By California State PTA Leadership Services Commission
Each year, PTAs are asked to sponsor various graduation and celebration events in May and June. These events may be for high school seniors or for eighth and fifth/sixth grader advancement to the next school level. They can be elaborate or simple, ranging from all-night celebrations such as Grad Nights, to a family reception on the school lawn or an ice cream social on the playground. During the pandemic, drive-throughs in the school parking lot and parades through school communities were popular.
California State PTA has developed a webpage, PTA Funded Celebrations, where you’ll find a wealth of tools for safe and successful event planning. Whatever the event, PTAs need to follow our organization’s guidelines, school policies, and local agency requirements to ensure the safety of students, chaperones, and volunteers, and to safeguard the assets and reputation of the sponsors. Our goal is to help you take the right steps to fulfill those responsibilities and stage a successful event, including:
- Advance planning and coordination;
- Proper accounting for donations (including gift cards);
- Involvement of the executive board; and
- Assuring the event is safe and accessible to all students.
The job of the California State PTA Leadership Commission is to help your local PTA succeed and improve the lives of all children and families. As you plan for year-end events, please contact your council or district PTA with any questions. If you’ve tried your local support options, additional help can also be found by emailing leadership@capta.org with questions or issues you need help with. We’re here to help make your end-of-the-school-year celebration a great event for everyone!