BE A CHEETAH VOLUNTEER!

>> Start Here

Look at the six areas below where the PTSA needs the most help, and are opportunities for you to make a big difference in your child’s and overall school community!  In light of recent district budget cuts, our schools and kids need your help more than ever. 

Meridian Park’s volunteer program is open to dads, moms, stepparents, grandparents or any important adult in your child’s life who can spend a few hours volunteering in a variety of fun and exciting ways. The students love having their family members volunteering at school, teachers appreciate it, and staff are grateful for it! You will feel an enormous sense of pride and satisfaction volunteering for the school and will feel a great sense of community helping others.

>> Then

Email our President to get signed up or ask questions. Email Stina
(president@mpptsa.org)  She can help you find a volunteer position that matches your skills, interests, and schedule with the PTSA’s (the kids’) needs.

>> Remember to Become a Member

It’s optional, but a MP PTSA membership helps fund our events. Click here to sign up!

>> Complete a Background Check Form

The PTSA needs your help to run our programs, events, and activities in our school. If you want to be a volunteer on multiple occasions inside the school campus or classroom, a district background check is required. This ensures that volunteers are vetted and our kids are safe. 

  • For occasional volunteers (specific activities, no more than 2-3 hours at a time), there is no background check required. Or… if in doubt, fill it out. 

Thank you! 

The Meridian Park community sincerely appreciates your time and effort in volunteering! 

Click on one of the 6 areas below to expand and read more.
1. Click to Expand PTSA Roles: 
  • Volunteer Engagement Chair: set up SignUp Genius volunteer roster for PTSA events throughout the year (e.g. Winter Ball, Potlucks, Bookfair, help w/ photo day, etc.). Event organizers/leads usually determine quantity of and job description of needed volunteer positions – you set up the SignUp Genius post and provide link to reach out for volunteers.
  • Yearbook Lead: FILLED. You can be the lead for getting the 2024-25 yearbook compiled, advertised, and sold!  You will manage the creation and distribution of our MP yearbook full of memories. This includes working with the vendor to get the book design selected, manage capturing photos of activities and events the kids enjoy during the year, advertise and manage yearbook sales, then order and distribute the yearbook.  If you’d like to be this person, email mpptsapresident@gmail.com to volunteer.
  • Clubs/Enrichment Co-coordinator: FILLED. Come help our team assist in organizing and administering MPPTSA’s before & after school enrichments.  One person currently is ready to set up and manage communications for all the enrichments before and after school – with vendors, PTSA exec Board, and families. Additional volunteers are needed to assist in recruiting room volunteers, updating signage and helping establish new clubs/enrichments for the 24-25 school year. Email mpptsaclubs@gmail.com if you are interested in leading or helping with a club, or have questions.
  • Event Concessions Lead: FILLED. Work w/ Event Leads and Board to determine areas/needs of concessions at our events. Work w/ budget and the event planners to determine quantities and items for sale; determine pricing amounts; lead acquisition of items for sale (e.g. Costco pizza, granola bars, waters, beverages, etc.). Also run/operate the sales at the event.
  • Gardening Club: Parent volunteers needed to help run a GARDEN enrichment.  This would be fun after school clubs where kids could help beautify the Meridian Park campus while learning tips and techniques for planting and maintaining sustainable green spaces. Help build a fun community club for kids to enjoy the company and camaraderie of fellow Cheetahs while fostering a sense of community.
  • Board Game Club: FILLED. Are you a big fan of board games and want to share strategies/enthusiasm for your favorites? The Board Game Club is looking for volunteers to help run our after school club. Volunteers will assist students with questions about games and help with setup and break down of games. 
  • PTSA Grant Administrator: FILLED. be the new Grants Lead in reviewing and approving incoming PTSA grant applications (in late Fall). Grant applications are due in December and are awarded in the new year.  Training will be provided by the outgoing Administrator. 
  • Teacher & Staff Appreciation (S.T.A.R.): FILLED. Nice to have a co-teammate on this team!  Help coordinate this much beloved event(s) providing food & kind notes throughout the school year for our teachers, specialists, and staff who educate and nurture our children every day at school.  Our educators sincerely appreciate the care and thoughtfulness our PTSA and Cheetah families provide – it makes a big difference!
  • Little Free Libraries: FILLED. our PTSA has four of these in our immediate community. Help keep them stocked w/ children’s books, see if they need repairs, work w/ Board and/or Social Media lead if you need to solicit our Cheetah families for any children’s books.
  • Fundraising Coordinator: FILLED. Look for opportunities to raise funds, and maybe lead some events.  We have a number of planned fundraising events, and potential ones (e.g. local sports teams MLB/ NHL/ MLS/ etc., MP community events; dine-out nights).  Help evaluate and organize the ones we put our efforts into, and optimize those efforts. 
  • Social Media Communications: FILLED. PTSA posts important information on Facebook, Instagram, and our monthly Newsletter. Help coordinate w/ the board, other PTAs and committees to get important information out to our FB and IG platforms.  Help compile and/or write content, and/or re-post or share info. 
  • Membership: FILLED. Enter data manually from any collected paper forms into our membership database.  Coordinate with PTSA President and Treasurer; the Treasurer will deposit membership fee money into the bank. Note: a majority of membership is entered online by users. (PTAs have a new membership platform this upcoming year 24-25)
  • Financial Review Committee:  will meet twice a year to review PTSA’s books/financial statements and then set the budget for the next fiscal year. The committee’s feedback is important in providing insight to our policies.  Financial background is helpful, but not required. 
2. Click to Expand School-Wide Support: 
  • Green Team: please help get the Composting & Recycling program running well again!  Support needed 11am – 1:00pm in the cafeteria to help teach the young generation about properly sorting garage, recycle, and compost into correct bins, and be another friendly adult face at lunchtime. 
  • Library: assist in shelving books and all things library.  
  • Recess Support / Play Coaching: help needed out on the playground, keep the peace while having fun!
  • Update bulletin boards & displays: Brighten the hallways with the kid’s art! Help with placing and arranging the amazing artwork and creations the kids do at school for all to enjoy 🙂 
  • Black Lives Matter / Black Voices: Inquire how you can help or be a part of this. 
3. Click to Expand Classroom Support: 
  • Help in classroom / Teacher arranged: could be anything!  Even just making project materials for kids to use in their classroom. You are always welcome to inquire directly with your child’s teacher 🙂 
  • Room Coordinator / “Classroom Connector” : communicate to your kid’s classroom what events are going on, or any help as needed for other class.  Or maybe organize a Parents Social for your (or others) classroom as a way to meet other MP parents in a social setting.
  • Art Docent: teach and/or help create art in classrooms through PTSA, w/ projects led by our Art Docent Lead. Visit the Art tab to find out more!
4. One Time Opportunities: 
August/September– Back to School Poptacular: help out running the event.  This year you can help distributing popsicles, or help set-up or clean-up. 
– Friday Coffee Out Front: Arrange to have donuts and a meet up for parents/families out front of school on the first few Fridays of school: August 30, Sept. 6, Sept. 20. It’s a nice way to meet other parents or family members at MP! 
– Mariner’s Night on 9/29/24: collect $, distribute e-tix, help advertise sales. 
– Art Docent Program: check out our Art Docent Program page to find out more.
– Reflections Art Program: assist, if needed, with launch of program participation
October– School Picture Day: 10/1/2024 help teachers and staff get students to photo taking room, ensuring their order forms are ready or complete.  Facilitate all MP students get their school photo captured 
– Staff Appreciation: help organize sweet treats for staff
November– Staff Appreciation: help organize brunch for staff
– Reflections Art Program: assist, if needed, collecting student submissions and recruit judges if necessary (November art submission deadline TBD.)
– Multicultural Potluck
December
January– Winter Ball Planning: Looking for people to join our small committee for the Winter Ball, but need a few area leads to help plan and run the event, obtain volunteers. This is fun to do with a buddy – party planning! This is a fun and popular fundraiser for our PTSA. 
– Reflections Art Program: assist, if needed, with Reflections District Art Showcase: help setup/takedown event. Contact MP Reflections lead to find out if you can help!
– Winter Ball Event: We will need volunteers to help in the different areas of the event. When volunteer sign-up requests are posted, please do sign up! It’s a fun event.
February– Read-A-Thon: there are two RAT leads that work with Librarian to make this fun annual event and fundraiser happen.  Work w/ our leads if you can help get pledge forms printed, distributed, collected, data input, distribute t-shirts and bookmarks. ALSO need help with processing the Read-A-Thon t-shirt design entries. This is our biggest fundraiser for our PTSA, and we need some extra hands again this year since we lost our Library Tech (budget cuts)!
March– Kraken Open Skate (March 15th): if you can help at the Kraken Ice Complex with greeting families and directing them to the skate area,
April– Bookfair (April 16th): help staff the Scholastic bookfair in our MP library, including working the cash register.
May– Arts Showcase and Reception (May 28th): more details to come…  stay tuned for information posted in coming weeks.
– STEM Fair (May 7th): The evening event is shaping up under leadership of four leads. We may need volunteers this evening for the science fair – about exhibitors will be there to share and show science to guests, in addition to the student-led exhibits.
June– Volunteer Appreciation: help organize sweet treats for the generous MP volunteers during this school year.
– Field Day: help out at or run one of the many fun activity stations on the playground.  It’s really fun to see the kids have fun at this end-of-year event. 
– 5th Grade graduation: help get an aspect of the event planned and happen… from food, decorations, invitations, set-up or clean-up.
5. Click to Expand Ongoing or One-time @ Home: 
  • Revenue research: look for ways to raise funds… Box Tops for Education, Fred Meyer benefits, and other opportunities.
  • Look for grant opportunities and report in Cheetah Newsletter, help evaluate teacher and PTSA grant requests. 
  • Grant writing or offer assistance filling out grant paperwork.
6. Click to Expand On-call Volunteer Opportunities:
  • Not sure how to help now, but want to get asked anyway!  Let us know and we will reach out to you.