Committees

Academics:  Responsibilities include organizing and promoting the “All-Star Reading Program” as well as coordinating Assemblies & Field Trips with the school staff.  The “All-Star Reading Program” is usually held once in late Winter to early Spring.

Auction:  Responsibilities include organizing, promoting and soliciting for Auction items as well as volunteers. The Auction is usually held once a year.

 Book Fairs:  Responsibilities include coordinating two week-long Book Fairs per year, which also involves scheduling of volunteers to work at the Book Fairs.  The proceeds help fund the “All-Star Reading” and “Reading is Fundamental (RIF)” Programs and the Benson Hill Elementary Library.  The first Book Fair is held in November during parent-teacher conference week and the second is usually held in May.

Fall Fundraiser:  Responsibilities include working directly with a Gift & Gift Wrap Company, preparing the Fall Fundraiser envelopes, tallying the orders, distribution of orders and any other action deemed necessary to make the Fundraiser a success.  The Fall Fundraiser is one of the major fundraisers of the PTA, and is held usually in September/October, with distribution of products usually done in November.

Financial Review:  Responsibilities include ensuring that the financial records of the Benson Hill Elementary PTA are in compliance to the recommendations of the Washington State PTA and to report the results of the Financial Review to the Board of Directors. Two-four hours to perform.

Flower Sales:  Responsibilities include working directly with a Flower Company, include coordinating the sale of flats of flowers in the Spring, preparing, preparing and distributing order forms; tabulating orders and monies, and distribution of the flowers at school.

Fundraising:  Responsibilities include researching, meeting to discuss, and costing out fundrasing proposals for the next school year . The Fundrasing Committee meets once a year usually in the Spring.

Golden Acorn Award:  Responsibilities include providing forms to the general PTA Membership to recommend outstanding volunteers for Golden Acorn Award; tabulating the results; ordering the award from the Washington State PTA; and arranging the presentation of the award at the Open House Night in May at the PTA General Membership Meeting.

Health: Responsibilities involve working with the school nurse and arranging for volunteers to help with Health & Vision Screening in the Fall and Scoliosis Screening of the 5th Graders in the Spring.

Hospitality:  Responsibilities include providing Treats to the teachers & staff on the second week of school; Open Houses in September and May; and monthly to celebrate teacher & staff birthdays.  During the first week of May, Hospitality is responsible for providing a "daily" token of appreciation for Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week.  Other committees may ask the Hospitality committee to assist them with coffee and treats for their functions, if needed.

Ice Cream Socials:  Responsibilities include obtaining and preparing the ice cream, toppings, and whip cream for the Ice Cream Socials; setting up, clean up of the cafeteria; and arranging for volunteers to help serve the ice cream.  The Ice Cream Social is held in conjunction with the school’s Open Houses in September and May.

Identification Tags:  Responsibilities include working directly with a Identification Tag Company, preparing and distributing order forms, tabulating the orders, and distribution of the orders.  This is done once a year usually in the Fall.

Labels for Education:  Responsibilities include promoting the saving of Campbell’s Labels for Education, trimming the labels that are dropped off at the school's Main Office; bundling the labels per the guidelines; and choosing the rewards with the input from teachers, staff and principal. This is performed quarterly.

Legislative:  Responsibilities include informing the Benson Hill Elementary School Community on legislation that affects children; surveying the school’s population concerning topics as noted by the Washington State PTA; sending a representative to the Legislative Assembly in Ellensburg, WA (held in October); and any other duties that may be required to keep the Benson Hill Elementary School Community aware of legislative issues.

Membership:  Responsibilities promoting the benefit of being a member of the PTA and providing year-round opportunities for people to join our PTA.  Also involves coordinating the main membership drive in September through distribution of membership forms; tabulating membership fees; preparing the membership roster list.

Newsletters:  Responsibilities include gathering and preparing articles for publication; copying the Newsletters and distributing to the School's Main Office once a month; and forwarding the newsletters to the Website Coordinator for inclusion on the Benson Hill Elementary PTA website.

Nominating:  Responsibilities include to recognize and recruit the most qualified people for the executive committee (officers) for the next school year. Nominations are usually held by March/April, with Officers elected by April 30th. The Nominating Committee also must make its report to the General Membership 15 days prior to the election and all candidates nominated must have been a PTA member at least 30 days prior to election to run. NOTE: Nomination Committee Members are "elected" at the General Membership Meeting usually held in the Fall.

Popcorn:  Responsibilities include selling Popcorn once a week during the three school lunch periods; setup popcorn machine, prepare popcorn; collecting monies; ordering supplies; and clean up of the popcorn machine.

 Public Relations: Responsibilities include promotion of Benson Hill Elementary PTA Events by preparation of the bulletin board (inside school), preparing the sandwich board (outside the school near the street), preparing flyers, providing media releases, etc.

 Reading is Fundamental (RIF) Program: Responsibilities include selecting and distributing age appropriate books to all students at Benson Hill Elementary.  There are three distributions per year, which are usually held in conjunction with the “Reading Incentive Program” in the latter part of the school year.

Recycling Ink Cartridges:  Responsibilities include working with Ecco-Recycling to recycle laser, printer and fax cartridges that are droppped off at the school's Main Office. This is performed monthly.

Reflections Art Program:  Reflections is an arts program that is sponsored by the National PTA.  Responsibilities involve coordinating the “Reflections Art Program” as determined by the local/council/state/national guidelines.  There is a training session sponsored by the Renton PTA Council, which is held in the Fall and occurs once a year.

Skate Nights:  Responsibilities include scheduling four skate nights throughout the school year; promoting the Event; and providing volunteers to be in charge of the ticket booth at the skating rink (TLC Skate-N-Fun Center ~ 10210 SE 260th ST, Kent, WA  98030  (253) 852-9379). This is performed quarterly.

Special Education Liaison:  Responsibilities include acting as a liaison between the Special Education School Staff and the PTA Board, bringing the school staff’s questions and concerns to the Board of Directors; also involves staying informed about any legislative special education issues that may arise during the school year.

 Sweatshirts/T-Shirts Sales:  Responsibilities include working directly with a Sweatshirts/T-Shirts Company, coordinating the sales of Sweatshirts/T-shirts; distribution of flyers and order forms; and tabulating orders and monies, and distrubuting the Sweatshirts/T-Shirts. Sweatshirts/T-Shirt Sales are usually held in the Fall and Spring.

Volunteer Resources:  Responsibilities include gathering a list of volunteers; coordinating volunteers when needed; Volunteer Training Session in conjunction with the school staff; updating a Volunteer Handbook and providing information as needed to all potential volunteers.

 Website Coordinator: Responsibilities include creating, inputting, and maintaining the Benson Hill Elementary PTA Website at: http://www.BensonHillPTA.Org . This is performed monthy.