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Adult Social - 2009-10 | Brigg Hyland and Suzanne Haas

• This is a biennial spirit event held in the evening during the spring for all Burr parents and staff. This event alternates years with the auction – the next Adult Social will be 2010.  
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include determining date, location, and theme; providing decorations, food & beverages; promoting event; and managing budget and ticket sales.

After School program," After the Bell" |Kim Newbauer and Suzanne Monk

• This is an on-going enrichment program that runs in three six week sessions (fall, winter and spring).  Each session may run up to five days a week.  Classes may include arts / crafts, sports, science, foreign language, drama, etc.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include working with the vendors to schedule classes, obtain information for publication in the session catalog, which is mainly distributed via the Burr PTA web site and email, process registrations and administer the class volunteers that attend each class.  There are many activities that need your time and energy – some are working with the children and other parents, some working on the computer, some very creative, some very routine.
  

Art in the Classroom | Sydney Raha and Anne Regan

• This ongoing enrichment committee introduces children to the world’s great artists and encourages them to express their feelings and comments about a piece of artwork. Parent volunteers make three 20-30 minute classroom presentations a year on a featured artist based on resources and materials provided for them.  Volunteers are responsible for coordinating classroom visits with the teacher. Experience or knowledge of art history is not necessary!
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include recruiting volunteers, providing training and resource materials.  

Auction Spring 2011- Bi-Annual | Needs Chairs

• This major fundraiser takes place every two years and is an adult evening event held in the spring.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include recruiting committee volunteers, organizing the event, which features a live and silent auction. Next auction will be spring, 2011.

Author Visits| Jocie Jandovitz and Needs Co-Chair

• This ongoing enrichment program is organized in conjunction with Burr’s Language Arts Specialist and involves children’s authors presenting their books to the children.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include finding and scheduling the authors. Responsibilities also include marketing the event (with in-school posters & the Buzz), providing in-classroom prep material and readings,  coordinating and hosting the author’s visit to our school, as well as coordinating book signings and purchases for the children.

Bingo | Heather Petrecca and Nancy Wasserman

• This is a one-time winter family spirit event to play Bingo.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include recruiting volunteers, organizing the event, coordinating set-up, refreshments, prizes, check-in, spotters, callers and clean up, as well as applying for and obtain State ID Number.

Book Fair - Scholastic | Krista Dougherty, Bonnie Crews,
Joanna Gove-Smith , and Cathy Cook

• This fundraising event takes place twice a year - fall and spring. Children, parents and staff are able to purchase books from Scholastic.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include recruiting volunteers, securing date, planning merchandise delivery, advertising event, organizing teacher wish lists, helping set up/take down merchandise, assisting children with their selections, cashier.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs
• To find the book fair dates, hot new books, order on line, special programs and even start a wish list on-line, go to: http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookfairs/cptoolkit/publish/burr

Book Swap | Joanna Gove-Smith and Amanda Engemann

• This is a late-afternoon family event which typically takes place in the late-winter or early-spring where families donate gently used books to swap. Books are collected for three days before and after school. A ticket is given for each book donated which entitle the holder to “purchase” a book.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include recruiting volunteers, collecting and organizing books donated by students, coordinating set up/clean up of books at the event.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs

Box Tops | Doreen Battimelli

• “Box Tops for Education” are collected from the students and redeemed for funds to support the PTA.
• Committee chair’s responsibilities include counting and sending in the box tops to the company for redemption, and promoting this effort. This is an on-gong program that runs throughout the school year.

• Box Top$ Products List
• Box Top$ Merchant List
• Box Tops Flyer

Burr Buzz | Cathy Cook, Kim Markham and Deirdre Santalesa

• “The Buzz” is a weekly, electronic newsletter of the all school-related happenings and important dates.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include collecting article contributions via email, formatting the bulletin, and obtaining final approval from the PTA presidents.
• Burr Buzz - Current and Archives
• Procedures to submit information
• Submit entries by end of day Tuesday for current week’s edition.
• Include contact name, email address and phone number in all entries. All flyers must be submitted and approved 1 week prior to Friday submission.
• Send to BurrBuzz@BurrPTA.org

Cake Walk/Bake Sale | Maria Walsh and Jackie Perless

• This fundraising event takes place in conjunction with either Family Fun Day (2010) or the Halloween Party (2011).
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include collecting cakes, conducting “musical chairs” like game to win a cake and the sale of cakes and other baked items as a bake sale.  Committee chairs need to work closely with chairs of the specific event.
• Bakers wanted! Contact Chairs

CANE (CT Audubon Nature Explorers) |
Kindergarten - Cecelia Wesley
1st grade - Jamie Kagan & Pam Corcoran
2nd grade - Heather Lajeunesse

• This is a K-2nd grade science enrichment program. Parent volunteers are trained to present three programs to their child's class.  Two units are presented in the classroom and include puppet shows, fun visuals and other science-based activities; culminating with an end of the year field study activity (K:schoolyard walk; 1stG:Birdcraft Museum field trip; 2ndG: Southport Beach field trip).  Three training sessions are offered for each program through the Connecticut Audubon Society. The Audubon Society provides all research and presentation materials. Volunteers to present in the classroom three times a year. 2-3 volunteers per presentation are recommended.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include recruiting volunteers, communicating training information to volunteers, and coordinating classroom and field visits.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs

Celebrate with Books| Jennifer Diamondand and Stephanie Larsen

• This spirit committee helps families commemorate a special event (birthday, completing a school year, etc) through the purchase and donation of preselected books to the LMC.  Book plates are affixed to the books to recognize donors.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include encouraging and promoting the donation of new books and computer software to the Library/Media Center at school events such as Open House, listing donors and their special events in our newsletter and on our Web site.
• Committee Use Only: Celebrate with Books Labels2

Chess Club | Emily Price, Missy Townsend and Aurora Culkin

• Chess at Burr is a before school club that meets once a week from 8-8:45am, Sept thru May.  New students are taught how to play through a beginners program while more experienced students play each other with the objective of moving up the ladder. There is a team that competes in local tournaments outside of school as well as our annual chess tournament with Riverfield held at Burr.  Optional intermediate and advanced lessons are offered during chess club for a period of 6 weeks during the year.  Finally a year-end tournament and awards breakfast celebrates the group’s accomplishments with trophies for all who participate, with special recognition of those winning 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include attending weekly meetings, recruiting and organizing parent volunteers, organizing competitions and year-end awards ceremony.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact chairs

Class Made Projects | Needs 5th Grade Chairs

• This fundraising group facilitates the creation of student made projects to be auctioned at the year’s social/fundraising event (Spring Social or Auction).
• Committee chair’s responsibilities include recruiting and overseeing grade level coordinators - 1 coordinator per grade to manage project (5th grade only for Spring Social). Must work in close conjunction with the event chairs and teachers to create these popular keepsakes. Enjoyment of arts and crafts, helpful!
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chair

Classroom Coordinators | Dede Falterer and Christine Vaccarella

• Classroom Coordinators (Room Parents) help the classroom teacher communicate with class families, organize special projects, class parties, field trips, etc. They also organize classroom phone chains, and make calls for certain advocacy issues and help coordinate activities during Teacher Appreciation Week.

Classroom Enrichment | Needs Chairs

• This ongoing enrichment committee provides administrative help to teachers who schedule High Touch High Tech curriculum programs.
• Committee chair’s responsible for communicating and managing PTA budget with teachers.

Directory | Stacey Mosetich, Deirdre Santalesa and Renee Sullivan

• Annual publication of students’ contact information, school staff, and other important school information that is distributed in September.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include collecting/updating/typing family listings, class lists, staff information, important phone numbers, etc; publishing, proofreading, copying and distributing the student directory. Most of the work takes place during the spring and summer prior to publication.

Diversity Day | Maria Walsh and Amy Warman

• This is a one-day event designed to provide students with an opportunity to experience a variety of physical and learning differences that impact some of their peers. The goal is to both increase awareness of the challenges these differences present as well as teach tolerance of children who are different.
• Committee chairs must work with school staff (primarily social worker and psychologist) to schedule activities and class schedules, recruit numerous volunteers to staff the hands on activities, and coordinate refreshments for volunteers.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs

Dream Basket | Needs Chairs

• This fundraising event involves family donations of items for themed baskets to be raffled during the spring.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include recruiting volunteers who will collect class items and build basket; promoting event; displaying finished baskets; selling tickets and announcing winners.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs

Fairfield Arts for Youth (FAY) | Erin Hermann

• This is a PTA Council-wide program that brings arts to the schools.
• Committee chair’s responsibilities include publicizing the scheduled performances (two - four per year) and helping performers with any staging requests, as well as providing any hospitality needed for performers on performance day.

Family Fun Day | Jen Derby, Beth Hoffman-Blumenthal and Carolyn McKenna

• This is a large outdoor fundraiser which takes place in the fall and includes bouncies, crafts, games/prizes, coffee tent, food trucks and bake sale/cake walk (separate chairs.) This event alternates years with Halloween Party. Next event scheduled for fall ’09.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include planning and organizing event, securing bouncy and food vendors; recruiting and scheduling volunteers; and publicizing the event.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs

Field Day | Taylor Beerbower

• This school-wide spring spirit event is a celebration of the end of the school year with fun outdoor Olympics type games.
• Committee chair responsible for working with Mr. Hilinski to recruit and schedule parent volunteers from all grades: pre-k thru 5th, help locate props and set-up/clean up event and purchase ice-pops for participants.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chair

Fifth Grade Activities | Chris Gannon, and Laurie Ehlers

• This spirit committee organizes various year-end activities for the 5th graders including off site field day, family picnic, class t-shirts, community service project, class gift, class DVD and graduation (decorations and refreshments for ceremony.)
• Committee chair responsibilities include recruiting and supervising committee sub-chairs and closely monitoring committee budget.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs

Friday Folders | Laura Corsi and Chris Nightingale

• This ongoing administrative committee helps keep families without email access informed of weekly school activities and notices.
• Weekly responsibilities include printing the newsletter and all new flyers and placing them in the teachers’ mailboxes, as well as posting on the PTA bulletin board.

Gardening Club (Outdoor Beautification)| Ann Marie O'Keefe and Laura Corsi

• This committee works primarily in the spring and fall to enhance the physical appearance of the outside of our school.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include identifying projects such as landscaping, planting and maintaining gardens.

Gift Wrap | Laura Corsi and Missy Townsend

• This is the first PTA fundraiser of each year. The students and their families sell gift-wrap and gift items from a catalogue and/or on-line store.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include promoting event, distributing order forms/packets; tallying, submitting, organizing and distributing orders.

Green Lemonade Stand | Needs Chairs

• This spirit committee has two components – the “green” lemonade and cookie after-school get together in the spring and the “green team,” an on-going effort to provide environmentally aware programs and recycling opportunities to our students.
• Committee chair’s responsibilities for the “Green Lemonade Stand” include recruiting and organizing volunteers; tracking RSVPs and payment; providing cookies and lemonade for the event; set up and clean up of event.  The “Green Team” works closely with staff to enhance environmental curriculum.
• Committee Members needed: Contact chairs

Halloween Party - “Boos and Ghouls” Fall 2010| Needs Chairs

• This fundraiser and indoor family event takes place every other year in October and includes the children dressing in costume, a cake walk/bake sale and games and bouncies.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include planning and organizing event; recruiting and scheduling volunteers; securing vendors for bouncies and food; creating and organizing games and other activities; as well as promoting the event.  Next event scheduled for fall 2010.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs

Hospitality | Cathy Cook

• This ongoing administrative committee provides refreshments for various PTA events including “Tears and Cheers” on the first day of school and Pre-K Parent Open House, in addition to  PTA general PTA meetings throughout the year (approx 5-7 meetings) – includes set-up and clean-up.

Ice Skating | Charlotte Jehle

• This family spirit event usually takes place on a winter holiday/day off from school (typically Martin Luther King Day).
• Committee chair’s responsibilities include securing skating rink, organizing and promoting this event, and check in at rink. This is not a fundraiser.

Indoor Beautification | Pam Goolden and Yvonne Zeisler

• This ongoing administrative committee works to enhance the physical appearance of the inside of our school.  
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include maintaining PTA bulletin boards, birthday board and classroom banners. Classroom banners for new teachers are installed prior to the first day of school.

Library Media Center | Chris Gannon and Laura Pitaniello

• This ongoing administrative committee works to enhance the physical appearance of the inside of our school.  
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include maintaining PTA bulletin boards, birthday board and classroom banners. Classroom banners for new teachers are installed prior to the first day of school.
• Library Media Center Volunteer Information Page

Literary Magazine - Branches | Needs Chairs

• “Branches” is a published book of writing pieces from 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students. Each student is encouraged to submit a piece of creative writing.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include collecting & editing students work during the winter, as well as organizing page layout, formatting, typing and coordinating the publishing of the book. Committee will also distribute the Branches book to the students at the end of the school year.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs

Membership | Angela Manigault

• Responsibilities include conducting membership drive in the fall for the Burr PTA, as well as filing reports on membership to PTA Council and state PTA.
• Membership Form

Odyssey of the Mind | Barbara Brown

• Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem-solving competition. Teams of five to seven students are formed. The teams meet weekly from November through March, when they enter a state competition.
• Committee chair’s responsibilities include attending training workshop, coaching team by meeting once a week, completing paperwork for state competition.
• Link to Connecticut Odyssey of the Minds site

Outreach | Amanda Flanagan and Ann Green

• This ongoing spirit committee aims to create opportunities for the kids to reach out to others in need.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include organizing curriculum based projects with teachers (i.e. writing to children in the hospital, reaching out to other countries, building blankets for sick children), as well as organizing various drives such as coat drives, toy drives, etc.

Publicity in the Community | Needs Chairs

• This ongoing administrative committee photographs and records special events at Burr Elementary School as well as provides local news outlets with details about significant events taking place at the school.

Publishing Student Writing | Christyn Whitney and Sydney Raha

• This springtime enrichment committee publishes the students’ literary works into their own individual books.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include contacting and coordinating with teachers, recruiting volunteer typists (if needed), typing books (at school or home), proofreading, printing, cutting, laminating, and binding the final edition.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs

Reading Celebration Week | Lisa Previti and Karen Houghton and Needs Co-Chair

• This one-week enrichment program is held during the spring and is designed to stimulate and energize the children with a fun-filled week focused on reading. This program is integrated with the One Book, One School Initiative.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include working with the staff to create a fun program with activities like school-wide art, favorite book vote, flip-flop reading, and Musical Reading Express. Additional responsibilities include recruiting and organizing volunteers, decorating and removing art from bulletin board.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs
• Link to 2006 Reading Celebration Slideshow

Reflections | Aarti McMahon and Needs Co-Chair

• Reflections, is a nation-wide, PTA-sponsored contest open to all students. Students may enter their work in the areas of photography, musical composition, visual arts and literature.
• Committee chair’s responsibilities include generating interest, promoting the program, sharing the rules, collecting the entries, and submitting the work to the state (usually in January) and national competitions.(Outside judging takes place.) Responsibilities also include holding an awards breakfast for the Burr students.
• Reflections Information page

River Lab | Ann Green(3rd Grd) | Martha Curtis(4th Grd) | Emily Price(5th Grd)

• This is a 3rd, 4th and 5th grade science enrichment program covering river basins and their importance. Dates vary by grade.  Each grade takes one field trip a year to a part of the Mill River basin. Training is provided by River Lab personnel and requires two training sessions and three guided trips for each guide.
• Committee chair’s responsibilities include recruiting volunteer guides and communicating training details to volunteers as well as being a guide for these field trips.  Ideally the chairs would recruit 5 volunteers per grade, so there would be 6 guides per grade.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs

Running Club-Fall | Allison Jacobi and Paola Murphy

• This fun, non-competitive running club prepares third and fourth grade students for the one-mile run given as part of the Fitness Assessment test in the fall of 4th grade.  Students will learn good running form, pace-setting, stretching and lots more. Running Club is held two mornings a week before school in the fall.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include recruiting parent volunteer helpers and attending the morning sessions.

Running Club-Spring | Karen Houghton and Paola Murphy

• This fun, non-competitive running club prepares third and fourth grade students for the one-mile run given as part of the Fitness Assessment test in the fall of 4th grade.  Students will learn good running form, pace-setting, stretching and lots more. Running Club is held two mornings a week before school in the spring.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include recruiting parent volunteer helpers and attending the morning sessions.

School Pictures | Aarti McMahon, Jocie Jandovitz and Judy Vogt

• Individual student and class photographs are taken in the fall.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include assisting the photographer with the sittings, helping with collecting the orders and distributing the photos.

Science Lab | Eva Schiffauer

• Assist the teachers with any preparation of experiments, helping while the students are in the lab, and cleaning the lab after class use. In addition committee members help to inventory, organize and clean (early fall and mid-spring) the lab as needed. Teacher assistance is organized through classroom coordinators or directly with the teacher.

Spirit Wear | Joanne Lenz and Needs Co-Chair

• This on-going fundraiser provides Burr logoed clothing items (such as hats, t-shirts, etc.) for sale.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include designing, ordering and selling items at various school functions and maintaining the Spirit on-line web page.
• Pride and Spiritwear Information Page

Staff Appreciation | Lisa Maute and Jennifer Hutchins

• This ongoing administrative committee demonstrates the PTA’s appreciation for the school’s staff through periodic luncheons/breakfast celebrations.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include organizing parent volunteers to provide items or monetary donations for staff appreciation luncheons the week before school starts and at the end of the school year. Additional luncheons/breakfast celebrations are held throughout the year.

Storytellers | Carolyn McKenna and Betsy Milicia

• This group strives to preserve the tradition of storytelling while giving children the opportunity to participate. Both students and teachers love this event. Parents pick a favorite story, supporting the grade’s curriculum, and tell the story to each class. It typically takes only one or two mornings during the year. Special training is offered to storytellers to help bring the stories to life.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include recruiting and training volunteers. 
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs

Variety Show | El Wood and Nikki Fuller

• This is an annual spirit event that showcases the children’s talents during an evening performance.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include organizing and producing a one-day performance, as well as scheduling preview and dress rehearsals, making a master copy of the music onto a CD, recruiting and coordinating parent volunteers, stage decorations, and promoting the event.

Web Site | Stacey Mosetich, Randi Block, and Laura Pitaniello

• This ongoing administrative committee provides a technical means of conveying Burr PTA information to the public through our website.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include collecting information on all the important events happening in our school, community, and other educational web sites and providing access to flyers and paperwork used by the PTA . The web site committee will help answer questions and concerns via the web site.
• Approval process to submit information to be put on this site
• Submit PTA approved information to post to this site.
• Volunteer to help

Welcome Committee | Needs Chairs

• This ongoing spirit committee is the PTA’s primary source of welcoming new families into the Burr community.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include organizing 2 informal playground playmates for incoming Kindergarteners – one in spring, one in summer; hosting Kindergarten Orientation Day in April; coordinating along with school administration, student “buddies” for all new Burr students.

Wellness | Christine Vaccarella

• This ongoing administrative committee addresses issues that contribute to the well being of the children at Burr.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include developing a few projects each year that will improve the health, safety and nutritional environment of our school.

Yearbook | Asami Green and Needs Co-Chair

• This ongoing spirit committee produces a yearbook of photographs with a special section highlighting the graduating class. Everyone in the school is encouraged to contribute photos to help make this book full of memories.
• Committee chairs’ responsibilities include recruiting volunteer photographers; collecting and sorting photographs and arranging page layouts.  Additional responsibilities include working with the publisher and distributing the books in the spring.
• Committee Members Needed: Contact Chairs