THANK YOU to our Chinese Auction coordinators, Tracy Fasano and Kerri Williams, for making the event a huge success! They were able to raise necessary funds for our children and we greatly appreciate their time and sacrafice greatly. Thanks to all of those who helped also, and those who attended-we hope you had fun!
The Budget Vote is Tuesday, May 19th. For more information, visit the Sachem website at http://www.sachem.edu/board/budget09/budgetinfo09to10.htm
Congrats to the newest nominations for PTA Board for the 2009-2010 School Year as follows:
Co-Presidents: Corey Schneider & Jackie Lutin
Co-Vice Presidents: Tracy Lentz & Vanessa Pinello
Treasurer: Tracy Fasano
Secretary: Lorraine Ingraffia
Corresponding Secretary: Kerri Williams
Council Delegate: Tara Felice
Class of 2010:
Co-Coordinators: Tracy Dumas & Danielle Console
Treasurer: Sean Lutin
Assistants: Gina Hurst, Val Silkin & Lisa Stoltz
Thank You to the Class of 2009 Coordinators. Although the year is not yet over, they have made possible a wonderful experience to our children and we thank them. Please continue to support their endeavors for our current 5th grade as well as welcoming in fundraising for our current 4th grade-class of 2010.
BELOW IS WHAT I HAVE JUST PREPARED (TAKEN FROM SOME PREVIOUS INFO) FOR PTA INFO ON JOBS IN THE PTA. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO READ ALONG AND SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN.
WENONAH PTA CARES ABOUT OUR KIDS
When my children began at Wenonah years ago, I didn’t know what to expect from the PTA. Different people have different opinions, some good and some bad, but I tried to form my own instead of listening to theirs. I am glad that I did, because I see firsthand that we, the PTA, are working harder than ever to afford our children with many opportunities, programs, supplies and trips in this economy. And I am proud to be an integral part of just that.
Over the years, a lot of people have let us know that they wanted to join the PTA, or somehow get involved, but didn’t know how to or what the PTA really does. Since we teach our children not to be intimidated, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be either. With the correct information, we can form our own opinion and make our own decisions therefore we are attempting to do just that by giving you this guide to help you decide the level of involvement that would be best for you and your family. There are many different positions and events that are held each year, and you are welcome to inquire and volunteer for anything that interest you. Without help from people like YOU, it cannot exist as it does today.
By describing each job to the best of our ability, we hope to interest you in understanding and participating in being part of it all for one reason alone.....the children.
Executive Board Positions: (These positions are elected by ballots that are distributed to the entire school in April-May. The Nomination Committee is set up prior to elections and help make a decision on who is elected based on what is best for the school. These are 2 year terms and are considered a representation of the general PTA membership. Elections are open to all paid PTA members).
PTA President: Supervises the business and affairs of the PTA and performs the duties that are usually associated with the office of President of a non-profit organization. In this position, the President must work directly with the Principal of the school, who has final say in all matters, in order to get approvals and make the correct decisions for the school.
The President also coordinates the work of the officers on the Executive Board and various committees of the PTA. All PTA members need to come to this person before they organize an event or fund-raiser, have fliers approved prior to distribution and avoid any conflicts with other events.
Overall, organization and people skills are the most important part of being PTA President. Bylaws (written, mandated rules) must be kept current,
approved by Regional PTA and Sachem PTA Council and should be available for viewing at each PTA meeting. Together with the Executive Board prior to the school year, a yearly budget is formed and upheld for the school year as it pertains to spending and income.
Throughout the year, the PTA President is asked to help out with many functions. Like all PTA members, the President is a parent volunteer and cannot be expected to be at every event. Many of us work during the school day and help out whatever ways we can, which is greatly appreciated.
The President is instrumental in making sure that there is a Class Parent and assistant(s) for each classroom. They will then send a class roster home with information and responsibilities for each class parent and be a liaison for them should they need any direction or information.
In short, the President is responsible for all of the “behind the scenes” work. Presidents must take Board Votes on spending and making decisions that are new in order to make a decision based on what is best for the students. We correspond with parents, teachers, other schools and other PTA Presidents, attend Board of Education and PTA Council meetings when possible and meet with the Principal all in an effort to bring the most to our students. We are responsible for coordinating certain events throughout the year, booking incoming programs and approving the purchase of supplies with the support of the Executive Board through votes, when necessary.
The PTA President should chair every PTA meeting and prepare an agenda by which to present important information to all members. This office would be best served by an individual with prior PTA experience and/or knowledge due to the logistics. Although it is time consuming, it is something that can be done quite easily with the help and support of the Executive Board and other volunteers-and is very rewarding in terms of what it brings to the students and school. Below are just two of the many jobs of the PTA Pres.
Each year in June on the ½ day, the Teachers Thank You Luncheon is catered and served by our PTA Board and volunteer members. This is in recognition of the teachers going above and beyond all year long for our children. The PTA President makes the arrangements and asks for help from volunteers.
Every year, we say goodbye to volunteers or faculty/staff from Wenonah with a “Farewell Dinner”. To show our gratitude, we hold a farewell dinner at a restaurant of our choice to celebrate and invite all PTA members to attend (at their own cost) while inviting these parting members as our guests (PTA absorbs the cost of their dinner). The PTA President and Vice Presidents usually make the arrangements.
Vice President: The Vice President is responsible for helping the President in whatever way they need. They should attend all PTA meetings in order to report on current/upcoming events and are currently responsible for running the following events; Holiday Boutique and Mothers Day Plant Sale. There are already contacts set up to correspond with in coordinating these events and past Vice Presidents are willing to help also. This position is great for those available to come to monthly meetings and coordinate events for a few days in a row twice per year.
Recording Secretary: The Recording Secretary is responsible for taking notes during the general PTA meeting, writing up the minutes for the next meeting and presenting them. At the meeting, they will be approved by a verbal motion to accept the meeting minutes, at which time the recording secretary records the name for next meetings minutes and so on. This position is great for those available to come to monthly meetings and do the prep work at home.
Council Delegate: The Council Delegate is responsible for attending bi-monthly PTA Council meetings, usually at Sachem East. Wenonah PTA is part of a larger entity and governed under the constraints of Sachem PTA Council as a whole, therefore making it important to know what is happening at PTA Council as it affects Wenonah. The Council Delegate must take notes at the meeting and present them, either in writing or orally, at our general PTA meeting. This is a great position for someone able to attend both Council and Wenonah meetings and is interested in PTA matters on a district wide and school specific basis.
Corresponding Secretary: There are circumstances where the PTA will send a card or flowers to teachers and parents for various reasons. The Corresponding Secretary is responsible for representing the PTA by sending these cards, gifts or other correspondence. In turn, when correspondence is sent to us, the Corresponding Secretary will read aloud the note or letter while attending the monthly PTA meetings to do so. This position is great for someone who will attend every PTA meeting and enjoys organizing/writing.
Treasurer: This position is in a league of its own with President. The treasurer is responsible for all money that goes in and out of the PTA account, including but not limited to A/R, A/P, PTA dues to NYS, Insurance payments, IRS taxation reporting, cultural arts distribution and payment, and upholding the yearly PTA budget. Coordinators will come to this person for start up money prior to an event, as well as with income to be checked and deposited after an event. The Treasurer prepares a monthly report for each PTA meeting to be distributed and approved, verbally, by motions to accept (as indicated in the minutes of each meeting).
This position is best served by someone with an accounting or money-savvy background and can be learned in conjunction with working with a current/prior treasurer. The Treasurer must attend each PTA meeting and be available when situations arise calling for their action.
Class Parents: Class Parents can be chosen by random by the PTA President, or directly by the classroom teacher if so desired. Forms are sent out the first week of school outlining responsibilities including but not limited to;
All Class Parents and Assistants must be paid members of the PTA, Volunteer to help out for at least one day for at least one event as follows: Chinese Auction, Holiday Boutique, Plant Sale or Book Fair, Call parents in your class for volunteers to donate blood for our blood drives, give all parents a fair opportunity to participate and be unbiased, Make arrangements to have the proper amount of help and supplies for class projects or parties. & Do a class collection for the teacher gifts (holiday and end of year), asking a fair monetary amount and giving adequate notice to parents.
PTA Committees: There are various committees and coordinating positions within the PTA. These positions are not elected but merely volunteered for and supported by the PTA and all volunteers. Training and more information can be provided for ANY job listed, just ask. Below is a list of just SOME of the exciting things that we coordinate and need your help with, but if you have any other ideas, let us know (Please note, they are not in any order of importance since ALL are important and all are funded by the PTA )
Outreach: Outreach coordinator is responsible for many things throughout the school year while working with our Social Worker, Psychologist and School Nurse. In October, an order of pumpkins (one per student) is put in for delivery and setup near Halloween. On this day, students are surprised with a pumpkin to take home (usually after crafting and decorating in class as determined by their classroom teachers) Around the Holidays, Outreach will hold toy/gift, food and coat drives for those Wenonah families in need as well. (For the first time in 2009, “Stuff A Bus” was done during the month of December with the help of Outreach, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. This may be an annual event after its great success ) This, as you can see, is an extremely rewarding and necessary job.
Cultural Arts: Many of the programs and trips that the children participate in are funded through the Cultural Arts portion of the PTA budget each year. Each year, an overall budget, as determined by the state based on our prior spending, is divided up amongst all of the grade levels in order to afford our students with these opportunities. The Cultural Arts chairperson must organize and keep track of bookings, spending, distribution, overages and maintain good record keeping. They must serve as the liaison between BOCES Cultural Arts (through whom all trips/programs are booked and paid), teachers, the PTA President, Treasurer and the Principal, when necessary. Since the money allocated to us through Cultural Arts only pays for some of the programs/trips, the chairperson of this division must keep the Treasurer and President informed when bookings cause overspending in order to get approval to pay these outstanding debts. This job takes dedication and organization and a more in-depth job detail and description will be given upon request.
Chinese Auction: The Chinese Auction is the LARGEST FUND-RAISER OF THE YEAR, yielding the most income to fund our school by allowing us to provide programs/trips, supplies, events and equipment. Parents, teachers and Wenonah alumni all attend this adults only event each year. The Chinese Auction Committee should consist of many individuals working together to get donations from businesses and individuals and baskets over a period of time. Much help is also needed to sell raffles, take tickets and work the event both that day and in advance. It takes dedication, networking and time, but has been done quite successfully by individuals determined to making it a wonderful event
Membership: The membership coordinator is responsible for sending out membership forms to all students various times each year. They then must collect the payment and forms, send parents who have joined their membership card and keep track of it on the NYS PTA membership form. Periodically (about 2-3X per year), the membership coordinator must contact the treasurer to deposit all membership payments and send a check to NYS PTA Membership. Failure to keep good records will make our PTA chapter at Wenonah financially responsible for missing cards, so good record keeping is a must. This job is fun and can be done from home on your free time.
Publishing Center: The publishing center is a room where the laminating machine, binding machine and various publishing supplies are found. Volunteers are needed to run this room, keep it orderly, determine supplies needed and run these machines when requested by our teachers. Many people can alternate when they come in to do this fun job.
Book Fair: Usually, we offer three Scholastic book fairs each years at which the students can shop. With vouchers for books and monetary income earned by holding these book fairs, we have been able to provide the library and classrooms with needed books for our students. Book fairs are held during the school day for 2-3 days in a row, 3 times per year. Many additional volunteers are needed in addition to the coordinators.
Blood Drive: We currently hold a Blood Drive twice a year in conjunction with Long Island Blood Services (LIBS) with great success. After checking with the PTA President and front office, dates are chosen and the coordinator contacts LIBS to plan the event (more info given by current coordinator upon request). Class parents help by booking appointments with literature provided to you by the LIBS in advance. This job truly saves lives
Treasure Chest Summer Reading Club: In June, current students are sent home with a “Reading is Key” form to keep track of their summer reading on. In September, it is returned to your child’s teacher all filled out and they receive a book to reward them for their summer reading from our “treasure chest”. Clifford also comes to pay us a visit each year at this fun event. A The books are currently purchased by the Book Fair Coordinators and PTA President at the Scholastic Warehouse book sale each May but is subject to become a responsibility of the Treasure Chest Summer Reading Club coordinator). Running the Treasure Chest can be done in one day.
Box Tops: Box Tops for Education affords us with 10 cents for every label voucher cut out and submitted for the school year. Currently, we run Box Top drives from September through February where the vouchers are sent in and envelope with the childs name and class. At the end of the contest, the class with the largest amount of boxtops collected receive a party of
their choice. It takes dedication and organization but is very financially necessary and fun.
School Photos: Every Fall and Spring, photos are taken at Wenonah. The coordinator is responsible for booking the dates and getting the contract signed by the President for each year. Similarly, they are responsible for sending out order forms/payments, getting them to the treasurer and distributing photos when received.
Candy Sale (Currently “Gertrude Hawk”): Around Easter/Passover, a candy sale is run by booking dates along with the Presidents approval, sending out order forms, collecting money and arranging for delivery of the items, as well as distributing them at pickup accordingly (done in 3 hours or so in one day)
Wrapping Paper/Cookie Dough Sale (Currently “Sally Foster”): At the beginning of school, a wrapping paper/cookie dough sale is run by booking dates along with the Presidents approval, sending out order forms, collecting money and arranging for delivery of the items, as well as distributing them at pickup accordingly (done in 3 hours or so in one day)
Golden Lunchbox Award: Once a week during the school year, the PTA provides prizes (pencils, erasers, novelties, etc.) to the best behaving class in the cafeteria during their lunch period. Currently, we are collecting ink toners/cartridges to offset the cost of the supplies. Coordinator would be responsible for turning in cartridges to Staples and purchasing supplies to put in the Golden Lunchbox.
Bulletin Board by Front Office: Our coordinator for this job contacts the PTA President for the upcoming months info and post it in an informative and visually appealing way.
Wenonah Beat Newspaper: The Wenonah Beat is the school newspaper featuring the writings of our students with each month spotlights a different grade. Each month, a meeting is held for the grade level writing and hosted by the Wenonah Beat committee. Someone with computer skills must then type up the stories and poems for publication in the Wenonah Beat and distribution to the entire school each month. This takes time, dedication and is fun.
Lunch Menu Calendar: On the back of the lunch menu, there is a list of the events to anticipate for that month. The person that is the lunch menu coordinator is responsible for contacting the PTA President and getting a list of that months events, typing them up and then contacting the person at District Office who gets it on the back of menu before the monthly deadline.
Mother/Daughter Brunch: This event has grown from a small brunch to a gala affair with vendors and chinese auction baskets. Due to the need for donations and networking, there is a need for organizational/people skills and time management in order to make this large event a success. Many volunteers are also needed to sell raffles, get donations and help organize both prior to the event and on that day.
PARP; (Parents As Reading Partners) With a special kick-off presentation prepared by the PARP coordinator and/or committee, students are given a PARP calendar to follow by reading with a parental partner and turns in a signed slip (previously distributed by PARP coordinator) as proof of participation for a weekly prize. At the end of the exciting, well organized and themed event, books are given for participation as the grand prize. This program involves extreme coordination, imagination and creativity, and is assisted by the Principal and teachers. It involves a large amount of prep work, organization and time and is very rewarding to the students.
Make a Difference: At Wenonah, we try to catch the children “doing something good”. For this, students are nominated for various acts of kindness by teachers and staff beginning early in the school year. The coordinator(s) are responsible for doing a bulletin board located by the cafeteria, taking the nominated students pictures and posting them, and keeping records on the years nominations. These nominations are done until late Spring, at which time the committee prepares a recognition presentation and reception for the nominated students and their families before years end. Each student is presented a certificate and pin/poem that they “Made a Difference”. (Very rewarding job)
5th Grade Committee: When the Wenonah Students reach the 4th grade, a committee is nominated and sworn in to take over in early Spring that year, until the end of the next (5th grade) year. This is to provide them with fabulous trips, activities, supplies, etc, which cannot be done without the unfailing efforts of this group, who singlehandedly are able to fund-raise to offset the costs of these events for our students. Members of this committee must be paid PTA members and have 5th graders in the school, while working with the 5th grade teachers and Principal directly, as well as clearing everything with the PTA President. Together, they plan trips and events for the students to benefit from. This job is labor intensive and involved massive amounts of coordination, but is very rewarding for the 5th graders and their families.
Hospitality: Our Hospitality people are responsible for asking class parents (from one grade per month) for donations of baked goods and snacks to use at our monthly PTA meetings. Coffee and tea are provided by them also at each meeting, and they set up and clean up the food and beverages for each meeting as necessary. The person doing this job is needed to attend every PTA meeting and is greatly appreciated.
Reflections Program: Each year, National PTA holds a program called “Reflections” through which a subject is given and students are encouraged to reply in various ways (ie; art, photography, writing, etc.) Winners are selected by the National PTA and every student who participates is given a certificate by our school. A teacher will work directly with the Reflections chairperson, letting them know what needs to be done and when (dropping off packets, distribution, reception)
If you ever have any questions about things on this website or flyers that come home, either email me here or call the numbers listed on the flyers, we will be glad to help.
Enjoy the events below!
May 8th: 5th Grader Dance (5th graders only)
May 15th: Chinese Auction
May 31st: LI Ducks Game @ 1:35pm
June 3rd & 4th: Scholastic Book Fair
June 5th; Talent show at Samoset (run by class of 2010-all welcome)
June 24th: Moving up ceremony for 5th graders at SAMOSET (please note that I had the wrong location posted previously-this one is correct)
PTA Meetings (begin at 7:30pm in Cafeteria)
June 3rd (Thank You Tea for Volunteers and Teachers)
THANK YOU to our wonderful Teachers and Administration, Coordinators, Board Members and Volunteers. We have collectively worked hard to bring so very much to Wenonah this past year in terms of supplies, programs and fun and can only continue to do so with YOUR help!
Your Executive PTA Board for the 2008-2009 school year
President: Vanessa Pinello
Co-Vice President: Corey Schneider
Co-Vice President: Danielle Console
Secretary: Paula Albert-Franz
Treasurer: Tracy Fasano
Council Delegate: Tara Felice
Corresponding Sec.: Keri Williams
5th Grade Coordinators (Class of 2009):
Barbara Colucciello
Keri Evans
Fran LaFrancesca
Debbie Morreale
Theresa Pelis
Some Favorite Links:
Kids websites Find websites for kids from anything from Arts and Crafts to Science experiments; Info for parent help websites too!
Scholastic parents Shop for books, get info on helping kids with reading, etc.
Project kool Great games about environmental issues!
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