Here's a rough (extremely rough!)draft of an involvement piece I'm working on (to be made available on Web).
Happy to have any feedback or more ideas to help make this beneficial for group leaders or parents:
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We’d Love Your Help! And we’d love to know the types of activities and events that might fit with your skills and interests and availability. Could you please take just a moment and mark any of the below that might work for you? We’ll be using this survey to help plan great events, and – if there’s a fit – we’ll use this survey to match involved parents with activities you’re interested in.
Key:
W = Weekend
1 = One-time help (not ongoing)
H = Help from Home
Playground Clean-Up (W, 1)
Newsletter (H)
Field-trip Chaperone (1)
Cafeteria Helper
Guest Speaker (1)
Read to class/student (1)
Photograph/video events
Prepare bulletin boards (h)
Provide snacks for events (1, h)
Teacher’s Helper,
Library Volunteer
Solicit donations from businesses (H)
Ticket seller at Fair/Carnival (W, 1)
Run game at Fair/Carnival (W, 1)
Set-up/Tear-down for Fair/Carnival (W, 1)
BoxTops coordinator
Save BoxTops (H)
Serve on Audit Committee (1)
Staff Appreciation Day Committee
Book Fair (1)
Write letters home for fundraisers and similar (H)
attend parent meetings
attend school committee meetings and report to parent group
Parent group Web site (H),
Fundraising Committee
Committee Chairperson
Arts&Enrichment Committee
Teacher Appreciation Week Committee
Correct papers for teachers (H)
Carpentry (W, H)
Translate (H)
Copying or Laminating
Attend Family Nights at school (1)
(which of these would be most interesting?)
_ Family Games Night
_ Family Math Night
_ Family Movie Night
_ Family Reading Night
_ Family Gym Night
_ Family Arts & Crafts Night
_ Family College Funding Night
_ Other: ___________________
Help organize Family Nights at school
Science Fair volunteer (1)
Save printer cartridges for school $$ (H)
Arrange for your office to save printer cartridges for $$ (H)
Auctioneer (1)
Parent Group Leadership
Carpentry/Mechanical (H) (W)
Parent Involvement Committee
Grounds Clean-Up Day (W)
Gardening/Plantings (W)
Career Day (1)
Bake for Bake Sale (H)
Manage parent group email list (H)
Public Relations – releases to newspapers (H)
Yearbook Committee
Phone assistant (communications) (H)
Special Talents/Skills/Interests (We’d love your help!): ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We have an after-school enrichment program that always needs help:
Teach a class (for whole time)
guest teach one class
help with registration
work on the flyer/program of classes
volunteer for end of session party (cook something, hand out something)
substitute teacher for the after-school program
In addition to the contribution of time and resources, information is one of the most important things we can donate to our organizations.
Not everyone is able to make it to School Board meetings, Town & County Council/Commissioner meetings, or stay up-to-date on the latest in state and federal legislation and debates surrounding education.
Having parents take turns attending these meetings to take notes and brief the PTA/PTO not only helps keep everyone informed, but it also gives each person a better understanding of how the processes work. Before you know it, parents are attending these meetings even when it isn't "their turn" just so they don't "miss anything".
Also asking parents and teachers to clip, print or copy an interesting article they come across and briefly explain it to those in attendance also helps keep everyone informed and helps everyone feel they have something important to contribute. And again, before you know it, everyone is sharing emails, articles and interesting websites dealing with educational issues.
My "hero" from high school once told me that (paraphrasing) life is a battlefield, and information is the most effective weapon with which one can arm one's self.
WE are always looking for activities that are free or heap for families. Someone could be put in charge of researching the different things.
I know it has already been posted ut teachers love any help they can get in our school. reading to the class so the teacher can get something else done or changing the teacheres outside wall.
How about helping the teacher before school statr and at the end of the year.
Helping to find nice inexpensive items for santa workshop.
Working with local bus for donations.
Helping with field day.
Just LETTING the pTO know you are available and willing to help help is also a great plus
