The Cabot PTO has many committees dedicated to fulfilling our mission to support the school staff, help enrich the educational experience of our children, and build the sense of community here at Cabot.

Get involved by joining a committee – it doesn’t take much time, about 5 hours per year. Take a moment to read the brief descriptions of all the PTO committees, see which interest you, and join us. Please contact the chair of a committee for more information.

Note: Commitment indicates the amount of time it takes to chair the committee, not to volunteer for the committee.

PTO Co-Presidents
Oversee PTO committee activities, coordinate with members, the Principal & teachers, & set the PTO's direction. Serves a 2 yr term which overlaps with the incoming co-president for 1 year. Produces the Welcome Packet - Aug-September. Communicates with Cabot families via weekly emails. Keeps Cabot community informed about city-wide school-related issues. Prepares annual PTO budget, & oversees on ongoing basis fund raising & spending. Attend meetings: bi-monthly with Principal, monthly School Council, monthly Newton PTO Council & various School Committee meetings.
Commitment: Average of 12 hours per week, some weeks less & some weeks as high as 25 hours.
Current chairs: Sally Brickell and Lori Knowles

Treasurer
Each serves a 2 yr term which overlaps with incoming co-treasurer for 1 year. Oversees the revenues & expenses of the PTO. Provides financial information & advice to Co-Presidents, & PTO committees. Responsible for expense reimbursements & yearly tax returns. Knowledge of Quicken necessary.
Commitment: Average of 6-8 hrs per week.
Current chairs: Andrea Steenstrup

VP of Fundraising
Serves a 2 yr term. Sets & oversees the PTO fundraising goals with the PTO Presidents. Liaise with smaller fundraiser activities.
Commitment: Average of 6-8 hrs per week.
Current chair: Julie Bourgoin

Secretary
To be described
Commitment: PTO meeting
Current chair: Krista Kett

Acknowledgement/Teacher Appreciation
With volunteers, responsible for acknowledgement of teachers & staff throughout year in a variety of ways, from purchasing cards & small gifts to hosting the teacher appreciation lunch in spring.
Commitment: Kick off at start of school year. Average of 2-4 hrs/wk.
Current chair: Sharon Dwyer

Adult Event
Commitment:
Current chair: Jen Hyde

Artwork for Education
Commitment:
Current chair: Mary Kathryn Fallon

Book Fair
Organizes & runs with volunteers a 3 day event in March which allows students & families to purchase books. Includes an ice cream social one evening. Liaises with School Librarian & Bookseller.
Commitment: Approx. 25 hrs from end of Feb to event.
Current chair: Kate Johnson and KB Spector

Cabot Connecting Families
Acts as liaisons between Newton & Boston families who participate in the METCO program. They organize with volunteers social activities to bring together Cabot families outside of school.
Commitment:
Current chairs: Amy Siegel and Brett Leav

CASP Liaison
Provides liaison between the Cabot After School Program - CASP - & the PTO. Serves as an aide to parents in the CASP program.
Commitment: 1 yr - attend CASP meetings as necessary
Current chair: Joanne Gatnik

Cabot Community Park
Responsible for the maintenance of the outdoor park utilizing volunteers for necessary planting, weeding & watering.
Commitment:
Current chairs: Chris Kjellson and Margaret Wazuka

Cabot Community Supper
Responsible for organizing the Cabot Community Supper
Commitment:
Current chairs: Sharon Jacobs, Joanne Gatnik and Gail Harris

Cabot Fair
Serves a 2 yr term which overlaps with the experienced outgoing chair. Runs & organize the annual Cabot Fair in May, overseeing a team of volunteers. Ensure compliance with city & state regulations. Coordinate with committees who run various aspects of Fair - Games, Raffle, Advertising, Treasurer, Cabot Goods, Cabot staff & Teachers.
Commitment:
Current chairs: Kate Painter and Nina Tebaldi

Cabot Goods
Chair sources, organizes & procures inventory. With volunteers coordinates a rota to sell goods at Cabot events - Welcome Picnic, CASP events, Book Fair, Family Dance, Community Supper etc,. - & fulfill paper orders placed through year.
Commitment: Approx. 2-4 hrs per month.
Current chair: Helen Cao and Kim Buckton

Call Back Coordinator
Organizes a rotation of parent volunteers who check absent messages against class attendance lists. Place calls to student families not in school. A city-wide program to ensure the safe arrival of students.
Commitment:
Current chair: Ann Manaktala

Cabot Clean-up Day
Commitment:
Current chair: Amy Sielgel and Brett Leav

Core Values
To bring Cabot School’s core values of: Life-long learning,Respect for self and others, and Commitment to school and community to life for students and their families and for the faculty and staff. To consistently make these values part of the way we in the Cabot community conduct ourselves. This committee of parents and faculty meets with the principal to identify ways to reinforce Cabot’s core values.
Commitment:
Current chairs: open

Creative Arts & Sciences
A city-wide program that brings Language Arts, Science, Arts, and Social Studies enrichment programs into Cabot classrooms. Co-chairs organize & facilitate parent volunteers who coordinate programs for a particular grade.
Commitment:
Current chairs: Faith Witte and Solange Lavanchy

Directory
Oversees the compilation & printing of Cabot Directory of all Cabot staff & students. This Directory is intended only for use by Cabot families to facilitate social activities & communication.
Commitment:
Current chair: Cathy Devoe and Marya Van't Hul; Marc Svensson (Directory Layout) and Meryl Price (Directory Advertising)

Family Dance
Co-chairs organize an annual free Dance for Cabot students & their families in February.
Commitment:
Current chairs: Daniela Boerboom

5th Grade Activities
Chairs work with Principal, & 5th grade families & teachers to co-ordinate a seminal year of noteworthy activities.
Commitment:
Current chair: Sue Covitz, Jenny Gamson, Vicki Gartlabd, Dorothy Klein and Stephanie Gilman

Gift Wrap
Organizes annual major fund raising sale of gift wrap for Cabot.
Commitment: Approx. 20 hrs September - October
Current chair: Kate Johnson

Green Committee
Commitment:
Current chair: Jodi Vito and Leticia Meza-Riedewald

Hospitality
Arrange for refreshments at various PTO events (day & evening) throughout year. Work a rotation of events with volunteers.
Commitment:
Current chair: Roberta Hing

Invention Invasion
Coordination of annual event open to all Cabot students that promotes & displays inventiveness.
Commitment:
Current chairs: Istvan & Maria Bonyhay and Marina Kvitnitsky

Jabberwock Editors
In rotation with other editors, compile, edit & publish monthly email newsletter for Cabot community. Liaise with Webmaster to ensure update information available on website.
Commitment: Approx 10 hrs every 3 months
Current chairs: Krista Kett, Jennifer Abbott and Susan Phillips

Kindergarten Registration
Host in March the parent Kindergarten orientation.
Commitment:
Current chairs: Tera Hirsch, Sarah Hemphill and Julie Lindstrom

Library Liaison
Recruits & oversees volunteers for Cabot library & coordinates activities with School Librarian. Hosts a coffee for library volunteers at start of year, trains & orients volunteers, & runs a thank you coffee for volunteers at year end.
Commitment: 1-2 hrs per week during school year
Current chair: Kate Johnson

Nominating
Organizes nomination of PTO officers, committee chairs & School Council. Recruits through use of contact with current chairs, knowledge of acquaintances across grade levels, Jabber & word of mouth. Manage school council elections in April/May.
Commitment: 20-25 hours between January and May.
Current chair: Mary Kathryn Fallon

Photography Coordinator
Photograph school events using digital photography with help of volunteers. Help archive & organize photography for the school. Coordinate with chairs of special events (Community Supper, Cabot Fair, etc.)
Commitment: ½ hour per week, & available for special events.
Current chair: Sara Goldberg

Playground
Responsible for improvement & maintenance of Cabot's playground.
Commitment:
Current chair: John Fitzgerald

Political Issues
Keeps the Cabot community informed of political issues affecting the school. Attend School Committee meetings & other as necessary. Inform Cabot community of current issues & actions needed through use of the PTO website & Jabber. Coordinate activities with PTO presidents, Principal & School Committee.
Commitment:
Current chairs: Janet Hart and Sarah Ecker

Program Enrichment
Solicit ideas & grant recommendations for materials, & programs to enhance the Cabot learning experience for the greatest number of students. Advertise grant opportunities, talk with principal, copy forms, send out letters, & spread sheets, recruit teachers & parents to join the committee, hold meeting to decide the allocations.
Commitment: Total 20 -24 hours. Grant meeting takes 2 hours. September through November.
Current chairs: Heather Mehra and Cindy Callaway

Public Relations
Commitment:
Current chair: Charles Rudnick

Room Captain K-2 & 3-5
Recruit room parents for each classroom to assist the teacher in various activities & events & communications throughout the year.
Commitment:
Current chairs: Kim Buckton (K-2) and Chris Kjellson (3-5)

Safe Routes to School
Commitment:
Current chair: open

School Store
Responsible for procuring inventory for & running school store every Thursday morning before school. Proceeds benefit 5th grade activities.
Commitment:
Current chair: Karen Lumino

Small Fundraisers responsible for:
- Boxtops for Education - Jo Doherty
- Papa Ginos - several times per year - Julie Stonehill
- Learning Express - Julie Stonehill

Social Action Committee
Organizes & advertises activities that benefit communities & organizations in need of assistance such as food & clothing drives.
Commitment: Kick-off meeting to determine calendar of activities & then 2-5 hrs per month.
Current chair: Suzy Enyeart and Jennifer Abbott

Special Education Liaison
This volunteer serves as a resource for questions about Chapter 766, the State Law that guarantees all children the right to an education regardless of capabilities, & relays relevant information to Cabot community.
Commitment: Attends meetings of city-wide committee.
Current chair: Carrie Jasper

Technology Committee
Identifies technology needs at Cabot. In liaison with Principal, school staff & the Newton Schools Education Center technology staff decides how best to spend PTO budget.
Commitment:
Current chair: Richard Wright and Angela Pitter-Wright

Understanding Our Differences
Presents programs about human differences to G4th students. Attends citywide training program. Recruits & coordinates parent volunteers to assist in presenting the program to students. Arranges the speakers & materials used in the classrooms.
Commitment: 6 hours per month September thru March
Current chair: open

Webmaster
Responsible for managing the Cabot PTO website and the Cabot Community mailing list.
Commitment:
Current chair: Mimi Borden and Allison Danziger

Welcome Committee
Send out letters in July welcoming new families to Cabot. Match new families with buddies over the summer. Coordinate & attend Welcome picnic early Sept. Act as a resource for new families as needed.
Commitment: 20 hours total shared by chairs during summer. Work home-based at your discretion during summer.
Current chairs: SandyTise, Brenda Schwartz and Jodi Vito

Wellness and Safety Committee
Provides guidance regarding food safety at school events (Community Supper & Cabot Fair). Responsible for organizing bike safety dates for 3rd Grade in spring & 4th Grade in Fall. Oversees Blue Zone safety
Commitment:
Current chair: Betsy DiSciullo and Jen Borhegyi