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Originally delivered on 3/3/2026 7:43 am

SUBJECT: Allen ISD Council of PTAs Quarterly Newsletter March 3, 2026

Notes from the President

This time of the year tends to be packed with activity - from conducting elections to preparing for the year ahead.  It's an exciting time but it can also feel overwhelming.  I encourage you to keep an open mind, adapt as situations evolve and don't hesitate to ask for support when you need it.


Here is a list to help you stay on track:


Current Presidents: 

•    Post slate of officers at least 7 days before the election meeting.

•    At the election meeting, appoint your budget committee for the 26-27 budget.  Your standing rules usually state who is on that committee, which should include the newly elected President/Treasurer.  If not, they should be invited to attend the budget meeting.

•    Encourage your board to reach out to their new counterpart to assure a smooth transition.

•    Invite the new President to participate in as many events, meetings, etc. as possible.  Introduce them to admin and key staff members for the following year.

•    Confirm the outgoing Treasurer files the 990 with the IRS.

•    Stay available at least until financial reconciliation is complete.

•    Thank your volunteers/board for their dedication to our school and community and encourage them to continue to volunteer.


Newly Elected Presidents:

•    The newly elected officers MUST meet within 30 days to appoint standing committee chairs, Parliamentarian as well as any remaining open positions.  During this meeting, check signers and the bank statement reviewer should be decided as well.  Discuss if there is a need to approve the tax free days for back to school.

•    Attend the budget committee meeting and make sure there is money in the budget for LAUNCH.

•    Host a planning meeting with your entire board, invite your Principal to attend, and decide on the calendar for the following year BEFORE school lets out in May.

•    Encourage your new board to attend LAUNCH as well as spring training with Council.

•    Contact Council if you have any questions or concerns.


Jyothi Reddy

President, Allen ISD Council of PTAs

president@allenisdcouncilpta.org


2026-2027 Allen ISD Council of PTAs Board

The Allen ISD Council of PTAs Nominating Committee has slated the following officers for the 2026-27 school year.


President - Theresa Ginsburg

VP Programs - Blessy Oommen

VP Membership - Nicole Bywater

VP Ways & Means - Amrita Sethi


Elections will be held at the Delegate Meeting on March 11th.  At that time, nominations will be open for anyone who wishes to run from the floor for the open positions or any of the positions listed above.  We look forward to the election and welcoming the new board in the year ahead.

🎉 Calling all current & aspiring Allen PTA rockstars! 🎉

Join us on March 24th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Allen ISD Service Center for a fun evening of food, games, and great company!


We’re celebrating our amazing current Allen PTA board members and everything they do for our school community.

Curious about joining an Allen PTA board? This is the perfect chance to hang out, ask questions, and learn how PTA makes a big impact at our schools!

🍔 Bonus: The CUTX food truck will be there serving up delicious bites!


RSVP here - https://forms.gle/iMa8cYkAM5BjLMGx9

Upcoming Awards Applications

Advocacy Impact Award - This award is open to Councils, local PTAs and students.

All applicants who meet the minimum criteria will receive a digital Advocacy Impact Badge to showcase their commitment to making a difference for children and families.


Learn more and apply here: https://www.txpta.org/child-advocate-awards


Outstanding Program Engagement Award - This award recognizes Local PTAs that provide a variety of quality programs throughout the school year, fostering family engagement, student growth, and strong school community partnerships. This award celebrates PTAs that go beyond a single initiative. They are offering multiple opportunities for families to connect, advocate, learn, and thrive together.


Learn more and apply here: https://www.txpta.org/outstanding-program-engagement-award


Family and Student Engagement Impact Award - This award honors PTAs that go above and beyond to create meaningful connections and strengthen engagement among families and students. These PTAs build strong connections and break down barriers to participation. Their efforts remain mission-driven and inclusive in every area, from membership and leadership to programs, advocacy, training, partnerships, and communications.


Learn more and apply here: https://www.txpta.org/texas-pta-family-student-engagement-award


Lead like Marni Award - Do you know a PTA volunteer who leads like Marni did? Each year, Texas PTA accepts nominations for our Lead Like Marni Award to recognize deserving leaders from elementary, secondary, and council PTAs. Winners are recognized at LAUNCH. 


Learn more and apply here: https://www.txpta.org/lead-like-marni-award

Hospitality

The staff at Anderson Early Childhood School and the Dillard Special Achievement Center had some delicious treats for Valentine's Day!

Used Book Fair

Welcome to March!

The Countdown is on to this year’s Used Book Fair as we get ready to kick off community-wide donations.

This year’s Used Book Fair is Thursday, April 23 to Saturday, April 25.  One slight scheduling change, the Used Book Fair will close one hour earlier than previously announced on Saturday. We will close at 2pm to allow our volunteers and shoppers to attend the Allen 150 Fest that afternoon.

Volunteer sign-ups will be going out within the next week to local PTAs so you can get your hours.

DONATIONS:

Local PTAs are welcome to collect books at any time. One pro tip – Open House is a great night to put out a box and collect! Every family visits campus that night.

Donations must be counted, sorted and ready to go by end of day, Wednesday April 15. The district will pick them up April 16-17.

If your campus is not participating – we will once again have public drop-off spots with the city and school district. Those donations will be collected March 30-April 15. 

BOOKMARK CONTEST: 

The Council is launching a Bookmark Contest this week seeking our awesome young artists to help design the bookmarks we’ll hand out at this year’s book fair. Please look for that to launch later this week on social media, and share on your local PTA social media channels and in newsletters.

SPONSORS NEEDED: 

The Council is seeking sponsors for this year’s book fair. We’ve got the title sponsor, but are now seeking the other two levels, Book Benefactors & Chapter Champions. Please share with your community & local businesses.

•    $2,000 - Literary Legend - (Title Sponsor: RBFCU) - Limit 1. 

•    $1,000 - Book Benefactors – Benefits: Listed on a Thank You poster, social media shoutout, website, bookmarks handed out at Book Fair & on slide at Book Fair 

•    $250 - Chapter Champions - (previously called Table Sponsors) – Benefit: sign on table at Book Fair

Link to become a sponsor: https://allenisdcouncilpta.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/1793

PUBLICITY MATERIALS:

Once again – RBFCU has joined us as a title sponsor.  Publicity materials are being updated and uploaded to our Council website now, so check there for items to download. All items must include the RBFCU logo.

https://allenisdcouncilpta.membershiptoolkit.com/bookfairresources

PUBLIC WEBSITE: 

We have a NEW public website this year! Please direct the public to AllenBookFair.com for all info!

YARD SIGNS: 

These will be delivered to campuses end of March/beginning of April. We’ll let you know.

PTA PARTICIPATION:

If you haven’t notified Council if your PTA is participating, please let us know.  Participation requires collecting, sorting and counting books at your campus, u can do so at this link: 

Link for Participation form: https://forms.gle/Wa4TTvVU9Dxf2tzm9


Thanks to everyone’s help and here’s to a great 2026 Community Used Book Fair!


Questions?

Contact Used Book Fair Chair Sandra Turner at bookfair@allenisdcouncilpta.org

Reflections

Congratulations to the entries advancing to State.


Advancing entries will be on display at the Blue House Too in Allen during the month of March. The results of the Texas PTA Reflections’ judging should be announced mid-March. Be on the lookout for those results. 


Reflections reception was held in January to celebrate our talented artists.

Thank You

Thank you for helping Allen ISD Council of PTAs earn the Golden Apple Award.  This achievement is truly outstanding, with our Council and Superintendent Dr. Robin Bullock working together to recruit 100% of district-level administrators as members. This award reflects our Council and Allen ISD's incredible teamwork and commitment to building strong partnerships that support every child.  

Congratulations!

Congratulations to all of our local Golden Apple Award Winners.  These schools have each achieved 100% of their School Faculty joining PTA for the 2025-26 school year!  Thank you for showing up in a Big Way!   

 *Cheatham Elementary

*Chandler Elementary

*Evans Elementary

*Green Elementary

*Kerr Elementary

*Norton Elementary 

*Olson Elementary

*Marion Elementary

*Story Elementary 

*Vaughan Elementary 

*Curtis Middle School 

*Ereckson Middle School

Congratulations to Welcome Back Award Winners:

Congratulations to our PTAs who have earned the Welcome Back Award in January from Texas PTA! 

*Allen Early Childhood PTA

*Allen High/Lowery Freshman PTA

*Bolin Elementary PTA 

*Chandler Elementary PTA

*Ford Middle PTA 

*Green Elementary PTA

*Marion Elementary PTA


Get lucky in March by submitting 17 new PTA members to earn the Lucky Leprechaun Award from Texas PTA.  

#youcanPTA

Life Member Banquet

When: Monday, April 6, 2026 from 6:00 - 8:30 PM

Where: Allen ISD Performing Arts Center (300 Rivercrest Blvd. Allen, TX 75002) 

Wednesday, March 19, 2026: Deadline to submit ticket order for the banquet. Ticket prices are $20 per person.  


Ticket purchase information is available at:          

https://allenisdcouncilpta.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/1784


Order awards from TX PTA as soon as you decide recipients: https://www.txpta.org/volunteer-recognition


Send recipient information to Nicole at Council:  membership@allenisdcouncilpta.org

2025-26 Angel Members

Thank you to our 2025-26 Angel Members


Platinum Members

Sandra Turner

Rachel Mitchell

Suzi Kennon

Shirley Bayles

Jason Lee Cook

Claudia Wayland 

David Hicks

Dr. Bill Parker

Dr. Robin Bullock 

Dr. Polly Montgomery 

Becca Kinnear

Audrey Reed

Kellie Worcester 

Jyothi Reddy

Tracy Longville 

 

Ford Gold Members

Chelsea Posey

Tommy Baril 

Tomeka Herod

 

Curtis Gold Members

Sandra Park

Insiya Patwa 


Ereckson Gold Members

Eva Kraft 


Ready To Make A Huge Impact In Allen ISD?

Become an Angel member by joining multiple Allen PTAs and also help Council win the Spring Community Builder Award.

Click here for more information. https://allenisdcouncilpta.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/1654

Dairy Queen Punch Cards

Get $25 worth of 5 small Blizzard treats for $20 with the Dairy Queen punch cards.


Link for fundraiser: https://allenisdcouncilpta.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/1796

Allen Eagle Run is right around the corner. You can still register online before the price increases on March 6th. 

Packet pick-up is available on March 4th (2pm -6pm) and March 5th (8am - 6pm) at the Allen ISD Service Center (1451 North Watters Road, Allen, TX 75013).

Reuse-A-Shoe Contest

Reuse-A-Shoe Contest has been moved to April 6 – April 17, with pickup from the schools the week of April 20th.  More information to be sent out in March.  The school with the most shoes per student based on enrollment will win a prize valued at $400.

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 

Treasurer’s Corner

Hey Treasurers,

We are in the last leg of our School year and there are a few things you need to ensure a smooth transition to the next school year to your second term or a handover to the next Treasurer. 

  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.

Clear up outstanding payments and deposits

Confirm with all Board/Committee members and volunteers that all outstanding fund requests have been submitted and checks have been deposited.


4.   April Sales Tax Filing (If filing quarterly)

Quarterly sales tax filings for Q1 2026 will be due by April 20th. Remember that even if you have no taxable sales, you must complete an informational file.


5.   For PTAs with Final Membership Meeting in April

  • Proposed Budget for 2026-2027
  • Prepare Preliminary Annual Financial Reports to be presented at this year’s final board and membership meetings. 
    • Income & Expense Report from beginning of fiscal year to final meeting date
    • Budgets vs. Actuals
    • Do not need to adopted, informational only
    • Final report to be presented at the first board and membership meetings of the next school year


6.   Upcoming Texas PTA Training 

The Final Stretch: Treasurer’s Guide to Finishing Strong! (March)


The back half of the fiscal year is a busy time for Treasurers! Let’s talk about finishing strong, including how to prepare for the annual membership meeting, year-end requirements, and getting organized early. Join us on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 12:00 PM CST to learn more.  Please register here. 


  1. Treasurer Resources
  2. Allen ISD Council of PTAs Treasurer Group on Facebook - Join here.
  3. Monthly Council Treasurer Online Meeting
    • 2nd Fridays of the month
    • 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
    • Invites sent to all Treasurers 
  4. Treasurer Resources - Folder with Templates, Presentations, Resource Guides
  5. Council Treasurer Webpage


Check out additional “Questions of the Month” from the Texas PTA Treasurer’s Corner newsletter here.

Questions? Email treasurer@allenisdcouncilpta.org.



Straight Talk Recap

Thank you to everyone who attended our watch party of Texas PTA’s Straight Talk event, “Raising the AI Generation,” Thursday, February 26, at the Allen ISD Service Center. It was a great turnout!


Attendees enjoyed lunch while watching the Texas PTA stream, and they heard from Allen ISD teachers, counselors, admin, and staff on how artificial intelligence is shaping learning, privacy, and student well-being. The discussion was relevant and practical, parents had meaningful questions, and our panelists appreciated the opportunity to engage with our PTA community. 


If you missed it, the Texas PTA panel discussion is available to watch at https://youtu.be/70rA-6WibF0.

Volunteer Citizenship Awards

2025-26 Citizenship Award Nomination Due Dates:

• 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.


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  

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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