Highcroft Drive Elementary PTA

COMMITTEE NAME	TYPE	CHAIR(S)	DATE(S)	FREQUENCY / LOCATION	VOLUNTEER INFO	COMMITTEE OVERVIEW
Art By Me	Ways & Means	Jenny Cini, Janie Donaldson, Elizabeth Vaughan, Christie Roller	Date TBD	One Time Event; At Home	Our HDE art teacher will work with students to produce artwork needed for this project during their weekly art classes. Volunteers are needed to assist chairperson in mailing original artwork to vendor for creation of sample magnet to be sent home to parents for preview. Volunteers will assist in collecting returned magnets and order forms, submitting money received to treasurer, submitting orders to vendor, and distributing orders once they are returned by the vendor.	Art By Me is a unique fundraising program that offers families the opportunity to purchase a wide variety of professionally made products imprinted with the image of the student’s unique artwork. This program is done in the Spring, and orders arrive in time for Mother’s Day! Art By Me products make great gifts for family members and friends, and Highcroft PTA receives a percentage of proceeds from all orders!
Book Fair	Membership & Services	Sandy Collins, Kristi Guenther, (need another co-chair that is not on Track 3)	Nov 2 - 13th	One Time Event, at school	Volunteers will work with chairpersons and Mrs. Wetherell to organize the book fair that runs approximately 2 weeks so that all tracks may attend. These committee members will help set up and staff the book fair during the weeklong event to assist students in reviewing and purchasing books during the fair. In addition, volunteers are needed to assist on the Story Night during the book fair week where HDE staff will read to students while parents browse the book fair. Volunteers are also needed to plan milk and cookies snack for all the children attending the event.	The Book Fair provides multiple benefits for our students and school. Students (and parents!) have the opportunity to view a large selection of age appropriate books for purchase. Proceeds from the Book Fair are used to purchase new books for the Media Center to increase the selection of books our students have access to during the school year.
Box Tops	Ways & Means	Donna Reist	Year Round	Year Round; At Home	Volunteers are needed to help collect and trim Box Tops turned in to HDE. This position is excellent for somone who would like to volunteer from home.	Earn cash for our school every time you shop! Look for the stamp-sized Box Tops 4 Education labels on many of your favorite brands and products such as Ziploc, Kleenex, Huggies, Cottonelle, Scott, Saran, Viva, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, General Mills cereals and snacks, Pop Secret, Old El Paso and Bisquick. Each label is worth 10 cents to our school! That can really add up if we all take just a few minutes to clip and collect these labels. There is a pink Box Tops 4 Education collection bin near the main entrance to the school. Make it a family affair! Have your children help search your pantry items for the labels, and ask your relatives to save them too!
Celebration Books	Membership & Services	Jean Ross, Christine McPherson, Teresa Wetherell (Media Specialist)	Year Round	Year Round; at home	Volunteers are needed to coordinate this program where donations can be made to purchase a book for a student’s birthday or special event. Books will be donated to the media center and will remain there for circulation and use by HDE students. Volunteers will place a bookplate in book identifying person who has received the book for donation to HDE and will work with our librarian to send home a form advertising the program to parents near the date of their child’s birthday to inform them of this special program.	Celebration Books provide an unique way of "Leaving Your Paw Print" at Highcroft Media Center. When book is donated through this program the child is given the opportunity to write a note on the bookplate. This program provides a vehicle to increase the book selection in the Media Center whereby the student population benefits by the increased selection of books!
Character Education	Programs	Trudi D'Ambrosio	Once a month in classroom teaching; Sept - May	Monthly, At school	Volunteers will assist our school guidance counselor in coordinating activities to recognize students’ character traits according to the WCPSS Character Education Program. Activities could include generating and distributing reward certificates, planning events to recognize students, and creating wall displays to showcase students and traits. Volunteers are also needed to visit classrooms and share the monthly character education program developed by the chairpersons and our guidance counselor - this signup is generally handled by the classroom teacher. Please indicate if you would be willing to teach a prepared 30 minute lesson once a month in the classrooms for those teachers who did not receive a volunteer in their classroom.	The Wake County Public System includes Character Education in their curriculum by having schools focus on a Character Trait a month for eight months beginning in September and ending with a review of traits in May focusing on Citizenship. The Highcroft PTA assists in the introduction of the traits in each classroom by providing volunteers, lesson plans, and materials. The parent volunteer in each class presents a character trait lesson to the students once a month. For more information, you may go to the PTA Character Education webpage.
Copy Team	Membership & Services	Camha Nguyen	Year Round	Once a week; Tues at school	Copy Team volunteers are needed to assist with the copying and distribution of our school’s weekly newsletter, the Paw Print, and other items as needed. Volunteers will be responsible for copying the Paw Print each Tuesday and placing copies in each teacher’s mailbox for distribution to students the following day. Generally, if enough volunteers signup a rotation/schedule is setup.	The copy team supports the front office staff by performing the copying of the Paw Print and other materials distributed to the student population.
Cultural Arts	Programs	Kristin Gross, Kelly Polizzi	Dates TBD; 4 events	Quarterly, At school	Volunteers are needed to assist with cultural arts programs and activities that supplement and enrich our school’s curriculum while exposing our students to the world of the arts. These volunteers would work with the chairperson to set up and clean up before and after events, greet performers, and organize refreshments for performers.	The Cultural Arts program coordinates performances and activities that supplement and enrich our school’s curriculum. In the past we have had performers, writers in residence, visiting authors, and an artist in residence.
Directory	Membership & Services	Barbara Butterworth	June/July/Aug	One time event, At home and school	Volunteers are needed to work on the creation of the HDE directory by collecting returned directory forms, compiling information, and arranging to have documents printed and distributed to our Highcroft families. Volunteers are also needed to serve as checkers once information is input to verify that all information has been input correctly.	The HDE PTA Directory provides a great way for communication within the HDE school community. It is an opt-in program and is for school use only.
Fall Family Carnival	Ways & Means	OPEN	16-Oct	One Time Event; School and At Home	This committee will be comprised of subcommittees to distribute the workload and tasks. Subcommittees include: Art, Volunteers, Games, Activities, and Food. Volunteers will work with chairperson to organize an event to give HDE families an opportunity to have fun while generating funds to support programs for HDE. Volunteers will plan activities, make arrangements with local vendor to supply food for purchase, presale tickets and recruit volunteers.	The carnival is an evening of Husky fun complete with games, inflatables, for-sale items, cotton candy and more! Spirit wear items will also be available at the Carnival!
Fall Fundraiser	Ways & Means	Trudi D'Ambrosio	Aug 24 T1&3 - Sept 18th T2&4	One Time Event, School and at Home	Volunteers are needed to assist our Fall Fundraiser. This will include communication materials, organizating and support the fund raising drive. This year the Fall Fundraiser will be a donation based drive.	The Fall Fundraiser is the primary fundraiser of the HDE PTA. This fundraiser supports the programs and events that the PTA has planned throughout the year.
Fifth Grade Coordinator	Programs	Liz Welsch	Multiple Events	Multiple; At school and at home	This committee will provide PTA and volunteer support to the multiple fifth grade events and activities. This events include Fifth grade service project, Doggie Depot (school store), Fifth grade celebration, and other fifth grade projects that require PTA and parent support and participation.	One event is the Fifth grade celebration: This subcommittee usually made up of fourth grade parents organizes and hosts an end of year celebration for the Fifth Grade students and their parents. They coordinate the menu, decorations, serving, setting up and cleaning up. Another subcommitte is The Doggie Depot, Highcroft’s School store, usually open on Wednesday mornings from 8:45 – 9:15 am. Tons of fun school supplies like paw print erasers, telescopic pencil sharpeners, bookmarkers, mini-highlighters, memo pads, and more will be on sale! Stop by The Doggie Depot in front of the Media Room on your way to class every Wednesday morning for all your fun school supply needs! All profits go to the HDE PTA for Fifth grade events! Fifth grade students can volunteer to work at The Doggie Depot with a parent’s permission! Parent volunteer are also needed.
Grounds & Beautification	Membership & Services	Lisa Burke	TBD	As planned; at home and school	Volunteers are needed to organize and recruit volunteers to improve our school grounds. Possible activities could include contacting local nurseries and requesting donations of plants, mulch, planters, etc. to use for grounds improvements; organizing a ‘spruce up’ day; adding seasonal plants to our planters; or adding planting beds for our students.	The purpose of this committee is to improve our school grounds. In the past this has included adding seasonal plants to our planters located at the front entrance, planting bulbs, building a shade structure and purchasing picnic tables.
Health & Safety	Programs	Gwen Gordon	Multiple Events; dates	Multiple; At school and at home	Volunteers are needed to assist in implementing and supporting activities related to the health and safety of our students. These programs could include organizing a bike safety event; assisting the WCPSS school nurse with vision screenings and other similar events.	In the past, the Health and Safety committee has organized a bike safety event, assisted with vision screenings and sponsored a healthy snack month.
K Parent Kickoff	Membership & Services	Colleen Gregg (Track 4), Susan Stines (Track 1,2,3)	July 13 T123; Aug 3 T4	One time event; at school	Volunteers are needed to organize and host an event for kindergarten parents on the mornings of July 13^th and August 3rd. The purpose of this event is to provide a light breakfast and show support to kindergarten parents as they leave their children for the first full day in kindergarten.	The PTA participates in the Kindergarten Kick-off to provide support and information to the parents of kindergarteners.
Kids Voting	Programs	N/A for this year	N/A	N/A	Coordinator and volunteers are needed to assist students in voting on Election Day this November. This is a one-time event on Election Day. The coordinator will be invited to attend a short training meeting where materials and instructions will be shared. Coordinator will share HDE voting results in the Paw Print following the election.	This committee supports Kid’s Voting which is a “private, nonpartisan, nonprofit, grassroots organization that promotes voter participation by educating America's youth about the importance of an informed electorate and the responsibilities of voting to sustain democracy.” The committee recruits and schedules parent volunteers to staff polling locations where Highcroft students can vote with their parents. The student’s votes are counted and the results are reported by to the school.
Media	Programs	OPEN	Year Round	Year Round; At school	Volunteers are needed to assist in our media center on a regular basis. Media volunteers are needed to help in shelving and checking out books, assisting students while in the media center, and assisting Mrs. Wetherell with any special programs she might organize during the year. Volunteer hours could be weekly, monthly, etc.	Media center volunteers help shelve books, keep the library in order, help children locate books, or whatever else the media center staff may need. We typically try to schedule at least one volunteer a day, usually for half an hour or so. But, you can volunteer for as much or as little time as you would like, and we can work around your schedule needs.
Membership	Membership & Services	Kelly Polizzi, Jennifer Dostert	July/Aug	At school	Volunteers are needed to assist in signing up members who wish to join the HDE PTA and maintaining a record of membership. These volunteers would be asked to present at PTA sponsored events during the beginning of the school year including K Parents Reception, first PTA general membership meeting, fall family fun event, and the book fair night to sell PTA memberships. Volunteers will also assist in updating and maintaining the membership displays featuring all members of the HDE PTA.	The PTA provides students and teachers with uplifting programs and vital resources to help students reach their learning potential. You can help the Huskies rise to their challenges by joining the HDE PTA. Individual and family memberships are available.
PE Programs	Programs	OPEN	Multiple Events, Dates TBD	Multiple; At school and at home	Coordinator and volunteers are needed to assist Mr. Nichols with Field Day activities. Responsibilities will include recruiting and scheduling volunteers for each event identified by Mr. Nichols. Volunteers are also needed to assist in setting up stations, cleaning up, seeking donations from local businesses for items needed to support field day, an contacting volunteers and reminding them of their scheduled time to volunteer.	The PE Programs committee works with Mr. Nichols on Field Day and other PE related programs like the Jump Rope for Heart program which raises money for the American Heart Association. Jump Rope for Heart ( usually in Feb): volunteers are needed during the event when the k-2 classes are participating. Volunteers are also needed to purchase (you will be reimbursed), deliver and cut bananas as a healthful snack during the event. For each Field day, a volunteer is needed to be in charge of the volunteer comfort station. This includes ordering and setting up pizzas and providing volunteers with water. Two volunteers are needed for each Field Day to help coordinate and assign volunteers to games and on the day of direct them to the appropriate area. Many general volunteers are needed to run the games.
Picture Days	Membership & Services	Barbara Butterworth, Stephanie Kopko	Dates TBD; 2 events	At school	A chairperson and volunteers are needed to assist with our students’ Fall picture and retake days and Spring picture days . Volunteers will assist in preparing students, collecting order forms, and assisting photographer as needed.	This committee supports the school pictures days held in the Fall and Spring.
Reflections	Programs	Jenny Cini, Danielle Labrozzi	Date TBD; 1 Event	One Time Event, at school and home	Volunteers are needed to assist in coordinating our school’s participation in the Wake County Reflections Program. Volunteers will assist in sharing information packets with HDE students, collecting and submitting projects from our students, create participation certificates, and organize a recognition breakfast for all participants at the completion of the program.	National PTA believes all children deserve a quality arts education and encourages students to pursue artistic expression through participation in its annual arts Reflections Program. The program offers students the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition. Students in preschool through grade 12 are encouraged to create and submit works of art in six areas: literature, musical composition, photography, visual arts (which includes art forms such as drawing, painting, printmaking, and collage), dance/choreography and video/film production. In its more than 30-year history, the program has encouraged millions of students across the nation and in American schools overseas to create works of art. Then Colorado PTA President Mary Lou Anderson started the Reflections Program in 1969. Each year, the Reflections Program challenges students to create art that supports a specific theme. Students participate in the Reflections Program by submitting entries to their local PTA or PTSA. Any PTA/PTSA in good standing is eligible to sponsor a Reflections Program.
Restaurant Nights	Ways & Means	Angela Rose	Dates TBD; Generally once a quarter	Quarterly, Evening;	Chairperson is needed to contact local restaurants to coordinate HDE family spirit nights where families can dine together and raise funds for our school. Volunteers are needed to administrate events (for example manning the spinning wheel at restaurants).	This committee organizes with the restaurant and the PTA to provide a social night for families. The restaurant then donates a small portion of the families meal revenue to the PTA.
Scrapbook Historian	Membership & Services	Sarah Stauffer	Year Round	At home and school	Volunteers are needed to assist chairperson with chronicling the school year and preparing a scrapbook for display at HDE. Examples include taking and cataloging photographs of special events throughout the school year, journaling about awards and special recognition received by HDE or any of its students or staff and clipping newspaper articles honoring HDE achievements.	The scrapbooks that this committee create are kept in the school front office. Stop by sometime and see student browsing the pictures as well as new families getting a glimpse of life at HDE!
Service Projects	Programs	Shannon Carlson, Chrisy Hansen	Multiple Events, Dates TBD	Multiple; At school and at home	Volunteers will work with chairpersons to coordinate service/outreach programs that will benefit others in need in our surrounding communities. Possible projects include a school supply drive, the annual HDE Giving Tree program, food drive and any other charitable programs that assist others. Volunteers will also coordinate with our student council members and Kids Club members to allow them to be an integral part of these meaningful programs.	The Service Project committee works very closely with the school counselor, as well as the student council. In the past, the Service Projects Committee has assisted with Red Ribbon Week which is generally held in October. The service committee also executes the food drive planned for the NC Food Bank. The month of December brings the Giving Tree Program. In this program, we collect gifts for Highcroft Drive families who may need support. In March, the Pennies for Paws drive is held. In the program, we asks the students to donate their own pennies. The combined penny donation will go to a local Husky Rescue Program. Lastly, the end of the year brings a small outreach program to collect school supplies for students in need of support at Highcroft Drive. Red Ribbon Week is a week dedicated to educating students across the United States on the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Red Ribbon Week is the most well known drug prevention awareness campaign in the nation. Red Ribbon Week is coordinated by the school counselor. The Service Projects Committee assists the school counselor as needed.
Social and Spirit	Membership & Services	OPEN	Multiple events	Evenings	Volunteers are needed to assist in organizing activities that foster school spirit and family unity. This committee will coordinate and share news of spirit nights with our HDE parents which could include attending a PCHS sporting event, bowling, skating, or related events.	This committee plans activities and events that foster school spirit and family unity. In the past these events have included a Skate Night at Jelly Beans, a Highcroft Night at the Sportsplex and attending local high school sporting events.
Spirit Wear	Ways & Means	Cheryl Clancy	Year Round	Year round, At school	Volunteers are needed to assist in selling our school t-shirts, magnets, key chains and other spirit related items at PTA sponsored functions including Family Picnic, K Parent Reception, first general membership meeting and Book Fair Night. Volunteers are also needed to assist with collecting orders, preparing orders for distribution, and distributing items to individual classrooms.	Huksy spirit wear is available all year long! All your favorite items like water bottles, stadium cups, t-shirts, car magnets, dog tag necklaces and more can be ordered using the order form posted on the Spirit Wear web site. If items are in stock, they will be delivered to your student’s classroom within a few days. If we need to order your item, delivery will take about two weeks
Spring Event/Raffle	Ways & Means	Amy Montanus	Date TBD	One Time Event, School and at Home	Volunteers will work with a chairperson to organize a casual event to give HDE families an opportunity to socialize while generating funds to support programs at HDE. Volunteers will secure entertainment, make arrangements with a local vendor to supply food for purchase and recruit additional help for the evening of the event. In addition, volunteers will help coordinate donations made for HDE’s annual basket raffle.	Each spring, the HDE PTA has a casual family supper event that includes the classroom basket and staff raffles. Each classroom donates items to create a themed basket, and tickets can be purchased to enter raffles to win the baskets. Staff members also donate items and “experiences” (such as lunch with the principal, an ice cream party with the teacher or calling out car pool numbers in the afternoon J ) that are raffled off at the event. Meal and raffle tickets are purchased in advance. It is a great event that takes a great deal of cooperation to carry out. Look for more information on the Sprint Event and Raffle during the second half of the school year.
Staff Appreciation	Membership & Services	OPEN	Year Round	At home and school	Volunteers are to assist chairpersons as needed to support events that show appreciation to our HDE staff members throughout the school year. These activities could include assisting with early release snacks, coordinating staff luncheons, and organizing Staff Appreciation Week.	This committee provides a means to show the HDE Staff support and appreciation from the PTA.
Vendor Fundraisers	Ways & Means	Jill Findlay	Year Round	Year Round, School and at Home	A chairperson and volunteers are needed to assist with various vendor fundraisers including Harris Teeter’s educational support program, Kroger, Target, and others that are determined to be of interest to our HDE community. Chairperson and volunteers will contact businesses, obtain information on their programs, receive approval to sign up HDE, and share the details of participating in these programs via the web site, and the weekly Paw Print.	Highcroft PTA is lucky to have many partners in the community that join our fundraising efforts. Here are some ways you can earn money for our school just by doing your every day shopping: Harris Teeter Together in Education – Link your VIC card to Highcroft, and Harris Teeter will donate a percentage of your shopping bill to Highcroft PTA! Harris Teeter Milk Cap Collection Program – Collect milk caps from Harris Teeter and Hunter Farms gallon and half-gallon containers, and the PTA earns $.05 for each one! www.harristeeter.com Kroger – Link your frequent shopper card to Highcroft, and the PTA can earn points to redeem for supplies like die cuts! www.shoppercredit.com/Kroger Target – Link your Target VISA card to Highcroft, and Target will donate 1% of Target purchases ad ½% of all other purchases made with your card back to Highcroft PTA! www.target.com/tcoe Tyson A+ Labels – Clip and collect these labels that are worth $.24 each for our school! www.tyson.com/projectaplus Campbell’s Labels for Education – Collect and send in these labels, and Highcroft earns points that can be redeemed for needed supplies! www.labelsforeducation.com Nestle Water Bottle Labels – Collect Nestle labels that can be submitted to earn points that can be redeemed for merchandise such as play-ground equipment! www.goplaylabels.com
Welcome Back Family Event	Membership & Services	24-Jul	July	At home and school	A chairperson and volunteers are needed to coordinate a fun event to welcome our HDE families to a new school year on the evening of July 24^h during our first PTA general membership meeting. The night will be a free, fun event featuring a picnic on the HDE grounds supplied by each individual family. Entertainment needs to be scheduled. A chairperson will be encouraged to locate a local business that could provide a cart or portable store to provide a cool treat available for purchase. Volunteers are needed to set up, clean up, and advertise the event to our families.	This event is a wonderful way for HDE families to share an evening at the start of the school year.
Young Authors		Mary McCabe	Year Round	At school	A chairperson and volunteers are needed to assist Lynne Peters with monthly celebrations during which students read a writing sample to their fellow students. Volunteers will set up before the event, greet students and parents, clean up after the event and assist parents with check-in/check-out procedures.	This committee works with school staff to hold monthly Young Authors’ Celebrations in the Media Center. During these celebrations, parents and family members are invited to join a small group of students from each grade as they share pieces of writing they are working on or have completed. Each student reads aloud one piece of his or her choice and receives a certificate and a pencil to commemorate their accomplishment. Volunteers help set up the tables, direct parents to the correct location, distribute certificates and pencils and clean up afterward.

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Last Modified: Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Highcroft Drive Elementary PTA

Committee Overviews

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