|
If you are interested in any of these committees or events, please
contact
the committee's leader or any member of the PTO Board.
Active Anti-Racism
The development of "active anti-racist" schools is a citywide
goal. Formed in 1997 to build on the prior year's "active anti-racism"
programs, this committee works to promote awareness, discussion
and action within the Zervas community around issues of racism,
tolerance and diversity. In pursuit of this goal, the committee
aims to "think globally, act locally." This committee
has sponsored a series of parent discussion groups, family gatherings
at the Zoo and at Zervas, and has participated in the hallway anti-racism
exhibit. "We are always on the lookout for new ideas and perspectives."
Apparel Sales Manager
Manage our inventory
of hats and shirts, fill orders from parents and help with
re-ordering. Time commitment: 10-12 hours a year and the ability to
store the products at home.
Art Class Volunteers
Each year, parents are invited to assist in the art classes on a
regular basis. Parent volunteers typically assist the teacher during
the period of their child's art class. Typical duties include helping
the children complete their projects, helping with cleanup, and
distributing supplies. Sign-up sheets will be available early in
the year, posted in each of the classrooms.
Classroom Clean Up
Help with publicity and
implementation at the annual January classroom clean up day. Assist
current chair with organizing room parent volunteers and making
certain each classroom gets some attention. Prior to day, purchase
supplies. Time Commitment: 4-6 hours prior to event in late January,
5 hours on the day of, a Saturday. Great for a working parent.
Creative Arts and Sciences
Aiming to enrich the school curriculum, this committee brings programs
in music, dance, drama, the fine arts, and sciences to Zervas. Working
closely with teachers, the committee selects and organizes a variety
of programs for the entire school as well as specific curriculum-related
activities for individual classrooms. Personal exchange between
students and artists or scientists is developed whenever possible.
The Zervas Creative Arts and Sciences Committee is part of a citywide
Creative Arts Council which seeks out scientists and artists of
high professional quality and merit who are interested in educating
children. The Council maintains an extensive and current resource
file. These activities are funded primarily by the P.T.O.
Directory
The Zervas Directory is published every fall with the names, addresses
and phone numbers of each student and his or her family. In addition,
the Directory includes class lists and lists of Zervas Faculty and
Staff. It is invaluable, and an important way for us to get to know
and stay in touch with one another. It is distributed free of charge
to every family at Zervas. The committee is responsible for compiling
the information and for the production of the Directory.
Election Day Bake Sale
Organize volunteers and provide
leadership during our November bake sale. Duties may include
obtaining donations, purchasing supplies and scheduling volunteers.
This is a great opportunity for somebody that wants to make a
one-time commitment. Time Commitment: 5 hours leading up to the
event.
(Boston/Newton) Family and Friends Network
This volunteer program provides a tangible way to build bridges
between Zervas' Boston and Newton families. Cooperating families
welcome new students and their families to the Zervas community,
and provide a means to smooth their transition. Initiate and
assist with relevant events designed to bring Boston & families
closer together. Monthly commitment: average of one hour per month.
Cooperating families from both Newton and Boston set their own
levels of involvement and participation. For example, a Newton family
might offer a place to stay during a snow emergency or an invitation
home for dinner on the day of an evening event at school. This group
organizes family activities such as skating or a trip to the zoo.
Family Events
This committee is responsible for organizing the many family events
sponsored by the P.T.O. each year, including the beginning and end
of-the-year family picnics, and family dance. The committee is looking
for members and new ideas for ways we can gather and enjoy each
other and ourselves.
Fundraising
All of the programs at Zervas School enrich our children's education;
some of these events and services require funding beyond that provided
for in the annual school budget. During the year you will have many
opportunities to help in such efforts to support our school. Our
fundraising efforts include the gift-wrap sale in the fall, the
winter auction, and the Zervas Fair, which is an annual spring event
when the community is invited for a day of games, entertainment,
good food, and prizes. Other activities include the Kindergarten
Soccer Program, bake sales, bottle/can drives, tee shirt sales,
and the library gift book program offered during the December holidays
and again at year's end.
Gay Straight Parent Teacher Alliance
The purpose of the Gay Straight Parent Teacher Alliance (GSPTA)
is to help make the Zervas community a safe place for everyone and
to act as a resource for teachers, staff or parents regarding issues
of family diversity, name-calling and homophobia. The committee
may offer programs or projects for the community and discuss books
and films on relevant subjects.
Gender Issues
This committee focuses on expanding awareness and understanding
of gender equity issues and works to recognize and address gender
stereotyping and bias in our school. It encourages the development
of strategies and programs that will create a more gender-equitable
educational environment.
Grounds
A committee for gardening enthusiasts, this group helps maintain
the school grounds, and in particular, the area known as the "Nature
Classroom." The committee organizes
people for fall and spring cleanup, planning and executing planting
and helping to maintain current gardens. Monthly commitment: 2-3
hours each month during spring, summer and fall. The committee always appreciates help when planting
and weeding.
Health
This committee focuses on issues of health as they affect your child.
It conducts the fall lice check, and is concerned with other health-related
issues. The committee also assists in monitoring and evaluating
such things as building and playground safety and
bicycle safety at Zervas. Monthly commitment varies from 0-2 hours
each month
Hospitality
This committee provides coffee and food for the many P.T.O. meetings,
Coffee & Conversation Hour, and other gatherings such as the
Teacher Appreciation luncheon.
International Families
This committee focuses on recognizing and celebrating the varied
countries and cultures represented in the Zervas community.
International Dinner: Organize, plan and run the
International Dinner (early December). This is a potluck dinner
which will likely expand to include international crafts,
music, customs and demonstrations. Time commitment: 5-10 hours
total, during November and early December.
Library
The Library Committee organizes volunteers to work in the school
library. The volunteer's responsibilities may include assisting
the younger children when selecting and signing out books, shelving
and processing returned books, and preparing new books to be put
on the shelves. This is a fun way to be involved with your child's
class. Time commitment can be as little as one hour a week.
Library Gift Book Sale
Manage the gift book sales in both fall
and spring. The librarian selects books and parents are invited to
purchase a book (perhaps to honor a specific person or event) for
the library. The manager provides the marketing and administration of this important
fund raiser by scheduling volunteers, creating bookplates and
sending certificates to recipients. Time Commitment: 10 hours for
each sale.
Literacy Night Parent Liaison: Provide organizational and
marketing support to the staff at Zervas to make literacy night a
success. Time commitment: 5-10
hours total during the weeks leading up to the event. This event
happens every other year, alternating with Math Night.
Math Night Parent Liaison: Provide organizational and marketing
support to the staff at Zervas to make math night a success. Time commitment: 5-10 hours total
during the weeks leading up to the event. This event happens every
other year, alternating with Literacy Night.
Mini Grants
The PTO makes grant money available to teachers so that a teacher
may undertake a class project, program or professional development,
work that would otherwise be impossible. Grants may fund, among
other things, equipment, teacher workshops, or classroom materials.
The teacher makes the plan and writes the proposal. This committee
reviews the proposals and awards the grants. The work is done in
the fall.
Newton Schools Foundation Liaison: Help the Zervas staff maximize
their grant potential by educating them about the opportunities at
NSF. Ideally, you will assist with grant writing and preparation and
have some professional knowledge in this area. Depending on your
current knowledge, you will need to educate yourself about the
Foundation, then relay this to our staff. Time commitment: variable
but at least 5-10 hours throughout the year.
PTO Board
Vice President: Oversee a select group of committees and act as
liaison with their chairs. Communicate to the board on matters
relating to those committees and participate in board-level decision
making at monthly executive meetings. Monthly commitment: varies
from 2-10 hours
Room Parents
Room parents are needed for each class. Their responsibilities include
phoning parents, planning breakfasts and helping to organize class
parties as requested by the teacher. This can be a good way to get
acquainted with your child's classmates and to help implement P.T.O.
and school-wide initiatives.
Safety
The Safety Committee informs parents on matters such as traffic,
parking, the locked-door policy and playground safety.
Shoppers
Staples Shopper
Make contact monthly with the PTO Board and School
Secretary to assess any supply needs. On occasion, may help with pickup and delivery of print projects. Time Commitment:
one hour each month
Supplies Shopper
Responsible for maintaining an inventory of
paper goods and safe snacks. Time Commitment: 4 hours over the year.
Social Action
The goal of the Social Action Committee is to plan, support, and
enrich school-based activities that provide opportunities for our
students and school community to participate productively in our
society. As a result of these activities, our students will hopefully
see themselves as responsible citizens who can significantly make
our school, community, and world a better place. Some activities
that this committee sponsors are a Halloween candy collection for
a men's shelter, making Thanksgiving placemats, a winter coat and
boot drive, and food collection for the Failure to Thrive Clinic. Time commitment:
5-10 hours throughout the year, based on events.
Teacher Appreciation
Help to come up with innovative ways to show
our teachers how much we value them. Run an appreciation luncheon in
the spring. You may be called upon to help with various teacher
focused events throughout the year. Time Commitment: 1 hour each
month with a slight increase the month of the luncheon.
Technology
This committee focuses on issues regarding computers in the school.
In particular, it will focus on how to best support the efforts
of the school to update and increase both hardware and software
and make the most of the resources we have.
Understanding Our Differences
This award-winning curriculum teaches 3rd and 4th grade students
what it is like to have a disability and how to be a good friend to
someone who has one. The program was founded over 25 years ago in
Newton and has been run by parent volunteers who value the lesson of
empathy and respect that the program teaches. By helping the
children understand certain handicaps and providing them with the
opportunity for a frank discussion with people who have these
handicaps, this program hopes to help children overcome their fears
and to respect the humanity of each individual regardless of
differences.
This unique program contains six units, each focusing on a different
issue:
- Blindness/Visual Impairment (Third Grade)
- Deafness/Hard of Hearing (Third Grade)
- Learning Disabilities (Fourth Grade)
- Physical Disabilities (Fourth Grade)
- Developmental Disabilities/Mental Retardation (Fourth Grade)
- Special Medical Conditions: Asthma, Diabetes, and Epilepsy
(Fourth Grade)
Each unit is presented in two 2 hour classroom
sessions. There is a unit leader (parent) who provides the introduction
to the unit, organizes the activities, and helps prepare the assisting
parent volunteers. Each unit consists of an introduction to the unit, a guest speaker,
a video and a number of activities or readings. Activities
range from trying out wheel chairs, to eating blindfolded and making
a sample meal plan for a diabetic. Parent volunteers assist in the
activities and lead small group discussions - you do not
need to be an expert to help, as training and curriculum are provided.
Volunteer Appreciation/Volunteer Coordinator
Help to maintain a
database of available parents and match them with events and needs.
Organize end of year volunteer appreciation luncheon. Time
Commitment: 10 hours throughout the year
Website Administration
Maintain the existing PTO website. You may
be asked to add items and to update current information. Web design
skills a must. Experience with FrontPage beneficial. Time
Commitment: 1 hour per month.
Welcoming
This committee focuses on welcoming families new to Zervas School,
helping them get acquainted with the school and with other families.
Zervas Notes
Zervas Notes is published every other week and is the primary way
parents will be informed about what is happening at school. The
editing, production and distribution of the Notes are the responsibility
of this committee. Each editor will receive and
compose the newsletter from articles and announcements that are
provided. Some technical ability and an eye for detail would be
helpful. This is a great opportunity for a working parent. Time
Commitment: 2-3 hours, every other month.
Zmail Administration
Help to maintain the database for zmail and
participate in administration and execution of weekly announcements.
Technological skills required. Time Commitment: 2 hours monthly
|
