Volunteering is Easy & Rewarding

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Below are brief descriptions for Garden City PTA’s district-wide and school-based committees. For more additional information about PTA Committees visit the Committee’s page or contact Committee Chairpersons, School PTA Directors, or the PTA President under Directory. Volunteer commitments vary by committee and by school. You must be a current member to serve for these volunteer positions.

Arts in Education

The Arts in Education Committee explores programs, across the broad spectrum of the arts, and makes recommendations for experiences that would enhance and enrich the cultural education of students.  Exposure to the arts is valuable to learning since it stimulates creativity, curiosity, and awareness of the world around us. The Arts in Education Committee works directly with building Administration and the District’s Coordinator of Music and Fine Arts. The District currently provides the funding for the programs selected. This Committee has Committee Chairperson(s) and a few committee members.

If you enjoy the arts, believe exposure to the arts is valuable to learning and want to bring additional enrichment opportunities to our students, this is the committee for you!

Communication (Publicity, Technology, Social Media, Website)

The Communications Committee keeps our members, and our community informed about PTA and school district events. This Committee provides valuable resources to our members, keeping them connected to both the PTA and the school community.   Developing a strong and clear connection will grow our membership, foster values for the PTA’s mission and programs and strengthen the importance of community engagement in the education of children. 

This Committee's work includes all forms of media: print, photography, graphic design for print, e-communication, and social media. They are also responsible for managing and maintaining our primary methods of communications: the website, e-Communication and social media. The Committee consists of the Vice President of Communications, Website Chair, Social Media Chair, Publicity Chair and Technology Chair.  This Committee works closely with the School Directors and other PTA Committee Chairs.

If you love writing, photography, graphic design or if you are interested in technology, website hosting, social media and all things techie, then this is the committee for you!

Curriculum 

The Curriculum Committee keeps up-to-date on curriculum and instruction, grading, student placement, and co-curricular activities throughout the district. The committee works closely with the district administration; provides members information about changes or trends in curriculum, and provides a conduit for the school community to express concerns related to instruction. The Committee also works closely with the PTA Legislation Committee. This committee requires a certain level of time commitment be most effective in your volunteer role. A building represents meets with their principal regularly, attends PTA Curriculum meetings with the Chairperson, participates in meetings of the Committee with the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, and attends meetings of the Board of Education if the topic is relevant to the committee. This Committee has a Committee Chairperson and School Building Representatives.

If you enjoy discussions about curriculum, want to learn more about student learning and ways to improve the educational experience for students then this is the committee for you!

Health & Safety 

Caregivers, our schools, and our community are responsible for caring for the health and welfare of our youth. The Health & Safety Committee addresses health and safety issues related to the students and families.  The activities of the Health & Safety Committee are designed to educate and inform caregivers about the health needs of children and how best to meet those needs. The Health & Safety Committee works to see that programs are available to meet the needs of our members. This Committee works closely with School Administrators, District Health & Safety Teams, the Budget & Legislation Committee and other community organizations, such as the Garden City Community Coalition. This Committee has Committee Chairperson(s) and School Building Representatives.

If you are interested in being part of a team that provides students and families relevant information regarding issues of health and safety, then this is the committee for you!

Legislation 

PTA is the largest association dedicated to promoting the welfare of children and youth. Advocacy is an integral part of the PTA.  Advocacy comes in many forms and occurs in every action designed to improve the lives of children. PTA promotes the educational needs and values of its school community and addresses how decisions by school administrators, the Board of Education and elected officials, meet those needs. This Committee's activities are designed to inform, empower and engage members by providing the information and tools they need to be active participants in the decision process and effect positive change, by communicating concerns to key policy makers both within our district and beyond. This Committee works closely with District Administration, the Board of Education, the PTA’s Curriculum and Health & Safety Committees and other community organizations, where appropriate, to achieve PTA goals for children and youth. This Committee has a Committee Chairperson and School Building Representatives.

If you are interested in learning the impact of decisions made by key policymakers on our public school and believe in the power of working together with one “collective voice,” then this is the committee for you!

Nominating 

Serving on a Nominating Committee is an exceptional opportunity for PTA members to have a voice in selecting the Executive Committee members.  Executive Committee members volunteer their time and talents to help maintain PTA sponsored programs, enhance the educational experiences of our children, promote family engagement, and advocate for every child.

The Nominating Committee consists of two representatives each from the High School, Middle School, Stewart and Stratford schools as well as one representative each from Hemlock, Homestead and Locust Schools and an alternate.  Volunteers are elected, by the membership, at their school’s PTA meeting.

If you are interested in being part of a team tasked with the responsibility of selecting the best and most qualified candidates to serve on the Executive Committee, then this is the committee for you!

Parent University

Where else can you attend informative parenting workshops, grab a snack, get a babysitter for your children at no cost to you? Well at Garden City’s Parent University you can! The GC PTA partners with GCPS, GCTA, GC SEPTA, GC Community Coalition, GC Friends of Music, GC Friends of STEM, and the Men’s Association of Garden City for an outstanding event design to inform and empower community members. This Committee helps to plan, organize and facilitate the events of the evening. 

If you are interested in being part of a feel-good community event, this is the committee for you!

Pick a Reading Partner (PARP)

PARP is a National PTA program designed to foster the love of reading. The primary goal of PARP is to promote childhood literacy by asking parents or caregivers to set aside time each day to read with their child. PARP encourages programs during the school year that supports reading and participation of children, caregivers, teachers, administrators, school staff and the community by reinforcing the pursuit of reading for enjoyment. The committee works closely with building administrators and teachers in our K-5 schools. This Committee has Committee Chairperson(s) and School Building Representatives.

If you want to help share the love of reading throughout our school community, then this is the committee for you!

Reflections 

Reflections is a National PTA cultural arts program, designed to encourage students to express their thoughts and feelings through creative arts. The Reflection Committee coordinates the student entries into the PTA’s Reflections Contest.   This contest originates at the National PTA level, with a theme for each year's competition. Students submit entries in Literature, Photography, Visual Arts, Music, Dance, and Film to the Reflections Committee.  The Reflections Committee, utilizing rules set forth by the National and State PTA, facilitate the judging of the submissions.  Selected winners from each category advance to the Nassau Region Level.  Upon completion of the program at the Nassau Region and NYS PTA levels, Reflection Ceremonies are held throughout the District acknowledging the winners. This Committee has Committee Chairperson(s) and School Building Representatives.

If you enjoy the arts and believe exposure to the arts and self-expression is valuable to learning, this is the committee for you!

Site-Based

The purpose of school-based planning and shared decision-making is to improve the educational performance of all students in the school, regardless of such factors as socioeconomic status, race, gender, language, background, or disability. At the request of the district, the PTA is charged with the responsibility of selecting the PTA parent members to serve on the district’s Site-Based Committees. If selected for this Committee, you will work directly with administrators, teachers, students, and parents addressing issues that may arise related to curriculum, staff development, building and facilities, school procedures, building climate and character, health and safety, extra-curricular activities, and more. Site Based teams meet up to four times a year usually after school dismissal in the afternoon. Meeting times may vary by building. The district offers a site-based training in the fall and oversees the activities of the members Applications for Site-Based positions must be completed before the selection of parent representatives in the spring of each year.

Spirit Week

Spirit Week activities engage and involve all district families and the community to participate in the excitement of Homecoming. This Committee works directly with school administration to help organize and assist with Spirit Week activities at the primary, elementary and middle schools. This Committee has a Committee Chairperson and School Building Representatives. 

If you are interested is spreading Garden City school spirit and community pride or spending a few hours in your child’s school, then this is the committee for you!

Staff Appreciation

Teachers play a key role in student success and sometimes a simple “thank you” is all a teacher needs to feel valued. Since 1984, National PTA has designated the first week in May as a special time to honor the men and women who lend their passion and skills to educating our children. The GC PTA provides an opportunity for our school community to participate in a small celebration of thanks to those who educate and care for our children.

In early spring, the PTA and parents host a Staff Appreciation Luncheon in each of our seven school buildings.  The school Staff Appreciation Committees and the Staff Appreciation Chairperson plan and organize all aspects of these events. Staff appreciation luncheons provide all school families the opportunity to participate in these celebrations through convenient on-line sign-up tools. This Committee works directly with the Staff Appreciation Chairperson and School PTA Director. This Committee has a Committee Chairperson and School Building Representatives.

If you are interested in spending a few hours giving back to your child’s school and their staff, then this is the committee for you!

PTA members also volunteer on school-based committees. The school building administration oversees the activities of these committees.

Additional volunteer opportunities are at your child’s school events or to help out where needed.

Building Grade Representative and Class Parent Positions:

Your primary role is to bring parents and caregivers into closer contact with the school and the GC PTA. Your responsibilities include working with both the school administration and parents to promote the work of the PTA. Click on the attached PDF to learn more about these positions: Class Parents and Grade Rep_Responsibilites.pdf

Beautification, Decorating, Crafts (Primary Schools)

Volunteers on these committees contribute to the uniqueness of our beloved primary schools. Enter Hemlock, Homestead, and Locust and you will find the halls, windows and courtyards filled with crafts and decorations galore made by students and parents – that will sure to bring a smile to any five-year-old or forty-year-old.

Book Swap (Stratford)

Students bring books from home that they no longer need to "swap" with new books donated by other schoolmates. The books are collected and sorted by volunteers the week before the swap. Any remaining books are donated to a local charity that distributes books to libraries and schools in need across our region. 

Box Tops (K-5 Schools)

A box top coordinator(s) is a volunteer who runs the Box Tops program at their school. The coordinator helps raise awareness and motivate supports about the school's Box Tops Program, communicate the school's earnings progress to school supporters, and organize and submit all the Box Tops collected by the school. The school administration is responsible for the Box Tops program, and the coordinator works directly with the school principal.

Chess (Some K-5 Schools)

The name says it all, but you don’t need to know how to play chess to volunteer for this committee. Yes, it is true! Volunteers assist and supervise the children in learning and playing this wonderful game of strategy. Chess club times vary by school.

Holiday Craft Fair – Stewart School

Deck the halls with homemade crafts made by the students of Stewart School. The Holiday Craft Fair is a long-standing tradition at Stewart School designed to introduce service learning to our students. If you want to spread some cheer and can dream up homemade craft ideas for little elves to create, this is the committee for you. Not so crafty?  No problem! You can volunteer on Craft Fair Day when the crafts are sold to the students.  All net proceeds from the craft fair are donated to local charities selected by the students.

Hospitality – PTA Meetings (Some Schools)

Sometimes refreshments are needed for our PTA school events. This committee will help with the set-up of the refreshments for the meetings. 

Indoor Recess (Primary Schools)

These committees are known as Literacy at Lunch at Hemlock - Homestead and Inclement Weather at Locust. While the names might be different, the work of these committees is the same. Provide fun activities and events for students on the days when they just can’t get outside for recess. These committees are a wonderful way to be with your child and their classmates during the school day.

Parent Volunteer Corps (High School)

The Parent Volunteer Corps (PVC) is "on-call" to provide assistance with High School events. The PVC members receive an email when the school needs assistance. PVC members can volunteer when it works best for their schedule. At the High School volunteers assemble packets and mailings for the Guidance and Main Office, assist with Mini-College Fairs, and the pre-prom event.

School Libraries (K-5 Schools)

Our school libraries are very busy places and volunteers help provide our librarians an extra set of hands. Responsibilities vary by school. If you have a few hours to give back to your school, this is a great way to help out.

Spirit Week (K-5 Schools)

Spirit Week activities engage and involve all district families and the community to participate in the excitement of Homecoming. This Committee works directly with school administration to help organize and assist with Spirit Week activities at the primary, elementary and middle schools. This Committee has Committee Chairperson and School Building Representatives.

Memory Books (1st & 5th Grades)

Students in first and fifth grade receive memory books of their time at their primary and elementary school. Volunteers help organize the contents and the layout of the yearbooks and work with either school staff or the publisher to produce a treasured memory for years to come.