PTO Committee Volunteer Form

Also known as "Meet the Masters", each classroom has one parent volunteer who gives a monthly 15-30 minute art appreciation presentation on a supplied piece of artwork. This involves about 1 hr of research &/or prep time per month at home (except December) to tailor the talk to the appropriate age group. The artwork rotates between classrooms throughout the year. The Chair coordinates the volunteers, schedules the introductory meeting, and distributes materials (kept in the Library’s AV closet). Chairing this is time-intensive only during mid-September through mid-October. (1 Chair & 1 parent volunteer per classroom.)

This committee decorates the Birthday Board every month or two to wish a happy birthday to the students celebrating a birthday during that period. It also distributes a small birthday treat to each birthday child through their classroom teacher. Time commitment: about 1-2 hrs/mo.

This group cuts labels and gets them ready for shipping. This is an easy fundraiser that takes very little time throughout the year, yet raises a lot of money! (1 Chair & 4 volunteers.) (Chair: 1 hr/week. Volunteers: 1 hr every other month.

Want to help the office staff do a very important but easy task? Count the fliers for distribution to each classroom for Friday Folders! (1-2 volunteers.)

This committee is responsible for the upkeep of the front exterior of the building. Implement changes to the exterior grounds by working with the principal and district personnel. (1 chair)

Did you know that Cornell has earned a Green School designation this year? See http://www.greenschools.net/section.php?id=11 to find out what that means! We are very proud of the efforts to recycle and show concern for our environment at Cornell elementary. If this is a passion of yours, please consider getting involved with this committee!

Show your teacher appreciation by providing “goodies” for staff luncheons. Volunteers supply food and/or help set up and clean up after the luncheons (held 3-4 times/yr). This is a great way to get to know the teachers! (1 Chair & 8 volunteers.)

Interested in volunteering in the library 1-2 hrs a week? Let us know or contact the Librarian directly. She’d be oh-so appreciative!

This group sorts & distributes Market Day products once a month. The Chair spends about 6-8 hrs/mo working on Market Day. (1 Chair. 3-4 different volunteers each month for 1 hour of service.)

A few times a year, Cornell hosts a movie morning at a local theatre. The Chair makes a flier, distributes it to classes, coordinates the orders, and signs people in at the theatre. Total time: 5 hrs/event) (1 Chair.)

Parents involved in this get to learn more about all the schools in the district. Want to get a head start learning about Kinawa and Chippewa and Okemos High School? Enjoy getting together with other parents for lunch? If so, this is the committee for you! Go to a few meetings and report back to the PTO about what the other schools are up to! Avg. time commitment: 2-3 hrs/mo for Parent Council meeting, plus attending the monthly Cornell PTO meeting (2 representatives)

Are you a shutterbug? Do you love capturing those "special" moments? We need someone who is frequently at the school events to provide candid digital photos for the school yearbook, PTO website publicity, and help create a photo record of our PTO events for future reference! (1-2 volunteers)

Committee members help set up the fairs, take down the fairs, and work 3-hr shifts helping students and parents select and purchase books. The fairs are held during parent/teacher conferences in November and March. This is a great way to meet parents and teachers and check out all the cool items on sale. (1 Chair & 30-35 volunteers.)

The kids bring books in and swap them during school hours, and some of the leftover books are donated to a local non-profit. (1 Chair & 4 volunteers.) This is done every other year.

This committee creates and sells t-shirts, shorts, and other items with our very own Cornell logo. The kids love to show their school spirit! (1 Chair and 2 volunteers to help with distribution)

This committee plans a carnival for Cornell’s families. It is a favorite event at Cornell and is a great way to meet other families and have a wonderful time. Lots of volunteers are needed and opportunities are available in many areas. (1-2 Chairs.)
The subcommitees needing chairs/volunteers are:

* Variety Show: Publicize the need for participants, audition the acts, and coordinate the acts and their music. Experience first-hand the talents and creativity of our students. (1-2 Chairs.)

* Publicity: This is the ideal volunteer opportunity for someone who enjoys working independently! Write newsletters for school-wide distribution. The best part: Your job is done before FFN so you get to enjoy your family during FFN! Est. time commitment: 3 hrs/mo Oct – Dec, then 6 hrs/week Jan-Mar. (1 Chair.)

* Concessions: Solicit food donations from businesses (in conjunction with the Donations Chair), set up the concessions the day of, and sell concessions during FFN. (1 Chair and 2-3 people who help set up the Concessions Booth.)

* Volunteers: Assess the FFN committee’s volunteer needs, send solicitation letters to fraternities and sororities, and coordinate parent and other volunteers. You’ll love working with the college students—they have such a blast assisting with FFN. (1 Chair)

* Teacher Donations: Our wonderful teachers and staff generously donate things like: lunch at a nearby restaurant; small pizza or ice cream parties; and bedtime stories at childrens’ houses. This is your opportunity to coordinate the staff’s donations to FFN. There may be no better way to get to know our kind and thoughtful staff! (1 Chair)

* Games & Prizes: Coordinate games, activities, and prizes. In this role, YOU get to coordinate the fun part of FFN! Your kids will love you for it! (1 Chair.)

* Theme Basket Raffle (Chair - Jennifer Darjes): Each classroom selects a theme and asks parents to donate items fitting the theme. (Examples of themes commonly chosen: Barbies, Hot Wheels, MSU, and sports.) These baskets are then raffled off at FFN. As the Chair of this FFN Committee, you coordinate the classroom parent volunteers (who remind parents to fill the baskets) and you wrap the baskets for display.

* 50/50 Raffle: Obtain the license, design the tickets, order the printing, sort the tickets, and help sell them. Total estimated time: 20 hrs. Most of this work can be done at home. (1 Chair.)

* Classroom Projects: Each classroom selects a project (paint a serving platter, decorate a planter with tiles, paint a table, etc.) that is raffled off in FFN’s Silent Auction. The Chair of this committee coordinates the classroom parent volunteers who work on the projects with the students. (1 Chair.)

* Donations: The Chair sends a solicitation letter to area businesses asking for cash or in-kind donations to offset the cost of FFN. Afterwards, the Chair and parent volunteers place follow-up phone calls to the businesses. This is another opportunity to help with FFN before FFN—so you can enjoy your family during FFN. And try to imagine the feeling of excitement with each & every positive response! Wow! (1 Chair & 5 volunteers.)

* Decorations (Chair - Christine McQuaid): Have a creative streak? Like to display your talents? If so, this is the committee for you! The students will choose a theme for you and the Chippewa gym becomes your canvass! (1 Chair & 7 volunteers.)

* Program: This is the ideal volunteer opportunity for someone who enjoys working at home on their computer. If you want the inside scoop on FFN, this is the job for you! And your work is done before FFN! (1 Chair.)

This fun fitness program allows anyone to walk or jog around the walking trail during lunch recess. Points are earned for each lap and are redeemed for prizes. Volunteers help monitor and track progress made by those who join in the fun. The commitment can be for as little as 1 hr/wk in the spring. The Chairs decide on a theme, order prizes, attend a short Coordinators meeting, and send out a volunteer request to parents of Cornell students. On the days of Mileage Club, they also fill water containers, set up water station, place cone markers on the course, distribute prizes and new cards; and clean up. Mileage Club is held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in April and May. (1-2 Chairs & 12 volunteers.)

Field Day is an annual school-wide outdoor event scheduled near the end of school in June. Students rotate by classroom thru various activity stations. In conjunction with the phys ed. teacher, the chairperson plans the activity events, picks the Field day theme, coordinates water stations and the rotation of classrooms.
Many, many volunteers are necessary to help set-up, clean-up, and to work at all the activity stations. (1-2 chairs, 30-40 volunteers.)

This event is a new event for Fall 2011! Please contact Kirsten DeCampos at kdecampos(at)gmail(dot)com if you would like more information.

This one-day event is held in the spring. Activities include greeting newcomers, manning the registration table, assisting in health screening, and taking pictures. This is a wonderful way to meet new Cornell families and make them feel welcome. The Chair spends about 1.5 hrs preparing (mostly finding volunteers for the day of and checking with the teachers to see what they need help with) and 6 hours the day of (assisting at the event). The volunteers usually work either the am or pm shift (2.5 hrs each). (1 Chair & 5-6 volunteers.)

This is a fun-filled event for the whole Cornell community. Families attend a Lugnuts game and can order concessions from some of their favorite teachers, staff and parents! (1 Chair)

This is a national movement to make it safe, convenient and fun for children to bicycle and walk to school. When routes are safe, walking or biking to and from school is an easy way for kids to get the regular physical activity they need to succeed. Volunteers coordinate Walk to School Day in October, promote safe walking and cycling practices, and work with municipal representatives to improve the safety of our pedestrian/bicycling routes to Cornell. More information about Walk to School day can be found at http://www.walktoschool.org/
and SafeRoutes to School at http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/
(1 Chair & 4 volunteers.)

Each fall, the PTO compiles a student directory which includes students name/address/phone numbers, and general school and PTO information. Requires coordination with school office staff, and good computer/proofreading skills! (1 Chair)

At the science fair, students display science projects. Student viewing occurs during the school day with family viewing in the evening. At the exploration night portion of the science fair, students perform or watch fun science experiments and demonstrations done by parents, teachers or student volunteers. If there is just one person (1 Chair and no volunteers), the Chair will spend about 25-30 hrs on this, total for the year. Almost all the work can be done from home. (1 Chair & 4 volunteers.)

The silent auction is typically held in conjunction with Family Fun night, but has also been held as an adult-only social event in a country club environment. Requires planning and contacting multiple businesses (and families!) for donations, physically collecting donations, creating bid sheets, creating program listing of items, auction set up, and coordinating checkout. (1 Chair, at least 10+ volunteers.)

Cornell’s staff works hard each day to make Cornell great for every child. This committee honors the staff at Cornell in early May. (1 Chair plus 1-6 volunteers.)

Plan dates, publicize, and arrange playdates for each incoming grade K-4 to be held during the summer at the Cornell school playground. (1 chair, 1-2 volunteers to host per grade)

This event is held in the morning at the start of the first day of school to welcome returning and new parents. It is held in the cafeteria, and requires setting up and making arrangements for typical cold breakfast items, hot coffee, etc. (1 Chair plus 1-4 volunteers.)

This fun social event is typically held outside in the evening during the first week of school to welcome returning students and their parents as well as new families. It has been held as a cookout (hotdogs) or an ice cream social, and has had a DJ to play tunes. Chairperson plans event theme and makes arrangements for publicity, food, beverages, and entertainment as necessary. (1 chair, 2-4 volunteers).

An ongoing project throughout the school year, this committee creates long-lasting memories for the Cornell students and staff. Coordinates with the school staff, school photographer, and parents to acquire digital photos of students and student club groups. Creates layout of candid photos. Coordinates the sale of yearbook. (1-2 Chairs.)