Executive Board

Co-President

The President is the presiding officer and official spokesperson of the CLE PTA.  Facilitates Board of Director and Membership meetings.  Communicates and collaborates regularly with the school principal, staff, board of directors, committees, and membership.  Works with the Executive Board to develop and oversee budget allocation, strategic direction, decision-making, and more.

Secretary 

The Secretary is responsible for taking minutes and recording all business at every PTA meeting and preparing them for approval at the next meeting.  Works with the president to create meeting agendas.  Takes attendance to ensure a quorum is present.  Manages the WSPTA Standards of Affiliation checklist.

Co-Treasurer 

The treasurer manages the funds of the PTA, helps develop the budget, tracks income and spending, creates monthly financial reports, organizes the books, writes checks, presents budget reports at monthly meetings, insurance all government financial reporting is completed. 

Co-VP Communication

Manages the PTA communication channels including website, e-blasts, Facebook, Instagram, newsletter, calendar, etc. to create awareness among the school, families, and community. Assists in creating flyers and content in these spaces.  Create processes and deadlines to manage requests. Create communication plans as needed for events and programs.

Co-VP Events

This position plans and executes popular school events like the Tears & Cheers Kindergarten Breakfast, Ice Cream Social, Monster Mash, holiday events, Spring Carnival, and other events as needed.

Co-VP Fundraising 

This position will plan, manage and implement a variety of fundraising efforts to help the PTA raise money to support and enhance your student’s education. Major fundraising efforts include The Fun Run, Walk & Roll, Dine-out fundraisers, and the Spring Auction.

 

Standing Committees

*Even if a committee isn't listed as "open," you can still join!

Art Docent

As an art docent, you will help students gain an appreciation for art.  We will help to train you and there is a pre-planned curriculum at your disposal. You do not have to be an art scholar or renowned artist; anyone can do this!   As Art Docent Chair, you will be responsible for overseeing the other classroom Art Docents. The art docent chair is part of the Board of Directors – Be part of the strategic direction, budget allocation, decision making and more! 

Classroom Enrichment

We provide various enrichment programs to each of the Cottage Lake Elementary classes each year. This position coordinates and schedules the programs with staff, finds volunteers to assist with the events, promotes programs to staff and families, and ensures that it runs smoothly. These programs include NatureVision, Toymaker, and others.

Cultural Fair

This committee will highlight the cultural diversity of your community through music, dance, art, storytelling, and more. This event attracts many students and families, sharing great feelings of pride, community, making a difference in the lives of others, and a better understanding of the cultures that make up our community.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Advocate for institutional and systemic changes that ensure equity, justice, respect, and inclusion of all children. The membership chair is part of the Board of Directors – Be part of the strategic direction, budget allocation, decision-making, and more!

Enrichment 

The enrichment committee develops and manages a schedule of optional before and after school classes for Cottage Lake students in areas such as art, creative writing, drama, gardening, physical fitness, and second language learning. Enrichment class instructors include adults in our community as well as Cottage Lake parents. Volunteers can help with supervision, scheduling, record keeping, and many other components of this program.

Fifth Grade Party

This committee will plan and organize the end-of-year celebrations for fifth graders. This includes the fifth-grade picnic and party, the promotion event, and the legacy art project. 

Grants

This committee reviews and decides which INTERNAL teacher/staff grants are approved for funding by the CLE PTA. This committee reviews/approves grants approximately 2-3 times per school year and conducts business by email - so this is a great committee for a working parent. This grants chair is part of the Board of Directors – Be part of the strategic direction, budget allocation, decision-making, and more!

Legislative Committee

The Legislative Committee works to provide PTA members with information about educational issues in Washington State. The committee educates members about how the State and National PTA are working to advance educational issues in the legislature. Information can be disseminated through the PTA newsletters and at PTA meetings. If you want to be involved in the big picture, this is the committee for you! The membership chair is part of the Board of Directors – Be part of the strategic direction, budget allocation, decision-making, and more!

Membership

This committee defines for the community the benefits of membership in the PTA and actively recruits members. This committee plans and implements a membership drive. There are many resources available online from the State PTA Website to help with this. (It’s simpler than it sounds!) The committee is also responsible for online registration and maintenance of the membership roster, membership forms, and distributing membership cards and directories. A fun committee to be on! The membership chair is part of the Board of Directors – Be part of the strategic direction, budget allocation, decision-making, and more!

Missoula Children’s Theater

Each year, Missoula Children’s Theater comes to Cottage Lake Elementary. Missoula Children’s Theater is a performing arts program with a mission to develop life skills in children through participation in the performing arts. This committee will schedule the tour, coordinate logistics, find volunteers, schedule facilities, and assist with week-of events and performances.

Nominating Committee

This is a crucial job within the Cottage Lake PTA. The nominating committee selects nominees for the incoming PTA Executive Committee each year. Positions on the Executive Committee include: President, VP Events, VP Fundraising, VP Communications, Secretary, and Treasurer. If you want a short-term commitment in the spring, this is the volunteer position for you.

Outreach & Social Services

This committee reaches out to our school community in many ways including: Backpack Pantry, Halloween Candy for Soldiers Drive, Backpacks for Students, and cards for families in need.  Among many other helping and welcoming activities throughout the year!

Popcorn Friday

Once a month, the PTA hosts a “Popcorn Friday.” This position schedules the dates, ensures there is popcorn and other supplies, trains volunteers, finds volunteers to make the popcorn on Thursdays, and hands out the popcorn during recess on Fridays. This position is also responsible for working with the communications team to promote these events.

Racial & Educational Justice

This committee will promote inclusion and equity for all members within our Cottage Lake Elementary Community. Work with the executive board and special committees to ensure that objectives support all community members.  Serve as a community resource to support the community to create an equitable environment. The membership chair is part of the Board of Directors – Be part of the strategic direction, budget allocation, decision-making, and more!

 

Reflections

In charge of reviewing the Reflections Art contest rules/categories and deciding which categories we will offer for submission.  They are then responsible for communicating the rules and contests to the PTA Board VP of Communications to announce the contest.  When submissions are received they are mounted and submitted to the appropriate contest contact per the instructions.

 

Spirit Wear 

Help create fun and engaging ways to keep the Cottage Lake Elementary community connected during this time of remote learning.  If you've got ideas (big or small) or want to help with some activities/events we've already got, we need your help to keep the school spirit alive and strong at CLE!

Staff Appreciation

This committee coordinates Staff Appreciation events throughout the year to honor the sacrifice and dedication of all Cottage Lake Staff members. This includes monthly lunches and staff appreciation week (typically in May). This committee is always looking for fun and creative ways to show the CLE staff how much we value their efforts and dedication to our children. The membership chair is part of the Board of Directors – Be part of the strategic direction, budget allocation, decision-making, and more!

STEAM Fair

Manage the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math Fair. This is an engaging and educational opportunity for our students to showcase their experiments, research, and ideas.

WATCH D.O.G.S.

Watch D.O.G.S. are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father figures who volunteer for at least one day each year. During the day, they may read and work on flash cards with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, patrol the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow, and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their own students but other students as well.

Yearbook 

This committee handles the design, coordination, sales, and distribution of the yearbook at the end of the year. You will capture memories and collect photos from school and PTA events throughout the year, coordinating with other parent photographers and completing a layout for the yearbook.

Have other ideas not listed?  Email president@cottagelakepta.org