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PTO Committees and School Events
Click Here to see listing of Chairpersons for the 09-10 school year.
Click Here to obtain a copy of the Chairperson's Package.
School Based Volunteers
Each of the three schools has a group of PTO representatives who act as a liaison between the parents and the administration. Each school will have one lead representative. It is recommended that they have at least one year of experience as a representative at that school. In the event two candidates have the same qualifications, the executive board will choose the lead rep. At the request of the executive board, school representatives may be asked to serve as members of the executive committee and will attend all scheduled executive board meetings. At the first rep meeting in September, assignments of all duties will be made.
Some general responsibilities for all school representatives are as follows:
· Attend Back-to-School Nights. Pre-arrange for necessary tables, chairs and volunteers. Collect PTO and school dues and sell Notepads. .
· Assist photographer on Picture Day.
· Keep PTO Refrigerator and closet/cupboard clean. Keep a supply of plates, cups & napkins.
· Coordinate and host special events within the school.
· Maintain PTO Bulletin boards in the school.
· School Beautification: maintain planters, window and door decorations if necessary.
· Communicate parental concerns and questions to the principal.
In addition to the list above, the following are added responsibilities for Central Middle School. There are usually 1-2 representatives per grade in addition to the lead rep.
· Solicit volunteers for 7th and 8th grade dances.
· Plan activities and solicit volunteers for 6th Grade Fun Nights.
· Assist with September magazine sale.
· Assist with Holiday and End of Year parties.
· Assist with year-end awards.
· Host an informal post-graduation reception in the gym.
· Assist with 8th grade trip fundraising.
In addition to the list above, the following are added responsibilities for Millington School representatives. There are usually two lead reps, one School Spirit rep, and a 5th grade class rep.
· Coordinate and support Class Moms.
· Implement School Spirit days.
· Holiday Gift Drive: work with Police Department and Gillette School reps. Wrap collection box, create and distribute flyer.
· Be available to assist at PTO special events as needed.
· 3rd grade Accelerated Reader Award: purchase gift certificates.
· 4th grade Spelling Bee: work with librarian, arrange judges, and get gift certificates for prizes.
· Field Day: purchase snacks and popsicles.
· Assist School Spirit Rep.
· Organize volunteers for Photo Day
· Oversee Grade specific events – assist or step in as necessary.
· Set dates for Spirit Days, Grade Specific events etc
· Liaise with the Principal and School secretaries wherever necessary
· Present a report of PTO related activities at the school at each PTO meeting
In addition to the listed above, the following are added responsibilities for Gillette School representatives. There are usually two representatives per grade and a lead rep.
· Coordinate Back to School Bus Chaperones and provide transportation for chaperones to or from Gillette School.
· Coordinate and support Class Moms.
· Schedule monthly Color days and send out reminder flyers.
· Be available to assist at PTO special events as needed.
· Halloween party: Coordinate pumpkins for 1st grade parties.
· Holiday party: Coordinate gingerbread-house project for 1st grade parties.
· Holiday Gift Drive: work with Police Department and Millington School reps. Wrap collection box, create and distribute flyer.
· Buy corsages and boutonnieres for music teacher or teachers running grade programs.
· Kindergarten Summer Send Off: purchase food and drinks, corsages and gift for school secretary.
· Kindergarten Registration: copying, greeting parents, etc.
· 1st Grade picnic: order lunch and collect money from Class Moms. Coordinates games with Class Moms to avoid duplication.
· Field Day: Purchase snacks and Popsicles.
Class Parents are volunteers selected by the teachers at Gillette and Millington Schools during the first week in September. If you are interested in being a class parent it is usually best to send in a note to the teacher during the first few days of school.
The PTO strongly recommends that you do not volunteer to be a Class Parent for more than one child. Working parents who have volunteered to be a Class Parent are expected to be present at all class parties and events, or to arrange for a replacement. Serving as Class Parent does not automatically entitle you to be selected as a chaperone for a class trip. Chaperones will be selected by drawings if slots are limited. Also, priority will be given to those parents whose children have special medical needs.
Questions and concerns should be addressed to the Head Rep for your school.
Class Parents have many responsibilities. Before volunteering, please be sure that you can be accountable for all of the obligations and responsibilities outlined below.
· Receive and review class list. This list must be distributed to parents no later than one week after Back-to-School Night. Class Parents must receive authorization from parents to publish their phone numbers on the class list.
· Run all class parties at the direction of the teacher. Organize refreshments, games, and activities, as needed. Other parents may be included to help prepare and run the parties.
· Teachers often have specific classroom activities/practices and it is the responsibility of the Class Parents to assist in carrying out these traditions.
· Collect class dues. Dues are currently $10 and are used to help subsidize the cost of craft supplies, refreshments, and other necessities for class parties.
· Sign up and schedule volunteers (at Back-to-School Night) to provide refreshments and other necessities for class parties. You are also responsible for reminding those volunteers as the class party approaches.
· Chaperone the class trip (occasionally limited to a specific number of Class Parents).
· Each teacher may request additional assistance during the course of the year. For example, traditional events have included helping the first grade students with the building of the holiday gingerbread houses, and assisting students during a grade-specific event.
Central Middle School has no appointed Class Parents, but it does have a great need for parent volunteers. The faculty, school office staff, and school representatives often seek parent volunteers to assist with many of the special programs and events held during the course of the school year. Some examples are:
· Collect class dues at Back-to-School Night.
· Dance chaperones (approximately eight volunteers needed once a month).
· 6th Grade Fun Night volunteers and chaperones.
· Provide assistance at holiday party and year-end picnic.
· Library assistants.
· September Magazine drive volunteers.
· Student pictures.
· Class trips - parent volunteers are occasionally requested.
· Central Middle School play.
· Band Parents: responsible for fundraising (Poinsettia sale Nov/Dec), coordinating/chaperoning band trips, and providing support at concerts and events.
· Assist with 8th Grade trip fundraising.
We hope that Central Middle School parents will volunteer and help support these special programs and events. Specific requests for volunteers will be sent home with students.
The art teachers at Gillette and Millington Schools need volunteers for classroom assistance and for creating displays of artwork on the bulletin boards. Please be aware that siblings cannot be accommodated.
In the Fall, additional volunteers are needed to collect and tabulate orders for the school magnet fundraiser which benefits the art program.
Gillette, Millington, and Central Middle School librarians are happy to have the assistance of parents who volunteer to help on a rotating schedule. These volunteers help the librarians check out and re-shelve books. They also occasionally repair and restore books. Volunteers may sign-up in September and choose a weekly or semimonthly schedule for the entire school year. Please be aware that siblings cannot be accommodated.
Parents of first graders at Gillette are given the opportunity to assist children on the playground during the recess period. Volunteers may oversee a soccer game, help swing a jump rope, or participate in any of a variety of other playground activities. Parents may opt for a weekly or semimonthly schedule. Sign-up flyers are circulated and a list of volunteers is provided to the Principal. Please be aware that siblings can not be accommodated on the playground.
The chairpersons for these events must be able to begin planning several months in advance, to develop a schedule of activities, either new or based on the previous years’ event, keep a budget, and coordinate many volunteers. Whenever possible, the chairperson should attend the prior year’s event. All of these events are fluid and open to change.
The chairman is ultimately responsibility for:
· Working with a teacher-representative and school administration.
· Facility planning, requisition of grounds, tables, tents, etc. from the Board of Education.
· Communicating committee plans and progress at a PTO meeting.
· Tracking cash flow and coordinating outside vendor contracts with PTO Treasurer, if necessary.
· Flyers and announcements.
· Volunteer oversight.
The PTO dedicates a significant portion of its budget to this committee. The money is used to present theatrical, musical and dance assemblies, as well as educational programs, for the children at each school. Meetings are held several times throughout the year to select the shows that will be presented at each school. In addition, committee members may attend showcases (short previews of several shows performed at one location), go to various schools to preview possible programs and investigate any teacher recommendations based on performances that they have seen.
The members make the scheduling arrangements between artists and schools. The following skills are helpful in serving on this committee:
· An interest in today's performing arts and in providing a stimulating variety of programs to the children.
· The ability to communicate and work with artists and school staff when arranging dates.
· The ability to travel to daytime showcases and/or preview shows being held at other schools.
· The ability to attend the scheduled programs and assist the artists when needed.
Field Day
Field Day is an exciting and fun-filled day offered to Millington and Gillette School students near the end of the school year. Separate chairpersons are assigned to each school, and the two events will be held on separate days. The children spend the day enjoying relay races, games, and tests of athletic skills. Field Day is a celebration of physical energy and team spirit. All children are awarded a certificate at the conclusion of the day's activities.
Food Day is an optional special food service program sponsored by the PTO. Students are given the opportunity to purchase a special food item for lunch to be served on Food Day. The selections include pizza, bagels, salads and submarine sandwiches. Gillette School has two pizza lunches per month, Millington has one food day and one pizza day each week, and Central Middle School has one food day per week. Generally, orders for Food Days are taken twice a year. The lead chairpersons are responsible for scheduling dates and menus and overseeing volunteers. Volunteers are needed to distribute the food to the children.
Ice cream day is an optional dessert program scheduled to coincide with School Spirit Days at Millington and Color Days at Gillette which generally take place once a month. The lead school reps are responsible for scheduling dates, providing classroom lists, and overseeing volunteers. At Gillette, colunteers are needed once a month to sort and deliver ice cream to the children while at Millington, these tasks are usually done by the Food Day volunteers.
Kindergarten Workshop
The Kindergarten Workshop is an orientation program for children entering kindergarten and their parents/guardians. The workshop is a two half-day program that is scheduled in the spring. Prospective students attend classes that are conducted by parent volunteers and participate in kindergarten related activities. While the children are in classes, parents/guardians attend informational seminars with various school personnel including the superintendent, principal, kindergarten teachers, and support staff. The purpose of this program is to be informative for the parents/guardians and to make an easier transition into kindergarten. This PTO program requires a large support staff of volunteers which includes the following:
The workshop co-chairs are responsible for planning and organizing this event. This includes obtaining a site location, scheduling speakers, registering students, purchasing supplies, collecting money, and paying expenses.
The Teacher coordinator prepares the curriculum, purchases the school supplies and assembles them for distribution to the teachers. Also, the teacher coordinator hosts meetings (at least 2) for the teachers and the co-chairs at her/his home to prepare for the workshop.
Teachers are responsible for coordinating their classroom activities and preparing their materials.
Co-Chairs and teachers attend preparation meetings run by the Teacher Coordinator prior to the event. During the week of the workshop, hospitality volunteers are needed to distribute snacks and refreshments and babysitting volunteers are needed in the nursery for those families requiring babysitting assistance for younger siblings.
This program is typically run in the morning at an off-site location. Parent volunteers are also needed on the final day to chaperone students on their field trip to Gillette School. This is the highlight of the workshop for the students, who get to ride a school bus and visit the kindergarten teachers in their classrooms.
This PTO event was specifically created as a singular means of thanking the faculty, administration, and support staff for all of their hard work and dedication to the children of Long Hill Township Schools. The luncheon is hosted by the PTO membership and is planned for late spring. Committee members are needed from all three schools to help plan the event and to solicit food and beverages from the PTO membership. The PTO purchases all supplies and food for this event. It is also necessary for members to be present the day of the luncheon for setup and cleanup.
The Staff Appreciation Luncheon is also given in lieu of the general thank you gifts (Nurse Appreciation Day, Secretary's Day, etc.), and complimentary PTO dinners that have previously been presented to the administration, faculty, and support staff.
Visiting Authors
The Visiting Authors program brings authors, illustrators, poets, and playwrights into the classrooms. The purpose of these visits are to encourage love of reading and writing by meeting published authors, introduce students to authors as positive role models, and provide insight into the process of writing and publishing a book.
This committee researches and secures grants from various funding sources to enhance their programs. Working closely with the principals and coordinating teachers, the committee recommends, reviews, and contracts authors for each grade level.
The chairperson needs to publicize the program to teachers, parents and students, coordinate programs, and provide and present awards or program prizeds, if required, to all who participate.
The PTO is proud to support a comprehensive Visiting Artists program that brings artists into the classrooms. The purpose of these visits is to introduce various art techniques and inspire artistic creativity in students by meeting artists, and introduce students to artists as positive role models. This committee researches and secures grants from various funding sources to enhance their programs. Working closely with the principals and coordinating teachers, the committee recommends, reviews, and contracts artists.
Grade-Specific Events
Grade Specific Events are developed to give the students a hands-on, interactive day and are tied into the curriculum appropriate to each grade. Timing of the events is also important to coordinate with curriculum. The chairperson must be able to begin planning several months in advance, to develop a schedule of activities, keep a budget, and coordinate many volunteers. Volunteers at these events are encouraged to dress the part. For some of these events, the students dress in costume as well. Many of these events include lunch for the participants. Whenever possible, the chairperson should attend the prior year’s event. The format of these events is fluid and open to change.
The chairman is ultimately responsibility for:
· Working with a teacher-representative and school administration.
· Facility planning, requisition of grounds, tables, tents, etc. from the Board of Education.
· Tracking cash flow and coordinating outside vendor contracts with PTO Treasurer, if required.
· Flyers, announcements, and emails.
· Volunteer oversight
The Environmental class project coincides with Earth Day and compliments the second grade science curriculum. This second grade project is designed to be a very "hands on" or interactive approach to learning about ecology, the environment, and green alternatives to give students an awareness of their world around them.
International Day gives third grade students the opportunity to take a world tour, visiting 8 - 10 countries over the course of a school day. Children have the opportunity to learn about specific cultural activities, language(s), food, and interesting facts about each country. This event is usually held in February. The country tour is held in the afternoon after an International lunch provided by parent volunteers held in each classroom.
During the country tour, children get to travel “around the world” spending approximately 15 minutes at each country booth. Each booth has information and artifacts pertaining to the country as well as a brief activity such as music, a craft, a slide show or a book. Children carry a travel bag that is used to collect country literature and other trinkets as they visit each booth. Parent volunteers run individual country-booths, serve as tour guides guiding the children to the various countries, and assist with the classroom lunches.
Science Day gives 4th grade students at Millington School the opportunity to work in teams to plan, complete and display the results of a science experiment. The chairperson, working with a teacher representative, must organize the day’s activities. They also arrange for volunteers to assist prior to and on the day of the event. A science program by an outside vendor may be planned for the afternoon.
Make-A-Book - 4th Grade
The Make-A-Book project for the 4th grade students is a half-day event designed to correspond with National Book Week. It is usually held during the third week of November and is coordinated with the librarian. The students make a plain paper book that can be used for sketches or as a journal. The chairperson is responsible for contacting a local frame shop to collect scraps of matte board necessary for the project and for ordering all necessary supplies. The chairperson must also organize and train class volunteers, create book labels and communicate information about the program. All volunteers must pre-sew the book, cut the matte boards to size, and assist students on the day of the event.
Colonial Day- 5th Grade
Colonial Day is a hands-on learning experience for fifth grade students at Millington School. It coincides with the fifth grade social studies curriculum involving the American colonial period and takes the children back to a time when people had to do a great many things for themselves. It is a full-day program and is usually held in the spring. Students, teachers, and parents come dressed in colonial garb and are ready to relive that bygone era by participating in colonial-era activities and crafts as well as being provided colonial-era foods for lunch.
The Medieval Festival is a full day celebration for the sixth grade at Central School. It corresponds to the curriculum and gives students a chance to experience what they have learned about this historic period. The event is often scheduled during the 8th grade class trip in the Spring to maximize resources. Amidst music and games of the medieval times, the students eat traditional food, wear medieval costumes and participate in related activities. Past highlights have included a 6th grade talent show, a demonstration by the high school fencing team, a medieval knight or other period actor.
Victorian Tea is an event for the seventh grade at Central School and encompasses the study of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in the Reading classes and the Social Studies classes’ coverage of the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian Age. Victorian Tea is a full day event held in January. The students, dressed in period costume, will move to various stations including topics such as education, leisure activities, class differences, the Industrial Revolution, and war and exploration. During lunch, the students will experience a traditional “high tea”. At the culmination of the day, the students will be treated to a “Punch and Judy” performance, typically seen in Victorian Britain.