COMMITTEES
If you are interested in any of these committees or events, please visit the Your PTO page and contact the committee’s leader or any member of the PTO Board. See descriptions of each below.
Boston-Newton Connections: Help promote connections among our Newton and Boston families.
Class Photos: This committee manages students at the school photo day in September. Volunteers help bring children to and from their photo sessions and guide them through the process.
Color Day: This committee assists the physical education teacher in coordinating relay race type field-day activities on a school morning in June. Volunteers help run stations.
Creative Arts and Sciences (CAS): This committee helps enrich the district curriculum by bringing special programming in music, dance, drama, the fine arts, and sciences to Zervas. Working closely with teachers and with the CAS city-wide program, volunteers select and organize speakers and other activities for the entire school as well as curriculum-related activities targeted to each classroom.
Database and Directory: This committee puts together the print and online directory which includes names, addresses, and phone numbers for each student and his or her family, as well as class lists and other important information about the school. Volunteers help compile the information, update the database, and produce the directory.
Destination Dinner: This committee plans an annual school-wide fall parent social evening starting with a cocktail party for all parents, followed by dinner parties at surprise locations throughout the neighborhood, and concluding with a reunion for dessert and a nightcap. Volunteers solicit host families, get diners to sign up, and plan seating for the big night.
Family Halloween Dance: This committee plans and runs the annual family party on the Friday night before Halloween. Students attend in costume with their families for pizza, dancing, face painting, games, and arts & crafts. Volunteers help distribute food, run activities, and decorate the school.
Family Picnics: This committee plans a fall and spring family picnic each year. Students and their families come back to school on a weekday evening to play in the playground and enjoy a pizza dinner. Volunteers organize the purchasing and serving of food as well as help with the set up and clean up.
Hospitality: This committee procures and sets up coffee and pastries or other snacks at PTO and principal coffees, and other special events throughout the year.
Kindergarten Soccer: This committee runs a fall and spring soccer program for current and incoming kindergarteners. It is open to all Newton children and is our largest fundraiser for Zervas. Volunteers organize and coach teams, publicize the program, and procure equipment and trophies. This is the biggest fundraiser at Zervas.
Library Book Sales: This committee coordinates gift book sales to benefit the school library. The librarian selects books that parents are invited to purchase for the library in honor of a person or event. Volunteers work with the librarian to market and administer the sale.
Online Auction: This efficient committee plans our annual online fundraising auction. The work is focused on several months in the early winter. Volunteers reach out to businesses from our database (primarily by email), set up the auction online, and promote the auction locally.
Room and Grade Parents: Room parents serve as a link between teachers and families by assisting teachers in communicating with families about upcoming events and coordinating holiday and year-end gifts for teachers and classroom aides. Room Parents organize refreshments and decorations for the grade’s assigned teacher appreciation month. Grade parents coordinate parent and family social events.
Safe Routes to School: This committee encourages safe walking, biking and rolling and plans special school events throughout the year.
Spring Fling: This committee plans our annual fundraiser party in Spring. Zervas parents enjoy great food, drinks, and music while bidding on fabulous items ranging from special dinners and parties to vacation getaways. Volunteers arrange for donations for the community parties for the silent auction, plan the party, and publicize the event.
Social Action: This committee provides opportunities for students and families to make the school, community, and world a better place. Examples of past activities include Halloween UNICEF collections, December toy drive, and food collections for local food pantries.
Spirit Wear: This committee designs and procures clothing and other gear featuring the Zervas Zebra mascot.
Teacher Appreciation: This committee sponsors special meals, gifts, and other ways to demonstrate to teachers and staff how much they are valued by Zervas families. Volunteers help plan teacher appreciation breakfasts and luncheons.
Understanding Our Differences (UOD): This committee coordinates a special curriculum for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students about what it is like to have a disability and how to be a good friend to someone who has one. Volunteers help students understand certain handicaps, provide them with opportunities to have frank discussions with people who have these handicaps, and respect the humanity of each individual regardless of differences.
Variety Show: This committee works with the music teacher to coordinate two variety shows in November (one for younger grades, one for older grades) at which students have an opportunity to showcase special talents including singing, dancing, and performing on instruments. Volunteers organize the sign-up process and support students during the show.
Welcoming: This committee focuses on welcoming new families new to Zervas. Volunteers plan several events including playground playdates in the summer and a new family pizza party in September, and help new families become acquainted with the school and community.
Zervas Community Connections/Families Organizing for Racial Justice (ZCC/FORJ): This group organizes family events that promote respect for the differences within our community and explore issues of racial and social justice as they relate to our families and our school community (i.e. Dynamic Diversity Night, Family Cultural Dinner).
Zervas Notes and Website: This committee maintains and updates the PTO website and coordinates the production and distribution of the weekly Zmail and community email blasts with updates about major events happening at Zervas in upcoming weeks.