Why Volunteer?
Our PTO is strongest when many families contribute a little bit of time.
Make school events possible. Family nights, fundraisers, teacher appreciation, enrichment activities only happen because volunteers help out for a few hours.
Build community for you and your child. Volunteering helps you connect with other families, teachers, and the school. Kids love seeing their parents participate, even in small ways.
Support student learning — on your time. PTO efforts fund classroom supplies, enrichment programs, field trips, and more.
Volunteers needed
Fundraising Committee
The SMS PTO is seeking volunteers to help form and lead a Fundraising Committee. This committee will play a critical role in strengthening financial support for SMS programs, with initial efforts impacting Spring 2026 and continued work through the summer to build a sustainable fundraising platform for Academic Year 2026–27 (AY 26–27).
Committee members will work collaboratively to:
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Develop a fundraising strategy for AY 26–27
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Review benchmark fundraising models and best practices from comparable public middle schools
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Identify and cultivate opportunities for in-kind donations to support annual SMS needs and events
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Design and launch a signature SMS fundraising event that:
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Raises approximately $20,000–$30,000
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Becomes an annual, sustainable event
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Does not compete with other fundraising efforts
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Strengthens parent community connections
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Is inclusive and offers tiered giving opportunities to ensure broad participation
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Review and improve PTO fundraising infrastructure, including:
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Enhancing website tools to maximize donations
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Supporting corporate matching gift programs
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Connecting with business that give a percentage of receipts to non-profits (e.g., Google Smile)
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Create a grant identification and application timeline for local and national grants
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Collaborate with SMS leadership and teachers to align fundraising and grant efforts with school priorities
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Build and maintain relationships with local businesses, community partners, and alumni interested in supporting SMS
This is a high-priority committee. Currently, SMS PTO fundraising levels fall significantly below those of comparable middle schools, limiting our ability to support key programming. As a result, we aim to form this committee as soon as possible.
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Bi-weekly meetings beginning in late February to brainstorm and organize
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A focused work period in early summer
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Follow-up meetings to prepare for the AY 26–27 fundraising rollout
This is a meaningful opportunity to make a lasting impact on SMS programs and the broader school community.
Volunteer or donate for an Event
Our teachers do so much — let’s show them how much they mean to us! During Teacher Appreciation Week, the PTO is hosting daily events to celebrate them. Join us in saying thanks:
Donate to us to fund the week’s events
Have your child write a thank you to our amazing teachers
Volunteer to help out at one of the activities. Donate or bake a food item.
Send in classroom supplies
Email us to see how you can donate a raffle prize
Help write a Grant
We’re exploring new ways to support our school community and would love to apply for grants—but we need someone with experience to guide us. If you have a background in grant writing or know someone who does, we’d really appreciate your help. Please comment below or send us a message if you’re interested in volunteering or connecting us with someone who might be a good fit.