Welcome New & Returning MAYS Families!
- enhewell
- Aug 8
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 16
PTO President's Message
Greetings! On behalf of the MAYS PTO, I would like to welcome you to the 2026-2027 school year and introduce our new PTO Monthly Newsletter. The Executive Board has been hard at work this summer, and we have some exciting updates to share for year two.
But first, we encourage you to confirm your PTO Membership using the Membership Form, and we invite you to join us for our first General PTO Meeting on Friday, August 28 at 8:30 a.m. in the school library.
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram & Facebook, and feel free to reach out anytime via hello@mayspto.org.
This is going to be a great year of supporting our school, and we cannot wait to get started together!
Warmly,
Callye Emmons
MAYS PTO, President
What is the MAYS PTO?
The Mays School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) was established during the 2025-2026 school year to support the heart and rhythm of our school. We exist to build community, encourage connection, and help make meaningful things happen for our students, teachers, and families. This year, we’re excited to offer new community-building events and clubs designed to support our parents, including a book club, a Dads Club, and other parent meetups.
As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the MAYS PTO also supports our campus and staff through fundraising efforts.
General PTO meetings are hosted every other month, and our 2026-27 kickoff meeting will be held August 28th from 8:30-9:30 am in the campus library. We’d love to have you join us!
Join the 2026-27 MAYS PTO
This year, we are asking all MAYS families who are interested in participating in the PTO to complete the Membership Form. To make sure our membership roster is up to date, we are asking all interested returning MAYS PTO families to also complete the form.
How To Get Involved
The MAYS PTO works to create meaningful opportunities for parents to engage—and we have several new ways to get involved this year! Donating and volunteering are two of the most impactful ways to get involved.
Annual Donation for Teacher Appreciation
The MAYS PTO hosts a teacher appreciation effort each month. We love our teachers and want them to know it! Check out the below photos for a few examples of ways we showed love to our teachers last year.
To support these efforts, the PTO is asking parents to make a one-time donation to the PTO this fall for the Teacher Appreciation Fund.
Last year, on average, Teacher Appreciation cost $600 a month to support all of the teachers.
Participation + completing the membership form secures your spot as a voting member of the PTO (not the only way!)
These donations are tax-deductible.
If you would like to donate now, please use the QR code above or the following link: Teacher Appreciation Fund.
Upcoming PTO Volunteer Opportunities
There are so many ways to support our school community! Whether you have five minutes or five hours, every bit helps.
Here are some current opportunities to volunteer:
Volunteer to support the Scholastic Book Fair (September 24–26)
Join a PTO committee, including*
Teacher Appreciation
Fundraising and MAYS Raise
Community
Lend a hand at PTO-sponsored events (more details coming soon)
Volunteer to chaperone a class field trip
Ask your child's teacher about classroom volunteer opportunities!
* Come to the August 28 PTO Meeting for more information on Committees!
Keep tuning into our monthly newsletters to learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities!
New to the PTO in 2026: Parent Meetups!
We’re so excited to announce the launch of Parent Meetups: a new way for MAYS parents to connect, build community, and get involved! First up is the MAYS Book Club, a laid-back space to talk books (and probably everything else) with other MAYS parents. The two books we’re reading this semester are Yesteryear and The Anxious Generation. The meetings will be held at 7:30pm on September 17th at the ‘401 and November 12th at Drop of the Creator, respectively.
We’re also launching the MAYS Dads Club, giving MAYS dads a chance to get to know each other through regular meetups and activities.
Both groups are brand new, completely optional, and open to all interested MAYS parents and guardians. There’s no experience, preparation, or long-term commitment required—just a desire to meet other families and be part of the MAYS community.
We’d love for you to join us! Keep an eye out for more details on our fall kickoff events, and if you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out by email.
If you don't see a group of interest, don't worry, more parent groups and meet-ups to come!
Upcoming School & PTO Events
August Events | September Events |
Aug 7 – Meet the Teacher Night 3–6 PM • MAYS School | Sept 1 – Start of MAYS Annual Book Drive |
Aug 8 – Welcome Back Playdate 10 AM–12 PM • Colonial Park | Sept 7 – School Closed (Labor Day) |
Aug 12 – Cheers & Tears* 8–10 AM • McHugh Tea Room | Sept 11 – Apple Day Celebrations (Rosh Hashanah) |
Aug 28 – First 2026–27 General PTO Meeting POSTPONED | Sept 17 – MAYS PTO Book Club Meeting 7:30 PM • The '401 |
Aug 31 – Extracurriculars & Enrichment Begin | Sept 18 – International Fairy Tea Party (Free Dress) |
Sept 24–26 – Scholastic Book Fair We need volunteers! | |
Sept 26 – Playdate at MAYS 10 AM • MAYS Playground |
*Cheers & Tears is being generously hosted by the McHugh Tea Room & Gifts! McHugh is providing tea and light snacks, and we encourage parents to check out the tea room menu to order breakfast. McHugh Tea Room is a recurring, generous donor to the MAYS PTO!
August Volunteer Spotlight
This month, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to three incredible MAYS dads—Vincent Velasquez, Ben Venable, and Bryan Daniels—for giving their time and talents to help spruce up our campus before the start of the school year.
From improving the chicken coop to building a new activity in the science room and everything in between, their hard work has made a meaningful difference in preparing our campus for students and teachers.
We are so grateful for parents who are willing to roll up their sleeves and invest in our school community. Your support, dedication, and generosity help make MAYS a better place for everyone. Thank you for giving back to our campus and helping us start the year strong!
If you see these dads in the halls, please give them a thank you!
The 2026-27 MAYS PTO Executive Board
President Callye Emmons | Treasurer Kristal Peyton | Secretary Karla Saia Ozeri | Communications Nicki Hewell |
Legal Nishi Kothari | Teacher Liaison Isabella Najar Rosales | Teacher Liaison Malika Gordon | MAYS Director Jessi Mays |
Thank You to Our MAYS Raise Donors
As we start this new school year, we want to give a heartfelt thank you to all of the businesses that donated to the 2026 MAYS Raise. We will be recognizing them individually on our Instagram this month, so please follow along and join us in thanking them!
Congratulations to the Spruce Room!
On winning the Great MAYS Classroom Ice Cream Social at the 2026 MAYS Raise! Thank you to Zian's family for supporting our school and making memories like this possible—and to everyone who participated in the Raise auction!
