Members approved the treasurer's report and the 2026–27 budget. Committees shared their plans for the year, including the Holiday Shop the week after Thanksgiving, the Snowflake Ball on January 29, the middle school dance on February 19, and the Color Run, which moves to spring (tentatively April 30). We are looking for volunteers for teacher appreciation, the Holiday Shop register, the Snowflake Ball, and designing the school directory. An idea for a fall family event got an enthusiastic response, and a community service event was suggested.
Our first general meeting of the year, held in the cafeteria while the Kindergarten classes use the library during construction. The full notes, including the attendance list, are in the original document linked above.
Money
- Treasurer’s report — approved. Income so far is from membership dues, INVEST donations and directory ads. Balances: $11,654.71 in checking and $20,902.38 in savings.
- 2026–27 budget — approved. Cultural arts gets more than last year. The budget is split into items that fund themselves, items paid for by fundraising, self-funded clubs the PTA passes money through for, and other costs: a scholarship for former students, operations (taxes, supplies, postage) and the Color Run. The 8th grade volleyball line will probably be dropped, since it has had little involvement the last couple of years.
- INVEST fund. Families and companies donate, and the PTA uses it for purchases that benefit every student, such as playground equipment.
For classroom parents
- Every classroom parent has been notified. If you have not heard, you are not one this year.
- Reach out to your co-class parent and email your teacher to schedule party dates (Halloween, holiday, spring).
- Collect parent emails, then send everyone the same standard form: names, emails and $30. The $30 covers teacher gifts for the holidays and the end of the year, plus the Tricky Tray auction.
- Do not feel obligated to cover any gaps with your own money.
Coming up
- Holiday Shop — always the week after Thanksgiving, currently December 2–4 (dates may change). We may give kids more time to shop. Needs a volunteer in the school to run the register.
- Snowflake Ball (elementary dance) — January 29. Volunteers needed.
- Middle school dance — February 19.
- Read Across America — in March, dates to come. Breakfast and reading, with the Quakertown Teacher Association.
- Color Run — moving to spring, tentatively April 30, with a rain date set. Spring gives us more time to fundraise, and feedback on a spring date was positive. Fundraising starts around the end of March. It is the PTA’s biggest fundraiser and pays for big-ticket items.
Committees
- After-school clubs — a new Craft Club for younger students (older students have Art Club), details coming. Science Club runs in February, grades to be decided. Lego Club is aiming for spring. Chess Club is to be decided.
- Roary’s Shop — three times a year during lunch, everything under $1. Dates to come.
- Teacher appreciation — something every month, starting with a welcome-back breakfast before school started. More volunteers welcome.
- Library — volunteers help tidy the library. This year we hope to do it after school, which means no background check or fingerprinting. Students can earn volunteer hours too.
- Cultural arts — assemblies and an author or artist visit. Send suggestions to the cultural arts chair.
- Book Fair (September 28–30) and Fall Clothing Drive (October 4) — both set at the time of the meeting. The clothing drive’s new company only takes clothing, and we are paid by weight.
New business
- School directory and Invest in Children campaign. The directory is for PTA members only. The volunteer who designed and printed it no longer has children at FTS, so we are looking for someone with design or printing experience.
- Girl Scouts. If your daughter wants to join, a parent needs to set up a troop.
- New website. Adding the directory ad signup, sports schedules and the spiritwear store. All three went up on this site after the meeting; the spiritwear sale has since closed.
- Franklin Township Community Day was cancelled because of the weather.
- Fall PTA event. A decorating event, possibly with something other than pumpkins, got an enthusiastic response.
- Community service event. Suggested as a fun event to run.
- Spiritwear. Sold through the Lions Club; the money raised pays for the sports banquet. Our longtime spiritwear vendor is closing, but is saving the designs for us. There were not enough volleyball jerseys this year; uniforms are a school matter, not a PTA one.
The next meeting is in October, back in the cafeteria. The meeting adjourned at 8:05 PM.