Popcorn Fridays are typically every other Friday, starting in September and running through May. We try to have two Popcorn Fridays a month, schedule permitting. We like to have at least 5 volunteers for each popcorn day, but the more the merrier.

Volunteers are expected to:

• Be at the school around 8:45-9:00 a.m.

• Pop the popcorn according to the recipe (we have a popcorn machine)

• Open and fill bags, sealing them once filled

• Collect popcorn orders from the classrooms and count the number of bags needed by every classroom

• Fill and deliver orders to the classrooms

• Clean up once all orders are filled

Gator Shop happens on the first Wednesday of every month and lasts the duration of all lunch periods. The kids love this one. We need two volunteers for every Gator Shop.

Volunteers are expected to: 

• Be at the school by 11:30 a.m.

• Set up the designated Gator Shop area

• Tend to the Gator Shop during all lunch periods - lunches run from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

• May need to help the younger kids decide what to purchase

• Collect money

• Clean up Gator Shop area and return merchandise to the PTO closet

Donuts with Grownups happens once a year on a predetermined day. The day is usually in February and we are allowed to use the library. We prefer to have 4-5 volunteers both for set up and clean up so that we can get out of the library quickly. Volunteers are welcome to share a donut with their own children while in the library. 

Volunteers are expected to:

• Be at the school by 8:00 a.m.

• One volunteer is needed to pick up the donuts before arriving

• Set up donuts, coffee, and supplies

• Put out chairs as needed

• Restock donuts and remove empty boxes as needed

• Clean up all food items and remove trash

• Replace chairs

Our Glow Dance is an annual event and highly anticipated by the students. It happens in March of each year and we try to have it on a half day (schedule permitting). It takes place in the gym. Prior to the dance, order forms are sent out for items that can be worn at the dance. Additional items are sold in the hallway and fifth graders are often selling snacks as well, to fundraise for the Fifth Grade Promotion. We have also brought in volunteer middle school and high schoolers to work our booths when possible. We prefer as many volunteers for this event as we can get our hands on.

Volunteers would be expected to:

• For Setup:

  • Arrive at the school after school has been dismissed for the day.

  • Set up tables for the merchandise booth and miscellaneous activities, such as face painting. 

  • Lay out merchandise and price tags

  • Decorate the gym. This includes but is not limited to: hanging lights, hanging wall decorations, placing lines on the floor with tap, creating a dancefloor with tape and poster board. 

  • Set up activities inside the gym. This includes but is not limited to: a large connect four sets, a coloring station for younger kids, hula hoops, a table for stacking cups.

• During the Glow Dance

• • Supervise the merchandise booth

  • Supervise the face painters or miscellaneous activities (you're welcome to do some face painting of your own) and restock their supplies if needed

  • Security detail - making sure no children leave the building unattended

• For Cleanup

  • Put away all remaining merchandise and face painting activities

  • Put away any activities and supplies in the gym, such as connect four games, hula hoops, and markers/highlighters

  • Fold and put away table cloths. Put aside if they need to be laundered

  • Break down and put away tables

  • Pull up any tape or decorations on the floor and throw away

  • Remove wall decorations and either throw away or fold and put in storage

  • Take down the lights and put away

  • Sweep the gymnasium and hallway

One of our holiday season fundraisers, these Christmas ornaments make great Christmas presents for parents and grandparents. We schedule a day for kids to have their photos taken, with a scheduled day for makeup pictures in case of absences. Photos will be taken, edited, and printed beforehand. We need 2-3 volunteers to help put the ornaments together.

Volunteers would be expected to:

• Cut preprinted photos into circles

• Open the ornaments and place the circular photos inside according to student order sheets

• Place the ornaments into padded envelopes

• Collect ornaments into orders to be returned to children

Our students love this fundraiser and it really brings out their devious sides. For a week, students are encouraged to bring their pennies, silver change, and bills in. Jars are labeled according to grade and placed near the lunchroom. Any pennies and bills placed in the jars count as money earned, any silver change placed in the jars counts as money taken away. Students are allowed to deposit their money in the jars at the second half of lunch only, requiring them to eat first. Volunteers would be required to stay through all lunch periods.

Volunteers would be expected to:

• Be at the school by 11:30 a.m.

• Set up table in the designated Penny Wars area

• Set up jars on the table but be sure to cover them for the first half of lunch so the children don't get distracted.

• About halfway through each lunch period, reveal the jars.

• Supervise as the kids deposit their money. The younger kids may require some guidance

• Cover up the jars again between each lunch session, repeating the process

• Count the money to give us daily tallies, standings are announced daily, and put the jars in the PTO closet

• Once the event is over, break down the table and put all supplies away

Our READ-O event is held on a predetermined day in March, as part of the National Reading Month initiative. It is held in the lunchroom. We play bingo, and each bingo winner receives a free book (or sometimes more than one). There are usually fifth-graders with snacks available, fundraising for their Fifth-Grade Promotion.

Volunteers would be expected to:

• Arrive to the school by 6:00 p.m. We cannot enter the lunchroom earlier than that

• Arrange the tables in rows if needed

• Place cups of crayons on each table section for people to use on their bingo cards

• Set the books out on the back tables so they are easily seen by students

• After the READ-O event is completed, collect all crayons and clean tables

• Store extra bingo cards and the number caller to the PTO closet

• Stack up the books not claimed and store in the PTO closet

• Wipe down all tables and sweep the floor

Our annual talent show takes place at Mason Middle School, located just across the street from Grayson, sometime in the spring. The event is free to attend and allows our students to showcase the skills they are most proud of! 

Volunteers are expected to:

• Arrive at Mason Middle School by 5:30 pm

• Check the performers in and make sure they know the order in which they are performing

• As one person is on stage, bring the next performer out from the waiting area

• After performers are finished, they are allowed to sit with their adults in the audience

• Performers may need assistance with any props they require

• Clean up after the event

A favorite of parents and students alike, our annual Trunk or Treat takes place in the school parking lot just before Halloween. We take candy donations in the weeks before the event and on the night of, the kids (and adults) dress up to walk from vehicle to vehicle collecting treats and candy. There are two opportunities to volunteer, listed below. 

Volunteers are expected to:

• Vehicles:

  • Arrive at the school no later than 5:30 pm to set up

  • Decorate your trunk however you desire (as long as its appropriate for elementary school ages). We've had the Addams family, Santa, Starbucks baristas, Costco samples, and an ice cream truck!

  • Bring a treat to pass out to the kids. This does not have to be candy. We've also had small trinkets, cotton candy, and even popsicles and ice cream sandwiches

  • Clean up once the event is over. Cars are not allowed to leave until the event is finished, for safety reasons

• On Foot:

  • Help vehicles set up as needed

  • Set up a booth for the PTO: including setting up a table, tablecloth, and laying out the candy offering

  • Pass out candy at the PTO booth

  • Deliver extra candy to vehicles who have run out, if needed

  • Break down the PTO booth and placing the table and tablecloth back into storage

  • Help clean up the parking lot

Taking place the week before winter break, our Holiday Shop allows the students to purchase gifts for their loved ones. A great opportunity for them to learn money management, as well as give them a sense of independence and pride as they choose gifts for family and friends. Prior to the Holiday Shop, we send sheets home for parents to fill out detailing who the child is allowed to buy for. The first few days the Holiday Shop is set up, we let the kids preview what is for sale. They have a designated day each class can come in to make their purchases with a make up day for anyone who was absent. We have several opportunities to work the Holiday Shop and prefer having as many volunteers as possible.

Volunteers are expected to:

• For Set Up:

  • Set up tables and tablecloths for the merchandise to sit on

  • Set up merchandise according to price tiers. Price tier information will be provided at set up

  • Store extra products underneath the tables to be refilled as needed

  • Store boxes - which need to be saved for any unused merchandise to be returned in

  • Place prices in front of items

• During the Holiday Shop:

  • Volunteers are needed to help students shop for the people on their list. Students may need guidance to stay within their money allowance

  • Volunteers are needed to total the cost of purchases and cash out students

  • Volunteers are needed to place purchases in festive bags and label them with recipient names, returning purchases to students as they exit the Holiday Shop

  • Restock merchandise as needed between students

• For Clean Up:

  • Remove price tags

  • Pack up any remaining merchandise in designated boxes

  • Remove tablecloths and place in PTO closet

  • Break down tables

Our big event for the beginning of the year is our Autumn Run. This is not always the same event. For example, in 2025 we did a color run for the first time, so the tasks will not be the same from year to year. However, there are always certain things we need done, listed below. 

Volunteers would be required to:

• Set up for the event. This may include setting up tables, setting up a running course, preparing items needed during the run

• Help the students throughout the course of the day. We get a lot of help here from the teachers, but the more hands on deck - the better

• Clean up after the event. This may include breaking down tables and any course markings, and placing items in storage

Our big event at the end of the year is a playground gathering. Our Grayson families are encouraged to come out, socialize, and allow the kids let off some end of the year steam. We have food trucks come out, and we raffle off donated items. This past year, we raffled off lower valued items and did a silent auction for the higher valued items. We typically also have a 50/50 raffle. 

Volunteers are expected to:

• Prior to the event:

  • We need volunteers to find donations. This could be an item or a basket that you may want to donate yourself, or you are welcome to call local businesses for donations. The more donations, the bigger the raffle and the greater the excitement

• The day of the event: 

  • Set up tables and tablecloths for the raffle and auction items

  • Place raffle and auction items on the tables. If item is too big or not a physical item, place a description of the prize

  • Place boxes with the raffle items for tickets to be dropped into

  • Place pens and bid sheets with the auction items, describing the minimum bid amount and minimum bid increase amount

  • After the event is over, all boxes, tablecloths, and paraphernalia for the raffle need to be placed into storage

  • Break down the tables