2010/11 Pennekamp PTA Committees and Descriptions
Student Services
Committees:
Artists in Residence
(AIR): PTA funds programs to provide classrooms with access to talented artists
throughout the school year. Ms.
Radha teaches drama which result in performances for peers and parents (i.e.,
Three Piggy Opera). Mr. Hugo teaches a wide variety of art classes, and Ms.
Dulce provides dance instruction.
Both students and teachers look forward to learning from these
artists! Contact: Becky Hicks (bhicks@hotmail.com).
Authors’ Week: For one week in the spring,
the PTA organizes and funds a week dedicated to reading and writing for
students. The week includes an
assembly presentation by a children’s book author, a writer’s workshop for 5th
graders, and parents volunteering as Mystery Readers. Mystery Reading is open to all parents/family members. They schedule a time to come in the
class to read a favorite story.
Mystery Readers can dress in costume and read to as many classes as they
like. Contact: Shirley
Ritter (scandc@aol.com).
Cultural Arts: PTA sponsors four
assemblies a year featuring artists representing many cultures. They incorporate dance and storytelling
into their performances. All
family members are welcome to attend.
Also, the academic curriculum of 5th grade classes is
enhanced by performances of “Letter to Harriet Tubman” and “I, Nate Love”. Contact: Susan Holton (strawberryonfire@aol.com).
Family Dragon Night: A Pennekamp
family celebration with a movie under the stars. The event and popcorn are
free. Food and drinks are available for purchase. A teacher raffle tops off the
evening. Contact: Pennie
Stepczyk (pennie17@verizon.net)
or Alesia Alonso (alesia.alonso@verizon.net).
Fifth Grade Promotion and
End-of-the-Year Party: 5th graders are given a rousing send off as they leave
Pennekamp for MBMS. The event
takes place in June and requires fifth-grade parent volunteers. The 5th Grade students also raise money
for a gift to be given to Pennekamp from their class. Contact: Judi
Walley (ljss.walley@verizon.net) or Lilly
Chang (lilly@vnsm.net) or Leslie Chalmers
(slchalmers@aol.com).
Halloween Parade: Students parade around the
field in their costumes to delight parents and one another with their
characters and creativity. Contact: Beth Rivera (bethrivera17@hotmail.com).
Ice Cream: Every Friday after school,
PTA sells ice cream to students to celebrate the end of a great week. Students purchase ice cream in the
cafeteria and then mingle with one another and parents. This is a longstanding Pennekamp
tradition! Contact: Nikki Donovan
(nikoladonovan@gmail.com).
PTA Reflections: Reflections is a national PTA recognition program that asks
students to express themselves creatively with any of the following arts
(musical composition, photography, literature, visual arts, dance choreography
or video production) based on a theme.
Judges at PK review the work by category and grade. Winners are forwarded to the Manhattan
Beach Council, State, and even the National PTA. Contact: Loli Ramezani (laleh.ramezani@bt.com).
School Photos: Pennekamp students have
their school photos taken by Lifetouch Studios in September. A make-up photo day is scheduled in mid
October for those absent on the original photo day. Contact: Leanne Huebner (lpyott@yahoo.com). **For family photos, see fundraising committees.
Science Fair & Science
Night: In March, the PTA sponsors students who want to apply scientific methods
to better understand their world.
Projects are displayed and judged by local expertise, such as Northrop
Gruman. Students are awarded during our Science Night where parents and the
entire student body can enjoy an evening of fun activities and be intrigued by
our bright students. Contact: Jennifer Claman (clamanfamily@roadrunner.com)
or Letitia Lau (letitialau@yahoo.com).
Talent Show: Each spring,
Pennekamp mounts a spectacular display of students’ great ideas/talents. Acting, singing, dancing, and playing piano are just some of
the acts seen over the years. Contact: Gail Goldstein
(gailigold@verizon.net).
T-Shirts: Every year, a
new T-Shirt is designed and printed for Pennekampers to wear to demonstrate
their school spirit. Dragons wear
their shirts every Friday and on field trips. Contact: Maggie Berman (maggiebermanotr@gmail.com).
Yearbook: PK publishes a
yearbook that chronicles the school year.
Photos are solicited through your child’s room parent during the
year. Contact: Tammy Hughes
(tammy@scnative.com).
Young at Art
(YAA): This visual arts enrichment program focuses on
enhancing students’ creative processes and visual perceptions. The
program utilizes numerous community resources in the Arts and trains very
dedicated parent volunteers on a monthly basis. These parent volunteers bring the projects to life in each
classroom by walking students through a series of easy, step-by-step
instructions to allow each child to create the featured artwork
themselves. The program explores
the art of a variety of artists and art movements each year, using a variety of
mediums. Every child will have one
of its works displayed in the ‘Young At Art’ gallery during Pennekamp’s annual
Open House. Contact: Lindy Welk (lindywelk@yahoo.com) or Cathey Graves (catheytim@msn.com).
Operations
Committees:
Adopt-A-Family: During
the holidays, Pennekamp participates in the nationally recognized
Adopt-A-Family program. In
2009/10, Pennekamp’s sister school was Buford Elementary located in Lennox, CA. Each classroom will be assigned a
deserving family, whose children are on the honor roll, and help provide that
family’s wish list of basic household items. Contact: Avigal Horrow (amhorrow@roadrunner.com).
Campus Enhancements: This committee maintains the lovely potted gardens outside
classrooms, organizes campus “pride days” for sprucing up our grounds, and
helps find ways to improve the overall appearance of the campus. First Pride
Day is September 25th. Contact: Maureen Gold (mksgold@msn.com) and Shannon Coyle (shannoncoyle1638@msn.com).
Clothing and Toy Drive: Each fall, Pennekamp families get into
the spirit of giving. We collect
gently used clothing, toys and books and provide them to an inner city
school. Contact: Lisa
O’Donaghue (lisacullenod@gmail.com).
Daffodil Days: This committee coordinates
“Daffodil Days,” a spring fundraiser benefiting the American Cancer
Society. Contact: Tracie Haber (tcd.haber@verizon.net).
Directory/Parent Handbook: Parents know it is one of the most
important books in the house! The
PK Directory provides the names/phone numbers for all your child’s classmates,
teachers’ extensions at school, and critical information about PTA and
Pennekamp. A copy of the Directory
is provided free to each PTA member.
The Directory accepts local advertisements. Extra copies are available for purchase. Contact: Carol Dafesh (rivfish@verizon.net) or Mina Arnao (minaarnao@yahoo.com) or Janice Arnson (janice@arnson.biz).
Family to Family: This committee offers a
helping hand to Pennekamp families needing assistance during difficult
times. They may make meals, offer
babysitting or carpooling, help with grocery shopping, etc. Contact: Kathy Martens (kdmartens@adelphia.net).
Grades of Green: Students and parents participate in ongoing activities to
improve the environment. The goal
is to educate Pennekamp families on the importance of the three R’s: reduce,
reuse, and recycle. Programs
include bringing a “trashless” lunch on Tuesdays, ‘Walk to School’ Wednesdays,
and recycling in the classroom/lunchroom.
Go Green merchandise, such as lunchboxes and water bottles, is available
to purchase. Contact: Shannon Coyle (shannoncoyle1638@msn.com) or
Maureen Gold (mksgold@msn.com).
Growing Great: During Harvest-of-the-Month
tasting, a seasonal fresh fruit or vegetable is sampled in the cafeteria during
lunch. Displays illustrate the farm to table cycle with samples of live plants,
seeds, different varieties of produce being sampled and nutrition facts. Our Growing Great Garden provides a
great learning environment in which students can grow, harvest, eat and sell
their own food from the garden located on campus. Students experience new foods in their organic school
gardens while learning about seasonality, life cycles, and sustainable food
production. Contact: Phoebe Herron (pmherron@roadrunner.com) or
Maureen Gold (mksgold@msn.com).
Halloween Costume
Closet: Donate new or gently used costumes to be donated to a local family
shelter. Contact: Nicole Meyer (nicmmeyer@gmail.com).
Historian: The Pennekamp Historian compiles photographs and other
memorabilia from the school year.
They maintain the bulletin boards on the Pennekamp campus. Contact: Ann Parsons (ann.parsons@gmail.com).
Hospitality: The PTA serves snacks at PTA events such as general PTA
meetings. Hospitality chairs
organize and set up snacks (usually juice, cookies, coffee), paid for by PTA. Contact: Pamela Noel (pljnoel@yahoo.com).
Kindergarten/New Parent Social: Just prior to the start of school in
September, Pennekamp hosts a “welcome” social for in-coming Kindergarten/DK
families as well as anyone new to our school. Contact: Allyson
Goldsby (agoldsby@gmail.com).
Library Volunteer Coordinator: Library volunteers help students locate
and check out books, re-shelve books, and generally support the work of our
Library Media Specialist. Contact: Stephanie Mibu (smibu@roadrunner.com).
Marquee: Look for our new
electronic marquee coming in October, located at the corner of Peck & 1st
Street also at the front of the school on Rowell Ave. A PTA volunteer keeps it up to date with upcoming school
events. Contact: Will Staszkow
(wstaszkow@flowserve.com).
PE Volunteer Coordinator: A new position at Pennekamp to help facilitate PE classes. In an effort to help our teachers make
an exciting and efficient PE class for our students, the PE Coordinator will
manage parent volunteers interested in helping our teachers during PE class. Contact: Bonnie Darrow (bldmdd@yahoo.com).
Richstone Feast: Once a year, the Pennekamp community pulls together to support the
Richstone Family Center, a facility that provides counseling against and
education about child abuse as well as a safe place for children and adults to
retreat to. The 5th
Grade hosts the on-campus, family dinner in March. Last year, Pennekamp raised $5,000 to donate to
Richstone. Contact: Avigal Horrow (amhorrow@roadrunner.com).
Room Parent Coordinator: Each class has two ‘Room Parent’
volunteers to support the classroom teacher and PTA. The ‘Events Planner’ plans two class parties, helps with one
teacher/staff luncheon, organizes two class gifts and plans something special
for Teacher Appreciation Day, and assists with the Jog-a-thon and Halloween
Parade. The “Communications
Coordinator” gathers contact information for each family in the class, finds a
parent who will take classroom photos, sends emails to class families with
information from PTA or MBEF, and attends four evening PTA meetings a
year. Room Parents are solicited
in September. Contact: Suzy Sadilek (sixsadileks@verizon.net).
Scholastic Books: To support our school Library, PTA sends the monthly
Scholastic Books flyer home with students in their Tuesday envelope. Orders are compiled and sent to
Scholastic, and the books are then sent home with students. Contact:
Stephanie Mibu (smibu@roadrunner.com).
Science Lab Coordinator: Science Lab volunteers help students
with their science experiments and generally support the work of our Science
Specialist. Contact: Lilly Chang (lilly@vnsm.com).
Staff Appreciation Days: PK has the best teachers,
instructional assistants, custodians and administrative staff. Once a month, we host a lunch to show
them they are appreciated. Contact: Jennifer Ure (Jennifer@deforestsearch.com) or
Tammy Hughes (tammy@scnative.com) or
Karen McGory (kmcgory@mapmarketinginc.com).
Technology Liaison: The tech liaison coordinates development of the PTA technology budget with
the PTA Executive Board, Pennekamp administration staff and MBUSD
administration and staff. The tech liaison also provides annual expansion goals
to make sure Pennekamp is technologically advanced. The liaison also
coordinates with the district to ensure we are compliant with district
standards. Contact: Rajeev Mishra (rajeev_mishra@ea.epson.com).
Tuesday Envelope Stuffers: This committee meets every Tuesday
morning to “stuff” the weekly Tuesday Envelopes with all sorts of
communication, including the “Green Sheet,” to keep you well informed. Contact: Mae Sinkowitz (maesink@gmail.com) or Sue Hefner (suehefner@verizon.net).
Website: The Pennekamp PTA has an award-winning website,
www.pkpta.org, which is updated weekly with the latest PTA and school
information. The Tuesday Green
Sheet, Parent Handbook, and Tuesday envelope fliers are only a few examples of the
information available. Contact: Judi Walley (ljss.walley@verizon.net).
Year-end Gifts/Scrip: PK families have the opportunity to
thank other teachers and staff that work with our children. All gifts are tallied and the
recipients get a scrip gift certificate for the total amount. Last year these $1 contributions added
up to one substantial gift for each person. Your name will appear on a thank you card or your gift can
be anonymous. Contact: Need a new chairperson.
Membership
Committees:
Membership Drive: This position works
closely with the VP-Membership to ensure a successful membership campaign for
the school year. Responsibilities
include helping to update and assemble the annual PTA ‘membership packet’ that
goes to each Pennekamp family on the first day of school, updating and
maintaining the membership database, and assisting with communications and
events that help stimulate PTA membership. Contact: Micki King (micki.morris.king@gmail.com).
Matching Gifts: Many employers
offer matching gift programs that match the funds their employees donate to
Pennekamp PTA and MBEF. This
position helps raise awareness about employer matching gift programs, including
identifying and promoting employers that offer such programs. This person coordinates the steps
involved in applying for gifts and collect matching gift funds. Contact: Micki King
(micki.morris.king@gmail.com)
or Kim Leserman (kimleserman@gmail.com)
Fundraising
Committees:
Scrip/eScrip: Scrip is one of our biggest fundraisers, yet it costs
families nothing to participate!
Buy scrip at school, via the internet or during ice cream sales on
Fridays. Don’t miss the
opportunity to register your credit cards with eScrip or your grocery club
cards to earn money for Pennekamp while you shop. The Scrip Committee is a great volunteer opportunity for
parents with younger children who can only donate limited time to PTA. Contact:
Kelly Schmit (kls4999@aol.com)
or Kathy Jacques (klchop@verizon.net).
Book Fair: Once a year, the Pennekamp PTA sponsors a book fair
featuring current, high-quality fiction, nonfiction, and gifts for PK students
and their families. In conjunction
with the Book Fair and through its Joy of Reading Program, PTA collects new
books to donate to less fortunate students at a school in Los Angeles. Working on the Book Fair is fun! Contact:
Bonnie Darrow (bldmdd@yahoo.com)
or Tracie Haber (tcd.haber@verizon.net). For the Joy of Reading Program Contact: Stephanie Mibu (smibu@roadrunner.com).
Box Tops: Cash for Trash! Before recycling those boxes from General
Mills and other products, tear off the little “Boxtops for Education” symbol on
the top and send it to school. We
pack them up every few months and send them in for redemption. Each symbol is worth ten cents. Last
year Pennekamp received over $2,000 from this program. Classrooms with the most ‘Boxtops’ win
monthly ice cream parties. Contact: Hilary Skinner (hilaryskinner@earthlink.com).
Family Portraits:
Once a year, the PTA sponsors Family Portraits. For a modest fee, a family gets a
sitting and a photograph. Our
photographer offers packages as well, including holiday photo cards delivered
in time for the winter holidays.
Contact: Stephanie Mibu (smibu@roadrunner.com). **For school photos, see student services committees.
Gift Wrap: During September, the Pennekamp PTA has a gift wrap
fundraising drive. We offer high
quality wrapping paper, stationery, and gifts just in time for the holidays. Students are encouraged to sell
wrapping paper to family and friends.
PK PTA nets a 50% profit on all sales. Contact: Karen McGory (kmcgory@mapmarketinginc.com).
Jog-A-Thon: The mighty Dragons of Pennekamp show their strength in the
spring at our Jog-A-Thon.
Sponsored by parents, grandparents, neighbors and friends, our tireless
Dragons run around the field for as many laps as their little legs can take. The Jog-A-Thon traditionally raises
money for special projects at school.
Contact: Karen Patton (karenpatton@gmail.com) and Andy
Leserman (lesermana@aol.com).
Parent Party: The Pennekamp Parent Party provides an opportunity for
parents to meet one another and enjoy an evening of dinner, dancing, and
fun! This lively event also
includes a silent auction which raises needed funds for PK. Contact: Christine Dillon (cdillon7466@aol.com), Pennie
Stepczyk (pennie17@verizon.net)
or Amy Staszkow (amys@blueroomevents.com) or
Kim Weller (scottkim.weller@verizon.net)
or Tracey Dennis (traceyandduane@aol.com).
Parking Raffle: Parents can
compete in a raffle for a convenient parking space right in the Rowell parking
lot for either early drop off, afternoon kindergarten drop off, kindergarten
pick-up or early and late pick ups.
These privileges last the entire school year. Contact: Tracey Dennis (traceyandduane@aol.com).
Pennekamp Open (PK Open): Pennekamp’s very own MBEF fundraiser. A women’s double tennis tournament, held in April, of which
100% of the proceeds are donated to MBEF on behalf of Pennekamp. The PK Open is the one fundraiser that
rallies the entire beach community together for one cause. Contact: Missy Ready
(mailto:missy_ready@yahoo.com) or
Nina Patel (patelnina@hotmail.com).
Recycle Rebates: Everyone has used computer
ink cartridges, old cell phones, completed batteries, or computers that have
seen better days. Pennekamp offers
an electronic recycle program where we can earn cash for recycled items. Look for the drop-off containers near
the front office. Contact: Susan Maser (susan.maser@gmail.com).
School Supplies: Don’t stress
about buying school supplies at the beginning of the year, participate in
Pennekamp’s easy pre-purchase program.
A portion of the sale price goes back to Pennekamp. Your child’s school
supplies will be custom packed according to the requirements of the Pennekamp
teachers for each specific grade. Contact: Need new chairperson.
Summer Workbooks: Keep your kids fresh and ready for the new school year by buying
interactive summer study workbooks.
Pennekamp earns a percentage of the sale price. Contact:
Nicole Meyer (nicmmeyer@gmail.com) or
Karen Gregan (guitan@aol.com).
Teacher Raffle: During our family favorite event, Family Dragon Night, we hold a Teacher
Raffle where students can win special events and gifts from their
teachers. It’s one of the most
generous ways our teachers can give back to the school. Contact: Karen Patton (karenlynnpatton@gmail.com) or Julie
Hoheb (julieannhoheb@aol.com).