Rhoades Elementary PTA

PTA Board Spotlight: Sandra Palacios

After taking a year off to absolutely dominate 5Ks and half marathons, she’s officially back, and trust us, she’s one of the PTA moms teachers are always excited to see walk through the door. This year, Sandra returns as our Hospitality Chair, bringing her kindness, energy and “sure, I can do one more thing” attitude back to the board.

Fun Fact: While most of us were sitting on the couch wondering if walking to the mailbox counted as cardio, Sandra was out there collecting race medals.

Sandra joined PTA because she wanted to be more involved in her child’s school experience and help create special memories for all students and families. She believes that when families and schools work together, students feel supported, encouraged, and confident.

When asked what she’s most excited about this year, her answer was simple: supporting teachers and helping create fun events that bring our school community together.
Get to know Sandra better:

What inspired you to join PTA?
I wanted to be more involved in my child’s school experience and help create special memories for all students and families. I love being able to give back to a community that gives so much to our kids.

• What is your role on the board this year?
Hospitality Chair.

• What are you most excited about this school year?Supporting teachers and helping create fun events that bring our school community together.

• What’s your favorite Rhoades event?
Any event that brings families together!

• What’s one thing you hope families know about PTA?
PTA is for everyone. Whether you can volunteer once a year or every week, every bit of support makes a difference.

• What’s your favorite thing about the Rhoades community?
The kindness and willingness of people to step up and help one another.

• Why do you think parent involvement matters?
When families and schools work together, students feel supported, encouraged, and confident. It takes a village, and parent involvement helps strengthen that village.

• Coffee order?
I don’t drink coffee!

• Favorite snack at school events?
Probably anything sweet! 😂

• Favorite Target aisle?
The Dollar Spot every single time!

• Morning person or night owl?
Definitely a morning person!

• Favorite holiday?
Christmas.

• Favorite movie or TV comfort watch?
Anything supernatural or superhero-related.

• Favorite music artist or concert?
I love me some Taylor Swift, but I listen to a little bit of everything!

• What would your walk-up song be?
Anything Taylor!

• Favorite teacher as a kid and why?
My elementary school teacher who always made me feel seen and encouraged me to believe in myself.

• If PTA meetings had a mascot, what would it be?
Definitely a tiger! 🐯

• What were you like in elementary school?Friendly, talkative, and always excited to help.

• What was your favorite school lunch?
Pizza day!

• Favorite subject growing up?
Math.

• Did you ever get in trouble at school?
Only for talking too much with my friends!

• What extracurricular activity would you totally dominate as a kid?
Track!

• What was your dream job as a child?
I’ve always wanted to be a teacher.

• Which PTA role would survive a zombie apocalypse?
The PTA President she always has a plan!

• What’s your toxic trait during event planning?
Thinking I can take on “just one more thing.”

• Most likely to accidentally volunteer for five more things?
Definitely me!!!

• Most likely to cry during a kindergarten performance?
Also me.

• What’s your “I said I’d help for one hour and stayed for six” moment?
Pretty much every school event.

• If PTA was a reality show, what would it be called?
“Survivor School Edition.”

• Which school event turns you feral in the best way?
Fall Festival and Field Day!

• What does Rhoades mean to your family?
Rhoades is more than a school.it’s a place where my child learns, grows, and feels supported. For those reasons, Rhoades has my heart.

• What’s a school memory that made you emotional?
Seeing students light up when they realize an event or celebration was planned just for
them.

• What do you hope students feel when they walk into school?
Loved, welcomed, safe, and excited to learn.

• What kind of impact do you hope PTA has this year?
I hope we continue creating opportunities for students, supporting teachers, and bringing families together in meaningful ways.

• What’s one word you want to describe this school year?
Connected.

Tell us one fun fact about yourself!

I like staying busy and helping out wherever I’m needed.
Rhoades Elementary School

This week we’re shining the spotlight on our Membership Chair, firefighter and the man who accidentally created one of our favorite PTA groups…Christian Fletcher!

Yes, you read that correctly. The Rhoades MENtors and DADvocates exist because of Christian. What started as an offhand comment about the PTA needing a dad chair turned into a conversation, then an idea and eventually a group dedicated to getting more dads involved at Rhoades.
So while he may not realize it, Christian is officially the founding father of the MAD Men.

As Membership Chair, Christian is helping families discover what PTA is really all about. No secret handshakes. No mysterious meetings. No PTA cult.
Just parents working together to support students, teachers, and staff.

One of the things Christian is most excited about this year is growing the MENtors and becoming involved with Unified. He believes every student should feel like they belong, and that belief shows in the way he serves our school community.

Of course, being a firefighter means helping people come naturally to him. But if you’ve worked an event with Christian, you know he doesn’t stop when the fire truck is parked.

He’s become known for being fiercely protective of his PTA moms. Need help carrying something? Christian’s already on it. Need someone to stay until the last table is folded? Christian’s there. Need someone to step up when something goes sideways? Christian is usually halfway through solving the problem before anyone else notices.
He’s the kind of person who quietly takes care of the people around him without asking for recognition.

Get to know Christian:

• What inspired you to join PTA? I was voluntold 😂
• What is your role on the board this year? Memberships and recruitment to the cooler side of PTA, the dadvocates!
• What are you most excited about this school year? More dadvocate events. Also joining unified club.
• What’s your favorite Rhoades event? Trunk or trear
• What’s one thing you hope families know about PTA? We’re regular people, not like how they show it on tv
• What’s your favorite thing about the Rhoades community? That it is a small and tight knit
• Why do you think parent involvement matters? Because it’s not the teachers job to raise our kids.
• Coffee order? Fresh pot at the fire station or hot 911 from Dutch bro
• Favorite snack at school events? Not cotton candy 😂
• Favorite Target aisle? Legos
• Morning person or night owl? Night owl
• Favorite holiday? Toby Keith’s birthday
• Favorite movie or TV comfort watch? NCIS and the fast and furious series
• Favorite music artist or concert? Garth brooks
• What would your walk-up song be? The fireman by George straight
• If PTA meetings had a mascot, what would it be? Hei hei from Moana
• What were you like in elementary school? Nerd
• What was your favorite school lunch? Country fried steak fingers
• Favorite subject growing up? Science
• Did you ever get in trouble at school? Yes…I never paid attention
• What extracurricular activity would you totally dominate as a kid? Archery
• What was your dream job as a child? Heavy equipment operator
• Which PTA role would survive a zombie apocalypse? Mine!
• What’s your toxic trait during event planning? Having to talk to people
• Most likely to accidentally volunteer for five more things? Yeah…
• If PTA was a reality show, what would it be called? Behind the scenes of ensuing chaos
• Which school event turns you feral in the best way? Trunk or treat
• What does Rhoades mean to your family? Rhoades is family, so everything.
• What do you hope students feel when they walk into school? To belong
• What kind of impact do you hope PTA has this year? To help people understand that we’re just parents to join, and not a secret cult. To support teachers/staff and students.
• What’s one word you want to describe this school year? Fun
• Tell us one fun fact about yourself! I’m a hazmat nerd and love learning about chemicals
Rhoades Elementary School

PTA BOARD SPOTLIGHT

This week we’re excited to introduce one of the amazing people helping make Rhoades a place where students, families and staff can thrive, our PTA Secretary and Council Delegate, Emmaliey Di Rocco!

Emmaliey joined PTA because she wanted to become more involved in her children’s education and get to know the people behind the scenes who help make our school community so special. Since then, she’s become one of those volunteers who is always willing to jump in, lend a hand and help wherever she’s needed.

Whether she’s supporting school events, helping behind the scenes, advocating for families through PTA Council or staying longer than planned to finish a project, Emmaliey is a wonderful example of what it means to serve with heart.

When asked what she loves most about Rhoades, her answer was simple, “I love how small and tight it is. I love that everyone can lean on one another.” That sense of community is exactly why she continues to invest her time in our school.

Outside of PTA, Emmaliey is a biology major, plant collector, animal lover and proud night owl. She loves Halloween, Christmas, Trunk or Treat, Friends, Pretty Woman and can usually be found with a Nos or Red Bull instead of a cup of coffee.

One of her favorite teachers taught her that being different wasn’t a weakness, it was a strength, a lesson she still carries with her today.

Most importantly, Emmaliey believes schools are strongest when families, teachers and communities work together. Her hope for this school year is to help create an environment where families feel welcomed, teachers feel supported and every child feels encouraged and included.

Rhoades is better because of volunteers like Emmaliey. Thank you for everything you do for our students, staff and families. Get to know her:

• What inspired you to join PTA? I wanted to get to know the people behind the scenes in my children’s education and school community. Also getting to enjoy more time with my kids!
• What is your role on the board this year? Secretary
• What are you most excited about this school year? Field trips, and another year enjoying the Rhoades houses. Also unified club!
• What’s your favorite Rhoades event? Trunk or treat!
• What’s one thing you hope families know about PTA? We are just a bunch of parents who care about changing the dynamic of school and school related events for the better. You should join us.
• What’s your favorite thing about the Rhoades community? I love how small and tight it is. I love that everyone can lean on one another
• Why do you think parent involvement matters? Parent involvement is everything. Because school is weirdly tiny and enormous at the same time. Tiny in the sense that a teacher sees your kid for a slice of the day — enormous because what happens there can shape how they see themselves for years. Parent involvement kind of stitches those worlds together.

• Coffee order? Skip coffee. Nos or red bull for me!
• Favorite snack at school events? Popcorn
• Favorite Target aisle? Candles!
• Morning person or night owl? Night owl. Insomnia is my super power.
• Favorite holiday? Halloween and Christmas
• Favorite movie or TV comfort watch? Pretty woman and Friends
• Favorite music artist or concert? Cody Johnson and Garth brooks
• What would your walk-up song be? Seven nation army
• Favorite teacher as a kid and why? Mrs. Ishmael. She taught that being different wasn’t a weakness, it was a power. She also started my love for books.
• If PTA meetings had a mascot, what would it be? A tired mom
• What were you like in elementary school? Silly
• What was your favorite school lunch? Breadstick dunkers (northern thing I think)
• Favorite subject growing up? Science
• Did you ever get in trouble at school? Only for talking too much
• What extracurricular activity would you totally dominate as a kid? I dominated in debate.
• What was your dream job as a child? Veterinarian.
• Which PTA role would survive a zombie apocalypse? Whatever role Christian is 🤣
• What’s your toxic trait during event planning? Procrastinating
• Most likely to accidentally volunteer for five more things? Yes I do all the time 😭
• Most likely to cry during a kindergarten performance?
• What’s your “I said I’d help for one hour and stayed for six” moment? Just recently? Paper cutting experience in the library.
• If PTA was a reality show, what would it be called? Real Housewives of the Drop-Off Line
• Which school event turns you feral in the best way? Trunk or treat
• What does Rhoades mean to your family? Everything! It’s a community that as a family, get to enjoy and be apart of.
• What’s a school memory that made you emotional? Graduating? No idea….
• What do you hope students feel when they walk into school? Eagerness to learn
• What kind of impact do you hope PTA has this year? I’d love for the PTA to help create a school environment where families feel welcomed, teachers feel supported, and kids feel encouraged and included.
• What’s one word you want to describe this school year? Epic

• Tell us one fun fact about yourself! I’m a biology major, and love collecting plants.

Image Description: Headshot of Emmaliey Di Rocco, Rhoades PTA Secretary and Council Delegate. Emmaliey is smiling softly at the camera and wearing glasses, pearl stud earrings and a light-colored graphic T-shirt. Her long dark wavy hair frames her face. The portrait captures her warm, friendly personality and the welcoming spirit she brings to the Rhoades community.
Rhoades Elementary School

Some kids will walk into Rhoades this August with fresh school supplies, new shoes, and everything ready for the year ahead…Some won’t.

Some parents are already sitting at kitchen tables trying to figure out how to stretch a paycheck far enough to cover groceries, gas, rent, school supplies… and now one more thing their child needs to feel included.

And the heartbreaking part? A House shirt may look like “just a shirt” to us… but to a child, it can feel like the difference between belonging and standing out.

Kids notice. They notice when everyone around them is wearing their House colors.
They notice when team pictures are taken.
They notice when chants start. They notice when they’re the only one not matching.

And sometimes they pretend not to care…
but they do. No child should start the school year already feeling “less than.”
No child should feel embarrassed over something their family simply cannot afford.
And no parent should have to choose between buying groceries and buying a shirt so their child can feel included at school.

That’s why this matters so much to us! Because this isn’t really about shirts. It’s about the little boy who finally feels like part of something. It’s about the little girl who walks into school proud instead of anxious.
It’s about making sure every single child hears the message, “You belong here too.”

This is such a fixable problem. And if our community comes together, we can remove one unnecessary hurdle for families who are already carrying so many.

One shirt. One child. One less reason to feel left out. That’s the kind of thing kids remember forever.

PTA SUMMER PROJECT ALERT!!!!

Okay friends… we have a BIG summer mission and we need the community’s help.
This year, we want to make sure EVERY Rhoades student starts the school year with a House shirt, because our House System is about way more than matching colors.

It’s about:
•camaraderie
•pride
•connection
•belonging
•making sure no kid feels left out on day one

So here’s the plan:
We’re raising about $3,000 to help cover House shirts for students, and we’re looking for AMAZING local small businesses who want to partner with us.

Businesses that sponsor will have their logo placed on the back of the shirts, basically becoming part of the Rhoades family while also getting community advertising all year long.

And honestly? Small businesses always show up for schools in the biggest ways, so we’d much rather support the people who support US.

A few of us are already donating personally to kick things off because we believe this project matters THAT much. If you own a business, or know someone who does, and would like to help us make sure every child starts the year feeling included, send us a message! Let’s make something really special happen for these kids.
Edit: we have a Google link to signup

https://share.google/NF3c3fujEqdZwZhcR

Rhoades Elementary School

If we have any outgoing families ready to get involved with middle school, no better time than now

Do you ever wonder what, how or why the PTA does things?
Join our Board! We are looking for a President and Vice President to lead our team for the 2026-2027 school year. It's a great way to stay in the know, share valuable ideas, and make the BEST year for our students! Use the link below and fill out the google form to share your interest. We look forward to hearing from you!
https://forms.gle/Mw8RygfPGEn1H9CU7

We are also spotlighting our awesome PTA on our new TikTok. Check us out, and follow before school starts back up
Rhoades Elementary School

TikTok · Rhoades Elementary PTA

SPOTLIGHT TIME!

Next up in our PTA Spotlight series is our Treasurer, Shannon Pilkerton.

Shannon is the kind of person every PTA secretly hopes for:
organized, dependable, funny, calm under pressure and somehow still willing to volunteer again after surviving event setup.

She’s one of the steady hands behind so much of what happens at Rhoades. The kind of person who quietly keeps everything running while the rest of us are trying to figure out where the tape went and why the popcorn machine suddenly sounds suspicious.

She somehow manages to be both incredibly kind and mildly intimidating in the exact way you want your Treasurer to be. Like yes, she absolutely supports your event idea… but she’s also going to ask if it’s in the budget first.

If you’ve ever thought:
“Wow, somebody here actually has their life together.”
or
“Who keeps approving all our ridiculous ideas?”
or
“Who is calmly fixing problems while the rest of us are emotionally spiraling near a folding table?”
…it was probably Shannon.

She’s thoughtful, hardworking and deeply dedicated to helping create a fun, supportive school experience for students, staff and families. Rhoades is incredibly lucky to have her.

Get to know Shannon a little better below!

• What inspired you to join PTA? - Talking with current PTA board members and hearing what PTA is actually all about because I honestly had no idea until I started getting questions answered.
• What is your role on the board this year? Currently Treasurer, but previously Vice President then President.
• What are you most excited about this school year? Watching the community grow closer together and seeing how the kids have grown over the summer.
• What’s your favorite Rhoades event? Trunk or treat!!
• What’s one thing you hope families know about PTA? Where to begin here... It's not a cult or a group of mean gossip girls. It's a non-profit business that relies solely on donations and fundraising to be able to offer all the services everyone has come to love and enjoy so much. There is a place for everyone! I have heard this so much, "But I don't have any extra time", to which I say we are all just parents and you may not have time to be top dog but do you volunteer for class parties or school event? Then PTA IS the place for you! There are all kinds of things that need done from tiny small to running the show and everything in between.
• What’s your favorite thing about the Rhoades community? How small and close it is, like family. How the staff, PTA, and parents work so closely together and take time to get to know and understand each other on a personal basis.
• Why do you think parent involvement matters? Without parents what is actually happening? School for elementary children, well any children, is so formative and it takes a symbiotic relationship between educators and parents to bring each child's potential to fruition. If there is no parent involvement then events have few people, there are no funds for events/field trips/etc., class parties are hard to maintain. All the things that keep the kids excited about showing up dwindles and the lights in them start to dim. They are only small for a short time and it's important we show up for them, not just because we should but because they will remember who was there.

• Coffee order? Dutch Bros - Large DECAF (please don't kill me with the go juice LOL) iced latte with almond milk, sugar free salted caramel, sugar free hazelnut, extra sweet, soft top, and sugar free caramel drizzle
• Favorite snack at school events? Food LOL... I LOVE FOOD!! Can't eat much but I still love it!
• Favorite Target aisle? I don't know because I am a Walmart/Sam's kind of gal
• Morning person or night owl? Morning but I tend to be up late, just not functional anymore.
• Favorite holiday? The ones that bring magic to children! Christmas, Easter, and Halloween!!
• Favorite movie or TV comfort watch? I am not a TV/Movie person really but I can watch Bones on repeat, I love The Last Unicorn, The Labrynth, The Dark Crystal, and Princess Bride
• Favorite music artist or concert? Janis Joplin, Alanis Morrisette, and Simon and Garfunkel
• What would your walk-up song be? Me and Bobby McGee, after all freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose, nothin' don't mean nothin' honey if it ain't free
• Favorite teacher as a kid and why? Mr. Wilson, 10th grade Biology - He made the disgusting (disection) interesting, he taught with passion, he knew how to connect with kids and give them fire. He also let us dissect owl pellets for extra credit.
• If PTA meetings had a mascot, what would it be? Iced coffee or a lightbulb

• What were you like in elementary school? If you can imagine, well behaved teacher's pet material because it was a place to receive positive attention I didn't really get elsewhere.
• What was your favorite school lunch? 1980's school pizza
• Favorite subject growing up? MATH 100% - numbers don't lie but people do and I am willing to die on that hill
• Did you ever get in trouble at school? Once in kindergarten for beating up a kid that cut my shirt with scissors. Once in 7th grade, though I don't remember what for. Last was "detention" (principal had me come by his office each morning for a week to say hi) in 11th grade for calling out the geometry teacher that very shortly after got fired for being a rather terrible human.
• What extracurricular activity would you totally dominate as a kid? Tetherball and four square!
• What was your dream job as a child? I wanted to be a marine biologist and study penguins

• Which PTA role would survive a zombie apocalypse? I don't know if there is a specific role that would. I would say it would be based on the type of person filling that role. I don't know if I would and I have survived some things in my day!
• What’s your toxic trait during event planning? Needing constant updates and taking over to do stuff myself when I don't get them in a timely manner.
• Most likely to accidentally volunteer for five more things? Me and Destiny 100% LOL
• Most likely to cry during a kindergarten performance? 100% Me! I am an emotional gal when it comes to the kids doing great things!
• What’s your “I said I’d help for one hour and stayed for six” moment? Just one moment? How do you think I made it to President? LOL
• If PTA was a reality show, what would it be called? The Chaos Coordinators
• Which school event turns you feral in the best way? All of them? None of them? I feel like I'm always feral but I'm not sure about in the best way. LOL

• What does Rhoades mean to your family? Everything! All of it! It's not a place, it's a home and yeah there are ups and downs, good times and bad, easy times and hard times, but it's a family and the absolute best kind!
• What’s a school memory that made you emotional? Going dark here but hey it's reality and another reason I believe parent involvement is so important. Searching the audience for my dad at performances and never finding him because he didn't show.
• What do you hope students feel when they walk into school? Accepted no matter what!
• What kind of impact do you hope PTA has this year? To create space and opportunity for things some kids may not experience otherwise. That it continues to knit our small community tighter together because we are proud to belong to it. I also hope it teaches kids and families it's a place of belonging for EVERYONE so that we may all grow together to reach our full potentials.
• What’s one word you want to describe this school year? Fantasteriffic!!

• Tell us one fun fact about yourself! I love to Karaoke and in case you didn't know my hair isn't naturally purple LOL
Rhoades Elementary School

Image Description:
Photos of our PTA Treasurer helping students during school activities, participating in themed events and smiling with students and families throughout the school year.

BIG NEWS, RHOADES FAMILIES…Next school year, the PTA is officially entering its TikTok era.

That’s right. Somewhere between the balloon arches, emergency Walmart trips, popcorn machines, spirit weeks, Unified events and “does anyone have tape?” moments…we decided to add cameras.

Starting this fall, we’ll be sharing fun behind-the-scenes moments, event setup chaos, volunteer shenanigans, school spirit, PTA skits, Unified highlights and all the little memories that make this community so special.

Think:
• “how it started vs how it’s going”
• cafeteria-level chaos
• spirit week survival
• principal cameos
• the emotional support hot glue gun
• and probably at least one video filmed while running on iced coffee and poor decisions

But underneath the humor, we hope it becomes one more way to celebrate our students, our staff, our families and the incredible community we’re building together at Rhoades.

We’re excited. We’re slightly concerned.
And honestly…we have absolutely no idea what we’re doing. See you on TikTok next year.
Rhoades Elementary School

Rhoades Elementary PTA on TikTok .elementar 0 Followers, 0 Following, 0 Likes - Watch awesome short videos created by Rhoades Elementary PTA

Today, we remember the names. The faces.
The stories. The parents who never got to hug their children again. The spouses who waited for someone who never came home.
The children who grew up carrying only memories, photos and folded flags.

Behind every name etched into history was a real person who laughed, dreamed, loved deeply and mattered endlessly to somebody.
As we spend today with our families, may we also hold space for the families who carry this loss every single day.

If you would like to, we invite our community to share photos or memories of loved ones you are honoring this Memorial Day. Their lives mattered, and they deserve to be remembered.
Spanish version in the comments

Versión en español en los comentarios.
Rhoades Elementary School