Volunteering Opportunities
Being a member of a PS 183 committee is such a great way to keep a better pulse on the happenings in your child’s class and events going on within the school community.
To that end, below is a list of PTA committees. Many committee chair spots are left open to allow incoming parents a chance to get involved and really make a difference at PS 183. Committees also need volunteers to help out with their events. Whether you can attend one meeting or many, offer ideas, help set up, etc., the committee chairs would love to know there are others to support them. Please look through the list and reach out directly! If you have any questions, please email Cara Gelfand at pta@ps183.org

PTA Committee Chairs
Volunteers are needed to help with all of our school committees.
**Needs Co-Chair: a co-chair is needed in addition to volunteers for this committee
Fundraising
Annual Fund/Family Giving – Volunteers work all year to solicit donations from PS 183 families. The Annual Fund raises 45% of PS183 PTA’s Annual Budget. Tasks include direct outreach, preparing mailings, updating tracking charts, collecting donations and sending thank you letters.
Email Chair: Patricia Correge (bahia@rcn.com) Randi Kaplan (randikaplan@hotmail.com)
**Spring Auction – Volunteers plan, organize and host the largest party of the year! This event raises 35% of PS183 PTA’s annual budget. Volunteers solicit donations for a live and silent auction, publish the auction catalog and plan activities for the night of the event.
Email **Chair: Karen Benitez (ktahlsten@hotmail.com)
**Catalog: Sarah Krell (sarahkrell@gmail.com)
**Donations:
**Event:
Bake Sales – Volunteers needed to coordinate food donations, arrange and sell for various bake sales throughout the year. Most probably 3-4 bake sales for this year: November 7th, 2017 (Election Day), Parent/teacher conferences and Mr D’s music concert in spring (date not set yet).
Email Chair: Claudia Pulster (cpulster@nyc.rr.com) and Cristina Mota (cmota21@gmail.com)
Book Fair (February 8rd-15th, 2019) – Volunteers help to organize, promote, set up and sell books at the annual PS183 Book Fair. Proceeds benefit the PS183 PTA.
Email co-Chairs: Kari Riley (kariswensonreily@gmail.com), Karen Otterburn (kotterburn@gmail.com).
**Boosterthon Fun Run (TBD) — Chair coordinates with Boosterthon to hold our Fun Run fundraiser in the spring. Volunteers help facilitate the event and cheer kids on the day of.
Box Tops – Volunteers advertise the Box Top program at PS 183, then collect, count and sort product box tops, which are dropped off by families all year long.
Email Chair: Sarah Krell (sarahkrell@gmail.com)
Coin Drive - Volunteers organize and promote a coin change collection drive, with proceeds benefiting PS 183.
Email Chair: Patricia Correge (bahia@rcn.com). Completed for 2017-2018. Need volunteers for next year.
East 67thStreet Market – A committee of volunteers oversee the market and act as liason with the market manager, update the market Facebook page and organize ways for the PTA to utilize this community mainstay.
Email Chair: Hope London (hopeforadiamond@aol.com). Runs all year long.
**PS 183 School Store – Volunteers assist in selling PS183 merchandise at PS 183 events, and throughout the year on the school yard and PreK/Kindergarten Floor.
Email co-Chairs: Joanna Brumberger (joannabrumberger@gmail.com), Yvette Lau (yvetteylau@gmail.com) (Needs co-chair)
**Read-a-Thon (October 22nd – October 26th) — Volunteers needed for this online fundraiser in the fall that promotes literacy while raising funds for enrichment programming at PS 183.
Email co-Chairs: Karen Otterburn (kotterburn@gmail.com)
Thanksgiving Pie Drive — Volunteers promote, order sell and distribute pies, quiches and brownies for the Thanksgiving holiday. Proceeds benefit PS183 PTA.
Email co-Chairs: Rebecca Gruber (rebeccamgruber@gmail.com), Patty Brahe (pbrahe@mac.com)
School Support
Art Room Coordinator – Volunteers help in the Art Room, as well as install artwork throughout the school during the year, and assist with the Art Gallery in the Spring.
Email Chair: Kelly Smith (kellys555753@gmail.com).
Class Parent Coordinators – Volunteers help facilitate communication with teachers and families about upcoming school events, help to plan class parties and organize teacher celebrations.
Co-Chairs: Kari Riely, Efi Tzatha ps183classparentcoordinators@gmail.com
Communications Committee — The Communications Committee develops content and shares important school information via our school website, www.ps183.org, our Facebook page and our school blast.
Chairs: Rebecca Gruber (website and social media), Shannon Berkowsky (blast)
Email: communications@ps183.org
**Grant Writing Committee – Committee works together to seek funding from outside resources, such as corporations and non profit organizations, that offer opportunities to supplement enrichment programs and other specific school needs.
Chair: Michael Ekstract (ekstract@gmail.com)
**Health and Wellness Chair — Volunteers facilitate health events at 183, such as vision screening and lice checks. Lice check is done 3 times per year from 9am to 2pm. Vision screening is once in year (most probably in March).
Email chair: Efi Tzatha (tzathae@mskcc.org)
**Library Volunteer — Coordinate with our literacy and math coaches to organize books in our school support room. We need 2-3 parents to rotate every other week to organize the books so that the students and the teachers can find quickly what they need.
Chair: Efi Tzatha (tzathae@mskcc.org)
**Participatory Budgeting — Volunteers work as a team to take part in the district participatory budget process by submitting project ideas and advocating for school proposals.
Email Chair: Michael Ekstract
Picture Day (October 30, 2018) – Volunteers help organize envelopes for families ordering pictures, and help with kids getting their pictures taken.
Email co-Chairs: Patricia Correge (bahia@rcn.com); Yvette Lau (yvette@multivisiondigital.com), Claudia Pulster (cpulster@yahoo.com)
Recess Program Liaison — Chair is the PTA contact for PTA funded recess programs at PS 183.
Email Chair: Patricia Correge (bahia@rcn.com)
School Tours (December 1st, January 12th, February 2nd at 9am, lasts about 90 min) — Volunteers assist with giving tours to incoming families and providing information about all of the wonderful things happening at 183!
Email co-Chairs: Mara Yentis (marayentis1@gmail.com), Lihi Rapoport (misslihi@gmail.com)
Spring Orientation (Kindergarten) – Volunteers organize and and facilitate an introduction to PS183 for incoming families.
Email co-Chairs: Mara Yentis (marayentis1@gmail.com); Lihi Rapoport (misslihi@gmail.com), Karen Otterburn (kotterburn@gmail.com)
Website – Volunteers help to develop, update and manage the PS 183 website.
Email Chairs: Rebecca Gruber (rebeccamgruber@gmail.com), Fernando Garza (rezyde@gmail.com)
Community Building
**Appreciation Week Coordinator ( May 8th-12th) — PS 183 celebrates our teachers and staff during National Teacher Appreciation Week by showing them gratitude for their commitment to our children’s education.
Email Chair: Lihi Rapoport (misslihi@gmail.com)
Back to School Block Party - Volunteers organizes a block festival to welcome families back to school.
Email Chairs: Liat Kletz (liatkletz@gmail.com); Alana Woodnicki (alanawodnicki@gmail.com)
Carnival — PS 183 Annual Carnival in Central Park every June. Volunteers sell tickets prior to the event, and check in participants at the carnival.
Email Chair: Rebecca Gruber (rebeccamgruber@gmail.com)
Comedy Night (TBD) – Volunteers help to sell tickets prior to this super fun parents’ night out. Volunteers also facilitate check in on the night of the event.
Email Chair: Debbie Altomonte (debbie@happyfunky.com)
Family Fun Friday – Volunteers organize family events such as PS 183’s Annual Halloween Party (October 27th, 2017) and Spring Movie Night.
Email co-Chairs: Joslin Paradise (joslinparadise@gmail.com); Sam Berg (sambrinberg@gmail.com), Hope London (hopeforadiamond@aol.com)
Graduation Committee — Volunteers help with 5th Grade graduation events-decorating the gym, ordering food and drinks, and helping to serve at this wonderful event celebrating our fifth graders.
Email Chair/co-Chairs: Patricia Correge (bahia@rcn.com), Debbie Altamonte (debbie@happyfunky.com)
Ice Skating Party (TBD) – Volunteers help to sell tickets prior to the event, and help with check in the night of this fun winter celebration!
Email Chair: Rebecca Gruber (rebeccamgruber@gmail.com)
Pre K and Kindergarten Welcome Breakfast — Volunteers order and set up food and beverages to welcome our incoming families to PS 183 on the first day of school. Done for this year. Need volunteers for next year.
Sport Events (Yankees, Barclays, NYCFC) — Volunteers work with sports organizations such as the Yankees, Islanders and NYCFC to organize community nights for the school.
Email chairs: Patricia Correge (bahia@rcn.com), Yvette Lau (yvetteylau@gmail.com)
**PS 183 Times — Volunteers write, layout and oversee advertising for our school newsletter.
Email Editor: Erin Bach (erinlbach@gmail.com)
Sensations Yearbook – Volunteers take photos, collect student work, oversee ‘congratulatory ads,’ and work with the 5th Grade Student Yearbook committee to pick a theme, design and layout of the book.
Email Editor: Patty Brahe (pbrahe@mac.com), Kaz Gibson (kazuha@gmail.com). Especially 4th grade parent volunteers are needed.
Social Action Committee — Volunteers work with teachers to choose, plan and implement student-led community service projects that involve and engage our children in learning about and taking action on social causes that matter to our community and to our world. The goal is to create child-centered learning experiences through working with selected non-profit organizations covering a wide range of social issues, including those providing relief to those affected by the Summer 2017 hurricanes.
Chairs: Allison Anderson, Nikki Barker and Cristina Mota
Email: socialaction@ps183.org
Social Action Grade Chairs — Need a minimum of 2 per grade (more are welcome)
**Pre K and K: Hurricane Relief
The Pre-K and Kindergarten fall hurricane relief project will focus on rescue animals. We will have Foster Dogs come to classrooms with a therapy dog on October 25 and November 1 to share what they have done to help the animals affected by the hurricane & how the kids can help from afar. This will be done through read aloud, discussion and photos. The students will then do a follow up art project with PS 183’s art teacher Sophia Casas: students will design blank note cards with a dog/ or mixed animal theme. Teachers are looking for parent volunteers to wrap and package the cards into bundles to sell at the PS 183 Saturday market (date TBA). All proceeds from the sales will go toward hurricane relief efforts. Timeline: October-November 2017
Project Cicero
The Pre-K and Kindergarten social action project is focused on Project Cicero, a partnership of independent, public, and parochial schools, private and public organizations and corporations whose primary goal is to create and supplement classroom libraries for children in under-resourced New York City public schools through an annual citywide book drive. Project Cicero also puts books into homeless shelters, juvenile detention facilities, community centers, pre- and after school programs, and wherever else there is a need. To date, Project Cicero has placed more than 2.5 million books into more than 15,000 classrooms and school libraries reaching over 1,000,000 children in under-resourced schools in New York City. Project Cicero encourages children to help children; students can be involved via collecting new and gently used books for under-resourced schools, such as by holding a book drive in their school, building or neighborhood.
Parent volunteer activities at PS 183 include raising awareness about the book drive process and dates with parents in January and February and helping to collect and sort books that are donated to PS 183 during the book drive on March 5-March 8. Timeline: January – March 2018; book drive dates are March 5-8
Parent chair: Andrew Koerner (andrewkoerner@gmail.com)
Need another co-chair
**1st Grade: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to save and improve children’s lives, providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. Students will learn about UNICEF and make presentations to other classes throughout the school about UNICEF and Trick or Treat for UNICEF, distributing the boxes. Students will then collect donations for Trick or Treat for UNICEF, which will support hurricane relief efforts. Timeline: October 2017
In the spring of 2018, first grade will organize their own school store, including creating student-made goods to sell to other students to raise funds for UNICEF. Timeline: Spring 2018
1st Grade Chairs:
Efi Tzatha (tzathae@mskcc.org), Priscilla Nelson (prissy.nelson@gmail.com), Allison Anderson (allisondominique@gmail.com)
2nd Grade: Wild Bird Fund: The Wild Bird Fund is a state and federally licensed 501(c)(3) that rehabilitates over 3000 sick, injured or orphaned wildlife and releases them back to the wilds of New York City. April- May 2018
Parent chairs/volunteers: NEEDED
3rd Grade: Ava’s Voice: Ava’s Voice, which provides public education about and assistance and support to families affected by hearing and/or vision loss, will engage children in learning about Braille and American Sign Language and create art projects using tactile mediums, so the blind can feel them. November-January
Parent chairs: Sam Berg, one more needed
Parent volunteers: NEEDED
4th Grade: Grow NYC: Grow to Learn is the NYC’s citywide School Garden Initiative and this project will connect with PS 183’s green and sustainability initiatives, including the Green Team and the helping to reduce, reuse and recycle within the PS 183 community through the January 2018 rummage sale.
Parent chairs/volunteers: NEEDED
5th Grade: Halo Foundation: HALO provides housing, healing and education to disadvantaged youth around the world with the goal of empowering them to contributing members of their communities; among other activities, students will learn about and connect with young people being support by Halo and help to organize the 2018 rummage sale that will benefit HALO. November to January
Parent chairs/volunteers: NEEDED
Spring Fair — Volunteers help to organize and set up a school wide spring celebration.
Email co-Chairs: Cara Gelfand (carabgelfand@gmail.com); Alana Wodnicki
(alanawodnicki@gmail.com)
Staff Appreciation Luncheon — Volunteers help to arrange our annual potluck luncheon to the PS 183 teachers and staff. Lunch is held in November on an early dismissal day.
Email co-Chairs: Kristen Duong (kdfu2015@gmail.com); Yvette Lau (yvetteylau@gmail.com)