PTA/ Parent Resources
Join the PTA
Join Ritchie Park ES PTA and support its many great programs and funding of needed supplies for the school. Please join us at our monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm. PTA is a wonderful way to get involved in your child's school. Join PTA today. Download the membership form here. Thank you for your support!
Your 2009-10 PTA Officers are:
If you have any questions related to Ritchie Park or the PTA, feel free to contact any of these PTA officers:
Walk for Heros recognized in the local Gazette
Organized by school counselor Caroline Capoccia and Community Services chair, Cat Goodyear, the Community Services committee encouraged students to bring in supplies for soldiers and invited members of the Ritchie Park community who are, or have been, in the military to come to school wearing their uniforms. Although the event was delayed a day due to rain, and was held inside on November 12th, the children of Ritchie Park proudly marched through the gym to patriotic tunes, waving American flags, generously donated by local realtor Eric Stewart, to honor the members of the military, some of whom were there to enjoy the tribute. Ritchie Park families also donated over 15 boxes worth of supplies to send to soldiers overseas. Thank you to all those who planned for and participated in this special event.
Read the event coverage in the Gazette.
MCPS K-12 Mathematics Working Group
The Ritchie Park PTA submitted comments to the MCPS K-12 Mathematics Working Group on October 23, 2009. A copy of our comments is can be found here. The MCPS Working Group is exploring ways to improve the mathematics experience within our schools. For additional information on the Working Group and its progress, please see: http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/math/workgroup/
Fundraising Letter
Please take time to read about the easiest way to help your child's school by downloading our 2009-10 fundraising letter.
Committee Chairs
A good way to find out who is doing what with the PTA is to check out the various committees and who is leading them.
Directory
Each year the PTA publishes the Ritchie Park directory, which is essentially a "phone book" for all the families and staff at Ritchie Park. It has proven to be a very valuable resource for everyone, so please provide us with your information by the Sept 18th deadline. You can download the form here.
Advertise Here:
The PTA is striving to keep the information you see here accurate, timely and useful. We are hoping this can be the first (and maybe last) place you look for news and information regarding any PTA related event at Ritchie Park.
If you would like to get the word out about anything, from and upcoming event you are chairing to information on an after school program you are interested in starting, feel free to email Eric Winchenbach at winchenbach@gmail.com and he will work with you to get your information posted.
Fundraising Opportunities:
- Sally Foster - Support Ritchie Park by shopping at Sally Foster. By clicking here, you'll end up at a Sally Foster website that already has the code for Ritchie Park. Simply shop there, and 50% of your purchase will go directly to Ritchie Park.
- Contributing to your child's school is as easy as cutting tops of boxes of items you already have in your house. Find out more.
- Everyone shops for groceries. Ritchie Park can benefit if you let your regular grocery store know you want to support Ritchie Park. Find out more.
2009-2010 PTA Newsletters:
Find out all the terrific activities your PTA has been involved with:
2009-2010 PTA Meeting Minutes:
List Serve:
Our PTA uses a mailing list server, called a ListServ, as a primary means of communication for all PTA members. Susbscribing to the mailing list is a great way to keep up with the ongoing activities at Ritchie Park. Learn how to subscribe and more here.
More Parent Resources and Links:
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Montgomery County Council of PTA
The Ritchie Park PTA belongs to the Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA), which serves as the primary avenue for advocacy on issues that affect our students and our schools. MCCPTA leaders (all volunteers) interact with the MCPS Board of Education, the Montgomery County Council as well as the Maryland Legislature and other elected officials on a regular basis throughout the year. They focus on issues related to the impact of budget cuts on our schools, long-range planning such as capital improvements, curriculum changes/improvements, special needs education, health, safety and the environment and the like.
Ritchie Park is represented at the MCCPTA by its Delegates and the PTA President.
From time to time, we will be using this website as well as the list serve to bring you up-to-date on information being championed by MCCPTA as well as to seek your opinion as MCCPTA formulates its position on a variety of issues.
Ritchie Park provides input to MCPS Board of Education on the proposed Captial Improvment Plan
The Ritchie Park PTA provided input to the Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education regarding its proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) on November 12, 2009. Our views were represented by Lara Turner, a volunteer who serves as Cluster Coordinator for the Richard Montgomery Cluster. On our behalf, Lara asked the Board to consider upgrades to Ritchie Park's HVAC system in order to remedy some current issues and to consider accelerating the design process for the potential addition to Ritchie Park. The latter was presented in light of lower than expected constructions costs in the near-term and expected growth in our school and cluster population in the longer-term.
PTA Board Members Richard Hart, Jennifer Young and Cheryl Moss Herman, along with Acting Principal Wanda Coates, attended the Board Meeting to support Ritchie Park and our cluster (which includes 4 elementary schools, Julius West MS and Richard Montgomery HS). The School Board will consider CIP recommendations by the community and makes its decisions later in November. Funding for the capital improvement budget for next year and the capital improvement plan (CIP) for the next five years (where the Ritchie Park addition could be considered) will ultimately be decided by the Montgomery County Council in late spring 2010.
A copy of the cluster testimony can be found here.
Archives
2008-2009 Meeting Minutes
2008-2009 Committees