at a Membership Meeting. 

•    Standing rules require a majority vote if notice was given or a 2/3 vote if previous notice was not provided. 

•    No changes recommended by the committee? They should still state that at the Membership Meeting, so it can be recorded in the minutes.


Your January/February membership meetings are also a great time to *elect* your NOMINATING COMMITTEE to ensure they are able to fulfill their duties before your PTA's Election meeting. Be sure to check your bylaws to see what month your elections are held (typically March-April).

Volunteer Citizenship Awards

2025-26 Citizenship Award Nomination Due Dates:

• January 7, 2026 (for January 14 meeting)

• March 4, 2026 (for March 11 meeting)

• May 6, 2026 (for May 13 meeting)


CLICK HERE to nominate volunteers for the Allen ISD Council of PTA’s Citizenship Awards.


Wellness Fair Recap:

🌿 Our Wellness Fair was a huge success! Here’s a quick look at the highlights:


🧘 What We Did

    •    Yoga and meditation sessions

    •    Stress-relief and wellness techniques

    •    Interactive booths for students and families


🍽️ Food & Treats

    •    Delicious food served to all attendees

    •    Desserts that everyone enjoyed


🎤 Presenters

    •    Our main presenters were from SKY School, who led powerful sessions on breathing, mindfulness, and emotional well-being.


🤝 Community & Support

    •    Wonderful vendors who shared resources and tips

    •    Engaging presenters offering practical wellness tools

    •    Special thanks to Superintendent Bullock for attending


🎉 Fun Moments

    •    Exciting giveaways throughout the event

    •    Hands-on activities that students loved

    •    A warm, positive atmosphere thanks to our volunteers and committee


💚 Thank You!


We are grateful to everyone who participated and helped make this event meaningful.

Looking forward to an even bigger and better Wellness Fair next year!

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Mark your calendars: April 23-25, 2026 will be our 5th Annual Allen ISD Council of PTAs Community Used Book Fair!

While most promotion, donation collection & the sale itself happen in the spring, planning is underway now. And we’ve got some info to help you plan your PTA year.   


Information Sessions:

We recently held an Information Session during Fall Training and will hold another virtual one at the end of October, as well as an in-person update in January/February 2026.  Dates for both TBA soon.


Resources:

We are updating the Used Book Fair Section Council website, adding training slides, timelines, promotional items and more. Check it out! 


Immediate Action Items for Local PTAs: 

•    Local Contact: Choose a local contact for the Used Book Fair. This is the person we will collaborate and communicate with throughout the year.  It can be more than one person. 

Link to notify council: Used Book Fair Contact

•    Participation Vote: Each PTA Board must vote on if you are participating, and if you are, what you are doing with the funds. You can choose to keep them or donate them back to Council for Allen ISD Staff grants. 

**Participation this year requires collecting, sorting and counting books at your campus as well as providing 4 volunteer hours during the setup, sale or tear down. That is down from 6 hours last year.

Link to record vote with Council: Used Book Fair Participation Decision 


Thank you to those PTAs who have already provided info! 


Questions? Contact our Book Fair Chair Sandra Turner at: bookfair@allenisdcouncilpta.org

Thank you to our current business sponsors!​
Want to become a business sponsor for Allen ISD Council of PTAs?

Click here to apply!

All board members should have trainings completed within 30 days of election.  Any outstanding trainings should be completed ASAP. 
To access videos and get info on which trainings you should take, visit: TXPTA- PTA TRAINING  

ADVOCACY

Straight Talk - Mark your calendars for Monday, February 23, 2026

Raising the AI Generation



ARTS IN EDUCATION

Allen Council received 92 entries


Reflections ceremony will be on January 21, 6-7:30pm at the PAC. 

Join Texas PTA And Allen ISD PTAs Share Pages On Facebook

CLICK HERE: Texas PTA Idea Share

CLICK HERE: Allen ISD PTAs Idea Share

Need Help With Promoting Your Spirit Night?

At Allen ISD Council of PTAs, we are here to help each of our local PTAs succeed. 


If you would like council to help promote a spirit night please click here to fill out the request.

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