This year volunteering will be more important than ever. We are looking for volunteers from every classroom to help us keep our community together. There are a variety of roles: some in-person, some virtually, some on-going, and some time-bound. If you can help us, whether for a couple hours or throughout the year, please fill out this interest form and we will reach out with opportunities.
Classroom Roles
There are three main ways to be involved in the classroom: As a Room Parent, as a Project Cornerstone Reader, or in a role requested by your child’s teacher.
Room Parents – Each room typically has 1-2 room parents to help the teacher to communicate with all the families in their room and coordinate class level or grade level activities and teacher appreciation events. Example of responsibilities include ensuring that everyone in the class, including new families who join the class mid-year, are connected on the Konstella tool, and collecting (optional) funds for a teacher gift, typically 2-3 a year. Works with Room Parent Lead for any school-wide events.
Project Cornerstone Reader – Sign up to read in your child's classroom once a month. A community of initiative of the YMCA of Silicon Valley, Project Cornerstone’s curriculum offers books and guided lessons to teach kids life skills to foster friendships, stand up for what is right, and prevent bully behavior. Requires volunteer badge approval, one-time training for new volunteers, and monthly meetings to prep for each book. More info about the program here.
Classroom Helper – These roles will vary depending on what your teacher requests but examples include assisting with a science or cooking project via Living Classroom, listening to children while they read, working with children in math, filing schoolwork to be returned home, or organizing homework papers. To help with any of these tasks in the classroom, please talk to your child's teacher at Back-To-School Night or shortly thereafter. Note that any roles that require you to visit regularly will require volunteer badge approval.
School-wide Roles
There are numerous ways to help out when your schedule works out, such as helping pass out popsicles at the Popsicle Party, cashiering for the book fair, setting up decorations for the walkathon, etc, some of which can be done after school or in the evenings. Sign up to be notified about opportunities on the volunteer interest list.
There are also year-long PTA Chair roles, as described below.
PTA Chairs
After School Enrichment Lead: Luis Cheng-Guajardo
Facilitates on-site after school enrichment programs such as CSMA’s Art Club, Chess, Math, or other program taught by outside vendors that parents and students are interested in having at Landels after school. Ongoing 2-3 hours/month.
Assemblies Lead: Katarina Ling (Co-Lead role open)
Great opportunity to influence what enrichment options for your child. Assembly Lead suggests student assemblies such as author visits, animals visits, science topics, etc. to PTA board and school administration. Prior vendors and programs available to choose from. Can be done remotely, 1 or 2 hours per assembly (less than 10 hours for the whole school year).
Coordinates the dates of the fall and spring Book Fair with the PTA, the school office, and Scholastic. Optionally coordinates author visits along with Assembly lead. Publicize the Book Fair through the Bulletin and by hanging posters in advance. Open and close up every day of the Fair. Enlist volunteers to help set up, work the registers, and/or help students select books. Coordinate with a local author and teachers to read during "Reading Under the Stars" evening event. May include Spring Essay contest. Present profit and overview of how the Fair went at the PTA meeting afterwards.
Bulletin Boards Lead: OPEN
Ensures that bulletin boards by the school office, principal’s office, and MUR are up to date. Add new flyers and remove old ones. Works with event leads, board, and graphics chair to obtain flyers. About an hour/month.
Coordinates announcements with the school for the PTA section of the school newsletter and on Konstella, the PTA’s communication channel. Identify ways to keep the community informed, such as with back to school night flyers. Work with Bulletin Boards Lead, Social Media Lead and Webmaster to update those channels as needed.
Donor Relations: OPEN
Leads effort to write thank you notes, and consider how we might recognize our biggest contributors.
Family Fun Events Lead: Anna Botelho
Plans fun family activities including movie nights, dance parties, math night, science night, etc. Recruit and coordinate volunteers, manage budget and expenses, and coordinate advertising, noticing, and any permits or approvals. Collaborates with other leads as appropriate. Approx. 10-15 hrs/month.
Gear Coordinators: Oi-Yan Chung and Angela Ge Klittmark
Responsible for fulfilling gear orders as well as stocking and ordering spirit wear.
Graphics Chair: OPEN
Creates posters to help promote upcoming events. Your own tools or the PTA’s Canva account are all great options. Opportunity to design walkathon t-shirt or other gear.
Holiday Fair Co-Chairs: Samantha Perkins and Krupa Paranjape
Plans annual holiday fair in December where students and community members pay a nominal fee for a table where they can sell crafts, food, services, etc. Coordinates entertainment such as middle school choir. Coordinates set up and takedown of tables and chairs.
LEAP (Landels Enrichment Afterschool Program): Anna Yi
Facilitates parent-led free-of-charge after school sessions at Landels. Generates interest, recruits volunteers, and works with office on sign ups. Past topics have included gardening, Chinese brush painting, tennis, volleyball, strawberry DNA, making slime, robotics, and learning about other cultures.
Lunchtime Kindness Activity Lead: Christy Nguyen-Baxter
Plans monthly lunchtime activity to do with students that map to kindness and socio-emotional learning goals. Examples include: bead bracelets, rainbow loom bracelets, making Valentine's Day cards, writing inspirational messages, and origami. This could be done in collaboration with Project Cornerstone curriculum if desired.
Memberships and Corporate Match Lead: Angela Ge Klittmark
Runs PTA membership drive, class prizes, and helps donors with corporate match questions.
Multi-Cultural Festival Lead: OPEN
Plans annual festival where students, staff and family can host tables to represent their culture with food, games, posters, etc. Cultures include regional ones within nations as well as ones that are outside of international/political boundaries. Coordinator encourages participation, connects families who want to work together.
New Family Coordinator: OPEN
Works with families new to Landels to ensure they feel welcomed and have access to resources they need, such as by encouraging them to join Konstella to stay informed.
Project Cornerstone Lead: Luis Cheng-Guajardo
Project Cornerstone books teach kids life skills to foster friendships, stand up for what is right, and prevent bully behavior. The Project Cornerstone Lead trains our school’s classroom readers. This role requires additional training and planning for a few of the lessons.
Restaurant / Retail Fundraising Lead: Christy Nguyen-Baxter
Coordinates a dine-out night fundraiser with local restaurants. May include other retail store give back shopping programs as well.
Responsible for coordinating and facilitating communication, activities and messaging from PTA to the Room Parents.
Social Media Lead: OPEN
Keeps our community up to date by posting regularly on our Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Talent Show Lead: OPEN
Runs and recruits volunteers for our Spring talent show.
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Lead: Jessica Hunnewell
Recognizes our amazing teachers and staff by coordinating staff lunches/potlucks, and coming up with school-wide events during Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week, May 6-10, 2024. Works with Room Parent Lead on events/gifts.
Volunteer Coordinator: Anna Yi
Helps manage communications to volunteers and match volunteers to open positions.
Walk & Roll: Isaac Stone
Attends regional walk and roll meetings, plans and executes a reward or incentive program for people powered transportation to school. E.g. monthly distribution of stickers after school or daily punch card and prize table,
Walkathon Lead: Samantha Perkins
This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and occurs in October. It’s a great way to become a part of the Landels Community. Plan, coordinate volunteers, and oversee the entire event. Works with Gear Lead to order t-shirts, and Treasurer to ensure all funds are credited.
Webmaster: Jeremy Schifeling and Katarina Ling
Maintains web site, update content as needed.
Winter Reading Challenge: OPEN
Plans the Dec-Jan winter break reading challenge to encourage reading over the break. Creates the form for students to track their reading, tally the results, and coordinates with teachers on the prize, such as a class party and extra recess