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Volunteering at Merriam

Parental Involvement is a big part of the Merriam experience. Merriam could not function without the volunteers who help during the year. We have over 100 parent volunteers who fulfill weekly roles supporting the school. This page describes volunteer groups at Merriam. The Parent Involvement brochure outlines other ways to get involved including an FAQ and a list of web resources.

Merriam School Council

The Merriam School Council consists of staff, parents and community members. The Council serves a vital role in policy making, direction-setting and coordination among the various working groups in the school. Each year, the number of openings on the Council are announced to the school community. Interested parents and staff are encouraged to submit their names at the Merriam School Office in the first week of the school year. The Council meets 8-9 times a year. The meeting dates are announced in the Newsletter. All meetings are open to the public and visitors are welcome.

The Merriam School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO)

The Merriam School PTO has regular meetings scheduled throughout the year and maintains its own web site. All parents/guardians and teachers are members of the PTO. The purpose of the PTO is to:

Promote and facilitate parent and faculty communication
Advocate for Merriam's students
Encourage parent involvement
Enhance Merriam community relations
Raise funds to enrich the educational experience at Merriam School

The Merriam PTO website is at www.merriampto.org.

Merriam Subcommittees

Teachers and parents work together on a variety of subcommittees to accomplish the many tasks required for a strong school foundation. Parents and staff may suggest the formation of a new subcommittee to the School Council or Principal whenever the need arises. Subcommittee size is determined by interest and need. Parents are encouraged to submit their names to the appropriate subcommittee contact person when interested in serving on any subcommittee. A list of subcommittee contact persons is included frequently in the Merriam Community Newsletter. News from the various subcommittees is reported in the Merriam Community Newsletter. The subcommittees include:

• Cultural Enrichment
• Fundraising
• Gift Book Program
• Hospitality
• Library Parent/Teacher
• Traditions & Celebrations
• Welcoming (new families)

Parker Damon Building Steering Committee

The Parker Damon Building Steering Committee (PDBSC) has ten meetings a year. Merriam School and McCarthy-Towne School share the Parker Damon Building. The PDBSC works to make sure the two school communities collaborate well in this shared space. There are five standing PDBSC subcommittees:

• Friends of PDB (fundraising)
• Celebrations Committee
• Joint Creative Projects
• Landscaping Committee
• Playground Committee