Sonoraville Elementary PTA will hosts “BRING YOUR FAMILY MEMBER TO SCHOOL” week, Feb. 7-13, 2010. Volunteers are needed for Career Day.

- Career Day is Friday, Feb.12 — Any parent who has a career they would like to speak about is encouraged to volunteer contact the school.

A lot has changed since Feb. 17, 1897.

Not many may know, but it was the day and year the Parent Teacher Association was founded; and, for the Sonoraville Elementary School’s Parent Teacher Association, the year is symbolic.

The number 1,897 represents the dollar amount the school’s PTA was awarded by the National PTA.

Sonoraville PTA was the only school in Georgia to receive a National PTA parent involvement grant of $1,897 for 2010 and among 32 recipients nationwide. AXA Foundation, a national PTA sponsor, funds the awards.

“We were thrilled to be a new school and the only one chosen,” said Bill Long, PTA president of Sonoraville Elementary.

In lieu of the grant check presented Monday afternoon, the PTA has launched a specially themed week, “Take Your Family to School Week,” Feb. 7-13, which began Sunday and will continue until Saturday.

From a family dance to career day, students are encouraged to have mom or dad or a family member come to school and be a part of the classroom this week.

Long said parent involvement is the key to student success.

“Every dollar that we earn as a PTA goes directly back to the school to help students,” Long said.

The Sonoraville PTA has 260 members.

The grant will also fund educational incentives, explained Principal Kelly Bumgardner.

“The bungee trampolines and obstacle course climbing wall will be for students, each setting an individual class goal — Reading Math Language Arts (on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test) — with their teachers and meeting it,” Bumgardner said.

“Those who exceed their goal will get to go to the Rome Braves in May,” she added.

Visit the school’s Web site through www.gcbe.org to learn more about the PTA of Sonoraville Elementary.