Cardinal Courier - September 14

Message from the President

I hope everyone has had a great first few weeks back at Abingdon! It was so nice to see kids laughing on the playground with their friends when I walked up to Abingdon yesterday to make copies for this week's Tuesday Folder. I apologize for the delay in getting this message out to the Abingdon PTA Community, but with all of the short weeks to start the year time just got away from me.

This is my 3rd year as president of the Abingdon Elementary PTA. I really didn’t expect to be serving as president again this year but unfortunately the only parent who volunteered to serve as President had some life changes that made it impossible for them to take on the role (they have offered to help in a smaller capacity and for that I am grateful). I also appreciate Christian Lindstrom and Sara Carr, who have volunteered to serve as Treasurer and Secretary respectively, and for past board members who have reached out to offer support. However, this group of 6 or 8 parents cannot be expected to do everything the PTA at Abingdon has done in the past alone. We are all spread thin after a year and a half of quarantining, remote and hybrid learning, working from home, and taking care of our loved ones. We are going to be asking for a lot of help this year from all members of the PTA. This is the current list of open positions we are seeking volunteers for:

• Events Committee Chair: this person or group of people will be responsible for organizing Community Events for the Abingdon community. Events in the past have included Fall Festival, Movie Nights, International Night, and Holiday Shop. They will work with the Executive Board to decide which events are going to be held this year and will be responsible for planning and executing the events. We will also need many other volunteers to make each event a success.

• Staff Appreciation Committee Chair: This person or group of people will be responsible for planning the luncheon's hosted by the PTA on the Friday of Parent-Teacher Conferences. They will need to order food, plan decorations, organize donations of deserts, and volunteers. They will also plan the Staff Appreciation activities before the Winter Break, and Teacher Appreciation Week in the Spring.

• Fundraising Committee Chair: this person or group of people will be responsible for organizing the fundraising activities that support the Abingdon PTA's mission to support students, teachers and staff. Activities that have been done in the past include the Arm Chair Fundraiser in the fall, Read-a-Thon in February or March, organizing spirit nights throughout the year at local restaurants, grocery store card sign-ups, and Mixed Bag (now called Boone Supply) sales in the spring.

• After-School Enrichment Coordinator: this person serves as the liaison with Enrichment Matters to create the schedule for After-School Enrichment at Abingdon. They also work with the Abingdon Student Support Team to enroll students identified for scholarships (funded by the PTA) and ensure that the room reservation request forms for each session are completed.

• Spirit Gear Coordinator: This person will be responsible for researching the various options for School Spirit Gear. Along with the Executive Board, they will select which vendor we will use. They will also be responsible for any forms or flyers that go out, any inventory or orders that must be tracked, and organizing distribution of orders as needed.

• Yearbook and LoveLines Coordinator: This person will be in charge of creating the yearbook order form, tracking orders received, and formatting the LoveLines submitted by parents for publication in the yearbook. The timing of this will be directed by Abingdon's art teacher, Ms. Muscarella, as she is the one who creates the yearbook and submits is for publication. They will also be expected to help with yearbook distribution once they are received.

• Copy Person for Tuesday Folders: This person will be responsible for copying PTA flyers each Monday morning and distributing the appropriate number of flyers to each classroom teachers' mailbox. Occasionally, copies may need to be made on a Friday before a holiday on Monday.

This is an opportunity as new and returning Abingdon families to get involved in the Abingdon Community as we re-build after being apart for almost 18 months. We are looking forward to a time that will feel more "normal" with fun community events and are seeking to get people into place so we are ready to go when it is safe to do so.

I admit that I am not good at asking for help and delegating responsibilities. As I serve my final term as president this is something I pledge to do. I am asking for members of the Abingdon community to step up to help, and look forward to working with each and every one of you.

Please email the Abingdon PTA at abingdonelementarypta@gmail.com if you have questions or are interested in volunteering for any of the mentioned roles.

Important Upcoming Dates

• Thursday September 16: No School (Yom Kippur Holiday)

• Tuesday September 21 at 6:30pm: September PTA Meeting via Zoom (link will be shared next week)

• Wednesday September 29: Early Release at 12:26pm

• Monday October 4: Picture Day! Check Tuesday Folders for order forms and more information.

• Monday October 11: No School for Students

Please reach out to us at abingdonelementarypta@gmail.com with any questions.

Sincerely,

Jackie Winkelvoss

PTA President