PTA Committees

Optional programs throughout the school year are contracted with third party organizations wherein students can learn a new skill or sport after school hours on campus for a fee. Examples include art classes, yoga, robotic, MadScience, basketball, etc. The chair is responsible for handling requests from third party organizations and seeking out opportunities, scheduling and requesting permits, and recruiting parent volunteers with clearances to chaperone each activity on site.  (These are not to be confused with 4th grade intramurals, art club and chorus.  Those activities are still managed by the Baker teachers.)

2025-26 Chairs:  Meg Holt & Sivagami Sreenivasan

In-school student assemblies with fun and entertaining speakers and performances. Programs are intended to be educational and usually tie-in with current grade-level curriculum. The chair is responsible for scheduling programs with Baker staff.

2025-26 Chair:   Megan Hinch & Carolyn Kaldon

A district-wide contest that promotes the arts and gives students an opportunity to create an original art piece that reflects a specific theme, which is changed each year. The chair is responsible for communication about the contest, recruiting judges, and award distribution.

2025-26 Chair: Alex Zanic

Baker families get together for bingo, prizes and pizza. This is a free event held before spring break for the whole family. The chair is responsible for scheduling and permits, recruiting volunteers, and general set-up.

2025-26 Chair: Lucy Curran

Biggest party and fundraiser of the year, typically in October, with carnival-style games, dinner, silent auction, raffles, cake walk and other fun things for the whole family. This event needs the most volunteer help, and planning begins in summer. The chair is responsible for recruiting volunteers, soliciting donations, and coordinating ticket sales.

2025-26 Chair: Amanda Walton

Sub Committees: 

• Cake Walk:  Emily Hand
• Concessions:  TBD    
• Face Painting: Hilary Regan
• Food trucks/sponsorships: Amanda Walton
• Games: Halley Casey
• Raffles/Silent Auction: Bethany Salmen
• Teacher Experiences: Lucy Curran
• Ticket Sales: Amanda Palermo
• Volunteers: Daisy Miksch

This event was first launched in January 2024 and is a wonderful way for Baker families to come together on a Saturday afternoon to showcase their family's heritage and share with fellow Baker families.

2025-26 Chairs: Lucy Curran and Jen Frisco

This major event is held every year and includes a variety of music, dance, magic, gymnastics, and other performances for our students and by our teachers. This requires a lot of volunteer help! The kids love the talent show!

2025-26 Chairs: Charissa Lauren Moses, Lindsay Minerd and Hilary Regan

The Baker Gives Back Club helps to plan and coordinate service projects geared toward "giving back" to Baker and our community.  The club is open to 3rd and 4th grader students with oversight from parent volunteers.  Club members may assist faculty/staff with the implementation of school activities such as Baker Buddies, Library Helpers, and Morning Helpers, as well as host outreach projects such as drives to benefit area charities, collecting cards ("Notes for Neighbors") and creating banners to make the holidays brighter for residents of a local retirement community.  The club meets weekly for 8-10 weeks each semester.  

2025-26 Chairs: Kara Krebs and Kate Kleinbaum

Held in the fall during conference time and again in the spring, children and parents have the opportunity to purchase books, craft kits, posters, etc. through Scholastic Books.

2025-26 Chairs: Diana Slanders and Christina Tullai

Families are given the opportunity to purchase and dedicate a book to the Baker Library in their child's name to honor a special occasion or celebration or milestone. Books are selected by the Baker Librarian and purchased through an Amazon wishlist. The book will have a bookplate inserted with the child's name and optional message. The child will be the first student eligible to check out that book.

2025-26 Chair: Diana Slanders

Kids can shop till they drop at our Enchanted Shop, held in early December. Not a school fund raiser; it is a lot of fun for the students who love buying gifts for family, friends, and even themselves. Each class has a scheduled time to shop. You can put restrictions on your child’s spending via a note attached to their money envelope. Many parent volunteers are needed to help the children shop.

2025-26 Chairs: Lindsay Minerd and Maya Brook

An end of the year Field Day, complete with games of all kinds. Weather permitting, games are held outside. The chair is responsible for scheduling, recruiting volunteers, and set-up of the stations.

2025-26 Chairs: Kara Krebs and Emily Hand

The chair is responsible for collecting photos throughout the year and from each 4th grader who wishes to have a page, communicating to parents about ordering, compiling the book using the publishing software and coordinating with the publisher for printing and scheduling.

2025-26 Chairs:  Lindsey O'Donnell & Christine Diamant

The whole grade-level class gathers together at Baker one night per school year for a fun activity, such as a Dance Party, Animal Encounter, Comedy Show or Magic Show. The chairs are responsible for scheduling and permits, communication with the grade level parents, and recruiting volunteers as needed.

2025-2026 Chairs:

• K: Samantha Adler, Lauren Olack, Jess Silbermann
• 1st: Lucy Curran, Bethany Salmen, Kara Krebs, Becca Wilson, Kate Kleinbaum
• 2nd: Emily Hand, Anna Buzzelli, Tia Kalas, Neetu Kallar, Juan Li
• 3rd: Bethany Salmen, Halley Casey, Michelle Heins, Megan Joint
• 4th: Lucy Curran, Amanda Palermo

All families are encouraged to join the PTA at their youngest child’s school in the district. When you are a member of the PTA, it entitles you to voting privileges at the PTA meetings and it supports the many activities and events of the year. The chair is responsible for communication with parents.

2025-26 Chair: Jamie Del

Students gather pledges and read as much as they can! They can win daily prizes and compete for grade-level awards for the most minutes read. This culminates with a fun family event, Baker Bedtime Stories, with staff and special guests reading stories to students and families in their classrooms in the evening - in their pajamas! The chairs are responsible for communication, organizing books and other prizes, organizing awards, and planning the assembly.

2025-26 Chairs: Natalie Jaskowski, Jenna Schuknecht and Jocelyn Munro

Fundraiser where families can choose to order all necessary school supplies from a teacher-approved list by grade for their child's following school year. Kits ordered in May/June and picked up at Baker in mid-August. 

2025-26 Chair:  Gina Pelusi

The spelling bee is held at Baker for 4th grade students who wish to participate, typically in early January. The chair is responsible for recruiting judges, coordinating paperwork, communicating with parents and assisting at the Bee.

2025-26 Chair: Daisy Miksch

Designated night for Baker PTA to receive a percentage of all food sales at local restaurants. No volunteers needed, just hungry patrons. The chair is responsible for coordinating with restaurants, communicating with parents and following up to receive the funds for Baker PTA. The following restaurants donated to Baker PTA in 2021-2022: Chipotle, Over the Bar Hastings, The Railyard Tap Room, and Primo Hoagies McMurray. 

2025-26 Chair:  Jenna Mayo

Clothing and other USC school spirit items for sale. The chair is responsible for communication to parents, coordination with the clothing vendor, and distribution post-sale.

2025-26 Chair: Jade Underwood

Each third grade student will have the opportunity to create their own original art piece that will be transferred to tile and installed in the hallways of Baker. The chair is responsible for coordinating with the vendor, communication with parents and contracting installation.

2025-26 Chairs:  Bethany Salmen and Kelly Meyers

Events throughout the school year including, but not limited to, a back to school breakfast, milkshake day, chili and soup luncheon for teachers and other staff members. Also a week of fun things during Staff Appreciation Week in May. The chairs are responsible for idea planning, recruiting volunteers and organizing events.

2025-26 Chairs: Amanda Palermo and Kelly Meyers