Deep down, I hope what I do will pay off. My goal is to show my children that to make things happen, you have to roll up your sleeves. I want them to know that that school and its surrounding activities are an important part of their life.

People may ask… why volunteer? Well, for me it’s in my blood; I was raised by "volunteering" parents. My own mother was a PTA president, a classroom mom, a brownie leader, and a field trip chaperone. My father was involved in chaperoning dance classes and or-chestra trips. Now I look back and see that my parents were my partner in everything I did at school. I never thought much about it then. I mean, isn’t that just what parents do? I then be-came a mom myself. Walking into my first PTA meeting last year not knowing a soul I found a group of people as motivated and dedicated about being as positive a part of their children’s edu-cation as I wanted to be.

Please look into the numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the year with the CMPTA. If you have never volunteered before, or just have questions about the PTA, please feel free to email us at cmpta158@yahoo.com. I would encourage you to take the time to check our website periodically for useful school and PTA information (www.cmpta158.org). We have many excit-ing programs and events planned for the next couple of months!

On behalf of the entire Chesak/Martin PTA we wish you and your family the best this holi-day season. Happy Holidays

Dana Wiley

President, Chesak/ Martin PTA