J. A. Coles School
PTA Committees & Sub-Committees
Event Committees (Fall through Summer)
Coles School Harvest Festival
(2 Chair people, assistants, volunteers)
The Coles School Harvest Festival will take place on a Saturday in October at Coles School. Students and their families are all invited to join a day of fun fall activities, such as, pumpkin painting, making a scarecrow, pony rides, games, food, making Halloween and Thanksgiving crafts, just to name a few. Parents, older siblings, family members, are needed to work one of the two shifts (each shift will be 1 hour and 45 minutes). The volunteers are needed to assist the children with the all the activities. Lastly, we need a few volunteers to help set-up and clean up.
Book Fair
(2 Chair people, volunteers)
There are two major book fair events. One is in October and the other is in the spring. The October book fair is held during the daytime and then again in the evening. There are two chair people assigned to this committee. Their responsibilities are to organize the book fair, advance books sales and volunteers. The book fairs need volunteers for the following duties: help set up and inventory books prior to fair, assist children and/or parents in the selection and purchase of books, help fill book orders.
School Pictures (2 Chair people, volunteers)
This committee organizes the taking of school pictures. They must evaluate the best vendor and coordinate the schedule with the Principal.
Sunshine Welfare
(2 Chair people, volunteers)
This committee organizes the Thanksgiving food drive held in November. Volunteers are needed to help sort food, pack and deliver boxes.
Pet Food Drive (1 Chairperson, volunteers)
This committee also organizes a pet food drive that is held in the spring. Volunteers are needed to help sort food, pack and deliver boxes.
After School Enrichment Program
(2 Chair people, volunteers)
The program starts the second Thursday in January. It is held Thursdays from 3:00pm-4:00pm for a 5 or 6 week period. Volunteers teach age-appropriate courses that allow children to explore a variety of interests that include art, foreign language, science, childcare, writing, games, etc. All of these courses have easy to follow instructions. New ideas are also welcome. There are two chair people assigned to this program. The chair people are responsible for taking care of student registrations, course offerings (based on available teacher volunteers) and weekly attendance.
Super Science Saturday/Science Fair
(2 Chair people, volunteers)
The Super Science Saturday (SSS) is a hand’s on learning experience for the students. We hope to have approximately 20 stations. Each station will have a different experiment and will be run by a parent, guardian or other adult family member. We are hoping to get some support from parents that work for the larger companies like Lucent, Merck and Schering, to name a few. Some companies may even donate experiments. We are planning to have food and maybe T-shirts for sale to help offset the cost of the SSS.
Chemical Dependency
(2 Chair people, volunteers)
This committee organizes the “Think Purple” week activities in March. The committee chair people plan and implement grade appropriate activities that focus on healthy living. This committee also supports the SPFHS students with “Hearts & Hands” and “Caring Candles” programs in June.
Family Heritage Night (2 Chair people, volunteers)
This is a one-night event. It features crafts, displays, music and food that celebrate the rich heritage of Coles School families. The chair people are responsible for coordinating displays, entertainment, food and volunteers. Volunteers are needed to monitor crafts, food areas and to provide entertainment.
Variety Show (2 or more Chair people, volunteers)
The show is held on a Saturday afternoon and/or evening in April or May. This show is theme-based entertainment with acts grouped by grade. There is a snack and refreshment area to generate money as well as an ad book. The chair people are responsible for the production of the show, coordination of directors, organization of ad book and advance ticket sales. This is a very large production in need of volunteers to help with after-school rehearsals, help backstage during the performances, work on scenery, work at the snack and refreshment table and work on the ad book (program).
Earth Day (2 Chair people, volunteers)
A one-day celebration is usually held in the middle of April. Volunteers are needed for each class, to help present a pre-planned activity. New ideas are always welcome, but past activities have worked very well also. The chair people need to coordinate the schedules with the principal for each grade level, have materials ready for presentation, and organize volunteers for each class.
Environmental Education
(2 Chair people, volunteers)
This is held during the school day in October & May. It is the responsibility of the chairperson to plan grade appropriate activities and help classes with planting and weeding around Coles School during school hours.
Family Life & Health (2 Chair people, volunteers)
This consists of multiple evening events held throughout the year. Each event will center around a healthy, family-oriented activity. The chair people are responsible for planning the activities and coordinating any volunteers that are necessary.
Plant Sale (2 Chair people, volunteers)
This is held the Friday prior to Mother’s Day. The chair people are responsible for organizing the event. Volunteers are needed to help unload the delivery truck and set up the day before (daytime). Volunteers are also needed to help children with plant selections during school hours and after-school pickup time.
Field Day (2 Chair people, volunteers)
This is a field day coordinated by the Physical Education teacher and School
Nurse. It is held in mid-late May or June. The chair people are responsible
for coordinating any parent volunteers that are necessary as well as any refreshments
needed. Depending on the budget there may be the ordering t-shirts. This involves
coordinating the ordering and delivery of the t-shirts to the students, teachers,
staff and volunteers.
Young People’s Theatre
(2 Chair people, volunteers)
This committee works with other school representatives throughout the district to develop and present four musical/theatrical venues for family entertainment. Professional performers present the programs at the high school.
Coles Kids Care
(2 Chair people, volunteers)
This committee organizes charitable activities in which the children get involved directly. Coles Kids Care began in 2001 with the students stuffing Halloween treat bags for less fortunate children.
Family Directory
(Chairperson)
The chairperson creates a family directory that is distributed to everyone in
the school. It consists of class lists, student’s names alphabetically
with address, phone numbers and email addresses. The chairperson collects the
information in the beginning of the school year and then publishes the family
directory with all submitted information. Listing in the directory is strictly
voluntary.
4th Grade Recognition
(2 Chair people, assistants, volunteers)
The Fourth Grade Recognition Committee works during the entire school year to plan and host special activities designed to make the students’ last year at Coles a memorable one. In the past few years, the committee has focused on memory books (yearbooks), tee shirts, and an end-of-year celebration. Memory book planning starts in September and involves collecting photographs, write-ups, etc., to put in the book. Tee shirts need to be sized and ordered for the spring. The end-of-year celebration requires planning and coordination, as it has traditionally been a luncheon. A fair amount of correspondence is required between the committee and teachers, parents, students and the office staff. Volunteers are required to work on various aspects of the memory book and the luncheon.
Standing Committees
Scuttle (Editor)
The editor is responsible for putting together the various articles from PTA chair people, Cole’s staff, and any other pertinent material information. It is a monthly newsletter and needs approval from the principal before it is sent to the parents. Need to be comfortable with word processing.
Hospitality (1 Chairperson, volunteer bakers)
This committee provides baked goods and refreshments for PTA functions. These involve the monthly PTA meetings as well as some daytime and evening activities. The chairperson is responsible for coordinating the set up and clean up of the refreshments as well as making sure the food and beverages are provided when needed.
Library (2-3 Chair people, volunteers)
Our media center is a bustling, vital hub of Coles School. Volunteers are needed to check books in and out and to place them back on the shelves. A typical time commitment would be twice a month for one of the following time slots: 8:35-10:15, 10:15-12:00, and 12:45-2:55. We welcome back experienced workers as well as new volunteers (a brief training session will teach you the necessary skills). The two chair people are responsible for the coordinating the schedule of the library volunteers and ensuring library coverage. This is done throughout the school year.
Room Parents (2-3 Chair people)
The room parents provide communication between the school and home (e.g. school-closing phone calls). Also, the room parent coordinate class parties and help supervise class trips. They also assist the teachers and PTA as needed. There are generally two room parents per classroom.
Cultural Arts (2 Chair people)
This committee organizes four or more separate assemblies for the children. This involves evaluating different assemblies and speakers in order to make an informed decision as to whom to hire.
Community Affairs (1 Chairperson, volunteers)
This committee publicizes school and classroom events and activities by taking photographs and submitting them to local papers. The chair people also organize a PTA volunteer fair that will be held in the fall.
Membership ((2-3 Chair people)
This committee coordinates the PTA membership drive during the school year among families and staff.
Safety (2 Chair people, volunteers)
This committee identifies areas of concern (e.g. traffic and parking), work with local policy as necessary to rectify and help with annual fingerprinting program through the S.P.P.D.
Board of Education Liaison (1 Chairperson,
volunteers)
The chairperson keeps current on all Board of Education events as well as any legislation matters pertinent to education and/or children. The chairperson submits a report at the monthly PTA Board Meetings.
Legislation (Chairperson, volunteers)
The chairperson keeps current on all Legislative matters pertinent to education and/or children. Serves as the liaison between the local PTA and government.
Website (2 Chair people)
This committee maintains the content of the J. A. Coles PTA website and J. A. Coles website.
Display Case Support Committee (1 Chairperson,
volunteers)
This committee is responsible for designing and creating a display case design for a committee or assisting the committee with ideas or other support. This committee is given a display case schedule that is prepared by the 1st VP. This committee would receive any additional direction from the 1st VP.
Fundraising
There are several fundraising activities that are held year round. These are subcommittees under the 2nd Vice President. The 2nd VP coordinates the following fundraising activities:
· Gift Wrap – A gift-wrap sale is held in the fall. Volunteers are needed to help distribute gift-wrap orders to classrooms.
· Market Day - This fundraiser is held all year long. Food orders are placed monthly with market day. Food is delivered to the school on one designated night per month and then parents come to the school to pick up their orders. Volunteers are needed to make reminder calls when order sheets are due, make reminder phone calls the day before pickup, help unpack and sort items on the evening of the delivery, staple flyers to monthly menus and count into groups.
· Box Tops – This fundraiser involves the collection of box tops for education. Volunteers are needed to count out box tops into groups of 50 to be submitted to General Mills approximately every 2 months.
· School Spirit Clothing – School spirit clothing is sold during the school year and leftover items are sold during school events. Volunteers are needed to help sort, pack and distribute orders.
· Cell Phone and Ink Cartridge recycling reimbursement
· School Supplies – Coles school supplies are sold throughout the year.
· Any other Miscellaneous fundraisers
Liaisons
High School Liaison (1 Chairperson)
This person attends high school functions and keeps abreast of any current events involving the high school. This chairperson presents their information at the monthly PTA meetings.
Terrill Liaison (1 Chairperson)
This person attends Terrill middle school functions and keeps abreast of any current events involving the middle school. This chairperson presents their information at the monthly PTA Board meetings.