Sponsored Programs

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS RUN BY PARENT VOLUNTEERS

Art Vistas
Co-chairs

Kristen Leach
Tanya Winn
Agnieszka Jaskierny

Help bring the love of art to your child's class! No art experience is necessary - training will be provided for you by the district Art Vistas Inc. program leads. New docents will attend a one-time, two hour training session. And, all docents attend grade-specific training twice during the year (fall and winter). There are six lessons per year - each lesson includes a scripted presentation of art concepts and prints followed by a fun hands-on project. All of the art supplies are prepped and provided for you. This year, docents will be preparing pre-recorded lessons and posting online. Learn more about Art Vistas.
Check out our virtual art show from last year!

Clay
Co-Chairs

Brandie Samaripa
Gothami Krishnan

Mileage Club
Chair: Lauren Jewell
Mileage Club is non-competitive outdoor running/walking activity for kids from 1st grade to 5th grade. It is an excellent way to encourage children to:

remain active during lunch recess
set and strive to achieve goals
build confidence

Details:

Mileage Club will be held at school field on Mondays and Fridays during the lunch break throughout the year (weather permitting)
Parent volunteers are always assisting the children at Mileage Club
Once the child has completed a certain amount of laps he/she will be awarded with a charm/token and will also be invited to join us for a party (we will arrange a party 2-3 times during the school year)

Project Cornerstone
Co- Chair: Tina Stein and Kelsey Combellick
Project cornerstone helps teach life skills and tools to deal with social conflicts and bullying. This program uses children's literature as a jumping off point for discussions and activities about feelings, experiences and concerns around social interactions. This year, the lessons will be pre-recorded and made available online. To see what we've talked about this year, see our Cornerstone Corner.

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS RUN BY OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF

Drama Club
Director : Lisa Merkel
Producer - Duygu Aykol
The Alta Vista Drama Club is an inclusive and supportive environment for students to develop performance skills. All 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students are welcome to join! Drama Club is a place where all students will be accepted and respected. In theatre we encourage individuality and creativity! Over the course of this year drama club students will learn about musical theatre and will participate in an exciting production. We believe theatre is a great way to empower our children to get out of their comfort zone and learn something new and have a TON of FUN along the way!

We are looking for two more producers for the 2023-24 school year.
Please email us at the address below if you are interested.
We'd love to have you on our team!
avhsc.drama@gmail.com

SPONSORED PROGRAMS & EVENTS

Author Visits
Coordinator: Kate Marchak
Parent volunteers partner with Hicklebees, a local bookstore, to bring well-known children's book authors to speak to the students at Alta Vista twice per year. Authors will lead a discussion and answer questions from the students. This year, we will offer virtual author visits and all students and parents will be invited to attend the YouTube presentation live, in addition to the recording. Signed copies of the books are made available for purchase online and orders can either be picked up from Hicklebees or orders of $25 or more will be delivered directly to your home.

Dad's Club
Coordinator: Ryan Greco
Who We Are
We are fathers of children at Alta Vista Elementary School who want to be involved with the school community. Our members have a wide variety of skills and abilities; some folks are great at fixing things and some are great at helping with events. We value everyone’s talents.
What We Do
The club has three main objectives:

Assist in enrichment events. We pitch in to run or assist with school events such as: Movie Night, the Art Show, Walk-a-thon, Fantasy Faire, fifth grade graduation, Olympic Day and Donuts with Dad’s.
Help the school. We help fix things that need fixing, host clean-up and repair days at the school, and generally lend a hand.
Encourage involvement, meet other parents, and network. Besides the two annual events, we normally gather after school events to celebrate. One of the best benefits of being part of the club is getting to know your fellow parents and neighbors.

When/Where We Meet
During the school year we meet twice, once in the fall and once in the spring at a local venue.
How to Join
You can sign up in MTK in the volunteer toolkit under your teacher's name and under "Dad's Club"

Garden Club
Coordinator: John Van Kirk
The Garden Club is open to students, who would like to meet at lunchtime on designated days out in the garden. Under the supervision of a teacher or a parent volunteer, students help maintain the garden, learn about a variety of plants and trees, and help with weeding, planting, and harvesting.

Hospitality Committee
Coordinator: Lauren Jewell
The Hospitality committee provides decorations, food, and beverages for teacher appreciation, Back-to-School, and other special events.

Room Parent Coordinator
Coordinator: Gomathi Krishnan
Ellen Pierpont and Farrah Hoehne

Room parent volunteers act as a liaison between the teacher and the parents. They maintain a class roster, communicate with the parents about class and HSC updates and online events, organize class activities if needed by the teacher, teacher appreciation , and help recruit classroom volunteers, as needed by the teachers.

Alta Vista's Annual Virtual Variety Show
Coordinator: Lisa Merkel

Yearbook
Coordinator: Mika
Kids (and parents) relive special moments throughout the year with the help of our yearbook.

Scholastic Book Fair
Coordinator: Sarah Keith and Narineh Smith
Scholastic online and in person book fairs

Birthday Books
Celebrate your Child’s Birthday with the Alta Vista Birthday Book Program
More Details Here
Coordinator: Narineh Smith