Friends of Palms

Cody Ashe-McNalley and Maura Howe

2016-2017 Friends of Palms President and Vice President

Read the Friends of Palms Welcome Message

As a Palms parent, you are automatically a member of Friends of Palms (FOP)—the primary parent organization at Palms. Our mission is to raise money and provide parent volunteers to cover critical expenses such as computers, art supplies, campus supervision, homework help, and classroom supplies and much more—things that parents want for their students but that LAUSD does not always provide. We also organize popular activities for students and families to build our community.

See the Leaders page for the Friends of Palms board members and committee chairs. See the Budget page for the annual budget.

The PTSA (Parent-Teacher-Student Association) is a national organization that addresses other needs that directly benefit our school and our students, including student-welfare programs (such as school nurse supplies) and campus beautification.See the Leaderspage for the PTSA officers.

Some of what Friends of Palms provides:

• provides daily front-door supervision
• provides a tech support aide to help teachers with equipment and software
• provides a stipend to each teacher for classroom supplies
• funds the Art in the Afternoon program
• funds technology purchases of hardware and software, including the annual BrainPOP license
• funds class field trips
• keeps the Library open after school
• funds uniforms for sports teams
• helps cover expenses for the after-school Logic Class
• sends regular email communications to all families that have signed up. Click here to sign up!
• hosts breakfasts and luncheons for teachers
• coordinates student and family events including the Meet & Greet, Book Fair, Dining for Dollars, Beautification Days, and BIG SUNDAY
• organizes the morning Drop-Off Lanes
• provides parent tour guides during Visitors Days for prospective Palms families
• maintains a volunteer database
• runs a support website to help teachers with technical problems
• provides web hosting for teachers to post student grades
• provides documentation to help teachers maintain their websites
• maintains this website

We know how busy parents are so we respect your time by creating EASY ways for you to participate.

Combined FOP/PTSA meetings are held monthly, usually on the second Tuesday of the month, at 6:30pm in the Library, with occasional morning meetings. FOP/PTSA meetings are one of the best ways to find out what is happening at Palms, hear from school administrators and guest speakers, and to make sure your voice is heard.

February 2015: After Friends of Palms hired a bus to take students of Ms. Hoffman and Ms. Vogel to the Long Beach Aquarium, a number of students sent thank-you notes.

Some of the messages from students:

Thank you for the grant for us to go to the Aquarium. It was an awesome experience. My favorite part was touching the jellyfish and sharks. Thanks again!

Thank you for your hard work to raise money to fund the bus. Without your funding the bus we wouldn't have been able to go to the Aquarium of the Pacific. I had a great, first time there. The small stingrays and small sharks were fun to touch. I enjoyed seeing the seals playing. Thank you.

I want to thank Friends of Palms for allowing us to go on the field trip. Thank you.

Thank you so much for making a grant for Ms. Hoffman. You have done a great thing giving us a chance to see animals we've probably never seen before and learned about a marine environment. Thank you very much.

Thank you for raising money for the buses we took the Aquarium of the Pacific. it was such a blast! Without transportation we wouldn't have been able to go.

Thank you for giving us a grant to go on the field trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific. I had a great time.

Because of you, I got a chance to see many things I have never seen before. Thank you for choosing Ms. Hoffman as a teacher to go to the Aquarium of the Pacific. I had lots of fun and I observed many stuff. My favorite was the jellyfish and what I found interesting was the sharks. I thank you very much.

​Thank you for letting us go to The Aquarium of the Pacific. I had an awesome time.

April 2014: After Friends of Palms purchased a new printer for the Library, dozens of students signed a thank-you booklet.

Some of the messages from students:

Thanks for the fantastic printer.

Thanks for the printer. It works so well.

The printer is amazing.

Dear Booster Club, Thank you for making it much easier to print.

Thank you for our new printer. It's wonderful and we really appreciate it.

Thank you for the printer. It helped a lot.

Thanks so much for the printer. We love it.

Thank you so much for the new printer. It prints a lot faster than the old one. Everyone really appreciates it.

Dear Booster Club, Thank you very much for our library's printer!

Our new printer is great. Thanks.

Thank you sooo much. It helped with the I-search.

Thank you for the new printer! It is so bomb.

Dear Booster Club!!!! Thank you for the printer! Now it prints more efficiently than the older version!

Use the button above to make a one-time donation, click here to sign up for convenient Monthly Plan, or write a donation check to "Friends of Palms" and mail it to:

Friends of Palms Donation
10860 Woodbine Street
Los Angeles, CA 90034

Visit Friends of Palms Middle School on Facebook

1. Donate as much as you can afford to the Family Annual Donation Drive. This pledge drive is our only significant money-raising event all year and all families are encouraged participate. All donations, no matter what the amount, are greatly appreciated!
2. Sign up to receive email communication from FOP. Complete the online form. You will then receive a regular e-mail to keep you informed about important dates, events, and more throughout the school year.
3. Join the PTSA. A membership envelope was sent home in the Orientation Packet.
4. Attend monthly FOP/PTSA meetings. They are usually held on the second Tuesday of the month, at 6:30pm in the Library, although some meetings may be scheduled in the morning. Attending is a great way to stay connected!
5. Volunteer as much as you can. Fill out the Parent Volunteer Form, and check the Volunteer Opportunities page and the weekly email to see where help is needed. Your participation shows your child how much you care about his or her education.
6. Register your Ralphs & Vons cards and turn in box tops so Palms receives a percentage of every purchase, at no additional cost to you. Participate in Labels for Education and eLabels for Education. Sign up for eScrip and the Office Depot 5% Back to Schools Program.
7. Connect at the Meet & Greet, the Coffee with the Principal mornings. Dining for Dollars events, and the Palms Middle School Community Group to meet fellow Palms parents and get to know your community.
8. Participate in Palms Pride Days. Send your child to school in green and white on the first Friday of each month, or purchase a Palms sweatshirt to show your school spirit. Sweatshirts are sold on Back to School Night and at other events.
9. Speak with your child and his or her teachers regularly to find out what is happening at school. Remind children of the code of conduct, the need to treat everyone with respect, and the importance of telling you about any concerns they have. Meet with your child's teachers at regular conferences. Look at each teacher's website with your child. The teachers, counselors, and school staff are here to support your child.
10. Keep everyone's children safe. Drop off your child only where it's safe, so they never cross a street outside safe crossing area. Don't block a crosswalk even briefly, never let your child jaywalk, drive slowly, and obey all stop signs and restricted-turn signs. Respect our neighbors. For the most convenience and the highest safety, use our Morning Drop-Off Lanes.