Committee Descriptions

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

8 members

Our Goal:

• Foster connections, build relationships, and inspire and motivate the OC community through events and activities 

What we do:

• Back-to-School Picnic (Fall)

• Neighborhood Night (Winter)

• Art Stroll Carnival (Spring)

COMMUNITY SUPPORT REPS

13 Members (1 per classroom. 1-2 Chairs) Classroom reps are selected by teachers. 

Our Goal:

• Help classroom families and teachers feel supported and connected.

What we do:

• The chair will manage the coordination of the events.  (Class reps will support the chair in planning the events as needed).

  • Coordinate 2 PTK dinners (October & February)

  • Coordinate Staff Appreciation Brunch.  If desired, coordinate associated activities for Staff Appreciation Week. (Spring)

• Class reps responsibilities: 

  • Coordinate support for class families in need (year-round, as needed)

  • Assist OC Philosophy committee in offering ongoing support to the New Families in their classroom (year-round)

CO-OP REPS

6 members (1 rep per grade blend, 1 co-chair.  Chair is also a rep). Classroom reps are selected by teachers. 

Our Goal:

• Ensure all co-op shifts are sufficiently covered, and support our co-opers

What we do:

• 2024-2025 Blends: Kinder, 1/2, 3/4, 4/5, 6-8

• Work closely with teachers to coordinate the class co-op schedule for your grade blend (summer)

• Co-oper support for your grade blend (year-round)

• Work with OC Philosophy committee to create content for Co-oper education for the community (year-round)

COORDINATION COMMITTEE

3-4 members

Our Goal:

• Coordinate the OC committees, train committee chairs, and support committees as needed. 

What we do:

• Coordinate the OC committees - create and market the sign-up for the committees, communicate with new members, and manage changes to the committees (year-round)

• Train committee chairs (fall)

• Support committees as needed (year-round)

• Maintain the OC Committees shared drive (year-round)

• Coordinate the Art Stroll with the Fundraising, V&PA, and Community Connections committees (spring)

FUNDRAISING

10 members

Our Goal: 

• Meet fundraising targets to support the whole-child education model that emphasizes community and individual expression. This committee will plan, execute, and manage multiple fundraisers and coordinate with other committees.  

What we do:

• Walk-a-thon (September) - all members

• OC merchandise and coffee sales (year-round) - 3 members

  • First day of school - merch only

  • Halloween parade - merch & coffee

  • Solstice celebration - merch & coffee

  • Talent Show - merch only

  • Other sale days depending on the desire and initiative of the committee

• Corporate Sponsorships, grants, and donations (year-round) - 2 members

  • Solicit corporations for new corporate sponsorships

  • Manage paperwork and annual requirements for current corporate sponsorships

  • Solicit donations from local businesses and the community for the Silent Auction

  • Depending on the initiative and desire of the committee - apply for grants

• Manage recurring donations and rewards (year-round) - 1 member

• Silent Auction (winter/spring) - all members

• Art Stroll: food trucks and retail vendors (Spring) - 2 members

• Penguin Pride Annual merch sale - depending on initiative and desire of committee.  - 2 members

  • Committee can potentially utilize uppers parents to host an explore class where the upper students can design, plan, and implement the annual design, fundraiser and delivery of merchandise

• Other events depending on the desire and initiative of the committee.

• See our Donation pages for more details.

GARDEN

5 members

Our Goal:

• Create an outdoor classroom space for a variety of curricular experiences.

What we do:

• Planting, harvesting, construction, creation and watering the gardens (spring/summer/fall)

• Work closely with teachers and students to create an outdoor classroom space that can be used for a variety of curricular experiences (year-round)

• Connect with programs in the community to enhance the garden program (year-round)

• 2024-2025 projects

  • Fix sprinklers

  • Paint blacktop

LIBRARY

8 members

Our Goal:

• Assist the librarian to maintain the library throughout the year, including helping with the Book Fair.

What we do:

• Plan, execute, manage, set-up and take down the Annual Book Fair (Fall)

• Assist the librarians by shelving books, preparing books for shelves, straightening shelves, checking books in and out, displaying seasonal books, pulling books for teachers, and helping clean as needed. (year-round)

• Visit our Library Learning Center for more information.

PUBLICITY

10 members

Our Goal: 

• To increase student enrollment, retain current learners, and heighten awareness of the Open Classroom school and philosophy.

What we do:

• Host PPINs (3-4 per year)

  • 1 at the beginning of the year, 2 in Jan/Feb, 1 at end of year

• Lead in-person and zoom tours and manage communication for tours (year-round)

  • 2 per month: 1 in person during day and 1 in zoom during evening.

  • Additional 1:1 tours as needed.

• Marketing and outreach

  • Maintain school banners (year-round)

  • Outreach marketing to local preschools and daycares (year-round)

  • Create art and content for advertising campaigns (year-round)

  • Create and submit flyer for district wide advertising 

• Support and host OC Community Awareness Events.  

  • St. Patrick’s Day Parade (host in March)

  • Neighborhood Night with Community Connections committee (support in winter)

• Work with the OC Philosophy committee to transition new families into our community through education and support (year-round)

• 2024-2025 Projects:

  • Work with Craig and Karen on the OC website

  • Re-build the Tour and Application process communication with the front office/Craig 

  • Working with new families on: 

    • Prospective parent guide google doc 

    • New families/OC community handbook guide

    • How to keep new families warm - before they start school 

  • Do we need a CRM set up to manage enrollment/prospective parents?

OC PHILOSOPHY

7 members

Our Goal: 

• Infuse the OC’s child-centered, learning-together philosophy into daily workings of the school.

What we do:

• Educate the OC community on the OC philosophy to promote engagement of the community.  Educate the community using various methods such as zoom presentations,  monthly parent meetings and via zines and videos (year-round)

  • 2024-2025 Goals

    • Create a platform(or decide on one) to streamline education/ philosophy materials or meetings 

    • Work with Co-op committee to help educate the OC community on the “What & the Why” of co-oping

    • Increase community engagement in parent meetings

• New Families Support. 

  • Lead 1-2 New Families Orientations (fall, mid-year if needed)

  • Work with CS Reps to be a contact for New Families if they have questions throughout the year (year-round)

  • Work with the Publicity committee to transition new families into our community through education and support (year-round)

STEERING BODY REPS

13 members (1 rep per classroom). The parents of each class will elect a steering rep at the beginning of the year.

Our Goal: 

• Steering is one of the main governing boards for our school. Classroom Steering Body Reps help to plan and approve the direction of the Open Classroom. 

What we do:

• Attend Steering Body Meetings 1x/month to discuss and approve activities, policies, procedures and budgets. (2nd Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm.  Meetings are hybrid (in person and zoom) or zoom only)

• Share Steering discussion points with classrooms, generate discussion during Parent Meetings and gather input from classroom members via Parent Meetings and email. (year-round)

STEERING EXEC COMMITTEE

6 parent members (2 year terms). Elections occur annually in May. 

Our Goal: 

• Serve as the Open Classroom’s central point of coordination and communication for parents and school operations and to serve as the SCC for the OC. 

What we do:

• Serve as the Open Classroom’s central point of coordination and communication for parents and school operations. 

• To identify and work with others as appropriate to address the school's needs. 

• To serve as the SCC for the Open Classroom. 

• To plan and run the Steering Body meetings. 

• Discuss and approve official proposals for events, fundraisers, calendar items, use of PFOE funds, and changes to the PFOE budget. 

• Members attend monthly SCC and Steering Exec meetings via zoom.  Steering Body meetings can be hybrid (in-person and zoom) or zoom only.

TRAFFIC

20-25 members

Our Goal:

• Guide and control traffic to provide safe zones for drop-off and pick up of students. 

What we do:

• Help kids get safely to the curb and monitor kid/parent car drop-off and pick-up safety (year-round)

• Volunteers work one 25-minute shift per week, in the morning or afternoon.  Morning shift is from 8:20-8:45am.  Afternoon shift is from 2:50-3:15pm.

• Volunteers will make sure cones and signs are set up at the start of the week and taken down at the end of the week, as well as irregular scheduled days due to early release or holidays.

• Volunteers will attend one scheduled meeting in August prior to the school year. Additional communication is most often in-person or via email.

• Maps and Transportation page

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS

10 members plus art co-opers. In addition to sign-ups, art co-opers will automatically be added to the V&PA committee

Our Goal: 

• Create opportunities for students to create and experience visual and performing arts.  The committee will have 2 chairs, each with specific responsibilities. The individual members can choose which chair to support.  But the entire committee will still help and support each other as needed.

What we do:

• V&PA Chair oversees:

  • Frost Fest (winter)

  • Ceramic Program: Purchase clay, manage the kiln, offer ceramic workshops at the beginning of the year  (year-round)

  • Bring art into our school: depending on the desire and initiative of the committee

• Art Co-oper Chair oversees:

  • Art Stroll: support art co-opers with classroom galleries. Share tips throughout the year and make sure they feel supported. (year-round)

  • Support classroom art co-opers to create age-appropriate art in classrooms (year-round)

  • Maintain and stock the art closet (year-round)

  • Manage the monthly classroom art spotlight (year-round)

• Visit these pages for examples- Art, Dance, Theater, & Music.

YEARBOOK

7 members

Our Goal:

• Create a yearbook that expresses the spirit of the year for the entire school.

What we do:

• Photograph school events and activities, and collect photos from the community (year-round) - 2 members

  • Take pictures of major school events

  • Advertise and manage the photo collection email

• Page layout assistance and proofreading (Jan-April) - 2 members

• Organize Uppers after-school yearbook group (year-round) - 1 member

  • Upper students can learn and help with photography of school events and community, page layout, and artwork for cover and interior.

• Yearbook Sales (spring) - all members

  • Art Stroll

  • Last 2 weeks of school

8TH GRADE FIELD TRIP RESPONSIBILITIES

Upper families

Our Goal:

• Raise money to cover the annual deposit for the 8th Grade field trip.  Deposit covers the cost for 5 students.

What we do:

• Talent Show & concessions (Winter)

• Art Stroll Concessions (Spring)

• Penguin Pride Annual merchandise - depending on the desire and initiative of the families