Meadowbrook PTO Committees

Thank you for your interest. Volunteering at the school opens various opportunities to meet your child's friends, other parents, teachers and support staff at Meadowbrook. We value whatever time you can give and if you have any questions about the various committees, please feel free to email us at d28.meadowbrookpto@gmail.com



Back-to-School and New Families
Chair:   Betsy Kivetz and Shirley Singh
Description:  
Back-to-school and new families liaison are now combined!
As part of this committee, you will contact and welcome families to Meadowbrook, connect them with relevant PTO committees and contacts. You will also prepare a welcome packet for our incoming Kindergarteners and students that are new to Meadowbrook. Other responsibilities include:
  • Coordinate parent bus volunteers that will ride with the students to school
  • Order supplies and make a fun little button for new students, kindergarteners, new teachers and volunteers
  • Organize a welcome mailing for new students, kindergarteners and incoming 5th graders who will be the role models for our new students.
  • Update the Back-to-school packet (Formerly called Meadowbrooklet)

Time Commitment: Allocate time to plan the back-to-school timeline and then you can prepare all the buttons, mailings and welcome packet at your own pace.
 
Meadowbrook Parents' Night Out
Chair:   Kate Sweas
Description:  
 
Yearbook Photography and Archival Committee
Chair:   TBD
Description:  

This is a dedicated group of parents committed to capturing the special moments and memories of our students' year in Meadowbrook school. With a passion for photography and a love for our school community, this committee plays a vital role in capturing and archiving photos that will be used by the 5th Grade Yearbook Committee.  Responsibilities include:

  • Take ownership on how to archive the photos (setup your preferred cloud storage in Google Drive, Dropbox, AWS, etc) and share how parents can submit their photos.
  • Attend various school events (Back-to-school social, Winter Sing, Science Fair, Bingo, etc.)  or coordinate with volunteers (Field Trips, Field Day, etc.) and capture memories.

Time Commitment: This is a rolling commitment to follow your grade level until 5th Grade.

 
Executive Board
Chair:   TBD
Description:  
 
Fundraising
Chair:   Alina Pitman
Description:  
Plan, execute and promote fundraisers throughout the school year with local restaurants or bakeries.
 
Birthday Signs
Chair:   TBD
Description:  
Join a team of more than a dozen volunteers dedicated to making children's birthdays extra special. The Birthday Signs are distributed by volunteers and placed in the front yards for families that order the birthday celebration signs. Signs remain up all day and are removed in the evening. You will be delivering, assembling and picking up signs on front lawns of students homes within your neighborhood about 1-2 times per month on average for 12 months, from August 2023 through July 2024.

Time Commitment: You will spend a few minutes a couple of evenings a month dropping off and picking up signs.
 
Book Fair
Chair:   Jackie Drengenberg and Kathy McNamara
Description:  

Organize and run the Fall and Spring Scholastic Book Fairs.

Time Commitment: 2 events per school year, September (Fall) and May (Spring)
 
Community Service
Chair:   Laura Jaeger
Description:  
Help us organize and facilitate various community service activities at Meadowbrook. The goal of this committee is to engage the students in meaningful service opportunities that instill values of empathy, compassion and civic engagement while making a positive impact in our local community. Some ideas for service endeavors can be a book drive, food drive, clothing drive and other community projects. You can see other community service examples here.

Time Commitment: Flexible, occassional periods of high activity
 
Back to School Social
Chair:   Katie Siegel and Sara Downing
Description:  
Plan a school-wide family event to kick off the school year.

Time Commitment: A few weeks to plan leading up to the event.
 
Fifth Grade Breakfast, Awards & Celebration
Chair:   TBD
Description:  
Plan and organize the breakfast and festivities for Meadowbrook's 5th grade graduating class. You will also be planning an awards assembly with school administration and 5th grade teachers. This event is held on the last day of school.

Time Commitment: Flexible, requires time to meet with committee members, school administration and teachers to plan the event.
 
Fifth Grade Yearbook & Slideshow
Chair:   Kristine Lewis, Julie Huske, Lena Ursulescu, Naureen Lopez, Melissa Sabin, Jocelyn Garner
Description:  
Work with other 5th Grade parents and our yearbook publisher, to collect photos, 5th Grader Fun Facts and design this special keepsake for our 5th Graders. Along with the yearbook, you will also be putting together a fun slideshow that will be presented at the 5th Grade Breakfast, Awards and Celebration. The yearbook is distributed in May.

Time Commitment: Flexible, occassional periods of high activity
 
Food & Allergy Committee
Chair:   Alison Kozak and Emily Dudek
Description:  
Volunteer to be the PTO's primary contact for parents of children with food allergies. You will coordinate between the school and these families and work closely with Marla's Lunch and Pizza Day Committee Chairs for lunch planning. If you'd like to learn more about District 28's Food Allergy management, you can view the resources here and here

Time Commitment: Flexible
 
General Volunteer Pool
Chair:   Kristine Lewis
Description:  
Not sure where to start? Join the General Volunteer pool. Sign up to microvolunteer for an hour or two at any of our school events, special lunch pizza day or Marla's lunch day.

Time Commitment: 1-2 Hours
 
Grant
Chair:   Debby Beerman and Kathy McNamara
Description:  
Gather information from teachers and staff to determine a "wish list" and create a spending plan for excess PTO funds.  Time Commitment: this committee will meet several times a year, generally during the day when meetings with teachers and staff are necessary.

Time Commitment: Flexible
 
Green and Sustainability
Chair:   TBD
Description:  
Join us in promoting environment-friendly and sustainable practices at Meadowbrook. As part of this committee you will help raise awareness and educate students on reduce, reuse, recycle and other green initiatives. If you'd like to learn more on how to get the Green Committee started for Meadowbrook, click here

Time Commitment: Flexible
 
HOH 5k Walk/Run and Fun Run
Chair:   TBD
Description:  
Attend HOH 5K District meetings and help plan and facilitate the annual Homer O. Harvey 5K walk/run to raise money for the HOH scholarship Fund. This event is held in May.

Time Commitment: Flexible, occassional periods of high activity
 
Hospitality
Chair:   Kerry Green
Description:  
Organize PTO special events including: Staff/Room Parent Luncheon, Holiday Staff Lunch, Field Day and dinner for teachers during conferences.  (Cooking is not required.)
Time Commitment: Flexible, occassional periods of high activity
 
Ice Cream Social & Family Picnic
Chair:   TBD
Description:  
The Ice Cream Social and Family Picnic is a fun-filled evening for families to purchase ice cream and dinner items from a local vendor and picnic with friends on the Meadowbrook lawn. The event also features an ice cream sundae stand, DJ, dancing and games for all! This event is held in May.

Time Commitment: Flexible, occassional periods of high activity
 
Meadowbrooklet
Chair:   Jackie Drengenberg
Description:  
Meadowbrooklet is our Back-to-School newsletter. This newsletter is emailed out to parents a week before the first day of school. You will be working with the PTO Presidents and various PTO committees to update / design the newsletter in canva.

Time Commitment: Flexible, few hours/week to get content from Committee Chairs, update and then proof-read
 
International Fair
Chair:   Arianna Brooks, Effie Liosatos, Mari Leon
Description:  
Did you know Meadowbrook students speak a total of 32 languages from around the world? Help us organize an evening to share and celebrate diverse cultures that make up the Meadowbrook Community. Families can host tables that include food & drinks from around the world, games, crafts, artworks, music, traditional clothing and more. Attendees receive a "passport" that is stamped at each country visited. Song, dance and other cultural performances throughout the night. This event is held in November.

Time Commitment: flexible, occassional periods of high activity
 
Marla's Lunch
Chair:   Alina Pitman
Description:  
Each volunteer would be trained to help a Marla's Lunch staff member set-up and sort lunches 1-2 days per month from about 10:45-11:45am. They would also help support the Meadowbrook office staff and PTO with special lunch communication as needed. Marla and the PTO Committee Chair will identify dates for volunteers to sign up for time slots in advance. Help is most needed at the beginning of each month and for sorting the more complicated lunch orders from certain vendors.

Time Commitment: 1-2 days per month, for an hour (10:45-11:45am)
 
Project RED
Chair:   TBD
Description:  
Project RED is a year-long effort to teach students to "Respect Everyone's Differences." In the past, activities included signing the RED Pledge, painting Kindness Rocks with buddy classes, and a special presentation in the spring.

Time Commitment: Flexible, occassional periods of high activity
 
Pizza Day
Chair:   Hilary Deutsch and Holly Marcus
Description:  
The 2 Chairpersons for this committee will be responsible for planning and executing Pizza Lunches and coordinating Marla's Lunch with the vendor.

Time Commitment: Flexible
 
School Supplies
Chair:   Hayley Gladstone and Mina Poonja
Description:  
Pre-assembled school supplies kits are ordered in the Spring for the following school year and are delivered to classrooms for Meet Your Teacher Day in the Fall. The Chair of this committee spends time in the Spring creating school supplies lists with the teachers, sending out information to families about placing orders and inputting the orders. In the Fall, you will need 2-5 hours to help deliver the school supplies to the classrooms.

Time Commitment: This role requires half a day in the Fall and approximately 10 hours throughout the Spring.
 
Science Fair
Chair:   Katie Siegel and Sara Downing
Description:  
Support the science department in organizing and promoting the Science Fair, a one-day event, held on a Wednesday evening in March. No specific science expertise is required of volunteers.

Time Commitment: Flexible, occassional periods of high activity in March
 
Spirit Wear
Chair:   Devon Henninger and Kerry Green
Description:  
Coordinate, order, and sell Meadowbrook school clothing and accessories at events throughout the school year.

Time Commitment: Flexible, but with periods of high activity at the beginning of the school year
 
Story Reader (K and 1st)
Chair:   Diana Endo
Description:  
Do you have an incoming Kindergartener or First Grader? Secure volunteers for the Kindergarten and 1st Grade classrooms to read to the children for 20 minutes in the afternoon.

Time Commitment: Flexible, few hours/week at the beginning of the school year
 
Teacher Appreciation Week
Chair:   Karen Juneau and Andi Carr
Description:  
Plan and organize the teacher and staff breakfast and luncheon in May.

Time Commitment: Flexible, occassional periods of high activity
 

 

2/22/25 - 7pm



Quick Links:


PTO Events Calendar


Plan ahead for school breaks:

For other scheduled days off, visit the Northbrook D28 School Calendar

Thanksgiving Break
November 25 - 29, 2024
Winter Break
Dec 23, 2024 - Jan 3, 2025
Spring Break
March 24 - 28, 2025