Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I join the PTA? How do I join?

The PTA offers all parents and caregivers the opportunity to be engaged in their child’s potential. Being a member of the PTA means that you are part of a powerful association and action plan that is focused on programs and initiatives that strengthen your child’s education.

PTA membership and dues support your child by funding essential educational and curriculum needs; advocating on behalf of children and educators at the local, state, and national levels; and building an inclusive school community for all families.

Join the PTA for your child because increasing our membership, even by one, makes it possible to provide important educational resources, speak up on important issues, and create a stronger school community. Joining the PTA does NOT mean you are required to volunteer, it simply shows your support for the goals of the National, State, and Keller PTA. You will also have access to the Givebacks website, which houses the online directory for other PTA members at Keller and offers a way to connect with other families. You will be able to vote on important issues at meetings.

Joining is simple! Just click the “Join Our PTA” button on the top of our website’s homepage, OR join while in the Royal Oak Schools Parent Portal, registering your child for school every August. You will see a prompt to join the PTA while you’re registering. So simple!

If I join, am I obligated to volunteer and attend all meetings?

The only thing required of you to be a member of PTA is to pay the annual membership dues. Membership is a sign of support. Individual Memberships are $7, Family Memberships are $14, and Business Memberships are $50. While we would love you to attend our meetings or help at an event, it is not required.

What is the time commitment if I join the PTA?

However you choose to PTA is up to you. PTA offers all parents and caregivers the opportunity to be engaged in their child’s potential. You can simply purchase a membership each year and that’s all the involvement to which you’re obligated. You can also volunteer at school events, volunteer to chair a committee, participate in local, state, and national advocacy efforts, or hold PTA leadership roles – the level of involvement is up to you. There is no wrong way to PTA!

Isn’t the PTA just a social club for stay-at-home-moms?

First and foremost, PTA is for every family who has a child at the school. PTA is for moms, dads, caregivers, grandparents, teachers, and the broader community! You don’t have to have a child in Keller to be a PTA member. While some of the work done by PTA may appear purely social – including events like Back-to-School Picnic, Trunk or Treat, and Fun Fair that are organized to strengthen the school community – much of PTA’s work focuses on funding essential school resources and curriculum needs, as well as advocating at the local, state and national levels, impacting decisions affecting your child’s health, safety, and quality of education. We welcome everyone and would especially like to see more involvement from all genders and backgrounds. The more diverse we are, the stronger we are.

What kinds of events and programs does the PTA sponsor for Keller?

We hold annual events like Back-to-School Picnic, Donuts With Dryden, Huskies Fun Run, Book Fairs, Trunk or Treat, Winter Market, Talent Show, International Food & Fun Festival (IFFF), Fun Fair, and more. We have a monthly Restaurant Night where we partner with local restaurants in the area who donate a portion of their sales to our PTA!

We also sponsor field trips for all grade levels, organize and pay for assemblies, buy equipment and technology for students, support teachers with supply purchases, take part in the Green Schools initiative, sponsor scholarships, offer a Summer Reading Program, care for the school grounds and maintain the pond and fish for the students to enjoy, and organize staff appreciation events throughout the year.

How does the PTA ensure it represents every child and every family at Keller?

We encourage every family in the school to become a PTA member to support the success of their child. We want a diverse membership base that reflects all the families and needs of students at the school. We need your ideas, critiques, suggestions, and participation. PTA strengthens connections between your family, your child’s classmates and their families, and teachers to build a thriving and inclusive community for everyone. Please help us achieve that goal.

Keller Elementary has a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee, and the PTA has a newly formed DEI Committee and they will be working together throughout the school year. We are always looking for ways to demonstrate diversity, be more inclusive, and show equality, so please consider connecting with the President or the DEI Chairs to become involved in the conversation. We want to hear from you!

How does PTA impact my child?

-PTA is committed to building a diverse and connected school community. Through our community and family engagement committees we work hard every day to ensure our school families feel a like they are part of a tight-knit community, committed to the well-being of our students.
-PTA provides schools access to experts, resources, trainings, and dozens of nationally recognized educational enrichment programs that impact a child’s education such as the Family Reading Experience, in partnership with the Reading is Fundamental.
-PTA funds the nation's largest and longest running student arts program, Reflections®, which provides students access to arts, music, literature, dance, drama, and visual arts.
-PTA’s national advocacy efforts have helped establish universal kindergarten and the National School Lunch Program, the juvenile justice system and anti-child labor laws.

How can I help? What opportunities are there and what areas have the greatest need?

You can serve as a member on our Executive Board, you can co-chair a committee, you can volunteer for a shift or two at an event, you can sign up to be a room parent, you can help direct traffic in our parking lot, you can visit restaurants we’ve partnered with so that a portion of their sales get donated to our PTA, you can sign up for the Box Tops mobile app, Kroger Rewards, and Amazon Smile, and you can shop at Toyology and mention Keller at checkout to help us fundraise. There are so many ways to help!

The areas we usually need the most: volunteering for shifts at any given event- especially the IFFF and Fun Fair. There is always a way to help - just ask!

When and where are meetings?

General PTA Meetings are held the second Monday of every month, September through June, at 7pm. Under normal circumstances, we have our meetings in the Learning Commons but since the pandemic, we have been holding meetings remotely on Zoom. You can always find the PTA Meeting link on our website or our Facebook Page, Helen Keller Elementary PTA. We will give advance notice if the meeting will be in-person or remote.

How is the money that is fundraised used?

You can look at our “Budget” tab anytime to see where the funds we raise are spent. We have five budget categories: Ways & Means , Co-Curricular Activities , Social Activities , PTA Expenses , and Service Activities . The most money is used in the Co-Curricular and Social Activities. Check out our budget on the website to get all the details!

What’s the best way to get information about the PTA?

Sign up to be a PTA member on our website, and you will get periodic emails with updates throughout the year. It’s also a good idea to follow the Helen Keller Elementary PTA and Principal Dryden pages on Facebook. You’ll also get a weekly Friday newsletter from Mrs. Dryden, where PTA information is usually included. Teachers also help us to relay information on SeeSaw, the parent / teacher communication app.

Who do I contact with specific questions?

For general PTA questions, or if you need support or assistance, please reach out to the PTA President. You can also send us a private message on our Facebook page, Helen Keller Elementary PTA.

For questions regarding school policies, procedures, and schedule, please contact the main office at 248-542-6500.

How do I remove myself from Keller Givebacks since I no longer have a student at Keller?

Please visit this link, which walks you through removing yourself from the Givebacks organization.