PTA Programs By Executive Committee Position

President
Community Outreach, Chairperson Karin Kulinski- Interfaces and coordinates with members of the Fort Hunt Elementary Community to ensure that the PTA supports the entire school community. Helps with programs such as Community Carpool.

Care & Share, Chairperson Sarah Olson- Coordinates our community support for our economically disadvantaged students including weekend meals, school supply drive, Coins for Cranberries to provide Thanksgiving meals, Angel Tree for holiday gifts and coordinates with the school counselors to provide for the needs of our struggling families.

First Vice President Development
School Supply Sale, Chairperson Tracey Kohler- FHES PTA partners with Innisbrook Catalog Sales for a School Supply Sale in which school supply packs are purchased online, delivered directly to the classroom and a portion of all sales is returned to the PTA to help support FHES programs and events. The fundraiser typically runs June through Mid-August. The School Supply Chairperson is responsible for coordinating with FHES for the school supply lists per grade and with the Innisbrook representative to create school supply packs on the Innisbrook website. The Chairperson will track orders using the Innisbrook website and promote the electronic supply sale through the PTA website, email blasts, Facebook page and in the Wednesday folder prior to the end of the school year.

Just Write A Check, Chairperson Tracey Kohler- This fundraising opportunity allows families to simply write a check or donate online to the general funding for the PTA, with 100% of the money raised going directly into PTA programs. Every year it costs approximately $50 per student to maintain our current level of programs and events. The PTA encourages a contribution of $50 for EACH student, but a donation of any amount is greatly appreciated. Chair is responsible for developing the flyer and ensuring delivery in the Wednesday folders. While the launch is in September, the FHES PTA accepts online “Just Write a Check” donations all year.

Fox Trot, Chairperson Jeff Sessine- The FHES 1-Mile Thanksgiving Fox Trot is not just a fantastic community event - it is a Novbember tradition! For the past 13 years, runners of all ages and experience levels have come out for this fun 1-Mile event. Prizes are awarded for the top 3 male/female finishers in each division. Chair is responsible for coordinating with Fort Hunt Park to ensure space is available for the event, coordinating with the tracking company for race bibs, orders t-shirts, coordinates the celebration party and medal ceremony and works closely with the Chair of the Fall Fleet Foxes to run the entire event. This event is ideal for more than one person to co-chair.

Restaurant Nights, Chairperson Renee McGrew- The FHES PTA hosts several restaurant night opportunities throughout the year where families can enjoy a night out or a delicious hot pizza delivered to their doorstep and a portion of all sales goes directly back to the school. For the 2014-2015 school year, the restaurant night proceeds went to help fund our Care and Share Program – an effort to focus on “fundraising for a purpose.” The Chair is responsible for soliciting restaurant partners, coordinating with restaurants for the events, coordinating publicity for the restaurant nights and the delivery of funds earned to the PTA Treasurer.

Sponsorships, Chairperson Katie Goodno- The FHES PTA offers you several ways to make sure local families see your business over and over again. From our family communication resources to our three prized community events each year: the Fall Fox Trot, the Spring Auction & Family Night, and Spring Fleet Foxes; there is an abundance of opportunity to build lasting relationships within our community! The Chair reaches out to local business by email, phone, mail and in-person to secure sponsors in a variety of categories for FHES. Most sponsors are secured by September in order to include them in the school directory, but sponsorship is ongoing.

Spring Fundraiser, Co-Chairs Megan Gianchetta & Tracey Kohler- The 2015 spring fundraiser combines the traditional auction/class basket raffle with a math-a-thon that engages the entire school community. The 2015 Mathtastic Spring Fundraiser is another example of “fundraising for a purpose” with all proceeds going toward the purchase of new laptops and tablets. The Chair is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the fundraiser, to include: outlining the event and setting a goal, identifying volunteer needs, working closely with the school administration to get approval on all aspects of the event, etc. This fundraiser is ideal for more than one person to co-chair and runs in April/May.

Easy Fundraising (Includes Coke Rewards, Labels for Education, Box Tops, Giant/A+ Rewards, Safeway, Target, Ink Cartridge Recycling, Internet Shopping), Chairperson Karen Garvey- FHES benefits from many no-cost, hassle-free fundraisers that offer a variety of ways to participate. From the checkout line to your laptop or tablet, explore and find the ones that fit your lifestyle best! Our easy fundraising encompasses all of the following: Coke Rewards, Labels for Education, Box Tops, Giant/A+ Rewards, Safeway, Target, Ink Cartridge Recycling, and Internet Shopping. The Chair is responsible for researching the easy fundraising requirements and offering special incentives and goals throughout the year (i.e. Box Top goal of 800 per grade in one month). The Chair is also responsible for collecting the easy fundraising contributions and submitting them to the appropriate organizations.

Spirit wear, Chairperson VACANT- Coordinate the purchase and sale of all spirit wear including on hand items to sell at Back to School events, pre-order sales held throughout the year and the distribution of all products once delivered. Chair will coordinate with FHES Website person to ensure online catalog and sales are accurate.

Math-a-thon, Co-Chairs Megan Gianchetta & Tracey Kohler- Yearly fundraiser where students take pledges and compete in math challenges in order to raise money for the PTA. Timing to be determined based on school calendar and other fundraising opportunities throughout the school year. Work with math teacher lead to develop and implement math challenges, produce or lead the production of all challenge packets, pledge sheets, event marketing, compilation of challenge results, coordination of pledge sheet totals & money earned. Coordinate all aspects of fundraiser.

Original Works, Chairperson Eileen Myers- Yearly fundraiser with the company “Original Works”, typically held in the Fall with delivery of items ordered to students prior to the school’s December Holiday. Organize and plan with the school Art teachers the prepping of student artwork followed by delivery of needed paperwork, promotional material, etc. Coordinate a team of parents (or can be done solo) to help distribute completed packages to parents, then calculate incoming orders, and lastly the delivery of said orders to all teachers for distribution to students/parents. Work with Original Works Representative via emails and mail.

Second Vice President Family Events & Volunteers
Volunteer Coordinator, Chairperson Cindy Hanig- Work with parent information gathered from website (PTA on-line volunteer forms) to pull information for various reasons (PTA events, teachers needing help, staff needing volunteers, etc). Help with creating Volunteer forms/sign ups using the PTA database and website for PTA sponsored events throughout the year.

1st Wednesday Folder Stuffing Coordinator, Co-Chairs Cindy Hanig & Wendy Putnam- Held the week before school opens. Organize a group of volunteers to pull, collate and stuff the 1st Weds Folder for the entire school population. Must work with staff from school office (Debbie Trenchard & Rosa Dibarco) as well as various members of the PTA Board/Chairs (El Zorro team, PTA President, Easy Fundraising Chair, etc) to coordinate the various forms/paperwork needed to fill the folders.

Back to School Picnic, Chairperson Katy Dietchman- The Back to School Picnic is fun, free event held on a Saturday afternoon shortly after the start of the school year. The PTA provides drinks and sweet treats and usually a DJ. Families come with a picnic lunch and dance, play on the playground and reconnect with old and new friends. The person who coordinates this event is responsible for the purchase and/or donation of food, drinks, napkins & plastic ware, securing a DJ for the event, designing and ensuring the distribution of an event flyer, producing and posting signs for the event, event setup and cleanup.

Coffee & Kleenex, Hosted by PTA Executive Committee- Following student drop-off on the morning of the first day of school, parents are invited to a short (no more than one hour) social event in the Fort Hunt front courtyard. The person(s) who coordinates this event is responsible for coordinating the purchase and/or donation of food, coffee, napkins & plasticware, producing and posting signs for the event, event setup and cleanup.

Open House, Hosted by PTA Executive Committee - FHES typically hosts an Open House event the week prior to the start of the school year during the day so that students may meet their teacher, see their classroom and prepare for the upcoming school year. The PTA Executive Committee is responsible to staff each of the tables at the event to join the PTA, purchase FHES spirit wear, learn about the school programs and volunteer opportunities and usually sponsor “Popsicles on the Playground” for the families after they’ve been to their classes. The chair person is responsible for ensuring that all of the PTA tables have staff present at the event and purchase the popsicles.

Fall Family Event, Co-Chairs VACANT- The FHES PTA hosts a fall event in late October. In the past we have had a bingo night, barn dance, autumn carnival and a Halloween dance party. Typically the 6th grade will partner with the PTA for the fall event to help with their annual fundraising activities. The event is free and usually includes a DJ, games and food. Form a planning committee and come up with an idea for the event. Coordinate with the PTA Vice President of Events and the principal for approval. Manage the event budget and work with the 6th grade parent liaison on their fundraising portion of the event. This event is ideal for more than one person to co-chair.

Dance Around the World, Co-Chairs Karin Kulinski & VACANT- The FHES PTA hosts a very popular international dance around the world night that celebrates the many cultures of our community. The event is free for everyone and includes a potluck of FHES family contributed dishes. There is a DJ, games, crafts, a parade of nations and much more. Typically this event takes place in February. The Chair will work with a team of volunteers to put together the many moving parts of the event. The Chair will manage the budget and coordinate with the PTA Vice President of Events and the principal for approval. This event is ideal for more than one person to co-chair.

Sports Night, Co-Chairs Erik Kohler & Eric Hanig- The FHES PTA hosts a free evening celebrating fun with sports. This event generally occurs near the end of the school year in May or June. There are usually several sporting stations and a prize for trying them all. The event typically has food for sale and is sometimes partnered with the 6th for additional fundraising. The Chair will work with a team of volunteers to put together the many moving parts of the event. The Chair will manage the budget and coordinate with the PTA Vice President of Events and the principal for approval. This event is ideal for more than one person to co-chair.

Fall Fleet Foxes, Co-Chairs Shannon Lisecki & VACANT- Fleet Foxes is a running club for students in grades K-6. Fall Fleet Foxes is comprised of 4 to 6 practices offered after school in October/November. These practices prepare students to run the One Mile Thanksgiving Fox Trot. Chairperson is responsible for the design and distribution of promotional materials, the organization of practices, the solicitation and organization of volunteers and the coordination with the Fox Trot organizer to be sure that all Fleet Fox participants are registered for the Fox Trot.

Spring Fleet Foxes, Co-Chairs Shannon Lisecki & VACANT- Fleet Foxes is a running club for students in grades K-6. Spring Fleet Foxes is comprised of 4 to 6 practices offered after school in the Spring. These practices prepare students for the Running is Elementary track meet held at West Potomac High School in the Spring. Chairperson is responsible for the design and distribution of promotional materials, the organization of practices, the solicitation and organization of volunteers and the coordination of student participation in the track meet.

Spring Track Meet, Co-Chairs Shannon Lisecki & VACANT- Two Running is Elementary track meets are held each Spring at West Potomac High School in conjunction with Spring Fleet Foxes. One meet is for grades K-2 and one is for grades 3-6. Chairperson is responsible for coordinating Fleet Fox participation in the meet and interfacing with the Spring Fleet Fox chairperson and the Running is Elementary meet organizer.

Birthday Cupcakes, Chairperson Betsy Rogers- Organize Monthly distribution of Birthday Cupcakes to children during the lunch periods. Held on the 3rd Weds of each month (Aug & Sept b-days held in Sept and June & July b-days held in June). Coordinate & maintain parent volunteers to make and deliver cupcakes each month thru a sign-up form on PTA website. Must be able to help oversee each month through out school year.

Birthday Books, Co-Chairs Kara LaPenna & Angela Perez- Organize Monthly distribution of Birthday Books to children during the lunch periods. Held on the 3rd Weds of each month (Aug & Sept b-days held in Sept and June & July b-days held in June). Coordinate & maintain parent volunteers to help distribute books each month thru a sign-up form on PTA website. Must be able to help oversee each month throughout school year.

Fox Squad, Chairperson Wendy Putnam- Be the lead person in charge of our volunteer staff of parents. The volunteers help our teachers/staff with copying, collating, lamenting, etc, most materials used in class. Our work helps alleviate some of the teacher’s workload so they can concentrate on the children and not the paperwork prep. Our work is necessary through entire school year.

Teacher Appreciation, Chairperson Karen Garvey- Organize and coordinate with parent volunteers various events throughout the school year to show our appreciation to our teachers and school staff. We host 3 luncheons during the year (1st in Aug before the school year starts, 2nd during Teacher Appreciation week – usually in May, and lastly in June – at the end of the school year).

Sunshine Committee, Chairperson Karen Garvey- Organize and coordinate parent volunteers on a monthly basis to show our teachers/staff our appreciation of their dedication and hard work. Typically held one day a month through out school year with a theme and always involves sweets, savories and trays full of treats! Also loved by teachers and staff are personal notes, drawings and tokens of appreciation. Held in the Teachers Lounge and creativity of Coordinator is key.

Thanksgiving Luncheon, Chairperson Angela Meyers- Organize and coordinate with the Ft Hunt staff (Principal & Cafeteria team) the planning and set-up of our Thanksgiving Day Luncheon. We serve a typical Thanksgiving Menu for parents/family to join their children/students for lunch. School/Cafeteria team will set date of event. Parent Volunteers help to set up, serve, sell tickets and clean up event. Event is held in Nov.

Veteran’s Day Celebration, Chairperson Melanie Froemke- Organize and coordinate with the Ft Hunt staff (Principal & Teachers) the planning and set-up of our Veteran’s Day Celebration. Plan out a day of speakers/presenters that are current or retired Military personal (generally parents/family of current students). Presenters typically speak about their life in the military for students to become familiar with Military as a career path and to also establish an appreciation of their sacrifices. School/Principal will set date of event. Event is held in Nov.

Garden Club, Chairperson VACANT- Organize and coordinate a Garden Club to help with outdoor school beautification. Responsible for coordinating community clean up days, planting of flowers around the school and seasonal decor around the front entrance.

Third Vice President Education
Science Night, Angela Granieri- Coordinate the annual Family Science Night program, hosted by the Maryland Science Center. Chair is responsible for working with the PTA Executive Committee to select an event date, create and distribute promotional materials for the event and coordinate set-up and clean-up of the event.

Chess club, Chairperson VACANT- Participating students receive instruction on chess concepts from a coach in an encouraging and supportive environment. No experience necessary! Chess club begins in October and ends in spring. Chairperson is responsible for designing and distributing registration information, planning and conducting practices and matches.

Junior Great Books, Chairperson VACANT- Students are grouped by reading level and read stories from Junior Great Books Series program. Parent Volunteers lead discussions at regular intervals. Runs throughout the school year. www.greatbooks.org Design and distribute registration information, collaborate with reading specialist to identify reading groups, order books if needed, secure volunteers to plan reading material and conduct weekly discussions.

Math Olympiad, Chairperson Randi Davison- A math problem-solving team practices and completes monthly contests. Teaches strategies for problem solving and fosters enthusiasm and love for math! This program runs October through March. Chairperson is responsible for designing and distributing registration information, registering the team (Fall), printing challenges, planning and conducting weekly practices, conducting challenges and recording/reporting results to Math Olympiad organization.

National Geographic Bee, Chairperson Stephanie Seadeek- Each year thousands of schools in the United States participate in the National Geographic Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed to motivate students to learn about the world and how it works. Students in grades 4-8 are eligible for this entertaining and challenging competition. Chairperson is responsible for the design and distribution of registration information, registering the team (Fall), and planning and conducting practices throughout the school year in preparation for competition.

Odyssey of the Mind, Co-Chairs Monica Kruszka & Elizabeth Rees- An international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from Kindergarten through College. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. Chairperson is responsible for the organization and distribution of registration information to grade-level coaches, for registering teams, and serves as liaison between coaches and Odyssey of the Mind organization. Coaches meet with student teams regularly in preparation for spring competition.

Reflections, Chairperson Stacey Wallach- The Reflections Arts Recognition Program is a national arts recognition and achievement program for students. Students submit an original piece, inspired by the annual theme, for their school's Reflections Program. Works cover several arts areas, including dance choreography, visual arts, film production, and photography. Artwork is due late October and judged by early spring. Chairperson is responsible for the design and distribution of registration information, collecting artwork

Spanish Spelling Bee, Chairperson Lynda Dunne-Contestants are asked to spell a broad selection of words in Spanish. Culminates in a competition within our school between Fort Hunt ES students of the same grade level. Runs throughout the school year. Chairperson is responsible for the design and distribution of registration information, designing and preparing practice lists, planning and conducting practice sessions in preparation for in-school competition.

Spelling Bee, Chairperson Lynda Dunne-Contestants are asked to spell a broad selection of words, usually with a varying degree of difficulty. Helps students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives. Practices and Spelling Bee take place in February and March. Chairperson is responsible for the design and distribution of registration information, registering the team, preparing and distributing practice lists, planning and conducting practice sessions in preparation for in-school competition.

Word Masters, Chairperson Annie Minor- The WordMasters Challenge™ is a vocabulary competition based on completing analogies. Meets are held at Fort Hunt ES a few times throughout the year. Scores are reported to compete with public and private schools throughout the country. Chairperson is responsible for organizing and distributing registration information to grade-level leaders, registering teams, serves as liaison between WordMasters Challenge Organization and grade-level leaders and reports results. Grade-level leaders plan and conduct practice sessions in preparation for several competitions throughout the year.

Scholastic Books, Chairperson Angela Perez- A school-wide Scholastic Books program allowing parents to order online and earn bonus points for our school. These bonus points are used to purchase books to build classroom libraries and to fund FHES PTA’s Birthday Books Program. The Chairperson is responsible for the receipt, organization and distribution of flyers to each classroom. The chairperson places the school-wide order online monthly and upon arrival, distributes books to student classrooms. They also choose books to donate to teacher classrooms and the birthday book program using bonus points accrued.

After School Enrichment, Coordinator Jessica Kaplan & Onsite Co-Chair VACANT- Provides students in kindergarten through sixth grade a selection of classes to choose from in order to experience a variety of art forms, including robotics, yoga, science and pottery. Classes are geared toward particular grade levels, typically K - 2 and 3 - 6. There are two 8-week sessions during the school year, one in the Fall and one in the Spring. The person(s) responsible for this program:

Selects dates for each session, which classes to offer and vendors to teach the courses being offered and then has those selections approved by the PTA Executive Committee
Coordinates with staff in the front office on required paperwork (ADM 24) and appropriate meeting space for each class
Drafts hard copy flyer for distribution in Wednesday folders, has it approved by PTA President and Fort Hunt principal and coordinates with Fox Squad to have copies made and placed in Wednesday folders at least twice prior to the start of each session
Coordinates with Corresponding Secretary on appropriate language and registration details to be posted on PTA website (including call for volunteers) and then updates as needed
Coordinates with the school counselor on whether or not to approve scholarship requests
Develops and maintains spreadsheets on class attendees, payments received, volunteers, scholarships, SACC and late bus participants
Ensures that front office staff, SACC staff and kindergarten teachers have current, relevant attendee and location information for students
Coordinates with Treasurer on depositing all registration fees received and paying all vendor invoices
Attends every class throughout each session, assigning volunteers for each class, getting students organized and sent off to the correct rooms for their classes, coordinating with vendor POCs regarding instructors as needed and ensuring all participating students are picked up, go to SACC or get on the late bus when classes end

Ambassador Program, Chairperson VACANT- A mentorship program for new Fort Hunt Elementary families who are looking for help integrating into the school community. The chair will provide mentorship contacts and information to families as needed.

Recording Secretary
Membership, Chairperson Bretta Bombac- Recruit parents and staff to become members of the PTA especially at beginning of the year events such as open house and back-to-school night, then maintain a list of all members.

Bylaws, N/A until 2019/2020 school year- Revise our PTA bylaws every five years in accordance with the procedures governed by Virginia PTA (this was most recently completed during the 2014-15 school year).

Nominating Committee & Elections, Chairperson VACANT- Each spring recruit five PTA members to form the Nominating Committee which oversees PTA elections.

Bulletin Board Updates, Chairperson Mimi Green- Change the bulletin board in the main hallway approximately every month to reflect information and events related to the PTA.

Create & Place Signs for all events, Chairperson Mimi Green- Design and create signs to advertise PTA meetings and events and display them around the school the day of event.

Corresponding Secretary
El Zorro, Co-Chairs Danielle Gamiz & Tracy Phillips- A bi-monthly print publication that helps keep the Fort Hunt School Community up-to-date on school happenings. It is delivered via the Wednesday folder and a copy is posted on the PTA website. The person(s) responsible for the publication compile, write & edit content, format it into the newsletter format, get the publication approved by the PTA President and FHES Principal and ensure that it is delivered to Fox Squad and the Corresponding Secretary for printing/posting.

Directory, Chairperson Tracy Phillips- An annual directory of FHES families compiled and printed using our online database. The directory submissions are taken in early Fall and it is printed & delivered in October. Every FHES family receives a printed copy of the directory. Every PTA Member has access to the electronic directory housed on the PTA website. Person(s) responsible for the Directory coordinate a Directory Artwork Cover Contest for all students.

Publicity & Promotion, Chairperson VACANT- A chairperson and/or committee to help with the promotion of FHES and PTA activities and programs to publications outside of FHES. Includes interfacing with local newspapers, such as the Mount Vernon Gazette, in order to promote the positive energy, activities and events at FHES. Also includes applying for awards and grants to help with or promote the PTA.

Website & Database, Chairperson VACANT- The PTA website (forthuntpta.org) and database is maintained by the Corresponding Secretary and anyone that volunteers to assist with it. It is updated frequently and is used as a resource for FHES families, faculty and staff to see current and future PTA programs, purchase spirit wear, register for classes, receive updated PTA news etc.

PTA Facebook Page, Chairperson VACANT- The PTA Facebook Page is maintained by the Corresponding Secretary and anyone who volunteers to assist with it. Posts are made frequently to promote PTA or school functions and programs, remind parents of important community items and highlight the PTA or exciting school news. The page is monitored for incoming messages.