President's Message

Hello Panda Parents!

On behalf of the entire PTA Executive Board,  it’s my pleasure to welcome you to Stocklmeir for the 2024-2025 school year! It seems hard to believe that summer is already over, but we look forward to making wonderful memories with you this year, getting to know your beautiful families, and building a strong school community. To make that happen, we’ve got some great plans in store which you’ll hear lots more about in the weeks to come!

The Stocklmeir Parent Teacher Association, or PTA, is a volunteer organization dedicated to whole child learning and building a strong sense of community for Stocklmeir students and families. Stocklmeir provides a rich and vibrant academic environment for our children, but unfortunately state and district funding alone are not sufficient to ensure a well-rounded curriculum. Our PTA budget supports numerous additional yet essential programs, such as:

• Arts education: visual art classes (in partnership with CSMA)

• Contract staff: classroom aides for grades 4 & 5

• Teacher support: classroom resources, staff appreciation

• Tech & library: library books, devices, and educational software

• School spirit: assemblies, yearbooks, spiritwear

• Academic events: Book Fair, STEM Fair, Math Fest, Spelling Bee

• Family events: Panda Picnic, Family Movie Night, International Fair

To make this happen, we rely entirely on donations. We ask that all families who are able to donate $250 per child OR $400 per family. Membership in the PTA, which is required to speak at meetings and vote on official business, costs $10 and is automatically included with any donation at or above that amount. Additionally, you may be able to enhance your donation at no additional cost to you by applying for a corporate match, if offered by your employer. 

Research shows that the more involved parents are in their children’s education, the better the outcomes are across the board – grades are higher, attendance increases, test scores improve, and classrooms become more cohesive and conducive to learning – the list goes on. This involvement can take many forms: volunteering on campus, helping to raise additional funds, participating in the decision-making process as a PTA member, and/or simply helping us spread the word about upcoming events and ongoing programs. I firmly believe there’s a place for everyone’s unique skills and talents to make a difference, and I am more than happy to help you figure out what getting more involved might look like for you!

Lastly, I would like to introduce you to our wonderful board this year! Please note that some roles are still open, and I would be happy to chat with anyone who may be interested in filling them:

• President: Tiffany Seymour-Gulden

• Executive Vice President: David Yahalom

• Treasurer: Sripathi Canchi

• Secretary: Cheryl Jaeger Balm

• Co-VP Communications: Michelle Gatmaitan & Medha Ghatikesh

• VP Corporate Matching: Terrence Brauneis

• VP Fundraising: Debjit Ray

• VP Direct Donations: Matt Messana 

• Family Events Coordinator: Mariia Tkachenko

• Assemblies and Hospitality: Ida Hedborg

• Volunteer Coordinator: OPEN Joy Tanaka

• Room Rep Coordinator: OPEN Divya Krishna

• Historian: Brenda Lee

• Auditor: Anshul Sharma

• Parliamentarian: Ellen Kim

As always, your continued support is truly appreciated. We are all looking forward to an exciting school year! Please visit www.stocklmeirpta.org to check out our latest updates. 

With Panda Pride, 

Tiffany Seymour-Gulden

PTA President

*See position descriptions here. There are also a variety of committees for specific PTA events.