Committees

A public school of our size has many needs, and part of the way we meet those needs is through the work of our committees. Committees are a great way to connect with other people who share your interests, passions, and skills. We encourage every caretaker to join at least one committee to plug in to the PS9 community.

There are three types of committees: standing, ad hoc and joint PTO / SLT.

There is no commitment required to join a committee, you can sign up now to join the conversation, and volunteer your time as you’re able throughout the school year. Some committees meet monthly, others connect on an as-needed basis. Some are already very active, others need a few motivated people to jump in and get the conversation started. 

To contact the chair(s) of a committee, type the committee's email prefix, then add @ps9brooklyn. org — for example, garden@ps9brooklyn. org

If you are interested in being a committee chair, please reach out to our PTO President.

Standing committees are required by the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)'s bylaws, and are necessary in order for the organization to function.

Audit

Chair: [Position Open]

Email prefix: PTO-Audit

 

Budget

Help with PTO budgeting process on a detailed and strategic level, to assist with tracking donations and expenditures and ensure that PTO programs and priorities are funded. Each spring the Budget committee reviews the PTO's prior year budget, makes recommendations to the Executive Board and drafts a proposed budget for approval.

Chair: Treasurer

Email prefix: PTO-Budget

 

Governance

The Governance committee maintains the PTO bylaws and policy handbook. We also organize and train incoming PTO officers.

Chair: Parliamentarian

Email prefix: PTO-Governance

 

Membership

The Membership committee encourages family and caregiver participation through recruitment and outreach.

Chair: President

Email prefix: PTO-Membership

Ad hoc committees are created for a specific purpose and may exist for a short time, or last in perpetuity.

 

Advocacy

We believe that every child, no matter their color, background or zip code, deserves to attend a fully and equitably funded school, providing them with the freedom to pursue their dreams. This committee educates and activates our school community when there's an issue getting in the way of that vision. We make the future, and by joining together – families and teachers, Black, white, Latinx, Asian, native and newcomer – we can organize our efforts and be strategic in the way we advocate with city officials to get our students what they need to learn, grow, and thrive. 

Chair: [Position Open]

Contact: PTO-Advocacy

 

Communications

Are you interested in coming up with strategies for getting the word out about PS9? Exploring social media and other means of improving the way information reaches families? Maybe you know of a printer who might give us a good deal? Could you donate white or colored paper for flyers? Take photographs, make videos, help with writing, editing, web technology, graphic design, illustration – help us communicate!

Chair: Corresponding Secretary

Contact: PTO-Communications

Design Team

Join our team of talented design professionals who create our PTO flyers, posters and merchandise!

Whether it is just knowing enough about design software to easily update existing files for recurring events, or years of experience bringing fresh ideas to merchandise, please donate your time and talent to our school's efforts to showcase PS9's diverse and dynamic learning community.

Contact: PTO-Design

 

Web Team

Act as a liaison between the Communications committee and our Parent Coordinator in order to keep our website up to date and compliant.

Contact: Webteam

 

Environmental Action

Chair: [Position Open]

Contact: Environmental-Action

 

Events

Organize and support events throughout the school year that bring our community together — from our fall festival to our winter market to our spring celebration. 

Chair: Vice President for Events

Contact: Events

 

Fundraising

Our Fundraising committee plans fundraising events, runs our online auction, and brainstorms new ways to generate the funds we need to meet our budget goals for the year. We develop strategies to maximize the success of existing fundraising initiatives and focus on increasing support to the Annual Fund from within and beyond the immediate PS9 community of families.

Chairs: President, Vice President for Fundraising, Suyin So

Contact: PTO-Fundraising

 

Garden

The Garden committee hosts garden clean-ups and events and helps run our garden education program. We’re looking for somebody new to take the lead on this committee, with the support of our PTO president, Leah Vickers, who has run it in the past.

Chair: [Position Open]

Contact: Garden

 

Grant Writing

A critical piece of our fundraising efforts, the Grant Writing committee helps secure, manage and execute grants/capital funding in coordination with the school administration. We keep all the information in one place, put forward proposals, track the status of projects and help manage them through to completion. We interact with the principal, city officials, the School Construction Authority (SCA) and the Division of School Facilities (DSF). We are always looking for volunteers who have experience in grant writing or would like to jump in and learn.

Chair: [Position Open]

Contact: PTO-Grant-Writing

 

Library

Chair: [Position Open]

Contact: PTO-Library

 

Nominations

The Nominating committee is established at a general membership meeting each year in the early spring. The committee has 3 to 5 members, none of who can be on the Executive Board or running for office. Members accept nominations and engage with the community to find potential leaders hiding among our membership, just waiting to be asked. The Nominating committee then runs the election for PTO officers and family representatives to the School Leadership Team.

Chair: [Position Open]

Contact: Nominations

 

Spanish

Chair: Cecilia Reboursin, Fabiola Berdiel, Jess Robb

Contact: PTO-Spanish

Joint PTO / SLT committees are established by and report to the School Leadership Team (SLT) and are usually directly related to fulfilling our school's mission.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

One of the most active committees, our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) committee pushes for fairness and inclusion in our school and community. We have helped diversity the book selections in our classroom libraries and organized events that celebrate the different cultures within our community. Learn more about the exciting work we are doing, and join us.

Chairs: Jocelyn Burgos & Nia Hooper-Mason

Contact: EDI

 

Health and Wellness

Our Health and Wellness committee works to create a healthier environment for our children, both in school and at home. We’ve hosted workshops on facilitating better communication within our families, organized flu shot clinics, and researched COVID-related topics. We're looking for someone to take the lead on this committee for this school year.

Chair: [Position Open]

Contact: Wellness