Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is the PTA?
The Rockwell Parent Teacher Association is a nonprofit organization run by Rockwell parent volunteers. Our goal is to make Rockwell a better place for our students, parents, and staff by bridging the gap between what the school district provides and the enriched academic and social opportunities we want for our students and families.
What does the PTA do?
The PTA works together with Rockwell Elementary staff, families, and the local community to provide both financial and volunteer support to our school. PTA Board members meet monthly to discuss, approve and vote on grant requests from teachers, plan schoolwide events and activities, and organize enrichment opportunities for students as well as providing a state-level voice to the legislature and committees addressing public policy issues affecting families and children in Washington State.
Why should I join the PTA?
Without the PTA, many of the fantastic programs and events our children enjoy would not exist. Yearly PTA Membership fees and contributions from the Student Development Fees are what fund classroom grants, field trips, school assemblies, schoolwide events, fund amazing programs and free events for our community as well as help pay for the cost of insurance coverage to run these events. Joining our PTA fosters stronger connections within the Rockwell community by providing opportunities for families to meet other families, staff, and teachers.
Membership
What is the $20 Membership Fee and what does it cover?
When people pay $20 for their PTA membership fee, half of that goes to cover state and national PTA dues and the other half goes towards our general PTA fund to cover administrative expenses and insurance. As a member of the PTA, you are eligible for discounts from many local and national companies. See the link mentioned here for the list of discounts: wastatepta.org/get-involved/member-discounts/
What is the difference between the Membership Dues and and the Student Development Fee?
Membership Dues: This fee is required to become a formal member of the PTA. Membership dues go towards covering the basic operating costs of the PTA, such as administrative expenses, insurance, and state/national PTA dues. In return, members gain voting rights within the organization and can participate in decision-making processes.
Student Development Fee: This fee is considered an additional donation that goes beyond the membership dues. These donations are used to fund PTA sponsored events, classroom teacher grants, field trips, assembly speakers and author visits, scholarships, fifth grade camp, and more. Paying this fee up front will make it so we can fully fund our programming to avoid any other fundraising the rest of the year.
Why do I have to pay the two fees separately?
Keeping membership dues and donations separate helps the PTA maintain clear and transparent financial records. This distinction ensures that members understand where their money is going and how it is being used. Additionally, employers participating in corporate matching will match donation amounts, but they will not match funds used to pay membership dues.
Why is there a due date for the Student Development Fee?
While we will gladly accept contributions to the PTA any time of year, it is important that we raise the bulk of our funds within the first month of the school year for budgeting purposes. Our budget committee meets in early October to determine what programs and events we can fund each year so they can propose the coming year’s budget to be voted on by the General PTA Membership at our first General Membership Meeting on October 24.
Do I need to register/pay the PTA Membership Dues every year?
Yes, you do need to pay the PTA Membership fee each year since the Membership fee is used to pay our yearly WPTSA dues and insurance and operating fees.
How can I find out if I'm already a PTA Member or not?
When you register for a PTA membership, you should receive a confirmation email with your PTA membership card attached. If you cannot find your email, you can always email us at membership@normanrockwellpta.org to inquire.
Does every parent need to pay Membership dues?
While we hope to have 100% parent participation in the PTA, we do not require all parents to pay the membership fee. However, for liability purposes, all parents who would like to chaperone enrichment classes, those who would like to participate in the school Musical, or parents who would like to be on the PTA Board must be PTA members to participate.
How do I pay for these fees (check, cash, online)?
Payment for the Student Development Fee and Membership Dues can be made through our website (Master Card, Visa, and American Express accepted) or by using cash or check submitted in the envelope sent home at the start of the year.
Financial Aid
What if I cannot afford to pay the Student Development Fee? Can my family still participate in PTA sponsored events?
Absolutely! All PTA programs and events are open to ALL Rockwell families regardless of whether they are PTA members or were able to pay the Student Development Fee.
For PTA events (musical, afterschool enrichment, etc.) that do require an additional fee to participate, what if my family cannot afford the fee but would still like to participate?
Rockwell PTA is committed to making sure all school activities are accessible to our students. If your family would like to participate in any program that the PTA or the school offers but cannot afford to do so, please reach out to the school counselor, Katie Keller kkeller@lwsd.org and she can make the necessary arrangements to ensure participation in the activity. By working through the school counselor, confidentiality will be maintained.
Student Development Fee: This fee is considered an additional donation that goes beyond the membership dues. These donations are used to fund PTA sponsored events, classroom teacher grants, field trips, assembly speakers and author visits, scholarships, fifth grade camp, and more. Paying this fee up front will make it so we can fully fund our programming to avoid any other fundraising the rest of the year.
I cannot afford a yearbook or Rockwell spirit wear, is there a way to still get them for my child?
Yes! PTA has scholarships to help ensure ALL Rockwell students can access anything the PTA or school offers. If you are interested, please contact the school counselor, Katie Keller kkeller@lwsd.org for more information. By working through the school counselor, confidentiality will be maintained.
Volunteering
How do I become a member of the PTA Board? Is experience required?
No experience is required for Board positions on the PTA! The only requirement for becoming a Board Member is that you have been a member of the PTA for a minimum of 14 days. The Board works closely together and will ensure that you have the information and resources you need to feel comfortable serving in your position. Each spring, our Nominations Committee will send out announcements about available board positions through the Bugle. You can nominate yourself or someone else for any position on the board and the Board will be voted on in the May General Membership Meeting. If you are interested in joining the board or volunteering to chair a specific event, please contact us at volunteering@normanrockwellpta.org
How can I find out what volunteer opportunities are available?
All current PTA volunteer needs and sign-up sheets will be published on our website: http://www.normanrockwellpta.org. For volunteer needs within the classroom or for class field trip (asks directly from the teacher) please reach out to your child’s teacher to find out how to sign up.
How do I become eligible to volunteer in the school?
Anyone working in the school as a volunteer must first be an approved LWSD volunteer to do so. Volunteer applications are quickly and easily completed online: lwsd.org/get-involved/volunteering-in-lwsd
Who can volunteer in the school?
You do not have to be a parent or guardian of a child at Rockwell to volunteer. We welcome parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, Rockwell alumni, and community members to volunteer.
All volunteers are required to pass a background check prior to volunteering. lwsd.org/get-involved/volunteering-in-lwsd
I want to volunteer, but I work during school hours. Is there anything else I can do?
There are many opportunities for volunteer work that can happen outside of school hours. Every PTA sponsored event requires a lot of planning time outside of the actual event and most of that is done during the volunteer’s own time. Reach out to volunteering@normanrockwellpta.org if you’d like to volunteer outside of school hours.
Partnerships
My organization would like to participate in or sponsor school events. Is this possible?
If your company is interested in becoming an after-school vendor or providing a service during one of our PTA sponsored events, please send an email to enrichment@normanrockwellpta.org
If your company is interested in sponsoring our spring play/musical, please send an email to normanrockwellplay@normanrockwellpta.org
Can my company advertise at your events in exchange for sponsorship?
PTA does not accept advertisements but engages with contractors and vendors as sponsors only. For more information on these partnerships, please send an email to president@normanrockwellpta.org
