The UPark PTA is the school’s largest fundraising and volunteer body. Our mission is to “promote the welfare of children,” and “make every child’s potential a reality.” Please join the UPark PTA, attend our monthly PTA meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 6 PM, and consider volunteering your time and talents.
2020-21 PTA Meetings
Our fall of 2020 PTA meetings will be held virtually via Zoom. The date of our first meeting will be set for mid-September and will be communicated via the weekly school-wide newsletter and via email communication from your room parent. At our first meeting of the year, we’ll be approving our 2020-2021 budget, discussing ways that we can support the school during the ongoing pandemic, and outlining our plans to continue many of our UPark community traditions in alternate formats this year.
Learn More About the PTA
PTA Impact
Here are some of the commitments that the PTA made during the 2019-2020 school year:
- Provide $125,000 grant to fund 2.5 additional full-time teacher salaries each year. Without our annual grant to UPark, we would have to reduce our staff and increase our class sizes!
- Purchased nearly 200 new books for the library and teacher classrooms each year.
- Constructed a GaGa Ball Pit on the playground.
- Provided band instruments, music, accompanists and scholarships to support one of the few elementary school bands in DPS.
- Provided upgraded technology to support all classrooms and supported the specific technology requests of the Affective Needs (AN) Center.
- Supported the Great Schools Thriving Communities Ballot Initiative 93 to increase state funding for all Colorado public schools and gathering hundreds of signatures.
- Organized or assisted with school functions that were enjoyed by all, including the: Fun Run & Carnival, Halloween Costume Exchange, Spring Auction, Multicultural Night, Art Night, Field Day, and three Teacher Appreciation Luncheons.
UPark PTA Officers 2020-21
Additional Contacts
All of these committees welcome new volunteers, and several are currently seeking committee chairs:
- Apple Campaign: Jamie Lin, apple@uparkelementary.org
- Auction: auction@uparkelementary.org
- Backpack Program: Ellen Landy, landysteward@comcast.net
- Corporate Sponsorship: Carin Wagner, carinwags@gmail.com & Scott Rathbun scottrathbun@gmail.com
- Fun Run and Carnival: Joanna Shear and Katie Riddle, FunRun@uparkelementary.org
- Garden Committee: Geoff Babbitt & Chalise Kanafani, garden@uparkelementary.org
- Grant Writing: Susan Westhof, uparkgrants@uparkelementary.org
- Green Team: Ashleigh Ruehrdanz, ashleigh.ruehrdanz@gmail.com
- Grounds – Becky Limanni, b.limanni@comcast.net
- Legislative/Advocacy: Merrell Aspin, mwaspin@gmail.com
- Restaurant Nights/Dine Outs: Katie Riddle, hellokatieriddle@gmail.com
- Room Parent Coordinator: Audrey DeHarty, vp@uparkelementary.org
- Transit/Safety/Mobility: Candace Kristensson, candace.kristensson@gmail.com
- Wellness: OPEN, wellness@uparkelementary.org
- Yearbook: photo@uparkelementary.org
For information on volunteer opportunities and general questions, email uparkpta@gmail.com.
