Parent Council Activities

Contact: Kelly Atanacio or Karin Hassel

“After School Activity Program” is an 8-week extra curricular program offered in the fall and winter. Activities such as yoga, fun science, art, cooking, crafts and sports camp are offered. Enrollment is an additional cost.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Help supervise children and serve lunch on ASAP days

 

Contact:  Nicole Croddick

The art appreciation program is for grades B-4 with the intent of bringing additional art experiences to the school.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Twice a year parents are trained and sent into the classroom to docent a hands-on creative project for approximately 45 minutes.

Contact: Sarah Orsay

Book Fair raises funds for the Library through the sale of books for children and adults.

Family reading night takes place the night before the first full day of Book Fair and is a fun cookies and milk filled night with parents reading books to the children.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Help set up Fair including unpacking books and placing them out on tables
• Help decorate Little Gym according to the year’s theme
• Staff the Fair – assist children and parents on finding books; keeping fair tidy
• Help clean up after the fair – box unsold books
• Read books to the children on Family Reading Night
• Bring homemade refreshments for both Family Reading Night and Book Fair
• Help staff Bake Sale

Contact: Jackie Mitsch

Buddy Families help new families just entering the school.  Buddy Families answer questions that the new family may have and make the transition period a seamless one!  A Buddy Family Cocktail Party is held in the Fall.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Be a Buddy Family

Contact: Deborah Reinhard

One of RCDS’s most important volunteer positions is that of Class Parent.  A Class Parent is selected by the Executive Committee of Parent Council to serve as a liaison between the teacher and parents in coordinating special events within the classroom.

As a class parent you are responsible for the following:

• Welcome new families to the class with a phone call
• Assist teachers with class trips, class plays, parties, projects or special activities during the year
• Email updates to parents on Parent Council programs
• Coordinate class play & arrange for flowers for both the teacher and music teacher after Class Play – expenses to be shared by class
• Coordinate gathering for parents of the grade.  Please try to plan in the evening so working parents can attend as well; expenses should be shared among the parents in the class
• Submit one article for E-Currents.  Email to mshea@rcds.org.  Can be of class play, field trips, etc.  Simple is best.  Do not include names.
• Inform Primary School Liaison of new babies
• Schedule Rummage Sale staffing for your grade’s department

Contact: Maureen Lloyd

E-Currents is our new on-line Parent Council newspaper and can be found on the RCDS website.  Class parents and committee chairs submit articles with photos relating to class trips, plays, sports, etc. with photos to Michelle Shea, Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications, at mshea@rcds.org.

Contact: Tara Leibee

A fun filled evening of Bingo games and food for the entire family.  Join in the fun and maybe even win a prize or two!

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Help set up for the evening
• Bring homemade desserts or appetizers for the event
• Help staff the event

Contact: Kelly Atanacio or Lori Wrigley

This year Family Field Day will be combined with the Ribbon Cutting ceremony for our new AEC.  This is a no-cost day of relay races and games, food, and school spirit.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Staff the event
• Help run races and games
• Help set-up and clean-up

Contact: Lisa Atallah

Children give designated non-perishable food items in our annual February Food Drive benefiting local families in our area through Lunch Break Soup Kitchen.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Help decorate and distribute collection boxes
• Help drive food to local charity

Contact: Edy Grusd

Forensics is an Upper School speech competition among various schools.  It is held annually at RCDS. The Forensics Committee functions as a support group for the Forensics Competition.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Act as guides and hosts for competing forensics participants
• Help with the judges’ luncheon
• Monitor hallways during competitions

Contact: Jill Perosi

Come enjoy lunch and goodies in the Little Gym on special Fridays.  Look for Friday lunch days in Gator Bytes.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Help serve lunch on specified Fridays in the Little Gym

Contact: Estelle Ketterer

Our annual Winter Gala is a RCDS tradition and our major fundraiser.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Head/help with various committees including auction, food, entertainment, decorations, invitations, lighting, etc.
• Help solicit silent and live auction items

Contact: Marshall Lynch

The Gardening committee is a group of parents whose goal is to enhance the beauty of the school through plants and flowers.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Help maintain the planters at various entrances around RCDS
• Help with various beautification projects around the school

Contact: Leah Soltas and Jenny Uplinger

The Gently Used Uniform Sale is a great way of getting uniforms for your children at a fraction of the price and helping to support the school at the same time.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Donate gently used uniforms to the sale
• Help set up and organize clothing for the day of the sale
• Staff the day of sale

Contact: Lisa Atallah

A RCDS tradition, Giving Tree goes up after the Thanksgiving break with suggested "gift" tags attached.  RCDS children pick a tag from the tree, purchase and return an unwrapped gift benefiting area children through Family & Children's Services.

Contact: Victoria Gmelich

The Holiday program is an annual tradition at RCDS taking place right before Holiday break.  Two shows take place – one for the Upper School and one for the Lower School.  This committee serves as a support group to the teachers who produce the show.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Help set up/decorate the stage for both the Upper School and Lower School programs

Contact: Laurie Smith

The Hospitality Committee coordinates refreshments for the New Student Orientation, Mid-term and Final Exams, and Class Day Reception.

Contact: Denise Thomas

Parents will assist the Librarian in the Main Library Monday through Friday mornings from 7:45-8:15am.

Parent volunteers are needed to:

• Help the librarian check in/out children’s books and re-shelve books (a rotating staff schedule will be created and it is a great way to see your kids in action!)

Contact: Nancy Mazzei

A fun family event for children in grades N-4th, including arts, crafts, fun games and tasty treats!

Parent volunteers are needed to:

• Decorate the gym
• Set up games
• Serve refreshments
• Run the arts and crafts table

Contact: Jen Huesman

Fun filled events designed to allow moms to get to know each other better and have a great time. Events this year include a cooking class/luncheon as well as a tennis day with lunch!

Contact:  Kim Tsimbinos

The RCDS Rummage Sale is one of the school's oldest traditions and could possibly be the largest annual “garage sale” held in New Jersey.

Benefits of Rummage include:  service to our community, a sizeable contribution to the RCDS Financial Aid Fund, and the inevitable camaraderie resulting from weeks of parents planning and working together.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• In order for this event to be successful, there is a long-standing tradition that each parent MUST work one shift for EACH child enrolled at RCDS, up to three shifts.  See your class parent for staffing details.

Contact: Marshall Lynch or Liz Devlin

Come visit our new school store located at the heart of the new wing!  The store offers various school supplies and assorted gift items.  Hours of operation are generally Fridays from 7:45 am to 8:45 am with additional hours offered during holiday time and special school events.   See Gator Bytes for weekly hours.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Staff the school store when open (a rotating staff schedule will be created and it is a great way to see your kids in action!)

Contact: Debra Williams

All teachers and staff are treated to breakfast provided by Parent Council as well as gift certificates and “lucky drawings for dinner”.

Lower School students may bring a small gift, “made-from-the-heart” such as cookies, a drawing or poem, potted plant, etc. for their teachers.

Parent Volunteers are needed to:

• Provide homemade refreshments for the event
• Help set up the day before the event, the day of the event and with cleanup