New Clarkstown North PTSA President Pushes Membership Drive

Fresh on the heels of presiding over her first Clarkstown High School North PTSA meeting as the new president, Rhea Vogel is looking forward to her first membership push.

"We want to get more parents involved," she said.

And to that end, the PTSA will have a table at the high school's "Meet the Teachers" event at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

"Membership has been declining everywhere," said Vogel, a New City resident. 

Vogel said she will be speaking to parents—as well as students and teachers, too—about the benefits of joining the PTSA.

Having a PTSA membership card can bring discounts at various places, Vogel said.

"If you are savvy and use the card, the PTSA membership could pay for itself," she said.

But aside from that, there are resources available to PTSA members that can help the schools and the students.

Growing the membership will add funds to the organization, which will in turn benefit the students.

Vogel is a former Clarkstown school board member and has been an active PTA member since the first of her two sons entered kindergarten. Her older son is a sophomore at the University of Connecticut; the younger, a junior at Clarkstown North High School.

She owns and manages real estate in Manhattan and served on the state PTA Board of Managers, as marketing and public relations and legislation chairwoman.

Vogel is also the vice president of the Rockland Community Fund, a community-based philanthropic organization. 

One goal she has set is to increase the scholarships the group gives each year to seniors.

"We want to be a little more generous," Vogel said. "We gave four $400 scholarships last year. I'd like to increase the amount of the scholarship."

She wants to keep all the parents, teachers and students in the loop so she has started an e-newsletter.

"We also have a Facebook page," Vogel said. "With the wall on Facebook, people can ask questions and share information. These methods are really getting entrenched."

She admits that it's really "not your mother's PTSA anymore," but hastens to add that previous generations of PTSA members were innovative in changing laws that affected students.

"All on the backs of baking cookies," Vogel said. "It is one of the largest student advocacy groups."

Central to the organization's mission is working with local businesses.

"We look to other ways to raise funds," Vogel said, "by partnering with businesses."

She said some New City shops will, on occasion, give a percentage of their take to the PTSA.

"It creates more of a unified effort throughout the community," Vogel said. If businesses join the PTSA, they are listed as members on the monthly newsletter.

And of course, it wouldn't be a PTSA without the students.

"We have family memberships, where two parents and one student can be members," Vogel said.

"The students need to be involved in a lot of different ways," she said. "They need to help us as parents find the best way to utilize the funds."

The next meeting of the Clarkstown North High School PTSA is at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 in the school library.

"We are seeking parents who wish to participate in any way that makes them feel comfortable," Vogel said. "There are activities that require long-term commitments, one-time commitments and things you can do at home."

Interested parents, teachers or students can contact Vogel at northptsa10.11@gmail.com.

Clarkstown North High School is located at 151 Congers Rd.