John Muir PTA

The John Muir PTA is made up of volunteer parents and teachers, and our mission is to support our teachers, families, and students.

We aim to be representative of our community, dynamic to its needs, and ethical in our work.

Anyone (family, friends, community members, and students) can join the PTA, attend meetings, and volunteer.
No one gets paid and the time commitment is completely up to you.

We are registered with the California PTA and are a fully compliant a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Contact the PTA leadership at info@johnmuirelementary.org
Join the PTA and share your thoughts through this form

❋ We raise funds

For all kinds of support and activities at the school to enrich our students and fill any gaps the district or state doesn't cover.

We especially aim to support our most vulnerable students.

This includes funding for literacy, dance, physical education, music, art, English as a second language and family engagement, library books, school site improvements, mini-grants for teachers, and more.

Many of these programs receive partial or no support from the district, and we make up the difference to make sure our amazing teachers and support staff can teach our kids!

❋ We build community

Through school events, social gatherings, and programs including:

After school IntraMUIRals for students
The adult-only annual event Art Night Out
Our beloved spring tradition of May Fair
Outdoor school for 5th graders
Monthly parent coffees
GrandFriends Day, when older friends can visit the school
The Grizzly Gazette, a weekly digital newsletter
Teacher appreciation efforts, including Teacher Appreciation Week in May

❋ We create links

We are a bridge between teachers, families and the greater community.

The PTA makes sure there is good communication and resources to support our community.

We help to coordinate room parent volunteers and organize a range of other opportunities for parents to pitch in throughout the year.

From November-January we organize and lead weekly tours of John Muir for prospective families.

How does it work?

We have a small elected executive board that leads our efforts, and a large community of volunteers running events & programs, volunteering their time and skills, and coming up with new ideas.

We talk regularly with teachers, Principal Furlan, BUSD, and other PTAs.

The PTA will hold several general meetings throughout the year (dinner & childcare provided) where we will discuss upcoming events, our budget, and other ways to invest in our school and support students.

We also host coffee after the first Friday assembly each month – come chat with us! We want to keep hearing from parents about what they need and want our school to be.

Get Involved!

Join the PTA so you can receive school updates and event reminders and vote on budget items. Sign up here.

Volunteer! There are a wide range of volunteer opportunities with the PTA ranging from small to large time commitments. There are many events and programs that would benefit from your time and will provide a chance to meet other parents and have fun. We share more about the current volunteer needs at our first meeting of the school year at Back to School night.

Donate! Our major annual fundraiser is called The Grizzly Fund, and it will be kicking off at our Back to School night. The money raised through the Grizzly Fund and throughout the year makes possible a huge number of resources for John Muir students – thank you in advance for your support!

Share your ideas! Do you have an idea for a new initiative you think the PTA should take on? Do you have a particular interest or skill that you’d like to share with the PTA? We welcome your ideas and want to hear from you! You can contact the PTA leadership at: info@johnmuirelementary.org

2025/26 PTA Leadership Team

    
            Position
            Lead(s)
        
            Co-Presidents
            Sam Olivieri
Josie de Janvry

            Treasurer
            Lou Riordan
        
            Secretary
            Elizabeth Kneebone
        
            VP, Fundraising
            Orli Cotel
        
            Fundraising Coordinator
            Kartikay Mehrotra
        
            Financial Secretary
            Brent Rowe
        
            Financial Auditor
            Fabrizio de Pasquale
        
            Room Parent Lead
            Trish Crawley

            PTA Council Rep
            Anna Tellez
        
            Communications Leads
            Sarah Wolfman-Robichaud
Allison Landa
        
            VP, Technology
            Michael Wallman
        
            IntraMUIRal Program Leads
            Lindsay Anglin
Jen Pierson
        
            Green Team Leads
            Sue Dykstra
Jesse Greenspan
        
            Teacher Liaison
            Carrie Johnston
        
            Family Resource Leads
           Mimi Main
Rohini Haar