Top Ten Ways for Wyngate Parents to Kick Off the School Year

1. Become a member of the PTA (Parent-Teacher Association)

  • As a member, you’ll be providing vital support to our students, teachers, parents, and community, especially this year in a virtual learning environment.
  • Member families will be entered in a raffle for their student(s) to receive Wyngate swag or be the “Principal for a Day”!
  • NEW: The PTA is mailing a hard copy of the school directory to all Wyngate families to support community building (normally this is a perk of membership). Note: all families can access via the app or web browser.
  • Membership is $40 per household and is tax deductible.
  • No one will be denied membership because of financial circumstances. Please contact PTA President Caryn Seligman ([email protected]) if your family needs special consideration.
  • To join, log into your AtoZconnect.com account, go to the “store” and select “products,” and then “membership.”
  • Questions? Contact [email protected]

2. Make a Donation to the PTA

  • Dues only cover about half of the PTA’s expenses, including cultural arts programming, instructional materials, technology subscriptions, and continuing education for our teachers.
  • Donations will also help fill the gaps of typical in-person fundraisers (Bingo Night, Auction, etc.) which may not be possible this year.
  • Please consider making a tax-deductible donation of $50 PER STUDENT. You’ll get an extra entry in the PTA raffle for each $50 donation you make!
  • To donate, log into the AtoZconnect.com store and select “products,” and then “donations.”
  • Questions? Contact Caryn Seligman ([email protected]).

3. Update Your Profile in the PTA’s School Directory; Deadline is September 15

  • The directory has class rosters, contact information for parents and staff, and more. You’ll want it to easily organize virtual playdates and reach out to other parents to connect.
  • To be included, you MUST verify your contact information every year at AtoZconnect.com
  • For instructions, visit here.
  • Questions? Contact [email protected]

4. Join the Wyngate Parents Listserv

  • The PTA’s Google Group gives you timely updates about school/PTA activities and offers an easy way to connect with other families.
  • Subscribe by emailing [email protected] or click here. To avoid email overload, you can select to receive a daily digest.
  • Questions? Contact Lauren Lamoureux ([email protected]) or Abby Weiner ([email protected])

5. Help Wyngate Earn Easy Extra Money

  • Sign up for the free AmazonSmile program and designate the Wyngate PTA or Wyngate Foundation to earn 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products. To enable AmazonSmile on your mobile device, open the Amazon app, go to Settings in the main menu, select AmazonSmile to choose Wyngate as your designated charity.
  • Connect your Harris Teeter loyalty card to the school.
  • Download the easy-to-use Box Tops for Education app and scan your grocery receipts to earn 10 cents per item for Wyngate. Visit boxtops4education.com to sign up.
  • Questions? Contact Susannah Nelson ([email protected]).

6. Volunteer with the PTA

  • Volunteering opportunities will look a little different this year than in the past. At this time, MCPS is not permitting parent volunteers to help teachers with facilitating virtual classes. Rest assured that there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved, so keep an eye out for information and requests for volunteers.
  • Questions? Contact Caryn Seligman ([email protected]).

7. Download the School Calendar

  • Your PTA has created a handy Google calendar with some of the key dates for MCPS and Wyngate. As we get into the year and determine what kinds of events we can host (virtually), we will continue to add in dates for PTA-sponsored activities.
  • Click here for instructions on how to sync with your personal Google calendar.

8. Mark Your Calendars To Attend the Next PTA Meeting—October 6 at 7pm (Zoom link to come)

  • Join us to get updates from Mr. Wiebe and the PTA. We’ll share observations and feedback on the virtual learning environment and discuss some of the changes that you’ll see to PTA events this year.

9. Follow us on Social Media for News, Events, and Weekly Challenges

  • Follow the PTA on Facebook and Instagram for news, events, updates, and more.
  • To add a little fun to the virtual school year, we’ll be announcing weekly Instagram photo challenges, teacher spotlights, and more. Tag your photos with @wyngatepta and use the #WyngateWildcats hashtag and we may share your posts in our Instagram Stories!
  • You can also follow Mr. Wiebe for news and updates on Twitter 
  • Post your “First Day of School” pics on Aug 31 using this sign and tag @WyngatePTA and #WyngateWildcats in your photos and we’ll share them on our Instagram Stories!

10. Show your Wildcat Pride!

  • Order Wyngate-branded clothing during spring and fall online promotions. Details to come.
  • SpiritGear (car magnets, pencils, blankets) is available for purchase.
  • Questions? Contact Robin McNeill ([email protected])

Become a Member

Your $40 tax-deductible contribution will provide vital support to our students, teachers, parents, and community.

Plus, you’ll receive access to the school directory, allowing you to reach out to fellow parents as needed.

Log into your AtoZConnect account, go to “Membership”, and select “Family Membership”.

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