The Health and Safety Committee works together with Homestead staff and the school nurse.  The goal is to support, and provide programs and services to Homestead students that promote student, family, school and community health and safety.  These programs and services may focus on topics such as personal health and well-being, bicycle safety, vision and hearing and stranger danger.

 

If you're interested in this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chairs:

 

Monica Mohanty

mmohanty@sbcglobal.net

630-978-8518

 

Stephany Hunt

stephanyhunt@yahoo.com

 

 

---

 

Homestead Enrichment for Youth (HEY)

---

Formerly the After School Enrichment program, Homestead Enrichment for Youth (HEY) received its new name due to the fact that it takes place before, as well as after, school.

In the past, the program has offered classes such as Math Club, Introduction to Spanish, Book Buddies,  Become an Author, Math Games, Reading Games, Cheer Creations, Crafts, and even cooking classes. There are anywhere from 4-7 classes running at one time.

This teacher-run, fee-based program is offered twice a year over a six-week period with each class meeting once a week. The teachers who participate choose what class and grade level they would like to teach and are paid for the session and supplies. Therefore, the classes that are offered are dependent on the teachers and what they wish to teach. The enrollment limit is 15 children per class, however classes with fewer than 10 children enrolled may be subject to cancellation.

All children in grades 1-5 are eligible to participate in the HEY program.  

 

If you are interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chair:

 

 

Angie McCauley
amccauley319@yahoo.com

630-236-5813

 

---

 

Holiday Shoppe

---

The Holiday Shoppe is an event held at the school before the winter break that provides students an opportunity to purchase inexpensive gifts for parents, siblings and friends for the Holidays.

 

The Holiday Shoppe Committee runs this one-time event for the school.  This year, it will be on December 5th, from 10am to Noon.

 

Typically, when families arrive at the school, parents relax while the children shop with the assistance of volunteers.  This enables the children to purchase small gifts to give to their parents, siblings and friends while maintaining the element of surprise.

 

The Committee Chair is responsible for

• scheduling an outside vendor,

• promoting the Holiday Shoppe,

• coordinating volunteers for the night of the event, and

• providing parents with a place to relax while their children shop.

Volunteers are asked to help with:

• setting up the Holiday Shoppe,

• assisting the children with their shopping needs,

• restocking merchandise as needed,

• working the cash register, and

• cleaning up after the event.

If you're interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chairs:

Shannon Fauble

shanimark@sbcglobal.net

630-585-7739

 

Lupe Gallardo

contact info. forthcoming

 

---

 

Hospitality

---

The Hospitality & Baking Committee coordinates refreshments for various PTA events.  In addition, this committee works with the front office staff at Homestead to provide monthly birthday treats for the faculty and staff. 

 

Volunteers for this committee are simply asked to provide home-made or purchased baked goods or beverages.  As the need arises, the Committee Chair contacts volunteers and explains what donations are needed and when.  Volunteers then decide if they are able to provide a donation for that event.  Donations are usually dropped off at the school either in the front office, or - just before an event - in the location where the refreshments are being served.  Volunteers may also be asked to assist with setup or cleanup.

 

The Committee Chair is responsible for coordinating volunteers to bake/buy treats and beverages and assist with setup, serving, and cleanup. 

 

This committee also partners with the Room Representatives Committee during Teacher Appreciation Week to plan and coordinate appreciation events and food.

 

If you're interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chairs:

Lisa Mizerk

lisamizerk@comcast.net

630-499-7555

 

Jen Morrissey

brijen925@yahoo.com

630-978-4184

 

---

 

Husky Hustle

---

The Husky Hustle Committee works in conjuction with the Health and Safety Committee to coordinate the annual Husky Hustle - a unique and healthy 5K Fun Run/Walk Fundraiser held in Spring. The run/walk course, which begins and ends in front of Homestead school, is USATF certified and is flat and fast. There is also a 1 mile kids run for students who aren’t quite ready to go the full 3.1 miles! 

 

The Committee Chair is responsible for:

• maintaining the certification

• adequately marking the course and miles

• coordinating the race officials, timing company, and volunteers

• creating T-Shirts and other SWAG for goodie bags

• acquiring medals to award to top finishers

• generating sponsors for product and monetary donations

This is a fun, family event that supports PTA's mission to provide healthy alternatives to product fundraising and supports the fight against childhood obesity.

 

The role of the Health & Safety Committee in the Husky Hustle is to coordinate the vendor fair, offering healthy samples and lifestyle choices through student and parent education.

 

Volunteers may be asked to run the fair, man water stations, assist with registration and traffic flow and to help with other details on the day of the event. 

 

If you are interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chairs:

 

Jen Bartos

630-851-0607

 

Debbi Bowman

mdccbowman@sbcglobal.net

630-692-7833

 

---

 

Market Day

---

 

Market Day - a fundraising effort available to all Homestead families and the community at large - is a company that sells frozen food items and donates a portion of each sale to non-profit organizations, like Homestead PTA!  A "pick-up" day is designated for each month when families who have placed orders may stop by the school to pick up their food items.

 

So how has Homestead PTA been doing so far this year?  Check out our new fundraising thermometer!!  The Market Day goal for the 2009-2010 school year is $4,000.00. Here are our monthly earnings so far:

September, 2009:   $361.14

October, 2009:       $415.18

November, 2009:     $560.19

December, 2009:    $546.91

January, 2010:        $231.53

February, 2010:      $281.83

TOTAL YTD:        $2,396.78

 

Keep checking back here each month and watch the mercury in our thermometer rise!

 

And, just for your information, since the start of Market Day at Homestead in September of 2003, we have raised a total of $30,679.59 for the Homestead PTA. WOW!!  How awesome!

This school year, Market Day earnings are tentatively slated for a new stage and portable sound system/speakers and will also go toward supporting other PTA programs and events.

 

 

Market Day order forms are sent home in students' Friday folders for families to view and place their orders, and usually include a special of the month.  If families prefer, they may place their orders online with the user-friendly Market Day website (click here to access it).  Market Day donates 10% of each order to the school (not including taxes). 

 

 

The first order forms are usually sent to the families in the packet that the PTA mails out before the start of the school year.  The last order for Market Day is usually at the end of May/beginning of June.

 

In addition, there are "Bonus" months - certain times during the school year that bonuses are offered to Homestead for specific purchases.  For example, during the Fall holiday season last year, Market Day ran a pie special.  For each pie purchased, Homestead received an additional bonus donation!  These "Special" months tend to attract a lot of orders, so extra help is usually needed during those times.

 

The volunteers for this committee generally are asked to

show up on Market Day pick-up days at 5:00 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose room at Homestead.  A Market Day truck arrives at the school, and the volunteers help to:

• unload the truck,

• sort the products into categories,

• assemble the individual orders,

• double-check to ensure everything was delivered, and

• assist families with order pickup.

The Committee Chair and a Market Day representative are always present to assist and answer any questions.

 

The main role of the Committee Chair is to coordinate and promote the monthly frozen food sale.  This includes:

• Working closely with the Market Day representative to determine pick-up dates.  The dates are generally decided upon at the end of the previous school year. 

• Submitting monthly Market Day fliers and reminder fliers to be placed into Friday folders. 

• (Prior to the monthly sale deadlines) using the internet to place orders received from paper orders returned to Homestead, and

• Recruiting volunteers once a month to help unload the Market Day truck, sort orders and help families with pickup.

It's a fast-paced, but fun environment to work in.  And the Market Day food is delicious!!

 

If you're interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chair:

Alison Lebeck

lebeck2892@comcast.net

630-898-8559

 

---

 

Membership

---

The Membership Committee promotes the benefits of belonging to Homestead PTA and provides year-round opportunities for individuals to become members.  Membership is open to all families, faculty and staff at Homestead.  There is no limit to the number of adult members that can be enrolled per family.  PTA members can include Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles,  family friends, in-laws....you name it!  All adults are welcome to join!

 

The duties of the Membership Committee Chair include:

• maintaining the membership database,

• manning the Welcome Table at each general monthly Homestead PTA meeting (or securing a volunteer to do this in his/her absence), and

• distributing membership cards and printing a volunteer nametag (to be kept in the school office) as new members join. 

Volunteers in the Membership Committee will help the Committee Chair to:

• organize and plan membership drives while offering incentives to new members to meet the yearly membership goal set by the executive board, and

• work with the Community Partnership Committee to further their mutual goals of gaining more members, including local businesses. 

Also, becoming a member of the PTA is the only way to get a FREE school directory!  That's right!  With your paid membership, you are entitled to receive a free school directory!  That's a savings of $5.00!

 

It's NEVER too late to sign up to be a PTA member!!  Click Membership Form to print a sign-up sheet, complete it, attach your dues and return it to Homestead with your student.  It's that easy!!

 

If you're interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chairs:

Jeanne Bowen

bowenj@cod.edu

630-898-4652

 

Missy Dziewiatkowski

contact info. forthcoming

 

 

---

 

Nominating Committee

---

 

The Nominating Committee is responsible for:

• receiving Letters of Intent from applicants who are interested in assuming a position on the PTA Executive Board for the subsequent school year.

• reviewing the Letters of Intent and discussing the applicants' qualifications.

• If there is more than one applicant for any board position, the nominating committee then votes to determine which candidate is most qualified for the position.

• At the PTA meeting where the board members are elected, the nominating committee officially nominates all selected candidates for final vote by the assembly.

This committee requires a very short time commitment (usually one meeting near the beginning of May, plus attendance at the May PTA meeting), but has a very big impact on who is elected to the subsequent year's PTA Executive Board.

 

All board positions are open each year.  Sitting board members do not have first-shot at any of the board positions, which include:

 

President

Vice President

Treasurer

Recording Secretary

Corresponding Secretary

 

If you're interested in this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chair:

 

Kelly Halder

nkhalder@sbcglobal.net

630-851-6321

 

---

 

Photography

---

The Photography Committee (formerly the Yearbook Committee) assists with the teacher Yearbook liaison and the PTA webmaster by providing a photos of various school- and PTA-related events.  These candid photos are used in the school yearbook and are also posted on the PTA website.

The duties of the Committee Chair include organizing volunteers to work with the Yearbook teacher liaison and PTA webmaster to acquire snapshots from the classrooms and also at various events, and assisting the Yearbook teacher liaison as needed with announcements, PowerPoint presentations and photo uploading to the Yearbook publisher's website.
 

Volunteers in this committee assist by taking photographs of school or PTA events, or in the classrooms, and providing digital copies of those photos to the Yearbook teacher liaison and the PTA webmaster.

The draft of the yearbook is completed by February, then turned over to the vendor for publication. Near the end of the school year, the yearbooks are distributed to those families who purchased them.

 

If you are interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chair:

 

Angie McCauley
amccauley319@yahoo.com

630-236-5813

 

 

---

 

Picture Presenter

---

The Picture Presenter Committee introduces students at all grade levels to art appreciation and art history.  Working with the Reflections Committee and the Homestead art teacher(s), volunteer resources are pooled to provide valuable support of the arts in our school.

 

Each month, a volunteer visits their assigned classroom to make a 20-30 minute presentation related to their designated print.  These presentations are given to students of all age levels from October through May.  All materials and background information about the artwork and the artist are provided to the volunteers.   During the presentation, the volunteer may also choose to provide a craft or activity related to the print.

 

The duties of the Committee Chair include:

• maintaining and updating all of the picture presenter binders,

• recruiting numerous volunteers (at least one per classroom) and maintaining a database of volunteers,

• hosting an informative meeting in September to explain the program, recruit additional volunteers, and schedule the program for each classroom, and

• establishing written contact with teachers, introducing himself/herself and providing contact information

It's a fun, easy to way to volunteer in the classroom!  The children love to learn about art and thoroughly enjoy these presentations.

 

Want more detailed information?  Click here for a VERY detailed description of this wonderful volunteer opportunity!

 

If you're interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chairs:

Shannon Fauble - Grades K-2

shanimark@sbcglobal.net

630-585-7739

 

Crystal Alperin - Grades 3-5

donotmow@sbcglobal.net

630-898-9698

 

---

 

Publishing Center

---

The Publishing Center provides students the opportunity to have their stories "published".

 

The stories are usually the result of a class assignment by any teacher who chooses to fit it into the class curriculum.   This is, of course, at the teacher's discretion.  The books are typed by volunteers and bound.  Once publication is complete, the books are presented to the authors by the Principal. The student then has the choice of bringing it home or placing it in the Learning Resource Center for other students to read.

 

Volunteers for this committee may choose to:

• assist the students at Homestead with editing their writing projects,

• interview authors

• laminate/bind the finished projects, and

• type projects at home (in MS-Word or MS-Works format) and return them to Homestead.

The primary roles of the Committee Chair is to:

• work with teachers and students to coordinate volunteer schedules,

• maintain the required materials for the center, and

• recruit volunteers.

This is a great way for the students at Homestead to express their creativity and feel that their work is valued.

 

If you're interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chair:

 

Crystal Alperin

donotmow@sbcglobal.net

630-898-9698

---

 

Reflections

---

The Reflections Committee coordinates the State and National PTA-sponsored cultural arts program that encourages all grade levels to create themed art pieces in the categories of literature, visual arts, photography, and musical composition.  These submissions are judged and the selected projects are sent on to the District.

Volunteers for the Reflections Committee may be asked to:

• assist with mounting and displaying Reflections projects,

• assist with paperwork (filling out and distributing project forms, making copies, etc.),

• assist with returning all submissions to the students,

• work along-side the Picture Presenter Committee to support the arts at Homestead, and

• work with the art teacher(s) to assist with Cultural Arts Night and any other needs that may arise.

The Committee Chair is responsible for:

• creating flyers to inform students of the topic and rules,

• soliciting student submissions, and advertising the program in the newsletter and on the school website,

• setting submission deadlines

• recruiting unbiased judge volunteers

• returning all submissions to the students.

• create a volunteer base for art teacher(s) to utilize

In the spring, the Reflections Committee hosts a reception for all student participants to attend where their projects are on display.

Also, working with the Picture Presenter Committee and the Homestead art teacher(s), volunteer resources are pooled to support the arts at Homestead.

If you're interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chair:

Margaret Filicicchia

mmfjdf@hotmail.com

630-499-5584

 

---

 

Room Representatives

---

The Room Reps Committee exists to provide students and teachers with fun, organized classroom parties as well as additional support for projects throughout the year.

 

The three annual parties hosted by the Room Representatives Committee, include:

 

Halloween Party

            Winter Party (in December)

Valentine's Day Party

 

In September, a sign-up sheet is sent home with students in their Friday folder.  This sheet gives parents the option to choose their level of involvement in planning and/or running the school parties.  Forms are completed and returned, then one Head Room Rep is chosen for each classroom.  From there, the Head Room Reps contact the rest of their classroom's volunteers to begin planning.

 

To print a copy of this year's Room Reps Sign Up Sheet, click here.

 

Once Head Room Reps are chosen for the 2010/2011 school year, they'll appear in the table below.

 

Kindergarten	First Grade	Second Grade
Manual AM - Manuel PM - Williams AM - Williams PM -	Friedrich - LaFave - O'Shea - Vitanovec - Walker -	Beirne - Jordan - Matta - Pool - Rusin -
Third Grade	Fourth Grade	Fifth Grade
Egeland - Moore - Ramm -	Baughman - Curran - O'Connell - (4th/5th Gr) Perry - Wyss -	Adams  - Francis - O'Connell - (4th/5th Gr) Weber -

 

The Head Room Representative is responsible for:

• coordinating Room Rep volunteers for the three parties, and

• ensuring that every class has a coordinated, staffed party for each event. 

Volunteers in this committee:

• plan, organize and run room parties,

• may be asked to assist with a party for a classroom of students other than their own child's, and

• may be asked to assist classroom teachers with other special projects.

We want all of our students to have fun and memorable classroom celebrations!!

 

While there are no hard and fast rules, each party generally includes games, snacks and crafts.  Snack guidelines are set for each classroom or grade level and are strictly followed to ensure that potentially harmful foods are not introduced to children who have food allergies.  The Halloween party also includes an outdoor (weather-permitting) costume parade through the surrounding neighborhood which is run by the school and usually led by the local Fire Department.

 

The Room Representatives Committee also partners with the Hospitality Committee during Teacher Appreciation Week in early May to plan and coordinate appreciation events.  For more information, scroll down this page to read the "Teacher Appreciation" committee description.

 

If you're interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chair:

Mia Olaszek

olaszek@sbcglobal.net

630-820-8199

 

---

 

Spirit Wear

---

Spirit Wear is clothing - such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts and pants - and other merchandise - such as window clings and key chains - that is imprinted with school spirit designs, words and logos.

 

The Spirit Wear Committee organizes and facilitates the spirit wear campaign for the sale of these items to faculty, staff, students and families of Homestead to wear to school and school-related events.  Spirit Wear is NOT a PTA or school fundraiser!  Items are sold at-cost.

 

The duties of the Committee Chair include:

• researching companies that provide spirit wear,

• handle spirit wear orders,

• promoting the sales, and

• distributing the spirit wear products through the school.

If you're interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chair:

Sue Boardwine

boardwine5@sbcglobal.net

630-375-0266

 

---

 

Teacher Appreciation

---

 

The Teacher Appreciation Committee helps to coordinate Teacher Appreciation Week, generally the first full week of May set aside for parents and students to show their gratitude for all that teachers do for our children.  The Committee Chair coordinates the events for the week which include acts of kindness for the teachers and staff at Homestead.  In the past, students and parents have written letters of appreciation, or brought in small treats for the teachers.

 

Volunteers may be asked to bake goods for the staff on days during that week, and to serve them, as they so willingly serve our children every day.

If you are interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chair:

 

Mia Olaszek

olaszek@sbcglobal.net

630-820-8199

 

 

---

 

Virtual Backpack

---

 

The Virtual Backpack Committee is responsible for maintaining the Virtual Backpack (VBP) - the PTA's weekly email update designed to deliver information to parents quickly and efficiently and with less paper waste.  Many of the paper announcements, upcoming events, documents and forms that were previously sent home in the Friday Folders are now included in the VBP.

 

The Committee Chair is responsible for collecting information weekly from committee chairpersons to compile in a weekly email to be sent out to the entire distribution list. Final approval from the President is required to ensure that all content is accurate and relevant.  Once final approval is received, the announcement is sent to the Homestead teacher liaison for distribution through the Communicate 308 mass mailing system. 

 

A wealth of information related to Virtual Backpack may be found on the Homestead PTA FAQ page.  Click FAQ.

 

If you are interested in joining this committee, or simply want to know more about it, please feel free to contact the committee chair:

 

Vanessa Wakim

wakims@mac.com

630-236-0172

 

 

---