Ever given much thought to what exactly the PTA does? Well, take a look! Perhaps you'll recognize a way that you can pitch in and help out. You'll make new friends, get to know your child's friend's parents and feel good knowing your helping to create something good!
 

Your Time is Valuable!
The hours you donate are more valuable than you realize. While our students and school receive direct benefits from your efforts, your volunteer hours can help our school receive funding in the form of grants. Please consider what time you can give. Please be sure to document all of your hours in the back of the Sign In book in the school's main office. Thank You!

Fall Fun Fair/Halloween Hop
The Fall Fun Fair is an evening of games, prizes, raffles, food, and fun! In recent years, this event has been combined with the Halloween Hop, which features music, dancing, and a costume parade. Volunteers are needed to solicit donations from area businesses, decorate, coordinate pizza delivery, organize activities, and staff food stations, games, and ticket sales. Any help is greatly appreciated!  Krista Wallman  headed up this activity this year.

Book Fair/Ice Cream Social
Every spring, the PTA hosts the Scholastic Book Fair, which provides our school library and classrooms with “credits” toward free books. The Book Fair is a bountiful shopping opportunity for books, posters, software, and other items for holidays, birthdays, and for your students' personal libraries. Students are given the opportunity to visit the Book Fair during school hours. Evening hours are also offered. As a “thank you,” everyone who patronizes the Book Fair is invited for a free ice cream sundae at the Ice Cream Social. The 2009 Book Fair raised over $1,500 worth of new books for our school library! Volunteers are needed to order books, accept delivery, serve as cashiers during the sale, and serve ice cream at the Ice Cream Social. Any help is greatly appreciated! See Denise Rubeling for volunteer information or send in a note to the office extending your hand for a wonderful chance to meet people at your school!

Agenda Books
The PTA purchases Agenda books for every AES student in Grades 2-5. Agenda books help students keep track of daily homework assignments, project deadlines, and school-related reminders. Agenda books also help parents keep up with classroom activities.

Santa’s Secret Workshop
Held in December, this event offers students the unique opportunity to "secretly" purchase and/or make small gifts for family members and friends. Gift wrapping is free and Make-'n'-Take crafts are available for a minimal fee. There's also a silent auction and a surprise visitor in a red suit! Volunteers are needed to staff the silent auction, staff all of the craft stations, staff the food and beverage area and staff the gift wrapping table as well as helping with the purchases themselves. Any help is greatly appreciated! Jessica Handley headed up this activity this year.

Plant Sale
Have you ever noticed the joy children seem to get by surprising their parents with small gifts, such as flowers in a handmade pot? The PTA Plant Sale gives students the opportunity to purchase annual and perennial bedding plants, vegetables, and hanging baskets at reasonable prices -- just in time for Mother's Day! Students visit the plant sale during school hours; the sale is open to the public on the final day. This event is typically held during the second week of May, Wednesday through Saturday. Volunteers are needed to accept delivery of plants and to help out during both the school and public sale. Any help is greatly appreciated! See Dionne Cooper - Wink for more information in April 2010.

Yearbooks
Yearbooks are a great way to capture the memories of youth. Our students LOVE their yearbooks! Members of the Yearbook Committee work throughout the year to capture as many of those bright, smiling faces as possible. Volunteers are needed to advertise yearbook sales; take photos of classroom activities, class parties, field trips, and after-school activities; write captions for photos; and process orders. Any help is greatly appreciated! See Melissa Sonner for more information now as ordering yearbooks is underway.

Have pictures of fieldtrips or other fun activities? We loved to include them in the yearbook! Send all pictures to aesyearbook@yahoo.com.
Please include names of children and/or teacher(s) in the picture and what fieldtrip or event it was taken at. Don't be shy!

Teacher's Classroom Fund
The PTA recognizes that there often are not enough resources to meet classroom needs. Because we appreciate the dedicated staff at AES and the terrific job they do, the PTA provides funds for teachers to purchase classroom supplies that they would otherwise pay out-of-pocket.

School Assemblies
Assemblies are a fun and entertaining way to introduce students to a wide variety of academic and cultural areas. The PTA sponsors a variety of school assemblies, such as presentations by the Maryland Science Center, and dance, theater, and musical groups.

Enrichment Programs
The PTA provides funding to the School Improvement Team (SIT) Enrichment Subcommittee (SEC), in support of their extensive efforts at bringing cultural and academic enrichment programs to our students in the form of school assemblies, after-school clubs and activities, extra-curricular field trips, science and art fairs, and countless other projects.

Fifth Grade Picnic
The PTA provides funds for the annual Fifth Grade Picnic, a year-end, all-day event for fifth graders. Fifth grade parents are encouraged to attend the 5th grade meetings concerning the picnic and graduation in early May 2010. 

Parenting Workshops
Throughout the school year, the PTA sponsors a variety of parenting workshops. Past workshop topics include parenting skills, dealing with behavioral problems, developing positive study habits, and coping with divorce.

Hospitality
PTA volunteers provide hospitality to AES visitors during various events throughout the year, including Back to School Night, American Education Week, and PTA-sponsored workshops. Thank You to Krista Wallman for extending her appreciation for the school community.

Teacher Appreciation
Each year, the PTA recognizes the dedication and hard work of its teachers by presenting teachers with gifts of appreciation.

Student Recognition
The PTA provides funds for recognition of student achievement, such as certificates, awards, and plaques.

Fund-Raising Activities
One of our goals is to minimize our need for fund-raising activities while maximizing the benefits our students receive from our efforts. As a result, we have limited our direct fund-raising activities to two per school year. We strive to offer fund-raisers that offer value to the consumer and, at the same time, provide the PTA with the greatest profitability possible. Proceeds from these fund-raisers constitute the majority of our operating funds. Your support is greatly appreciated! For families who do not wish to participate in direct fund-raisers, donations in any amount are always appreciated. See Cindy Adams for questions or concerns about the fall fundraiser and Donna Goodman for questions or concerns about the spring basket bingo. Donations will be needed soon to fill the baskets that will be part of the bingo. Look for information soon in your child's mail.

This year we will continue with the Arbutus Elementary Chick-Fil-A nights and the proceeds will again go towards offsetting some of the cost of the yearbook. We would love to see everyone at the Lansdowne Station Chick-Fil-A! Look for flyers throughout the year announcing the days and times.