PTA Leadership
2023/2024 Board Positions
President: Kathy Shannon
Vice President / Incumbent President: Shannon Nelson
VP Communications: Crystal Godfrey
VP Membership: Kaitlyn Jeanneret
Secretary: Jenny Nelson
Treasurer: Nimisha Stricker
VPs Fundraising: Lisa Wormer, Holly Bland, & Sara Bolsoni
Committee Overview
There are so many ways for Emerson moms and dads to get involved throughout the school year. With more 25 committees, there’s one that’s right for you. Some require only a small commitment of time. Others are active throughout the year.
Click here to join a committee
Assemblies - Chairperson: Robyn Tsacoumangos
Work with the principal to plan and organize school assemblies. There are generally 4 or 5 assemblies held each year for the entire school.
Audit - Chairpersons: Lori Linehan
In late July/August a review of the PTA books occurs. Income and expense transactions for the year are reviewed together with supporting documentation consisting of invoices, expense vouchers, deposit slips and supporting income documentation. A verification occurs of balances, bank statements, the checkbook and approvals.
Bald Eagles: Clark Wormer
Book Fair - Co-Chairs: Kim Ludwig & Terri Fortier
Committee members will be asked to help promote the event, organize the Book Fair Preview for students, set up the Book Fair, work during the Fair as a cashier OR help pack up. This is a great fundraiser for the Emerson and gets kids excited about reading!
Charitable Outreach - Chairs: Beth Cliffel & Jenny Nelson
Committee members will be asked to help promote and/or organize activities and projects throughout the year to teach Emerson students the value of charitable outreach locally, nationally and globally.
Chess Club - Chairperson:
NO CHESS KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED! Committee members will be asked to help supervise kids while they play chess during their lunch period. Volunteers will also be asked to help with the chess tournament in the Spring.
Directory - Chairperson: Vanessa Krietch
Populate online directory with student/parent information and work with VP of Communications to publicize the directory to all parents.
Emerson Spirit Wear - Chair: Holly Bland
Help promote ordering of Emerson Wear to show school spirit, process orders and deliver gear to students.
Fall Fest - Co-Chairs: Tobi Wilson, Kathy Shannon & Lisa Wormer
Committee members will be asked to help plan, set up Fall Fest, clean up after the event OR help staff a game for a 1/2 hour period.
Field Day Coordinators:
Committee members will help run a series of outside games during this all-school event held one morning during the last week of school.
Fifth Grade Farewell - Co-Chairs: Bridget Draz, Marsha Neven & Nikki Slowinski
This committee plans the annual end of the year pool party for the outgoing fifth grade class and helps to coordinate the DARE graduation. The Fifth Grade Farewell is the larger of the two events and is held in May at the York Aquatic Center. The DARE graduation is scheduled for the end of school.
Fine Arts - Chairperson:
Volunteer to lead art appreciation sessions in your child’s classroom. No experience is necessary nor is special knowledge required. All materials are provided. Multiple volunteers welcome for each classroom.
Go Green! - Chairperson:
Committee members will help plan and coordinate programs and events to build environmental awareness and promote conservation among Emerson students and their families.
Ice Cream Social - Chairperson: Jen Mann
Committee members will help plan, set up and serve ice cream for students one afternoon in August before the start of school.
Junior Great Books - Chairpersons: Filomena Oliveri & Mary Beth Iveljic
Committee members will lead small groups of 2nd and 3rd grade students through discussions about classic stories in the Jr. Book Club Series once a week for 8 weeks during their lunch hour. All lead facilitators receive training and materials from the Great Books Foundation.
LRC Volunteer Coordinator - Chairperson:
Volunteer in the library to shelve books, help children check out and other small duties. Volunteers sign up at their convenience, in the library, as often as they like.
Math Night -Co- Chairperson: Kerri Matusek & Sonny Mann
Committee members will coordinate, set up and run Emerson’s annual Math Night, which offers exciting math games for each grade level.
Multicultural Family Night - Chairperson:
New Family Welcome - Co-Chairs: Jenna Oskin
Committee members are asked to be available to give tours to incoming kindergarten parents, answer questions and help with registration paperwork at a Kindergarten Orientation. They will also help organize playdates for incoming Kindergarteners and distribute signs to new students in August 2019.
Nominating Committee - Chairpersons: Kaitlyn Jeannert, Shannon Nelson, Marcia Murray, Karen Schetz, Sarah Enbreicht, Jenny Nelson
This position is crucial in helping find qualified and willing PTA board members and committee chairs for the following school year.
Opening Day Coffee - Chair: Lisa Bowgren
Committee members will be asked to help plan, set up and serve coffee and snacks during this reception for parents on the first day of school.
Outdoor Beautification - Chairperson: Tyler Porterfield
Share your appreciation for the outdoors and join our effort to improve the Emerson school campus by creating and maintaining planting areas and seasonal containers for the enjoyment of Emerson’s staff, students and families. Our efforts will include collaboration with Earth Ambassadors on development and maintenance of the Outdoor Classroom in addition to other areas around the school.
PTA Council Scholarship Fundraising:
Oversee fundraising for the PTA's scholarship.
REACH Representative -
Our School Rep will attend REACH meetings and relay information back to the Emerson PTA and School community.
Read to Succeed - Chairperson:
Volunteers will coordinate this program which features the Six Flag Six Hour Reading Club. This club encourages kids to complete 6 hours of recreational reading and rewards them with a free admission ticket for participating.
Rec Nights - Co-Chairs:
Committee members will help with an evening of games. Each grade level gathers during one evening to play partner games with a parent/older sibling. Volunteers will run the games. You will not be asked to help on a night when your child will be participating in the games.
Reflections - Chairperson: Kathy Shannon
Oversee the Reflections program in which students select an art category and submit an entry to a school, district and national competition
Room Parent Coordinator - Vivian Noble
Coordinate and serve as point of contact for all room parents.
Running Club - Chairpersons: Jen Fiocca
Volunteers will help supervise running club members and keep track of running logs during lunch hour sessions.
Safe Routes to School:
The committee works to encourage kids to safely walk or bike to Emerson by handing out incentives on Walk-To-School Fridays. They also organize a walking school bus for International Walk to School Day in the fall and promote International Bike to School Day in the spring.
School Board Representative:
Represent Emerson to the Distict 205 school board.
School Supply Boxes - Chairperson: Kristen Gryglas
Committee members will be contacted in August 2018 (usually the week before school starts) to help unpack and distribute the tool boxes for the 2015-2016 school year. This is a one-time commitment of 1-3 hours during the day at Emerson. Some manual lifting is involved (up to 30 lbs.).
Science Olympiad - Chairperson: Marianne Krbec
Committee members will coordinate, set up and run Emerson’s annual Science Olympiad Fun Night, which offers exciting science experiments for each grade level.
Spring Event / Talent Show - Chairperson:
Committee Members will be asked to help organize and run the Emerson Talent Show or a Spring Event (rotate every other year). For the talent show, they will work with the committee chair to sign up acts, secure permission slips, set up sound and arrange the line-up at the show. For the spring event, they will plan and organize a school event.
Teacher Appreciation - Co-Chairs:
Committee members are asked to supply food and set up luncheon/dinner for Parent/Teacher Conferences in November. This committee also helps to assemble and distribute crafts or gifts and host a luncheon during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-10, 2019).
Yearbook - Co-Chairs/Photographer: Beth Diviacchi
Yearbook is a club that invites 5th grade students to participate in the design and production of our school yearbook. Parent volunteers will be needed to provide supervision and direction during lunchtime meetings. No experience necessary nor do you need to have a 5th grader to help! Informational meetings with interested 5th graders will be offered 2 or 3 times before winter break. Formal meetings will be held every Tuesday from 1105-1135am January-April. Distribution will be during the final week of school.