Planning Calendar

Planning Calendar (2023-2024 School Year)

Planning your PTA work for the year?

Explore our planning calendar below to find potential events that meet the needs and interests of your PTA and school community. You may also like to reference National PTA 2023-24 Multicultural Calendar for special events celebrated by different cultures and populations and check our Virginia PTA Annual Events Calendar for important dates. The Reflections program has its own set of deadlines, some of which are listed below.

— JULY

• PTA OFFICER REMINDERS:
  • Verify that the outgoing officers submitted new officer information in MemberHub
  • Verify that your Local Unit Organizational Structure Form is current in MemberHub
  • Complete annual Financial Review and IRS tax filing (see Standards of Affiliation)
  • Ask the incoming Board to sign the Conflict of Interest agreement 
  • Incoming officers should visit your bank to update your authorized check signers (the standard three signers are the President, Treasurer, and Secretary)
  • Attend Training Workshops and explore the Virginia PTA website
  • Follow Virginia PTA on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) and join our private Facebook Group VAPTA Local Leaders
  • Develop a calendar of events for the coming school year
  • Develop a budget for the new fiscal year to present to the General Membership for their approval (see Sample Documents; remember to include a line item in your budget to attend the Virginia PTA Annual Meeting!)
  • Meet with your Principal and start planning your Back to School event(s)
  • Plan to participate in Virginia PTA’s Membership Challenge (also see the National PTA membership challenge resources)
• Important dates:
  • July 15 (extended this year): Deadline to submit your PTA/PTSA’s proof of current insurance coverage via MemberHub (and whenever you renew your insurance later in the year, upload the new policy document to MemberHub)
    

— AUGUST

• PTA OFFICER REMINDERS
  • Membership Challenges Start! (see the National PTA and Virginia PTA membership challenge resources)
    
  • Consider having a practice run to process e-payments and collect memberships in advance of your Back to School Event
  • Validate that your website and social media are current for the new school year and the officer contact information on those platforms is updated
    
  • Prepare a Back to School message to send to families
  • Invite families to join your MemberHub family directory and join your PTA
  • Coordinate with your Principal to provide appreciation for the school staff’s first day back to school
  • Host your Back to School event(s)
  • Advertise your first PTA meeting of the school year (see meeting agenda and other resources in Sample Documents)
• Important dates:
  • August 1: Submit Financial Review and IRS tax filing (see Standards of Affiliation; note that units that raised more than $50,000 and have retained an accountant to prepare their filing may request an exemption on the August 1 tax filing deadline by emailing Treasurer@vapta.org)
    

— SEPTEMBER

• PTA OFFICER REMINDERS: 
  • Encourage families and school staff to join your PTA! (see the National PTA and Virginia PTA membership challenge resources)
  • Promote participation in this year’s Reflections Arts Contest: “I Am Hopeful Because!”
  • Hold your first General Membership meeting.
    • Vote to approve your budget for the fiscal year
      
    • Present your annual FInancial Review to the membership (please note that the VAPTA no longer requires the general membership to approve the financial review, but they should be presented with a copy of it)
  • Enroll your school in the National PTA School of Excellence Program
  • Research and consider applying for a National PTA grant
  • Membership lists and dues should be submitted by the 1st of each month (please note that MemberHub automatically sends the membership lists when you remit state dues; also, if you just have a few new members for a particular month, you can wait until you have 10 or more new members before remitting your dues in order to minimize the transfer fees)
• Important dates:
  • September 10: Grandparents Day
  • September 11-15: National PTA’s Back-to-School Week
  • September 18: Virginia PTA Reflections webinar
  • September 22: In-person early voting for the November election starts (see Virginia PTA’s Get Out the Vote page) #PTAVotes
• Relevant holidays and themes:
  • September: National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
  • September 8: International Literacy Day (for reading resources, see the National PTA’s Family Reading Experience page)
  • September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day
  • September 10-16: National Suicide Prevention Week
  • September 10-16: National Arts in Education Week (be sure to promote this year’s Reflections Arts Contest!)
  • September 15: Hispanic Heritage Month​ begins (see Virginia PTA’s Support for Latino Families page)

— OCTOBER

• PTA OFFICER REMINDERS: 
  • Promote your Reflections Arts Contest: “I Am Hopeful Because!”
  • Register for the Virginia PTA Annual Meeting to celebrate work of the past year, elect officers, and vote on bylaws and resolutions.
• Important dates:
  • October: National Principal’s Month
  • October 2: National Custodian Day
  • October 4: Walk & Roll to School Day
  • ​October 9-13: National School Lunch Week (see the Virginia PTA’s Healthy Lifestyles resources) #NSLW23
  • October 15: Enrollment ends for the National PTA School of Excellence Program
  • October 15-21: America Safe Schools Week
  • October 16: Deadline to register to vote for the November election (see Virginia PTA’s Get Out the Vote page) #PTAVotes
  • October 16-20: National School Bus Safety Week
  • October 18: Virginia School Bus Transportation Employee Appreciation Day
  • October 27, by 5 p.m: Deadline to apply for a ballot to be mailed to you for the November election (see Virginia PTA’s Get Out the Vote page) #PTAVotes
• Relevant holidays and themes:
  • October: Dyslexia Awareness Month
  • October: Hispanic Heritage Month continues until October 15 (see Virginia PTA’s Support for Latino Families page)
    
  • October: National Arts and Humanities Month (refer to the Reflections Arts Contest)
  • October: National Bullying Prevention Month (see the National PTA’s Connect for Respect guide for PTA Leaders)
  • October: National Farm to School Month
  • October: Virginia Disability History and Awareness Month
  • October 10: World Mental Health Day (see the Virginia PTA’s Healthy Minds resources)
  • October 18: Unity Day (“wear and share orange to send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying”)
  • October 22-28: National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week #LeadFreeKids
  • October 24-28: Red Ribbon Week “to help keep kids drug-free” (see the National PTA’s Substance Misuse page)

— NOVEMBER

• PTA OFFICER REMINDERS:
  • ​Complete judging for Reflections Arts Contest entries and hold an awards ceremony at your school
• Important dates:
  • November: Family Engagement Month!!
  • November: Healthy Lifestyles Month
  • November: Registration opens for the Virginia PTA Annual Meeting
  • November 1: Reflections theme entries due to Virginia PTA
    
  • November 5, by 5 p.m.: Last day of in-person early voting for the November election (see Virginia PTA’s Get Out the Vote page) #PTAVotes
  • November 7: Election Day
  • November 8: National STEM/STEAM Day (see the National PTA’s STEM +Families page)
• Relevant holidays and themes:
  • November: Native American Heritage Month
  • November 11: Veterans Day
  • November 13-17: American Education Week and International Education Week
  • November 16: National Parental Involvement Day
  • November 23: Thanksgiving Day​
  • November 28: Giving Tuesday (a great day to ask for donations for your PTA/PTSA!) #GivingTuesday

— DECEMBER

• PTA OFFICER REMINDERS:
  • Finalize any resolutions and bylaws amendments you want to submit for the Virginia PTA Annual Meeting
  • Register for the Virginia PTA Annual Meeting
• Important dates:
  • December 4-8: Inclusive Schools Week #ISW2023
  • ​December 4-10: Computer Science Education Week
  • December 15: Virginia PTA announces Reflections theme winner from Virginia
  • December 15: First-place Reflections submissions for each PTA/PTSA should be sent to your Council (only if you have a Council)

— JANUARY

• PTA OFFICER REMINDERS:
  • Promote the Virginia PTA Student Scholarships
• Important dates:
  • January 5: If you do not have a Council, your PTA/PTSA’s first-place Reflections submissions should be sent to the Virginia PTA
  • January __: Webinar to prepare for Virginia PTA Capitol Day
  • January __: Virtual Rally for Education 
  • January 14-20: Virginia School Principal Appreciation Week
  • January 15: Deadline to submit resolutions and bylaws amendments for the Virginia PTA Annual Meeting
  • January 17: Councils send first-place Reflections submissions to Virginia PTA
  • January __: Advocacy Social
  • January 27: Virginia PTA Capitol Day
  • January 30: IRS deadline to provide 1099 form for payments to individuals (e.g., after-school instructors) who made over $600 in 2023

— FEBRUARY

• PTA OFFICER REMINDERS:
  • Promote Virginia PTA’s Student Scholarships
  • Apply for Local Impact Award and Child Advocate of the Year Award
• Important dates:
  • February: Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month
  • February 5-9: National School Counseling Week #NSCW24​
  • ​February 7: Safer Internet Day (see the National PTA’s PTA Connected page)
  • February 7: Crossing Guard Appreciation Day 
  • February 12-16: Take Your Family to School Week
  • February 17: National PTA Founders’ Day
  • February 20: Virginia Reflections winners announced
  • February 22: National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day​
  • February 25-March 2: Public Schools Week #PublicSchoolsProud
• Relevant holidays and themes:
  
  • February: Black History Month
  • February 12-16: Virginia Kindness Week
  • February 17: Random Acts of Kindness Day

— MARCH

• PTA OFFICER REMINDERS:
  • Elect your local unit’s Nominating Committee for PTA officer elections​ in May
• Important dates:
  • March 4-8: National School Breakfast Week #NSBW24
  • March 21: Call to Virginia PTA Annual Meeting (members receive materials to be voted on at Annual Meeting)
  • March 30: Deadline to apply for Virginia PTA Scholarships
• Relevant holidays and themes:
  • March: Women’s History Month
  • March: National Reading Month (for reading resources, see the National PTA’s Family Reading Experience page)
  • March __: National Read Across America Day 
  • March 8: International Woman’s Day
  • March 18-24: National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week

— APRIL

• PTA OFFICER REMINDERS:
  • Announce your PTA or PTSA’s slate of officer candidates (for May elections)
  • Appoint a Financial Review committee for your local unit if you do not plan on attending a Financial Review swap (e.g., Auditpalooza) hosted by your Council
    
  • Confirm you are registered for Virginia PTA Annual Meeting
• Important dates:
  • April 13: Virginia PTA’s Student Awards Celebration in Richmond (including Reflections winners)
  • April 15: Deadline to apply for Virginia PTA’s Local Impact Award and Child Advocate of the Year Award
  • April 16: National Librarian Day
  • April 23: Virginia PTA announces winners of Virginia PTA Scholarships, Impact Award, and Child Advocate of the Year Award
  • April 24: Administrative Professional Day
• Relevant holidays and themes:
  • April: Autism Awareness Month
  • April: Month of the Military Child
  • April: National Poetry Month
  • April 2: World Autism Awareness Day
  • April 7-13: National Library Week
  • April 21-27: National Volunteer Week
  • April 22: Earth Day
  • April 22-26: Every Kid Healthy Week

— MAY

• PTA OFFICER REMINDERS:
  • Hold General Membership meeting for election of officers (May elections)
  • Vote on a summer spending budget to authorize spending prior to the first General Membership meeting of the school year
  • Attend Virginia PTA Annual Meeting on May 18!
• Important dates:
  • May __: National PTA Reflections winners announced
  • May 1: National Principals’ Day
  • May 5: School Lunch Hero Day
  • May 6-10: Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week (see the National PTA’s Teacher Appreciation Week page) #ThankATeacher
  • May 18: Virginia PTA Annual Meeting
• Relevant holidays and themes:
  • May: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
  • May: Mental Health Awareness Month (see the National PTA’s Healthy Minds resources)
  • May: National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

— JUNE

• ​PTA OFFICER REMINDERS:
  • Ensure all materials and resources are provided to the incoming board for transition purposes
  • Prepare for the annual Financial Review and IRS tax filing (see Standards of Affiliation)
  • Register for Virginia PTA Summer Training workshops
  • Register for and attend the National PTA Convention
• Important dates:
  • June 15: Submit new Executive Board contact information to VAPTA via MemberHub
  • June 15: Submit proof of current insurance coverage via MemberHub
  • June 27-30: National PTA Convention
  • June 30: END OF FISCAL YEAR!