Volunteering - Thomas Jefferson

It’s important to engage with your child’s school and the PTA, and it’s easy to get involved as a parent volunteer.

Your support is invaluable to ensure the success of our PTA programs and events, but we can’t do it without you! If you see something below that interests you and fits your schedule, please let us know and we’ll include you in the planning.

Executive Board

Positions marked with an asterisk are elected officers, which perform duties as outlined in the TJMS PTA Bylaws, Article 6: Duties of Officers. Terms are for one year, and individuals may not serve for more than two consecutive terms in the same office. Per TJMS PTA bylaws, the Executive Committee consists of the elected officers and our principal, while the Executive Board consists of elected officers and the chairs of the standing committees, as listed here:

President*	Allison Stewart (2022-2023)
Vice President*	OPEN
Secretary*	Jimisha Relerford (2022-2023)
Treasurer*	Trish Gomes (2022-2023)
Communications Chair	Arlene Goyette (2021-2023)
Fundraising Chair	Patricia Garcia (2021-2023)

*Denotes elected officer

Volunteer Opportunities

In addition to Executive Board service opportunities, the PTA offers many other volunteer opportunities to help you get involved and stay connected with the school community throughout the year. Duties and time commitments vary widely, and we invite you to pick one or more roles that best fit your schedule.

Let us know how you want to get involved – fill out the Volunteer Interest Form

The PTA will share details about these and other volunteer opportunities as they become available during the course of the school year. Sign up for PTA communications so you don’t miss any important announcements or signups.

Newsletter and Website Help keep parents informed about PTA events and programs, as well as TJ and APS news and announcements, by managing the PTA’s newsletter and website. Duties include writing, editing and producing weekly issues of the TJMS PTA Buzz email newsletter using Constant Contact, and occasional website updates in WordPress. Time commitment is approximately 1-2 hours per week for the newsletter and 1-2 hours per month for the website. (This role works in coordination with the Communications Chair and may be shared by co-managers.)	Newsletter and Website Manager(s): OPEN
Facebook and Twitter Help us engage our community by sharing information about PTA initiatives and amplifying school and APS announcements on Facebook and Twitter. Duties include creating and posting content with time commitment about 1-2 hours per week. (This role works in coordination with the Communications Chair and may be shared by co-managers.)	Social Media Manager(s): OPEN
Email Group Help us manage our PTA email group discussion forum as a venue for TJ parents to ask questions and engage with each other in a private group setting. Duties to include managing the Groups.io member list and monitoring discussions, with about 1 hour time commitment per week. (This role may be shared by co-managers.)	Email Group Manager(s): OPEN
Latino Parents Outreach (Padres Latinos de TJ) Working with the TJMS Bilingual Family Liaison, the PTA provides resources for Latino parents in the form of virtual meetings and communications. The PTA seeks bilingual (English/Spanish) volunteers to help with occasional Spanish-language Zoom meetings and WhatsApp postings, and other occasional Spanish translation support. Estimated time commitment is about 1-3 hours/week.	Latino Parents Manager: Anita McLinton Latino Parents Staff Liaison: Irma De Leon, TJMS Bilingual Family Liaison
ACTL Representative(s) The Arlington Public Schools (APS) Advisory Council on Teaching and Learning (ACTL) brings together stakeholders from every APS school to discuss instructional needs with APS staff. This role offers a great way to better understand the instructional component to APS and to participate in important conversations about the future of APS curriculum. Duties include attending monthly ACTL meetings, reviewing subcommittee reports and sharing highlights with the TJMS PTA. (This role can be shared by co-reps.)	ACTL Representative: Jimisha Relerford
CCPTA Representative(s) The Arlington County Council of PTAs (CCPTA) is an advocate for the education and well-being of every child attending Arlington Public Schools (APS). It includes representatives from each APS PTA – including the TJMS PTA – and some APS advisory groups. Duties include attending monthly CCPTA meetings and sharing highlights with the TJMS PTA. (This role can be shared by co-reps.)	CCPTA Representative: Laura Cooke
Teacher Appreciation Events Help show our Jefferson teachers and staff members how much our families value them and appreciate their hard work! Duties may include coordinating teacher/staff lunches (one in fall, one in spring); activities during the annual APS Teacher Appreciation Week in May; or other potential activities. Estimated time commitment is a few hours per event.	Teacher Appreciation Chair: OPEN
Student Honor Roll Celebrations Help recognize our A and A/B honor roll students for their outstanding achievement! Duties include coordinating and/or attending quarterly celebrations to be scheduled following the close of each academic quarter. Estimated time commitment is about 1 hour for each event, typically held during the last hour of a school day in the cafeteria.	Student Honor Roll Celebration Chair: OPEN
Reflections Arts Contest Coordinating TJMS participation in Reflections, the PTA’s nationwide arts contest offering an excellent opportunity for students to shine and show their creativity. Duties will take place mainly in the September-November timeframe and include collecting submissions, coordinating judges, determining winners, forwarding winners to county-level competition and recognizing student participants.	Reflections Committee Chair: OPEN Reflections Teacher Liaison: Megan Detweiler, TJMS Resource Teacher for the Gifted
Harvest Festival (October) For the past decade, TJMS has held a Harvest Festival every October as an outdoor social event for our Jefferson students, families, teachers and neighbors. The PTA works with school administrators to coordinate this event. Held on school grounds in the area near the Jefferson Garden, this event traditionally features student chorus and orchestra performances, an outdoor movie screening, firepits, food and more. Duties in the September-October timeframe include planning of food, activities and logistics; soliciting sponsor donations; and on-site staffing, including set-up and clean-up.	Harvest Festival Chair: OPEN
Bingo Night Fundraiser Launched in December 2021, Bingo Night is a new PTA fundraiser run by and for students. This event serves as both a fundraiser and an opportunity for community engagement, where TJMS students and their families and teachers can have some fun while raising money to benefit PTA programs. Students participate both as event hosts/announcers and Bingo players. Duties in the September-December timeframe include planning of food, activities and logistics; soliciting Bingo prize donations; and on-site staffing, including set-up and clean-up.	Bingo Night Chair: OPEN
International Night (April) As a fitting complement to the school’s International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program, the annual TJMS International Night celebrates global cultures through music, dance, costumes and food. All students, families, teachers and neighbors will be invited to attend this longstanding Jefferson tradition, typically held every April. Duties for PTA parent volunteers in the January-April timeframe include planning food and event logistics, soliciting community dance/music groups for the performance stage, donating home-made food items and on-site staffing.	International Night Chair: OPEN International Night Teacher Liaison: Kip Malinosky, TJMS IBMYP Coordinator
8th Grade Promotion Celebration (June) Parents of students in ALL grades are invited to help plan and staff a festive promotion celebration for our 8th graders to remember! The reception is held during the last week of school, immediately following the promotion ceremony in the Jefferson gym. Duties in the March-June timeframe to include planning event logistics, food purchase and prep, event setup and cleanup, and on-site staffing. Traditionally, 8th grade parents provide advance planning support and set up the event space the night before, while parents of 6th and 7th graders staff the event itself – this arrangement allows the 8th grade parents to enjoy the reception with their families.	8th Grade Promotion Committee Chair: OPEN 8th Grade Promotion Teacher Liaison: This will always be the current 8th Grade Assistant Principal (changes every year)