Back-to-School BBQ

Held in late September or early October, the Back to School BBQ at Schenley Park Vietnam Veterans Pavilion is a great way to reconnect with your Campus School friends and families! Mitch’s Mobile B-B-Q rolls in their big truck containing award-winning barbecue, burgers, hot dogs, and a variety of fresh, homemade side salads. . .all topped off with a sundae bar featuring homemade ice creams. Vegetarian options also available. This event requires a permit from City Parks, issued on a “first come, first served” basis usually in late March or April prior to the event.Bring your own lawn chair if you’d like (although there are a few picnic tables under the shelter), along with footballs, Frisbees, soccer balls, etc.

Chairperson: Open for 2008

Scholastic Book Fair

Held for one week during the school year in the Library, either at the end of September or the beginning of October.  Many volunteers are needed for set-up and break-down, adding up and bagging sales, and assisting students in their selections.

Fall Scavenger Hunt

This Fall Scavenger Hunt is held in the first two weeks of October and is for grades Preschool, Montessori, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd. Chairs confirm date with School’s Executive Director. Start time is 9 AM and ends at 2:30 PM, and teachers decide who will come out first. Groups are usually no larger than 20 kids and are spaced at least 45 minutes apart to allow for set-up, etc. The Hunt is held on the Green (weather permitted), or inside in case of inclement weather. After the hunt, children are given a drink, cookie and treat bag.

Chairpersons: Open (past chair: Lorraine Buck)

Santa’s Workshop

Santa’s Workshop is primarily for the younger students, grades Pre-K, Montessori, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd.   “Santa’s helpers” make purchases or accept donations which are then displayed in the decorated Library and sold to the children at very low costs (typically no more than $6).  The gifts are then wrapped by volunteers for the children to take home and have their own special surprises for their loved ones on Christmas.  This is an all-day event, with each of the young grades having ½ hour to browse, shop, and visit Santa.   Grades 3 through 8 also have the opportunity to purchase quality gifts (some may be slightly higher priced) for family and friends on the 2nd floor of Tiernan, the day after the Santa’s Workshop.  Thanks to 2007 Co-Chairs Patty Maloney and Rosalyn McCorkle (and her sister Gail Washington) and all volunteers who worked on this fun-filled event!  The 2007 Santa’s Workshop raised over $1,500. 

Christmas Basket Raffle

This year’s Christmas Bazaar and Basket Raffle took place December 10th through December 14th. The raffle earned $3,525.27, and was chaired by Irene Hils. Thanks to Irene and all the parents and 8th grade students who volunteered in wrapping the baskets, ticket sales, etc.

Christmas Bazaar Basket Winners – 2007

Penguins Michael Bushnell

Sports (Girls) Garret Rohan

Sports (Boys) Bobby Kiernan

Rainbow Trout Maria Chaer

Winter Fun #1 Cathy Chrnman

Holiday Cheer Jessica Slain

Penguin Hockey Robert Moore

Frick Art & Historical Luis Wolf

Entertainment Chareeni Kurukulasuriya

Everything Pittsburgh Patty Cooper

Holiday Cheer Shawn and Deborah Hagan

Spa Basket Anna Wan

Pittsburgh Passion Cordelia Mentz-Johns

Homemade Quilt Patti O’Hanlon

Winter Fun #2 Jennifer Petnuch

Harry Potter Doll Miss W. – Extended Day

Central Catholic Gear Sam Kostyak

Building Sets #1 Colin MacGinnitie

Building Sets #2 Thomas Gambin

Steeler Basket Marlee Flaherty

Silpada Jewelry Sarah Posti

Webkinz Sadie Signorella

Large Alligator Mark Brown

Large Giraffe Roark Rembold

Vera Bradley Basket Shaylon Townsend

Yankee Candles Angela Fazio

Everything Dress Up Isabel Wilkins

Charity Basket Olivia Ciroli

Dinosaurs & Insects Jack Robinson

It’s Fun to Read Sara Sora

Art Supplies Trisha Rum (Carlow Univ)

Games Susan Shutter (Carlow Univ)

Dolls & Plush Toys Jim Conley (Carlow Univ)

Everything Animals #1 Natalie Springer

Everything Animals #2 Cassie Wilson

Everything Animals #3 Isabel MacGannitie

Congratulations to all winners, and many thanks to all individuals and families who donated this year’s wonderful baskets!

Meager Meal

During Lent, it is important that we celebrate our Catholic tradition of pausing to remember the less fortunate. Money is donated from families that individually decide to contribute funds that might be spent on a family meal (at home or at a restaurant) to a charity that is usually voted on in the January PTA meeting. In the past, more than $2500 has been raised for various charities, including Northside Common Ministries, Pittsburgh Food Bank, and Intersections. The Meager Meal recipient for 2008 is Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center, a non-profit group that provides free medical and dental services to the uninsured of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. Dr. Ed Kelly, Volunteer Medical Director of the Center, will be our guest speaker at an assembly on Wed., February 13th in Kresge Auditorium at 10:30 a.m.

Chairpersons: Anne Ward ward105@comcast.net and Linda Ambroso ambroso4@comcast.net

Ice Skating Party

The annual ice skating party is offered as a fun and inexpensive outing for families and friends.  Chair and volunteers ensure pizza, snacks, and drinks are available to Campus School families and their friends.

Bingo Night

Bingo is a family-oriented fun event typically held on the last Friday in April. This year’s bingo will be held Friday, March 14th, 7 to 9 p.m. in the Cafeteria. The date must be cleared by the University Event Office, Campus Police, and Cafeteria. Confer with Executive Director to confirm date as well. Every child is a winner and receives something small (even those who don’t win at actual bingo!). Prizes are purchased by Chair (in the past, at J. Ronins Co. in Wilkinsburg, but this entirely up to the Chairperson’s discretion), and typically, $500 to $550 is budgeted for prizes. Typically, six games of bingo are played: 3 games with 25 small prizewinners; 2 games with 20 large prize winners. The final game of the night is winner’s choice from either table. 50/50 tickets are sold, and a door prize is raffled off at the end of the evening (past years, a beanie basket, a family game night basket full of board games, movie passes and popcorn, etc.) Refreshments are organized by Student Council (coordinate with sponsor Theresa Hassett – Computer Teacher).

Chairperson: Catherine DelBarba cmdelbarba@comcast.net

Kennywood Day

Every year, the PTA ends the school year with our “Carlow Campus Kennywood Picnic,” usually held the first Sunday after school lets out. Families receive discounted pricing on ride and dinner tickets (buffet). This is a long-standing event, and we have had the same Kennywood contact for many years. Chairs’ (two) task is to keep a record of families who purchase tickets, ensuring that tickets are sent home in students’ backpacks, and forwarding all checks and cash for tickets to PTA Treasurer.

Chairperson: Anne Ward ward105@comcast.net

OPEN Chair slot

Enrichment Activities

The Enrichment program helps to fund field trips, tickets for plays, concerts, and other performances, and other cultural events.  The Enrichment Chair and committee work with Individual faculty members and consider requests for various cultural activities throughout the year.  Enrichment activities are paid for entirely or partially by the PTA.

Box Tops for Education

Box Tops for Education (sponsored by General Mills) has helped America’s schools earn over $200 million since 1996. The Campus School can earn up to $20,000 every year through Box Tops! Simply clip the 10 cent coupon on hundreds of your favorite products, on brands such as Cheerios®, Betty Crocker®, Pillsbury®, Ziploc®, Kleenex®, Hefty® and more.

For more information on the Box Tops program, take a look at their website www.boxtops4education.com; or contact the Campus School chair of this important and easy program, Maria Hairston mhairston@cvty.com

The class that collects the most Box Tops in a 10 to 12-week period will be able to choose the PTA-sponsored party of their choice: Rita’s Ice, San Remo’s Pizza, or Ice Cream Sundaes. The contest will be held between classes in Trinity Hall; First and Second grades; Intermediate (3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades); and Upper (6th, 7th, and 8th Grades). All Box Tops should be placed in the designated shoe box placed in each homeroom in Trinity and Tiernan Halls.

Homeroom Parent

Each homeroom should have one or two primary homeroom parents who are responsible for working with individual teachers in planning holiday parties, helping to organize chaperones for classroom field trips, and any other classroom related area that teacher specifies. Also, the homeroom parent works with Homeroom Chairs in acquiring donations from interested parents (per classroom), which are used towards buying end-of-year gifts for faculty and ancillary teachers from the entire class.

Chairpersons: Lorraine Buck lbuck1@aol.com (teacher gifts) and Lisa Gismondi lisajohn47@comcast.net (412)824-6622 (list of homeroom parents).

Margo Jones Memorial “Children of Spirit” 5K

This is a new fundraiser, meant to honor beloved Campus School Pre-K and Second Grade teacher Margot Jones, who passed away in 2007. The 5K would take place in Schenley Park in early Spring (route and date to be determined). Funds raised will benefit the “Teachers’ Program Enhancement and Technology” portion of the Founders Legacy Endowment. All interested parents and faculty (runners and non runners alike) are encouraged to participate in this inaugural event. Race sponsors are needed. Shirts will be given to each participant once participation fee is received.
Chairperson: Dana Casale danacasale@comcast.net
and another Chair is needed

Bake Sale

What can be better with beautiful Christmas music than delicious baked goods?  The traditional PTA Bake Sale will be held on Thursday, December 13th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. (prior to the “Holiday of Song” Christmas concert) in Kresge Auditorium (Grace Hall), and also during intermission.  You can make this our best bake sale ever by baking or buying cookies, brownies, muffins, cakes, etc. and bringing them to the Office on either the evening of December 12th (Wed) or the day of the concert on December 13th.  Please call Dana Casale at 412-732-9422 or Mary Kiernan at 412-421-2738 or e-mail either one of us to confirm that you will be bringing in a donation.   The majority of proceeds from this Bake Sale will go towards the purchase of a highly-rated filtering software called “Content Watch,” which protects our students from inappropriate sites when on Campus School computers.   For more information on this software, please contact Computer Teacher Theresa Hassett.  Thank you for your help!