A huge thank you goes to Jocelyn Backes and the many volunteers who helped make this year’s teacher/staff appreciation week "spa-tacular". The teachers’ lounge was transformed into a beautiful retreat, and the week included a coffee cart, spa lunch, chair massages, flowers and letters from students, and much, much more!

Another enormous thank you goes to the Multicultural Night Committee - Holly Rebbeck, Alison Hines, and Kyla Burlin - and to the many families who shared their cultures with the Tulita community during our multicultural scavenger hunt.  It was fantastic to see so many wonderful and interesting displays celebrating such a wide array of cultures, and a joy to see Tulita families traveling around the neighborhood excitedly looking for the next display.

Congratulations to Tulita's 5th Grade Student of the Year, Devak Mistry! Devak has embodied what it means to be a Tidalwave throughout his time at Tulita, and we are so proud and pleased to see him being honored with this award! Well done Devak!

Congratulations also go to Ms. Pate who is Tulita's Teacher of the Year. Such a well-deserved award for a teacher who not only exemplifies kindness, professionalism, and enthusiasm, but who has managed to do that with the added complexity of teaching the 4th/5th grade combo class this year. She is truly amazing!

And where would we all be without the wonderful Ms. Brandy Murray? Congratulations to her for being awarded Classified Employee of the Year. From bandaging playground scrapes, to being a listening ear for the kids that need it, to helping run the front office, she is always there with a smile and a caring heart. Tulita is lucky to have her!

Be sure to check out the next PTA newsletter for details of our HSA, VSP, and PTA Teacher of the Year award winners!

The Tulita PTA is 521 members strong! 

How to join?  Click here to join the PTA!

Why join? Your $12 membership not only helps pay for programs at Tulita, it strengthens the PTA’s ability to advocate for our children at the local, state and national levels.

Do I have to volunteer? No, you only have to volunteer if you want.  There’s strength in numbers so sign up yourself, your student, grandparents, aunts, uncles – everyone who wants to make a positive impact on our children.

The ELA adoption committee is recommending to the Board of Education (at the May 24^th meeting) that the Wit & Wisdom/Geodes/Foundations program be adopted for students in grades K-5.  

To learn more about the ELA committee and its process, click here. 

Mental Health Awareness Month. The month of May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States since 1949. It was founded by the Mental Health America organization (then known as the National Association for Mental Health) in order to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illness, including conditions like depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. Mental Health Awareness Month aims to raise awareness regarding the trauma and societal impact that mental illness can have on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children, families, and our communities as a whole.

May 17^th - International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia is observed on this day and aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights and violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide.

May 21^st - World Day for Cultural Diversity is a United Nations–sanctioned international holiday for the promotion of diversity issues.

May 23^rd - Declaration of the Bab – Bahai. The Declaration of the Báb is celebrated by Bahá'ís, being one of their nine holy days. 

May 26^th - Ascension Day (RC and Protestant) is the 40th day of Easter. It occurs 39 days after Easter Sunday. It is a Christian holiday that commemorates Jesus Christ's ascension into heaven, according to Christian belief.

May 30^th - Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May.

Click here to access the DEI Book Nook to find a list of elementary-age books that celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Click here to visit the Redondo Beach Council DEI home page.

RBEF's Light Up the Night "Vegas Style" gala will be held on May 27^th at the Portofino Hotel and Marina.

Tulita PTA is compiling a list of local, small businesses owned by Tulita families. We will share it with Tulita parents so people can seek out, and support, those businesses that are so crucial to our community.

Simply click here to fill out the FORM to be included.

CAPTA Legislative Focus Areas. Legislative Action Reports outline CA State PTA’s positions and activities on state legislation. Click here to see the bills PTA is presently watching and/or supporting.   

Take Action: Urge Congress to protect school meals by clicking here. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of child nutrition programs in keeping hunger at bay for millions of children across the country. USDA waivers have been crucial to mitigating the economic, educational, and health impacts of the pandemic. 

Support the Child Tax Credit expansion to reduce the number of children living in poverty by more than 40 percent nationally.  Click here to send a message to your elected officials.

Student Mental Health in CA Schools. The California State PTA Legislation Team hosted a panel on student mental health in CA schools on March 15th, 2022.  Click here to listen to a recording of the panelists, which included experts from CA Association of School Counselors, CA School Social Workers Association, CA Association of School Psychologists, and First 5 California who discussed how our kids’ mental health is impacting their schooling, and their take on what can and should be done.

If you are enrolled/plan to enroll in the corporate matching program, please click here to fill out a simple form to help us manage the payments.

Click here to find out if your company will match your donation to the Tulita PTA and for frequently asked questions about the corporate matching program.

Amazon Smile is a program through Amazon where they donate 0.5% of the purchase price of all items to the charity of your choice: Tulita Elementary PTA. 

To shop, go to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7063162 and select Tulita Elementary PTA as your chosen charity. After that, remember to visit smile.amazon.com to shop instead of amazon.com

This is a reminder that you are receiving this email because you are a PTA member this school year. You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails.