Art Goes to School
Chairperson: Susan Sullivan ( 610-272-3299 ) ssulli3071@aol.com
This committee brings works of art into the classroom via parent volunteers.
No experience is necessary and training is provided. Training meetings are
held approximately once a month. Classroom visits occur during one week in
the spring.
Assemblies
Chairperson: Yvette Strosser 215-646-6561 asplumber@verizon.net
Co-Chairperson: Vacant
This committee works with the Principal to bring educational and
entertaining assemblies to Blue Bell.
Beautification
Chairperson: Sharon Brunner ( 610-275-5979 ) Brun1240@msn.com
Co-Chairperson: Vacant
This committee helps keep the front gardens presentable and provides
seasonal decorations at the school entrance.
A fun-filled evening for the whole family scheduled for an evening in March.
Volunteers are needed to provide refreshments, set-up, call Bingo numbers
and clean up.
Blue Bell Directory
Chairperson:
Sumita Pai Mehta 484-681-9505 sumitapm@gmail.com
Co-Chairperson: Vacant
This directory provides student names, class, address, phone number, parent
names and e-mail (if provided). No children’s e-mails will be listed. It is
distributed to all students.
This monthly e-newsletter keeps you up-to-date on all current & upcoming school events. Production is done monthly on the computer and distributed to the school community via email. Some paper copies are available and can be sent home, if requested. Please check the PTO website for submission information and deadlines.
This is a one page e-newsletter for events and announcements that is published
every Wednesday except for the first Wednesday of the month that the Blue Bell News is published.
It is distributed to the school community via email. Some paper copies are available and can be sent home,
if requested. Submissions must be made to the email listed above by the prior Thursday to appear in the
following Wednesday's update.
Book Fairs
Chairperson: April Brasher (
215-699-7731 )
thebsinpa@comcast.net
Co-Chairperson: vacant
Our Fall Book Fair runs just prior to Thanksgiving in conjunction with our
Holiday Shop and promotes the joy of reading. Many volunteers are needed to
help set-up, assist children with book selections, work as cashiers, and
help take everything down. This committee also assists the librarian with a
smaller Book Fair in the Spring.
Cool the Earth
Cool the Earth is a grass roots organization based out of Marin County, CA to help raise awareness of environmental issues and to help us reduce our carbon footprint. It has been successful in 40 schools in CA. Our participation makes us one of 4 schools on the east coast to participate. Learn more at www.cooltheearth.org
This committee works with our art teacher to prepare artwork for display at
the Wissahickon School District-wide Art Show in May. Many volunteers are
needed to label our children’s artwork and to help hang it up for display at
the high school. Parents are also needed to work as monitors at the show &
to help take down art work after the show ends. It is a wonderful way to see
the great art projects our children do.
Chairperson: April Brasher (215-699-7731)
thebsinpa@comcast.net
All 5th grade parents are invited & strongly encouraged to participate in
this committee. The committee will plan a special end-of-year activity for
the entire 5th grade, plan a 5th grade party at the Middle School, select a
class gift to Blue Bell School and coordinate fund-raising activities for
these activities
Co-chairperson: vacant
Children shop by themselves for holiday gifts for their family and friends.
Many volunteers are needed for this event scheduled November 21. Volunteers
set up display tables and run the shop as cashiers, wrappers and sales help
for the children, as well as clean up.
Hospitality
Co-Chairperson: Michele Brooker-Lee (215-292-0358)
michele1206@live.com
Co-Chairperson: vacant
This committee provides refreshments for various PTO activities including a
back-to-school teachers' lunch, Kindergarten juice and snacks for
orientation, special PTO meetings, and Breakfast with Buddies. Volunteers
are especially needed for the Breakfast with Buddies program which occurs
on October 17th and 24th.
Second through Fifth graders participate in Junior Great Books. They read
stories from selected texts and gather at weekly lunch meetings to discuss
the stories with their peers. Volunteers are needed to run the book
discussions. Instructor handbooks are available. The program usually runs
from mid-Fall through early Winter. Training is provided.
Lunch/Recess Aides
Chairperson: Mary Beth McCarry (
215-641-9911 )
marybethmccarry@aol.com
Lunch/Recess Aides help supervise children during their lunch and recess.
Help is needed from 10:50 a.m. until 12:50 p.m. You choose the day or days
that you are available to assist - once a week, once a month, or whatever
works with your schedule.
Manners Luncheon
Chairperson: Sophia Penning (
215-661-1499 )
sophiagreekgirl@verizon.net
Co-chairperson: Tracie Walsh (
215-619-7787 )
rewithtracie@verizon.net
This committee works with Mrs. Raivetz to plan and host three luncheons for
each grade level during the year. Volunteers are needed to help plan, set
up, serve, and clean-up for the luncheons.
This committee works with the music teacher to help coordinate special
musical events. Volunteers are needed for assistance with drum line, school
concerts and other musical activities.
Playground Committee
Chairperson: Vacant
Co-Chairperson: Vacant
This committee was started during the 2005-2006 school year in order to
raise funds for the repair/improvement of our existing playground equipment.
Pretzel Sales
Chairperson: Sharon Brunner (
610-275-5979 )
brun1240@msn.com
Co-Chairperson: Vacant
This committee runs the monthly pretzel sales. The sales will be announced
in advance to the students. Two-to-three parents are needed to sell pretzels
on the designated Pretzel Sale Fridays.
Publicity
Chairperson: Sharon Brunner (
610-275-5979 )
brun1240@msn.com
The responsibilities of this committee include notifying the press when
there is a newsworthy activity at the school. Pictures (preferably digital)
can be submitted to the newspapers.
Publishing Center
Chairperson: Donna Dickson (
215-646-8055 )
mydicksonfamily@yahoo.com
The center transforms many of the children’s creative writing papers into
books, laminates classroom projects and helps with the school directory and
yearbook. Training will be provided. It is a great way to learn what the
children are doing.
Redemption
Chairperson: Laine Dalby (
610-270-0107 )
russj25@juno.com
Volunteers are needed to collect and tally Box Tops for Education and
printer cartridge recycling projects. The committee encourages participation
in Target, Schoolpop, Genuardi’s and other redemption programs we
participate in. The funds from these programs help support PTO activities.
Reading Olympics
Chairperson: Nicolette Risley (Blue Bell Staff -
215-619-8102 x2327)
nriisley@wsdweb.org
Co-Chairperson: Vacant
Teams of 4th and 5th grade students read 40 books from a list provided by
the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. The goal is for each team to cover
all of the books in preparation for the April 2008 Reading Olympics to be
held at Norristown High School. Teams meet once a week with a parent/teacher
coach during the winter. Volunteers are needed to coach teams, ask
questions, read select books from the list and prepare questions, keep score
on the day of the competition and provide refreshments prior to the
competition.
Room Parents
Chairperson: Tracie Walsh (
215-619-7787 )
rewithtracie@verizon.net
Room parent coordinators review room parent volunteer forms and help assign
room parents for each classroom in the grades indicated. Two or three room
parents are needed for each classroom. Room parents will implement a
telephone chain in the event of an early school closing or other important
event. They also work with teachers to help coordinate parent involvement.
Room parents attend PTO meetings and communicate PTO business as needed.
School Board Liaisons attend the School Board meetings on the 2nd and 4th
Mondays of the Month at 7:30 p.m. at Lower Gwynedd Elementary School. The
liaisons job is to report at the Blue Bell PTO meeting on issues relevant to
our population. We would like several people to share this responsibility
and take turns attending the meetings. It is a great way to develop an
understanding of the direction of our school district.
Co-Chairperson: Bryn Prieston (
267-475-9311 )
bryn2003@hotmail.com
The school store is open every Thursday and Friday morning from 8:20 - 8:35
a.m. and special times as announced. Volunteers are needed to open, run and
close the store. You can choose your schedule and work as little or as much
as you’d like.
Staff Appreciation Luncheon
Chairperson: Sophia Penning (
215-661-1499 )
sophiagreekgirl@verizon.net
Co-Chairperson: Vacant
Each year we take time to thank our teachers and staff for the wonderful job
they have done during the year with our children. We ask volunteers to make
and serve lunch. It will occur towards the end of April.
Wrapping Paper Sale
Chairperson: Teri McMasters (
215-283-9374 )
teriward@comcast.net
Co-Chairperson: Vacant
This is our major fundraiser, generating most of the funds that support PTO
activities. It occurs within two weeks of the start of school. Children will
bring home sales brochures and order forms (There is no door-to-door
selling.).Volunteers are needed to count orders, unload and sort orders when
they come in and distribute them to the classrooms in early November.
Co-chairperson: Sharon Brunner (
610-275-5979 )
brun1240@msn.com
Work with the staff to create the 2009-2010 Blue Bell Year Book. Volunteers
are needed throughout the year to take photos and help with layout, editing,
sales and distribution.