Committees

Class Parents in the Elementary School and Grade Parents in the Middle School are the liaisons between classrooms and parents, assisting teachers with such tasks as the organization of class parties, special projects, field trips, and teacher/aide gifts. Serving as a class parent is an excellent opportunity to connect to your child's class and to be involved in both the classroom and student/family community.

Be a liaison for your teacher: through the school year, your teacher may ask for help communicating with the other parents in the class — helping plan in-class events, line up volunteers, get parents to restock supplies as needed.

Class/Grade parents also communicate on behalf of the PTA to keep parents aware of important events from the PTA and to help recruit volunteers.

Keep in mind that the Class Parent is an official PTA representative role, which requires joining as a member. To make sure responsibilities are spread evenly, you may serve as the class parent for only one class or grade, even if you have multiple children. Starting in the 2026-27 school year, all monetary collections must go through the CheddarUp app (not Venmo) so class/grade parents should make themselves familiar with the platform.

Here's a quick three minute tutorial on how to use it; we'll also give class parents an overview and help set up accounts this month.

Cheddar Up Demo

Class/grade parents must also use the class/grade contact list responsibly, exclusively to communicate on behalf of the teacher and the PTA, and get permission before sharing anyone's contact information.

In cooperation with the school and a bookseller (such as Scholastic Books or Split Rock Books), the PTA sponsors fall and spring book fairs for the Elementary & Middle Schools. The book fairs serve both as fundraisers and as opportunities to bring students quality books at reduced cost.

Formed in 2019, the Haldane EDI Committee is committed to fostering a school climate that values diversity, inclusion, and kindness. Our aims are: (1) to help students develop greater compassion and respect for themselves and others; (2) to support parents, teachers, and staff in their efforts to build a community centered around radical inclusion and kindness; and (3) to create opportunities for conversations about the many forms of diversity that enrich the Haldane community. We recognize that the responsibility for doing these things belongs to all of us — administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and students.

This committee helps to coordinate new and established events that have been approved by the Exec Committee, working closely with the Treasurer. The events calendar includes annual mainstays like Movie Nights, Dia de los Muertos, Strawberry Fest, and the Elementary School Dance, among others.

Haldane's PTA Garden Committee is a group of volunteer parents that manage and maintain the garden while providing support to teachers in how to integrate garden learning into their curriculum. The Committee works closely with Haldane's Farm to School program and BOE Wellness Committee, providing fresh vegetables for the Chef in the Classroom program and the school cafeteria. The garden is 100% funded through grants and private/in-kind donations, and run entirely by volunteer labor.

This Committee supports families and children with learning differences, including children who may be gifted in some areas yet struggle in others, and fosters strong partnerships between parents and educators.

The Sustainability Committee works to support environmental responsibility and sustainability within the school campus and community. In its inaugural year (2019–2020), it was instrumental in obtaining a grant from HSF for sustainable materials, compostable bins, and vermicular material.

The PTA President has general charge and supervision of the business and affairs of the Haldane PTA and performs the duties usually incident to the office of President of a not-for-profit association, chartered by the New York State PTA. Serves as the spokesperson for the Haldane PTA.

The PTA Treasurer is the custodian of all PTA funds. Duties include keeping records and preparing reports to comply with local, state, and federal laws, working on the annual budget, and tracking all expenditures to ensure they fall within approved amounts and categories.

The main responsibility of a school VP is to act as the liaison between the school and the Executive Committee — meeting regularly with the School Principal and reporting back at monthly Executive Committee meetings.

Takes and keeps meeting minutes, tracks action items and the status of ongoing events, takes attendance at meetings, submits Building Use Forms, and coordinates with Butterfield Library to reserve meeting space.

Sends and receives PTA correspondence — email blasts, the PTA Facebook group, and the PTA section of the school/PTA website — handles electronic solicitations of volunteers and funds, and coordinates and maintains the PTA directory.