Join us!
Wellness
Do you want to make sure that our children eat nutritious food at school, get enough exercise during the day, and that our school environment is a healthy one in every respect? Join the wellness committee! Possible projects include creating a salad bar for the cafeteria and getting more funding for exercise. We need you and your ideas to make it all happen. Write to Jen Chapin, mom of Maceo, 1st grade, c/o ptops9@gmail.com
Hospitality
When prospective families tour PS9, the coffee and pastries we serve send a welcoming message and friendly parents are on hand to answer their questions. At school events, food and drink keep the mood lively. Can you help us get these refreshments, serve them, and set up/break down the events, or can you assist with school tours? Coming up, we need help with the Harvest Festival on October 31. Contact Maria McGrath, mom of Washington, 2nd grade, and Conway, a PS9 graduate, c/o ptops9@gmail.com
Lunchtime Helpers
Lunch is break time for your child’s teachers, which means they’re not around to supervise in the cafeteria and during recess. If you have an hour to spare once a week or even once a year, you can step in to help younger students open food packages and navigate the busy lunchroom. Volunteers also help make recess more fun and active, especially when it rains, by leading games and making sure everyone’s playing safe. Can’t make it during lunch? You can still make a difference: We often need donations of play equipment like hula hoops, soft playground balls and sidewalk chalk. To volunteer or donate, contact Catherine Jhung, mom of Shannon, 1st grade, c/o ptops9@gmail.com
Fundraising
A great education takes funding—and lately, there’s been a lot less money coming from the city. PS 9 parents have had great success helping to generate the funds to maintain our school’s programming and support our teachers in their classrooms by helping fulfill items from their wish lists such as books, project supplies, etc. And we have a lot of fun doing it! Every year we come up with new fundraising ideas, as well as recruiting other parents willing to help organize or assist with the Silent Auction, our Prospect Heights Craft Fair, Candy Sale, Holiday Harbor Cruise, Movie Nights, School Dances and other established fundraisers. Are you willing to sell tickets, tend bar, babysit, bake muffins, set up for events, etc.? Do you have a special skill or talent that you could use to help raise money for the school? Let us know! (One set of parents who are musicians started organizing their own fundraising concerts, for example.) Contact Fiona Noyes, mom of Connor, 2nd grade, and Jack, pre-K, c/o ptops9@gmail.com
Communications
For our school to function at its best, parents need to be kept informed and the outside world needs to know how wonderful PS 9 is. That means great communication. Can you help? Are you willing to post signs in the hallways and make sure the flyers around the school are up-to-date? Could you make phone calls to parents who aren’t on email? Do you have skills in community organizing, photography, videography, writing, editing, web technology, graphic design or illustration? Maybe you know of a printer who might give us a good deal? Could you donate white or colored paper for flyers, or a $30/month subscription to Constant Contact email service to help our parent coordinator with her mailings? This committee works on the PTO blog, the PS9 website, the PS9family and committee listservs, as well as on school e-mails, flyers, and posters. Contact Louise Sloan, mom of Scott, kindergarten, or Faye Rimalovski, mom of Nicolas, 1st grade, c/o ptops9@gmail.com
Gardening
Help us create an outdoor classroom for PS9 students that will help them learn about the wonders of nature! We need volunteers to construct plant beds, plant with the children, work on landscape design, research grants, and maintain a garden in the space around PS9. Want to pitch in to make the school a little greener? Contact Karina Hemsani, mom of Eva, 1st grade, and Amy, pre-K, c/o ptops9@gmail.com
Grant-writing
Are you good at hunting down information or writing persuasively? Or would you be willing to talk to our teachers and ask them what their needs are? Great public schools identify their needs and wants and then find grant money to fund those projects. We’ve had success in the past few years getting a new library and playground built with funding from grants. Next up: We want to get more arts funding, we want to get a grant to soundproof the cafeteria, and as always, we want to enhance our educational programs. Please help us keep the money rolling in to PS 9, so our kids can have a great educational experience. We need people to research sources of funding, write grant applications, and reach out to teachers. If you think you can help, contact: Ivana Espinet, mom of Matteo, 1st grade, and Luka, pre-K, c/o ptops9@gmail.com
Parent Advocacy
Represent your school! This committee (PAC) was formed to ensure that the Department of Education is aware of parents’ positions on issues such as expanding PS9 to a K-8 school, sharing our space with a charter school, and upgrades to our facilities. Members will take turns representing PS9 at Panel for Education Policy votes, as well as attending meetings of the District 13 Community Education Council and Community Board 8. To get involved, contact Rebecca Herz, mom of Charlotte, 4th grade, and Alex, 2nd grade, c/o ptops9@gmail.com
Afterschool
We really need parents to volunteer their time for the PTO-run afterschool program that serves 50-75 PS 9 children daily. Do you have an hour one day a week to come and read a story or help with homework? We are also seeking donated activities and toys like puzzles, coloring books, stickers, snacks, etc. Contact Tor Ekeland, dad of Sigrid, 1st grade and Tobias, pre-K, c/o ptops9@gmail.com
