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Arts-in-Education
Arts-in Education enriches all the students by bringing
special programs to them throughout the school year.
Committee members choose a variety of programs – in drama,
literature, and visual arts – to help stimulate creativity,
self-expression and imagination. A successful fundraiser is
the key to being able to bring these programs, authors and
activities to our children. Tesago’s Arts-in-Education
program is so well managed that we receive compliments
regularly on how organized it is and on the quality of the
scheduled programs. We want to continue to make it one of
the best elementary programs in the district.
Here are some ways you can help: typing letters, making
phone calls, meeting artists at school, updating school
calendars, filling out forms, and chaperoning during
programs. If you can help in any way please contact the
committee chairperson.
Back-to-School BBQ
This is our first social event of the year. Tesago families
are invited to join us for our annual Back to School BBQ
featuring either a chicken or hot dog dinner prepared at
Tesago by Giffy’s Barbecue. After an action packed summer
and the busy start of a new school year, you and your family
get the chance to relax, visit with friends and enjoy a
delicious barbecue.
You can help with this committee by volunteering to help
set-up, clean up, serve food, collecting meal tickets and/or
collecting the meal order forms.
Bake Sales
Bake sales are sometimes held at selected PTA events
throughout the school year. Volunteers are needed to provide
baked goods for events, and help at the bake sale table
during the event. We also need people to bake during the
year for other special occasions. This is a perfect
committee for those who want to help but can’t always be at
school for functions.
Birthday Board
The PTA tries to make each student feel special by taking
note of their birthday. On the month of their birthday, his
or her name will be displayed on our Birthday Board across
from the library. Your child will also receive a coupon
redeemable for a complimentary ice cream in the school
cafeteria. Since the kindergartners do not eat lunch at
school, they will not receive ice cream coupons, but their
names will appear on the board.
This committee is a crafty one. The board is changed on the
first of the month and the more eye-appealing the better.
You can help with cutting out decorations for this
committee.
Business Donations
Often, to aid in success of our events, donations are
solicited from local businesses. Donations may include paper
products such as napkins, plates, cups, gift certificates,
gift baskets, etc. This committee is also responsible for
looking into corporate grants. This committee requires
patience and persistence. Just two to three times during the
year you will be asked to contact local businesses to ask
for their support.
Box Tops for Education
Box Tops for Education is a General Mills program that
allows schools to earn cash by submitting box tops from a
long list of cereal boxes and other food products. Simply
cut out the specially marked portion of the box top and send
it to school with your child and have them drop it in the
designated box located in the school lobby. By doing this
you will help our committee earn money for programs. Last
year we earned over $700 and we would love to beat that
record this year! Contact the committee chairperson to see
how else you can help.
Campbell’s Labels
The Campbell’s Labels for Education program allows schools
to earn equipment in exchange for labels from Campbell’s
products. This committee collects, cuts, tallies and submits
the labels to the Campbell’s. You can help by simply saving
and sending the labels in with your child. There is a
Campbell’s Labels box located in the school lobby. Contact
the Campbell’s Labels committee chairperson to see how else
you can help.
Call for Help
This committee helps compile a list of volunteers for the
PTA. Help is needed to distribute and collect the forms.
Discovery
This after-school program gives students the opportunity to
discover and learn new things about themselves. The six-week
program begins after the holidays and features different
activities each day. This program requires a lot of
volunteers in order to ensure its success. If you have a
special talent like cooking or maybe you are a good dancer
and would like to share your knowledge, then the Discovery
program is for you. Chaperones and hall monitors are always
needed.
Family Fun Night
This event offers an opportunity for you and your family to
have a lot of “FUN”. You get to mingle with other Tesago
families and meet many of your children’s newest class-mates
and friends. The purpose of this event is to foster school
spirit and a sense of community. You can help in many ways
for this event. Organization and preparation for this affair
is a must. Help is needed with the set up, food court, arts
and crafts tables and clean up.
Fifth Grade Activities
This committee includes parent representatives from each of
our fifth grade classes. Working closely together with our
fifth grade staff, they oversee the special activities that
our fifth grade students enjoy during their last year in
Tesago. Responsibilities include picking out a special gift
that PTA donates to each student during the “Moving Up”
Ceremony, organizing special field trips and the annual
“Moving Up” picnic. Parent volunteers are needed in June to
help prepare for the “Moving Up” Ceremony.
Fall Fundraiser
Our fall fundraiser is consistently among our most
successful fundraisers. The majority of the money earned
from this event supports our fabulous Arts-in-Education
Program. Not only are the products great for you but it
would make a great start to your holiday shopping. As
always, safety and the well being of our students is first
priority. Students are asked not to sell items door to door
and to sell only to family and friends. Help is needed
tallying up the orders and to help with the distribution of
the products.
Helping Hands
This committee provides assistance on an as-needed basis,
often on short notice. Examples include helping in the bus
port during the first days of school or assisting with a
special classroom project. We also need help during
kindergarten orientation, screening and registration times,
and sometimes making phone calls. If you can lend a “helping
hand”, call the chairperson.
Hospitality
This committee provides refreshments for school events such
as New Family Orientation, Open House, the chorus
performance, and the annual end of the year staff
appreciation luncheon. If you love being the hostess of a
party then this is the committee for you. Help is needed
with set-up, clean-up, serving, baking and cooking.
Ice Cream Social
This event is held in the spring during the “Spring
Walk-About”, a Tesago school event where the students invite
their families and friends to their classroom to see their
work. Visitors are invited to the cafeteria to enjoy a
make-your-own ice cream sundae at the Ice Cream Social
organized by the PTA. Help is needed with the orders,
set-up, clean-up and hourly shifts for serving the ice
cream, and assisting with the sundae toppings.
Kindergarten Orientation
The purpose of this committee is to organize a program for
the incoming kindergarteners and their parents/guardians. We
offer a brief tour of the school, a chance to meet some of
the key staff, and have them take a short bus ride. The time
commitment involved usually take place at the end of August
and in May. Parent volunteers and even Tesago graduates are
needed to help with the tours of the school to our future
students and their families. This is a wonderful tool in
helping the kindergarteners become better acclimated.
Kids Inc.
Kids,Inc. is a community service oriented group open to all
students in grades 4 & 5. They meet at Tesago on Tuesday
afternoons. This group visits nursing homes and puts on
shows. They help the needy by making Easter baskets and
collecting food and clothing. Special events are held to
help raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. This is truly a rare
and special program where the children can give back to the
community
Legislation/Board of Education
Members of this committee monitor state education
legislation and attend Shenendehowa Board of Education
meetings. Committee members report back to PTA the outcomes
of the meetings and legislative issues that may have an
impact in our community.
Membership/Directory
Joining PTA is the easiest way to show your support for
Tesago and your child’s education. All it takes is the $5.00
membership fee, and you are on record as a member of the
Tesago PTA and an advocate for all children. All are welcome
to join. Each member will be listed in the PTA Directory.
The Directory is a wonderful resource to have on hand when
you need to contact a fellow Tesago PTA parent.
Newsletter
The PTA publishes newsletters throughout the school year
full of PTA and school related items. It is designed to keep
the Tesago community informed about all on-going and
upcoming events. You are encouraged to submit entries that
are news worthy to the Tesago community especially those
from or about our own Tesago kids! Help is needed with
photocopying this publication.
Odyssey of the Mind
This committee prepares students to compete in the national
Odyssey of the Mind program. This program fosters
cooperative, creative approaches to problem solving. Tesago
teams have a proud history of doing well in the competition.
Volunteers are always needed to serve as team coaches.
Outside Bulletin Board
The chairperson for this committee is responsible for
updating the outside bulletin board monthly to keep the
Tesago community informed of school events.
PARP (Parents As Reading Partners)
This committee works with the school librarian to support
the Parents as Reading Partners Program. During the program,
parents are urged to spend at least 15 minutes a day reading
with their child(ren). Students who participate and meet the
requirements of the program will receive a PARP Certificate,
an age appropriate reading book and one other memento
compliments of the PTA. Volunteers can help work on the
memento, complete certificates and collect forms.
Photo Copying
PTA distributes a variety of communications, including our
newsletter. Members of this committee make copies of these
communications and distribute them to the entire staff
mailboxes. Volunteers are always needed to come in after
school to make copies, especially for our newsletters.
Photocopying is critical because this is how we communicate
our PTA information. We need volunteers on a monthly basis
to help.
PTA Sunshine Committee
This committee is modeled after Tesago’s Sunshine Committee.
It is the committee’s goal to “spread some sunshine” during
various occasions that affect our immediate school
community. The committee will establish guidelines and
determine the appropriate expenditures for each occasion.
PTA Council
Our PTA Council delegate serves as our liaison with the
Shenendehowa PTA Council meetings and plays an important
role in keeping Tesago informed about district-wide issues.
Each school in the Shen District has one or two
representatives.
PTA Handbook
This handbook is provided by the PTA and designed to
introduce you to PTA and the many ways in which volunteers
are needed. Please keep it handy so you may refer to it
throughout the year and take advantage of the opportunities
to volunteer on behalf of our students and our school.
Chairperson(s) are responsible for updating the information
during the summer months so the handbook is available by the
start of the school year.
PTA Teacher Representative
Our PTA teacher representatives serve as the liaisons
between PTA and the Tesago faculty. As such, they coordinate
the teacher involvement that is so critical to our success,
and attend our PTA meetings.
Public Relations
This committee is responsible for increasing public
awareness and support of Tesago and its PTA by keeping the
local media informed of student accomplishments and
newsworthy school events. Contacting local news agencies can
be done from home either by phone or e-mail.
Reflections
Each year Tesago students participate in the national PTA
Reflections program. This program is designed to encourage
the students to express themselves through creative arts.
Please urge your child to participate and to submit as many
entries as he or she would like. Contest categories include
visual arts, literature, music and photography. The theme
changes each year and this year’s (2006-2007) theme is “My
Favorite Place……”.
School Banking
This program helps students get into the habit of saving.
Sponsored by First Niagara Bank., the program allows
students to make deposits in the school, one morning a week.
As further incentive to save, school accounts receive an
above the market interest rate. You can volunteer to come
into school to record student’s deposits. Volunteers may
also open an account and receive the same interest rate
benefit.
School Pictures
This committee makes possible the portraits that are a
wonderful memento of your child’s school year. You can help
by signing up to assist during picture taking, to schedule
make-ups when necessary and to help distribute portraits to
your child’s class.
Spring Carnival/Fling
This event is always a highlight of Tesago’s spring season.
It features plenty of fun activities for the children, a lot
of food, fun and friends. You can help by volunteering to
help with one of the evening’s events, set-up, clean-up and
serving food.
Shen Inventors
This program gives students in grades K-5 an opportunity to
turn their ideas into inventions. Inventors get to display
their inventions at the Clifton Park Center Mall. This
program begins in January with workshops for interested
students and parents. Inventions are displayed at the
beginning of February.
Sportswear Sale
This sale promotes school spirit by giving students the
opportunity to buy Tesago/Shen sportswear. Sportswear items
make great gifts for family and friends. You can help by
helping with the orders, and distributing the orders.
Substance Abuse/DARE
Members of this committee work with the SHEN PTA Council
Substance Abuse chairperson on substance abuse prevention
and community awareness efforts. The committee also supports
Tesago’s DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. At
the end of the program there is a small graduation ceremony
at the school in the evening. Fourth grade volunteers are
needed to help with the event. This program has been
successful because of the combined efforts of our local law
enforcement, our school, the students and the parents.
Teacher Appreciation Week
This is a sweet and fun way for the children and Tesago
families to thank our fabulous teachers for all they do. We
will plan a theme for the week, such as “Apples for the
Teacher” or “Notes for the Teacher”. We would present tokens
of our gratitude throughout the entire appreciation week.
Each child would be asked to write a short thank you to
their teacher(s) on theme based cards (apple-shaped cards or
music note cards) and we will try to post the cards for all
to see. Families will be asked to bring in a breakfast food
one day, or lunch foods another day, to stock the staff
room. We plan on getting a small themed gift donated from
Tesago families and/or local businesses for each teacher.
Parent volunteers will be needed to cut out the cards,
distribute and hang the thank you notes, organize the meals,
and seek out and distribute the small gifts. Any and all
ideas are welcome.
Vincent DeLucia Scholarship
Tesago PTA proudly presents two Shenendehowa graduating
seniors each a scholarship award. This award is given to any
graduating high school senior that has completed at least
two years at Tesago. This award is given not only based on
academic excellence, but also on community service and extra
curricular involvement. The scholarship is named in honor of
Vincent R. DeLucia, who served as Tesago’s principal for
over 20 years and retired in 1999. Committee chair is
responsible for distribution and collection of the
applications and coordinating the panel of judges.
Website Maintenance
This committee maintains our PTA website. Volunteers are
responsible for maintaining the website to ensure the site
provides the most up to date and accurate information at all
times.
Workshops/Seminars
This committee is responsible for coordinating workshops or
seminars geared more for the parents. Guest speakers include
licensed professionals who are trained to address behavioral
issues, health issues and motivational techniques.
Volunteers are needed to help set-up for the events, direct
attendees to the meeting room and hand out literature. Any
requests for specific topics should be sent to the
chairperson
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