We are only as strong as our volunteers!
Welcome back to Fishkill Plains. We are excited about all the events the PTA has planned for your children for the upcoming school year. As always, these events can only be successful with parents volunteering to help out. This can be accomplished in many ways:
To try to accommodate today's busy schedules, meetings are held in the mornings, afternoons and evenings on a rotating basis. Please come to our meetings to meet us, share your ideas, and meet other parents. We welcome suggestions and new input!
The PTA newsletter contains upcoming events, meeting dates and times, and important information about Fishkill Plains. Take the time to read it when your child brings it home!
We will be selling PTA memberships in the lobby at Parents as Partners Night on September 12 and 13.
We are looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at our meeting on Wednesday morning, October 17 at 9:15am.
We encourage you to become
a member of the PTA. We will not solicit you for your assistance
unless you volunteer!
FISHKILL PLAINS PTA BOARD
HERITAGE DAY:
This multi-cultural event includes international games, food tasting,
talent shows, and the
“World Showcase”- displaying costumes and artifacts from around the
world. This
project, a hit with the children and parents, takes a chairperson with
great organizational
skills and the ability to delegate. A large undertaking, dependant
on volunteers.
D.A.R.E. GRADUATION:
Coordinator obtains ands sets up juice and cookies to be served when
the hour long
program for fifth grade students completing this Drug Resistance program
is over. Usually
twice a year.
SCHOOL PICTURES:
Chairperson obtains volunteers to assist photographers when the children’s
pictures are
taken. The chair also distributes the information to the school, and
coordinates the
collection of money and distributes the pictures. The chair is the
contact between the
photographers and the school.
BREAKFAST WITH THE PRINCIPAL:
Coordinator distributes information to the school, takes reservations
from the children,
and order the food. Volunteers will be asked to help serve the breakfast
when the Principal
meets with the children before the school day begins.
SENIOR CITIZEN BREAKFAST:
Chairperson will plan the events between a local senior citizens group
and the school, will
obtain the menu items, and gather volunteers to attend and help the
morning of this event.
In the past, first graders have read to the guests and the guests have
played musical
instruments for the children.
ACTIVITY NIGHT:
Chairperson coordinates the different activities (movies, bingo, etc.)
, the volunteers, and
the refreshments. Usually Friday night.
CRAFT FAIR:
Chairperson coordinates vendors, volunteers, set up for this
Saturday event.
SCHOOL STORE:
Chairperson is responsible for ordering and maintaining inventory for
a school supply store
usually held once a month during lunch hours, and arranging for volunteers
to work the
event.
FUNDRAISER:
Chairperson will coordinate the Fall fundraiser, obtain volunteers
to compute and
distribute the orders.
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT:
Chairperson would arrange for different educational/informational speakers.
This a new
event. Would probably occur in the evenings.
VETERANS EVENTS:
Chairperson would coordinate different activities between the Vets
and the school children
to help raise the children’s awareness of our American history.
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR:
Sends out requests for volunteers for various PTA events, organizes
the master list, and
supplies the chairperson of a particular event with the volunteer list
for that event.
YEARBOOK:
Chairperson coordinates the development and distribution of the Fishkill
Plains yearbook.
Volunteers are asked to take pictures, do page layouts, and take orders
for the book. A
year long commitment, it culminates with the distribution of the book
in June.
FLAG DAY CELEBRATION:
Held during school hours, this new event included the whole school
in celebrating the
meaning of our flag. Special guests and lots of red, white and blue!
FIFTH GRADE MOVING UP DAY:
Held in June, this event excludes 5th grade parents from volunteering.
A graduation
ceremony is held for our 5th graders. The chairperson arranges for
a reception to be held
before or after the ceremony for students and parents. Volunteers are
asked to bake and/or
donate time for the morning event.
TEACHER STAFF APPRECIATION:
Held in May, this event has run anywhere from a day to a week. The
chairperson, with
input from the PTA, decides the menu for the event. Volunteers are
asked to donate baked
goods and time.
REFLECTIONS:
The national PTA supplies a theme for this program, based on bringing
the arts into
school, and the local chairperson distributes the information to the
school, collects the
entries, submits them for possible national awards.
FISHKILL PLAINS PTA FUNCTIONS AND EVENTS
ROOM PARENT COORDINATOR:
Responsible for obtaining list of room parents from the teachers for
the current school
year. A late September/early October get together is then planned for
room parents to
meet and plan the year activities
HOSPITALITY COORDINATOR:
Using a list of volunteer bakers, the coordinator contacts people to
supply baked goods
for various functions throughout the year. This person arranges the
setting up and taking
down of the hospitality table.
SCHOOL SPIRIT COORDINATOR:
Manages inventory of school T-shirts, sweatshirts, etc. Arranges to
have these items sold
at various school functions. Places orders when inventory is low.
NEWSLETTER EDITOR/VOLUNTEERS:
Editor collects and typesets various articles for a PTA newsletter
which in some years has
run monthly and in others quarterly. Volunteers are asked to run off
copies, collate, and
distribute.
TRUNK OR TREAT:
Arranges for parent volunteers to donate treats for trick or treating
at the school.
THE “BOARD OF RESPECT”:
This is a recognition program aimed at honoring those students who
have been chosen for
reasons cited by their teacher during a particular month. Board volunteers
work with the
teachers to compile the list, make out award certificates, and update
the picture board
honoring the students.
TALENT NIGHT:
Chairperson arranges the show and obtains volunteers to help for the
night time event.
ELECTION DAY BAKE SALES:
Each year Fishkill Plains PTA gives a $500 scholarship to a John Jay
student who
graduated from FP. Chairperson contacts volunteers to bake and/or sell
goods during the
school day.
BOOK FAIR:
Responsible for contacting book companies, distributing information
to teachers and
parents, sets up for the event, and contacts volunteers to work the
event. This event
usually occurs twice a year: during teacher conferences and the last
week of school.
HOLIDAY SHOP:
A fun filled shopping experience held in early December. A variety
of low priced items
are set up and displayed for young shoppers to buy for their holiday
gift giving list.
Chairperson decides which company to work with, orders inventory, and
submits payment
to company when event is over. Volunteers are needed to staff the event,
work the cash
registers, and help the children make their selections. Bake sales
have sometimes taken
place in conjunction with this event.
SHARING TREE:
Coordinator and volunteers arrange for the collection of items to be
given to families in
need around the holiday season. These families are anonymous; so the
committee works
with the school nurse to arrange for these donations to be delivered
to the families.
P.A.R.P.:
Parents as Reading Partners is a 3 week reading program usually held
in late winter/early
spring. Coordinator develops a theme along with the incentives
which reward the children
for hitting their reading goals for the 3 weeks.
SCIENCE FAIR:
Usually held in the Spring for the fourth graders, there is always
talk that it could be held
for different or more grades. The chairperson obtains volunteers to
work the event and act
as judges for the science projects. The event is held during school
hours and in some cases
has been open one night for parent viewing. Volunteers are needed to
watch over displays.
WEE DELIVER:
A school post office developed by a teacher/parent committee. Chairperson
contacts
volunteers to work during school hours to assist children who hold
different jobs at the
post office.
LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS:
Our library is always in need of volunteers who can come in on a regular
basis to help.
Volunteer names will be given to the librarian and she will contact
you.
GALLERIA COORDINATOR:
Wappingers School District has had the opportunity to display the work
of their students
in the center court of the Poughkeepsie Galleria. The chairperson will
act as a liaison
between the district and our school. Teachers need to be contacted
to determine which
projects will go on display. Volunteers are needed to transport projects
to and from.
Volunteers are needed to man the event during the 2 - 3 days the event
is held.
WEBSITE:
People are needed to cover school events and activities (take pictures
and write up some words).
You can create a web page from this using your favorite html editor
or Netscape Composer.
Shelly Black would be happy to teach anyone interested.