Regional PTA honors volunteers at Founders Day meeting

A record 25 delegates from Ramona Sun Valley Council PTA attended Ninth District PTA’s (Imperial and San Diego counties) Annual Meeting/Founders Day celebration at a breakfast at the Scottish Rite Center Mission Valley.

The February event honors the three women who founded what is known as today’s PTA, and also provides an opportunity for representatives from all of the PTAs in San Diego and Imperial counties to take care of business such as the budget review, bylaw discussion and elections.

Sun Valley Council is the umbrella organization representing all of the PTAs in the Ramona Unified School District.

“Usually, Sun Valley Council only has enough delegates to fill one table,” said Amy Everett, president of the Sun Valley Council PTA. “This year we had a record amount of delegates and filled two seats shy of three tables!”

Among those representing Ramona were Superintendent Robert Graeff, RUSD Trustee Kim Lasley, and “an unheard of” six school principals: Shelagh Appleman, Phyllis Munoz, Linda Solis, Pauline Leavitt, Kim Reed and Theresa Grace, and Ramona High Assistant Principal Dave Lohman, reported Everett.

From Ramona PTAs were Everett, Sun Valley Council Executive Vice President Kate De Weerd, Sun Valley Council Secretary Shelley Tinkess, RHS PTSA President Mary Hopperton, Olive Peirce Middle School PTSA President Katie Schwegler, Mount Woodson PTA President Janine Stemper with her husband Jim Stemper (who wanted to support his wife and “see what it was all about”), Hanson Elementary PTA President Molly Whalen and member Ashley Farmer, Ramona Community School PTSA President Mary Carter-Vail, Ramona Elementary PTA President Michelle Tamlyn and member Cynthia Rios, and Barnett PTA President Michelle Lopez and members Lorien Hayes and Amy Shelby.

Kay Stuckhardt from Palomar Pomerado Health also attended.

Highlights of the event included a talk from the 2011 Teacher of the Year and a presentation from California PTA President Carol Kocivar about the PTA’s Ballot Initiative: Our Children Our Future.

Ninth District presented Honorary Service awards to Ron Jessee and Judy Williams and a posthumous award to Carolyn Johnson.

Everett presented a Very Special Organization Award to PPH/Community Action Council. Stuckhardt accepted the award because Ramona resident Nancy Roy was unable to attend “as she was at Ramona Elementary running one of the programs that earned them the award,” said Everett.

Also, Ninth District President Karen Fleck presented San Diego County Superintendent Randy Ward with a mock check for $21,227,290.32 representing the “real world value of the volunteer hours of this school year to date,” said Everett.

At the Ramona school board meeting after the regional PTA breakfast, Graeff said 500 PTA volunteers attended as well as school administrators and teachers.

“It was a real testament to parent volunteerism in our schools locally,” said Graeff.