Rhoades Elementary PTA

PTA Spotlight: Laura-Ann Haro

Around Rhoades, Laura-Ann wears a lot of hats. Kindergarten teacher. Parent. PTA Teacher Advocate. Friend. Cheerleader. Problem solver. But lately, she may be best known for another title: The Sourdough Queen of Rhoades.

If you’ve spent any time around Laura-Ann recently, you’ve probably heard about a bubbling starter, a loaf in the oven, or a new baking experiment. What started as a hobby has quickly turned into a full-blown sourdough obsession…and honestly, we’re here for it.

Of course, there’s much more to Laura-Ann than perfectly scored bread. For more than 10 years, Rhoades has been her home. Both of her children have attended Rhoades, she’s built lifelong friendships here and she’s spent countless hours helping students learn and grow.

She joined PTA because she wanted to be active in her children’s school while helping strengthen the connection between families and staff. As our Kindergarten Teacher Advocate, she helps ensure that teachers have a voice while reminding us all that we are strongest when we work together.

Whether she’s advocating for teachers, welcoming families, teaching kindergarteners, tending to her ever-growing collection of plants, watching birds,l or pulling another beautiful loaf of sourdough out of the oven, Laura-Ann pours her heart into everything she does. Thank you, Laura-Ann, for helping Rhoades rise.
Rhoades Elementary School

PTA BOARD SPOTLIGHT: SARAH ANAYA

Before they learn to read, before they find their House, before they become student leaders and fifth-grade graduates, someone welcomes them to Rhoades for the very first time. For many of our youngest Rhoadies, that person is Sarah Anaya.
As our Pre-K Teacher Representative, Sarah joined PTA to ensure our youngest students and their families have a voice and feel represented from the very beginning of their school journey.

What makes Sarah special isn’t just what she does..it’s what she sees. She sees the nervous child walking into school for the first time. She sees the parent fighting back tears in the parking lot. She celebrates the moments others might miss, the first friendship, the first letter written, the first spark of confidence.

While many of us meet students somewhere along the way, Sarah is there at the beginning…The beginning of friendships, confidence and belonging. Years from now, her students may not remember every lesson or classroom activity, but they will remember how she made them feel…Safe…Loved…Seen.

Between raising four boys, pursuing graduate school, supporting PTA and caring for her students, Sarah continues to pour her heart into making sure every child knows they matter.
Because she understands something every educator knows, the days are long, but the years are short. The little hands she holds today will someday walk across graduation stages, write their own stories and chase their biggest dreams.

Thank you, Sarah, for caring for our tiniest Rhoadies, for being their voice and for helping every child feel like they belong from day one. The future of Rhoades begins in Pre-K, and we are so lucky it begins with you.
Rhoades Elementary School

Happy Juneteenth

Today, we remember a truth that is both painful and powerful, freedom did not arrive for everyone at the same time. On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved Black Americans in Texas finally learned they were free. Families who had lived under the weight of bo***ge heard words they should have heard long before, “You are free.”

Imagine that moment…Imagine the tears…The disbelief…The joy. The grief for all that had been lost. The hope for what might finally be possible.

Juneteenth is not just about a day in history.
It is about people. Parents who dreamed of a better future for their children. Children who deserved the chance to learn, grow and belong. Families who endured unimaginable hardship and still chose hope.

As educators, parents and community members, we honor Juneteenth by remembering that freedom means little if people are not welcomed, valued, heard and given the opportunity to thrive. Every child who walks through our doors deserves to know they belong. Every family deserves to be seen. Every voice deserves to matter.

Today we celebrate resilience. We celebrate progress. We celebrate the generations who refused to give up on a future they might never see themselves. And we remember that the work of building a community where every child belongs is a responsibility we all share.

Happy Juneteenth.

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”
— Maya Angelou

Rhoades Elementary School

Have you followed the Rhoades PTA TikTok yet? If not, now might be a good time.
Right now we’re sharing introductions, spotlights and learning how to use TikTok without embarrassing ourselves too badly.
However, if you’ve ever wondered what happens when four adults who genuinely care about kids spend way too much time together planning school events, there may be some TikToks in your future.

Meet the cast:

The President — the responsible one. She starts every conversation with an agenda and somehow ends every conversation with three new items on the to-do list. Armed with her squeaky gavel, she does her best to keep order.

The Vice President — the one continuously testing the President’s leadership skills. Walks into a meeting with one idea and leaves with seventeen. Lives by the philosophy that every good plan starts with, “This might be crazy, but…” and has an unhealthy relationship with office supplies, color-coded notebooks, planners, sticky notes and basically anything found in the Target school supply aisle.

The Treasurer — can calculate the cost of an idea before you’ve even finished explaining it. Her superpower is saying, “That’s a great idea…” in a way that makes everyone nervous. Powered almost entirely by purple hair, unicorn pants and the ability to find the line item we forgot existed.

The Secretary — remembers everything. Every vote. Every decision. Every promise. If she writes it down, it’s basically school history. Appears to be focused entirely on meeting minutes, but can deliver a single scathing one-word observation from across the room that sends the entire board into hysterics.

The Principal — spends an impressive amount of time discovering he’s involved in things he never actually agreed to. Has learned that when PTA says, “Trust us,” he’s about to end up on a roof, in a costume or participating in something that definitely wasn’t listed in his job description. Secretly wonders if it’s too late to extend his summer vacation.

Somewhere between supporting students, planning events, advocating for families and convincing ourselves that our latest idea is completely reasonable, we’ve realized these meetings can get pretty entertaining.

No promises, but if the Executive Board and our principal ever find themselves in front of a camera together, we’re fairly certain it would be worth watching. Follow along. We have ideas.
Rhoades Elementary School

Rhoades Elementary PTA on TikTok .elementar 12 Followers, 0 Following, 38 Likes - Watch awesome short videos created by Rhoades Elementary PTA