Oak Elementary School

Does your company offer "volunteer time off" or monetary donations for your volunteer hours?  

• We've learned that some employers will make a donation to the charitable organization of your choice when you volunteer, as part of their employee benefits package.    Some companies have an employee portal you can navigate yourself, like Benevity, and others have an internal process through HR/People Ops. Check out if your company offers a program like this and you can increase your impact as a volunteer for Oak by donating the funds to the Oak PTA.

• The Auction & Community Spring Social is a fun event that not only strengthens the parent community but also raises substantial funds for Oak School.  Chairs select a theme and plan a party that is fit for the ages.  Numerous volunteers are needed to help plan and manage this exciting event which is traditionally held in April.   

• Booktacular Week encompasses several of our fun, literary events like our Kinder Super Readers Parade (put on by the teachers), Readathon, Literary Character Spirit Day, and our Book Swap and Snack. Volunteers can help this week by advertising the events through assemblies, flyers, and social media platforms, organizing donations for the Swap and Snack, donating to baked goods, or encouraging the children to read.  Come bring your creativity and craft to this amazing week of events!  

Every year Oak parent volunteers create a yearbook for students to purchase.  Volunteers help in 5 ways.

• Photographing key events throughout the year (August - April)
• Confirming every child is photographed (individual pics, small group pics, and some classroom pics)
• Uploading photos to Oak's SmugMug site in a timely manner
• Contacting Room Parents to contribute photographs for the year
• Recruiting volunteers to format one (1) yearbook page for their class in the Spri

• This annual event is a delightful evening of community, friendship, and delicious food. The potluck takes place outside on the Oak campus. We ask everyone to bring a favorite dish to share. Whether it's a classic family recipe or a new culinary adventure, contributions add a festive atmosphere. This is a wonderful opportunity for Oak Community members to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and strengthen our sense of community. Volunteers are need to help with organizing.

• This committee manages the emergency supply shed for Oak School (checking supply quantities and replenishing as necessary).  They also help run a school-wide emergency drill in the Fall.  Volunteers help keep Oak prepared and ensure safety for our students

• This is a school-wide event that celebrates the end of the school year.  There are fun relay style and water games, minute-to-win-it games and more!  Lunch is included, which is followed by an assembly and popsicles. This event requires many volunteers to make it fun and successful for our students.  This is a fun event for working parents to help if you can take just one day off from work this school year to help out!  

• Volunteers for the GoGreen Committee help bring awareness, education and action as to how the Oak community can further reduce, reuse and recycle.  Our goal is to work with Oak's students to help further this program - but we also need adult volunteers to oversee the program.  

• The Hospitality Committee assists the PTA with refreshments and decor to create a fun and welcoming environment for a variety of PTA events throughout the year.  Volunteers help by setting up and decorating, and purchasing, baking and delivering food appropriate for each occasion

• This is a track and field event for all Los Altos School District 4th-6th graders.  It usually takes place on a Saturday in April.  Training for JO begins in March, during scheduled times with the PE teacher and parent volunteers.  Relay trainers for each grade and a coordinator in each grade level are also needed.  Numerous volunteers are needed on the day of the event to help set up, provide first aid and help with overall logistics. 

• Volunteers help out in the library (during their child's classroom library time) by checking in and out books, running overdue reports and shelving books.  This is a great opportunity for volunteers to get to know the kids in their child's class.  Depending on the number of volunteers from each class, volunteers will be in the library every other, or every third week, for about 45 minutes. 

• The purpose of the Noon Play Program is to help create a safe, fun and respectful lunch recess.  Parent volunteers assist younger children with lunches and supervise the playground, field, garden and blacktop areas.  Volunteers typically work once a week or twice a month from 11:50-12:45.  Younger siblings are always welcome to join parent volunteers.  Filling the noon play shifts are critical in keeping a safe and happy recess at Oak.  

• Our gardens at Oak are beautiful because of our volunteers.  In this role, volunteers are responsible for: 1) Planting, harvesting, and maintaining our Edible Garden, Native Garden, Front Flower Beds and Kindergarten Garden, and 2) helping students explore plant life cycles, growing and harvesting.  This is a great opportunity to help maintain Oak's beauty and nurture a love of nature in our young learners. 

• Oak Gives Back wants to give our students volunteer opportunities to serve our greater community.  The goal is to offer immersive school-wide volunteer events to let the children demonstrate empathy and compassion for others.  Examples of potential projects include:

1. Project Linus (make blankets for children in need)
2. Operation Shoebox (support troops by creating care packages);
3. Rise Against Hunger (on-site meal packaging event); and
4. Volunteering at a Food Pantry (sorting and serving food).

• Did you know this Oak School website is managed by a volunteer parent?  If you are interested in helping please sign up. This is a great job for working parents who can make updates from home!

• Oak's Got Talent is our student talent show.  This is a great event, highlighting the many amazing talents hidden in the Oak community.  Volunteers will help with auditions, dress rehearsal, and with ensuring the event runs smoothly.  

Each classroom is assigned 1-3 room parents.

• Room parents recruit volunteers to help with two (2) class parties and other classroom help as needed by the teacher.  Teachers use their room parents in different ways to support their classroom activities.  Room parents coordinate teacher appreciation activities for Teacher Appreciation Week. 

• The Staff Appreciation Week Committee helps to organize activities for Staff Appreciation Week.  Their main focus is to support the non-classroom staff by coordinating the door decorations and arranging the flower vases and student cards/gifts.  They may also support Oak's PTA throughout the year to support our staff, as needed.  Staff/Teacher Appreciation Week is typically in April or May.

• Through the California-sponsored Universal Meals Program (“Meals Program”) Oak offers FREE breakfast and lunch five days a week to all grades.  This Meals Program is made possible through the efforts of many wonderful parent volunteers.  Volunteers help serve breakfast/lunch every week or every other week from 8:00-8:30AM and/or 11:45-12:45PM

• Volunteers promote walking, biking or carpooling via special events throughout the year, such as refreshments and prizes for participants once a month in the morning!  

• The Walkthon takes place every October and brings the entire school together for a fun-filled day of exercise, entertainment, and fundraising.  The event is entirely run by volunteers.  Volunteers are needed to organize and run it every year as well as fill shifts throughout the event.

• The Los Altos Art Docents are volunteers that teach art lessons at all grades from TK to grade 6 at all schools in the district.  They are actively seeking new recruits to help meet the demands of our ever-growing school district and teach art to students in the classroom.  The program is sponsored by the Oak PTA and Los Altos Educational Foundation.

• Living Classroom parent volunteers deliver hands-on garden-based lessons programs to all students at Oak and to all schools in the district.    If you enjoy working with young learners, exploring nature, and exercising your creative skills, then you should consider becoming a Living Classroom docent! 
• The program is sponsored by the Oak PTA and the Los Altos Educational Foundation.