Volume XVI | March 2019
Taft Charter PTO Monthly Parent Newsletter
Please tell other parents to join us as well, for important updates, and to connect you with your teen's school.
PTO Corner

After 11 years as a Taft parent, my fourth and final child will be graduating in three months and my tenure at Taft will draw to a close. In all my years on this campus, Taft appears to be in such a good place and on a continued good trajectory. But let’s face it, there’s always room for improvement!

With the current administration, faculty and staff addressing student needs like never before, there are still areas where parent involvement is crucial to effecting change and improving Taft: facilities, integrity of curriculum, and volunteerism/involvement. This month I’d like to address the first area for growth and change—our facilities.

Ten years ago, I worked with a group of parents to get our stadium renovated. We met with local and central district officials. They told us to hold community meetings. We held several (I still have those sign-ins and notes!). The one thing we didn’t have through all of that was money.

Fast forward to two years ago, when then-Board Member Steve Zimmer named Taft as a recipient of millions of dollars in modernization funds…now we have money!!! But here we are, two years and a new Board Member (Nick Melvoin) later, and nothing has been done (other than soil samples).

The district can be great about dragging its feet and taking so much time to spend facilities dollars that by the time it finally breaks ground on a project, those dollars don’t buy as much and the project is scaled back. The way this changes is with parents communicating with the district—reaching out to the local district and central district and our board member. Hold them accountable! Don’t let them forget Taft! With your voices, I am sure that change is around the corner!



Key Contacts: Board Member Nick Melvoin--213.241.6387; nick.melvoin@lausd.net

Chief Facilities Executive Mark Hovatter—213.241.4811; mark.hovatter@lausd.net


-Randi Theodosopoulos, 2018/2019 PTO President

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PTO meetings are open to all Taft parents and are located in the Parent Center Conference Room from 7pm to 8pm


April 9th
May 14th
I am so proud of the creating and collaborating that happens on our campus everyday. I am most recently proud of the communication between our Engineering students and our Earth Club.  The Earth Club came to me with a problem regarding recycling on campus and that they would like to work on a project to help our campus be more Earth friendly.  

We spoke about some of the issues and problems around recycling programs that we have currently and in the past.  The Earth Club set up a meeting with the Engineering students and shared the problem; the school currently has recycling bins not in use because the design cannot secure the recyclables. 

So after a couple of meetings and proposals the Earth Club was presented with a prototype and I am happy to say that the Engineering students are now going to finish production of the recycle bin conversions in the near future.  So the next time you are on campus be on the lookout for our new bins.  
.
-Daniel Steiner, Principal


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Coffee with Principal

March 11th @ 8:00 a.m.
April 8th @ 8:00 a.m.
May 13th @ 8:00 a.m.


Important Upcoming Dates

Girls/Boys Basketball Clinic @ 9:00
March 18th: Senior Scavenger Hunt
March 19th: Dismissal @ 1:43 pm
ELA Subcommittee to SSC Meeting @ 7:00
March 21st: School Tours @ 8:30 am
Charter Budget Subcommittee Meeting @
5:00 pm
March 25th to March 29th: Fashion Week
March 25th: SSC/Charter Council Mtg @ 5:00
March 27th: SAT for all Juniors
March 28th:School Tours @8:30 am
April 1st: NO SCHOOL
April 1st to April 5th SBAC Testing
Taft Hall Modernization Forum this semester, date TBD

Service Spotlight

Isolina Poma,
Cafeteria Manager
Ms. Isolina (“Lina”) Poma joined the Taft family last year as our new cafeteria manager. A 14-year veteran of LAUSD, she came to Taft from Reseda Elementary. Ms. Poma quickly grew to love the students and Taft co-workers, “I’m really grateful to be part of the Taft family—everyone is really nice, understanding and appreciative of what we do here.”

To her surprise, Ms. Poma has recognized former Reseda Elementary students she served while meeting new students, “I love my job because we nourish kids to help them get through the day.” While she notes that the cafeteria currently serves just over 400 students at nutrition and just over 600 students for lunch, she would love to see more students come through the cafeteria, pointing out that daily there are vegan options, salads, soy milk in addition to their other menu offerings.

Ms. Poma states that the cafeteria has seen many policy and procedural changes recently—ordering and budgets are very strict—but she works within those limits to best serve her Taft students to offer them items she knows they will like, “I want them to have something yummy because they have to go to class and study and get through the day.”

There are other, more exciting changes according to Ms. Poma, “We’re getting all new equipment which means everything will operate more reliably—not breaking all the time—which makes our job easier.” She is excited about new menus and recipes that are coming for next year and hopes that students will like them and more will be interested in the cafeteria. Ms. Poma’s warmth and gratitude were clear, “We (in the cafeteria) come to work very early every day to give the best of ourselves to Taft and we are so happy to be here!"

Taft Ask Letter
Dear Taft Families,
We are thrilled that you have chosen Taft High School! Did you know that the Taft Charter Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) works with all the students, teachers, clubs and teams to help support their needs and put on school events like Homecoming? So many of the great things here at Taft that our students use and enjoy are NOT PAID FOR BY LAUSD, but rather by the PTO through the generosity of our parents and community.

This is why we are asking for your help.

For the cost of just one Starbucks latte or fast food value meal a week, you could help your child’s school provide all the following opportunities and more:
-Social events like the homecoming parade and dance and the Halloween costume contest.
-Stipends for our academic departments (Math, Science, English, History) to purchase supplies and classroom materials such as toner not paid for by LAUSD.
-Stipends for our elective departments like drama, music and visual arts.
-Trophies for all of our athletic teams.
-Support for our student clubs, student newspaper, college office and library.
-Need-based scholarships for community service and school volunteers
-Teacher appreciation events and school tours. 

Yes, public school is free, but all of the extras are not, so we need your help.  WE ARE ASKING EVERY FAMILY TO PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION!! We are suggesting a donation of $250 per family, but EVERY DOLLAR HELPS, so give whatever you can…

Your tax-deductible donations can be paid in full or monthly installments. Please make donation checks out to TAFT CHARTER PTO, and put donation on the memo line along with your child's name and grade, and return them in a sealed envelope to the main office or your child's English Teacher. You will be sent a receipt and donation letter. If you want to pay by cash or credit card,

please email Carrie Adelman at cadelman3681@gmail.com
What's Coming Up
A Note From the
Student Body



Hey parents! It's that time of the year again. Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up! We want to show just how much we appreciate our amazing teachers and staff! Please help us show our support with a generous donation - money and $5 gift cards would be greatly appreciated!
Some good places to get gift cards are
*Target
*Starbucks
*Coffee Bean
*Chipotle
*Amazon
Anything is welcome! We'd like to collect enough to give one to each of our 200 teachers and supporting staff on campus!

Feel free to drop off your donations in the ASB gift card box in the main office.
2019 Women's History Month Events at Microsoft
DigiGirlz: Girls in Business - March 19th,
6:00-8:00 pm

Find inspiration from our panel of girls who mean business! In partnership with NazKidz Foundation, we will be highlighting several young women who took their passion and turned it into a business. This event will include a Q&A, so come with questions that you would want to ask to learn more about starting your own business and the challenges that come with it. We will be providing complementary refreshments and prize drawings as well.

DigiGirlz: Girls in Business - March 21st,
6:00-8:00 pm

Join us to celebrate Women's History Month, by recognizing women entrepreneurs who paved their own path. Come hear from our fabulous keynote speaker, Miri Rossito, President and CEO of COWE Consulting! This event will include a Q&A, so come with questions that you would want to ask to learn more about starting your own business and the challenges that come with it. We will be providing complementary refreshments and prize drawings as well.

Event will be held at the Microsoft Store in the Topanga Plaza
volunteer_signup2_hdr.jpg
Volunteer for Upcoming Dates

We need your help selling snacks for the following games.

March 20th - Volleyball 3:00-5:30
March 27th - Volleyball 3:30-5:30
March 29th - Volleyball 3:00-5:30

April 3rd - Volleyball 3:00-5:30
April 4th - Track 3:00-5:30
April 10th - Volleyball 5:00-8:30
April 11th - Track 3:00- 5:30