Farmington Woods Elementary School PTA

Volunteer Opportunities

Open Leadership Positions for 2024/2025

It takes a village to make FWES great! Please let us know if you can help the PTA in any of the following capacities. 

Family Engagement Chair - Help plan family engagement events at FWES. Oversee events open to all FWES families and staff such as Coffee Chats, Pajama Jam, Welcome Back Picnic, movie nights, and more.  Commitment: several hours a month planning (can be done at home) and help as needed at each event.  Contact programs@fwespta.org

Yearbook Chair -  Learn from fifth grade parent Lauri van Oostrum-Reed before she is gone! Help with taking photographs, organizing layouts and special yearbook pages, and overseeing the sale and distribution of yearbooks. Work closely with the Jostens representative to ensure that all deadlines are met. Contact yearbook@fwespta.org 

Campus Cleanup: Work with school administration and garden chair to organize cleanup of FWES campus.  Planting flowers, pruning bushes, weeding, spreading mulch, and completing other project requests from the FWES administration.  Commitment: Several hours of planning work that can be done from home leading up to the selected dates, then supervising volunteers and helping on the day of the cleanup.  Typically one weekend day in August, October, January, and AprilContact: services@fwespta.org

5th Grade Celebration Chair: Work with school administration and fifth grade teachers to send off FWES graduating students in style. Work typically includes designing programs, coordinating with vendors for signs and shirts, and organizing volunteers to assist with the ceremony setup and family picnic. Commitment: Several hours of planning work that can be done from home in the spring; being at school as needed for meetings and on the day of events. Contact services@fwespta.org

Grants: Research available funding and assist PTA leadership in applying for grants. Contact: waysandmeans@fwespta.org


VOLUNTEERING DESCRIPTIONS WITH TIME COMMITMENTS 

FUNDRAISING EVENTS

GoPlaySave

For our first fundraiser of the school year, we distribute a GoPlaySave book to each student. These coupon books are for local restaurants, services, and kid-related businesses. Students are asked to return the book if they do not wish to sell or purchase one. 

When: September

Time Commitment:  An hour a few times a week. Volunteers are needed to help distribute the books, count money, and process orders.

Contact: goplaysave@fwespta.org

Global Fun Run

The Fun Run is the largest fundraiser each year which funds all our PTA-supported programming such as cultural arts, technology and teacher mini-grants. Pledges per lap or flat donations are accepted. This event is partnered with Apex Leadership Co. 

When: November

Time Commitment:  Team meets periodically two months before. A large number of volunteers are needed for 1-hour shifts at the event.

Contact: funrun@fwespta.org

Book Fair

Our fall book fair  provides funds for the Inquiry Center. Volunteers are needed to help with setup and cleanup, as well as assisting students with wish lists and purchasing books.

When: November (one week each month)

Time Commitment: 1-2 hour shifts all week. Help is especially needed with grades K-2 shifts.

Contact: bookfair@fwespta.org

Spirit Wear 

The PTA runs a small pop-up shop for FWES spirit wear. A collection of shirts,  hair accessories, water bottles, and other small items. Place orders and sell items at various events and through school-wide order form. 

When: Fall Open House, K Welcome, New Family Picnic events and the school-wide drive in the fall.

Time Commitment: Length of specific event

Contact: spiritwear@fwespta.org

Art to Remember

Students create original art that may be purchased as various keepsakes and proceeds provides funds for Mrs. Smith's art supplies. 

When: Spring

Time Commitment: Sort through orders for 1-2 hours. 

Contact: finearts@fwespta.org

INCLUSION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS

Backpack Buddies

This program aims to provides food to students in need. Working with the FWES staff, PTA provides volunteers and runs specific drives as needs arise. Past drives included food drives to cover the 2019 Teacher March day off from school and to support FWES families with food insecurity over school breaks. 

When: Flexible, as needed throughout the school year

Time Commitment: Weekly backpacks, drives vary

Contact: outreach@fwespta.org

Student Outreach

Help organize donated clothes for emergency student needs, help organize Lost & Found, assist with book drives to build class libraries, help support families in crisis and/or help address special needs within the FWES community.

When: Flexible

Time Commitment: Flexible

Contact: outreach@fwespta.org

Translators

New international families join our FWES community throughout the school year. By connecting with other parents who share the same language, they can more easily ask questions and address concerns. We are especially looking for volunteers who speak Spanish, Arabic and Turkish.

When: As needed

Time Commitment: As needed

Contact: inclusion@fwespta.org

HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS

Community Garden

Completely run by our FWES staff, students and families, all harvested produce is given back to the community through the Dorcas Crisis Center to distribute to families in need. During the school year, parent volunteers support garden sessions with students during the school day. Summer programs include twice weekly family harvesting sessions and daily garden watering. 

When: Year round opportunities, short term or ongoing.

Time Commitment: One hour a week during gardening months to enable classes to help in the garden. Four hours a month for watering volunteers who sign up to water the garden weekly. Thirty minutes for families harvesting in the summer.

Contact: garden@fwespta.org

SERVICE PROGRAMS

Room Parents

A Room Parent is a primary point of contact for the other families in one classroom. Schedules Hook-a-Books, helps during teacher appreciation week, recognize your teacher’s birthday, and distributes information from the PTA. It’s great when there are multiple room parents in each class!

Time commitment: Flexible

Availability required: Flexible 

Contact: volunteering@fwespta.org

Hook-a-Book

With the assistance of the media specialists, books from the FWES library collection are selected monthly that illustrate the IB attitudes (character attributes). Volunteer readers for the program chooses 2-3 books from these lists to read in a classroom. Books are listed by grade-level appropriateness. Short questions prompts relating to the books and the IB attitudes are included to discuss with the class. 

When: Each teacher sets up one monthly session that the Room Parent coordinates. 

Time Commitment: 20-45 minutes with the class. Usually a different volunteer each month.

Contact: hookabook@fwespta.org

Teacher Task Team

The Teacher Task Team meets weekly to support FWES teachers by completing a variety of tasks. They could prepare copies, cut out and prep project components, among other time consuming small jobs. The goal is to support all the hard work our teachers. 

When: Tuesday mornings or as available

Time Commitment: Once a week during the school year

Contact: teachertaskteam@fwespta.org

Project Parents

Respond to periodic requests from school staff for simple repairs and projects, some may involve light construction. Assist with the Campus Cleanup events. 

When: Flexible

Time Commitment: Flexible

Contact:  services@fwespta.org

Campus Cleanup

On select weekend dates, the PTA helps around the FWES campus. Planting flowers, pruning bushes, weeding, spreading mulch, and completing other project requests from the FWES administration.

When: one weekend day in August, October, January, and April

Time Commitment: 2-3 hours

Contact:  sproutamc@gmail.com

Hospitality

The hospitality team provides and/or serves refreshments or meals to staff on various days throughout the year. Primary events include the Welcome Back Teacher Lunch in August, one of the Teacher Conference nights each semester, and the Staff Appreciation Luncheon. An all-school notification via e-mail is sent out when a request for food donations and/or servers arises.

When: Events may occur before school (7:45-9:30am) or after school (3-5pm).

Time Commitment: Monthly

Contact: hospitality@fwespta.org

Teacher/Staff Appreciation

Each year FWES hosts a Teacher Appreciation week as well as celebrates a variety of staff recognitions. Volunteers are needed to create themes, organize events, and solicit donations as needed. 

When: Flexible and Teacher Appreciation Week in the May

Time Commitment: Flexible

Background check required: Yes

Contact: services@fwespta.org

Inquiry Center Helpers

Volunteers help our media specialists with shelving books and other organizational projects and programs. 

When: Flexible

Time Commitment: Flexible during school hours

Contact: czaccardi@wcpss.net

PTA Reflections

Each year the NC PTA runs an art contest "Reflections" that is open to all students. Using the selected theme, students create a video, piece or art, music, or writing to submit. Volunteers are needed to help FWES students submit their work and promote this program. 

When: Fall

Time: Flexible during school hours

Contact: reflections@fwespta.org

ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

Cultural Arts Events

Sponsored by the PTA & United Arts Council of Wake County, each year several artists are selected to perform for all FWES students. Some help may be needed supporting the artists on campus.

When: TBD

Time Commitment: during school hours 

Contact: culturalarts@fwespta.org

Welcome Back Picnic

Our new event is an opportunity for FWES families to get together the evening before the FWES Open House event. Starting after the class lists are posted, the picnic will take place on the front playground. Volunteers are needed to help organize and staff this fun new event.

When:, August

Time Commitment: Team meets 1 month before to plan the event.  Volunteers are needed during the event, 5:30-7:00 PM 

Contact: programs@fwespta.org 

World Dance

The World Dance celebrates our school’s diversity. Families and students were encouraged to dress and share their culture. Help plan and run our international celebration. Short student performances are also featured.

When: March 

Time Commitment: Team meets periodically 2 months before to plan the event. Many volunteers are needed the week of and during the event. 

Contact: worlddance@fwespta.org 

Yearbook

To make the yearbook the ultimate keepsake, we need your photos! If you take pictures of your students’ classroom activities, field trips, or school events, please upload them  here.

Time: Flexible 

When: Flexible during the school year

Contact: yearbook@fwespta.org

FWES PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY PTA

FWES School Improvement Team

State law mandates each school have a School Improvement Team (SIT) to create, review & revise annual performance goals. The team is composed of elected staff and parents. The plan can be viewed in the FWES Media Center.

Time: 4 times per year

When: mornings, scheduled by FWES

Field Day

FWES hosts a spring Field Day open to all students. Volunteers are needed to help run activities and supervise students. 

Time: 1 hour shifts per grade

When: A Friday in May, during school hours

Picture Day

While not a PTA event, we assist the photographers with organizing the order envelopes, keeping the lines moving and using new combs on each student who needs a hair adjustment.  Fall pictures appear in the yearbook.

When: 1 or 2 hour shift during the school day