LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Stokes School Community,

As the President of the Elsie Whitlow Stokes PTA, and on behalf of our entire PTA Board, I am excited to welcome you all to our upcoming 2024-2025 school year. This year will bring lots of excitement and opportunities to deepen our bond within the Stokes community.

As a first year parent in the 2023-2024 school year, it was inspiring to see the dedication of service within our Stokes community. That dedication inspired me to get involved in Stokes engagement events throughout the school year. 

One of our primary objectives as a PTA is to support the school's core values: Integrity, Diversity, Creativity, Service, Community, Respect, Enthusiasm for Learning and Compassionate Leadership. Our PTA Board is excited to continue to strengthen our bonds within the Stokes community through various community engagement events and fundraising initiatives. These moments will bring our community closer and enrich our children’s experiences at Stokes.

The PTA is committed to promoting a school environment that is inclusive, diverse, and supportive to ensure each scholar succeeds. Our initiatives will continue to focus on fostering understanding, empathy, and equity for every member of our Stokes family.

I encourage every family to become part of the Elsie Whitlow Stokes PTA. Membership for the school year is just $10 and grants you voting rights, enabling you to play a role in shaping our initiatives. If financial constraints are a concern, please reach out to us as we are more than willing to subsidize memberships. We firmly believe that financial constraints should never be a barrier to participation. Even if you choose to not become an official member, we welcome every one to join our meetings and events throughout the school year. Your presence and engagement in PTA discussions and planning events matter immensely. Diverse perspectives and ideas will ensure our community becomes even stronger.

PTA meetings will occur on the first Wednesday of every month from 6:10PM-7:10PM. During these meetings, specific agenda items will be discussed and every meeting will also provide opportunities to share ideas and initiatives. We welcome you all to join our PTA family as we embark on this year’s journey to enrich our Stokes community. Meetings will be in person with an option to join virtually via Zoom. We will provide pizza, light refreshments, and free childcare during PTA meetings. Together we can collaborate to achieve goals that will provide our young scholars with an exceptional learning experience.

Sincerely,

Jose Obando (Dad to Leo, PK-4 Spanish B)

President, Elsie Whitlow Stokes PTA