The PTA Community Outreach Committee aims to encourage and facilitate the involvement of the Murray Avenue School and its students and their families in community service, particularly where there are needs in areas near and around our school. Many parents believe that school is an ideal way to help children learn how easy and rewarding it is to incorporate service ideas into their lives, and how a child’s small efforts can improve others’ lives. This Committee aims to coordinate school-wide and grade-specific outreach programs and will respond to events that could not have been forecasted, i.e., hurricane relief, etc.

Below are the school-wide the projects that will be coordinated by the PTA Community Outreach Committee in the next few months. As new projects are identified, this list will be updated.

Annual Book Drive: November 9-13, 2009

The Committee coordinated a book drive to benefit the Bronx Charter School, a small community-based school in the Bronx in need of books for its library and classrooms. Murray Avenue School families were asked to donate gently used books and educational DVDs appropriate for elementary school students. Murray Avenue School fourth graders (and parents and siblings) took the lead on this drive, sorting the books and delivering them to the Bronx Charter School.

Coordinator: Sarah Coady

Thanksgiving Food Collection: November 21, 2009

Partnering with the Larchmont/Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force to collect food for local families in need, Murray Avenue School students (and parents/guardian) helped to collect and sort food items outside Stop and Shop on the Boston Post Road on November 21, 2009. Murray Avenue School students will be asked to volunteer to collect and sort food during a 1 or 2 hour shift during the day.

Coordinator: Liz Pittman

Clothing Drive for Haiti: January and February 2010

The Committee coordinated a drive for clothing and bedding for victims of a major earthquake in Haiti.  Murray Avenue families donated over 10 carloads of clothing and bedding.

Coordinator: Sarah Coady

Love in a Box: February 2009

Murray Avenue School students decorate shoe boxes and fill them with small gifts and notes to children in need. This is a project that encourages children to reach out to other children. Donatons are being made to the CAP Center in Mamaroneck.

Coordinator: Stephanie Basta

Grade Level Projects: Throughout the School Year

Kindergarten: Each kindergarten class creates a quilt that is donated to people in need.

Coordinator: Tricia de la Mora

Second Grade: Create activity mats for children at the Blythedale Childrens Hospital.

Coordinator: Stephanie Basta

Fourth Grade: Sort/coordinate books donated via the school wide book drive.

Coordinator: Sarah Coady

Fifth Grade: Prepare meals for delivery to homeless people throughout the NYC area.

Coordinator: Robin Gensburg

First and Third Grades:  The first and third grade classes participate in programs that are coordinated by the first and third grade classroom teachers, respectively.  The first grade classroom teachers coordinated a drive to collect new socks for soldiers.  Students who participated in Walk to School Wednesdays also donated socks to the drive.  The third grade classes participate in a pen pal program.
There are no PTA Coordinators for these programs.