The PTC is pleased to offer families challah to be delivered each Friday school is in session, right to your child's classroom for them to bring home.

Funds raised support the PTC BIG (Be Innovative Grant) program which allows faculty to apply for a grant to bring innovative, creative programs and curriculum into the classroom.

You may choose:

• Regular or chocolate chip challah delivered weekly

• Chocolate Chip Challahdays (delivered 5 times, 10/7, 12/2, 2/3, 4/21 & 5/19)

• Holidays Only (two round challahs for Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah delivered 9/23, 10/14 & 10/21)

• Shabbat Treats (delivered 9/30, 10/28, 11/18, 12/16, 1/27, 2/24, 3/31, 4/28, & 5/19)

• Donate My Challah to The Self Help Home

If your child is absent please make arrangements with your child's teacher or the PTC Challah Committee to receive your challah. Any remaining challah will be donated.

2022-23 PTC Challah Committee
Jodi Gruber, gruberjodi@gmail.com, Amanda Hirsh, amandajhirsh@gmail.com, Brett Klugman, brettklugman@gmail.com, Claudia Mendelson, claudia@mpinkdesign.com, Risa Nasatir, risanasatir@comcast.net, Blake Rasmussen, bnrasmussen@gmail.com

Find an opportunity that works for you and get involved! No experience necessary. Please submit your form by Friday May 20.

Select any committee(s) that you are interested in. We will not place you on more than two committees without speaking with you first.

Ambassador Committee

Assist and collaborate with admissions office professionals to raise the visibility of the school, identify and recruit potential students and families, help to develop a framework for follow-up with prospective families and to provide feedback to the admissions team. Committee will meet once a month.

Annual Fundraiser 

You will assist the Co-Chairs with many aspects of the Annual Fundraiser, including securing auction items, soliciting sponsorships, promotion and day-of event set-up. 

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Date Keeper 

This appointed position will work with all families within the grade and the representatives from local synagogues to ensure a dedicated date/time for each family to celebrate their child’s bar and bat mitzvah. The Keeper from each grade will work on a committee of Keepers (from the current grades 4 through 8) for guidance and support and to develop best practices. This position will be appointed by the PTC President. Volunteering here will express your interest in being considered for the role. (Must have a 4th grader in 2022- 2023)

Book Fairs & Book Swap Committee and Library Volunteers

Book Fair/Swap Co-Chair: You will work with the School Librarians to plan, organize and execute 2 Book Fairs and 1 Book Swap and help recruit volunteers to work at these events.

Book Fair/Swap Committee Member: You will work shifts to help set-up and check-out guests at the Book Fairs & Book Swap.

Library Volunteer: On dates/times of your choice, you will assist the librarians with assorted tasks within the library. Volunteer once or every week.

Booster Club Co-Chair: You will help the Athletic Director organize events to promote school spirit and support BZ athletic teams. You will also assist in planning the annual Athletic Banquet. 

Booster Club Committee Member: You will work shifts at Booster Club events, typically immediately after school, to help with concessions, passing out BZ swag, etc. 

This committee work, all done remotely, provides support to school community members in their times of joy or sadness by distributing information or other support, as desired by the family, and sending congratulations or condolences. 

Co-Chair: You will work with to bring inclusive Jewish experiences to students, parents and families for connecting within and across grades. Programs focus on celebrating traditions and rituals, socializing in a Jewish context and exploring spirituality. Your role will include brainstorming program specifics and promoting and executing 2-3 events in the 2022-2023 school year.

Committee Member: You will help execute activities such as staffing a meal pick-up station for Shabbat in a Box, assembling Purim gifts for families,  and recruiting parents for committee-led events.

Fundraising/Retail Co-Chair: You will work with the PTC Retail and Fundraising Executive Committee to develop, plan, promote and execute fundraising activities to fund the PTC’s Be Innovative Grant. Share your ideas and networks to ensure the success of PTC's fundraising efforts.

Fundraising/Retail Committee Member: You will help the Fundraising & Retail Co-Chairs execute fundraising events.

Lunchroom Co-Chair: You will schedule and manage daily lunchroom volunteers to assist Sage, our lunchroom vendor, during lunchtime. 

Lunchroom Committee Constant: You will have the first chance at selecting lunchtime volunteer shifts (Monday through Thursday 11:15 am - 1:00 pm). You can choose to volunteer weekly, monthly, or whenever you are free. Lunchroom Constants also help the Lunchroom Co-Chairs fill in gaps when other volunteers are unavailable.

PALS Co-Chair: You will work closely with the Admissions office to pair new families with mentor families as they prepare for their children to start at Bernard Zell. You will assist in planning programming to welcome new families. 

PALS Mentor: Your family will be paired with an incoming family to ensure a warm welcome. You’ll be an ongoing source of support for the family throughout their first year at Bernard Zell. This may include such things as family park playdates, meals together, etc.

Parent Ed. Co-Chair: You will work with the Learning Services department and school administration to brainstorm potential programs and invite speakers to school to address a range of topics related to personal, professional, and parenting life.  

Parent Ed. Committee Member: You will help promote Parent Education events and help with any day-of event needs. 

Parking Lot Co-Chair: You will coordinate parent volunteers working in the parking lot, ensuring that we have parents available every day to assist the BZ security team and administration in our drop-off line. You will help make sure the process runs smoothly and safely and make adjustments as necessary.  

Parking Lot Constant: The Parking Lot Co-Chairs will reach out to you when they need additional volunteers for Parking Lot Duty.

Special Friends Event Committee: 

Special Friends Co-Chair: You will work with BZ Staff to recruit and manage volunteers and help prepare for and execute Special Friends Day.

Special Friends Committee Member: You will be available as needed, leading up to and on Special Friends' Day.

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Co-Chair: You will plan and execute events to recognize and thank our teachers, administrators and staff throughout the year and during Teacher Appreciation Week in the Spring. In addition, this committee coordinates the semi-annual teacher gift card program.  

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Committee Member: You will assist the Teacher Appreciation Co-Chairs to execute their events throughout the school year - setting up coffee stations, delivering treats and surprises, packaging gifts, etc. 

Yad B'Yad Co-Chair: You will create a calendar of service project opportunities in the Lakeview community and beyond in which parents and children can participate together. Working with the members of your committee you will promote and execute these activities throughout the school year. 

Yad B'Yad Committee Member: You will be assigned to help execute 1 (or more, if desired) service project event. Activities include - working with the organization to determine needs, promoting the event, recruiting participants and helping with day-of-event logistics. 

Young Families Co-Chair: You will plan and execute a winter-time event to engage the BZ families with children in grades Nursery through 2nd Grade.

Young Families Committee Member: You will assist the Co-Chairs with preparation for the Young Family Event and be available to work a shift during the event - registration, help with programming, serving snacks, etc.

Grade Coordinators are the link between classroom parents and the PTC, as well as between parents and teachers or parents and administrators. They meet in person once a year, in the early fall. Their main responsibilities are to assist with the dissemination of information to parents, organizing gatherings and the Annual Grade Dinner (along with collecting funds for the dinner) and coordinating volunteers for classroom activities, events or field trips. 

Responsibilities include: 

• Attending the Grade Coordinator Training Session during the second week of school. 

• One person will take on the communication role in order to disseminate information to the grade throughout the year. 

• Serving as a liaison between PTC and classroom parents.

• Managing grade-wide events (e.g., grade dinners, mom’s/dad's nights, field trip volunteers).

• Volunteering at other school events (e.g. teacher appreciation week, booster club, and other grade-specific events).

• Coordinating your grade level responsibilities (e.g. Parking Lot volunteers, seder set-up etc).

To apply to be a Grade Coordinator, please indicate what grade (s) your child(ren) will be in during the 2022-2023 school year. Check all that apply. 

Please submit your requests by Friday, May 20th. Committees will be finalized and assignments will be communicated before the end of the school year.

Grade Coordinators for the 2022-2023 school year will be notified at the end of this summer.

Questions? Reach out to Ericka Thacker at erickathacker@gmail.com or 248.202.3067. 

Please Note:

We aim to honor all parents’ volunteer requests. Due to great interest in some areas, we may ask you to consider being involved in an alternate committee but we will not assign you to a committee you did not request without speaking to you first. 

Each committee will have a liaison to the PTC Exec Board as well as an Administrative liaison to provide support.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering and helping to build a better, stronger Bernard Zell!