Pittsburgh Fulton PTA & PSCC

09/05/2026

Happy Labor Day Weekend Fulton families! Did you know PPS puts out a quarterly newsletter for The Program for Students with Exceptionalities (PSE) and their families? Attached is the flyer and below is a link to the newsletter.

Families of Students that are part of PSE can also attend monthly zoom meetings with the Local Task Force. The LTF helps families navigating the world of IEPs, support services, and 504s. It’s also a great space to connect with other families in the district that may be facing similar challenges and victories. Their first meeting is this Thursday from 6-8 pm. We are also including some information below along with the link to register. If you have any questions, reach out to Fulton PTA Secretary Shannon Striner at [email protected]

Link to Newsletter:https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1788544586/pghschoolsorg/cy7cgeqguupuw5vxtsp5/September26ParentNewsletter.pdf

LTF Information:
The first meeting of the year will be on September 10th from 6-8pm.

During our first meeting we will cover what the Local Task Force on the Right to Education is and what we do. We will introduce the Special Education director and program officers for Pittsburgh Public Schools as well as those at some of the charter schools located in Pittsburgh. We will also have a presentation on IEPs and 504s (what they are, how they work, and what the differences are). And, as we do at every meeting, we will have representatives from Achieva, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Office of Behavioral Health, Office of Developmental Supports, and others who will discuss what they do and the resources available to families in Allegheny County.

Link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/gp_WEyR4QCymTxAqvFU4gQ

09/01/2026

Families, See below if any of your children need a safe and supervised space to access the next three days of remote learning. Good luck this week and stay cool. 😎

Seven recreation centers will open early Tuesday, September 1 through Thursday, September 3 to support students participating in synchronous remote learning.

⏰ Doors open at 8:00 AM
💻 Bring your device and/or schoolwork packets
🍎 Snacks will be provided
🏀 Regular afternoon programming will continue as scheduled

Arlington, Ormsby & Warrington Rec Centers will maintain their regular operating hours and programming.

Families must drop off students in person to complete required emergency contact information and drop-off/pick-up instructions.

08/30/2026

In case you missed the robo-call, here’s an important update from the district….

⚠️ IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR THIS WEEK ⚠️

Due to forecasted extreme heat, 35 Pittsburgh Public Schools buildings will shift to synchronous remote learning Tuesday, September 1 through Thursday, September 3, 2026.

Students attending the schools listed in the graphic should log in and participate in classes remotely following their regular school-day schedule.

Please review the full list carefully and stay connected to your school and District communications for any additional updates.

We appreciate the flexibility and partnership of our students, families and staff as we prioritize safe learning conditions for everyone. 💙

08/28/2026

We made it Wildcats! 🐾❤️🖤 Happy Friday! Thank you teachers and staff for a great start to a great year!

08/24/2026

📚FIRST DAY, FULTON! 🐾

The first day of the 2026–27 school year is officially in the books!

Before anything else, we want to give a HUGE shoutout to our principal, teachers, paraprofessionals, our social worker, the best secretary in the district - Ms Kristy, our staff, custodians, cafeteria workers, and every single person who helped welcome our kids back today.

We know how much work happens behind the scenes before those doors ever open on the first morning….classrooms prepared, names learned, schedules figured out, supplies organized, nerves calmed and a thousand little details handled so our kids can walk into school feeling safe, excited and like they belong.

Thank you for showing up for our Wildcats.

And a special welcome to all of the new students, families and staff joining the Fulton community this year. We are so glad you’re here. 🐾

Now, Fulton families if you’d like, show us those first day pictures! 📸

Share your first-day pictures in the comments so we can celebrate our kids (and all those grown-ups who managed to get everyone dressed, fed and out the door this morning).

Here’s to our students, our staff and the community that makes Fulton Fulton. It’s going to be a great year.

Happy first day, Wildcats! 🐾

08/23/2026

🖤❤️ ONE MORE FIRST DAY, WILDCATS! ❤️🖤

Tomorrow, Fulton’s halls fill up again.

And this first day feels a little different.

We know this will be our final first day of school together at Pittsburgh Fulton. There will be plenty of time this year to talk about what that means, to honor this school and its history, and to celebrate the community generations of Fulton families have built here.

But tomorrow? Tomorrow belongs to our kids. ❤️

So let’s fill these halls with Wildcats and make this last year at Fulton one they will remember.

Here’s what families need to know for the first week:

🐾 FIRST DAYS
• Grades 1–5 begin Monday, August 24
• Kindergarten begins Thursday, August 27

⏰ ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL
• Doors open: 8:55 AM
• School begins: 9:10 AM
• Students arriving after 9:15 AM are marked tardy
• Dismissal: 3:55 PM
• Last early dismissal: 3:15 PM
• Walkers & car riders dismiss from the Mellon Street side near the playground
• Bus students dismiss through the cafeteria entrance

💻 BACK-TO-SCHOOL FORMS
Back-to-school paperwork is now completed electronically through the Home Access Center (HAC). Paper forms will not be sent home this year.

Please log into HAC and make sure:
• All required forms are completed
• Contact and emergency information is current
• Phone numbers are correct
• Medical information is updated
• Transportation information is accurate

This is especially important because the contact numbers in the system will be used in an emergency.

Need help accessing HAC? Call the Parent Help Line at 412-529-4357.

🏫 VISITING FULTON
Beginning this year, parents, guardians, volunteers and other visitors who need to go beyond the Main Office will check in using the Raptor Visitor Management System.

Families can download the Raptor Safe app ahead of time and create a Raptor Passport to make school check-in faster.

💛 AND ONE MORE THING…

Starting a new school year can bring a whole lot of feelings—for kids and grown-ups. Fulton’s school social worker, Mrs. Beakley, is here to support families throughout the year and has shared a daily routine checklist for anyone who might find it helpful. She has paper copies for anyone who asks.

Tomorrow morning, take the pictures. Pack the backpacks. Give the extra hug. And send those Wildcats through the doors.

We have one more year together in this building.

Let’s make it a memorable one. 🐾❤️

08/23/2026

As we gear up for a monumental year at Fulton, we wanted to share an article about one of our Fulton families.

Look for more info about this week at Fulton shortly…

“Over the past three years, Shannon has watched Sienna grow through her time at Fulton. She said the peer modeling strategy and special education teachers have made the biggest difference……

It’s a Tuesday morning in June, one of the final days of the 2025-26 school year. While getting ready for school, Sienna Striner is playing with sensory building blocks and humming to “Seussical the Musical.” Sienna, 10, engages with music videos most every morning at her Highland Park home. T...

06/30/2026

Happy Summer, Fulton Families! ☀️

We have a few important announcements from the district and Ms. Beakley.

Free Summer Meals:
Free breakfast and lunch are available for children and teens up to age 18 this summer.

Locations include:

* Carnegie Library branches offer snacks, and some locations (including Homewood) serve lunch from 12:00–1:00 p.m.
* Fulton Elementary is a Community Food Bank meal site offering breakfast and lunch. You can also search by ZIP code to find a location near you @ pittsburghfoodbank.org/
* Pittsburgh CitiParks also published a list of parks and recreation centers offering free summer meals.

Please see the attached flyers for locations, schedules, and additional details.

The 2025–26 PPS Parent Survey is now open.

PPS says your feedback will help improve schools, strengthen programs, and guide implementation of the Future Ready Plan. This year’s survey also includes questions about the transition plan.

If you’ve been frustrated by the lack of information surrounding the closures and transition process, they claim this is one of the few official opportunities to make your concerns part of the record.

We have been asking for town halls at the closing schools for years, and encourage you to do so as well.

Families still have many unanswered questions. Here’s just one example, what will happen to the elementary magnet program? Will Fulton students have access to the same programming currently offered at Dilworth? Do our kids need to play an instrument? Will they have french? These are basic questions that deserve clear answers before families are expected to navigate such significant changes.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Whether your experience has been positive, negative, or somewhere in between, let PPS hear from you. The more Fulton families who participate, the stronger our collective voice will be.

06/11/2026

We made it, Fulton. ❤️🐾

Tomorrow is the last day of school and somehow… here we are. Another year of learning, growing, celebrating, showing up for one another, and making memories together is coming to a close.

Today we want to give a huge congratulations to our 5th graders as they head off to middle school! We know exciting things are ahead for each of you. Fulton has helped prepare you not just academically, but as kind, curious, resilient kids who know the value of community. And we know you’re ready because Fulton teachers are incredible. Thank you to every teacher and staff member who helped shape this class.

To our students, teachers, staff, and families: thank you for making Fulton what it is. This year reminded us that the heart of a school isn’t a building...it’s the people inside it.

As we look ahead to next year, our goal is simple: make it the best year possible for our kids and our teachers. We want to celebrate our community, create joyful experiences, support classrooms, strengthen connections, and be there for one another as we navigate the uncertainty created by forces outside our control. We will not let anything stop us from celebrating the things that make Fulton special.

That work starts now and we’d love your help.

❤️ Join the Fulton Community & Alumni Directory
Stay connected for updates, events, celebrations, fundraising efforts, and future opportunities to support Fulton.
📱 Scan the QR code in the attached flyer or complete the survey here: https://forms.gle/zXqgQWURnPMPKe5v6

Interested in helping the PTA, soon to be PTO, next year?
Whether you have one hour, one event, a special skill, or want to get more involved, we would love to have you.
📱 Scan the QR code or complete the volunteer interest survey:
https://forms.gle/bc8xXMjQ6ZnZibit8

Let’s finish strong tomorrow and get ready to make next year one to remember.

Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. 🐾❤️

05/28/2026

Last night hurts. There is no way around that.

Many of us spent the last two years fighting for Fulton because we know exactly what this school means to our children, our families, and this community. Fulton is a place where every child feels seen and that magic doesn’t stop because of this vote. Our resilience is part of the fabric of this school. The reason so many of us fought, testified, organized, emailed, protested, and showed up over and over again is because we believed our kids deserved better than a process that often felt rushed, predetermined, and performative.

We know it is hard to find hope right now but our voices still matter and can still make a difference in how this transition plan is carried out. Many of us continue to believe this plan is unrealistic and leaves serious unanswered questions for students, families, and staff. Since the board voted to move forward with this decision, it is now our responsibility to hold both the board and the district accountable for every commitment they made (or didn’t think through) during this process.

Fulton has long been more than just a school building. For generations, it has been part of the fabric of this neighborhood and a place deeply connected to community. That legacy matters. The relationships built here, the pride carried through these halls, and the sense of belonging so many families found at Fulton cannot simply be measured in reports or enrollment numbers.

We all know the vote did not go the way we hoped, and the Fulton PTA wants to take a moment to thank the incredible people who stood beside this community throughout this fight. Thank you to our fierce Fulton advocate and Board Director Devon Taliaferro, 412 Justice & Education Rights Network - for giving us a place we felt acknowledged and seen when the district did not provide that space, the Highland Park Community Council - for cheering us on and sharing information, and to our former PTA President Rebecca who never gave up on us, also our parent and student advocates, community organizers, neighbors, and every single person who used their voice to fight for our students and public education. Your time, energy, compassion, and persistence mattered deeply.

We also want to thank Fulton's teachers and staff for being a steady source of care, stability, and support for our children through an incredibly difficult and uncertain time.

We won’t sugarcoat it. This vote sucks
but we want to remind Fulton families of something important…

Fulton is still Fulton.

The teachers who love our kids are still here.
The friendships our children built are still here.
The community that doesn’t stop showing up is still here.

For families feeling scared right now, we understand. But we cannot let fear drive an exodus from a school that continues to do incredible things for students every single day. Our children deserve stability, joy, friendship, and consistency next year. They deserve classrooms full of familiar faces and adults who know them well.

One of the bright spots of this painful process was watching our community rise up together.

Tonight’s Spring Carnival gives us an opportunity to be together, to laugh, and to remember why we fought so hard. DJ Dolla Bill can cheer anyone up. Just ask your kids! Dance party starts at 5 pm.

And next, we hold this district accountable for every promise they made about transparency, support, transition planning, and protecting students. We will not allow them to overlook us.

Thank you for being a part of the magic that is Fulton.