
WHS Parent Volunteer Opportunities
Wellesley High School needs you! Be a part of the action and volunteer! Regardless of whether you can share a lot of your time or just a little, there is a way for you to get involved! Volunteering is a great way to support our students and our school while meaningfully engaging with others in our community.
Below is a list of our committees, coordinators and community liaisons with a description of their roles. If you have interest in volunteering, whether as a committee chair or member, a coordinator or a community liaison, please complete our volunteer form at the bottom of this page. You may also email whsptsopres@gmail.com with any questions.
Fundraising Committee (Chair: Melinda Arias-Voci): This committee works with the PTSO Executive Board to determine PTSO funding priorities and then designs and implements a fundraising strategy to achieve these goals. Work begins in the late summer and continues throughout school year.
Parent Grade Representatives (see individual grade reps in our "About" tab): The parent representative for each grade facilitates communication within the PTSO community regarding grade-specific events. Other responsibilities include coordinating volunteers, food and beverage for various grade-level social events and providing input to the Principal and PTSO on grade-specific issues and concerns. The 9th grade representative also works with the Executive Board during the summer to coordinate and distribute freshman orientation swag.
Community Hospitality Committee (Chairs: Megan Dyer and Shelly Griswold): This committee arranges food and refreshments for the New Families Welcome breakfast before the start of the school year and other community events including: Back to School Night, 8th Grade Parent Night, Seminar Day, and the annual joint WMS PTO/WHS PTSO meeting (in partnership with WMS, WHS and METCO).
Faculty Appreciation Committee (Chair: Lisa Fico): This committee organizes food and beverages for the Faculty Back to School lunch, Holiday breakfast, Appreciation lunch, Last Day lunch, as well as new additions/ad-hoc events. It also coordinates with the WHS Main Office to provide faculty and staff appreciation events throughout the year (e.g. “Pi/e Day” in March, Faculty/Staff Halloween Party in October, etc.). Having many volunteers keeps the load light for all!
Faculty Monthly Meetings Committee (Chairs: Susan Bannon and Shelly Ward): This committee supports our school’s faculty and staff by providing food and drinks for the Faculty Monthly Meetings, usually held the second Thursday of the month. The committee also provides special additions around the winter holidays and end of year. Volunteers contribute as often as is convenient at the volunteers’ discretion. Many hands make light work. Volunteers receive a sign-up genius one week prior to the event, and then must drop off their chosen item at WHS by a specified date and time.
New Families Ambassador Committee (Chair: Debbie Cutler-Ortiz): During the summer, the committee chair coordinates with the Guidance Department to reach out to transfer families new to WHS, provides key communication links with new families, recruits host parent volunteers and connects those host parent volunteers with new families.
Landscaping Committee (Chair: Kate Staehly): Green thumbs not required! Landscaping volunteers make a difference beautifying WHS, including planters at the front doors of the school and in the rear of the school by the bus entrance. Whatever you can do, from small jobs to larger ones, it will be appreciated!
Library Support Committee (Chair: Linda Messore): Volunteers assist with various projects and events in the WHS Library as needed. The committee chair will reach out when help is requested from the WHS Library and will coordinate dates and times with librarians and volunteers.
Nominating Committee (Chairs: Stefanie Albertson and Marisa Gandler): This committee helps recruit volunteers and find opportunities for parents who want to get involved in the PTSO. The majority of activity occurs between March and June each school year.
Challenge Success Committee (Chair: Chris Cavallerano): Help bring joy to our students! Volunteers are needed for easy “show up and support” events. This committee has not been particularly active during the pandemic but will hopefully have more opportunities to get involved in the 2022-2023 school year.
Enrichment Committee (Chair: Jennifer Yuan): This committee supports the Executive Board in identifying and planning constructive and relevant community-wide programming.
Directory Coordinator (Jackie Hoglund): During the early fall, this individual updates and publishes the online WHS Directory on a user-friendly web-based platform.
Volunteer Coordinator (Meridith Edmonds): Processes electronically-submitted and/or emailed PTSO volunteer interest sheets in a timely fashion in early fall and provides committee chairs with lists of their committee members and their contact information. Throughout the year, the coordinator periodically checks the dedicated volunteer email account for emails from community members interested in volunteering and connects those new volunteers with the appropriate committee chair and/or Executive Board member.
Communications/Newsletter Coordinator (Jackie Hoglund): Plans and publishes the PTSO's regular newsletter including compiling, editing, and verifying content for inclusion. This individual also serves as the point of contact for the WHS administration, faculty and staff as well as for the community regarding the newsletter and any content that may be requested for inclusion.
Social Media Coordinator (Sarah Laybourn): Posts events, links and other information to WHS PTSO Facebook page.
Website Content Coordinator (Sarah Laybourn): Reviews and updates website content, as needed, especially at the beginning of the school year to reflect changes in individuals serving on Executive Board and committees chair positions. Posts links to newsletters, when issued.
METCO Liaison (OPEN): Keeps WHS METCO families informed about PTSO-related issues and events and shares information with the PTSO related to METCO. Communicates with the WHS METCO coordinator and Friends of Wellesley METCO Board of Directors, as needed. Ideally the liaison also helps to identify ways to foster connection and involvement of METCO families within the PTSO and WHS communities.
PAC Liaison (Christine Mizzi): Facilitates communication between the PTSO and PAC, especially to ensure inclusion of relevant PAC information in the PTSO newsletters.
Committee 21 Liaison (OPEN, if needed): Primary contact to the Wellesley Committee for Education in the 21st Century. Coordinates communication and volunteer efforts between the PTSO and this town advocacy group.
Wellesley Education Foundation (WEF) Liaison (OPEN): Primary contact to WEF. Facilitates communication between the PTSO and WEF, especially to ensure inclusion of relevant WEF information in the PTSO newsletters.
Sustainable Wellesley Liaison (Lesley Prowda): Facilitates communication between the PTSO and Sustainable Wellesley, especially to ensure inclusion of relevant Sustainable Wellesley information in the PTSO newsletters.
For further information about PTSO Volunteer Opportunities, please contact our PTSO Presidents