Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 15:21:09 -0400
From: Darcey Moore
Subject: Northwood PTSA
Greetings!
I apologize for the electronic conveyance of this message rather than in person but work has me out of the country and life has been so full of tumbles these last few weeks that time slipped by too quickly.
Tragically, the 20-year old female exchange student who was killed when struck by a bus in Chapel Hill on May 15th was one of my law school exchange students, Lisa Moran, from Scotland. As you might imagine, it turned my life and priorities upside down and all around as I, and others at the law school, dealt with this loss and in helping her parents who flew in from Scotland to take care of arrangements. We held the memorial service this past Tuesday, on the day that I had originally planned to be taking her to the airport to fly home from the semester. Friday I had to leave for Australia for the next two weeks or so to get our law program there up and running for its tenure.
Although I’m still getting over jetlag (arrived Sunday a.m. Australian time after 30+ hours travel in planes and airports), I am trying to catch up on other important matters!–one of which is Northwood’s PTSA and its officers and committee chairpersons for next year!
Please consider putting your name in as either President, Secretary, or one of the various Committee Chairs/Co-Chairs. It makes a big difference to the school your child(ren) attend!
Openings for 2008-09 School Year
President
Secretary
Site-based Committee for NHS (made up of teacher, administrator, student, and parent representatives)–1, possibly 2 openings available; Laurie Heisse’s tenure of 2 years is ending typically this committee meets 1x month at 3:00 pm
Standing PTSA Committees:
Membership–Beth Wilson did a great job this past year and might continue, but needs to train someone new on how to do the paperwork–easy if you know! counts for a lot with NCPTA; this tends to be at the beginning of the year and then is over
Teacher Appreciation–Darcey Moore did a fantastic job this past year in addition to serving as VP; again, she needs to train new people to help out with this fun service to the teachers and that is most appreciated by the teachers
Hospitality–I did this and would be happy for someone to take it and run! Fun, and very little work in getting/organizing food/drink for the meetings
Concessions (at UNC)–Bill Newton was trained this past year and is taking it on upon George Greger-Holt’s and Jim Kirkman’s “graduation” this spring but it’s a job that would definitely be better shared and Bill will be “graduating” at the end of next year. This is the biggest single-source of fundraising efforts for individual groups/clubs/teams to earn money by working concessions at UNC home football and women’s b’ball games during the year. Northwood has “an in” that we don’t want to give up!! But for NHS to continue doing this, parents have to step up to agree to help with the coordination and communication with the food service company. It’s fun and important work for NHS! An incoming freshman, sophomore, or rising junior parent would be wonderful so there would be continuity and ease over the next few years.
PTA Thrift Store–this is the other BIGGIE for fundraising for NHS groups, clubs, teams, teachers! NHS does well, but could do much better if there was an individual to help promote/coordinate worknights, ways that the thrift stores need help which could be filled by NHS; attend thrift store county meetings to hear the latest.
Lori Prouty has done a fantastic job compiling the monthly hours worked to submit to the NHS PTSA Treasurer each month for updating individual groups’ budget line items with hours/funds earned. Again, hopefully, she’ll be continuing this next year taking on this much-important duty, but it would be helpful to know of others who can share the load and split the duties associated with the PTA Thrift Stores and helping NHS get the most of this opportunity.
Grocery Cards–Darcey Moore and others enlarged this fundraising venture at NHS by continuing the monthly standing orders program (can be picked up from Nancy Brown at NHS or several others depending on your location) and selling grocery cards at NHS events where parents come to the school. Again, this could continue to grow and provide much needed funds to the PTSA to funnel to the teachers and groups via the budget request proposals that are submitted and then selected and funded each year from the PTSA General Fund. There is always room for someone to take on a leadership role within Grocery Cards and helping to make it work.
Mayfest–with the idea that the school might reinstate this as an annual event, the Coordinators this year, Nansi Greger-Holt and Sharon Kirkman, are both “graduating” this spring, therefore, we will need new coordinator(s).
Publicity
NHS PTSA Webpage–George Greger-Holt has been our webmaster for the PTSA webpage, but alas, he, too is graduating.
Listserv Communications–Peggy Myers has set up the listserv and has kept it maintained this past year–it’s great for getting out such messages (such as this one!) to NHS parents.
If you have such technology/webmastering skills in you, please think of volunteering to be our webmaster. This form of communications (web pages and emails) between the school and the PTSA and parents is
becoming more and more important as often the most-used source of information and news. The sky’s the limit as far as individual’s ideas for the webpage, an online newsletter, etc., etc.
Public announcements to Central Office–we’d love to have someone who wants to make sure that Central Office and the Chatham and beyond public (local/regional newspapers) know of the many successes and doings of our NHS student body and faculty.
It’s now 5 a.m. (I’ve been awake catching up on work, etc. since 3 am with my body/mind seemingly still on NC time so I hope I haven’t forgotten any of the committees or other important information); if so, please let me know.
What else?–You tell me! If you have an interest in something that you think would be of benefit to the school, then please let PTSA know.
Get involved! As Nike ads go: “Just Do It!” If you don’t do it, no one else will. Have a say and know what’s going on at your child’s school.
We’d love to hear from you–our email addresses and phone #s are listed on the PTSA webpage. I know any of the chairs would love to talk with you if you are interested in participating.
All the best,
Bev Sizemore, Outgoing NHS PTSA President
Darcey Moore, NHS PTSA Vice-President
Sharon Kirkman, Outgoing NHS PTSA Secretary
Gina Dye, NHS PTSA Treasurer
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