The PTA Board consists of the members of the Executive Board, PTA chairpersons and the Principal. Current issues and future development of school policies and curriculum are discussed at Board meetings, as well as plans for upcoming PTA functions and events. The General PTA Meetings are open to all Morris Brandon parents. These meetings are the best forums for PTA members to give their input in PTA matters. We encourage all parents to attend and participate in these meetings. In addition, the PTA Executive Board meets on a monthly basis, as does the Finance Committee. In the February of each year, the Executive Board forms a nominating committee, which fills PTA committee positions for the following school year. At this time, parents can nominate themselves for a specific job or a general interest to help support the PTA’s activities. There are positions for all who are interested.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
CO-PRESIDENTS: Coordinate volunteer efforts; serve as primary link between PTA and the principal; conduct monthly Executive Board Meetings and General PTA Meetings; coordinate materials and volunteers for Celebration of Learning; represent the school through the Northside Atlanta Parents of Public Schools (NAPPS) organization; and work with Atlanta Board of Education and Atlanta Public Schools (APS) on any issues of importance to the school.
CO- PRESIDENT CHAIRS-ELECT: Assist the Co-Presidents at all events; participate in all Executive Board and General PTA Meetings to learn the specifics of Brandon’s PTA budgeting and other related needs prior to taking office. Other duties include taking minutes at monthly Finance Committee meetings, changing signage at both campuses and coordinating the annual fall family dinner night.
SECRETARY: Attends PTA Board meetings and takes minutes for Board approval.
TREASURER: Handles the accounting of the PTA funds and the annual PTA Budget; files tax returns.
TREASURER-ELECT: Assists the Treasurer; handles all deposits.
FINANCE CHAIR: Conducts monthly Finance Committee meetings.
PARLIAMENTARIAN: Assists the Executive Board with past experience as a PTA Co-President.
FUNDRAISING
ANNUAL FUND: This committee is responsible for soliciting donations from Brandon families to the annual school PTA fund. These funds are essential in order for the PTA to provide family fun events, instructional support, cultural arts programs, teacher allotments, staff development and all the other “extras” parents expect at Brandon.
AUCTION: The committee for this every other year fundraiser plans and organizes all donated items from Brandon families and the community to be auctioned off at the event. The Auction is held on a weekend evening and includes a silent and a live auction, food and drinks.
BINGO NIGHT: This committee organizes a family night of Bingo, which includes games, snacks, and prizes.
BOOK FAIR: This committee coordinates the fall and spring book fairs. Duties include set up, staffing and take down.
BRANDON HOME TOUR: This committee is responsible for planning and hosting a spring tour of Brandon family homes. This committee also oversees the ongoing sales of the Brandon Cookbook.
BRANDON DINNER NIGHTS: The dinner night program encourages local restaurants (Chick Fil A, etc) to designate specific nights as Brandon nights. A portion of the proceeds is donated back to the school. The chair of this committee sets the schedule for these nights, visits the restaurants on the designated evenings and coordinates the pick-up of the checks.
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS: This committee works to cultivate new and existing corporate relationships. They develop sponsorship opportunities, solicit sponsorships and ensure recognition of corporate sponsors. Corporate Sponsors are typically local businesses committed to supporting and enriching the educational process at Morris Brandon. These businesses donate funds to supplement PTA sponsored school activities.
GIFT WRAP: This committee organizes the Gift Wrap Sale, which is one of Brandon’s annual fundraisers. Students and parents have the opportunity to sell quality gift-wrap, gift items and food products to family, friends and neighbors. This campaign is held at the beginning of the school year and ends approximately three weeks later. The work for this committee begins during pre-planning and continues until delivery of the product.
BRANDON JAMBOREE: This committee organizes the Jamboree, a family fun event occurring in the fall. It is an outdoor carnival with inflatable activities, games, a marketplace, crafts, foods, and other fun activities.
READ–A–THON: This committee coordinates our reading fundraiser for Brandon, which occurs in late January or early February. All students receive an extensive information packet that provides a list of books to read per grade level and a sponsor form. Students will read books during a certain time frame and raise funds according to their sponsorships.
TREE SALE: This committee coordinates the holiday sale of trees, wreaths and other items. This event typically takes place the first weekend after Thanksgiving break.
COMMUNITY
BEE GREEN TEAM: This committee helps the school focus on recycling, reducing, reusing, and rethinking our habits to be more eco-friendly.
BUSINESS PARTNERS: This committee develops, maintains, and coordinates our relationships with local businesses in our community; invaluable partners are the key to the success for many activities at Brandon.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: This committee coordinates with grade level community service projects such as Roots & Shoots. They also work with our sister school on outreach projects. This committee coordinates assistance to any Brandon family in need or crisis.
JUMP ROPE FOR HEART: This committee works with the PE coach to coordinate our annual Jump Rope of Heart event to benefit the American Heart Association. This event typically takes place in late February.
JUNIOR ACHEIVEMENT: This committee offers a wonderful opportunity to those interested in seeing first hand how it feels to teach your child and his/her classmates in the classroom setting. Materials and easy to follow lesson plans are provided by Junior Achievement.
LEGISLATIVE LIAISON: This liaison monitors legislation pertaining to education on both the local and state level. This committee is responsible for investigating and reporting legislative activity that may have a direct impact on the Brandon community. They report to the PTA on an as-needed basis. The PTA does not endorse any political candidates.
PROSPECTIVE PARENTS: This committee provides information to parents of pre-school children in our school district by scheduling and guiding tours of the school for prospective parents. They also host a Kindergarten Coffee in the fall for prospective parents and an Ice Cream Social in the spring for incoming Kindergarten students.
PUBLIC RELATIONS: This committee provides information to the community about Brandon events and accomplishments and facilitates visits with our community leaders. They also collect photographs and news clippings of events and special occasions throughout the year and works with the website coordinator to post photos on the website. They are also responsible for writing press releases to send to newspapers, television stations and other media outlets.
SUTTON LIAISON: This liaison provides a bridge of communication between Morris Brandon Elementary School and Sutton Middle School. This liaison helps parents and students become aware of the educational opportunities at our neighborhood middle school.
IN-HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENTS
BRANDON BEE NEWSLETTER: The Brandon Bee is the school newsletter published every other week to communicate important school news and PTA Board activities. This committee is responsible for compiling, editing, publishing and posting to the website this important communication tool.
DAD’S COMMITTEE: This committee is responsible for planning the Dad’s annual golf tournament and breakfast. These events are usually held in the spring.
DIRECTORY: This committee inputs the data, publishes and distributes the directory. The directory provides family addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, in addition to important school information, for all Brandon families. The directory is distributed to all PTA members, who have paid dues, approximately six weeks after the start of school.
E-PARENTS/TECHNOLOGY: This committee helps plan for the current and future computer/technology needs of Brandon students. This committee also appoints a manager to oversee the school website to make sure it is updated on a regular basis. This committee is responsible for email blasts that are sent out to Brandon families.
FIELD DAY: This committee works closely with the PE staff to help coordinate and oversee field day. This event is typically held in May.
FUN RUN: This committee plans and organizes Brandon’s annual fun run held on a Saturday morning in the spring.
LOGO: This committee provides Brandon t-shirts, sweatshirts, bumper stickers, shorts, and other Brandon supplies for sale throughout the school year.
WALK TO SCHOOL DAY: This committee coordinates the International Walk to School Day in October and March.
WATCHDOG DADS: This committee is responsible for helping implement the Watchdog Dad program throughout the year for both campuses. They also coordinate and host the annual Dad’s pizza night.
YEARBOOK/HISTORIAN: This committee is responsible for assisting with picture days and with the publishing of the annual yearbook.
OPERATIONS
ART LIASON: This committee works with the school art teacher to display student artwork at both campuses. They also coordinate the Primary Center Art Show and Sale in the spring.
ATTENDANCE: This committee coordinates perfect attendance recognition events each quarter and at the end of the year.
BEES WITHOUT BOUNDARIES: The PTA uses the bulletin boards in the school common areas at both campuses to highlight outstanding Brandon students and their accomplishments.
BUILDING & GROUNDS COMMITTEE: This committee coordinates and works closely with the principal, PTA and APS to help maintain and undertake projects that enhance the building (interior and exterior) and grounds, including maintenance of all playground equipment. This committee organizes the personalized bricks on the Brandon Main Campus backyard. This committee will work at both the Main Campus and Primary Center.
BUS LIAISON: This committee assists the staff in helping with the bus routes from APS. This committee acts at the liaison between bus drivers and school staff and families. This committee is present at the celebration of learning at both campuses.
CARPOOL LIAISON: This committee manages the distribution of carpool numbers and assists the administration with the safe and efficient flow of the carpool line. This committee is present at the Celebration of Learning at both campuses.
CHALLENGE LIAISON: This liaison helps with the challenge teachers and student interaction.
COPY COORDINATOR/BEE DISTRIBUTION: This committee works throughout the year to provide for the copying needs of the teachers and staff. This position also copies and distributes The Bee school newsletter during the first few weeks of school and to those who request a hardcopy throughout the year.
FIFTH GRADE COORDINATOR: This committee includes parents of fifth graders who coordinate activities in which fifth graders raise funds for various activities, projects, and class gifts for their last year at Brandon; plan and organize the promotion ceremony in May; assist the teachers in planning and organizing the annual fifth grade overnight trip; assist students in running the school store; host the election day bake sale in November; and memorialize their fifth grade year with a video.
FINANCE COMMITTEE: This committee meets monthly to investigate and review finance requests that come in from teachers, staff and PTA members.
HEALTH & SAFETY: This committee is responsible for working closely with the school nurse and safety staff to ensure the health and safety of the Brandon community. This committee is responsible for the emergency backpacks. This committee also coordinates traffic signage as needed for the areas surrounding both campuses.
HOSPITALITY: This committee provides the refreshments for the General PTA meetings and various other PTA functions throughout the school year. This committee is responsible for hosting a holiday coffee and end of the year luncheon for all PTA committee chairs.
INTERIORS: This committee is responsible for helping to maintain and enhance the appearance of both campuses throughout the year.
IB LIAISON: This committee assists our IB Coordinator with grade level activities through the year. They assist with the fifth grade IB exhibition in May.
KINDERGARTEN COORDINATOR: This committee works throughout the year with the Kindergarten staff to coordinate events. They are responsible for publishing and distributing the monthly kindergarten newsletter.
LOST & FOUND: This committee collects and organizes lost items in a central location at both campuses. Any items left in Lost and Found at the end of the month will be donated to a worthwhile charity.
MEDIA CENTER COORDINATOR: This committee acts as a volunteer source for the Media Specialist and coordinates volunteer activities that help the Media Specialist with shelving books, cataloging new books, etc.
MORNING PARENT COORDINATOR: Brandon has a security system, which permits entrance to the building during school hours at the front doors only. Committee members are responsible for allowing visitors to enter, greeting, and ensuring that all parents and guests sign in at the Reception Desk and wear a nametag. Volunteers also help the office staff by answering the phone and taking messages.
PARENT TUTOR COORDINATOR: This committee works to help provide parent tutoring for 2nd – 5th grade students as needed.
P.E. LIASION: This committee works with the PE staff at both campuses to coordinate PE activities.
PRIMARY CENTER LIASION: This committee helps oversee and coordinate all activities at Morris Brandon Primary Center.
ROOM PARENT COORDINATOR: This committee coordinates the Room Parents for all the classes. Room Parents provide teachers with the support they need in the classroom for enrichment. Teachers need parents to read to the students, provide an extra hand with class projects, and organize class parties. Each teacher and grade level has different needs. The PTA Room Parent Coordinators will provide sign-up sheets at Celebration of Learning for each class and manage room parent email messaging.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES: This committee works with the teachers to compile grade level lists of common school supplies needed for that grade and handles orders from parents for those supplies. They assist in ordering and distributing supplies during the summer. This is a non-profit service provided by the PTA. SPECIAL SERVICES: This committee works to assist parents with children who require special accommodation by the school (Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Special Education & Challenge) in their interaction with the school system.
TEACHER & STAFF APPRECIATION: This committee provides luncheons and/or breakfasts throughout the year for the faculty and staff to show our appreciation for their hard work. This committee also coordinates Teacher Appreciation Week.
TEACHER WORKROOM SUPPLIES: This committee works to keep the teacher workrooms at both campuses organized and supplied with basic necessities. This committee fills orders from teachers weekly to keep supplies in the classrooms as well. This job requires some work time during the week of pre-planning.
WELLNESS: This liaison acts as a bridge of communication between the PTA and the Brandon community. This liaison will help parents to become aware of various “wellness” activities going on at Brandon like, Sugar Free Wednesdays and other similar events. This committee is responsible for hosting Wellness Week in the spring.