Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year!

I am very excited to be serving as your PTA President this year and to be working with such an experienced and dedicated group of volunteers that make up our PTA Executive Board! These volunteers dedicate their time and expertise to help bring academic, administrative, and school community support to the students and families at Bernardo-Yorba and we thank them for their service.

If you have not yet joined the PTA, please stop by the office and pick up a membership envelope or use the one in your registration packet and help our efforts to support our school. Membership is only $10 per person and this contribution is tax deductible since we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

I had the privilege of meeting  many of you during the registration process and I was surprised to hear how many parents think that in order to be a member of PTA you need to volunteer! While we of course welcome ALL parents who would like to contribute their time to their child’s education; it is NOT necessary to volunteer to be a member. By choosing to join PTA, you are choosing to support the organization’s long history (founded in Washington, D.C., in 1897) of advocating for children’s rights and laws with our local, State, and National Government; as well as lending strength in numbers to our organization to accomplish the goals of passing legislation that protects children.

The PTA motto is every child one voice and the National PTA states its mission as:

“The PTA organization shall work to promote the health and welfare of children and youth and shall seek to promote collaboration between parents, schools, and the community at large.”

In our community and at our school, PTA contributes its volunteer time and expertise to the following:

Family/School Partnership ~ Community Concerns ~ Education ~ Health

Legislation ~ Advocacy ~ Awards ~ Scholarships/Grants ~ Parent Education

Our Executive Board of volunteers is almost full, but we are still looking for three parents who would like to become involved and support the following committees:

• Health Office Coordinator-works with school nurse to coordinate volunteers to help in the nurse’s office.
• Special Education Liaison-volunteer would work with teachers to ensure PTA knows of and understands their needs for educational support.
• Advocacy/Legislation-this Board position is new this year and would be a tremendous help to our school community by being the bridge between National, State, and Local legislation and our school community.

Thank you for your support and I look forward to an exciting school year ahead at Bernardo-Yorba. If you have any questions or concerns with regard to PTA and its activities, please feel free to contact me at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (714) 726-6240.

 I am always available to be of assistance to our Bernardo families. See you on campus!

Chrystie Adams

BYMS PTA President