Role Descriptions

There are many roles for volunteers at the Abingdon PTA. We’ve provided descriptions of the type of work that we do as a PTA.

Please fill out our volunteer form or email us if you have interest in one of the roles below.

We would be delighted to have you join our team!

💼 Officer Role Descriptions #

🦸 President #

The President’s official responsibilities are described in the bylaws.

The President leads the PTA. The President presides over PTA meetings, takes the lead in communicating with school officials, and generally ensures that the PTA is running smoothly.

🧙 Vice President #

The Vice Presidents’ official responsibilities are described in the bylaws.

In our PTA, Vice Presidents oversee a certain subject area (for example, fundraising or educational programs) and provide supervision and guidance to coordinators in that subject area, while representing their programs with the Executive Board. They may also choose to directly perform much of the work in their subject area.

💰 Treasurer #

The Treasurer’s official responsibilities are described in the bylaws.

The Treasurer manages the PTA’s funds and all of the records relating to those funds. The Treasurer pays for things that the PTA needs, prepares financial reports to keep the PTA informed, and makes required submissions to the IRS and the Virginia PTA to ensure that the Abingdon PTA is in good standing.

✍️ Secretary #

The Secretary’s official responsibilities are described in the bylaws.

The Secretary takes notes during each PTA meeting, and maintains the PTA’s non-financial records such as bylaws and membership lists.

🎓 Educational Programs Role Descriptions #

🔔 After School Enrichment #

The After School Enrichment Coordinator serves as the liaison with our vendor to create the schedule for After-School Enrichment at Abingdon. The Coordinator also work with the Abingdon Student Support Team to enroll students identified for scholarships (funded by the PTA) and ensure that the room reservation request forms for each session are completed.

Location: School
Time of day: Immediately after school day
Months: Year-round

🎨 Reflections #

Reflections is a national PTA-sponsored program that encourages students to express themselves artistically. Learn more about Reflections on the National PTA’s website.

The Reflections Chair organizes Abingdon’s Reflections program by publicizing the program and recruiting volunteers to help judge the submissions. (The National PTA recommends that local units recruit a committee of 4-6 parent and teacher volunteers.) To make things easier, the National PTA publishes a “Local Leader’s Guide” which provides step-by-step instructions on how to manage the Reflections program. They also provide a great deal of promotional material that our PTA can use to raise awareness of the program.

Abingdon has not participated in the Reflections program in several years. We would like to bring Reflections back to Abingdon if we have the volunteers and the interest to do so.

Location: Home, potentially school as well
Time of day: Unsure
Months: September and October, potentially November and December as well

🏃‍♀️ Girls on the Run #

Girls on the Run is a youth development program for girls in 3rd-8th grade. They teach life skills through dynamic interactive lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5K running event. The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness.

Abingdon has not participated in Girls on the Run since the pandemic started. We would like to bring Girls on the Run back to Abingdon if we have the volunteers and the interest to do so.

Learn more about Girls on the Run on their website and their local Northern Virginia unit’s website.

Location: School
Time of day: Immediately after school day, two days per week
Months: September to November and/or March to May

👩‍💻 Cardinal Coding Club #

Mixing hands-on coding with interactive play, students in 3rd to 5th grade will learn basic coding principles that allow them to bring stories to life. Using Scratch, a drag-and-drop multimedia programming language designed by MIT, children learn algorithms and programming all while developing and illustrating their own personal stories. Ms. Fisher, Abingdon’s Instructional Technology Coordinator (ITC), models how to plan, develop, and create a story using Scratch. This is a collaboration with Boolean Girl, a local non-profit, whose mission is to engage students in computer science.

Location: School
Time of day: Immediately after school day, one day per week
Months: Year-round

🧧 Cardinal Chinese Club #

The Cardinal Chinese Club teaches students about Chinese language and culture. Students learn conversational phrases, how to write characters, songs, Lunar New Year traditions, and more.

Location: School
Time of day: Immediately after school day, one day per week
Months: Flexible

🧠 Odyssey of the Mind #

The Odyssey of the Mind Coordinator organizes students’ participation in a problem-solving and critical thinking competition. The competition encourages creativity and cooperation as teams of students work together to produce a “solution” to problems; these solutions generally involve putting on a skit that incorporates props, costumes, and even songs. Learn more about Odyssey of the Mind on their website and their Virginia unit’s website.

Abingdon has not participated in the Odyssey of the Mind in several years. We would like to bring Odyssey back to Abingdon if we have the volunteers and the interest to do so.

Location: School and competition location(s)
Time of day: Immediately after school day and competition time
Months: Unsure

There are other educational programs available to elementary school students like 🔬 Science Olympiad with which Abingdon has little or no participation experience; however, the PTA could support Abingdon’s participation provided that we have a motivated volunteer.

💵 Fundraising Role Descriptions #

💸 Retail Rebates #

The Retail Rebates Coordinator identifies corporate rebate programs and subscribes the PTA to them. Some examples include AmazonSmile and Harris Teeter.

Location: Home
Time of day: Any
Months: Year-round

👕 Spirit Gear #

Spirit Gear are items with Abingdon branding on them, typically the Cardinal logo, that the PTA sells to families as a fundraiser or simply to foster school spirit. (It can also include magnets, bumper stickers, and other items that aren’t necessarily “worn.”)

The Spirit Gear Coordinator is responsible for researching the various options for procuring Spirit Gear. Along with the Executive Board, they select which vendor we use. They also place and track orders, manage inventory, and oversee distribution.

Location: Home, with some visits to the school in order to store and organize merchandise
Time of day: Mixed — some availability during school hours to manage inventory is necessary, as well as availability during school events which are typically evenings and weekends.
Months: Year-round

✏️ Edukit #

The Edukit program organizes pre-packaged school supplies to sell to Abingdon families. This helps ensure that families can procure the proper school supplies for their students quickly and easily, and is also a fundraiser for the PTA.

The Edukit Coordinator oversees the Edukit program. In the spring the coordinator communicates with the school to get supply lists from each grade, and communicates with the EduKit rep to get the program up and running, including checking the EduKit lists to ensure accuracy. In August the coordinator spends a few hours at the school (with other volunteers) to distribute the boxes to each teachers’ classroom. There’s no money collection and minimal spreadsheets, though there is a form to complete. The role mostly entails facilitating the program and staying on top of dates and communication. The work is mostly done from home, except for August distribution.

Location: Home, except August distribution is done at school
Time of day: Any
Months: March and April, August

📸 School Pictures #

Picture Day is held twice annually at Abingdon — once in the fall and once in the spring. The PTA organizes Picture Day in coordination with a vendor. Picture Day provides families with a snapshot of their children and also serves as a fundraiser for the PTA.

The School Pictures Coordinator selects dates in consultation with school officials, distributes photo order packets to teachers, works with photographers to ensure picture days run smoothly, and distributes photo packages to students via teachers.

Location: School
Time of day: School day
Months: Fall (typically October) and Spring (typically April)

📚 Read-A-Thon #

Abingdon holds a Read-A-Thon every year — a fundraiser when students track the number of pages they read over the course of two weeks and and sponors (usually parents and grandparents) pledge to give to the PTA a certain amount of money for each page the student has read. The PTA also awards prizes to students and classes who have read the most. The Read-A-Thon is the biggest PTA fundraiser of the year.

The Read-A-Thon Coordinator:

Schedules the Read-A-Thon in consultation with the PTA Executive Board and Abingdon’s administration
Works with the Read-A-Thon vendor, which sends emails to parents and tracks students’ reading
Identifies and procures prizes for students
Decorate and update a bulletin board which tracks the status of the Read-A-Thon
Location: Home, with some visits to school to organize prizes and update the bulletin board
Time of day: Any, with school visits taking place during the school day
Months: March and April

🌯 Spirit Night #

The PTA coordinates with local restaurants so that a portion of their revenue on a particular evening will be donated to the PTA. The customers typically have to inform the restaurant at the time of purchase that they are participating in the Spirit Night so that a portion of their purchase goes to the PTA (this is important).

The Spirit Night Coordinator works with local restaurants to schedule the fundraiser, and promotes the event.

Location: Home and around the community
Time of day: Evening
Months: Year-round

🤝 Sponsorships #

The PTA seeks sponsorships and grants from local businesses and institutions. These could be in the form of money, gift cards, or a tangible object that would support school programs (like a garden shed).

Location: Home and around the community
Time of day: Any
Months: Year-round

❤️ Lovelines #

Parents/guardians, grandparents, and other sponsors can place congratulatory notes in yearbooks that we call “lovelines.” The proceeds from lovelines help to offset the cost of printing the yearbook. The Lovelines Coordinator solicits lovelines from the community and ensures that they are provided to the yearbook distributor by their deadline.

Location: Home
Time of day: Any
Months: March – May

🏘️ Community Relations Role Descriptions #

🧥 Winter Clothing Drive #

The PTA supports Abingdon families by collecting winter clothing for children whose families cannot afford them.

The Winter Clothing Drive Coordinator works with our Communications team to publicize the Winter Clothing Drive, and works with Abingdon’s Student Support Team to identify the degree and types of needs (coats, hats, mittens, sizes of each) in order to solicit and distribute the right clothing to the right families.

Location: School
Time of day: School day
Months: October to December

🥫 Canned Food Drive #

The PTA organizes canned food drives, particularly during school events. A bin is placed in an accessible location and its contents are donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC).

Location: School
Time of day: School day and during weekend events
Months: Intermittently

🎁 Holiday Gift Card Drive #

The PTA partners with the Student Support Team at Abingdon to help support families in need during the holiday season in our school community by providing them with gift cards to local retailers.

Location: School
Time of day: School day
Months: November and December

🧮 ACTL Representative #

The Advisory Council on Teaching & Learning (ACTL) assists in the continuous systematic review of various aspects of the instructional program and in the development of recommendations for instructional improvement. The Council’s work includes:

Reviewing existing instructional programs;
making recommendations for the introduction of new programs; and
conducting studies of instructional topics from time to time as determined by the School Board. Serving on the ACTL is an excellent way to represent our school’s interests and positively influence the school curriculum. Read more about ACTL on their website.

Location: Home
Time of day: Evening
Months: Year-round

🏫 CCPTA Representative #

The County Council of PTA’s (CCPTA) serves as the organizing body for the PTA’s of all of Arlington’s public schools, although it is independent of APS. The CCPTA serves as a venue for PTA officials to exchange ideas and information. Read more about CCPTA on their website.

Location: Home
Time of day: Evening
Months: Year-round

🏫 SEPTA Representative #

The Special Education PTA (SEPTA) serves students, families and staff across all of Arlington Public Schools. Specifically, SEPTA:

facilitates events and resources relating to special education services and learning differences in the Arlington Public Schools (APS) system and Arlington community.
provides a voice of advocacy for the good of our children and families.
supports APS teachers and administrators to achieve the best outcomes for students with special needs, including mini-grants for educators.
raises awareness and acceptance of disabilities and special needs
hosts social events with for special needs families

⚕️ SHAB Representative #

The School Health Advisory Board (SHAB) assists with the development of health policies in Arlington’s public schools and the evaluation of the status of school health, health education, and the school environment and health services. Read more about SHAB on their website.

Location: Home
Time of day: Evening
Months: Year-round

🚌 ACTC Representative #

The Advisory Committee on Transportation Choices (ACTC) was created as a joint advisory body of the Arlington County Board and the Arlington School Board for the purpose of advising the Joint Committee on Transportation Choices, which will develop and implement programs that further transportation choices for Arlington Public Schools students, families, and staff. The mission of the Advisory Committee on Transportation Choices is to advise the Joint Committee on Transportation Choices on strategies and plans of action that will develop and promote those transportation choices. Read more about ACTC on their website.

🏫 FAC Representative #

The Advisory Council on School Facilities and Capital Programs (FAC) assists the School Board in the continuous, systematic review of school facilities and the capital improvement program by:

Making recommendations to the School Board on the biannual school facilities and student accommodation plan which informs the ten-year capital improvement plan and recommendations for funding thereon;
Providing, upon request, recommendations to the School Board on specific issues;
Providing advice on areas identified by the Council regarding the capital program;
Assisting the School Board in providing the community with information concerning school facilities and the capital improvement program;
Receiving and integrating input from the community concerning school facilities and the capital improvement program; and
Receiving and integrating input from Building Level Planning Committees.

🪙 Budget Advisory Council Representative #

The Budget Advisory Council provides advice and insight to the School Board to help maintain fiscal integrity, public confidence, and wise stewardship of taxpayer resources by:

Making recommendations on policies and practices related to the presentation and preparation of the operating budget and the financial management of the school system;
Making recommendations to the School Board on budget priorities before the Board gives its annual budget direction to the Superintendent and at other times as appropriate;
Advising on the degree to which the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget supports best fiscal practices and the School Board’s priorities;
Assisting in educating the community about the budgeting process and the contents of each year’s budget; and
Providing, upon the School Board’s request, study and recommendations on special topics or issues.

Read more about the Budget Advisory Council on their website.

🏫 School Plan Advisory Committee Representative #

The School Plan Advisory Committee is responsible for assisting the school principal in reviewing the effectiveness of the total school program, including the School Management Plan. The committee shall consider the following:

The extent to which the goals and objectives of the Management Plan have been or are being met.
Student performance as determined in the Plan assessment.
The strengths and weaknesses of the school’s program including areas that should be improved, expanded, eliminated, or modified.
Recommendations the committee may have for improvements at the school and county levels.
Recommendations for strengthening the school’s community engagement efforts.

More information about School Plan Advisory Committees can be found on APS Policy B-3.6.36.

📣 Communications Role Descriptions #

The Abingdon PTA maintains a a Facebook page. The Social Media Coordinator uses the page to share information about PTA activities, as well as to share pertinent updates from Abingdon and from APS.

Location: Home
Time of day: Any, but some daytime availability would be a plus
Months: Year-round

The Cardinal Courier is the PTA’s weekly e-newsletter, distributed via Constant Contact. It is the main way that the PTA updates families on PTA activities.

The Newsletter Coordinator helps to gather updates from other PTA coordinators for inclusion in the newsletter, and drafts original content as well.

The newsletter typically goes out on Tuesdays. We try to have a Friday deadline for new content to give the Newsletter Coordinator time to assemble the newsletter and get it translated.

Location: Home
Time of day: Any
Months: Year-round

🖥️ Website #

The website administrator maintains this very website, adding and updating content when necessary.

Location: Home
Time of day: Any
Months: Year-round

☎️ Directory #

The Abingdon PTA is responsible for creating a student directory. It contains information for only those families who have opted in to share such information with the PTA via the checkbox on the Annual Online Verification Process that all families complete annually.

The Directory Coordinator collects and organizes student and family data as provided by the school registrar and formats the information to prepare for inclusion in the online student directory.

Location: Home
Time of day: Any
Months: September to November

🖼️ Graphic Designer #

The Graphic Designer(s) designs PTA flyers.

Location: Home
Time of day: Any
Months: Year-round

📄 Photocopying Flyers #

Abingdon students typically bring home to their parents a paper folder from the school each Tuesday (the “Tuesday folder”) containing work that they have done in the previous week, as well as various flyers and other updates from the school. These may include updates from the PTA, including flyers for upcoming events. Many parents learn about PTA events from flyers placed in the Tuesday folders.

We need volunteers to photocopy PTA flyers on Monday mornings and to distribute the appropriate number of flyers to each classroom teachers’ mailbox. (The classroom teachers then place the flyers in each student’s Tuesday folder.) Occasionally, copies may need to be made on a Friday before a holiday on Monday.

It is ideal to have at least two people in this role, if not more, to ensure coverage each week. While we have many ways of sharing information with families, paper flyers are still the best way to get a message across to the most people.

Location: School
Time of day: School day
Months: Year-round

🌎 Translators #

Translators help the PTA by translating emails and flyers into other languages that are commonly spoken by Abingdon families. Approximately 160 families at Abingdon speak Spanish at home, and many families speak Arabic, Amharic, and Mongolian at home.

Translators may also help us translate live PTA meetings if they are able to do so, though this is not necessary. We would be grateful for any help that a translator is able to provide.

Location: Home
Time of day: Any
Months: Year-round

🎉 Event Descriptions #

👋 Back to School Picnic #

The PTA’s Back to School Picnic has been a tradition for many years. It’s held on the weekend before the first day of school. It’s a wonderful way for kids and families to reconnect. The picnic is a potluck in which the PTA provides some food while attendees bring side dishes, fruits & vegetables, and desserts.

🎃 Trunk or Treat #

In 2021 and 2022, the PTA held a Trunk or Treat in which volunteers decked out their cars in spooky setups and handed out candy to costumed visitors. In prior years, the PTA held a Fall Festival with games and other activities.

❄️ Winter Wonderland #

The PTA organized Winter Wonderland in 2022 with music, games, alpacas, and a garden cleanup. In 2023, the PTA organized an ice skating event.

🇺🇳 International Night #

The PTA has held International Night each spring between 2017-2019 and 2022-2023. International Night celebrates the diverse population of our school and the many countries and cultures we represent.

🎓 5th Grade Promotion #

The PTA helps organize and sponsor the school’s 5th Grade Promotion ceremony every June.

🍿 Movie Nights #

The PTA screened movies in the cafeteria before the pandemic. We are still evaluating how to continue this tradition. We welcome your input and your labor to make it happen!

☕ Parent Coffees #

The PTA has occasionally provided coffee to parents before and after school in order to build and strengthen relationships with our fellow parents, as well as to inform parents about PTA goings-on and to recruit volunteers.

🎈 Rising Kindergarten Playdates #

The PTA organizes playdates for rising kindergarteners in the spring and summer before they will start school. This is a wonderful way for rising kindergarteners to make friends and to become more comfortable with the school, and for parents to meet each other.

📚 Book Swap #

The PTA held its first Book Swap in 2022. Volunteers collected donated kids’ books (from families and from businesses), placed them on tarps in front of the school on a pleasant Saturday afternoon, and invited the community to take and/or leave books over the course of two hours. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to refresh their book collection for free. It was also a great lead-in to the Read-a-Thon fundraiser.

📷 Photographer #

Volunteers are needed to take pictures at school events for the Abingdon and PTA website, yearbook, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Location: School
Time of day: Mostly evenings and weekends, but some daytime availability is a plus
Months: Year-round

❔ Other Role Descriptions #

🍅 Garden #

Abingdon Elementary has a garden in the front of the building, to the right of the main entrance. (The garden is sometimes called an “outdoor classroom.”) The goal of the garden is to enrich students’ and families’ knowledge of environmental sustainability and to be good stewards of our Earth, while providing first hand experience in learning about our food supply and our pollinators. More information can be found on the garden page, and from our garden newsletter.

The Garden Coordinator works with Abingdon’s Sustainability Coordinator (traditionally the science teacher) to organize garden cleanups, help with procuring supplies, and any other assistance. The Garden Coordinator maintains a list of community volunteers who may be called upon to help. The garden is a great way to get the community invested in Abingdon’s success.

Location: School
Time of day: Weekend daytime, though some weekday availability is a plus to coordinate with staff and students
Months: Year-round except for winter

📖 Yearbook #

The PTA works with school officials to produce and distribute the Abingdon Yearbook each year. School staff assemble and format the yearbook content.

The Yearbook Coordinator is in charge of ordering the yearbooks from the publisher, and selling them at the end of the school year.

Location: Home
Time of day: Any
Months: March to June

📚 Book Fair #

The Abingdon library holds a weeklong Book Fair each year to raise funds for the library. Book Fair coordinators take delivery of the books and set them up in the library, manage the fair on a day-to-day basis, and recruit other volunteers to assist with operations.

Location: School
Time of day: School day
Months: April (or whenever the Book Fair is held)

🧸 Lost and Found #

Abingdon has a lost and found near the front entrance. As students rifle through the lost and found looking for their items, it gets messy quite quickly. The lost and found becomes especially full in the fall and the spring, when it is cold in the morning but warmer in the afternoon so that children take off their jackets outside during recess and forget them.

A Lost and Found Coordinator hangs up jackets (which are the most frequently lost item) and organizes other lost items, like water bottles, perhaps once or twice each week. They also take photos of the lost and found once every month or two for social media so that parents can see whether their child’s items need to be picked up.

Location: School
Time of day: School day
Months: Year-round

🗽 Diversity Coordinator #

Our Diversity Coordinator works with Abingdon’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee as well as Abingdon’s Family & Community Engagement (FACE) team to ensure Abingdon’s diverse voices are represented, included, and valued. DEI and FACE meetings are in-person at the school, typically at 3:00 PM on weekdays.

Location: School
Time of day: School day
Months: Year-round

💳 Bank Statement Reviewer #

The Virginia PTA requires that our bank statements be opened each month by an individual who is not authorized to sign checks. The individual must then verify the statement against the treasurer’s report for that month.

Location: Home
Time of day: Any
Months: Year-round

📦 Grants Coordinator #

The Grants Coordinator administers the grants program. This includes establishing the disbursement schedule and deadlines; publicizing the program and upcoming deadlines to Abingdon staff; reviewing proposals and working with their authors to ensure that proposals meet our guidelines; informing the PTA board of proposals in advance of their meetings; and ordering the items and delivering them if necessary.

Location: Home, and briefly school if delivery is necessary
Time of day: Any
Months: Year-round, with periods of inactivity between disbursements

🙋 Nominations Committee #

The Nominations Committee nominates PTA members to serve as officers the following year. (Officer roles are the President, Treasurer, Secretary, as well as Vice President roles.) Members of the Nominations Committee identify PTA members interested in serving as officers, and report to the general membership a list of nominees for the annual election.

At least three people need to serve on the committee. The committee needs to be up and running by March. The Nominations Committee submits the officer nominees to the general membership in April so that the election can be held in May.

Location: Home
Time of day: Evening
Months: March and April

✅ Financial Review Committee #

The Virginia PTA requires that each PTA conduct a financial review of their finances at the conclusion of each school year. (This was previously called an audit.) In practice, the financial review is more like a checklist, and no financial experience is required to serve on the committee.

At least three people need to serve on the committee. The Treasurer provides their records to the committee at the end of the fiscal year (July 1). The committee drafts the financial review and submits it to the Virginia PTA by August 1. The general membership then votes to approve the financial review at their first meeting of the school year in September. In practice, the committee spends a few hours in July reviewing the financial records from the prior school year and meets once in order to finalize the review.

Location: Home
Time of day: Evening
Months: July

🐦 Mascot #

The Abingdon Cardinal brings joy to everyone.