We go way back

From the very start, the neighborhood of St. Johns has had a special regard for kids. From humble beginnings in church attics and in drafty wooden shacks, the people of St. Johns formed schools to educate the children of the neighborhood. They’d trudge through muddy streets to learn, and alongside their teachers, parents and other community members worked to ensure that every child would have the chance to get a good education. As the neighborhood grew, so did the schools. When James John, the little town’s founder, died, he left his entire estate to the kids. It’s on his land that our school sits. Smack dab in the heart of the neighborhood, today’s James John Elementary School is home to over 350 K-5th graders and one very proud PTA.

As the neighborhood has grown and evolved over the years, a few things have remained the same. We are still a neighborhood of hard-working people who take pride in what we do and how we do it. We look out for each other and welcome newcomers as friends. We still embrace learning and strive for a better world. We are St. Johns. We are the Pride of St. Johns.

The James John PTA continues the tradition of supporting our students, teachers, staff and administrators through engaging events, advocacy, and financial investment. Our school is the heart of our neighborhood, and we work to keep it strong. If you’d like to join us in our effort, we’d be honored to have you.

Together, we’ll get it done

Those are our kids in there.

A school isn’t just a place where we drop off our kids for the day. Inside that brick and stone building, dedicated educators, support staff and administrators are putting in big St. Johns work leading our children to knowledge and teaching them how to be safe, respectful and responsible members of our community. We love our neighborhood school and we’re fully engaged in supporting it. As a PTA, we put in time making sure our teachers have everything they need to do their jobs right. We work to connect parents to the learning process through engaging events, educational efforts, advocacy and outreach. We pull the weeds outside and replace broken playgrounds when the state’s largest school district overlooks them. We passionately lobby for equity and fiercely promote literacy. We buy pencils, finance field trips, and pay for music programs so all of our kids have the very best opportunities to experience full and rich academic lives. It’s what any parent would do given the chance. Together, we’ll get it done.

Standing rules

The PTA operates under the bylaws of the Oregon PTA, with chapter-specific rules contained in the Standing Rules, which are approved by the members. James John PTA’s are documented in the Standing Rules document (PDF).

Get in touch!

Check out the PTA Team page for the names and email addresses of this school year’s PTA. If you want to contact us by mail, our postal address is:

James John PTA,
7439 N. Charleston St.,
Portland, OR 97203