Interested in enhancing your child’s educational experience at Katonah Elementary School (KES)?
We invite you to get involved with the KES PTO. Commit to a committee, join the board, or just offer your time to volunteer!
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
KES PTO COMMITTEES
There are several ways to get involved with the KES PTO! Listed below is a description of each PTO committee.
2024-25 KES PTO COMMITTEE Descriptions
Arts Alive Liaison
KLSD ArtsALIVE promotes and enhances the arts and offers our Katonah Lewisboro school community ongoing opportunities to integrate arts into the student experience. This KES liaison will bring information about opportunities for elementary student involvement.
Author Visits
The Author Visit chair(s) collaborates with grade-level teacher representatives to select an author, works with authors or their representatives to set up the visits - including the BOCES paperwork, and organizes the presale of the authors' books. On the day of a visit responsibilities include greeting the author and helping him/her get set up, providing lunch, and facilitating the book signing process. This happens on every grade level although sometimes grades are combined.
Beautification
This committee works with KLSD Administration and the PTO Executive Board to identify areas of improvement and execute a plan to make the KES building and surrounding grounds maintain its best appearance and reflect our community values. The committee is expected to propose a plan in early Fall for the work they plan for the year. The committee will also provide decorations on the exterior/interior of the school for special school wide event days, such as Spirit Week.
Before/After School Activities
BSA/ASA is an enriching after-school program seeking volunteers for key roles to work with our Before/After School Activities Chair, including: Program Coordinator (managing course selection, vendor scheduling, background checks, and space allocation), Registrar (handling class registration and paperwork), and Quality Manager (monitoring courses, gathering parent feedback, and resolving issues). Planning involves coordinating vendors, scheduling classes, obtaining BOCES approval, and managing registration. During the season, the committee collaborates with aides, vendors, and parents for smooth operation. Post-season tasks include reviewing invoices and conducting surveys.
Book Fairs
The Book Fairs offer a wide variety of both adult and children’s titles for purchase. Currently the PTO has been running just one fair a year, in the fall, but the committee may choose to hold a spring fair as well. Chairs are needed to contact vendors (Scholastic or Main Street) to coordinate the fair dates, materials provided, delivery and pick up of books and other fair supplies (usually theme related). Chairs and additional volunteers work at the fairs to organize book selection and collect payments. Chairs may invite guest readers or have activities to entice fair attendance. Volunteers are also needed to set up and take down the fairs.
Bulletin Boards
There are two Bulletin Boards that are the focus of this committee and both sit on the first floor at KES. One of the boards supports a school wide theme and is redesigned monthly/bi-monthly to match the curriculum. The other is the PTO board which showcases the upcoming PTO events, and shares PTO information as well as seasonal messaging to inspire students and staff. The committee is responsible for the concepting, creative execution and installation of these boards.
Class Parents
An invaluable resource for classroom teachers. Responsibilities of class parents include organizing volunteers for classroom activities, staying current on PTO information and attending GMM meetings, managing teacher gifts, securing chaperones for class field trips (if needed), and supporting the teacher as needed. The Class Parents may also be asked to help coordinate other committee requests such as staffing the Halloween Fair class booth. The Class Parent Chair coordinates the volunteers for each classroom, holds an orientation and communicates with the class parents throughout the school year. A Grade level Lead Class Parent coordinates grade specific activities and liaises between class parents and class parent chair.
Class Pictures
Volunteers are needed to coordinate Picture Day & Retake Day with the vendor (Cassiday Studios) and KES administration, help organize students for class and individual photos, and distribute photos when delivered. Picture day is usually scheduled for mid-September and volunteers are recruited to assist during the day.
Community Service (aka Holiday Food & Gift Drive)
This committee chairs organize a food and gift drive over the Thanksgiving and December holidays for local families in need. Volunteers are needed to organize the two events including wrapping gifts on the annual Wrap Night. Committee may choose to organize other community service events as well.
Correspondence
The correspondence committee facilitates communication within the school by working with the Communications Chair to distribute printed materials such as newsletters, announcements, and informational flyers. They ensure that important messages reach the intended audience in a timely and effective manner, helping to keep students, parents, and staff informed about events, activities, and important updates.
Directory
This committee is in charge of creating, proofreading, and distributing the annual electronic Student Directory through our Membership Toolkit system. This position involves assisting in inputting new families to the directory as well as updating current family information for the new school year. .
Do the Write Thing
Every two years, the 4th and 5th graders have a special opportunity to participate in a half day writing workshop guided by professional writers from our community. This committee is responsible for seeking out various professionals to volunteer their time to work directly with the classroom teachers and Assistant Principal to schedule details for this event. The committee casts a wide net to include different kinds of writers (novelists, journalists, PR professionals, advertisers, radio/TV, Digital editors, Songwriters, etc.) to show the children how writing can lead to different paths.
Edible Garden Program and Henry Brooks Greenhouse
The KES Edible Garden is an educational organic garden currently located adjacent to the upper field. The Butterfly Garden, surrounding the flagpole in front of KES, provides a habitat for the butterflies. The KES Greenhouse was built and is funded and maintained using PTO funds. Volunteers are needed to work with our Garden and Greenhouse Coordinator, help children with planting and harvesting activities, and to maintain the Gardens and Greenhouse throughout the year.
Enrichment Committee
The Enrichment Committee works with teachers and the Assistant Principal to explore and schedule field trips, classroom enrichment activities, and assemblies for students across grades. There is an overall Enrichment Chair (who works with BOCES and the Assistant Principal) and individual Enrichment Representatives (usually one per grade) who work directly with a Teacher Representative from each grade to identify and schedule appropriate programs.
Family Events
The Family events committee manages several events held for families through the school year. These events include the Boohoo-Yahoo coffee the first morning of school, the Back to School Celebration one of the first Fridays after the start of school and a Family Dance during the school year. For Boohoo-Yahoo and the Celebration, the committee will work with the PTO Executive Board and the Welcoming Committee to provide food and staff tables during the event. For the Family Dance, the committee will organize the event (DJ, concessions, theme, etc.). Additional volunteers are needed at the event to set up and bake. A fun evening for the entire family!
Field Day
Committee Chairs work with PE teachers to coordinate activities and volunteers that support the fun at Field Day.
Fifth Grade Liaison to the Board (Fifth Grade Committee)
The lead fifth-grade parents would help coordinate all of the fifth-grade committees, activities, and events. The Lead Parent would help oversee the fifth-grade committees and communicate with the PTO President and Board. The Parent Liaison would also help coordinate with the school on KLSD-facilitated fifth-grade events such as the district trip, pool party, and Moving Up.
Fifth Grade Planning Committee
In partnership with the 5th Grade Liaison, this committee manages all aspects of the fifth-grade events, including communications, fundraising, variety show coordination, year-end celebration, special spiritwear, and creating a commemorative video. We are seeking committee members to spearhead each planned activity for the class, with responsibilities distributed across the group.
Halloween Fair
Occurring before Halloween, the Fair is one of the PTO’s major fundraising events and fun for the entire family. It is an onsite event at KES and involves individual BOOths run by each K-3 class and grade wide attractions created by the 4th and 5th grades. The event is organized with two plans to allow using the outdoor space as much as possible, weather permitting. Committee members are needed to organize/manage (i) concessions, (ii) volunteers, (iii) outside vendors, (iv) prizes, (v) crafts and (vi) bake sale. Volunteers are needed to decorate the Friday evening before the Fair, to staff ticket sales, craft table, game booths, prize table, and concessions the day of the fair, and to clean up after the Fair.
Winter Wonderland
Volunteers are sought to refresh and manage our annual winter fundraiser. Tasks include vendor outreach, food and entertainment coordination, marketing efforts, and event day assistance. The committee also oversees a student "makers market" and liaises with the school for venue arrangements.
Hospitality
Calling all bakers! Provide refreshments at PTO day and evening functions, meetings, Boohoo-Yahoo and Back to School Celebration.
KL Empowerment Liaison
Each year a KES liaison works with the greater community to be our voice for community events around drug and alcohol abuse and other pertinent topics.
Library Volunteers
Volunteers work in the library for 1 hour every two or three weeks assisting the librarian with shelving, bulletin boards, library displays and special projects. A great way to get involved without committing a lot of time. The Library Volunteer Chair works with the Librarian to orient volunteers and to create/manage the volunteer schedule.
Parents as Reading Partners (PARP)
PARP runs during March and is designed to encourage parents and children to read together. Volunteers are needed to work with the lead PARP teacher to help plan the various events, prepare student certificates, and coordinate the annual “Starry Story Night”.
Science Fair
This committee will organize and run the annual science fair. The committee will plan and run after school information sessions in December and January to garner interest in the fair and assist children in developing project topics. Stations for the information session are organized ahead of time and guest scientists are secured to participate. This can also be done virtually. The committee will coordinate all aspects of the fair including participant registration, floor plan organization and coordination with the custodians, and various items needed for the fair, such as t-shirts, boards, lanyards and stickers. Visiting Scientists which include administrators, parents working in science fields, science teachers and students are recruited to visit student projects at the fair. A food station is also coordinated for the night of the fair. Volunteers are recruited to assist at the fair with set up, registration, food and t-shirt sales, and clean up.
School Supply Packs
A great convenience for parents, this committee coordinates with the vendor and organizes the purchase and distribution of the School Supply Packs. The committee chair obtains the supply lists from the Principal and works with the Main Office to determine the location to distribute.
SEPTO
KES representatives for SEPTO will attend scheduled SEPTO meetings and events and be a resource for KES parents. SEPTO is open to all and is a medium to answer questions, connect students and put on educational programming.
Spirit Wear
This committee is responsible for working with our vendor to design and produce KES and John Jay specific Spirit Wear. Items include but are not limited to water bottles, shirts, shorts, pants, lanyard, stuffed animals, etc. There is usually a sale that begins in October, with those items being distributed just before the holiday season and then a Spring sale. The committee will also be responsible for selling items at school events (back to school celebration, family dance, etc.).
Spring Parent Dinner Dance
This committee will organize and run an adult fundraising gala at a local venue. Committee members will secure a location, create a theme, secure all vendors/donations (music, entertainment, lights, food, parking, etc) and set up/clean up. The committee will also run an action/raffle (silent and/or live) which entails obtaining donations for items to auction. Communicating and promoting the event includes a save the date and invitations.
Staff Appreciation
Coordinates welcome-back staff breakfast, holiday gift for support staff, an annual appreciation week which includes an acknowledgement per day and the annual luncheon and end of year farewell luncheon. Responsible for Nurse, Custodian, Librarian and Admin Assistant and Admin appreciation day gifts. Also added the past 2 years, 50th day of school celebration for teachers which have been treats/baked goods in the lounge. These events are the PTO’s way of thanking faculty and staff for their efforts during the year. Volunteers are recruited for the annual luncheon to prepare dishes, set up, serve and clean-up
Welcoming
This committee runs the KES Buddy Program where all new families and ENL families are paired with veteran KES families to assist in their transition to KES. Committee members recruit Buddy families and pair them with the new families. A welcoming brochure is updated and provided with the KESPTO welcome bags the committee creates. Committee chairs attend the New Family Orientation and possibly Kindergarten Orientation in late August and may need to recruit additional volunteers. The committee will also coordinate with the Spirit Wear committee and create welcome bags for all new families as well as distribute KES Buddy Spirit t-shirts to all Kindergartners. The welcoming committee will also assist with donations or volunteering with the Family Events committee for the BooHoo-Yahoo and Back to School Celebration.
Yearbook
Committee Chairs manage the creation of the KES Yearbook, which includes: planning for photo opportunities, designing and creating layout, working with the vendor to manage deadlines, crafting communications, handling sales and distribution. The Chairs also work with teachers and administrators to take, edit, submit pictures, and verify content before production. Grade level representatives will be recruited and appointed to help with the forementioned activities throughout the year.
Website & Social Media
This committee will support the communications chair with periodic website updates and maintenance (SquareSpace). Designers are needed to help to create graphics (Canva) and schedule content for social media (Facebook & Instagram). Provide input and counsel on IT related projects, i.e. Google Workspace for Non-Profits, Membership Toolkit, etc.
EXECUTIVE BOARD POSITIONS
President(s)
The President presides at all Executive Board and general meetings of the KES PTO. Responsibilities include coordinating the work of the officers and committees of the KES PTO, reviewing the budget and approving any non-budgeted expenditures. The President must be available to meet monthly with the Principal or his/her representative and serve as a representative to the Parent Council of Katonah- Lewisboro School District. The President will delegate any such duties as deemed appropriate to the Executive Board members as well as perform other duties as may be prescribed in the Bylaws or assigned to him/ her by the membership or by the Executive Board
Vice President(s)
The Vice President responsibilities include preparation of the consent agenda for the general membership meetings, formation of the nominating committee and filling open committee positions, chairperson of the bylaws committee and perform other duties as delegated by the president. The Vice Presidents must attend the executive board and general membership meetings.
Treasurer(s)
The Treasurer maintains financial records of the KES PTO including Federal tax filings. The Treasurer is responsible for keeping a full and accurate account of receipts and expenditures, making the KES PTO’s financial records available to the Audit Committee for annual review, obtaining the President(s) written approval or signature on all checks exceeding $1,000 and make disbursements in accordance with the approved budget as authorized by the KES PTO. The Treasurer will attend executive board and general membership meetings to present a financial statement and obtain membership approval for any non-budgeted item exceeding $500. The Treasurer will prepare a school year budget in conjunction with the President(s) and submit a complete written fiscal report at the September meeting.
Recording Secretary
The Recording secretary will take the minutes of all meetings of the KES PTO and should attend all executive board and general membership meetings. The Recording secretary will maintain records of the KES PTO, which shall be maintained for a minimum of seven (7) years. The Recording Secretary(s) shall make every attempt to obtain and file the annual committee reports and shall keep all attendance records. In addition, the recording secretary will manage the communications in the the KES PTO info email.
Fundraising Chair(s)
These chairs plan fundraising strategies to meet the budgetary requirements of the KES PTO, as may be needed during a school year. The chairs can work with committee chairpersons on the execution of fundraising events. The Fundraising Chairs will coordinate and work with the Spiritwear committee and sales. All fundraising activity plans should be submitted to the executive board for approval. The Fundraising Chairs attend the executive board and general membership meetings.
Communications Chair(s)
The Communication Chairs are responsible for collecting information for creating and distributing the weekly Paw Prints newsletter. They will work with committee chairs to obtain needed information in a timely manner and help prepare flyer graphics as needed. Further, the Communication Chairs will distribute other emails as needed for specific events. The Communication Chairs will also manage all KESPTO social media and the KESPTO.com website, keeping these sites updated with ongoing events and information.
Before/After School Activities Chair
The oversight of Buddy's bonus activities involves managing and supervising the before and after-school program offered by Buddy's. Responsibilities include ensuring a safe and engaging environment for participating students, coordinating activity schedules, and overseeing staff members. The oversight team also handles administrative tasks such as enrollment, billing, and communication with parents.