About

Mission & Values

WHO WE ARE

The PS 34 Parent Teacher Association (PTA) supports PS 34 in their effort to awaken curiosity, cultivate high education standards, celebrate successes, and encourage children to continually question and create. The PS 34 PTA’s mission is to foster community by providing opportunities to come together in support of our school as well as fund-raise and gather volunteers for enrichment, community, and educational activities at PS 34. We work closely with the PS 34 Administration to ensure that all of our endorsed or supported events and enrichments are inclusive and uphold the values of our school.


The PS34 PTA stands strong in support of our children. Our purpose is to realize every child’s potential by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. The PTA core values orient our mission and inform all of our endeavors. They are as follows:

COLLABORATION

We will work in partnership with a wide array of individuals
and organizations to broaden and enhance children’s learning experience.

COMMITMENT

We are dedicated to all children’s educational success, health, and well-being through strong family and community engagement.

DIVERSITY

We embrace everyone regardless of: age, culture, economic status, educational background, ethnicity, mental ability, national origin, organizational position, parental status, physical ability, political philosophy, race, religion, sexual orientation and work experience.

RESPECT

We value the individual contributions of members, volunteers and partners as we work collaboratively to support our school.

ACCOUNTABILITY

All members, volunteers and partners have a shared responsibility to achieve the PTA’s stated goals.

PTA Executive Board

Co-Presidents

Lilith Dollard & Jenneka Hernandez

Secretary

Caitlin Duffy & Jane Hernandez

Treasurer

Kathy Szwarc

The PTA Executive Board is made up of a group of parent volunteers who are elected each spring.

PTA Co-President Role Description

  • conducts and chairs all PA/PTA meetings

  • builds consensus through parliamentary procedures

  • coordinates the work of the Executive Board officers and committees of the association

  • signs PA/PTA checks

  • is the primary representative to the appropriate Presidents’ Council

  • serves as a mandatory member of the School Leadership Team

  • plans agendas for general membership meetings with Executive Board officers

  • encourages parent involvement and member participation

  • appoints chairpersons of PA/PTA committees (fund-raising, hospitality, etc.)

  • assists with the June transfer of all PA/PTA records to the incoming Executive Board

PTA Secretary Role Description

  • records motions, votes, decisions, financial activity, reports and discussion at all association meetings (minutes)

  • shares minutes at each general membership meeting for review and adoption by the membership

  • ensures that PA/PTA records are available to the general members upon request and reasonable notice

  • prepares responses to all incoming correspondence

  • maintains an accurate file of all incoming and outgoing correspondence

  • prepares all meeting notices and agendas for distribution at association meetings

  • receives all of the association’s mail and directs mail to the appropriate Executive Board officer

PTA Treasurer Rol Description

  • keeps a record of all income received by the PA/PTA 

  • keeps a record of all PA/PTA expenses

  • provides a written Treasurer’s report at each PA/PTA meeting

  • contributes to the development of the PA/PTA proposed budget

  • prepares the January Interim PA Financial Report, June Annual PA Financial Report and all other monthly reports (i.e., fundraising activity reports, monthly Treasurer reports)

  • deposits money in the PA/PTA checking account 

  • signs PA/PTA checks

  • assists with the June transfer of PA/PTA financial records

Approved Budget for the 2023-2024 School Year

Notes on  PTA budget for 2023-2024:

Enrichments

  • LEGO Robotics will be incorporated into STEM classes so that is no longer a PTA-funded enrichment

  • Expanded Marquis Dance for more grades (Pre-K- 4th grade) and ballroom dance for 5th grade

  • Added chess for grades 1-5, based on the popularity of chess after-school. This will be taught by ICN, the coaches who run the after-school chess program. This chess class will be free and during the school day for all students in those grades.

  • Added a line for extracurricular program support, this can be used for costs like Debate team t-shirts and supplies, expanding the Girls on the Run program, and any other extracurriculars that come up.

School Support and Community Building

  • Increased funds for parent & community events

  • Added supply expenses for cluster teachers as they build out classrooms/programs

  • Increased funds for teacher expenses (up to $150 per teacher)

  • Increased funds for teacher and staff appreciation

NEW LINES TO OFFSET SCHOOL BUDGET CUTS (yellow)

  • Increased assemblies budget to $5k to cover all assemblies for school

  • Added funds for Disney and Debate teacher per sessions

  • Added Senior Trip bus costs

  • Added PS34 school website and Parent Square annual fees

PTA Bylaws

 Bylaws are designed to help a PTA group function in an orderly manner.  The PS 34 PTA Bylaws are available to PS 34 Parents in the link below. 

PTA Bylaws