Calling all Soup and Dessert Chefs!

Hauser Jr. High “Soup’s On” Family Dinner needs YOUR talent and generosity! We’re looking for individuals to showcase their culinary talent by donating a pot of their best soup or favorite dessert for the annual “Soup’s On” Family dinner fundraiser to be held on Thursday, January 21, 2010, in the Hauser Jr. High School Cafeteria, from 5-7 p.m.

If cooking is not your strong suit but you’re eager to help out, we’re also looking for donations of gift baskets, sporting event tickets, theater or music event tickets, kids’ items, etc., for the big raffle.

Please contact Olga Andrulis at oandrulis@comcast.net or Tori Sells at tor0303@aol.com with your donations or questions.

If one of your new year’s resolutions was to get more involved with your child’s school, we can help make that happen!

1. The Hauser PTA is putting together a committee to examine our fundraising. The committee will take a look at the various ways the PTA raises money and report back to the membership with any interesting findings and recommendations for improvement.

2. In the earlier days of the parent group at Hauser, there was a historian who chronicled our story. Scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings and such go beyond the official meeting minutes to give us a better idea of how things were. This tradition is something we’re interested in reinstating. Are you interested in being our Historian?

3. The nominating committee is working this month to put together a slate of officers for the 2010-2011 school year. If you are interested in holding an office or have suggestions as to whom you think the committee should consider, please let us know.

For more information or to volunteer for any of the positions above, please contact Fran Sitkiewicz or Lisa Aulerich-Marciniak.

A few more volunteers are needed to help run the Hauser Book Fair, January 19-21. On the January 19, we need help at 9:00 to set up; on January 20, help is needed from 3:15 to 4:00; and on January 21, help is needed from 7:45 to 8:45 am, from 3:15 to 4:00, and at any time during the Family Dinner.

If you have an hour to give, please contact Martha Carlson at mbcarlso@yahoo.com.

Help take care of the people who take care of our students and school! The PTA is recruiting a volunteer to manage the holiday collection for our school’s support staff – including the secretaries, cafeteria helpers, and custodians. This is a short-term opportunity to help Hauser families show their appreciation during the holiday season. With the holidays are just around the corner, we need someone as soon as possible. For details, please contact Fran Sitkiewicz at fransit@sbcglobal.net or Lisa Marciniak at aulerich@umich.edu.

A Take Pride in Riverside community work day will be held from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 17. Meet at the Quincy train platform (planting beds behind the Arts Center & Metal Mites) to help install weed block, plant & remulch the garden beds along the train parking lot. Bring gloves, rakes, shovels, and clippers if you have them. Dress warmly. Contact Terri Lynne-Culloden with any questions.

Another Opportunity to Support Our Students: District 96 is forming a committee of parents, staff, and administrators to discuss new ways of providing opportunities for our Special Education Students and has asked each PTA to provide a parent liaison to the group. If you are interested in Special Education issues and would like to be the Hauser PTA liaison, contact Lisa Aulerich-Marciniak or Fran Sitkiewicz.

Each year the National PTA sponsors Reflections, a program designed to encourage kids to express themselves through the arts. Hauser and the elementary schools have participated in this program for years, and District 96 can be proud of its long history of having student works advance to the district and state levels. We are looking for someone to coordinate Hauser’s participation again this year. The job description for our Reflections Chair can be found on our website. If you have questions, or decide this sounds like a way you would like to volunteer, please contact Lisa Aulerich-Marciniak.

Hauser PTA is seeking volunteers to help with set-up, clean-up and to bring fruit and/or cookies for the faculty music recital on Wednesday September 16. If you are available to help please contact Kim Michl.

Hauser PTA is seeking a volunteer to compile the directory of student names/addresses/phone numbers. The job is done during the first couple of weeks of school. Excel/Word experience is a plus, but we have very detailed and excellent instructions from our previous director, so any computer-literate parent can do this job. For more information, or to volunteer, please contact PTA Presidents Fran or Lisa.