PTO Volunteer Opportunities

Opportunities for Parental Involvement

Below you will find brief descriptions of some of the Volunteer Committees and opportunities for involvement at St. John Paul II Catholic School.  If you are interested in any of these groups and would like to join all our wonderful volunteers in service to the school and others, please download the document below which contains more information and lists who to contact.
 
The Archdiocese requires all volunteers to have VIRTUS training, a criminal background check, and signed code of conduct.  St. John Paul II requires all volunteers to have a StJPII picture ID.  All of this information and the forms are available on the StJPII website. Click here for procedures.
 

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Altar Society
Altar Society members serve the school by assisting the Religion Coordinator (Molly Richard) in set up and take down of Mass.  We also create and hang banners to decorate for special themes or occasions such as May Crowning.  Altar Society assists with preparations for SAINTS FAMILY activities throughout the school year and with delivering SERVICE PROJECT collections.  We provide hospitality to the clergy and religious who visit the school on Vocations Day.  Several members meet to pray the Rosary daily; all parents are invited to join us. Contact Lourdes Pozo - pozolourdes@aol.com or Connie Guerra - connieguerra3@gmail.com for more information.  

Ambassador Program
Volunteers for the Ambassador Program will be assigned 1 or 2 new families for the upcoming school year. Your main duty as an Ambassador is to be a source of information for the new families.  It is asked that Ambassadors try to meet up with the new families during the summer so that the new students will see at least one familiar face the first days of school.  There are two functions during a school year that Ambassadors are asked to attend:  the Newcomer’s Coffee in May and the Ice Cream Social in August (just before the start of the new school year).  Solicitation for volunteers occurs in the spring – watch the newsletter. Contact Mary Beyer ambassadors@jp2.org

 Art a La Carte
The AALC Program is run entirely by parent volunteers who organize, schedule and present art lessons to students in grades PK – 3rd four times during the year.  Parents work in teams to share ideas and develop fun and exciting ways to share art appreciation.  Innovative methods are used to explain and explore different art technique, skill and history.  Lesson plans are provided for each session, but parents have the opportunity to create their own class project to help demonstrate the technique or skill to be taught. Contact Courtney Forbes at storytimephoto@comcast.net or Linda Lindsey twowishess@aol.com
 
Athletics – West Houston Christian Sports Association (WHCSA)
Volunteer as a Coach, Assistant Coach, or Team Parent for your child's soccer, basketball, baseball/softball, or volleyball team, Pre-K through 5th grade. All volunteers must be SJPII Volunteer Approved. Check the appropriate box on the registration form if you are interested.  Contact: Deana Gordon at dgordon@jp2.org
 
Athletics – GHCAA
Middle School parents are encouraged to volunteer as a Team Parent, Photo Parent, Scorekeeper/Timer, or Driver for our Middle School teams. In some cases, coaches need parents to help them during practices too. Volunteer at the Parent Meeting, or let the coach know you are interested. Volunteering in Athletics is a great way to meet other parents, participate in your child's activities, and support your school!  Contact: Mary Beth Hewitt at mhewitt@jp2.org.
 
Birthday Recognition
Birthday recognition t-shirts/gifts and Birthday marquee announcements are a great way to recognize your child at school during his or her birthday week.  A volunteer parent takes orders and makes sure recognitions are delivered to the child’s class and that your child’s name is listed on the SJPII marquee sign for the week of their birthday. Contact Lorena Betancourt at lorbet@gmail.com.
 
Book Club
The Book Club is run by parent volunteers working with teachers to organize, schedule and host book club meetings for students in 1st – 8th grades once a month during lunch.  Teachers and parents guide students in book selection and discussion topics. Contact Heidi Dietrich info@escobar-dietrichfamily.com
 
Box Tops
This committee involves the collection, collation and submission of box tops found on General Mills products to be redeemed for cash and used to support school programs.  Volunteers collect, count and collate (which can be done AT HOME) box tops prior to the submission deadline. Contact Amber Gruen at amberkgruen@yahoo.com.
 
Bread Basket
The Bread Basket committee assists SJPII families with their needs during a time of unexpected crisis. Meals may be delivered; children can be carpooled, or whatever a family may need. If you are interested in helping with this committee, or if you know of a family who would benefit from our assistance, please see the contact list. Confidentiality is paramount. To volunteer, please contact Kimberley Healey Kimberly.Healey@iname.com. If you need assistance, but would like to remain anonymous, please contact Kathy Rieder at krieder@jp2.org.
 
Community Garden
The Community Garden Coordinator works with teachers in select grades incorporating science curriculum to plan and oversee the student planting and harvest of the fall and spring garden.  The committee also coordinates the maintenance, fertilizing, watering and underwriting of the garden through sale of Engraved Brick Pavers. To help in the garden, please contact Tonya Watts at tonyawatts@me.com
 
Dads Night Out
Join other SJPII Dads for fellowship and spiritual growth. This is a great way to meet other faters in our community and learn how we can become better disciples, parents and husbands. For information contact mweinman@jp2.org

DARR Skate Days
Join your friends at the Dairy Ashford Roller Rink for special SJPII Skate Days. Elementary and Middle School students will gather for skating fun with their friends a few times during the school year (usually near a holiday) for a school-wide party. Come on out to skate!  To help out, please contact Ronda O'Connor at rondaoconnor@ymail.com or Jenna Clement at jelenaclement@yahoo.com.
 
First Friday Lunch
The wonderful parents of this committee provide various meal items for a very special faculty and administration luncheon on the First Friday of each month. To help provide lunch for our wonderful faculty, please contact Donna Peters at tdapeters@yahoo.com or Brenda Holden at bsholden@sbcglobal.net.
 
Fun in the Sun
Our Annual SJPII field day and carnival is held in early May. Come have fun and spend the day with other SJPII parents, as we work together to put on the students’ favorite day of the year.  Parents can volunteer to host a booth or game, work a shift at a booth, underwrite a booth, help behind the scenes, or serve lunch to staff and students. This event requires many volunteers. Please contact Kristen Matthews at fits@jp2.org to help on this fun day!  
 
Holiday on the Parkway / Snacks with Santa
PTO holds a craft show each holiday season, just in time for Christmas shopping.  The children also enjoy a delightful visit with Santa, complete with photo op, craft-making, and delicious holiday treats. Please contact Andrea Kunkel at Andrea.Kunkel@BP.com or Olga Saenz at osaenz@mcgriff.com. 
 
Hospitality
PTO provides food and servers for many events throughout the year, including monthly faculty meetings and fall/spring faculty appreciation luncheons.  Parents provide snack dishes for monthly meetings, while Hospitality ladies host the events. To volunteer, please contact:
Alejandra Elizondo ale.elizondoe@gmail.com
Miriam Janda mjanda123@gmail.com
Suzanne Krejci smstigall3065@sbcglobal.net
Sarah Kushner scluger@yahoo.com
Linda Lindsey twowishess@aol.com.

Kroger and Randalls Fundraisers
Assign SJPII as your preferred organization. Use your Kroger or Randalls loyalty cards each time you shop for SJPII to receive rewards. Contact Jennifer Conti Pinkmingo7@gmail.com

Library Aides
This is an opportunity to help in our school library.  Volunteers could be asked to check in or check out books borrowed by students, re-shelve books, help students locate items, and process new books to be added to the collection.  Library Aides also help during Book Fairs. Contact Jacqueline Stetzel jacqueline@flash.net
  
Lunch Bunch
Volunteers supervise students in Kinder-5th grade in the cafeteria while the teachers are eating to allow the teachers to have a break.

Pumpkin Patch
Just in time for Halloween pumpkin carving!  This committee will hold a spook-tacular pumpkin patch in October. Be sure to get your pumpkins at this event, so you can be ready for Halloween and enjoy the fall décor. Contact Khristine Salvatierra at kckhristine@yahoo.com or Magda Figueroa at magda.bittar@gmail.com.

Room Parents
Room Parent responsibilities include:  1) Introductory phone calls or emails to each family in their class, 2) Make emergency phone calls for unscheduled school closings or events,3) Coordinate with the teacher the field trip chaperones, 4) Coordinate class volunteers for Teacher Appreciation Luncheons, 5) Organize class Christmas party, and 6) Work with the teachers on informing parents about new events and information. Gabi De la Rosa steveandgabi@gmail.com or Analia Gugliotti at gugliottifamily@yahoo.com.
 
Run with the Saints
Run with the Saints is an annual 5k run held in the neighborhood surrounding the school, in memory of a former student, Lauren Lockard, who passed away due to a childhood brain tumor. The event will be held in early November with a 5K start time of 8:00 am, and for young runners, a 1K start at 7:30 am.  Proceeds go to The Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation and to St. John Paul II Catholic School. Contact Bernie Weber bernie.j.weber@gmail.com (Race) or Rosann Halter at sammyrox7@yahoo.com (Spaghetti Supper).

Snacks with Santa
Held in conjuction with Holiday on the Parkway, this committee coordinates the students' visits with Santa. Help coordinate delightful visits with Santa, complete with photo op, craft-making, and delicious holiday treats. Mariam Janda - mjanda123@gmail.com or Edith Hernandez edee_san@yahoo.com