Search Results

Welcome! Saddleback Valley PTA Council serves the schools in Saddleback Valley Unified School District. Our council represents 25 units and falls within the Fourth District PTA, California State PTA and National PTA. Latest News Officer Position Slate for 2023-2024 school year The SVPTA Nominating Committee met to consider all eligible candidates for the 2023-2024 school year. On behalf of the nominating committee, we present the following slate of officers for the association’s consideration: ​ President - Catherine Beeny EVP - Olivia Renella 1st VP Advocacy - Michele Sparks 2nd VP Membership - Sarah Strange Secretary - Ashley Grady Treasurer - Anna Huang Auditor - Tina Fellers Historian - Karen Baker ​ ​ The election of officers will take place on Wednesday, March 15 during the council's association meeting. PTA at its heart is an advocacy organization. ​ With ADVOCACY at the forefront of our organization, we have put together a list of resources supporting the importance of parent involvement in schools, as well as contact information to assist you in advocating for your child through local representatives, state representatives & various agencies. ​ ​ ​ Read More Upcoming Events Contact

For PTA Presidents Yearly to do list View PDF ​ How to Upload Documents to SVPTA​ PDF how to guide Google Form (For Uploading Docs to SVPTA) https://forms.gle/3s39aojNzCM4kdMa7 ​ Points Chart View Google Doc ​ Insurance Coverage http://downloads.capta.org/fin/CAPTA_Insurance_Guide_2022.pdf ​ ​ Fiduciary Agreement http://downloads.capta.org/toolkit/forms/FiduciaryAgreement.pdf ​ Step by Step Guide for Program Submission & the Approval Process View the PDF Guide ​ Insurance To get started, you should all email our insurance company AIM, at aim@aim-companies.com and request a copy of your unit insurance and ask to have the district named as an additional insured. You will need this and it will be valid for the year. Facilities - after school hours events and programs For any events or programs before or after school hours you can email agreements@svusd,org and they will let you know if you need to fill out a facilities request. Facilities is re-assessing the process and hopes to have something more concrete soon but for now, please contact that email address with all details for after hours programs and events. These also need to be submitted by your principal on the google form. ​ Work closely with your principal and office administrator and you can start planning together. If you have any questions, please reach out to Cindy - programs@svpta.org Nominating Committee Basics The nominating committee is the only PTA committee that is not appointed by the president. WHEN This committee is elected by the membership at least two months prior to the election of officers. ​ Determining when to elect the committee and how many people to elect is outlined in your unit bylaws. Don’t forget to elect alternates, in the event an elected committee member cannot attend a committee meeting. Most units should be electing the nominating committee no later than January or February for the election of officers in March or early April. WHO The committee needs a balance of newer and more experienced PTA members, all of whom should be knowledgeable about PTA and who are aware of qualified candidates, familiar with the qualifications necessary for positions, and are willing to spend the necessary time and maintain confidentiality. The election of the nominating committee should not be a popularity contest based on willingness to serve nor should it consist of all of the PTA executive board. The PTA president never serves on the committee, and the parliamentarian serves only when elected to serve. The principal may be elected, but should at least be an advisor to the group. No person may serve on the committee for two consecutive years. Tips: The Do's and the Don'ts ​ DO: Study carefully the qualifications of members before presenting the name as a nominee. DON’T: Submit a member’s name as a nominee because she/he is a friend of yours. DO: Check the membership list to be sure the nominee is a member of the organization. DON’T: Nominate a person with the thought that it is a good way to get him to join the PTA. DO: Remember that committee DISCUSSION is left in the meeting room. DON’T: Repeat what was said in the committee meeting to anyone. DO: See that the report of the nominating committee is publicized through the proper channels. DON’T: Report the results of the nominating committee until it has been publicized through the proper channels. DO: Accept an office yourself if you are sincerely interested in the purpose of the organization. DON’T: Accept the office if you are only interested in having your name in the yearbook. Need Help? Have a Question? Contact Vanessa - president@svpta.com or Catherine - vp@svpta.org

Reflections "Show Your Voice!” ​ That’s the theme for the 2022-23 Reflections Art Program, which has been bringing the arts to life for more than 10 million students since 1969. California State PTA and its members, families and kids are on the forefront of this amazing program, which increases community awareness of the importance of arts in education. ​ 2022-23 Winners Congratulations to our winners and everyone who participated! Award of Excellence winners will move to compete at 4th Distrcit. Visual Arts Primary Award of Excellence Sena Wada- Portola Hills ​ Award of Merit Emery Hawksford- Valencia ​ Honorable Mention Scarlett Saxon- La Madera ​ Intermediate Award of Excellence Aimee Hu- Foothill Ranch ​ Award of Merit Alessandro Martinez- Trabuco Mesa ​ Honorable Mention Christopher Karsaz- Valencia ​ Middle Award of Excellence Denali Linehan- La Madera ​ Award of Merit Sophia Davies- Serrano ​ Honorable Mention Catherine Karsaz- Valencia ​ High School Award of Excellence Nicole Ronquillo- THHS ​ Special Artist Award of Excellence Scarlett Davies- Portola Hills Photography Primary Award of Excellence Andrew Lucas- Portola Hills ​ Intermediate Award of Excellence Tara Daneshfar- Valencia ​ Award of Merit Anusha Ghosal- Foothill Ranch ​ Middle Award of Excellence Denali Linehan- La Madera ​ Award of Merit Kaj Linehan- Serrano ​ Honorable Mention Emma Craib- Portola Hills ​ High School Award of Excellence Amelia Beeny- THHS Literature Primary Award of Excellence Kelsey Olson- Trabuco Mesa ​ Award of Merit Hannah Koreeda- Foothill Ranch ​ Intermediate Award of Excellence Amberlyn Ang- Trabuco Mesa ​ Award of Merit Kevin Puig San Pedro - Portola Hills ​ Honorable Mention Anusha Ghosal- Foothill Ranch ​ Middle Award of Excellence Kaj Linehan- Serrano ​ Award of Merit Sofia Sprague- Valencia ​ Honorable Mention Nivan Sahni- Portola Hills ​ High School Award of Excellence Hussein Hirani- THHS ​ Special Artist Award of Excellence Bianca Mackey- Portola Hills Film Primary Award of Excellence Miles Nguyen- Portola Hills ​ Intermediate Award of Excellence Bella Gonzalez- Portola Hills ​ Award of Merit Nestha Reddy- La Madera ​ Honorable Mention Dylan Fruzza- Trabuco Mesa ​ Middle Award of Excellence Alexander Kwon- Portola Hills ​ Award of Merit Aahan Jain- Del Cerro ​ Honorable Mention Eesha Neeladaran- Serrano Dance Primary Award of Excellence Sanaa Iyer- Portola Hills ​ Intermediate Award of Excellence Anusha Ghosal- Foothill Ranch ​ Award of Merit Reese Johnson- Portola Hills ​ Middle Award of Excellence Shantell Juarez- Del Cerro ​ Award of Merit Ananya Chakraborty - Serrano Music Intermediate Award of Excellence Ayana Sharma- Foothill Ranch ​ Award of Merit Elyse Kim- Portola Hills ​ Honorable Mention Jude Lujan- La Madera ​ Middle Award of Excellence Alyssa Aldridge- La Madera ​ Award of Merit Aritra Chakraborty - Serrano How to Run Reflections at Your School View the Powerpoint Guide ​ Sample entry form to collect submissions at your school. ** It is important that you make a copy first and put your reflections email address on in the forms, others we will receive ALL your submissions. S tep by step instructions on how to copy the sample entry form. All school winners are due to SVPTA by November 7th and MUST be submitted electronically. Look for more info to come on how to submit your winners. ​ If you have any questions, you can schedule a phone or zoom call with Reflections Chair, Caryn, so she can walk you through the steps - svptareflections@gmail.com Reflections encourages students of all ages to: ​ Unleash creative talents and be inspired Express themselves imaginatively in their artwork Experience the fun and joy of making art Tap into critical-thinking skills to create art inspired by the annual theme Receive positive recognition for their original works of art Click here to see the winners of the 2021-2022 Reflections Art Program. ​ All students attending PTA schools sponsoring the program are invited to participate and submit original artwork in one of six areas: ​ Dance Choreography Literature Photography Film Production Music Composition Visual Arts ​ Artworks are submitted first to school-level PTAs, where they are first recognized, celebrated and judged by five grade-level divisions, while a non-judged Special Artists division celebrates student artists with special needs. School PTAs then choose a selection of entries to be judged by local PTA units, which are then sent on to councils and then districts for consideration. The final artworks submitted to California State PTA by districts are then considered for Outstanding Interpretation, Awards of Excellence or Awards of Merit. Outstanding Interpretation and Award of Excellence entries then go on to represent California in the final National PTA judging round. Forms and Resources Enroll your PTA in the 2022-2023 National PTA Reflections Program for your free digital Reflections kit. Student Entry Packet including entry form and rules, available in English and Spanish Guides for Local Leaders in English and Spanish Reflections logos, flyers and other promotional tools Materials for PTAs Reflections Chair Caryn M. svptareflections@gmail.com

SVPTA Event Photos 2019-20 Presidents & Principals Breakfast

Calendar Download this calendar to you phone or computer

Register for SVPTA training Parliamentarian Workshop/Q&A Registration link coming soon Wednesday, September 22nd 7pm

Join Our Board SVPTA is looking to add a Bilingual Liaison and Diversity & Inclusion Advocate to our board. If you are interested in either of these positions, please fill out the inquiry form below. First Name Last Name Email SVPTA School(s) that your student(s) attend Which position(s) are you interested in? Bilingual Liaison Diversity & Inclusion Advocate Send Thank you for your interest! SVPTA President, Michele Sparks, will be in touch will you soon.

SVUSD School Board Trustee Candidate Forum Tuesday, September 27 7-8 pm SVUSD Board Room Moderated by The League of Women Voters ​ ​ Meet the Candidates Trustee Area 1 Mr. Greg Kunath gregkunathforthekids.com Candidate Information Sheet Mr. Dan Walsh danwalshforschoolboard.com ​ Candidate Information Sheet Trustee Area 5 Ms. Jenny Richter jennyrichter4schoolboardsvusd.com ​ Candidate Information Sheet Mrs. Barbara Schulmann barbaraforschoolboard.com ​ Candidate Information Sheet Basic Ground Rules for the Candidate Forum There will be no substitutes or stand-ins for the candidates Any news releases about the debate will be handled by the sponsoring organization(s) and sent simultaneously to all the candidates. No campaign banners, signs, literature, handouts, buttons, tee shirts, or other campaign paraphernalia will be allowed in the debate hall until after the forum has concluded. The audience will be asked to refrain from applauding or in other ways demonstrating support or nonsupport for a candidate. There will be no audience reaction shots during the debate, although panning of the audience before and after the debate may be allowed. Candidates will be introduced by full name. Thereafter, "Mr." and "Ms." will be used. The candidates will remain seated at all times during the debate. The candidates will not use props, but may bring notes and use a note pad and pens for taking notes during the debate. Time limits on responses will be strictly observed. A timekeeper will hold cards, visible to the speaker, indicating how much time remains. When the "stop card" is shown, the speaker must end his/her speech within 10 seconds. The moderator will have the responsibility for enforcing time limits. The moderator also will have the authority to interrupt the proceedings to enforce the ground rules and format that were agreed to by the candidates. Questions from the audience will be submitted in writing. The moderator will read the questions. The moderator may restate the question. The candidates will not interrupt one another. No flash cameras and no motor-driven cameras will be used during the debate other than those authorized by the sponsors. Photographers and the press will be placed at a reasonable distance from the candidates and microphones to reduce distractions. Candidates are invited to remain after the conclusion of the forum to speak with audience members.

Executive Board

SVPTA Units

Award Winners We are part of an incredible community in Saddleback Valley. Our PTA’s play a vital role in engaging our families, supporting our school sites, advocating important issues & being a VOICE for ALL CHILDREN! On behalf of 4th District PTA (serving all of Orange County) & Saddleback Valley PTA, we are so proud of Trabuco Mesa Elementary PTA for being recognized with the PTA Kindness Award & to Trabuco Hills High School for their Creative Program Award. Trabuco Mesa Elementary PTA KINDNESS AWARD from 4th District PTA ​ Several years ago, the Orange County Department of Education launched the Billion Acts of Kindness campaign, whose stated goal might be to achieve a certain measurable marker, but whose real purpose is to change the climate on school campuses for our children. Since that mission so closely aligned with our own, we at Fourth District PTA decided to further the initiative by recognizing PTAs who have embraced kindness and launched a program of their own at their respective schools. (By the way, if you haven’t checked it out yet, please visit Kindness1billion.org to learn more about OCDE’s initiative, which to date has amassed more than 14 ½ million acts of kindness.) The PTA President at this next school reported that: Kindness is a way of daily life, not an exceptional act, among the students and staff at our school. Our school community understands that even the smallest act of kindness can make the world of difference to others. Some examples of what they do to promote kindness on campus include: A buddy bench, where any lonely student can sit, knowing that a friend will soon come to sit with them. Upper grade students are paired with younger students as big buddies to foster relationships across grade levels. One classroom has established the SEAKers program (which is Students Engaging in Acts of Kindness) encouraging students to perform random acts of kindness. The PTA also helped establish a “Unified Gardening” program, which brings neurodiverse and neurotypical students together to grow a garden, while also cultivating friendship and community. They also host a Unified PE program so students may participate together in physical education games and recess activities as well. There is no better way to build friendships than through play, and what a great way to teach others that kindness is fun! Lastly, the PTA regularly highlighted kindness activities in their newsletter so that all would know about them, and to encourage that kindness to spread. For their inspired and important work in fostering kindness on our school campuses, we want to recognize Trabuco Mesa Elementary from the Saddleback Valley Council of PTAs. Trabuco Hills High School PTSA CREATIVE PROGRAM AWARD from 4th District PTA Every child, one voice, is not just our motto. For this next PTA, it is their directive. They are truly walking the walk to make sure all students are a welcome part of their school families and are receiving the support they need. The author of this award application told a beautiful tale of her own son’s experiences as an active PTSA Board Member. Despite his developmental delays, he was embraced and able to serve his school community in many ways, including serving as the board’s historian and volunteering at multiple events. She and others were inspired to make sure that all students, including those with exceptional needs, have the best high school experience possible. She reports that their PTSA has a true heart for all learning abilities- not just those that “fit the mold.” To that end, they formed a committee to help look at school activities through a different, more inclusive, lens. One notable outcome from the work of this group was to provide a sensory room for the dances held on campus. This room would enable any student with unique needs to take a break from the noise or even stay in the room the whole time. Although there were not many students who utilized this sensory room, the awareness, sensitivity, and kindness displayed by its mere existence inspired many families and students to participate in the dance, who otherwise might not have. The comfort and care that went into the planning helped them know that this would be a safe and welcoming place for all students. The success of this and other events has been a result of collaboration among the parents, teachers, staff, and administration. They report: We are past the time of, "It would be nice to have a special needs chair.” We are to the point where it is necessary to step up to meet all students’ needs. For their innovative approaches to raising one voice for every child, we would like to recognize Trabuco Hills High School from the Saddleback Valley of PTAs.

Special Education About Us PTA Special Education Liaisons- We are a volunteer group of parents with children on an IEP who advocate for all children while making sure the schools and PTA have an eye on inclusion. We have a liaison at each school in SVUSD (there are a few open) This role is also the bridge between SPED Administrators, teachers, staff and parents. This is a great person to contact if you have any questions about your child having the most inclusive school experience (outside of academics which would be your IEP Team). Here is an updated contact list and if the position is open at your school email us at specialed@svpta.org . PTA SPED Liaisons Directory Handbooks Elementary Intermediate/High School PTA Budget Worksheet PTA SPED Calendar Get Involved 1. PTA Join the Parent List Join us on FB ​ Volunteer (e-mail) Join our Parent-to-Parent Mentoring group (Schedule & Info on the table below) ​ 2. CAC Join the South Orange County CAC (Community Advisory Committee) Through SELPA (Special Education and Local Plan Area). Email: CACofSOC@gmail.com ​ Follow on FB ​ Website: Community Advisory Committee (CAC) | Educational Services ​ 22/23 CAC Meeting Calendar: English Spanish Donate Your donation makes a difference! Donations help us pay for parent education and community building events. And cookies. Lots of cookies. Make a donation to the SVPTA Special Education Advocacy via check payable to “SVPTA-SPED” Have concerns about your child?​ Find out where to start if you have concerns about your child, or want to learn more about IEPs and 504 plans. Learn more Resources Special Education Office: (949) 580-3206 https://www.svusd.org/departments/educational-services/special-education ​ 2022/23 PTA SPED Contacts Back to school toolkit IEP Resources: IEP Checklist to Assist Parents Positive Student Profile to give to your child's IEP Team Undivided Website ​ Procedural Safeguards: English Spanish SVPTA Special Education Liaison Jen N. specialed@svpta.org