Committees

Serving on and participating in the activities of committees is an important part of the SHS parent cooperative. The activities of each committee contribute to the efficient operation of the school. Committees are assigned by the board as school needs and the number of participating families allow.

Building and Grounds

(6-8) families - Responsible for coordinating with staff before beginning of school year to determine special needs/repairs for the building and/or playground (i.e. interior painting, fence repair etc.) Responsible for ongoing repair and maintenance of all SHS indoor and outdoor equipment and structures, including play yard, fences, outdoor lighting, outdoor play structures etc. Also responsible for overseeing the construction or installation of exterior equipment (i.e. new sand box, gate, etc.), and interior equipment, as school needs dictate. Interior components include walls, ceilings, floors, appliances, furniture, electrical, plumbing, and other school property. Duties also include seasonal tasks such as raking, shoveling snow, weeding and mowing. In the event of a major snowstorm, families will participate in a full committee shoveling/snowplowing effort. Each committee family serves approximately four 2-week shifts during which they are responsible for the seasonal tasks and participating in any repairs/maintenance that come up during that time.

Barn Sale

(6-7 families) - This is a major fundraiser for SHS. This committee manages the Barn Sale at Underhill's Harvest Market held in late September. Families and community members donate items for sale. The committee coordinates SHS member involvement for set-up, pricing, selling, and clean-up. Co-chairs for this committee have worked well in the past. Other responsibilities include storage of Barn Sale equipment (tents, signs, racks etc.) and managing a voluntary Bake Sale. The commitment runs from July to October, with the bulk of the time spent 2 weeks before through the end of the Barn Sale.

Artisans' Auction

(6-7 families) - Responsible for overseeing the Artisans' Auction, typically held each year in March or April. The auction is a major fundraiser for the school. Responsibilities for this major fundraiser include arranging the time and place for the auction, hiring the auctioneer, hiring the caterer, soliciting donations from the SHS community, local artists and businesses, coordinating pick-up of items, selling tickets, day-of-event logistics including set-up, decorating, clean-up, and writing thank you letters to donors. The time commitment runs approximately from November to April.

Fundraising Committee

(2 families) - Committee families are responsible for managing all aspects of small SHS fundraisers throughout the year. Examples include: wreath sale, Original Artworks, valentine letter, turkey raffle and Lake Monsters raffle. Duties include presenting fundraiser details at FMMs and advertising to school and larger community (as applicable), carrying out all aspects of the fundraising event, completing a final report for each event with recommendations for changes, and exploring and presenting to the board opportunities for new fundraisers.

Assistant to the Director of Education

(1 family) - Responsible to work closely with the Director of Education, planning and implementing projects including: the Chapin Orchard partnership including field-trip scheduling. Also responsible for coordination and registration of Enrichment Mondays, vacation and Summer Camp programs and Playgroup for Youngers.

Cleaning

(3-4 families) - Responsible for communicating with staff to determine special cleaning needs, coordinating an in-depth cleaning in August prior to the school opening, generating a schedule of weekend/vacation cleaning assignments to distribute to the SHS families, and scheduling to have the floors stripped and waxed twice a year. Each committee family is responsible for participating in summer/weekend/vacation cleaning throughout the year (average 2-3 times), assisting with small cleaning tasks at staff's request, and monitoring and shopping for cleaning and other disposable supplies (SHS covers expenses).

Treasurer's Assistant

(1 family) - Collect, track and deposit money received from tuition, registration, and fundraising.

Book Orders/Scrounge

(1 family) - Coordinate book and software orders by distributing order forms to member families on a monthly basis, collecting orders and payments, placing orders with the clubs, sorting and distributing books/software to member families . Collect and track accumulated club bonus points. Consult with the staff to determine what bonus products to obtain for the school.

Responsible for communicating with the staff to determine what disposable supplies need to be purchased, shopping for best buys (SHS covers the expenses, committee members simply do the shopping!), and soliciting various donations (i.e. scrap paper, wood, wallpaper books, and art/craft materials) from area businesses to recycle in the school.

Publicity

(4-5 families) - Publicity committee families are responsible for all the publicity needs of the school, including SHS advertising for registration/openings, open houses, Vacation and Summer camps, and for special events (i.e. Barn Sale, Art Auction). Committee families are responsible for artwork/poster creation, distribution/posting of fliers in and around the community, ad placement in local publications and in local elementary school parent newsletters, publication of the Saxon Hill Alumni Newsletter, maintainance of the school web site, and coordinatiion of supply and sale of SHS t-shirts, hats, tote bags, etc.

Staff Technology Advisor

(1 family) - The Staff Technology Advisor's duties will include: providing staff training, guidance and oversight in the use of SHS's technology and management of computerized school data and photos; making recommendations for software and hardware changes/additions; creating/maintaining a staff technology handbook; and completing a year-end status report with a 2-year technology recommendation plan.

Health Officer

(1 family) - Responsible for reviewing the immunization certificates to determine if each child has received the required immunizations and for providing the data to the Vermont Department of Health. Assist staff in ensuring the SHS health policy is enforced by consulting with families and explaining our policy relating to any issue of medical concern. Consult with staff to determine the way in which the membership and/or class will be notified of any contagious conditions that occur while striving to maintain individual confidentiality (i.e. sign posted by staff, notices in cubbies, mail). Provide information on health issues, which arise during the year (i.e. contagious disease fact sheets, preventative measures, food and other allergy information, state health pamphlets). Be available to respond to questions/concerns of staff or families relating to health issues. Update the SHS Emergency Response Plan and supplies as needed. Deal with paperwork and family meetings (as needed) prior to start of school, and presentation of information at the August FMM.