Getting Involved
The Dallin PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) is a dynamic and active group of parents committed to enhancing the Dallin school experience for students, families, and teachers. Through volunteering and fundraising, the PTO has a truly valuable impact on the entire Dallin community. We welcome all Dallin parents to join us in our efforts.
The PTO has two principle goals:
- To foster community spirit around our school.
We sponsor a wide range of family-focused, fun activities that provide opportunities for the Dallin community to come together throughout the school year. - To supplement the educational resources available to our school, teachers
and staff.
As always, but especially during this budget-crunch year, we are proud to support our teachers' work in the classroom. We believe that by connecting the families and teachers at our school, we are enriching our children's whole education.
The Dallin PTO is a registered nonprofit organization managed by a group of elected volunteer board members. Committee members and event chairs plan and oversee numerous activities throughout the school year. Our work takes a lot of energy and effort, but it is all the volunteers who make the Dallin PTO as successful, vibrant, and fun as it is.
We encourage you to share in your child's school life and to strengthen the greater Arlington community by getting involved. For more information, please contact any one of the PTO board members.
PTO Activities
| PTO Committee / Activity | Description | Chair or Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant | Work with PTO Treasurer to complete and submit yearly tax forms. | OPEN |
| AEEF (Arlington Education Foundation) | Town-wide grant-giving group with school representatives. Fundraising vehicles include "Brain Bee," which groups pay to compete in. | Rebecca Aaronson |
| Annual Fund Drive | Ongoing fundraising drive | Jennifer Davis-Kay and Julia Schilling |
| Arlington Friends of Art rep | Supports the efforts of the K–12 Visual Arts Dept. | OPEN |
| ASSIST Fund (A Simple Solution in Stressful Times) | Confidential fund to assist Dallin families in need. Two main fundraisers are Thanksgiving Pie Sale and End-of-Year Picnic. | Lauren Jordahl, Leah Sugarman, Tara Rossi, Christina Donofrio |
| Bake Sales | Election day fundraisers | Diane Gardner |
| Book Fairs | Scholastic book fairs, fall and spring | Dee Cook |
| Bottle & Can Drive | First Friday of every month. Bottles/cans collected in cafetorium and brought to recycling center | Diane Siegel |
| Box Tops For Education | Collection box in lobby | Deanna Cook |
| Cultural Enrichment | Plan activities to enrich the curriculum and broaden students' experience. | Mary Horgan |
| Dallin Newsletter | Weekly online publication reporting on Dallin activities | Jenny Brown |
| Dallin T-Shirt Sales | Sell shirts at school events and through supportdallin.org | OPEN |
| Dance Party | DJ and dancing in the gym | OPEN |
| Electronic Recycling Fundraiser | Coordinate electronic recycling fundraiser—sometimes combined with Pancake Breakfast | Sue Corvi, Ana Rivera |
| End of Year Picnic | Held within the last two weeks of school; money raised for ASSIST fund. | OPEN |
| E-mail List Coordinator | Moderates and runs PTO e-mail list and assists with Dallin Official Notices list. | David Morgenstern |
| Field Day | Held within last weeks of school. Fun activities planned by parents and 5th graders for the entire student population. | Julie Powell, Maya Bazar |
| Food Allergy Committee | Educate and provide support for parents concerning food allergy issues. | Kim McIlvenna |
| Gardens and Grounds | Improve the outdoor common spaces at Dallin by doing landscaping and planting projects with students, etc. | Bridget McCaffrey, Ana Rivera |
| Hospitality | Coordinate and recruit volunteers for refreshments, setup and cleanup for school functions. | Bailee Star |
| Ice Skating Party | Held as a community building event and fundraiser. | Catherine Adams, Luisa Paiewonsky, Lisa Smith |
| Library Committee | Support library periods and library services. Organizes volunteers to assist. | OPEN |
| Mini-Grant Committee | Publicize grant program, review applications, and allocate funds for classroom enrichment activities. | Jenny Brown |
| Morning Drop-Off / Safe Routes to School | Supervise the drop-off area in front of the school from 8 to 8:20 a.m. Help children out of cars and move traffic in and out quickly and safely as possible. Remind community of crosswalk safety rules, and direct foot traffic as needed. Publicize programs and raise awareness of safety while walking to school. | Mark Edry — Co-Chair needed |
| Pancake Breakfast | Held as a community building event and fundraiser--often held in conjunction with Electronics Recycling event. | Mark Coleman, Lauren and John Boyle |
| Parent Partners/METCO | Dallin families matched w/METCO families and incoming kindergarten families to support the Dallin-family connection. | Deanna Cook |
| Room Parent Coordinator | Help your child's classroom teacher organize events and solicit volunteers for class activities. Manages phone tree. | Diane Gardner |
| Rummage Sale | Collect donations week before sale. Sale has been held in the fall in auction years and in the spring on the off years. | Heather Aordkian |
| School Council PTO Rep | Group dedicated to identifying education needs, adopting educational goals, reviewing annual school budget and formulating a school improvement plan for Dallin. (Made up of administrators/parents/1 community member—10 in all) | Julia Schilling |
| School Directory | Compiles and prepares student phone directory in September. | Mary Jacey, Debbie Richard |
| School Pictures | Coffee Pond Pictures (Sept/Oct) | Julie Powell |
| Science and Math Enrichment | Organize enrichment activities and provide curriculum support. | Mark Edry — co-chair needed |
| Supportdallin.org administrator | Oversee this section of the Dallin website | Ben Schersten (teacher) |
| Teacher Appreciation Week | Organize schoolwide activities during the first week of May. | Bailee Star |
| Teosinte Cultural Event (4th grade) | Community-building event for APS fourth-graders (May) | Marielle Racicot — 4th grade parent needed |
| Technology Committee | Assist teachers with technology support and implementing the school technology plan. | Tara Rossi — parents needed |
| Thanksgiving Pie Sale | Money earned for ASSIST Fund. Pies picked up the day before Thanksgiving vacation. | Lauren Jordahl — co-chair needed |
| Town Day | Usually third weekend in September. Booths are set up downtown highlighting organizations in town. Can be a fundraiser. | Margaret Kohler |
| Understanding Our Differences | Program from Newton Schools to help students better understand different disabilities. | OPEN |
| Volunteer Coordinators | Coordinates volunteers for PTO-sponsored activities. | Diane Siegel, Dee Cook |
| Wilson Farm Shopping Day | 20% of purchases comes back to Dallin | Diana Cuypers |