Week 34 - Apr 28 - PTA Newsletter

Dear Sulphur Springs Parents and Guardians,


Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week is here!  

     If you’re looking for ways to spoil your favorite teachers and Sulphur Springs staff, look no further!  We have suggestions for things that students can do or bring next week (in our 4-week look-ahead); we have a list of donations to supplement our planned breakfasts, lunches, and snacks; and we have contacts for anyone who’d like to volunteer to set-up a meal, clean-up a meal, or pick up supplies.  This is how we show our collective community thanks to all our teachers and staff who work so hard all year to make our school a fun and safe place for all our students.  You can contact Kim Sperling (at 760-621-1523 or at sperlingjbk@yahoo.com) or Nicole Carruth (at 909-841-0892 or at Nicole.Carruth1@gmail.com) to get more involved, check out our volunteer flyer (attached), or sign up to donate needed items here:

     https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080549ABA82AA3FB6-49129812-teacher 


We’d like to give a special thank you to everyone who participated in, supported, or came out to see our variety show:  Sulphur Springs’ Got Talent.  The cast and crew did an amazing job, and we have an extra-long list of volunteers this week to thank – for their time, energy, and even donations!  Be sure to take a look and give your thanks to everyone you know.

     A video of the talent show will be available to anyone interested.  If you would like to have FIRST ACCESS to the multi-camera, smoothly edited footage, you can sign up now for only $10.  (This amount is considered a donation to the SSPTA and will be used to support future artistic/theatrical productions.)  Reserve your priority access here:

     https://www.sspta.org/collections/events/products/talent-show-recording


Coming soon, we have our long-awaited Daughter Dance – Friday, May 10, at 5:30pm, in the MPR.  The theme this year is Boots and Beauties, sort of a sweet Western-theme (though you can always wear whatever you’d like!).  A flyer will be coming home this week (if it hasn’t already), and tickets are on sale now for $20 per person.  (Please note:  all families can attend school-based activities at no charge.  Ticket purchases are considered donations that help to cover our operational expenses:  renting the space, providing food, hiring a DJ, and purchasing decorations or other supplies.)  Tickets can be purchased here:

     https://www.sspta.org/collections/events/products/daughter-dance-party-may-2024 



4-Week Look-Ahead

This Week

  • 4/29-5/3 – Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week, hosted by SSPTA

See the flyer that came home for additional details.

  • 4/29 – Monday – High-fives for your favorite teachers and staff members

  • 4/30 – Tuesday – Notes of appreciation or hand-drawn/colored pictures

  • 5/1 – Wednesday – School supplies or gift cards

  • 5/2 – Thursday – Dress for your favorite vacation spot

  • 5/3 – Friday – Treats, snacks, or a favorite candy


Next Week 

  • 5/7, 9am – Coffee with the Principal in the MPR (NEW DATE)

  • 5/10, 5:30pm – Family Dance in the MPR (“Boots and Beauties” Western theme)

    • Look for a flyer coming soon with details on how to RSVP.

    • $20 admission donation covers entry to the dance, photo booth, and food!

https://www.sspta.org/collections/events/products/daughter-dance-party-may-2024 


Week 3

  • 5/14, 11:00am – Last PTA Meeting of the Year at Topper’s Pizza – join us!

    • Celebrate this year’s amazing volunteers!

    • Meet your new Board members/officers for next year!

    • Preview the calendar for 2024-2025.  Share your thoughts/ideas!

  • 5/15, 4-7pm – SSPTA Restaurant Night at McDonald’s on Soledad Canyon

    • McTeacher Night, starring your very own teachers and Principal Palacios!

    • Come hang out in the PlayPlace, order a tasty treat, or just chill with friends.

  • 5/16 – Minimum Day, students will be dismissed at 12:45pm.


Week 4

  • Nothing planned this week!  Enjoy the holiday weekend.



Table of Contents

1. Weekly Volunteer Recognition – Thank you!

2. List of Urgent Volunteer Needs



1. Weekly Volunteer Recognition

Thank you to all our PTA volunteers for your work this past school week on:  the Sulphur Springs’ Got Talent variety show, Game Room (and Art Room!), the Great Artist Program, and planning for Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week, the upcoming Daughter Dance, and a number of other Spring surprises!  

We would especially like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our Sulphur Springs student volunteers for the Talent Show, including current 5th and 6th graders who helped out in production roles (like Assistant Stage Manager, Lighting Manager, and Assistant Lighting Manager), backstage roles (like Production Assistant, Line-Up Manager, Stage-Door Manager, Talent Wrangler, Green Room Manager), and box office positions (like Concessions Sales Assistant, SnackGrams Runner, and Usher).  We also had a number of Mustang alumni who came back and helped, including our Assistant Director and Stage Manager.   

     And Ron and Heather Ippolito and the student volunteers from Rio Norte Junior High who helped us do a multi-camera shoot of our show and who will be editing into an amazing video that we can share with families for years to come.

     Get priority access to the video with a small $10 donation (which helps future artistic and theatrical programs): https://www.sspta.org/collections/events/products/talent-show-recording


Another group that has been hard at work behind the scenes are our key volunteers for Teacher/Staff Appreciation week.  You have been pouring your energy and love into preparing an amazing treat for our faculty – thank you!  

     If you’d like to see your name on this list next week, check out our volunteer flyer (attached) or contact Kim Sperling (at 760-621-1523 or at sperlingjbk@yahoo.com) or Nicole Carruth (at 909-841-0892 or at Nicole.Carruth1@gmail.com) to get more involved.


Here are our amazing volunteers that the SSPTA would like to recognize right now: 

Adrienne Andalon (T)

Andrew Tristan

Angela Figueroa

Ashley Sawdon

Chrystal Ramos

Deering Viola

Emma Villavicencio (T)

Emily Jones

Erin Riley (T)

Gary Laramore

Gloria Kamenos

Greg Scott

Jada Dunn (T)

Jamie Fisher

Jen Heuseveldt (T)

Jennifer Ortiz

Jessica Coleman

JC Beltran

Karen Preciado

Ken Newton (T)

Kevin Gamp

Kim Sperling

Maria Ortiz

Marlee Diaz

Mellissa de Conza

Nicole Burch

Nicole Carruth

Portia Franklin

Rose Carradine McGee

Sarah Scott

Scarlet Montoya

Shamsia Haque

Sophia Leao (T)

Teresa Shear 

Yuka Kawasaki

Yukari Murase-Louden

Yvette Spencer


(T) = A special thank you to our teacher members who are actively volunteering to support, run, or lead various PTA programs and special student opportunities.  You guys are awesome!

And, to all our teachers and staff, Principal Katie Palacios, Administrative Support Monica Rodriguez-Grubbs, and our front office personnel (Dionne Hinson, Holly Slocum-Reyes, and Gale Tripp):  Thank you for your support!


2. List of Urgent Volunteer Needs

We have an immediate need for volunteers in the following areas.  If you would like to donate any amount of your time, please reach out to the contact listed:

  • Teacher Appreciation Week (April 29-May 3) – Co-Chairs Kim Sperling (sperlingjbk@yahoo.com) and Nicole Carruth (Nicole.Carruth1@gmail.com)

    • We have lots of exciting and fun plans to spoil our teachers and staff.  If you would like to get involved – or to make a donation – please reach out to the co-chairs listed above or to your Room Parent.

    • To donate items for the Teacher/Staff Break Room, visit:      https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080549ABA82AA3FB6-49129812-teacher 

  • Spring Carnival Replacement (Tuesday, May 28) – Point-person Jessica Coleman (President@sspta.org, 917-400-4170)

    • We are planning an amazing fun day at school for all the kids with inflatables, a DJ, and a cool treat.  

    • We will need volunteers to help supervise student safety and behavior, in short shifts to cover the entire day, from 9am to 3pm.  There will be a Sign-Up Genius link coming soon, or you can just email or text Jessica.

    • We are also seeking donations to make our volunteers comfortable – pop-up tents for shade; snacks, water bottles or other hydrating beverages, and possibly even lunch.

    • We could also use long extension cords (to borrow).  Please let me know if you have one or two (or more) that we could use.  We need at least 9.


Ways to Connect with PTA:  https://www.sspta.org/pages/ways-to-connect-with-sspta

You can join our PTA with an $8 Membership at https://jointotem.com/ca/canyon-country/sulphur-springs-community-school-pta/join/register     

If you would like to know more about what the Sulphur Springs PTA does for our school, please check out:  https://www.sspta.org/pages/about-us


Email President@sspta.org with any questions!