YOUR washington PTA
PTA stands for Parent Teacher Association, a school-based organization with a mission to make the school a better place for children to learn. Parents of students work together with teachers to volunteer in classes, raise money for school supplies, and generally support the school's efforts.
Your WASHINGTON PTA President
Alyson Smith
Hi! I'm Alyson Smith, and I'm thrilled to serve as your PTA President this year! There is so much great work that PTA can do, and I'm excited to get started working with more of you!
Here are my goals for PTA this year . . .
It's nice to meet you!
Here are my goals for PTA this year . . .
- To bring more folks into our PTA activities!
- To make our board and our most active members more representative of our school community - PTA should look more like our school!
- To find more ways to get families the information they need about school.
- To find more ways for all our families to be in community with one another.
- My girls are Caroline in fifth grade and Chloe in kindergarten.
- We live in Cary and chose Washington because it is the most diverse elementary school in Wake County, and because of the warm, friendly, familial atmosphere.
- I work almost full-time currently, and I have worked in several different industries - from retail to real estate to non-profits to politics.
- I love cooking, reading, spending time with friends and my family, and meeting new people and trying new things.
It's nice to meet you!
your executive pta board
PRESIDENT: ALYSON SMITH
These positions are voted positions every year by the general PTA.
- 2 Children at WES: 5th Grader Caroline and Kindergartener Chloe
- 2 Children at WES: 4th Grader Nicholas and Kindergartener Alex
- 1 Child at WES: 3rd Grader Georgie
- 2 Children in College!
- 2 Children at WES: 3rd Grader Mina and 1st Grader Ellie
- 1 Child at WES: 1st Grader Meher
- 1 Child in waiting for WES: Toddler Mishka
These positions are voted positions every year by the general PTA.
Words from a Volunteer - Medha Thareja
I am a full-time working mother with a first grader and a toddler. Being an expat, I had limited understanding of the American education system when my daughter joined Washington as a kindergartner. I happened to find Alyson and Kim through Washington PTA’s facebook groups. They explained to me ways and means on how I could be part of my daughter’s ecosystem. That’s when I began volunteering for select events.
My firsthand experience with volunteering has been awesome. I could select the events and the time slots to volunteer, this helped me manage my work responsibilities and home as well. I was never “forced to” or “asked” to do anything. When my daughter saw me in these events, she was impressed and began to offer help in all social settings. This has been one of my perks! She learnt from my involvement.
This year I formally became part of the PTA Board as a Secretary. Unlike what most people think, WES PTA meetings are no time to gossip! There are full time working parents, parents with infants, parents with multiple kids and even grandparents! Everyone has a purpose and a mission. I don’t recall anytime in any of these meetings when someone talked about things that were not related to Washington Elementary and its wizards. Every individual takes their role seriously.
Thanks to volunteering and being part of the PTA , I am more informed and aware of my kid’s school. It's not easy to find time from my schedule but I do it because it matters. I do it because I see how my child is learning from me. A supporting and motivated PTA is what WES PTA is and I am proud to be a part of this fabulous team.
My firsthand experience with volunteering has been awesome. I could select the events and the time slots to volunteer, this helped me manage my work responsibilities and home as well. I was never “forced to” or “asked” to do anything. When my daughter saw me in these events, she was impressed and began to offer help in all social settings. This has been one of my perks! She learnt from my involvement.
This year I formally became part of the PTA Board as a Secretary. Unlike what most people think, WES PTA meetings are no time to gossip! There are full time working parents, parents with infants, parents with multiple kids and even grandparents! Everyone has a purpose and a mission. I don’t recall anytime in any of these meetings when someone talked about things that were not related to Washington Elementary and its wizards. Every individual takes their role seriously.
Thanks to volunteering and being part of the PTA , I am more informed and aware of my kid’s school. It's not easy to find time from my schedule but I do it because it matters. I do it because I see how my child is learning from me. A supporting and motivated PTA is what WES PTA is and I am proud to be a part of this fabulous team.