AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT – Runs the after school enrichment program, including establishing and scheduling a variety of fun and enriching classes for Kipling students after school. Responsibilities include; establishing and scheduling of classes, hiring the instructors, conducting the registration and enrollment of students in the program, collecting fees, and handling day-to-day issues.

ART APPRECIATION – The co-chairs coordinate this program which shows examples of various artists’ works in order to encourage interest in the visual arts and expand students’ knowledge of fine arts by bringing parent volunteers into the classroom to make presentations about selected artists.  The co-chairs work with the art teacher in selecting the artists and coordinate the volunteers’ into the classrooms.

CULTURAL ARTS – Shall attend a fall showcase and schedule assemblies throughout the school year.  The chairmen are present for the assemblies and then obtain feedback from the staff.  Past assemblies have included plays, musical performances and scientific demonstrations.

DISABILITY AWARENESS – Responsibilities include working with the Kipling staff and students to support the full inclusion of children with disabilities in all programs within the school; this includes making age appropriate presentations to each grade level.  The co-chairs also introduce new families of children with disabilities to other families at the school.  Shall also act as a liaison between N.S.S.E.D. and the school.

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS – Encourages parents, students, and teachers to be aware of ways to improve our environment. Shall coordinate activities relating to environmental issues that the students participate in during the year. 

FAMILY FUN NIGHT – Plans and executes all aspects of several Family Fun Nights throughout the school year.  This may include Bingo night and themed dance parties. 

JUNIOR GREAT BOOKS – Coordinates this literature-based reading program in which children share ideas in a “book club” atmosphere during lunch/recess.  A trained leader directs the group.

KIPLING KIDS CARE – Shall involve Kipling students in community oriented service projects.  Responsibilities include:  developing and spearheading approximately 3 or 4 activities a year, educating the students about the cause of each project, and involving them in the planning and execution of each activity.  Open to all interested students of all grade levels. 

LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER (LMC) – Shall coordinate parent volunteers to staff the various functions of the LMC.  Will also be responsible for the Celebration with Books program.

PUBLISHING CENTER – Coordinates all activities and parent volunteers of this program.    Classroom teachers determine when a student’s creative writing work has reached the publishable level.  At this time, students create a book cover and the students’ works are then bound into book format with the parent volunteers’ help.

YEARBOOK - Shall be responsible for the coordination and development of the annual Kipling yearbook.  Shall also be responsible for the collecting and/or taking of photographs to include in this annual book.

SERVICES

BEFORE SCHOOL CARE – Responsible for coordinating early morning day care at Kipling.  The chairman shall run registration, maintain the roster of participants, answer parent questions and collect payments. 

COURIER EDITOR – Is responsible for coordinating articles submitted for publication each month for the Kipling Courier and preparing the articles to be distributed via e-mail/printed. 

COURIER ASSISTANT – Shall copy, collate and distribute the monthly Courier to those who don’t receive it electronically.

DISTRICT EDUCATION FOUNDATION BOARD – Liaison with the District 109 Education Foundation Board.   Attends meetings, brings information back to the PTO and recruits volunteers for Foundation’s fundraisers.

GARDEN PARENT – Responsible for planting and maintaining the garden containers around the school.

HEAD ROOM PARENT – Selects the Room Parents for each classroom.  Holds a Room Parent meeting in the fall to explain room parent duties, starts the phone tree on days when school is canceled and coordinates the volunteers to be in the classrooms during the PTO sponsored teacher Holiday Luncheon.

HEALTH AND SAFETY – The co-chairs work with the school to establish workable bus routes; they coordinate the neighborhood captains and troubleshoot bus issues.  They send bus tags to new kindergarteners prior to the first day of school.

HOSPITALITY – Shall arrange for refreshments for all PTO related functions.  Shall coordinate the Welcome Back Staff Luncheon and the Kipling Staff Holiday Luncheon. 

KNOWLEDGE MANAGER – Maintains and updates the Kipling parent e-mail list.  Distributes the Kipling Courier and other important school messages via e-mail.

NATIONAL FAMILY PARTNERSHIP/PARENT NETWORK/PARK DISTRICT REP. – Shall act as a liaison with the NFP and coordinate activities of Red Ribbon Week.  Shall secure volunteers for the park district’s Halloween Hoopla.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST – The breakfast is a gift from the PTO to thank parents for volunteering time, energies and talents to Kipling School.  The co-chairs coordinate all aspects of this appreciation event.  It is a special morning for Kipling families to gather at the school and enjoy breakfast together. 

PUBLICITY – Shall be responsible for the general PTO publicity (within the Deerfield community) and assist other chairpersons with publicity when requested. 

SCHOOL BOARD/LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE – Shall attend biweekly School Board meetings throughout the year and bring any pertinent information back to the PTO. Shall also serve as Kipling representative to all CIC Legislative functions, including their monthly meetings, and report any pertinent information to the PTO.

SCHOOL STORE – Coordinates the student school supply sale in the spring as well as individual items throughout the school year.  Responsibilities include:  distributing order information, collecting order money, purchasing supplies during the summer, delivering supplies to students’ classrooms before the first day of school, maintaining supplies in the School Store.  The School Store is open during lunch hours during the school year and is staffed by fifth graders.

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY – Shall copy, collate and distribute weekly Kipling news announcements.

WELCOMING – The co-chairs are responsible for welcoming incoming Kindergarten families (and other new families) to Kipling each fall and throughout the school year.  They organize the Kindergarten registration and orientations and also plan and coordinate the Back to School Ice Cream Social in early fall.

WAYS AND MEANS

BOOK FAIR – Shall coordinate all aspects of this fund-raiser.  Duties include, working with the book vendor to select the books to sell, set up of the event, publicity, compiling recommended reading lists for each grade level to be available at the Book Fair, and securing volunteer parents to help at the event.

GENERAL FUNDRAISING – The co-chairs are responsible for executing fundraising programs, i.e. Deerfield Discount Cards, Shop & Share Days. 

GIFT WRAP – Shall organize all aspects of this annual fall fund-raiser including:  distributing order forms to Kipling families, coordinating orders with the vendor, and insuring that the items ordered are received on a timely basis. 

HOLIDAY SHOP – The co-chairs organize a unique gift boutique, which provides an opportunity for the children to use their own “piggy bank” funds to purchase inexpensive holiday gifts for their families.  Responsibilities include:  purchasing items, set-up for the sale, and coordinating the volunteers.  Holiday shop will be held in the school on a designated date in November or December.

KIPLING CASH – Shall coordinate all aspects of this ongoing fund-raiser.  Responsibilities include:  publicizing order forms for gift certificates in the Wednesday Weekly, the Kipling Courier, and at various Kipling events, collecting order forms and money, and distributing purchased gift certificates.

PTO MEMBERSHIP – Coordinates the Fall PTO membership drive, the assembly and distribution of the Kipling Key and the Kipling Key cover contest in the Spring.

PUMPKIN FEST – The chair people oversee all operations of this major fund-raiser.  Shall coordinate the activities of all committee chairpersons including:  games, food, ticket sales, spook house, financial, pumpkin sales, face painting, bake sale, prizes, publicity, scheduling of volunteers, and any other added features to this Fall event.

PUMPKIN FEST GIFT BASKETS – Responsible for developing and organizing the basket raffle during Pumpkin Fest.  Includes, coordinating the collection of donated items, arranging the actual baskets, selling the raffle tickets and running the raffle. 

SPECIAL LUNCH – Shall coordinate all aspects of providing hot lunches twice a week throughout the school year, including the ordering and deliver of food from the vendor, collecting order money, coordinating the scheduling of volunteer servers, and sending Special Lunch reminders to students and volunteer parents.