Central Park School For Children PTO

Parents Teacher Organization

Volunteers are at the heart of the vision for CPSC. They are critical to the School's success with a child-centered, project-based learning curriculum and a thriving school community.

We hope that all parents will choose to volunteer regularly in their child(ren)'s classroom and the child(ren)'s teacher(s) will talk with you about classroom volunteer needs.

We have a form to help us connect you with an all-school working group. These are the groups that focus on making the whole school a wonderful place for children, their families and the greater school community. Please contact the front office for a form or contact Vicky Patton at 682-1200 to volunteer.

Book Fair (Tonya Roberts/Gair McCullough)

The annual book fair raises money for the library.

Care Committee (Jennifer Falchi)

CPSC would like to do a better job of keeping up with children and/or families in need, probably a working group to collect suggestions (from teachers and parents) and follow through with help when appropriate. Carolyn will advise.

Class Parents (Tonya Queen/Lorraine Horgan)

Each classroom needs two class parents who facilitate communication and volunteers in the classroom. Class Parents set up drivers for field trips, call for helpers for class projects and remind people to attend school functions. Class parents coordinate class activity helpers for Strawberry Festival. All around classroom support.

Communications Committee (Jennifer Taylor)

New committee created by parents for parents wanting to know more about what's going on.

Computer/Technical Support Committee (Caroline Weaver)

Volunteers can work with teachers to update the computers and instruct them on using the updates. Volunteers willing to set up classes for teachers would be greatly appreciated. Teachers would like help creating web sites. Some group members may also help with the School's network.

Cultural Education Resource Committee (Carolyn Kirkland)

This committee works with the Director to bring additional cultural resources and volunteers to the School.

Facilities Repair (Karen Stinehelfer)

Do you do a little carpentry? Can you fix things? We often have to call a professional to fix something small at the School and it is expensive. A few fix-it people could help immensely.

Government Liaison/Public Relations (Vicky Patton)

CPSC needs help figuring out how to communicate best with the government officials who have so much power over things we do. This includes state, county and city officials.

Grant Writing (Vicky Patton and Carolyn Kirkland)

This is a new committee that will identify grants for which CPSC might be eligible and then apply.

Media Center (Kim Crabbe)

Takes care of the library through regular volunteer shifts.

Newsletter (Sarah Kaufman)

The newsletter is critical to whole school communication and needs new volunteers to be editors, reporters, photographers, etc.

Outdoor Learning

OL works to make the outside spaces around CPSC part of the learning environment. This committee will be installing a pond, bog and a butterfly garden in the summer/fall of 06. This committee organizes three work days each year.

Social Committee

Produces all-school picnic in July and four additional socials during the year. Always open for new ideas for socials that help us get to know each other better.

Sunshine Fund

The Fund asks all parents to make a financial commitment to the School. The goal is always 100% participation of parents and staff, giving according to their philanthropic ability, whether it is $5 or $1,000. The Fund is used for field trips, outdoor learning and other enrichment activities.

Yearbook (Susan Barker/Helena Mullen)

The amazing yearbook! This is the committee that puts it together.

Strawberry Festival - May 2008 - (Vicky Patton 682-1200)

Everyone in the school community works at Strawberry Festival, next year on Saturday, May 5. Invite your friends and family to plan to join us on that day. It is a huge undertaking and everyone is asked to work a 2-3 hour shift at the Festival. Sign-up sheets for working at the Festival will be in the School about 4 weeks before the big day.

Of course there is much advance planning necessary to make the Festival wonderful. These are the committees/work groups that do that planning. If you are willing to work on one of these committees, please sign your name beside it. If you are willing to take a leadership role, please circle your name. Please note that the Steering Committee, Sponsors Committee, and Entertainment Committees will begin working in the Fall.

Steering Committee - consists of the chairmen of all the committees listed below. .

Sponsors - Committee members organize the request to businesses and individuals that they become sponsors of SF. Sponsors make it possible to raise larger sums for CPSC. The committee also arranges perks and care for sponsors. This committee will begin working in the fall and finish its work in February.

Publicity - Marketing for SF - Most work in March and April.

Activities - Works closely with teachers to create fun things for children to do at SF. This committee will work with the site-based management team and individual teachers to encourage exciting child-centered SF activities, collect information about planned activities and the resources needed for these activities.

Entertainment - Arranges "Big Stage" entertainment and arranges for stage management, sound system, etc. Bands need to be contacted in early fall. Bands play for free but want to be connected to our web site and be able to sell their CD's.

Strawberries - Secure 150 gallons of strawberries and set up to wash and cut them. Would like to get more free strawberries.

Set up and Clean up - Set up must happen quickly on Festival day. Planning for all contingencies is critical. Like set-up, clean up must happen quickly so the Park can be ready for other things the day after the Festival. Many hands make this fast work.

Donations - Once we have a comprehensive list of all the supplies we need for SF, this committee goes to work finding businesses that will donate the supplies. This committee will do most of its work in February and March. Getting donations for the supplies we need greatly increases our fundraising ability.

Tickets - Pre-sale and Day-of-sale - This committee does its work in April and May.

Food - Coordinates strawberry shortcakes, chocolate-dipped strawberries, smoothies and other vendors to provide good food choices at SF.

SF Volunteers - Strawberry Festival requires 100s of volunteers. Coordinating all these people requires a committee that is committed to using volunteers appropriately. This committee does most of its work in April and on Festival Day.

The PTO no longer meets as a whole group. Committees do the work of the PTO. All families are encouraged to participate.

Minutes:

2 August 2005

18 January 2005

27 July 2004

20 April 2004

10 February 2004

2 December 2003

12 October 2003