PTSA Offices

PTSA Office, Representatives and Committee
Descriptions
(June 15, 04 version)

Officers:

• President
  • Presides at PTSA and Executive Board meetings. Coordinates the work of the offices and the committees. “Ex officio” member of all committees (except Nominating Committee).
     
• Vice-President
  • Serves as an aide to the President by performing the President’s duties in his/her absence. Performs other duties as assigned.
     
• Treasurer
  • Maintains custody of all funds. Keeps a full and accurate account of receipts and expenditures. Makes all disbursements as
    authorized. Presents a written financial statement at every meeting of the Executive Board and at the General Membership meeting(s). Maintains
    the books of accounts and records in conformance with by-laws for detailed review at the end of each fiscal year. Files tax returns as required for Corporations.
     
• Recording Secretary
  • Records the minutes of all PTSA and Executive Board meetings. Files all records. Maintains current copy of by-laws
    and the membership list.
     
• Corresponding Secretary
  • Conducts and maintains all PTSA correspondence, serves as the historian, and performs other duties as
    assigned.

Representatives:

• Cluster/Consortium Representative
   
  • Purpose: To represent PBHS at Northeast Consortium meetings.
  • Description: This person attends the monthly NE Consortium meetings and reports back to the PTSA at our monthly meeting.
     
• Cluster Coordinator(s)
   
  • Purpose: Part of the MCCPTA (Montgomery County council of PTAs) Organizational Structure, one level up from the local PTA/PTSA president.
  • Description: These people represent our entire cluster of schools. Three coordinators/school are eligible to participate, and are elected
    annually at the April MCCPTA Delegates Assembly. By representing the Paint Branch cluster at meetings throughout the year, these members ensure our PTSA voice is heard in such forums as the Montgomery County School Board and Montgomery County Council on such topics as funding, school boundaries, and other issues that affect our schools. They also work together with the Blake and Springbrook Cluster coordinators to run the NE Consortium meetings and to coordinate testimony.
     
• MCCPTA Delegates
   
  • Each school has two Delegates to the MCCPTA Delegates assembly, plus the PTSA President. The Delegates are appointed by the PTSA President. These three people represent their school at the assemblies, voting on resolutions presented and bringing back to their local school information learned at the assembly.
     
• NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Parents' Council Representative(s)
   
  • Purpose: To provide a forum through which interested citizens may offer assistance, guidance and support to African American parents and students of Montgomery County Public Schools to pursue the highest quality education possible through encouragement, information sharing, positive motivation, critical evaluation and advocacy.
  • Description: The Parents' Council is one of the vehicles created to empower African American and other minority parents to take a more proactive role in the education of their children. The Council is made up of parents, guardians and grandparents of minority children enrolled in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and residents who may not have children in school but who share the goal of equal education for all children, particularly minority children. This Council is comprised of representatives from each school in Montgomery County. Appointed by the PTSA president, these parent representatives work together with the county's schools for the purpose of training other parents to be advocates for their children, sharing information, and resolving problems that impact the education of their children. These representatives attend the monthly NAACP Parents' Council meetings, and report back to our PTSA. Any interested person may attend the monthly meetings. They are also actively involved throughout the year in such events as the annual NAACP Youth Summit and the major fund-raising drive, the Annual Freedom Fund Dinner.

Committees:

• After-Prom
   
  • Purpose: To provide a safe, supervised, and sober environment for students to socialize immediately after our annual prom ends.
  • Description: After the committee forms in September, it soon meets to plan, organize, publicize, fund-raise, and seek sponsors to ensure this event’s success. Each year, this committee partners with school staff, the SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) organization, and the Montgomery County Project Prom committee to effectively coordinate and plan for this event typically held at the Resurrection Church Hall. Supervision is provided by parents, school staff and community volunteers and supported by a police presence. A great deal of time and effort is required to seek assistance, plan for activities, and encourage students to attend. A report summarizing Paint Branch’s event is then sent to the County soon afterwards for their review at a meeting.
     
• Audit
   
  • Purpose: To perform the yearly audit of the PTSA financial books, as required by the by-laws.
  • Description: This committee is not a standing committee. It is formed each spring to review the financial records of the PTSA at the end of the fiscal year. A report is provided to the Executive Board.
     
• Awards
   
  • Purpose: To reward students for academic achievement as well as school and community involvement by awarding selected juniors or seniors with the PTSA AAA (All Around Achiever) award and other PTSA awards.
  • Description: The committee chair is responsible for notifying the parents and students when the applications are available for pickup. This is usually done via the PTSA newsletter and in-school communications (e.g., announcements). Students must fill out an application form to be considered for this award. After completing an application and submitting it to the designated location by the specified due date, the candidates are anonymously evaluated by a panel of parent volunteers to identify the top applicants. These selected students are presented these awards at the Academic Awards Assembly in May.
     
• Communications
   
  • Purpose: To facilitate electronic communications between the school and the home.
  • Description: This newly formed committee is primarily focused on the administration and use of paintbranchnet, the PTSA email group.
     
• Destination Imagination
   
  • Purpose: Develop creative problem solving skills utilizing individual strengths in a group environment. Teams of up to 7 students, craft a
    solution to a challenge, highlighting individual's creative/performance skills, and train to solve an on-the-spot challenge. The solutions are
    presented at regional, and possibly state and national competitions.
  • Description: The PTSA funds the membership and entry fees required for teams to participate. This activity takes place outside of school hours. Locations for team meetings vary depending on the team and their adult volunteer, the Team Manager. The team manager's role is only that of facilitator. Team(s) select one of five long-term challenges to solve and present. Problems are available in August and the team solution is
    presented at the Regional tournament in March. All problem solutions require combinations of artistic, technical and performance skills.
    Teams learn and utilize skills to assure a unique, one-of-a-kind solution, develop problem solving skills, and learn how group
    cooperation enhances problem solving. Team(s) schedule their own timeline but usually meet for 1-2 hours/week until the regional
    competition deadline approaches when team meetings usually are more frequent and longer. For more information see
    http://www.destinationimagination.org/.
     
• 5K Run/Walk
   
  • Purpose: This annual spring event is designed to be a fund-raiser for PBHS PTSA (see Membership committee for how these proceeds are used).
  • Description: The planning for this event usually begins in September. This committee seeks business sponsorships, food and gift donations, publicizes this event in newspapers and on-line, through flyers and applications, partners with the community and government regarding the race route, and prepares for race day. On the day of this run/walk, numerous volunteers are needed to assist with registration, set-up of food, water, and first aid stations; providing directions along the race course; recording the order of finish/times for the participants; and awarding prizes.
     
• Giant/Safeway Receipts
   
  • Purpose: With support from PB shoppers, our school gains benefit from purchases made at Giant or Safeway – contingent on the shopper registering his/her bonus card with a PBHS designation. Based on the amount of purchases, our school account grows throughout the designated period. At the conclusion of the designated period, school staff select items for the school using the credits in this account.
  • Description: Our committee supports the school’s efforts by advertising this program in the summer PTSA newsletter, creating and posting reminder signs in hallways, and working a table at Back-to-School night where people can designate PB as the recipient of
    funds.
     
• Hospitality
   
  • Purpose: Primarily responsible for the planning and conducting of the annual Staff Appreciation luncheon.
  • Description: This committee is responsible for working with the school to find a mutually agreeable date for the staff appreciation luncheon. Once a date is selected, the committee chair is responsible for publicizing the date of the event, and seeking parent volunteers and any food donations as determined by the chair. The committee also is responsible for purchasing food/drinks/utensils that are needed. In so doing, they work with the building services staff and the cafeteria
    manager. Also, this committee may be specially asked to support other
    events as needed throughout the year.
     
• Human Relations
   
  • Purpose: This recently formed committee strives to promote an atmosphere of welcome, harmony and understanding among students,
    parents, and staff.
  • Description: This committee fosters sensitivity to the needs of all students and their families, seeks new ways to increase parent
    involvement in the school and PTSA, and helps families feel welcome to our school and community. This committee worked closely with the student-run International Club to organize and run our first International Night in 2004. This is planned to be an annual event at Paint Branch. Furthermore, this committee seeks to sponsor other events in upcoming years to meet their objectives.
     
• Membership
   
  • Purpose: Encourages all families, staff and students to join the PTSA.
  • Description: Promotes registration of families, staff and students in the PTSA through the PTSA newsletter, at Back-to-School night, and at other school events. Paid members receive a PTSA-produced student directory and are eligible to vote at meetings. The collected funds defray the directory printing costs and help support other PTSA funded projects (see description of 5K Run/Walk). This is the major fundraising activity for the PTSA and these proceeds are used to support PTSA funded projects, such as our newsletter, school beautification, cultural arts programs for the students, the annual PTSA AAA Award for students and the staff appreciation luncheon.
     
• Newsletter Editor
   
  • Purpose: To creates the PTSA newsletter five times each year to serve as the primary communication vehicle between the PTSA and all parents.
  • Description: In preparation for creating each issue, seeks and receives written contributions from parents, school staff, and community
    organizations. The editor may use special software to format this text into a newsletter format, conducts a final proof with the assistance of the PTSA President, and then submits the final version to the printer. Also, sends the newsletter to the school webmaster for the PBHS web site.
     
• Newsletter Distribution
   
  • Purpose: Responsible for the readying of the newsletters for mailing to all PB families.
  • Description: This chair performs many duties. First, he/she is responsible for obtaining a set of address labels from the Counseling
    Center secretary a couple of weeks before-hand, and arranges the use of the cafeteria with the school business manager, once a date for assembly is decided upon. The chair is also responsible for recruiting and directing helpers to prepare newsletters for mailing by applying labels and taping shut. Then, the chair takes the newsletters to the post office for mailing in bins that were previously picked-up from the post office.
     
• Nominating
   
  • Purpose: To provide to the PTSA a list of nominees who desire to hold an officer position for the next school year.
  • Description: This committee is non standing and is specially formed in the Spring (no later than the March meeting) to seek nominations for the five officer positions. In accordance with the by-laws, this group informs all of the upcoming elections, describes each of the Board positions, and seeks nominations from the PTSA membership. The list of identified nominees is then presented at the April General Membership meeting. The election is held at the May General Membership meeting.
     
• Parent Volunteers
   
  • Purpose: To create a database of parents who have offered to help the school or the PTSA.
  • Description: Based on an interest/skills VIP (Very Involved Parent) form completed by parents, the information noted on each form is entered in a database. The form is made available to parents in the PTSA newsletter and at other events in the beginning of the school year. The generated output is then proof-read before distribution to the appropriate committee chairs and school staff. This committee may also be called upon to assist staff in contacting volunteers for certain activities and helping with the tracking of volunteer hours.
     
• Special Needs
   
  • Purpose: To promote the interest of students who have special needs and their families.
  • Description: This chairperson attends MCCPTA Special Needs committee meetings, reports back to our local PTSA about what was learned, serves as a resource to students with special needs and their families, works with the school Special Education staff in whatever way is needed, and keeps our school community informed of any events or programs of particular interest to students with special needs and their families.
     
• Student Directory
   
  • Purpose: To create a directory of students to facilitate contact among families and provide helpful information about PB.
  • Description: In the Fall of each year, this committee is responsible for the creation and printing of this very important reference source
    containing the school calendar, PB Staff directory, PTSA and other parent run organizations contact information, and a student telephone
    and address directory. This committee utilizes a current list (provided by the school) of families who have not requested to be omitted via the “Opt-out” form. Copies of this directory are created in time for Back-to-School night where they are distributed to paid PTSA members. Members joining later in the year also receive a directory with their paid membership. All Paint Branch staff members also receive a copy.
     
• Ways and Means
   
  • Purpose: to raise funds to support PTSA funded programs.
  • Description: This committee in currently in charge of the Direct Appeal for donations, which will be publicized through the PTSA
    newsletter, at Back-to-school night and other school events.