PTA-Organized Events & Programs
Events
Our events engage families and community to enrich students’ educational opportunities.
With our largest annual fundraiser, there’s nothing to buy and nothing to sell! Simply make a donation. Your donations are used to support many programs at Brentwood, including Creative Learning, Literacy, Culture Fusion, Teacher and Staff Development and Rewards, and more!
With our school supply fundraiser, parents can save time, money, and the CO2 emissions of driving from store to store. Ordering school supplies online is completely optional. For families that choose to do it, a kit of all the exact teacher-requested supplies will be delivered directly to your kiddo's classroom in August. A portion of each purchase goes to the PTA and school community.
The school supply sales program started in 2012. The school supply list is obtained from the school in Jan/Feb. Ordering starts in April/May, and concludes in June. Supplies are delivered directly to classrooms in August, where they await students on the first day of school.
It has become a cherished tradition for Brentwood students to tie-dye shirts in different colors for each grade level at the beginning of each school year! Brentwood’s iconic tie-dyed t-shirts keep each class identifiable on field trips and harken back to the sense of style Austin is known for.
Like artsy messes and helping at the school? Join the tie-dye committee! No worries if you haven’t done it before. The committee chair is happy to teach you! Tie-dyeing normally occurs the last two weeks of September.
Each year during Fine Arts Month, students are serenaded and regaled during morning dropoff with live performances by fellow students, parents, and members of the community! Arrive a little early to enjoy Music in the Morning at the front (Yates Ave.) and the back (Arroyo Seco) entrances to the school.
The event was started in 2013 by Darcy Hamre and Todd Gernert as part of AISD Fine Art Month.
The Halloween Carnival has something for everyone with a haunted house, magic show, bounce houses, games with prizes, and yummy treats. And don't forget...costumes are always welcome!
What’s more amazing than a talking dog? A Spelling Bee! Spellers benefit from enhanced vocabularies, strengthened grammar skills, increased confidence, experience with public speaking, and the fun of the competition. Oh yeah, and prizes!
Bulldogs in grades K-5 are invited to join the Spelling Bee. Signups started in late September for a Fall Spelling Bee, with word lists shared approximately a month later. For Brentwood, this program dates back to 2014 or 2015.
Rock out with local bands at this yearly community festival. The whole neighborhood comes together alongside our school groups to offer rockin’ grub, rockin’ swag, and student club fundraising activities. Bring your own picnic blanket and cooler to enjoy the tunes, but remember to leave alcohol and glass at home. Buy wristbands in advance and kids are free!
The concert has always brought together the talents of neighborhood parents and entrepreneurs. Poster artwork, advertising, T-shirt design, musical talent, and sound engineering talents have all been donated by amazing professionals who are part of our school and neighborhood.
At the annual Used Book Sale, we sell donated books for children and adults, as well as CD’s, DVDs, VHS tapes, puzzles, board games, new or gently used school supplies, and magazines. Items are priced very affordably, from $0.25 to $2.00, so that all students at Brentwood can purchase some great books.
Proceeds from the sale will help purchase new books and materials for the Brentwood Elementary library.
Join us at our adults-only fundraiser for an evening of mixing and mingling with your Brentwood Elementary community, while you enjoy food, drinks and music.
Featuring a silent auction and loads of fun, it will be an evening you won't want to miss! Plus, all proceeds support programs that enrich our school and community, like teacher supplies, fine arts residencies, visiting authors and STEM programming.
Can your kiddo sing, pull rabbits out of hats, tell jokes, read poems, perform really short plays, play musical instruments, do gymnastics, hula hoop, beatbox, stand on their head and sing the alphabet song backwards... or anything else that will entertain? Maybe they'll want to sign up for the Talent Show!
The Talent Show gives students a chance to face their fears of performing in front of a crowd in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment.
Mr. Geiser, a longtime Brentwood teacher who retired from Brentwood in 2020, started the talent show around 2000. PTA took over the responsibility of organizing the talent show in Spring 2019, which was the 19th or 20th annual event. Over 65 student groups signed up to perform, and the event ran from 6pm-9:15pm.
Asked about the history of the show, Mr. Geiser said, “I don't know if it was the best act through the years, but the one that sticks out was a girl who stood on her head and sang the alphabet song backwards...”
Each year, the PTA partners with Brentwood administration to show our teachers and staff how much we appreciate them. In an annual, themed week celebrated in May, parent volunteers help ensure that staff are treated each day of the week.
Programs
We provide vital communications programs and volunteer support for Brentwood Elementary programs.
Homeroom parents are the lifeblood of the PTA, communicating important information to each classroom throughout the year. The activities of homeroom parents are coordinated by the homeroom parent coordinator - a super important role.
Since its inception in 2012, we have primarily been responsible for recruiting volunteers for the library's big events (e.g., book fairs, poetry cafe setup and take-down), helping get the word out about library events and news through the Bark and social media, lending logistical support on the day of author visits, and organizing coffee donations for the poetry cafe. The events themselves are organized and operated by Ms. Slaten and Ms. Tigelaar, our librarians.
The PTA also provides full or partial financial support for many library programs, such as:
- Mackinvia and Capstone subscriptions, which provide bulldogs with fiction e-books, a database for research, and non-fiction information that is missing from the electronic resources funded by the district
- Library book bags for Pre-K through 2nd grade students to help students keep their library books safe and "found"
- Printed brochures that help families learn about the library and the digital resources available, including the necessary login information (it is illegal to provide this login information electronically to prevent unauthorized access)
- Author visits - For example, PTA funds allowed the library to bring the amazing Christina Soontornvat to Brentwood this past school year!
- New books for the library
While there are also several other major funding sources for library books including book fair profits and district funds, the extra support the PTA provides has helped Ms. Slaten and Ms. Tigelaar build one of the best school library collections around!
New in Fall 2019, the Diversity Committee’s mission is to develop programming that celebrates diversity and inclusion in the entire Brentwood community.
Our PTA Advocacy & Legislative group is tasked with keeping us up to date about the legislative issues affecting Texas students, and our opportunities to influence them. Additionally, it’s always a good time to advocate for equitable public education for all students at the district and state levels!
The PTA helps Brentwood Elementary parents stay informed through this website, our social media channels, and our weekly newsletter.