Parents, students, teachers/staff and community members are cordially invited to the first ATL PTSA general meeting of the 2014-2015 school year on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 6 pm in the media center.

On the agenda:

• Tour of the school campus
• Review of PTSA mission and purpose
• Volunteers and ideas for membership drive events:
  • Aug. 28 LTM breakfast
  • Sept. 2 Open House / Back-to-School Night
  • Sept. 5 football game
  • Homecoming
• Volunteers needed for school store, picture days and other activities during the upcoming school year
• Raffle drawing (dinner for two at Caffe Luna Rosa)

The executive board for the 2014-2015 school year was elected at the April 22, 2014, PTSA meeting:

• Laura Simon, President
  
• Mindy Nichols, Treasurer
  
• Michelle Quigley, Secretary and VP Communications
  
• Stacey Shavell, VP Membership 

The VP Fundraising position is open.

Congratulations and thank you to the new board members, and thank you to outgoing board members Irene LaTour (President), Gina Heron-Cooper (Treasurer), Alina Leathers (Secretary), Beth Brown (VP Membership), and Molly Johnson (VP Programs/Fundraising) and other PTSA parent members who so graciously volunteered to assist the board next year!

The final PTSA meeting of the school year is at 7:15 pm on Tuesday, April 22, in the media center. Click here to view the agenda. All members — old and new — are welcome to attend.

The PTSA executive board for the 2014-2015 will be elected at the April 22 meeting. The executive board includes:

• President
  
• Secretary
  
• Treasurer
  
• VP Communications
  
• VP Membership
  
• VP Fundraising/Programs
  

Parent and teacher/staff members interested in serving on the executive board or in assisting with other specific PTSA initiatives (including — but not limited to — arts education, legislation, health & safety, and the National PTA Reflections arts award program) should attend the April 22 meeting, or email us at [email protected].

The City of Delray Beach invites the community to attend a “Focus on Education” town hall meeting Thursday, October 17, 2013, at 7:00 pm in the auditorium at Atlantic Community High School.

Parents, students and other community members will have the opportunity to take part in the discussion and help find solutions, and students will earn community service hours. Opening ceremonies include a presentation of the flag by the Atlantic Community High School Criminal Justice Academy. Hope to see you all there!

Some of the resources Assistant Principal Allison Castellano mentioned in her excellent presentation on the Common Core State Standards at the October 1 PTSA meeting:

• A Parent's Guide to the Common Core Standards from education.com
• The National PTA Common Core State Standards Initiative
• Parent Guides to Student Success  from the National PTA
  
• The new smart set: What happens when millions of kids are asked to master fewer things more deeply? By Amanda Ripley, author of author The Smartest Kids in the World--and How They Got That Way
• Video: Why We Need Common Core: "I choose C." 

The final PTSA meeting of the year is Tuesday, May 21, at 7 pm in the Media Center. Click here to view the agenda.

We hope all members — old and new — will be there.  

The ACHS PTSA has several committee positions open for next year:

• Cultural art
  
• Reflections (a PTA arts award program)
  
• Health and safety
  
• Legislation
  
• Student involvement
  
• Resource development

Detailed committee descriptions from the National PTA are here. If you'd like to volunteer to be a part of any of the committees, please take a look at the descriptions and bring your ideas to the meeting as to how we can tailor the committees to best fit our school's needs.

We'd also like to hear from parent, teacher and student members about what you would like to see your PTSA accomplish next year.

See you Tuesday evening!