An active and involved Parent Teacher Association is an important part of any school or school district. In Maercker D60, the Maercker PTA supports students and teachers from every grade level in all three schools in a variety of ways. Whether it is funding and running student enrichment programs like the national arts competition Reflections, the annual Cultural Festival, and Science Fair as well as school initiatives, providing curriculum support materials, equipment, and field trips, this support makes a real difference for students.
All of the parent volunteers involved play a big role in supporting schools and organizing events. The group meets monthly on Wednesday evenings, alternating schools for each meeting. With several events that take place throughout the year, there is a lot of opportunity for members to get involved.
“We are definitely here to enrich the student’s lives and education while also infusing some of the fun into it,” said Patel. “We have a rich and diverse community and we are always trying to engage in support and celebration of that.”
The PTA has about 200 members including parents and staff, with a small percentage of members actively volunteering and participating in events. By joining the PTA, members are connected by their passion for the district and for helping students. The group funds books and events for the annual One School, One Book event, donates trifold boards to fifth grade students for projects, and finds ways to support classroom activities and celebrations like the annual back to school bash and dash.
“We are working on our own strategic plan to be able to renew our focus and concentrate our efforts,” said Wright. “We want to build a strong sense of community, but also support student learning and adding to the educational experience as much as we help with fun events.”
Many programs like the annual fall festivals are made possible because of PTA support during the school day, but other events happen outside of school hours including the popular Science Fair. One of the biggest and most popular events is the annual Cultural Fair that allows families to come together and share their cultures, food, song and dance, traditions, and histories. The event sees more than 1,200 visitors and the group says that planning can be a bit like putting on four weddings on the same day in one place with so many moving pieces.
There is always room to grow for the Maercker PTA with only a small percentage of parents currently involved. Annual membership dues are $20 for the year for parents and $10 for district staff. The PTA spends about $35 per student each school year through events and initiatives with some events facing potential changes if there are not enough volunteers.
“Volunteers are feeling very excited to participate and be in the classroom and help and we can always use more involvement,” said Chiaramonte. “I know I love being able to get into the school and see what is going on and be able to help support the staff. Joining the Wildcat Crew is a great way to contribute!”
The Wildcat Crew has evolved to be the PTA volunteer team. When parents sign up, they will receive various 'calls to volunteer' from the team throughout the year. Within the crew, there are some specific roles to fill including serving on event-specific committees, program leads, a general volunteer or the School Ambassador Teams, which was formerly known as Room parents. As with any volunteer-driven organization, there is a need for more involvement to be able to continue maintaining current PTA events.
“We are going to have to be more selective about what we do to make sure it lines up with what our students need and we have the resources to support them,” said Patel. “If you haven’t volunteered before, don’t be afraid to dip your toe in. Volunteer an hour and see what it’s all about because a small piece of your time makes a difference!”
Because the district serves multiple communities, being able to create a sense of a Maercker community is a driving force in connecting parents and supporting students.
“My social circle is really connected to PTA,” said Wright. “It is also a support network for our kids because they get to know other adults and get to build that connection and be a part of building something. When we do events, we see kids having fun and parents meeting each other and making playdates. All of the work is worth it when we can see kids being excited about being a part of the schools.”
For those on the board, every week is a little different with lots of check-ins, talking with teachers about opportunities, and organizing meetings and events.
“I really enjoy volunteering,” said Chiaramonte. “It can be a lot of work, but when you see kids really excited, it is so worth it. I helped run Bingo at the Fall Fest and the kids had such a blast.”
“None of us would do this if we didn’t love it,” added Patel. “I love being in my kids' schools and getting to know my kids' teachers on a different level. I think it’s really fun and it is worth doing to support the kids.”
For more information about the Maercker PTA and the many opportunities to join, volunteer, and be a part of their work, visit www.maerckerpta.org