Besides getting the chance to meet with our PTO Executive Board, what else is going on?

SPRING SING THIS WEEK 

• Tuesday, March 10th
  Kindergarten – 6:45 pm (Call Time – 6:25 pm)
  Grade 1 – 7:15 pm (Call Time – 6:55 pm)
• Wednesday, March 11th
  Grade 2 – 6:45 pm (Call Time – 6:25 pm)
  Grade 3 – 7:15 pm (Call Time – 6:55 pm)
• Thursday, March 12th
  Grade 4 – 6:45 pm (Call Time – 6:25 pm)
  Grade 5 – 7:15 pm (Call Time – 6:55 pm)

Everybody Plays Inclusive Playdate Sunday March 15th, 1-2 pm 

DivInc’s next Everybody Plays Inclusive Playdate is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 15th from 1 – 2 pm inside the Irving gym. All are welcome, please join the fun!
Please RSVP using this link:
https://forms.gle/AvMZPiZQNoKkWeWG7

Looking Ahead: 

• Tuesday 3/17 – No School! 
• Wednesday 3/18 7 pm – DivInc Meeting – Irving Library 
• Thursday 3/19 – After School: 2020’s 1st Garden Club of the Year
  Join us on Thursday, March 19th, the Vernal Equinox, after school to plant peas and prepare the garden! All are welcome.

Have questions for us? Want to know who is behind the PTO? Want to know more about the open positions before nominations are due at our next PTO meeting on 4/3? How about chatting with us at drop off while our kids run around! We can’t promise great weather, but we can promise great discussions and ways to get involved.

Where to Find Us: We’ll start off outside the Kindergarten door on Cuyler from 2:50-3:30, then we’ll move over to the playground. Look for us Tuesday 3/10. Friday 3/13, Monday 3/16 (morning too!), Friday 3/20 and Monday 3/30.

Who They Are: Wait a second – who is even on the Exec Board? Who should we look for?

• Stacey Belmont – Co-President
• Jean Dawson – Co-President
• Lauren VanderBerg – Communications
• Alison Askham Price – Communications
• Melissa De Jesus-Vasquez – Co-Secretary
• Mindy Everett – Co-Secretary
• Vanessa Izar McFadden – Co-Treasurer
• Susan Raphael – Co-Treasurer
• Michelle Le Hew Ahring – Volunteer Coordinator
• Mechelle Wesley – Co Diversity Committee Respresentative
• Lettie Tatheia Sullivan – Co Diversity Committee Representative

What They Do: In Short (you get the basic idea):

• Presidents: Set meeting agendas, ensure things are done, represent Irving on greater district events, and steer the committee in genral.
• Communications: Facebook, Irvingpto.com site, Google Calendar, Newsletters, — If you like WordPress and Square Account set up – the position for you.
• Secretary: Minutes, follow up letters – can listen through the noise in a meeting.
• Treasurer: Budget, Receipts, Taxes, Compliance, Numbers are your jam.
• Volunteer Coordinator: Finds us people!!
• Diversity Committee (Check out the great “Take 5” about them).

Time Commitment:  The Executive Board does meet 30 minutes prior to the general meeting. Assume depending on month and things we have going on – an hour or so a week responding to things up to 5-10 hours a month during planning sessions.

Exec Committee Positions for 2020-2021 Coming Available:

• Co-President
• Communications Co-Coordinator (2 positions open)
• Co-Secretary
• Co-Treasurer
• DivInc Co-Chair

Not ready to take on a full “exec” position but know you have leadership to give? The following committees could be right for you! Be sure to check out previous “Take 5 With Your PTO” and future issues for more details!

2020-2021 Needs: (remember – helping someone out as co-chair means no one gets too burned out!!!!)

• Book Fair (Need one or two more chairs)
• Craft Fair Co-Chair
• Craft Services (Need one to learn ropes for vacancy in 2021-2022)
• Fifth Grade Committee (Need two to three people)
• Garden Club (Need one or two people)
• Irving Sleepover (Need a new chair, and ideally, they will shadow this spring)
• Parent Parties—Need one more person
• Teacher Parties—Need one more person
• Yearbook—Need two person (note – February is their busy time)
• Class Baskets—Need another
• Pacers—Need someone

So hope you will come and stop by and talk to us in the next few weeks!

 

So last week we talked about having fun and getting to know other adults in the Irving Community, but today let’s learn about ways to give back while keeping an eye on the youth in the Irving Community.

So many great parents organize so many fun things for our youth, and organize some good for the world things too! Let’s dive into the Fun Fair, Sleepover, Book Fair and Zero Waste!

Fun Fair:

Who They Are: Committee- Kara Sakellaris, Nick Sakellaris, Courntey Sakellaris (costco order and concessions), Nicole Daniel (Dancing for Desserts)

What They Do: Help with this winter indoor special event in February that includes games, prizes, entertainment, and food. For the Desserts: Coordinate donations of desserts, help run this event at the Fun Fair, and coordinate storage and pickup of desserts after they are won.

Time Commitment:  We plan January- February. Event is late February. 1 thing to know– Online ticket sales was a HUGE undertaking last year. Open to ideas on making the event more equitable but also a FUNdraiser.

Sleepover:

Who They Are: Committee- Kara Sakellaris, Nick Sakellaris, Sarah Carter (has been our parent organizer for past several years of breakfast)

What They Do:  Solicit parent/teacher volunteers, promote to families, and organize activities, food, and supervision for annual sleepover (this year on 5/8/2020). Nick and Kara do all sign ups, communications, flyers, set up and cleanup of event.  Volunteers are needed though to help supervise the games, movie, and yes – sleepover too! And if you don’t sleep over – bring coffee and breakfast the next morning!

Time Commitment:  We plan March and April, event is late April or May.1 thing to know- This is the most fun event EVER! And Sarah doesn’t even spend the night!!!!

Book Fair:

Who They Are:  Jean Dawson (Yep – Superwoman does it herself!)

What They Do: Help with the fall and spring sales of high-quality paperback and hardcover books.  Spring dates are 4/20 to 4/23/2020. (Fall Dates are usually October). Work with the seller, set up, get the volunteers, make sure wish lists are filled out by the teachers, and more.

Time Commitment:  You’ll be busy the week or two before – and then expect that week to be living at the school (or have a good group of volunteers working all of the shifts.  1 thing to know – Just like for us when we were kids – the book fair is a highlight for youth. Their smiles and joy in finding the right book is priceless.

Zero Waste Lunch Committee

Who They Are: Leah Fluecke and Sabrina Blackney

What They Do:  Volunteers are essential in maintaining this Zero Waste program because they train and assist the children through the sorting process, which can be a hurried and confusing process.

Ideally, we need volunteers to commit to overseeing all three lunch periods from 11:30 to 12:25, however, if you can only make part of that time, please let me know. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4fa8ab28a6fc1-lunchroom1

Adult family and college students welcome! If you are able, please consider signing up for a reoccurring time slot each month.

Time Commitment:  Just an hour of your time! 1 thing to know – Nothing will show you what your kid is really like at school than lunch time :).

So, thanks for taking 5 – and next week we’ll look at the Executive Committee.

In case you missed it….we were lucky to have our own Mr. Sakellaris do a learning session regarding “How to support your child at home with academics” presentation at our PTO meeting.  And we are even luckier that he shared the tips for us to post! See the attachments below for more information.

Within, Beyond; About the Text Questions for Reading at Home 3 (6)

Help Your Child At Home Presentation