Thank you for your willingness and interest in supporting Poe Elementary with your time and resources. Our PTO volunteers make it possible for the school to conduct programs that enhance its students and teachers educational environment. Poe Elementary welcomes and encourages all parents to participate in school activities.
This is a brief overview of the roles and responsibilities of the Poe PTO Board and committees taken from the by-laws. Positions are for one-year terms beginning July 1st and ending June 30th.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Recommends a slate of nominees for the Executive Board, Committee Chairs and other Board positions to be considered for approval by the Board at its May Board meeting and elected by the PTO members at the May PTO meeting. Total Nominating Committee members will be five (5) determined from a slate of ten (10) and elected by a majority vote of the PTO Board prior to March 31st. Nominating Committee members will meet two time between April 1st and April 15th to develop a recommended slate.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Consists of President, Past President, President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President Budget/Finance, Vice-President VIPS/Membership, Vice-President Administration and School Principal.
President: Responsible for the administration of all PTO activities and presides at the Executive Committee meetings and PTO meetings. Sets vision and goals for the school year with support from Executive Committee. Oversees all board positions to ensure they are being handled in a timely and accurate manner, as well as help build the Poe Community. Meets regularly with each board member to discuss role and responsibilities, answer questions and ensures each volunteer has necessary tools to implement their roles. Attends all board events, recruits volunteers, and communicates with Poe parent community through Monday folders, E-blasts, Poe in the Know newsletter, BOCA newsletter, social media and PTO meetings. Serves as the liaison between the PTO and school principal. Excellent communication and organizational skills are a must. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, minimum of 10-15 hours per week depending on the time of the year. Some availability and presence at the school during daytime hours is necessary.)
President-Elect: Presides over the PTO in the absence of the president, assists the president. Spend year in-training to ensure a smooth transition for the PTO board from year to year. Attends all executive and general PTO meetings. Excellent communication and organizational skills are important. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, minimum of 3-4 hours per month)
Past President: Serves as a key advisor to the current president ensuring a smooth transition from year to year. Serve as parliamentarian for both executive and general PTO meetings. Attends all executive and general PTO meetings. Excellent communication and organizational skills to provide current president with past expertise. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, less than 1 hour per week)
Secretary: Prepares and distributes the agendas and minutes for all general PTO meetings and executive committee meetings. Responsible for creating and maintaining the central records and correspondence of the PTO under the direction of the president. Attends all executive and general PTO meetings. Submits written minutes of each meeting prior the next meeting for review and comment by the Executive Committee. Posts meeting minutes on the PTO bulletin board and website once approved by Executive Committee. Excellent communication, writing and organizational skills are important. Must prepare accurate meeting minutes in a timely manner. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, minimum of 4-6 hours per month)
Treasurer: Responsible for accurate accounting of all monies received and pain, credits and property of the PTO. Custodian of all funds and securities of the PTO and deposits them into PTO bank accounts as established and approved by the Board. Passes deposit information to VP Budget/Finance for reconciling bank statements. Excellent organizational and accounting skills are important with some background experience in accounting, bookkeeping or budgeting preferred. Must have computer skills in Quick Books and excel spreadsheets. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, minimum of 2-3 hours per week but 6-10 hours per week in August and September)
VP Budget and Finance: Leads and coordinates the annual budgeting process, ensures compliance with non-profit regulations and monitors and reports committee expenses. Responsible for keeping proper books of accounting showing at all times the amount of funds and other property belonging to the PTO. Provides documentation of all accounts at any time for inspection and copying by any other member of the PTO. Disburses all monies, makes payments and signs all checks and reimbursements from PTO funds. Makes all appropriate filings with the IRS to secure and maintain the Section 501(c)(3) organization exempt from federal income taxes. Files the appropriate papers with the Comptroller or other appropriate offices of the State of Texas to secure exemptions from corporate franchise taxes and from Texas sales and use taxes. Submits monthly accounting reports on the financial condition of the PTO as requested by the president. Responsible for chairing the Budget Committee (Executive Committee). Excellent organizational and accounting skills are important with some background experience in accounting, bookkeeping or budgeting preferred. Must have computer skills in Quick Books and excel spreadsheets. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, minimum of 2-3 hours per week but 6-10 hours per week in August and September)
VP VIPS / Communication: Serves as the volunteer and communication liaison between the PTO and the Poe Parent community of volunteers. Recruits parent volunteers, coordinates registration and approval of all volunteers with HISD and Poe administration through Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS). Recruits and prepares homeroom parents to serve and updates handbook for homeroom parents. Responsible for any volunteer appreciation events as requested and approved by the Board. Communicates to parents, room parents and Poe community volunteers on events as requested by Board. Excellent communication and organizational skills. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, minimum of 5-10 hours per week but up to 20 hours per week in August and September)
VP Administration: Serves as administrative coordinator for Poe PTO membership. Recruits parents, families and teachers to become members. Responsible for PTO membership database and dues. Works with Board to determine PTO membership benefits at varying dues levels and tracks recognition as necessary. Excellent communication and organizational skills. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, minimum of 5-10 hours per week but up to 20 hours per week in August and September)
CAMPUS SUPPORT
Building & Grounds Chairman: Responsible for overseeing general ground maintenance and external building needs not under HISD jurisdiction. Coordinate needs of grounds, fields, grass, sprinklers, interior courtyards, walkways around Poe and lighting in the front and around Poe. Specifically work on getting ground and lawn area ready and tidy for school events such as Back to School, Magnet Awareness Week, Career Day, Carnival, All Art Day, etc. Committee works closely with Garden/Outdoor Education Chair on “Work Days” for Poe Volunteers. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, minimum of 2-3 hours per month)
Community Relations Chairman: Responsible for coordinating Poe’s Annual Community Coffee, including: determining the date with school principal, recruiting volunteers, catering, preparing agenda, inviting members of the community and communications with the Poe Community. Must be present and available during the morning of the event. (3 months from December to February, minimum of 2-3 hours per week)
Lost & Found Chairman: Responsible for organizing the lost and found area on a weekly basis and returning any items with labels or names on them. Donates items left in lost and found for over two months to a local charity supporting children. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, maximum of 2-3 hours per week)
Outdoor Education Chairman: Oversees outside gardening projects and maintains atrium for student and teacher use. Recruits volunteers to conduct “work days” of volunteers to keep grounds, flower beds, deck areas neat and tidy – beautifying the grounds of Poe. Coordinates with Building & Grounds Chairman on “Work Days”. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, maximum of 3-4 hours per month)
Recycling Chairman: Serves as the contact person for all Poe recycling needs. Liaison with HISD waste management division, school principal’s office and custodial staff. Demonstrates and advocates reuse, reduce and recycle motto. Ensures recycling bins are in place during school year and at Poe events. Develops a school wide recycling campaign and promotes to Poe Community. Works with HISD recycling group and PTO Board to determine recycling needs of school. (Commitment varies depending on school needs, 12 months from July 1st to June 31st, maximum of 1-2 hours per month)
School Supplies Chairman: Determines school supply needs per grade level with teachers and administration. Orders school supply kits, sells school supplies at “Back to School” event, manages and tracks all payments and distributes kits before school to each class. (4 months – August to October and March, 5-10 hours per week)
Staff Appreciation Chairman: Organizes teacher appreciation events including “Back to School” lunch, monthly breakfasts and end of year appreciation week. Assigns each grade a month with a theme to thank staff. Coordinates with VP VIPS/Communication to communicate event needs to grade homeroom parents. Coordinates calendar of events with PTO President and school principal to ensure no conflicts of activities. (10 months from August to May, 6 hours per month)
Uniform Store Chairman: Responsible for operating the school uniform store, ordering inventory, selling inventory, organizing inventory and submitting payments to Treasurer. (4 months from July to October, 2-5 hours per week)
FAMILY EXPERIENCE ENRICHMENT
90TH Anniversary Chairman: Plans, supervises and leads execution of the Poe 90th Anniversary celebration. Coordinates all public relations materials for the 90th Anniversary including Monday folders, E-blasts, Poe in the Know newsletter, BOCA newsletter, social media and PTO meetings. Manages all expenses and budget for the event. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, maximum of 2-5 hours per month)
All Art / Field Day Chairman: Organizes and coordinates a full school day of fun focused on art in the spring. Develops a curriculum for the teachers, chooses the theme, develops an art piece or permanent installation for the school, solicits sponsors, recruits volunteers, purchases supplies, books Art Cars for a mini-parade, prepares sidewalks with Building & Grounds Chairman and provides refreshments. Leads t-shirt design competition and orders sells t-shirts and provide refreshments. Manages all expenses and budget for the event. (3 months from March to May, 5-15 hours per week)
Back-to-School Chairman: Leads the back-to-school celebration in late August that welcomes students and families to a new school year and provides and opportunities for students to meet their teachers. Organizes and facilitates the celebration on the Thursday before school starts along with a coffee for parents on the first day of school. Seeks sponsors for food and drink, provides signage in hallways and coordinates volunteers to help parents and students find their way around the school for the first time. Works closely with PTO President and Board to organize tables and paperwork for sign up activities. Manages all expenses and budget for the event. (1 month in August, 15-20 hours per month)
Career Week Chairman: Plans a week-long fine arts career expo to teach students about artists at work and expose them to diverse types of art. Responsible for recruiting and scheduling guest speakers (~60) from a variety of creative fields for 50 class periods. Coordinates resources (A/V needs, parent volunteers, lunches), compiles speaker bios and assigns speakers to classes by age of class. Solicits lunch sponsorships to offset costs. Manages all expenses and budget for the event. (3 months from September to November, 10-15 hours per week and all day availability during week of event)
International Festival Chairman: Plans a day-long international expo to teach students about global cultures, foods, living, etc. Responsible for recruiting parents of diverse cultures to set up a booth that shares information, food, clothing and pictures representing their country. Coordinates resources including A/V needs, tables and parent volunteers. Manages all expenses and budget for the event. (3 months from February to April, 5-10 hours per week and all day availability on the day of event)
FUNDRAISING
Auction Chairman: Plans, supervises and leads execution of all aspects of Poe Auction, including: underwriting, live and silent auction donations, catering, class baskets, class art, socials, ticket and t-shirt sales and publicity. This is the largest fundraiser for PTO hosting over 250+ at an off-campus venue while working with over 20 volunteers. Coordinates all public relations materials for the Auction including Monday folders, E-blasts, Poe in the Know newsletter, BOCA newsletter, social media and PTO meetings. Manages all expenses and budget for the event. Communication and organization skills are a must for this committee. Event occurs in the late 1st quarter of the year. (8 months starting in July but average 5-10 hours per week from November to Auction)
Book Fair Chairman: Plans and executes the book fair in November which provides an opportunity for students, parents and teachers to shop for new books as well as raising money for the students and teachers. Coordinate with book fair vendor, Scholastic Books, to schedule the event. Recruits and manages event volunteers. Plans and executes activities including: bookmark design competition, family night events, grandparent’s breakfast, marketing and communications. Manages all expenses and budget for the event. (4 months from September to November, 2-3 hours per week but week of event expect 4-10 hours per day)
Carnival Chairman: Plans, supervises and leads execution of all aspects of Poe Carnival, including: underwriting, donations, order food, class booths, games, prizes, ticket and t-shirt sales and publicity. Occurs in October and is a large PTO fundraiser. Leads a large team of volunteers including chairmen for booths, bazaar, volunteers, and desert room and drink donations. Coordinates all public relations materials for the Carnival including Monday folders, E-blasts, Poe in the Know newsletter, BOCA newsletter, social media and PTO meetings. Manages all expenses and budget for the event. Communication and organization skills are a must for this committee. (5 months starting in July, average 5-10 hours per week from July to Carnival)
Corporate Development / Partners Chairman: Responsible for working with Board to determine corporate donor levels and associated benefits. Develops and manages relationships with prospective corporate donors. Ensures all donor benefits are completed. Coordinates with various corporations that have defined, existing community programs such as Amazon and Kroger to ensure Poe families are aware and levering those shopping / purchasing programs. Works with local businesses to set up shopping and dining events. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, maximum of 2-5 hours per month)
COMMUNICATIONS
Directory Chairman: Coordinates and executes all activities related to creating a written Poe student and family directory. Solicits all families to provide student addresses, emails and phone information for Poe and Poe-Co students. Solicits directory advertisers to offset printing cost. Maintains directory database, sends out final draft for approval and submits to printer for publication. Majority of work is data entry. (3 months from August to October, 100 hours total)
Poe in the Know Chairman: Responsible for the monthly newsletter, Poe in the Know, sent home in the Monday Folder as an alternative to electronic tools used by PTO. Coordinates with all committees to collect pertinent monthly information. Responsible for design and layout of newsletter. (9 months, 4-5 hours per month)
Website Chairman: Assists in developing, maintaining and updating the Poe PTO website on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. Works with PTO committee chairs and members to constantly update the website and calendar for upcoming events. PTO website is a vital link and resource in communicating with the Poe Community. The Poe website is transitioning to DigitalPTO as the preferred platform. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, maximum of 2-5 hours per week)
Publicity Chairman: Responsible for submitting publicity and news articles for Poe ES events to The Villager. Photographs will be taken by yearbook committee and provided for articles. Coordinate with Poe Front office on media releases from students. Must be very organized and able to meet hard deadlines for paper. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, maximum of 4-5 hours per month)
Yearbook / Photography Chairman: Responsible for photography at all Poe events throughout the year, coordinates student portraits and information for yearbook. Sell advertisements for businesses and students along with page sponsorships. Responsible for yearbook layout and design. Must meet yearbook company’s deadlines for end of year distribution. Share photographs with Publicity Chair to share photographs and ensure media releases. Coordinate media releases with Poe office staff. Time – depends on number of volunteers taking photos and sending to you, during second semester, more time demanding as layout is due. (12 months from July 1st to June 31st, maximum of 2-5 hours per month)
VIPS COORDINATION & REPRESENTATIVES
Incoming Kindergarten Representative: Organizes volunteers to plan and implement fun play dates at Poe Playground over the summer for incoming Kindergarteners. Determine three dates and times during summer to host play dates, prepare a flyer with dates and times for play dates on it and provide to Poe front office staff at end of school year for incoming Kindergarten parents. Organizes volunteers to bring water, lite snacks for play date and a game or activity. Let grounds group know you are coming so HISD knows to mow. Have a sign in sheet, recruit volunteers, distribute Kindergarten handbook and PTO order forms (school uniform, school supplies, etc.) (3 months from July to August, maximum of 2-5 hours per month)
Magnet Representative: Coordinates volunteers and teachers for Magnet Awareness Week tours, typically held in January. Work with Magnet Coordinator at school to determine schedule. Help give prospective families a great first impression of Poe. (8 months from September to April, 2-5 hours per month)
Parent Representative – Bilingual: As the demographics of Poe expands and grows to include more Spanish-speaking families it is important to make sure PTO messaging extends and meets their needs. This representative attends PTO meetings to provide simultaneous Spanish translation when necessary. Communicate with the Spanish-speaking families and encourage the Spanish-speaking community to become more involved at Poe.
AUCTION COMMITTEE
Class Basket Chairman: Responsible for determining themes for class baskets and assigning to each grade. Coordinates with homeroom parents for each grade to solicit donations from parents for class baskets. Puts class baskets together prior to auction and determines fair market value. (2 months from January to February, 3-5 hours per week)
Class Art Items Chairman: Responsible for determining class art for each grade and working with teachers to arrange a time for each class to complete art. (4 months from November to February, 3-5 hours per week)
Socials Chairman: Responsible for soliciting volunteers to host both adult and kids socials. Coordinates with host to set dates, location, price per individual, etc. Ensures each social is completed as planned and all individuals who paid for attendance are included in invitations. (7 months from November to May, 3-5 hours per week)
Underwriting Chairman: Plans and coordinates the fundraising aspects of Poe Auction. Develops incentives / benefits for underwriters, researches new underwriting contacts, secures underwriters and assists in obtaining auction item donations if needed. (6 months starting in September but average 5 hours per week from November to Auction)
CARNIVAL COMMITTEE
Bazaar Chairman: Plans and coordinates the vendor bazaar which includes soliciting previous and prospective vendors to sale merchandise at the bazaar. Assigns tables to each vendor. Communicates Carnival logistics to each vendor. (3 months from August to October, 2-5 hours per week)
Booth Coordinator: Responsible for assigning booths to classes and manages the volunteer sign-up process. Manages volunteers during the Carnival including one booth chair and six volunteers per booth (two volunteers for each 3-hour time slot). Sends instructions and booth information to each booth chair on how to operate the booth. (3 months from August to October, 3-5 hours per week)
Dessert Booth Chairman: Contacts donors to secure donations for the dessert room using previous year donor list and seeking prospective donors. Works with Booth Chair of each class assigned to the dessert room (3 classes total) and the Booth Coordinator to make sure the dessert room will be fully staffed carnival day. Works with the Volunteer Coordinator and your own dessert team to get as many volunteers as possible to organize/assemble desserts on Friday afternoon. Finds a volunteer/team member to agree to decorate the dessert room Friday afternoon. (3 months from August to October, 2-5 hours per week)
Drinks Coordinator: Checks and arranges for storage of the donated drinks that are deposited in the front hallway; log type of drink and which class on the drinks spreadsheet; Continually update spreadsheet and consult with Carnival chair(s) on the amount of drinks in case drinks need to be purchased prior to carnival. Also, let carnival chair(s) know which class brought the most drinks so the post-carnival pizza-party can be announced and awarded. (3 months from August to October, 2-5 hours per week)
Volunteer Coordinator: Secures extra volunteers to support Carnival activities. These include students from Lanier, Lamar and HSPVA, etc. Assign volunteers to shifts, writes post-carnival letters for student volunteers to account for volunteer service hours. (3 months from August to October, 2-5 hours per week)
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