Coordinator Needed

Timing: March or April

• Our biggest fundraiser of the year! This role involves coordinating a time with the school and publicizing the links caregivers use to sign up both on social media and with the front office. 

Chair Needed

Timing: September and October

• • The annual Halloween Party is back!  A family-friendly spooky (not scary) evening to dress up in your costumes (or not), hang with friends and meet other families. The evening includes tons of games, arts & crafts, photo booth, pumpkin decorating, food for purchase, contests, music and mad scientist experiments! 

  • Chairs organize subcommittees and are in charge of overall budget, planning and coordination with school.

  • Additional volunteers needed annually for promotion, event planning, decorations, games, pumpkin donations, food orders and more! 

Timing: Throughout the school year

The Outdoor Classroom/Garden liaison helps or coordinates seasonal cleanups and maintenance with the science teachers, students and parents.  Act as liaison between science teachers and the PTO, as needed.  Help Walton science teachers with volunteers for lessons, material purchases, or other items, as needed. This role can become what you make of it. The goal for the 2024-2025 school year is to have the science teachers utilize the space more and have the PTO lead act as a resource and liaison. 

Courtney Gray started this project 5 years ago, and it was completed in 2021 with educational grants. Don't let this incredible learning opportunity disappear for our students! If you love to garden, please contact  waltonschoolpto@gmail.com to shadow Courtney in her efforts before she leaves our school this Spring. 

Timing: February (flexible) 

Create a fun social event for parents and caregivers to get to know one another in a relaxed setting.   Secure a venue and any potential entertainment or vendors.  Work with the venue on timing, publicity and possible percentage kickback from sales.  There are a few options in the works which you can run with or pitch your own ideas. Ideally, the volunteer lead could also find a kid-friendly vendor who would host a drop-off night at the same time so parents can worry less about babysitters and students can hang out together outside of school.  

Thanks to the pioneering efforts of Greenwood PTO volunteer Shyan Ong, Walton adopted their own Food Rescue Program during the 2022-23 year after a successful pilot run at Greenwood School. Walton students now have the option of donating all unopened food items to community members in need. By depositing sealed food products into designated coolers, a large variety of food can now be enjoyed by community members. Countless items like yogurt, juice, bagels, milk, cheese sticks, fruit cups, bagged fruits, and vegetables, as well as whole fruits like bananas and apples have been donated. 

Collected food products are then donated to area food pantries. The program is based on a proven model that has been in operation in other school districts and is approved by the FDA.

To learn more about how to reduce food waste, click here. 

Are green efforts your passion?  Contact WaltonSchoolPTO@gmail.com to lead the Food Rescue efforts and talk about other ways we can work to be a more eco-friendly school. 

Are you ready to commit to being our Food Rescue Coordinator? Sign up here. 

Timing:  1-2 hours per week, throughout the school year.
Seeking 2-3 for 2025-2026 school year.

Office volunteers assist school staff primarily with copying, laminating and cutting.  Sometimes one off projects are also requested.  Tasks and projects are coordinated by our school secretary, Meredith Cadman.  Office volunteers commit to 1-2 hours per week, during school hours.  Hours are completely flexible. They should be quick learners, organized and independent workers (feel free to bring headphones).  Office volunteers greatly reduce the work load of teachers and staff and allow prep time to be focused on bettering education and addressing individual student needs.  Please send us an email if you're interested!

Timing:  1-2 hours per week, throughout the school year.
Seeking - 2 volunteers for the 2025-2026 school year

Art Room Volunteers will work independently from tasks left by our Walton Art Teacher, Mrs. Pierri.  You will assist in photographing and uploading student art work to Artsonia for ongoing student portfolios.  (Parents can add their own artwork to a student's from home, too!)  You will work in the art room when it is available (specific hours on Monday, Tuesday and Friday), for  one hour per week.  This volunteer position is evolving and may later come to include one off projects, some light cleaning of art supplies or possible matting of artwork.  Please send us an email with the subject "Art Room Volunteer" if you're interested!

The room coordinator will assist the teacher with acquiring necessary supplies, possibly coordinate a craft, and will coordinate any holiday or end-of-year gifts. We still need a room coordinator for the following Walton classrooms. Please send us an email if you're interested!

Note: All room coordinator positions have been filled for 2023-24 school year. Thank you to those who volunteered! 

Coordinator Needed

Timing: Teacher Appreciation Week (Typically May)

• Organize an area at school drop off to receive flowers

• Organize donations of vases and decorations for arrangements

• Arrange flowers in the outdoor classroom

Timing:  1-2 hours per week, throughout the school year.
3-4 volunteers per year.
Filled for 2025-2026 school year.

Library volunteers assist our school librarian, Mrs. Bayer, with checking in books and shelving throughout the school year.  Sometimes one off projects are also requested.  Library volunteers commit to 1-2 hours per week, during designated times that work around the library's schedule.  Volunteers should be quick learners, respect confidentiality and be flexible with space constraints.  Library volunteers are a huge asset to our little library.  Please send us an email if you're interested!

Chair: Kate Bednar

Timing: October and May

• Chair registers with SRTS in advance and requests stickers/bookmarks/other, contacts DPW for signs, and organizes volunteers. 

• Help out day of with sign in tables for each grade, distribute Walk to School day stickers/bookmarks

• Chair tallies class totals and distributes the Golden Sneaker Award to one lucky class with the most event participation

Chair: Erin Yokay-Basso

Timing:  Fall sales, Spring implementation  (fundraiser only held every 5 years, including this 2023-2024 school year!)

The bricks fundraiser was first run five years ago. Engraved bricks purchased during the fundraiser now grace the outer borders of our flag pole island. The PTO would like to bring the bricks fundraiser back every 5 years to allow for more families to leave their mark and eventually complete the brick island, filling it with encouraging words and family legacies.  The organizer will publicize, take orders, collect payments and double-check engraving text in the fall (dedications make great gifts) and schedule bricklaying in the spring.  All contacts and forms will be provided for reference from the previous fundraiser. 

Chair: TBD

Timing: Sept-November

Work with the local vendor(s)  to purchase Walton and Wakefield spirit wear merchandise outright at a discount for resale; or set up a sales drive at the store with a portion of proceeds going to Walton PTO.  You can begin taking orders at the Halloween Party, and possibly other events throughout the year.  Or set it all up online!  Typically sales start in late October for holiday gift giving. 

Coordinator: Holly Stead

Timing: Apply for grants in Sept and Oct, Event can take place anytime throughout the school year

• Apply for necessary funds to create a fun and informative event for all Walton students on the subject of differences and disabilities

• Some years Walton has coordinated with the other Wakefield elementary schools

Chair: Jackie Timmins and Erin Kokinda 

Timing: November and December

• This year we will be reworking this year's event to make it more of a festival, which will be be filled with games, crafts, and hot cocoa for all the kids. 

Chair: Anne Gates

Timing: Spring, typically March or April 

• Schedule the Science Fair event with Principal Schmitt and Meredith Cadman

• Purchase and pass out trifolds to participating third and fourth grade students

• Promote and coordinate Science Fair event

Chair: Kathy Briggs

Timing: Fall and Spring

• Set up books and help students buy books at the event

• Help break down the event

Coordinator: Christine Ommerborn

Timing: April or May

• Reserve building space with the school and coordinate with art teacher

• Organize and display student artwork

Chair: Caroline Curran

Timing: May, June

• Solicit the lending of awnings, coolers, and other necessary equipment

• Run games for each grade, rain or shine

Chair:  TBD

Timing: May, June

• Set up a fun family-friendly picnic in Walton's backyard!