PTA's mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. At PHE, we fund programs and events that support student growth and family involvement. Below are some of our favorite initiatives.  If you have any questions, please email president@portolahillspta.org.

Book Fair:
For one week a year, PHE hosts a Book Fair to celebrate reading, inspire children to read, and raise funds that go back into our classrooms. 

Classroom Enrichment:
Each year, we provide a budget for every PHE teacher to purchase classroom enrichment materials, ensuring they don’t have to cover the costs themselves.

Family Fun Nights:
PTA produces events for family engagement several times throughout year.  Examples include our Fall Fair, Astronomy Night, Dance with a Love One, STEAM Night, Magician and Craft Night. 

Imagination Machine: 

Imagination Machine is a well-loved program that turns our students into playwrights.  Our students create short plays, with classic story structure, characters and dialogue.  The Imagination Machine actors read the scripts and choose the favorites from each grade.  They will perform some of the short plays in front of the school assembly, using costumes, props, and funny voices.  Credit is given to the young playwrights whose scripts are performed.  https://www.theimaginationmachine.com/  Too often, the arts are minimalized in school budgets, so PTA promotes programs that encourage the arts and creativity in our kids.

Kids Run the OC:
Kids Run the OC is a training program associated with the OC Marathon that promotes an active and healthy lifestyle. During the 10-12 weeks prior to the big race, the kids have weekly practice after school, where they run and play for the equivalent of 1-2 miles of running each week.  They accumulate a total of 25.2 miles of exercise through fun play activities over the weeks. They run the last mile of the "marathon" on the day before the OC Marathon in a big race at the OC Fairgrounds and receive a medal and a t-shirt.  https://kidsruntheoc.org/  PHE PTA organizes the volunteers to help coach the weekly exercise program, to promote safety and sportsmanship.  

Parent Education:
Periodically, we'll host a parent education night.  Past topics have been Cybersafety, Picky Eaters, and raising Healthy Competitive kids.

PBIS Store: 
For 2023-2024, PHE was awarded with statewide recognition of implementing PBIS at the SILVER level.  PTA has added to the success of the program by funding and running the “PBIS Store” to reward students for earning the Compass Coupons for good behavior.  This small element of the PBIS program is a way for the parents to help build a supportive school community and it is one that generates the most excitement for the students. 

Reflections:
Reflections is a National PTA Art Competition that recognizes student achievement in visual art, photography, music composition, film production, dance choreography  and literature.  PHE is renowned for its large participation.  Our school has consistently had the largest participation of any of the SVUSD schools.  The PHE Reflections judges choose winners to move on to the SVUSD District Competition.  Winners at the local level can advance up to the state and national levels.  https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections  

Science & Engineering Fair:
The Science & Engineering Fair is open to 2nd through 6th grade students and encourages students to creatively apply the scientific method to conduct independent research and experiments.  6th grade students have the opportunity to compete at the regional level.  

Staff Appreciation Week:
The PTA coordinates this week with the classroom Room Parents to show our teachers and staff how much they are appreciated. The culmination is a themed luncheon provided by PTA volunteers.  

STEAM Program:
The STEAM Program with Mrs. Chan engages students in every grade level with a curriculum designed to enhance hands-on understanding of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The STEAM program is 100% funded by PTA.

Yearbook:
The PHE Annual Yearbook is designed and produced by the PTA Yearbook Committee.  It is offered to all students at the cost to produce it and includes the year in review for all grades.  PTA needs volunteers for organizing class portrait pages, editing page layouts for school events, uploading pictures, and notifying the PTA committee about school events that could be included in the yearbook.