Committees

We have many committees at Excelsior that are made possible by our PTO and volunteers. Volunteers can be parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends – any adult 18 and over. Volunteers are needed in many different capacities to make all of these wonderful events happen for our students. Please consider how your family can help enhance each student’s experience and education this year whether it is a committee chair position or a shift the day of event.

For more information about any event, please reach out to the current chair, the assigned Event Chair Coordinator or excptochair@gmail.com

Current Committees

Committee

Description

Current Chair

PTO Board Contact

Back to School Open House Coordinate new family welcome at beginning of School Year EXC PTO Board
excptoboard@gmail.com
EXC PTO Board
excptoboard@gmail.com
Black History Month  

Krista Barnes
excptochair@gmail.com

 

Books for Bikes

Work with teachers on distributing/collecting reading calendars. Secure bike gift certificates and facilitate bike drawing for winners.

Jenny Kelley
excptochair@gmail.com

Kate Haar
excptochair@gmail.com

Book Fair-Scholastic

Organize the spring Scholastic Book Fair for students and parents.

Becky Cornelius
excptochair@gmail.com

Amanda Durrant
excptochair@gmail.com

Becky Cornelius
excptochair@gmail.com

Book Fair-Chinese

Organize the spring Chinese Book Fair for students and parents.

Jen Chu
excptochair@gmail.com

Leah Garner
excptochair@gmail.com

Becky Cornelius
excptochair@gmail.com

Bulletin Boards

Communicate and market all traditional school events and fun activities on the main hallway bulletin board during the school year.

Jodi Graves
excptochair@gmail.com

Jolie Hockert
excptochair@gmail.com

Communications Director

Chinese New Year

Coordinate a week long event at the school celebrating Chinese New Year. Work with committee members to plan decorations, crafts, cultural learning activities, and entertainment for the whole school.

Louise Ou-Yang
excptochair@gmail.com

Sophia Miller
excptochair@gmail.com

Chinese Connection Lead

Directory

Create/organize the online school directory (in conjunction with the District and Excelsior) and provide information to family and staff members to submit and/or update their information online. Duties include: planning, marketing and communication of the Online Directory, managing My School Anywhere (MSA)

Ting-Hsien Wang (shadow chair)
excptochair@gmail.com

President/Past-President

District Speaker Series

Represent Excelsior at district wide speaker series committee and help advertise for district series events

Marnie Johnson
excptochair@gmail.com

Vice-President

Dream Makers representative

Represent Excelsior at the all-district Dream Makers annual event in February. Dream Makers support several District initiatives including: Design for Learning and Minnetonka Research. Dream Makers website

Kirstyn Sansom
excptochair@gmail.com

Shonna Travis
excptochair@gmail.com

Family Movie Night

Coordinate Family movie night for students and parents in November.

Amber Krygiel
excptochair@gmail.com

Kristen VonSmith
excptochair@gmail.com

Special Education Connection Lead

Fifth Grade Recognition

Organize an end-of-school program and party for the 5th grade students (off-site at the Commons).

Beth Robertson-Martin
excptochair@gmail.com

Beth Robertson-Martin
excptochair@gmail.com

Gardening

Coordinate planting and watering of outside pots at school

Beth Robertson-Martin
excptochair@gmail.com
Beth Robertson-Martin
excptochair@gmail.com
Giving Tree   Joni Schimke
excptochair@gmail.com
Community Outreach Director

Health Screening

One day of hearing/vision screening (1st & 3rd grade vision & hearing; 5th grade vision only)

Andrea Vencl
excptochair@gmail.com

Jenna Schultz
excptochair@gmail.com

Holiday Secret Shop

Coordinate week-long holiday sale for students to purchase gifts the week following Thanksgiving.Offer sale to parents at end of event.

Kate Smalkoski
excptochair@gmail.com

Ila Wheeler
excptochair@gmail.com

Shadow Chair TBD

Shadow Chair TBD

Jenna Schultz
excptochair@gmail.com

Hospitality

Organize teacher appreciation lunch, dinner and snacks during fall and spring conferences by contacting our list of volunteers to request contributions of food and working out outside vendors

Kristin Smith
excptochair@gmail.com

Jenna Schultz
excptochair@gmail.com

Hour of Code

Coordinate Hour of Code event held in December

Sian Pledger
excptochair@gmail.com

Shonna Travis
excptochair@gmail.com

Imagination Fair

Organize this event for students to display their creativity, inventiveness and imagination

Amy O'Neill
excptochair@gmail.com

Shadow Chair TBD

Kate Haar
excptochair@gmail.com

Legislative Liaison (CASE)

Serve as the school’s representative to a larger legislative interest group in the District who keeps abreast of School Board issues and reports back to Executive Board and PTO members. Minnetonka CASE (Community Action for Student Education) advocates at the Minnesota Legislature for school funding.

Jenna Schultz
excptochair@gmail.com

Jenna Schultz
excptochair@gmail.com

Literary Magazine (Blue Jay Publishing)

Coordinate program to publish books for third-fifth graders throughout the year

Kim Breitling
excptochair@gmail.com

Stephany Vassar
excptochair@gmail.com

Stephany Vassar
excptochair@gmail.com
Lost & Found   Katie McCartney
excptochair@gmail.com
Katie McCartney
excptochair@gmail.com

Lunch Line

Coordinate volunteers to assist students during lunch for first two weeks of school

Sara Addler
excptochair@gmail.com

Katie McCartney
excptochair@gmail.com

Media Center & Author Visit

Coordinate volunteers to work with the Media Specialist to maintain and shelve books.

Jenna Schultz (shadow chair)
excptochair@gmail.com

Jenna Schultz
excptochair@gmail.com

Newspaper

Coordinate newspaper publishing throughout the year

Amy O’Neill
excptochair@gmail.com

Shadow Chair TBD

Kate Haar
excptochair@gmail.com

Pre-order School Supplies

Coordinate offer of purchasing of school supplies needed at the beginning of the year (parent financed at cost and not a fundraiser, merely offered as a convenience for parents). Send out school supplies to families, manage the orders (in May and June) and deliver orders the day before the August Open House.

Angel Kallies
excptochair@gmail.com

Kirstyn Samson-Held
excptochair@gmail.com

 

Kate Haar
excptochair@gmail.com

Read-a-thon

Coordinate fall fundraiser for PTO operating budget

PTO Fundraising Director

PTO Fundraising Director

School Pictures/Retakes

Coordinate with advertising and securing volunteers to help with school pictures

PTO Board

Jenna Schultz
excptochair@gmail.com

Staff Appreciation

Provide special tokens of appreciation throughout the year (i.e. Administrative Office Professionals Appreciation Week, Teacher Appreciation Week, etc.).

Becky Gorton
excptochair@gmail.com

Shonna Travis
excptochair@gmail.com

TONKA Cares

Participate in Tonka Cares efforts by attending Tonka Cares District meetings, keep the PTO informed of any initiatives and represent Excelsior as school rep for Eat. Talk. Connect! Learn more about Tonka Cares.

Christine Jeevanathan
excptochair@gmail.com

Vice-President

TONKA Pride: Spirit

Represent Excelsior in this Districtwide program that promotes pride in our schools and our community.

Amy Omann
excptochair@gmail.com

Shonna Travis
excptochair@gmail.com

TONKA Pride: Apparel

Represent Excelsior in this Districtwide program serving as support for district Tonka Pride sales and coordinating pop up sales at Excelsior.

Susie Wuollett
excptochair@gmail.com

Kirstyn Samson-Held
excptochair@gmail.com

 

Shonna Travis
excptochair@gmail.com

World Autism Awareness Day   PTO Special Education Connection Lead Special Education Connection Lead

World Culture Week

Organize the World Culture event for students in the spring of the school year. Committee chair is responsible for associated activities and organizing volunteers to decorate and assist as needed with the event.

Jenna Anthony
excptochair@gmail.com

Jenna Schultz
excptochair@gmail.com

XY Club

Coordinate activities for male role models of students. Coordinate schedule of volunteers for guys to volunteer at school.

Billy Hartong (shadow chair)
excptochair@gmail.com

Chris Smith
excptochair@gmail.com

Chris Hacker (shadow chair)
excptochair@gmail.com

Shonna Travis
excptochair@gmail.com

Yearbook

Put together and publish the annual yearbook in conjunction with students and staff. Work with vendor, school admin, teachers and parent volunteers.

Kirsten Studer
excptochair@gmail.com

Jolie Hockert
excptochair@gmail.com

Lori Dozier
excptochair@gmail.com

 

 

Community Building/Room Parent Coordinator

kids in class