Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Volunteers Needed for 2008-09

We are still in search of some important volunteers for the upcoming school year. Please remember parent council is run entirely by volunteers, and we can't do it all -- we need your help! Please contact our new Parent Council President, Sue Borden, at 253-0140 or frpc.sborden@gmail.com if you have questions and/or are willing to help out. Coordinators are needed for the following events: Cultural Enrichment Committee: This committee notifies teachers of cultural events at U Mass, orders tickets that teachers request, and confirms the date and time of the performance for teachers. Most of the work happens in early fall. Holiday Gift Wrap Sales: This is one of our biggest fundraisers! This committee works with the gift wrap company to select items to sell, distributes brochures to each family, collects order forms and places orders with the company, and distributes orders when they arrive. A Fall event. Beach Party: This is a fun evening social event for families featuring live music, dancing and ethnic foods from around the world (and sometimes colorful tropical clothes and accessories). Committee members advertise the event, decorate the cafeteria in a beach theme, order food, and of course help with set up and clean up. A Spring event. Book Fair: This is a great opportunity for students to purchase quality books at affordable prices (and provides important funding for our school library). This committee contacts the book companies (usually Scholastic and one local book store), makes arrangements to have the books delivered to the school, staffs the book fair, and handles the final payment to the book companies. A co-coordinator is needed to run this event with Diane Caraker. A Fall event. Fort River Lost and Found / Hand Me Downs: This committee maintains the Hand-Me-Down closet (so that items can be found!), and organizes a twice-yearly event in which lost clothes are placed on tables in the lobby to be retrieved by kids/parents. Remaining items are donated to the Survival Center. Coffee With a Principal: This committee organizes a monthly morning coffee with Principal Sharick and/or Vice-Principal Suarez-Werlein. This committee coordinates with the principal’s office to choose dates, publicizes the event, makes coffee, provides light food, and handles set-up and clean-up. Saving Makes “Cents”: This program strives to encourage savings habits and goal setting. Children can open a bank account with Florence Savings Bank and bank weekly in the cafeteria (before school) with help from parent volunteers (or directly at the bank). Only $1.00 is needed to open an account, and any amount can be deposited—and after 10 deposits, the Bank will deposit $1.00 into the account. Coordinator: Barbara Morse (253-9160: bmlmorse@comcast.net). Two weekly volunteers needed. Resource Coordinators are needed for the following committees: Same-sex parent – families Single-parent – families Child with special needs – families English as a second language – families ALANA families: (African-American, Latino(a)/Chicano(a), Asian/Pacific American, and Native American). Room Parents: Room parents are needed for all classrooms. Room parents check in with the teacher monthly to see what is be needed (e.g., snacks for an event, field trip volunteers, etc.), plan a class pot-luck, and assist with planning a grade-wide event. They may organize a class gift in December and/or June. Once again, please contact Fort River Parent Council President Sue Borden at 253-0140 or frpc.sborden@gmail.com, if you would like to take on one of these jobs.