Our Mission

The Beacon Hill International School PTA is dedicated to promoting the educational excellence, health, and welfare of all students and their families through advocacy, community-building, and enrichment programs. We are committed to creating leaders and lifetime learners.

About

The BHIS PTA is open to all interested parents and teachers who want to work together to promote the education, health, and welfare of all students and their families. We hold four community meetings a year and our board – a group of dedicated volunteers – meets monthly to strategize and organize our work to support:

• Advocacy: Education funding, racial equity in education, ELL and Special Education interests
• Community-Building: Celebrations, family nights, dance parties, picnics
• Enrichment: Guest teacher program, school supplies, after-school programs, library resources

Everyone is welcome to attend PTA community meetings and board meetings to learn about our school, support our teachers, and advocate for our students. Opportunities for involvement are always available.

Why Join the PTA?

• Get Informed – There’s no better way to know what’s happening at school.
• Tap into a Network – Meet other parents and get access to teachers and administrators.
• Speak Up – You can share ideas and concerns and more effectively drive positive changes.
• Be a Role Model – Demonstrate to your child the importance you place on education.
• Gain Appreciation – Teachers, staff, and other parents will appreciate all your help!

What the PTA Funds

More than 85% of the money we fundraise goes directly back to students and families for community building and enrichment activities, such as:

• School supplies
• Spirit-wear
• Community events
• Afterschool programs
• Gym/playground equipment
• Library enhancements
• Tutoring & teacher grants
• Teacher Appreciation
• Yearbook
• 5th-grade camp & celebrations
• …and much more!

Our major fundraisers are the fall Read-A-Thon, when students read for most of the day in their pajamas, and the spring Move-A-Thon, a fun, high-energy event where students have the chance to move and have fun!

PTA Volunteer Positions

Executive Board Members

• President/Co-President: Tracks PTA activities and supports volunteers in carrying out PTA activities, approves payments and reimbursements, partners with school leadership on emerging issues, provides budget oversight, plans and facilitates PTA meetings, write monthly newsletter updates. Approx 2-5 hours per week, sometime day-time flexibility is helpful. 
• Vice Presidents: Each Family Council will elect one member to serve as Vice President. Vice Presidents will work with Family Councils to carry out PTA activities, will partner with school leadership and PTA president on emerging issues, and will coordinate with the Family Councils on Family Council meetings and events. 
• Treasurer/Co-Treasurer: Provides budget oversight, tracks spending and prepares monthly reports using MoneyMinder, issues reimbursements and payments through bank account, counts donations, supports Budget committee and financial review, files IRS documents yearly. Approx 2 hours per week, can be done on own time outside of PTA meetings. 
• Secretary/Co-Secretary: Records minutes at PTA meetings, writes and distributes donor thank you letters, fills paperwork with WA State PTA. Approx 1 hour per week, can be down on own time outside of PTA meetings. 

Coordinator & Chair Roles

• After School Program Coordinator: Support After School Program Director with after school programming, including organizing instructor agreements, supporting and tracking online registrations, counting and tracking cash and check payments, and supporting instructors with invoicing (approx 8-10 hours of work per after-school program cycle)
• Family Support Coordinator: Partner with Family Support Worker and Odessa Brown to connect families in need with school community who can support them. 
• Fundraising Chair: Plan fundraising events outside of Read-A-Thon and Move-A-Thon, such as Parents Night Outs, direct fundraising asks, etc. (approx 5-10 hours over the course of the school year)
• Membership Coordinator: Enter membership information into WA State PTA database (approx 5-10 hours of work, primarily in the Fall). 
• Move-A-Thon Chair: Organize annual Move-A-Thon, working with the school to plan, coordinating volunteers, tracking and recording donations (approx 10-12 hours of work in March and April)
• Read-A-Thon Chair: Organize annual Read-A-Thon, working with the school to plan, coordinating volunteers, tracking and recording donations (approx 10-12 hours of work in October and November)
• School Supply Drive Coordinator: Support School Supply Fundraiser by making flyers, distributing flyers to local businesses, and engaging community in donations (approx 5-8 hours in August and September)
• SESSFA Site Lead or Working Group Member: Join SESSFA as either the BHIS site lead or to in a SESSFA working group. 
• Social Media Manager: Manages Facebook and Instagram account; posts content as requested by PTA (approx 4 posts per month)
• Spirit Wear Coordinator: Work with vendor to plan spirit wear ordering event(s), communicate ordering options with school and families, track and organize paper order forms (approx 5-10 hours per spirit wear ordering cycle)
• Teacher Appreciation Coordinator: Organize regular teacher and staff appreciation events throughout the school year, organize annual teacher appreciation lunch (approx 3 hours during school year, plus 5-8 hours in May for teacher appreciation lunch)
• Translation Coordinator: Provide translation for PTA materials into Spanish and Mandarin (this can be two people, or one person who then checks translation with native speakers). 
• Volunteer Coordinator: Support PTA event volunteers, set up volunteer sign up links, communicate with volunteers (approx 8 hours over the course of the school year)
• Website Manager: Update website monthly using WordPress