Chair roles = black text; slated and elected in the spring for the following school year

Volunteer roles = 🖐️ gray text; sign up at PTC Welcome Back Coffee (start of school year)

Contact eastptceblast@gmail.com at any time with questions or to express interest in a role!

Arts Evening (spring):  Chairs work with the Art Teacher to coordinate Arts Evening in April. Responsibilities include coordinating parent volunteers to hang art, overseeing the installation of the artwork the day before the event, managing the invitation, developing all promotional materials (save the dates, reminders and flyers) and organizing refreshments for the event.

🖐️ Volunteers mainly help with set up the days leading up to the event and help out at the event itself as needed. 

 

Back to School/New to East Events (fall):  Chairs coordinate New to East welcome events, K playground playdate & K bike rodeo for incoming kindergartners and Back to School Ice Cream Social.

 

Book Fair (fall): Book Fair Chairs put together the fall book fair. Book Fair Chairs work with Scholastic to coordinate, develop wishlists for teachers, and recruit volunteers for set-up, break-down and shift work.

🖐️ Volunteers sign up for set-up, take-down and/or class shifts during the week of the book fair. 

 

Class Photo Day (fall):  Chairs coordinate volunteers to assist classes as they come in for individual and class photos and oversee the entire school photo day as well as follow-up retake day.

🖐️ Volunteers sign up for class shifts on school photo day and help keep the kids moving and assist with hair and/or clothing as needed.

 

Community Service Night (Fall and Spring): Chair works with Executive Board to choose a charity that fits with the school’s theme and coordinate a volunteer event with the chosen charity that will be open to East School students and their parents.  Traditionally we have focused on Waveny House and NCPD Toys-for-Tots (both in the winter), as well as en Earth Day school clean up (spring). 

 

Eagle’s Nest (fall): Chair leads the school’s primary fundraiser, help determine target fundraising goals and draft all relevant communications.

 

Enrichment (all year):  Chair coordinates with grade level lead teachers to plan curriculum related activities (including one field trip per grade) and arrange for at least one school-wide enrichment event.

 

Fall Fair (fall):  Chairs plan and oversee the Fall Fair (two year position requiring heavy time commitment.)  Fall Fair t-shirts are handled by the Spiritwear committee. 

🖐️ We need an army of volunteers to pull the Fall Fair off and we ask that each family at East commit to at least one 3-hour shift. You can sign up for any/all of the following:

• Haunted house set-up (week prior)
• Decor (night prior)
• Day of shifts | There is an AM and PM shift so that you can attend at least part of the fair with your family and then volunteer for the other portion.  Roles include volunteer check-in, tickets, bake sale, food & beverage, haunted house, hospital of horrors, arts & crafts room, take-a-cake room, game rooms, prize table, face painting.  
• Take-down
• Donations - We also need donations ahead of time for beverages and bake sale

Fall Family Photos: Chairs plan and coordinate fall family photo shoots fundraiser, working with a short list of photographers. 

🖐️ This is a new fundraiser for East and we are still looking for a chair!

 

Field Day (spring):  Chairs work with the physical education teachers to help organize activities for Field Day in May, assist in creating and distributing t-shirts and recruit volunteers for the event.   

🖐️ Volunteers sign up for grade-level slots the day of to assist with things like volunteer check-in, water station, popsicle station or one of the field day stations.  

 

Fourth Grade Activities (spring):  Chairs organize various activities for the graduating class including the end of the year ceremony and carnival party in partnership with the PTC, East teachers & administration.  This includes advance booking of key vendors such as DJ, carnival vendor, candy vendor, food and beverage arrangements and class favor. 4th grade t-shirts are handled by Spiritwear committee.  

🖐️ Volunteers sign up to help with ceremony prep (folding programs, organizing caps, decorating, etc) and/or the carnival party itself (set-up, take down, food & beverage and stations). 

 

Fourth Grade Pasta Night (winter): Chairs plan and run Pasta Night by recruiting volunteers, decorating the cafeteria, organizing ticket sales, managing the fourth grade students and coordinating the menu with food services.

🖐️ Volunteers sign up to help with one of three pasta night shifts (which allows you to attend your own session as a guest).  There is also help needed with checking in volunteers, supervising students during their pre-session dinner, set-up and break down. 

 

Gardening (all year): Gardening chairs are responsible for maintaining plantings in the island and pots in front of school entrance as well as periodic clean up and weeding of the Outdoor Learning Center (OLC).

🖐️ Volunteers support the gardening committee with planting, weeding (front of school and outdoor learning center), playground trash pick-up and other beautification projects throughout the year. 

 

Hospitality (all year):  Hospitality chair arranges light bites and refreshments for a handful of events such as PTC Welcome Back Coffee, two Evening Open House nights, Joint PTC Meeting with Dr Luizzi and East PTC General Meeting.

 

Kids Social (Various Dates):  Chairs plan and execute a fun social event for each grade level.  K Library Playdate, 1st Grade Movie at the Playhouse, 2nd Grade Skating at Waveny and Neon Night for 3rd Grade and 4th Grade. 

🖐️ Volunteers sign up to help with set-up, take-down and guest check in for 3rd or 4th grade Neon Night.  Other grade level socials may also have a need for volunteer shifts as well (K - library check-in and snacks; 1 - movie check-in; 2 - ice skating check in and hot cocoa). 

 

Library (all year):  Chair works with the librarian to recruit, organize and train volunteers to work in the library.  The Library Chair also assists the librarian and PTC President in setting up author visits. 

🖐️ Volunteers ign up to help a shift in the library, organizing books, helping with seasonal decor and/or helping kids check in/out books.  Typically shifts will be 8:40-9:40am on a set schedule; or, if you want something more flexible, helping with seasonal decor can be done on a different schedule. Volunteers can sign up for their child's grade level, but will not necessarily see their child’s class each shift. We additionally need a responsive substitute list so that if someone is unavailable for their regular shift, we have people to call on.  Since the Librarian has an assistant from the district only every other day, she does rely on parent volunteers to keep the library running smoothly so reliability is important. 

 

Math Night (winter):  Chair assists the East School staff in organizing this event by providing flyers for the event and helping staff as needed.

🖐️ Volunteers sign up for a shift to help with set-up, take-down, check-in and/or a station the night of. 

 

Outdoor Movie Night - aka "Starry Night Cinemas (fall): Chairs plan a movie night for families.  Work with the movie company to rent equipment, purchase concessions to sell, gather volunteers to staff the event, and create a communications plan to sell tickets to the event.  

🖐️ Volunteers sign up for a shift to help with set-up, take-down, check-in and/or concessions the night-of. 

 

New Canaan Cares Representative (all year):  Attend every other monthly meeting of New Canaan Cares, report Cares’ sponsored events and programs to the PTC and coordinate Cares’ programs at school.

 

Parent Social (fall):  Chairs plan, organize and run a fall Parent Social, working with the Eagle's Nest committee to kick off the annual fundraising campaign. This event features an auction.

🖐️ Volunteers sign up for a shift to help with set-up and/or take-down. Additionally, donations are needed from the East community for the fundraising auction that is part of the event.  

 

Pizza Night (winter): Chairs plan an at-home pizza night for families by coordinating with a local pizzeria, creating an entertainment aspect, and arranging pick-up of kits with registered families.

🖐️ Volunteers sign up for a shift to help with preparing pizza night kits ahead of time and/or working the pizza night pick-up table in the East lobby the night of the event. 

 

Room Parent Coordinator (all year):  Room Parent Coordinator puts together a list of parents interested in becoming a room parent, leads the orientation for room parents in the fall and communicates messages for room parents to distribute to their classes.  

🖐️ Volunteers  express interest in the role, and then room parents are selected for the year ahead.  Main responsibilities include fostering classroom community through communication and organizing at least one parent event, helping teacher organize classroom activities (crafts, celebrations) and facilitating teacher appreciation/gifting on behalf of class. Main responsibilities happen at the beginning of the school year, around holidays and at the end of the year. 

 

Spirit Wear (all year):  Chairs work with the PTC Executive Board and the principal to designing the school’s spirit wear, coordinate the ordering of spiritwear inventory and sell merchandise at back to school events (ice cream social, 2 parent open house nights, movie night and more).  They also oversee the creation of the 4th Grade t-shirt and the Fall Fair t-shirt. 

 

Science Fair (winter):  Chairs work with the science teacher and the principal in putting together the Science Fair by publicizing the event, providing entry forms and awarding ribbons.  

🖐️ Volunteers  sign up for a shift to help with set-up, take-down, check-in and/or a station the night of. 

 

Special Education Liaison (all year): Chairs work with the Executive Board and the SpEd department to coordinate Special Ed day, as well as other initiatives during the year as applicable.

 

Staff Events (all year): Chairs work with the PTC President to execute a number staff events thorough the year such as: Refresh the teachers lounge prior to the first day of school, Grab & Go lunches on the first day of school, Election Week coffee truck, Winter Hot Cocoa Break, Valentine's Day Treat, Conference Week Snack Bar and more!

 

Teacher Appreciation (all year): Chairs organize two luncheons for the teachers and staff (a hot, sit-down meal during the December holiday and a hot, sit-down meal + during Teacher Appreciation Week). Plan other special events (breakfast, dessert bar, notes of gratitude) during Teacher Appreciation Week in May.

🖐️ Volunteers sign up for a shift to help with set-up, take-down, and/or working an event during the holiday teacher luncheon and again during Teacher Appreciation week in May.  Donations are typically also needed for the baked goods bar at the holidays and in May. 

 

Variety Show (spring):  Chairs oversee the entire production of the East School Variety Show in April.  

🖐️ Volunteers sign up for a shift to help with tech rehearsals, dress-rehearsals and/or night of show supervision. 

 

Veterans Day (fall):  Chairs work with Kim (Front Office) in organizing a one day school assembly honoring veterans.  Responsibilities include creating and distributing an invitation, decorating the lobby bulletin board and organizing refreshments.

 

Visual and Performing Arts (all year):  Chairs work together with representatives from the other New Canaan pubic schools and the District Visual & Performing Arts Chair to preview and book performances for assemblies - one in the fall and one in the spring.  Manage contracts, payment and logistics for the events. Attend the performances booked for East School.

 

Volunteer Recruitment (winter):  Assist the PTC Presidents and Principal with filling Board and Committee roles for the upcoming year.

 

Yearbook (all year):  Chairs manage all aspects of publication for the school wide yearbook, including collecting and assembling of candid photos from classroom photographers, creating the yearbook template and handling the sales process.

 

Website Manager (all year): Chairs oversee East PTC Membership Toolkit website by working closely with the Presidents and Comms, updating the site with new event forms, spirit wear items, and parent sign-ups. Site is usually updated every week depending on the calendar of events and while it can all be done asynchronously, does require responsiveness. There is a heavy period at the beginning of the school year to get the Membership Director updated and then again in June to close out the prior year.