PTA Volunteer Opportunities

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Programs & Activities

Just a note of thanks to all of our amazing volunteers! Your dedicated time—whether it’s an hour on a Zoom call or weeks spent rebuilding a website—have a major impact on how we can support our students. Thank you to all of our teams of parents, students, and teachers who show up whenever they can.

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Curriculum Support

School Support

Community Building

Events

Fundraising

Membership

Communications


See more about our programs here.

Curriculum Support

Committee
Chairperson
Description
A.C.T (Arts Created Together)/Science
Stacey Smiar
Jennifer Zacharis
The PTA brings curriculum enrichment programs to our students throughout the year. This team works with our principal, teachers, and staff to provide art and science programming that directly supports each grade level. To see just a few of the programs the PTA delivered, click here.
Math Mornings & Math Nights
Sona Antonyan
This math enrichment program is run by parent volunteers to help 3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders to build problem-solving skills. Math mornings are typically held once a week. In 2020, all math sessions will be held virtually. Math nights occur for each grade once a year and are a fun-filled night for the entire family.
Big Backyard (BBY)
Gretchen Rabinkin
Julia Thompson
BBY is the District-wide, parent-run science enrichment outdoor program. It teaches the importance of exploring the outdoors while encouraging young learners to apply scientific questions and observations appropriate for each grade level. Volunteers for each classroom lead students on seasonal walks for science exploration.
Library Support
Bridget Koha
Library volunteers for each class typically support the school librarian during sessions. This year, our support volunteers will work to highlight great reading opportunities and help our teachers to keep reading exciting for our students.
Map Night
Jill Weng
The National Geographic Society Giant Map visits Harrington once a year. LPS and the PTA work together to surround this exciting opportunity with fun learning, crafts, and games.
Understanding Our Differences (UOD)
Colette Powell
Heidi Mann
Understanding Our Differences is a parent-led disability awareness curriculum for 3rd through 5th Graders. Parent volunteers lead students through activities designed to help them better understand how to respect and include people of all abilities. The PTA helps to support this program’s guest speakers during the year.

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School Support

Committee
Chairperson
Description
Room Parents Coordinator
Karin Arnold
Room Parents play a critical role in communications between teachers and families. They coordinate BBY, class celebrations, Spring Fair baskets, and welcome new families. Room parents can work together to help build classroom connections.
5th Grade Graduation
Sarah Hutchinson
Jill Weng
Rucha Londhe
5th Grade Parents team up with 5th Grade teachers and a 5th Grade student-run committee to plan and fundraise for the graduation ceremony, camping trip, yearbook, pool party, class gift, and other social-building events for the 5th Grade class.
Teacher Appreciation
Seiza Viana
Katherine Mahony
This PTA team helps to lead volunteers from every class and grade in celebrating our teachers all year long and specifically during Teacher Appreciation Week in May.
Safe Routes to School
Emily Sayre
Gretchen Rabinkin
Chris Neurath
This team works with the Town, LPS, and Harrington to ensure our students and families have safe access to walk and bike to school every day. Their efforts are helping us to get safer sidewalks and signage along Maple Street!
Green Team
Nao Yamaguchi
Sheila Lawrence
Our Green Team leads our volunteers in supporting school and Town-wide efforts for composting and recycling. The team works directly with our school, LPS, and DPW to reduce our school’s carbon footprint and enhance environmental education. Learn more here!
Outdoor Design (Beautification)
Kate Davis
This program assists our school in creating and maintaining spaces and opportunities to brighten our school environment or allow effective use of indoor and outdoor spaces. Bricks for sale, the meditation garden, and school playground projects fall under this PTA-run program.
Lost & Found
Nora Finch
These volunteers bring organization to Harrington by helping our students to find their lost items. You will be amazed to see how much gets left behind every week.

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Community Building

Committee
Chairperson
Description
METCO Family Friends
Sheila Lawrence
METCO family friends connects our METCO students with fellow students once a month for after-school meet ups. Lexington-resident families are matched with a Boston family to ensure we build and maintain strong relationships for all of our Harrington Hawks. The 2020-2021 school year is being planned with COVID safety in mind.
Harrington Hurrah
TBD
The Harrington Hurrah kicks off our school year with an outdoor party of pizza, games, and fun. The entire family is welcome to celebrate and help support the fundraising efforts of our 5th Graders.
Talent Show
Wei Ding
This annual event gives all students the chance to share their special talents with our community in a fun and supportive environment.
Science Fair
Alok Saldanha
Kinnari Kher
The Harrington Science Fair lets our students share their science knowledge and skills with the entire school community for one evening. We welcome displays of science projects and experiments.
International Night
Hongmei Zhang
We are fortunate to have Harrington families from many different backgrounds and cultures. This is a special night to bring our community together while celebrating the customs, games, and history of countries from around the world.

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Events

Committee
Chairperson
Description
Bingo Night
Xia Zheng
This is a fun night for Bingo fans! Come early to enjoy pizza and support the 5th Grade Graduation Committee.
Sports Outings

TBD

Harrington families have the opportunity to come together to attend the Lowell Spinners, Red Sox, and other sporting events at reduced cost.
Movie Night - Drive In
Megan Rogaris
Meg Tabela
Enjoy a good movie with good friends during the winter!
Ninja Warrior Night
TBD
This is a great night to enjoy as a participant and as an audience member! Grades 3 and above take on the challenge of an obstacle course while competing with their fellow students. Proceeds from this night go towards helping our library!
Game Night
TBD
Join fellow Hawk families for classic board game fun and discover a new game while you’re at it!

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Fundraising

Committee
Chairperson
Description
Spring Fair
Julie Fuhrer
Nancy Stefansson
Harrington’s Spring Fair is a beloved school tradition. Each spring, we come together to enjoy games, food, dunk tanks, magic shows and more as we wrap up the end of the school year. This is our school’s largest fundraiser to support our Arts Created Together & Science programs, our events, and the many school community efforts the PTA manages.
Fall Fundraiser
Yongting Wang
Every fall, the PTA raises funds through the sale of gifts, gourmet foods, wrapping papers, and other products that can make holiday gift giving much easier. This year the fundraiser offers direct delivery to your home for all orders. Up to 40% of total sales fund our Harrington PTA initiatives.
Retail Partnerships
Hongmei Zhang
We are fortunate to have a number of businesses that support our school. We also partner with those who provide money back to non-profit organizations like ours. Partnerships include: Stop & Shop, Amazon Smile, Wilson Farm, etc.
Spirit Wear
Katherine Mahony
Show your school spirit! The PTA raises funds for our school and community activities whenever you purchase your Harrington t-shirts, sweatshirts, pants, hats, and masks! The store opens via Tricon Sports twice a year in the Fall and Spring.
Box Tops
Christina Alves
Students and families can scan General Mills Box Tops from products bought at the store. Look for the little Box Top sign atop the box or on the back of the bag. Use your receipt to scan it and our school will receive funds via this program
Picture Day
TBD
Picture Day allows families to order their student’s portrait and receive a class photo. Picture Day is currently planned for Spring 2021.
Fun Run
Lynne Sheeley
Jeannine Hunt
The Harrington Fun Run is a great school community event that helps us kick off the school year with exercise, fun, and lots of school spirit. Join friends, fellow Hawks, and our teachers as you race around a course set up around the school.

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Membership

Committee
Chairperson
Description
Kindergarten Orientation
Jennifer Gerfen
In the spring, Harrington invites incoming Kindergartners and their families for a visit. Our PTA works with these families to help them smoothly transition into their first year at Harrington.
Membership Toolkit & Membership Directory
Jennifer Gerfen
Sarah Carter
Students and families at Harrington can sign up to receive a print copy of our school family directory and/or access to the online Membership Toolkit: https://harringtonelem.membershiptoolkit.com/

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Communications

Committee
Chairperson
Description
Weekly Updates
Wei Ding
Melissa Lee
Check your weekly emails from the PTA for PTA updates and Lexington community happenings.
Website
Linda Chen
The Harrington PTA website is the home for information about the PTA, Harrington, and our school community. The current website is undergoing a makeover. Please email HarringtonConnects@gmail.com with any questions.
Social Media
Wei Ding
Keri Caron
Melissa Lee
Connect with our school via Facebook at Harrington Elementary School and on @PTA_Harrington! Parents may also join a FB page not managed by the PTA: Hawks at Home.
The Hawk Monthly
Jane Reynolds
Each month, our PTA will highlight some Hawk moments, school updates, and fun news to keep you connected to what’s happening in our school community. Keep a look out via your email and on our website.

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