Functions and Responsibilities

The Carey School Parents Association works throughout the year to raise funds and to coordinate functions that build a sense of community within the school. We are proud of our parent community and their willingness to make our fundraisers and events successful is a testament to their dedication towards this school. The CSPA utilizes funds raised to sponsor field trips, classroom improvements and various other needs dictated by and voted on by the parent community.

Hospitality and Fundraising

Hospitality Events
Each classroom is responsible for hosting one of the various school wide events during the school year. The following events are scheduled for this year:

Back to School Night ------------------------------- 5th Grade

Grandparents' & Special Friends Day ------------ 3rd Grades

Holiday Sing----------------------------------------- 1st Grades

Kindergarten Graduation -------------------------- Pre-K

Open House----------------------------------------- Kindergartens

Operetta--------------------------------------------- 2nd Grades

Graduation Day------------------------------------- 4th Grades

Fundraising
Our two largest fundraising events during the school year are Careyfest and our annual Auction.

Careyfest typically takes place in October and includes a Walkathon where children’s laps are sponsored by pledges. In the afternoon, the children continue the fun with an afternoon picnic lunch and family-oriented activities. The children love being involved in raising money for their school and once the numbers are tallied, receive awards for their efforts during the day. It is indeed a day enjoyed by the entire family.

In contrast, the annual Auction (traditionally held in March) is a night on the town for parents. Through the generous donations of parents and the community at large, items are available for the highest bidder. The most sought after items of the night are often the classroom projects, special items created by our children for this special night.

Parental Involvement
There are many opportunities to get involved within the Carey School. Whether you choose to be directly involved within your child’s class as a room parent, or choose to take on the substantial role of becoming a Committee Chair, you can be sure that your role will be as rewarding for you as it is for your children.

Room Parents
Each class at Carey has a set of volunteer room parents. The role of the room parents is to act as a liaison between parents and the classroom teachers. Some of the tasks taken on by the room parents include securing parent volunteers for classroom field trips and holiday celebrations, along with coordinating the classroom’s annual auction project. Becoming a room parent is a visible way to get involved within your child’s classroom.

This Year's Room Parents are:

The Carey School 2008-2009 Committees and Chairs
The Carey School 2008-2009 Committees and Chairs The Carey School Committees are an important part of our school. Without the help and dedication of these volunteers, none of the fun and enriching CSPA activities listed here would be possible. These people put in many more hours than required, so please take a minute to thank them for all that they do for our school!

AUCTION- Michelle Kaplan
The Auction Committee manages the execution of our Spring Auction which will be held on March 28, 2009. Everyone looks forward to the annual auction. In addition to it being a lot of fun, the event is the largest fundraiser for our school.

CAREYFEST/WALK-A-THON- Lucy Mejia, Missy Stein, Maria Gorelick, Ayesha Masud
This committee coordinates and manages the Fall Careyfest and Walk-a-thon, a fun family event held in October. This year’s Careyfest is on Sunday, October 12, and is one of the two main fundraisers at our school.

COMMUNITY EVENTS- Mary & Eric Beattie, Christa Shaffer
The coordinators of this committee create and coordinate Carey community social activities during the school year that are not directly related to fundraising or school obligations. Past events have included ice skating parties, ski trips, Giants games and outings to Yosemite and Sequoia/Montecito.

COMMUNITY SERVICE- Brenda Bachechi, Amanda Welsh
The coordinators of this committee identify and manage community service or outreach activities during the school year.

CSPA SUPPLY CLOSET- Lisa Pearlman
This person coordinates the inventory and disbursement of supplies in the CSPA supply closet for use at school functions and works with parents to make sure supplies are available when needed for any event.

EPICUREAN LIAISON- Carla White
This person serves as the liaison between the CSPA and Epicurean for any schoolwide catered events.

ESCRIP AND SCHOOLPOP- GraceAnn Stewart
This committee manages the school’s electronic scrip and internet-based fundraising efforts. Regular updates are provided to the parent community through CSPA meetings and the Wednesday Weekly.

FACULTY APPRECIATION- Mandy Andrei, Michelle Kaplan, Wendy Liau
This committee is responsible for coordinating all recognition events directed towards the faculty, staff and administration. These include birthdays, summer luncheons, sponsoring holiday parties, staff appreciation week and faculty awards. This committee also coordinates the Wish List program for which the CSPA provides funds for individual classroom improvements as requested by teachers.

MENTORING PROGRAM- Erin Crocker, Michele Sloat, Taryn Sutton
This program matches new, incoming families with returning families in an effort to assist new families with the transition to our school. Mentor families are valuable resources to new families throughout the school year. The committee also organizes informal get-togethers for these families in both the Spring and Summer, sponsored by the CSPA.

PARENT EDUCATION- Danielle Lawrence, Lori Solorzano
Parent Education evenings are organized throughout the year where parents can attend free of charge to hear guest speakers discuss various education issues.

P.E. CLOTHES- Laura Ma
The coordinator of this committee manages the relationship with the school’s P.E. clothes vendor, Lands’ End.

PUMPKIN PATCH- Natasha Cook, Vanessa Kyle, Cathleen Thomas
The Pumpkin Patch Committee oversees the annual Halloween pumpkin patch. This fun event is held at the school on Halloween and every child gets to take home a free pumpkin.

SPAGHETTI DINNER- Becky Dupont, Susan Faris
This committee is responsible for coordinating the Spring Spaghetti Dinner, a relaxed family event whereby the CSPA thanks the parent community for their support throughout the year.

VOLUNTEER TRACKING- Laura Ma
This committee chair monitors the number of volunteer hours performed by each parent and provides a status report to the parent community throughout the year.

Volunteer Hours Requirement
Each Carey school family is required to donate 15 hours of their time during the school year in order to support the activities of the Carey School Parent’s Association. At least 10 of the 15 hours must be in support of CSPA fundraisers, such as Careyfest or the annual Auction. The remaining 5 hours may support the above events or any other CSPA activities for which volunteers are needed. Parents have a 5 hour exemption if they have been a room parent, CSPA committee chair, CSPA officer or Board of Trustees member during the school year.

Volunteer hours served should be reported by you throughout the year on a Volunteer Reporting Form, copies of which are located in the main office.

Day to Day Needs
Click here for P.E. Clothes Order Instructions
Volunteer Hours Reporting Form (link to volunteer hours form)
Check Request Form