Sign-up for the PTSA Monthly Digest here to get a reminder about the next board meetings and other information about our community.

Want to help water the Orca Garden over the summer?
Please sign up to water the garden 2 to 3 times during one week this summer.
Summer Garden Watering Volunteer Signup

Dear Orca K8 Community,

We are sending this note on behalf of the entire PTSA because we NEED your help!

As we’re all wrapping up the school year and preparing for summer, the PTSA board is looking ahead to next year’s leadership and programming. We’re looking for more volunteers to join our board leadership team to ensure we can keep all of our PTSA-sponsored activities and community traditions thriving.

You may or may not be aware of all the things the PTSA (parent, teacher, student association) organizes for Orca students, teachers, and families. Some of these activities include:

-The Garden Program and Teacher Anthony’s salary: These are 100% funded by the PTSA.
Stipends for teachers to purchase needed classroom supplies not provided by the district.   
-Race Forum: The PTSA provides funds for the Race Forum to help them to host events that bring people together to talk about racial equity, including guest speakers, during throughout the school year.
-National African American Parental Involvement Day (NAAPID): Provide funds to help the school put on this important event each year that brings families into the school for a day of programming, speakers, and community.
-Speak With Purpose: This program for 4th-8th graders teaches students skills for effective public speaking and is partially funded with PTSA funds.
-Environmental Science Night, where students show off their science projects for the whole school.
-Teacher Appreciation Week events, including ordering catered lunch for school the entire staff and hosting an after-school event for them teachers and staff to gather and socialize.
-Annual Move-a-thon events to celebrate and encourage physical activity in many forms and supports SouthEast Seattle School ---Fundraising Alliance (SESSFA) community-wide fundraising goals.
-Orca Plus: This collection of after-school enrichment programs is fully organized and executed by our volunteers, and scholarships are provided with PTSA funds.
-Funding for field trip transportation and fees so students and families don't have to cover the entire cost themselves.
-Orca Merchandise: So that community members have opportunities to wear their Orca spirit.   
The beginning-of-year ice cream social and end-of-year community BBQ and potluck: These beloved events gather Orca students and families for a chance to break bread together, connect, and celebrate the beginning of and completion of another year. 

All of these events and programs, and many more, are accomplished through the hard work and dedication of our amazing volunteers. BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP. We strongly believe that this work is important to give all Orca students more opportunities and enrich our community,  but we simply do not have enough volunteers at this time to sustain all of these events. Our existing volunteers have shouldered a lot this year and are struggling with burnout. Many or most of us also work full-time jobs, have multiple kids at home, volunteer with other groups, coach sports, do our own extracurricular  activities, etc.

We are sending this note to ask you to PLEASE CONSIDER volunteering as a member of the PTSA board next year. Board membership is a great way to get involved in the community, meet other parents and teachers, and connect with Orca traditions. We are currently seeking candidates for crucial roles including Co-secretary and Co-vice president. If we cannot fill these roles, we will have to scale back the programs and enrichment activities that we provide. Additional opportunities include event organizing, grant writing, fundraising, advocacy and community / belonging; there are roles to match your available time and skills!       

Many hands make light work. We acknowledge and appreciate that there are many ways to contribute to the Orca community, and PTSA board membership is just one - but it is a necessary one to continue our PTSA programming and events. Please consider offering your time and expertise to enrich and strengthen our community. Please reach out directly to one of the PTSA board members listed below for more information.

Co-Presidents
Beth Steinhaus (president@orca-k8-ptsa.org)
Casey Bayuk (co.president@orca-k8-ptsa.org)

Thank you, families! You are the heart and soul of this school. 
Orca K-8 PTSA board and committee volunteers

At Orca, We All Belong. The Orca K-8 PTSA works together with the Orca K-8 community to educate the whole child with a focus on social justice and environmental science. We strive to create an environment where students understand not only the connections between academic subjects, but also the connections between people.

We do this important work by funding core enrichment programs, like the Orca Garden, Speak With Purpose, Race Forum, and the Inclusion Committee. We work to ensure equity by supplying every teacher, the art room, gym, library, and health rooms with a stipend for supplies. We host community events to help bring us all together. We help connect caregivers with opportunities to volunteer. But we can’t do any of this without you. In community we find strength. By coming together, we are able to achieve more than we can alone.

There are many ways you can help, large and small. They all add up to make a huge difference, and allow us to support our teachers, administration, students, and caregivers. Please become a member today or reach out directly to our volunteer coordinator Karen West at volunteer@orca-k8-ptsa.com