It’s hard to believe that in a mere four months, McDonald Elementary School will open its door neighborhood students. The PTA is forming, and the steering committee seeks parents from the school’s attendance area (which includes parts of Wallingford, Green Lake, the U District and Ravenna) to lead the charge.
Until May 10, the committee is accepting applications for several board positions, and on June 7 the first PTA meeting will convene at the Lincoln High School library. Read on for much more information about the McDonald School PTA from the steering committee.
Now that McDonald Elementary is on its way to becoming a vital member of Seattle Public Schools, our community is forming a PTA for both families with children attending in the fall of 2010, and those with children enrolling at a future date. We are seeking volunteers from within our community to lead our PTA for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year. This is your chance to be part of creating a vibrant school and community for our McDonald Elementary children and families. We have a lot of guidance to help us through this process. Don’t let your lack of previous PTA experience discourage you from participating. If you are committed to creating a strong PTA for our children’s school, and have skills and experience to contribute, we need you!
PTA Board Application
Please contact Libby Chapman (libby.chapman@gmail.com) to apply for a board position.PTA meeting June 7
Our first PTA meeting will be held Monday June 7, at 7:00 in the Lincoln School Library. Details of this meeting will be sent via a separate email. During this first charter meeting, those present will vote on the proposed PTA Board member slate presented by the McDonald Elementary PTA Steering and Nominating Committees. We are encouraging all those assigned to McDonald Elementary to attend this first PTA charter meeting, even if your child will not be enrolling for several years or you are unsure if your child will be attending McDonald Elementary.PTA Board Positions
The charge of the Nominating Committee is to recognize, recruit and nominate the most qualified candidates available to serve as the McDonald PTA’s leadership. We will give careful consideration to the requirements and scope of the offices to be filled as well as to the qualifications and abilities needed to fill them, and match these to the members. Potential nominees should have a child who will attend McDonald Elementary in 2010 (with exception of the Preschool Liaison) and be enthusiastic and supportive of the McDonald Elementary PTA.The following is the list of the (7) PTA board positions we are seeking applicants for and a brief description:
Executive Officers (to be elected June 7)
Must be nominated and elected by general membership for each term.
**President – Manages overall objectives and strategies of the PTA. Presides at all PTA meetings and functions. Oversees all PTA business and represents McDonald PTA in events and issues concerning students, parents, school and the community. Communicates with and works with teachers, principal, and staff to ensure that the PTA best meets students’ needs. Initiates and coordinates programs and fundraising to help meet those needs. Maintains President’s notebook and keeps detailed procedural records of all events and projects that she/he oversees. Ensures that other officers and chairpersons maintain complete notebooks.
**Vice President – Assists the President in all of the above and fills in for him/her, when necessary. Troubleshoots projects that need extra follow-through (e.g., commercial fundraising projects). Takes over projects of her/his personal interest. To promote leadership continuity, the VP would ideally assume (or should intend to assume) the role of President in subsequent term.
**Treasurer – Works with the President to create the PTA budget, prepare the annual tax return, inform committees of budgeted funds, pay bills and reimbursements and oversee ongoing PTA finances to ensure adherence to approved budget. Maintains all accounts and records, provides monthly financial reports and projections at PTA meetings and files all tax forms.
**Secretary and Membership Coordinator – Keeps written records of general PTA meetings and PTA board meetings in the form of minutes. Forwards to President for review, and then submits minutes for inclusion on website and on bulletin boards. Makes copies of the minutes for the next PTA meeting so they can be approved by the membership. Coordinates PTA membership program, collects dues and keeps an ongoing list of current PTA members.
Board Positions (to be elected June 7 and Fall as indicated):
**Communications Manager – (Elected June 7) Oversees the creation of a communications strategy for the PTA , which likely will include a website and/or online newsletter about events and issues concerning McDonald community.
**Preschool Liaison – (Elected June 7) Serves as a representative and voice for parents of children entering McDonald in subsequent years.
**Co-Volunteer Coordinators- (One to be elected June 7; one to be elected in the Fall) Recruits parent help as necessary for PTA functions throughout the year. Recruits and manages Room Parents from every classroom and acts as liaison between classroom teachers and room parents.
**Fundraising – (Elected in the Fall) Coordinates all PTA-sponsored fundraising programs throughout the year. Helps with budget planning for the upcoming school year, noting how fundraising can fit with overall goals. Maintains record of current fundraising opportunities. May have some grant-writing expertise or work in conjunction with grant-writer(s) to help achieve PTA’s fundraising goals.
**Legislative Liaison – (Elected in the Fall) Stays abreast of national, state, and local PTA legislative concerns, reporting them to the Board and general membership at meetings and via the newsletter and informational flyers.
**Teacher Representative – (Elected in the Fall) – Acts as a liaison and communication link between the PTA Board and the faculty.
This is an exciting time for our quickly forming McDonald Elementary School community. Your involvement and participation is encouraged, even if you are unsure where you fit into the McDonald Elementary experience. Please come to the June 7 meeting, and consider getting involved.
Sincerely,
The McDonald Elementary School PTA Steering Committee
Brooke Anderson
Kristi Brumbaugh
Molly Capron
Libby Chapman
Carolyn Cunningham
Cat Howell
Susan Jackson
Sarah Koch
Lauren McGuire
Sara Roberts
Jennifer Sill
Nytasha Sowers
