See the end of this page for a list of the responsibility of the elected officers of the PTSA

2023-2024 Executive Board
President Richard Ewell
1st VPMaggie Ewell
2nd VPCOMING SOON!
Treasurer Heather Christian
SecretarySandra Chetelat
Committee Chairs
Communications TBD
Community Education TBD
EventsTBD
FundraisingJenna Barron
Teacher & Staff AppreciationElizabeth Diaz
MembershipAngela Chambliss
Recognition and AwardsJulie Cabus
Special Education LiaisonTBD

You may e-mail any of the chairs directly by clicking on the position

ARTICLE 6: DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The president shall:
A. Preside at all meetings of this local PTA/PTSA.
B. Coordinate the work of the officers and committees of this local PTA/PTSA in order that the purposes may be promoted.
C. Submit this local PTA/PTSA officers’ contact information form and verification of this local PTA/PTSA’s employer identification number (EIN) to the Virginia PTA state office immediately upon election of officers annually.
D. Perform such other duties as may be prescribed in these bylaws.
E. Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees of this local PTA/PTSA except the nominating committee.

the main parts of this job are planning and setting up meetings for the membership and Board, communicating with the Principal, members, and others, and helping to create or edit communications. The President also attends meetings with our School Board rep and FCCPTA. A lot of the job is just following up to make sure there is coordination and things get done. The amount of time you spend depends on how much you delegate and what you try to do.

Section 3. The vice president(s) shall:
A. Act as aide(s) to the president.
B. In their designated order, perform the duties of the president in the absence or inability of the officer to act. If more than one vice president, must list job title for each vice president as approved by general membership on the Organizational Structure Form.
C. Perform other delegated duties as assigned.

The WSHS PTSA has traditionally operated with two VPs, one focusing more on administration (audit, bylaws/organizational structure form, etc.) and the other focused more on programs and activities. The responsibilities of the latter depend more on what the PTSA is doing, but we have sometimes had the VP generally oversee activities. The important part is when the VPs are elected it needs to be clear which one would take over for the President if the President is unable to continue.

Section 4. The secretary shall:
A. Record the minutes of all meetings of the local PTA/PTSA.
B. Keep the official copy of the local PTA/PTSA bylaws in his/her files.
C. Maintain a membership list as required by Virginia PTA.
D. Perform other delegated duties as assigned.

The membership list is maintained through Memberhub and generated automatically as people sign up. The main job is preparing the draft minutes after each meeting and then preparing a final version after the draft minutes are approved at the following meeting.


Section 5. The treasurer shall:
A. Have custody of all funds and finances of the local PTA/PTSA.
B. Keep a full and accurate account of receipts and expenditures as described in these bylaws.
C. Make disbursements as authorized by the president, executive board, or general membership in accordance with the budget adopted by the general membership.
D. Have checks or vouchers signed by two (2) officers, preferably the treasurer and the president.
E. Present a written financial statement at every meeting of the local PTA/PTSA and at other times when requested by the executive board.
F. Prepare an annual financial report at the close of the fiscal year.
G. Have the accounts examined according to the auditing procedures outlined in these bylaws.
H. Submit a copy of the fiscal year-end financial review report to the Virginia PTA state office within fifteen (15) days following the adoption of the audit by the membership.
I. Submit a 990N, 990EZ, or 990 form per IRS regulations. A copy of this form shall be sent to the Virginia PTA state office within fifteen (15) days of filing.
J. Remit by November 1 to the Virginia PTA state office, Virginia PTA and National PTA dues for membership received prior to November 1. Remit by December 1, dues received after November 1. Remit by March 1, dues received after December 1. Remit by June 30, all Virginia PTA and National PTA dues received after March 1.
K. Perform other delegated duties as assigned.

Now that we use Memberhub to have members join online, the Treasurer responsibilities don’t involve cashing as many checks. The process of turning over fees to the State and Local PTAs is also fairly simple because it is integrated into Memberhub, and there is an automatic report of all financial transactions conducted through Memberhub. The main duties are tracking disbursements and income and reporting that at membership meetings. Although the PTSA filed 990s in the past, once it regains its 501(c)(3) status the tax filing process should just be filing a postcard each year confirming that the PTSA’s funds are well below the $50,000 threshold for 990 filings.

COMMITTEE CHAIRs and the EXECUTIVE BOARD: The Executive Board normally consists of the following Chair positions plus the officers and holds meetings several times during the school year to provide planning and guidance for the PTSA.  However, we are flexible so if someone just wants to engage in activities without attending meetings, it will probably be fine for you to serve as a Chair without serving on the Executive Board.

Teacher Appreciation: This Chair plans two teacher appreciation efforts, one to help welcome teachers back to school and another to celebrate teachers during teacher appreciation week (the first week of May). The Chair also plans a staff luncheon during or around teacher appreciation week, usually hiring a caterer.  This Chair will work with the Principal and staff to pick dates and plan the events to make them a success. 

  • Stock the Break Room Coordinator:  Each year the PTSA coordinates one or two “stock the break room” events in which we ask parents to donate food and drink that is distributed throughout the various teacher and staff breakrooms.  These events require a coordinator. In some years this has been the Teacher Appreciation Chair; in other years it has been a separate person.  This just depends on interest.  The Coordinator’s role is to develop the “ask” list that is sent out to parents, identify a storage area for packages (most parents prefer to order something off an Amazon gift list, so those items get delivered to someone’s house) and drop offs.  Then organize the donations and coordinate volunteers on the stocking day to deliver the stuff to the various break rooms.

Membership: This Chair is responsible for all things membership. Signups, keeping accurate membership lists via Memberhub (to be provided to Secretary), and providing reports at PTSA meetings. Busiest time for this Chair is the beginning of the school year. Should plan to attend welcome back to school events when parents are most likely to be at school to make it easy for them to sign up as a member of the PTSA.

Recognition and Awards: The Chair coordinates, publicizes, and organizes selection committees for the following:

Mini grants:  make mini-grant applications available the staff and work with the Executive Committee to select grant recipients.  Mini grants are small grants (TBD in the budget) made available to teachers and staff for special projects for which FCCPS funding is not available.  For example, past teachers have used them to purchase specialized equipment, conduct special science experiments, or bring students to special art performances.

Scholarship for Success: Oversees a WSHS PTSA scholarship awarded to seniors with IEPs who have overcome obstacles to achieve success. Work with school counselors to determine eligibility, form a selection committee, and ensure the award is presented at the Senior Awards Ceremony.

Above and Beyond Award:  The Chair gathers nominations for teachers, staff, or students who have gone “above and beyond” their expected duties to improve the WSHS community.  Examples of past winners have included crossing guards and the school nurse who organized grounds work.  The awards typically come with a very modest gift card ($10 or as otherwise budgeted) and public recognition in a PTSA message.  The Chair would work with the Executive Committee to select recipients on a monthly or ad hoc basis.

Fundraising:  This chair solicits and plans fundraisers, which in recent years have consisted of restaurant nights and practice SAT testing (via a partner vendor).  The number of restaurant nights depends on the budget targets and how successful each restaurant night is.  Now that we have our 501(c)(3) status back, we could also look into setting up give-back programs (Amazon Smile, Membership Hub givebacks).

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Communications:  Along with the President, help maintain the PTSA’s Facebook page and website.  Also could develop or relay content via Instagram and other social media.  Depending on experience and interest, this Chair could help develop graphics and other materials to enhance PTSA communications.

Community Education:  Since COVID-19, the PTSA has planned or hosted a number of speaker events, typically in conjunction with membership meetings, to provide information and resources for parents and students.  Topics have included information about student volunteering, mental health, healthy use of digital technology, updates from local elected representatives from the School Board, Fairfax County, and the VA House of Delegates, and a presentation by WSHS counselors about what students should be doing each year to prepare for college.  Other potential activities could include educational films, assembling educational information for the PTSA website, and sharing educational information from the VA PTA.

Community Events:  This position would focus on providing social and community-building events.  Most WSHS events are planned by the student government, various clubs, or teachers or staff.  Since COVID-19, the PTSA’s activities in this area have been limited to supporting events led by other groups, but has held an ice-cream day event at the end of the school year to encourage social interaction between students, teachers, and staff.  Other potential community events could include a talent show, movie night, or parent social.

Liaisons

FCCPTA Special Education Liaison: This person attends FCCPTA Special Education PTA (SEPTA) Meetings and reports back information to our PTSA. They also ensure that important information relevant to special education is shared by the PTSA when appropriate.