| Year-Round
Activities |
|
Chairpersons |
| BOKS: Runs the
BOKS exercise program for students. |
|
Freya
Hurwitz |
| Box Tops for
Education: Copies and distributes "Box Top"
collection sheets, and collects, counts and mails box tops.
Also collects "Labels for Education." This program enables
children to make a difference in our school by cutting and
saving box tops of products you already purchase. |
|
Jenny Jing |
|
|
|
| Community
Service: Coordinates Holiday Gift Drive for families
in need. Promotes awareness and provides students and families
with opportunities to participate in projects such as charity
collection boxes at times of natural disasters or
(inter)national crises. |
|
Julia
Sappenfield
Mark
Sappenfield |
| Directory and
Database Management: Manages student data for
online directory, print version, and Constant Contact. This
project begins in the summer before publication, and concludes
with publication in early fall. Knowledge of Microsoft Access
and publishing software is helpful. |
|
Freya Hurwitz
|
| Faculty/Staff
Bulletin Board: Over the summer, contacts
faculty and staff to solicit photos. Labels and places photos
by grade and specialty on bulletin board in front hallway. |
|
Joyce McGovern
|
| Fifth Grade
Activities: Coordinates 5th grade events and the
yearbook for the graduating class. |
|
Julie Greenbaum
Anna McDonald
|
| Green Recycling Team:
Coordinates the collection of donated items to
the Funding Factory and helps to maintain the lunchtime
recycling program. |
|
Chris
Karrenberg |
| Grounds and
Garden Committee: Works on projects such as
weeding flower and garden beds. Works with the custodians to
spread mulch into the flower beds and playground areas when
needed and to plant bulbs in the fall. |
|
Julia Jenkins
Abigail
Siegal
|
| Library
Help: Assists the librarian by re-shelving and
checking books in and out. Parent leader organizes the
volunteer schedules. Volunteering schedule will be consistent
and may not be when your child is in the library. Volunteers
are needed at all grade levels. Sign
up at Volunteer Spot or get more information. |
|
Christine
Giampietro |
| Lost and Found:
Periodically cleans up lost and found bins and
coordinates donation of unclaimed items to charity. Also
occasionally checks school grounds for lost items. |
|
Amy Malick
|
| Outside Message Board:
Updates the message board on the outside of the
school building. |
|
Hadar Agam
Chris
Karrenberg |
| Playground Committee:
Assess playground needs, begin preliminary
research on investment into a new playground structure. |
|
Visda Saeyan
Julia
Sappenfield
Abby
Schwartz
Amy Volk |
| Photo Corps & Archivists:
Photographs various school events and gathers
photographs taken throughout the year at class events. |
|
Joyce
McGovern
|
| PTO Bulletin Board:
Creates the PTO bulletin boards inside the
school using photos and themed decorations. |
|
Erin Murphy
|
| The Update:
Produces the weekly PTO email newsletter (The
Update). |
|
Avery
Jung
Abigail
Siegal
Gloria
Tan
Olga
Umansky
|
| Walk to School Advocate: Serves as a liaison to Newton's Safe Schools
Committee. Organizes walking school buses and walk to school
events. |
|
Barry Elliott
|
| Website:
Updates and maintains the PTO website and
online calendar. |
|
Adam Howes
Marcel Lachenmann
|
| Welcome Committee:
Serves as a resource for new parents who have
questions about the school and the PTO. Creates welcome packets
for new families. May host a new parent wine or cheese party or
coffee early in the school year. |
|
Stephanie
Khozozian
Nivi Rabbi
|
| Winter Gear Swap:
Organize a winter gear swap during the school
year. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Events
|
|
Chairpersons |
| Back
to School Picnic: [September] This
event celebrates the start of the school year. Help is needed
to sell food, organize games, and to coordinate the event as
well as to staff volunteer shifts during the event. |
|
Sangeeta
Jathar
|
| Back to
School Breakfast for Faculty and Staff:
[September] Sets up a breakfast for our
faculty and staff during one of their first days back to
school. Volunteers needed for Sept.
2016! |
|
|
| Class
Pictures: [September/October] Schedules
school picture day with photography company. Gets volunteers
for the day to help the photographer, collect payments, and
distribute photos. Fall event for individual photos and spring
for class photos. |
|
Joyce
McGovern
|
| Field
Day: [June] Helps Physical Education
teachers coordinate this energetic end-of-the-year event that
takes place on a Tuesday during school hours. |
|
Fina Barouch
Sherry McClintock
|
| First Day
Parent Coffee: [September] Sets up
refreshments for parents during the first two mornings of
school. Volunteers needed for Sept.
2016! |
|
|
| Halloween
Party: [October] Organizes a
family-friendly Halloween party. |
|
Marian
Brodney
Melissa
Dietrich
Holly
Grieb |
| Kindergarten Playdates:
[June and September] Coordinates this meet
and greet for incoming kindergarteners and their families.
|
|
|
| Kindergarten Screening:
[April] Greets kindergartners and their
parents during screening, provides information, and answers
questions about Countryside and the PTO. |
|
|
| MultiCultural
Festival: [March] Organizes and sets up
international booths and performances at one of Countryside’s
most popular school-wide events. |
|
John Caulfield
Fateh Abouhilal
Keren Wolf |
| Musical:
[February] Helps produce a school-wide musical.
Responsible for auditions, costumes, set design, props, music
arrangement, program, and selling concessions. Auditions and
practices typically start in late fall. |
|
Joanne Foster
Beth Kitzis
|
| NewtonSERVES:
[April or May] Coordinates our community
service day. Includes organizing a team of volunteers to help
make improvements to our school building and grounds.
NewtonSERVES is a city-wide community service event.
NewtonSERVES 2016 will be held on May 1. |
|
Chris Karrenberg
|
| Parent
Speaker Series: Organize 2-3 evening speaking
events featuring topics of importance to the Countryside
community. |
|
|
| Parent
Party: [September] |
|
|
| Raffle:
[February/March] Solicits donations from
businesses, teachers, and parents; compiles and prints the
prize book; collects and categorizes tickets; distributes gifts
to winners. |
|
Emma Ardiff
Flaherty
Melissa
Waltuck |
| Springfest:
[June] Plans and executes this popular end-of-the-year
celebration. Food, bouncy house, and other attractions provide
enjoyment for families. |
|
Barry Elliott
|
| Teacher
Appreciation Lunch: [May] Plans and
delivers a lunch for our faculty on Teacher Appreciation Day.
|
|
Stephanie
Khozozian
Lauren
Lookner
|
| |
|
|
| City-wide
Programs |
|
Chairpersons |
| Creative Arts & Sciences: Works
closely with the faculty and principal to bring
curriculum-related enrichment programs into the classrooms.
Plans and implements programs for each grade level that enhance
art, English language arts, history, math, social sciences,
music, and the sciences curricula. More
information. |
|
Joyce
McGovern
Elham
Rezania
Esther
Zaff |
| Special Education
Liaison: Available to help parents who have
questions about special education in Newton. Provides
announcements of meetings and workshops to the school community
and can help coordinate Inclusive Schools Week. |
|
Hadar Agam
Steffi
Diamond
|
| Understanding Our
Differences: Parents work with the Newton Public
Schools to facilitate a unique disability awareness program for
the district’s elementary schools. The program includes six
instructional units to provide specific information and
experiential learning activities related to various
disabilities. |
|
|
| Room Parents
|
|
|
2015-2016 Room Parents List [PDF]
Room Parents coordinate with the teachers
and parents to help fill any classroom needs for volunteers or
supplies. They also help to foster a sense of classroom
community by organizing events. Finally, they facilitate
communication between the PTO and the parents in their
classrooms.
|
|
|
