Volunteer with PTA!
Together many hands make light work and our community grows. Best of all, your child will see you actively involved in their future!
If you are looking for a way to volunteer with kids at Irvington, consider one of many volunteer opportunities to explore and share the world with the students of Irvington School.
There are two paths to signing-up to volunteer: either contact the person listed under the opportunity you are interested in below OR check out our new virtual sign-up sheets through the school directory but first you need to be approved by PPS to volunteer!
Battle of the Books (OBOB)
The Oregon Battle of the Books is a statewide program to encourage reading for enjoyment, broaden reading interests, increase comprehension, and promote cooperative learning. Students in grades 3 through 8 form teams and schedule practices with a parent leader. They compete in Jeopardy-style “battles” at Irvington, then 2 teams go on to represent our school in battles against other Oregon teams. The initial rounds are in Jan.-Feb. with the regional competition in March. For more information, contact David Krakow, at dkrakow@pps.net or visit http://oboblsta.pbworks.com.
Classroom Volunteers
Most teachers welcome volunteers in their classrooms. Individual teachers have their own system for arranging for and utilizing volunteers. If you are interested in helping in the classroom, check with your child’s teacher.
Clothing Center
Portland Public Schools provide a clothes closet at Marshall High School for children in need of basic clothing. PTA volunteers staff the closet – each school is requested to staff the closet two times per year. Irvington staffs generally in September and again in February. We need 6-8 volunteers per shift. For more information, contact Jessica Farley (jessica.farley@yahoo.com).
Garden Volunteer
Love to garden? Join your children as they grow fruit and vegetables and play in the dirt. For more information, contact Laura Westwood (lbwestwood@gmail.com).
Green Team
The Green Team works with parents and students to raise environmental awareness and implement sustainability projects at Irvington School. Past projects have included Earth Day activities, Bike/Walk events, installing two covered bike shelters with solar powered lighting, installing water fountain bottle refilling stations, providing “party packs” of reusable dishware for class parties and school meetings, and changing all cafeteria trays, cups and utensils to washable ware. The team meets monthly to come up with activities and project ideas to implement with the school community. For more information or to volunteer: greenteam@irvingtonschool.com
Kitchen Helpers
Here’s your chance to see what really goes on in the lunchroom! Mr. G needs two adult volunteers* per day, to help serve lunch from 11:00-12:30. Volunteers will help serve lunch to students.
*You must be a PPS-approved volunteer with proof of COVID vaccination. If you would like to volunteer for future time slots, apply for approval here: https://www.pps.net/volunteer. It only takes a few minutes to apply and is valid for three years.
School Grounds
Since PPS has only two year-round groundskeepers on staff to maintain 753 acres of school property, there is always something to be done on the school grounds! Join Irvington families Sunday mornings between 10:30 and noon to clean up and play. The School Grounds Improvement Committee organizes Irvington families and neighbors for fall and spring school group maintenance and clean up. For more information, contact Rebecca Evans: groundscommittee@irvingtonschool.com.
Spaghetti Dinner
A long-standing tradition at Irvington, Spaghetti Dinner is more than just good food — the opportunity to relax and socialize with others in the school community clearly adds to its popularity! Volunteers are needed to organize, set up the dinner, and help clean up. For more information, contact Jessica Farley: jessica.farley@yahoo.com.
Yearbooks
Yearbooks are available to order in the early spring. The yearbooks include individual and class pictures as well as pictures of student activities and events. Parent volunteers assist with yearbook planning and collaboration. For more information, contact Carolyn Blum: cblum@pps.net.