Sign up to be a Staff Secret Pal


Our goal is to connect every faculty and staff member that wants to participate with a parent Secret Pal so that the great people who run our school and teach/coach/advise our students feel our love and appreciation.  If the teacher/staff member you hoped to adopt is already taken, PLEASE consider adopting one of the many teachers/support staff who provide special education, keep our school clean, run the front office, and coach our athletes.

We suggest the following: 

  • Your anonymous gifts to your pal(s) can be emailed or dropped off in the school office.
  • Be delivered as frequently as monthly but with a minimum of 4 times a year.
  • You be the judge on what you can spend on gifts. $50 over the course of the year is a suggested amount but some people spend more, while others do mostly homemade gifts, keeping costs to a minimum.

Once you adopt a Secret Pal, we will email you with details and information about your recipient’s like and dislikes to get started.  We will email gifting reminders only four times during the school year (November 1, January 10, March 6, and May 1). The May reminder will encourage you to reveal your identity with your last gift.


Thank you for your participation and making our O. Henry faculty and staff feel our appreciation! For questions and link on how you can sign up please contact Alana Lillie.

/by

TESTIMONIALS

“Sometimes middle school parents feel like their kids don’t want them up at school or there are not many opportunities to get involved like in elementary school. The O. Henry PTA provides a variety of ways to support our school and stay involved in your child’s education. Stay involved even if your child rolls their eyes at you for being there … you are sending a powerful message that their school is important!”

“I love having PTA parent volunteers in our front office, screening visitors, fielding phone calls and being a part of our office family.”

“I love the OHMS PTA because they are friendly, welcoming and supportive of our kids in all ways.”

“Due to the amazing support of our PTA, we are able to serve our students in so many ways. They support us in our Annual College and Career Fair, our counseling initiatives to help motivate our students to do their best in class, and help us support the Whole Child.”

“My kids love getting to see performances at school by amazing artists such as Blue Lapis Light aerial dancers and Outspoken Bean, an award-winning slam poet. It means a lot to me that the OHMS PTA supports the arts in our students’ educational experience.”

“Because so many parents donate via the PTA to the library, we are able to buy more copies of the books your students want to read! We need to capture the reading excitement when it happens … when parents, teachers, and students buy books at our author visits, we are able to keep bringing the rock star writers to O. Henry via BookPeople. THANK YOU!”

“The PTA gave us money for new classroom computers in our history classrooms. These new laptops were the breath of fresh air that we needed to fully invest in technological innovation in our classrooms. As the district pushes new uses for technology, these new laptops helped our students take the needed steps in that direction!”

“We are SO grateful for the PTA. In photojournalism and yearbook, we strive for a 1:1 student to technology ratio and the PTA has helped us get closer to that. With the help of the PTA, we now have four Mac laptops, which give students experience using technology that photographers use in the real world. We now also have enough cameras in the classroom for every student to get hands on experience.”

“When my older daughter started sixth grade at O. Henry, I couldn’t believe how active the PTA was! There are so many opportunities to get involved in this special community. I have volunteered during lunch at the Mustang Mall, been involved in the Coffee Angels program, helped teachers with afternoon tutorials, served on the Round Up Committee, and helped support the many sports teams on which my daughter played.

I encourage all families to get involved! You’ll not only make lasting friends, but also you’ll help fulfill the teachers’ wish lists and amazing field trip opportunities that enrich every student’s three years at O. Henry.”

“The You Are Loved mural would not be possible without the support of the PTA. Everyone is welcome at O. Henry no matter where you come from, your skin color, who you love, your gender, your religion, or your resident status. Students, faculty and community members helped design, create tiles, mosaic and grout this mural that was dedicated to Karen Aidman for her service to the O.Henry community.”

“As the O.Henry Cheerleading program has grown to be a nationally competitive squad, the PTA has been instrumental in that growth! Last year, they bought us a complete floor of tumbling mats to help our cheerleaders stay safe while learning new and more difficult stunts and skills. This year, they bought us new pom poms to help us look sharp and professional at our national-level competitions!”

  • O. Henry Middle School PTA

    2610 West 10th Street
    Austin, TX 78703 USA

  • 512-414-3229
  • ohenrypta@ohenrypta.org

© Copyright 2011-2024 O. Henry Middle School PTA
PTA Meeting 10/03/22New Virtual Academic Coaching