Aliso Niguel High School’s Parent Teacher Student Association met for the first time in 2025 to discuss a host of interesting new upcoming events at school.
This semester’s first meeting was on Jan. 21, 2025. The meeting consisted of the PTSA board, parent members of the PTSA, and Aliso Niguel High School Staff.
At every meeting, an overview of current campus activity is provided. In addition, Dr. Mahindrakar provides a personal update, followed by an Associated Student Body update from Mrs. Ross.
After the updates, the meeting shifts to PTSA activities. This meeting specifically focused on Grad Nite and the PTSA Senior Scholarships.
Aside from ongoing PTSA events, the board also hears concerns from parents. This week, parents brought up a shortage of books in the library. Specifically, the parents felt that their child was unable to properly learn in their English class due to a shortage of “The Odysseus” in the Aliso Niguel High School library, leaving them to turn to alternative ways of acquiring the book for class.
Problems that are directly related to the school fall under PTSA jurisdiction, so a member of the board was assigned to investigate the amount of books available. If they find the school is lacking, then PTSA funds can be reallocated to buy new books for the library.
The PTSA meetings’ main goal is to find any gaps or places within the school, such as the instance with the library, where the PTSA can step in and help.
The PTSA is only able to provide aid in school matters due to their funding. Every meeting, the PTSA budget is addressed. In doing so, the board can decide if more funding is needed or if money needs to be shifted.
Unfortunately, many parents are less involved in high school level PTSA, so extra funding in the form of grants are a necessity to allow the organization to help all around the school.
Aside from grants and fundraisers, parent donations and the student store help fund the PTSA.
In every meeting, the members of the board try to educate the parents in attendance. This meeting’s class was held by Tiffany McCaffery with the organization Partners from Wellness, focusing on the substance abuse in young adults and how the drug space is currently like.
Specifically, McCaffery talked about the types of drugs available, their concentrations and even common emojis that are used by kids to reference drugs or the use of drugs.
Veronica Yap is the PTSA President for the 2024-2025 school year. She likes the informational presentations as she said it’s “hard to keep up with your generation with how quickly you guys are on [new] things.”
Outside of the use of drugs, the presentation also went in depth on how drug use affects brain development in young adults.
This meeting’s main topic was the upcoming PTSA scholarship for seniors of the Class of 2025.
Tyler Vovan (12) is a senior this year. When asked if he was going to apply for the scholarship, he said “I have no idea how to.”
The board is trying to spread the word of the specifics of the scholarship through Canvas, hoping to reach as many students as possible, even if they are not planning on attending a four-year university.
The PTSA’s first meeting of 2025 was a major success, addressing important issues at Aliso Niguel High School, as well as creating exciting new opportunities for outgoing seniors.
