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Tuesday, February 18, 2025
ChildrenHow the Weller PTA is making a positive impact

How the Weller PTA is making a positive impact

Article sponsored by Milpitas Charity Bingo. 

When Milpitas resident Emerald Rubio’s kids were attending Joseph Weller Elementary School, she found herself wishing to get more involved. The family lived close to the school, and as a working mom, Rubio wanted to ensure that she had ample opportunities to mix with her fellow parents as well as her kids’ teachers.

That was when another parent suggested to Rubio that she sign up to join Weller Elementary School’s PTA. Little did she know at the time that she would end up serving on the PTA for six years, and doing so as its president…

During her time there, Rubio was actively involved in planning and hosting community-building events, among them springtime events, graduations, and harvest festivals. The organization’s main focus was on different forms of community building, which generally meant holding functions where people could get together and get to know each other. 

“In the Bay Area,” said Rubio in an interview with The Beat, “people are so busy, so you want to foster that tight-knit community…”

Her leadership run went through the Covid-19 pandemic, during which, she explained, “We would hold healing circles because it was so isolating.” The healing circle events gave parents and teachers a chance to take a break from being at home and catch up with one another in person while also taking care of their bodies and minds. 

Holiday events are another Weller PTA staple. Providing the backdrop for everything from harvest festivals to Christmas time gatherings, the holidays present opportunities for multiple generations of Weller families to intermingle with the school’s teachers and administrators. Weller is also known for its Halloween Trunk-or-Treat event, its movie nights, and its afterschool popsicles for students program.

In addition, the Weller PTA has raised funds toward teacher appreciation gifts, lunches, and tea-times, as well as Weller’s digital sign and an upgraded multi-use room sound system. 

Tina Lau is entering her third year as Secretary of the Weller PTA. She currently has a 5th grader attending the school. 

“We’re a passionate and energetic group,” Lau told The Beat in an interview. 

She spoke of how the Weller PTA team provides funding for students to attend overnight science camp. They also support all of the kindergarten and 6th grade commencement celebrations.  

“As a Title 1 school, we don’t have  a lot of resources, but we try to do as much as we can with what we have,” said Lau. “The Milpitas Charity Bingo is our biggest way to raise funds.  Because of MCB, we can make our events free to everybody. They are critical to our ability to do the things we do.”

Rubio highlighted how PTA membership is always a good option for parents who want to be more involved in their children’s schooling. She explained, “If you wanted to build quality relationships with the people in your school, this would be a really quick way to do so.”

Although Rubio’s kids are older now, she will always treasure her time leading Weller’s PTA, complete with the opportunities it provided her to interact with other parents as well as her children’s teachers and other school staff members. Moreover, the PTA’s community-building efforts consistently cast a wide and welcoming net, encompassing many different elements and residents of Milpitas.

The Weller PTA board meets monthly, with the volunteers and members being able to enjoy more flexible commitments. 

Readers can learn more about Joseph Weller Elementary’s PTA at this link.



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Eric Shapiro
Eric Shapiro
Eric Shapiro is a writer & filmmaker. As a screenwriter, he’s won a Fade In Award and written numerous feature films in development by companies including WWE, Mandalay Sports Media, Game1, and Select Films. He is also the resident script doctor for Rebel Six Films (producers of A&E’s “Hoarders”). As a journalist, Eric’s won a California Journalism Award and is co-owner and editor of The Milpitas Beat, a Silicon Valley newspaper with tens of thousands of monthly readers that has won the Golden Quill Award as well as the John Swett Award for Media Excellence. As a filmmaker, Eric’s directed award-winning feature films that have premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, and Shriekfest, and been endorsed by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Eric’s apocalyptic novella “It’s Only Temporary” appears next to Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” on Nightmare Magazine’s list of the 100 Best Horror Novels of All Time. He lives in Northern California with his wife, Rhoda, and their two sons.

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