Fundraising: In previous years, Atkinson has hosted an annual auction and was the PTA’s largest fundraiser and an adult-only event. Auction items were donated by local businesses and by members of the Atkinson community. The auction featured both silent and live auctions. Lots of volunteers are needed to help execute this type fundraiser.
As our school community has adapted during the pandemic years is relying on direct donations for fundraising, with chances to win giveaways and gift cards to local businesses. This fundraiser also required volunteers to help procure donations for giveaways and promote the event to the school community.
As we continue to weather the pandemic, we will re-assess which direction we go based on the current health risks for group gatherings, as well as the generous spirit of parent volunteers that can give time to execute these crucial events.
Amigos: A parent volunteer group focused on cultural events of our Spanish Immersion community.
Class Representative: A parent volunteer from each class helps to coordinate project, supply, and volunteer needs with the teacher and other parents. In addition, this representative plans the auction project or basket for their child’s class.
Field Day: Held in the spring, field day is organized by our PE teacher and involves 10-12 stations of activities and games that are set up outside the school building. Each parent volunteer is responsible for at least one station.
5th Grade Parent Coordinator: A parent volunteer coordinates the events that are particular to the 5th grade year, including the End of the Year Party, 5th grade field trip, and 5th grade Promotion.
Library Helper: Volunteers assist in processing books, including putting durable covers on them, typing spine labels, affixing stamps and other labels to books, and re-shelving.
Lunar New Year (winter): We celebrate the Lunar New Year with an evening of fabulous Asian food, games, arts and crafts, music, and cultural performances by the children. A group of volunteers, led by a coordinator, put on this wonderful event.
Outdoor Learning Gardens: Join the Outdoor Learning Gardens (OLG) Committee! Volunteer as a Garden Representative for your child’s classroom and help coordinate with teachers and staff to create outdoor learning opportunities and maintain the gardens. Training is provided. Help with finding and writing grants to support the current and future needs of the OLG would be very appreciated.
Run for Atkinson: Run for Atkinson is an annual jogathon held at Franklin High School’s track. The students collect pledges, run laps, earn points, and raise funds to ensure the arts are present in our school. Volunteers organize students, mark off cards indicating laps run, pass out popsicles, and cheer on the runners.
Running Club: The Atkinson Running Club is held most Fridays during the K-2 and 3-5 recess periods. Come out to the playground to help record students’ laps and cheer them on as they work towards their running goals for the school year.
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week: Parent volunteers are needed to help provide food for a luncheon. Past activities for the week have also included daily treats, musical performances, and appreciation gifts and messages.
Emergency Preparedness Committee: Some of the goals of this committee consists of ongoing earthquake preparedness education, gathering and maintenance of on-site supplies to support all students for 24 hours and partial students for 3 days, non-structural mitigation, and having reunification drills to educate staff and parents on protocol after an earthquake. This committee meets monthly discuss actions for ongoing preparedness of the school in the event of an earthquake.
These treasured events and programs listed below have been discontinued in recent years due school closures during the pandemic. Now that we are fully back to school and able to host events again, the Atkinson PTA would love to revive them. We cannot do that without the generous spirit of parent and community volunteers. Please consider giving your time to help revive these events and programs by becoming part of committee or event/program chair. And spread the word, join with a friend!
- K-2 and 3-5 Talent Shows: Volunteers coordinate this event and help students during the rehearsals and show.
- Basketball: In previous years Atkinson PTA sponsored a Basketball (mixed teams of 3rd-5th graders) program that took place in the winter and relied on volunteer coaches, assistants, and referees.
- Walk and Bike to School (Fridays): Led by a coordinator, volunteers organize set up (8:10-8:25am), welcome students (2-3 people to sign in kids and hand out stickers), provide raffle ticket help (8:25-8:50am), and assist with take down (8:50-9:00am).
- Winter Sing-Along (December): A volunteer committee of many people with varied responsibilities put on this seasonal event. Tasks include decorating, creating a program, and coordinating food & beverages.
- Fall Social (September): The social is an early evening event held at the beginning of the school year to welcome new and returning families. Volunteers are recruited in the spring to plan this event for the following year. Tasks include organization of information booths, treats, and fun!
- Atkinson Library Book Fair: The book fair is held in November just before and during parent/teacher conference time. Led by our librarian, volunteers set up, take down and work at the book fair. The hours vary depending on the fair hours and the conference schedule.
- PTA Clothes Closet: The PTA helps run a clothes closet. It provides donated clothes, new socks and underwear to families. Volunteers can help with coordinating a donation collection event and help/assist the school with distribution, storage, or organizing needs. In the past clothes have also been given to Marshall High School Clothing Closet.
Volunteer for PTA Leadership!
- PTA President: The role of PTA president is a very rewarding one. Your unit will look to you for guidance in creating partnerships within your school community and fostering an environment where parent involvement is encouraged and respected. Over the course of the school year, you will learn a great deal and put your talents and knowledge to use as a leader in your school community. You will oversee: • Unit organization • Meetings • Membership • Governance • Inclusiveness • Elections • Programs • Member training • Finances. You will use your skills in: • Organization: planning, setting priorities • Volunteer management: recruiting, retaining, motivating, welcoming diversity • Running effective programs • Managing money matters, raising funds • Running effective meetings • Effective use of parliamentary procedure • Effective advocacy on behalf of students • Leadership transition: nurturing potential leaders, preparing the incoming team
- PTA Secretary: The secretary is a PTA board officer, and must be a PTA member. Duties include serving on the PTA board, attending monthly board meetings, and taking minutes at the PTA board and general meetings. In addition, the secretary may enter membership data into the Oregon PTA database; the bulk of memberships come in at the beginning of the year. Before the end of each month when new member info has been entered, a remittance form should be printed out and given to the treasurer for payment.
- PTA Treasurer: The treasurer is the authorized custodian, elected by the members, of the funds of the PTA association. It is the treasurer who ensures that the unit finances are properly handled. This is a critical job, since proper handling of the unit’s money will keep the unit in good standing, as well as maintain its credibility with the school and the community. The ideal candidate for treasurer should have: • Strong organizational skills • A background in accounting practices and procedures • Knowledge of volunteer management and nonprofit accounting • In-depth knowledge of PTA and its mission and objectives. The treasurer is a PTA board officer, and must be a PTA member. Together with the president, the treasurer approves the disbursement of funds within the approved budget or as authorized by the general membership (or by officers if under $200); answers questions regarding spending; serves as chairman of the budget committee; notifies the community of funding proposals or budget changes; prepares a proposed budget in the spring and a budget for approval in June; presents written statements of accounts at meetings of the Executive Committee (officers), the board, general PTA meetings and at other times when requested to do so by the president; prepares for the financial review (“audit”) to be done soon after the fiscal year ends on June 3; communicate with and provides documents to the accountant regarding taxes; and arranges for and maintains insurance coverage for the unit.
- PTA Vice President: The vice president serves on the PTA board as an officer, and must be a PTA member. The vice president assists the president, nominates the members of the nominating committee, track verbal votes or counts written ballots at meetings, sets up childcare and a space at the school for the monthly general PTA meetings.
- PTA Hospitality Chair(s): The Hospitality Chair(s) serves on the PTA board as an appointed board member(s). Responsibilities include attendance at PTA board and general membership meetings. The Hospitality Chair(s)coordinates a variety of events such as Kinder Meetups and Kinder Connect Events, Teacher Appreciation and Conference Lunches, Fall Social Events, and helps with assembling Welcome Packets in conjunction with our school office. Additional Volunteers are often used to help the chair fulfill duties.
- Programs Chair/Co-Chair: The Programs Chair/Co-Chair serves on the PTA board as an appointed board member. Responsibilities include attendance at PTA board and general membership meetings, communication of “Program Operating Procedures” to ensuring the Special Committee Chairs have received information necessary to perform their work, Works with Treasurer to review final spending of PTA programs/committees upon completion of their work and reports back to board on findings, Invites PTA program chairs and on-site after school program vendors to staff information table at Fall Social, works with Principal to explore opportunities for partnering with during-school day and after school-day program providers to offer enrichment classes for students and reports findings to board. Explores options and community interest in having parents provide rotating classes of interest (free of charge) to students after school. Presents ‘Programs Report’ at PTA meetings.
- PTA Fundraising Chair: The Fundraising Chair serves on the PTA board and is an appointed board position. Responsibilities include attendance at PTA board and general membership meetings to present fundraising report. Coordination/advertisement of small fundraisers such as Atkinson Dine Outs, Amazon Smile, Fred Meyer Rewards. This position works closely with our auction chair, as our Auction is the PTA’s largest fundraiser. Promote and facilitate fundraising activities as needed.