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 PTSA Volunteer Engagement Chair, Tina Zheng, to get signed up or ask questions. Email her at mpptsavolunteer@gmail.com  She can help you find a volunteer position that matches your skills, interests, and schedule with the PTSA’s (the kids’) needs. 

For questions about volunteering at a specific event, email our PTSA VP of Events, Richie M Allan at mpptsaevents@gmail.com.

>> Remember to Become a Member

It’s optional, but MPPTSA 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. PTSA Roles: 
  • Fundraising Coordinator: 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. 
  • Clubs Co-coordinator: assist in organizing and administering MPPTSA’s before & after school clubs.  One person currently arranges for and manages communications for all the Fall Quarter clubs we offer. Adding another person to co-lead in Winter and Spring would be very helpful! 
  • Lead a Board Games –or– Gardening Club: parent volunteers to run a GARDEN or a BOARD GAMES club during Winter or Spring quarters.  These would be fun after school clubs where kids could help beautify some planters around campus; play board games together after school.  These would be fun community building clubs for kids to enjoy the company and camaraderie of fellow Cheetahs!  Email mpptsaclubs@gmail.com if you are interested in leading or helping with a club, or have questions. 
  • 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. 
  • Communications: PTSA posts important information on Facebook, Parent Square, our website, our newsletter, Instagram, and printed material.  Help coordinate w/ the board and committees to get important information out to these platforms!  Help write info, collect info, post info. 
  • PTSA Grant Reviewer: assist our Grants Lead in reviewing and approving grant applications. Grant applications are due Dec. 8, 2023. 
  • Yearbook Lead: We have a Lead to create the 2023-24 yearbook!  They will manage the creation and distribution of our MP yearbook.  This includes work with the vendor to get the book design selected, manage getting the photos of activities and events, advertise and manage yearbook sales, order and distribute the yearbook.  If you’d like to assist, email mpptsayearbook@gmail.com to find out if you can lend a hand. 
  • 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.
  • Teacher & Staff Appreciation: FILLED, but look for additional announcements how you can help!  Lead or help coordinate this beloved annual food & kind notes event(s) happen for those who educate and nurture our children.
2. 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. 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: 
September– Back to School Event: help out running the event.  This year: distributing popsicles, or help set-up or clean-up. 
– Do-nut cry! Arrange to have donuts and a meet up for parents/families out front of school on the first day of kindergarten or 1st grade. 
– School Picture Day: 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 🙂 
– Reflections Art Program: assist, if needed, with launch of program participation
October– Mariner’s Night on 10/1/23: collect $, distribute e-tix, help advertise sales.  
– 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 (11/17/23 student art submission deadline)
December– Bookfair: TBD…(this likely a Spring event) help staff the Scholastic bookfair in our MP library, including working the cash register.
January– Winter Ball: We have an event leader for the 2/8/24 Winter Ball, but need more area leads to help plan and run the event, obtain volunteers. This is fun to do with a buddy – party planning! This is a 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!
February– Winter Ball: We will need volunteers to help in the different areas of the event. This is fun to do with a buddy – party planning! When announcements for volunteers are made, please do sign up! It’s a fun event 🙂
March– Read-A-Thon: work with Librarian to make this fun annual event and fundraiser happen.  Getting pledge forms ready, distributed, collected, data input, order and 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 this year since we lost our Library Tech (budget cuts)!
April– Read-A-Thon: work with Librarian to make this fun annual event and fundraiser happen.  Getting pledge forms ready, distributed, collected, data input, order and distribute  t-shirts and bookmarks. This is our biggest fundraiser for our PTSA!
– Bookfair: help staff the Scholastic bookfair in our MP library, including working the cash register. 
– Multicultural Celebration: more details to come in planning for this fun event in early April!
May– Arts Festival / Open House: more details to come… 
– Science Fair Week: lots of fun science during this week (6-10th).  More details to come about the Science On Wheels visit from Pacific Science Center! 
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. 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. 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.