I’m not sure I want to help at MME. What if I don’t feel comfortable?

There are all kinds of roles within our school that need filling or support from MME families. Some are one shift, some are hours every week. The more you connect and help at your school, the more it will feel like YOUR school and YOUR community, which is great to help our kids thrive and grow. If you aren’t on campus, we can’t all learn together.

Well, what if I’m not comfortable speaking English, or Spanish?

You do NOT have to be bilingual to help at MME. While a few of our parents are fully bilingual, almost all are not. Joining and helping can be facilitated by staff, and by those bilingual parents. There are positions where you can learn and practice English or Spanish, and there are positions were you don’t have to speak anything but your native language. Just reach out in whatever language you’re most comfortable, and we’ll help you find a way to help at our school that works for you!

Do I have to be PTA to help?

You don’t have to be part of PTA to help! While we love new PTA members and would love a huge PTA community, anyone can and should help at our school if you have the time. There are groups and projects that aren’t let by PTA. You can even volunteer at any PTA event and help with any project without being on PTA. Only the PTA board positions require PTA membership.

What are some roles that would help at the school?

There are so many ways to help at our school! A comprehensive list isn’t possible as needs continually change, but here are some roles to consider:

• Find an Event or Fundraiser on our PTA website that sounds fun and help with one volunteer shift
• Be the classroom representative for your child’s class. You send occasional emails to your child’s class about important topics or events, and help be the center of your class’s community. This commitment is small and very valuable.
• Find an Event or Fundraiser that sounds fun and get on that committee. The committee for that event will share roles of planning, decorating, problem solving, and managing day-of volunteers. Each group, event, or fundraiser listed on the website will have a committee.
• Become a Círculo de Lectura volunteer. Shifts are once a week for about 45 minutes. You can speak any language. You simply exchange books children have read for new books, and give them stickers and prizes from the Círculo supplies.
• Become a member of PTA and be one of our officers. We need new officers every two years, and are always looking for dedicated help! Roles include President, Vice President, Fundraising, Treasurer, Secretary, Communications, and much more.
• Become a support person for one of our officers. Officers often have many roles they are filling, and they could use help with specific tasks (an example would be helping with our website).
• Help with one of the clubs on campus, or work with a staff member to start a new club. Adult volunteers are always needed.
• Join a team or committee that is NOT related to PTA. While Climate Committee, Site Council, ELAC, and other programs often have PTA participation, they aren’t run by PTA. They are run through our school by our staff, and they would love your participation and help.

What if none of these ideas seem right, or I’m worried I won’t have enough time?

Many options for volunteering can be done once and then you can sign up again if it fits your schedule. When you’re more confident that you have a set amount of time in the week you could offer, we can help you find a longer term role. If you aren’t sure what you can offer PTA, reach out! We really want to grow our school community, and that starts with YOU. Participate how you can, when you can. We can’t have a solid school community unless we all work together to make it happen.

Can I just donate instead of helping?

Of course, because donating IS helping. PTA uses donations to help with very important programs, like all our school field trips, and a supply stipend so staff and students don’t have to use their own money for supplies. However, participating in events or plans at the school are an important way to help it be YOUR school, and have your family feel at home in this space. Being on campus and helping helps build connections with the school, children, and fellow parents.

 

Mustang Fun Run- kids running to raise money for their school (day of and committee help needed)

 

Garden club-teaching kids how to make seed balls (Garden has a committee and needs lots of volunteer help both with and without interaction. The weeds won’t stop growing!)

 

Recycling Committee- helping kids learn about proper waste streams. Special events or weekly lunch volunteering (11:40-12:40)

 

Bike to school Scanning- Commit 30 minutes once a week to scanning in kids that bike and walk to MME. Parents receive a notification that they have arrived at school safely.