RISE
Rooted in Service, Rising in Excellence
RISE to the occasion: Supporting our children, strengthening our school.
RISE (Rooted in Service, Rising in Excellence) is the school’s new volunteer network. The goal of the organization is to recruit and coordinate parents and other friends of the school to help out in ways that build a sense of community and advance the mission and work of the school.
Seven Oaks was made possible by the community. It will be made better by you. We covet your feedback! Help us recruit a strong group of supporters — parents, grandparents, etc. — and help us think about how we can make RISE excellent.
To give fresh energy to the new organization, we are opening up nominations for all officer roles and committee chairs: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Events Chair, Hospitality Chair, Fundraising Chair, and Hot Lunch Coordinator.
Next Steps:
Nomination: Fill out the Google Form to share why you (or someone else) would be a great fit for one of the officer roles.
Selection: Candidates for President will interview with a committee. Once selected, the President will then help select the remaining officers and committee chairs.
Important Dates:
October 3 at noon: Nominations will close and peer nominations will be notified.
October 6-10: President interviews
October 15: President will be announced
Onboarding will begin immediately following the selection process.
Not interested in an officer role? You can still play an important part! There are many other ways to serve through RISE—from helping on committees to volunteering at events. Please fill out the interest form below.
This is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the partnership between parents, grandparents, and Seven Oaks while helping shape the future of RISE.
Get involved with RISE
Officer Roles:
President – Provides leadership for RISE, presides over meetings, works closely with school administration. Focuses on supporting and coordinating committee chairs and officers.
Vice President – Assists the President, coordinates and recruits for events and committees as needed, and assumes leadership responsibilities in the President’s absence.
Secretary – Prepares and distributes meeting notes, action items, and PSAs; keeps a record of rosters, assignments, and sign-ups; moderates the RISE social media page.
Treasurer – Drafts annual budget, ensures proper accounting practices, maintains financial records, and prepares financial reports for all RISE-related financial activity.
Committee Chairs:
Fundraising Chair – Works closely with the Director of Development to plan and execute RISE fundraising activities; coordinates with the RISE Treasurer and Business Office to ensure compliance with school accounting practices.
Events Chair – Maintains annual calendar of recurring RISE-led or supported events; coordinates logistics for various community events.
Hospitality Chair – Organizes teacher appreciation events and parent hospitality efforts; helps build community spirit by recognizing milestones; recruits and coordinates volunteers for food for events or staff appreciation.
Hot Lunch Coordinator – Organizes weekly hot lunches for students, K-12, including coordination with vendors and recruiting and managing volunteers.
Angie Butcher is the Executive Assistant to the Headmaster here at Seven Oaks Classical School and is excited to step into the role of RISE Liaison, serving as the bridge between the school and RISE. With two children at Seven Oaks, Mrs. Butcher knows firsthand the heart of our community and brings both professional experience and parent perspective to her work. She is civic-minded and deeply committed to building connections, recently helping coordination for the Fall Festival. Mrs. Butcher looks forward to serving on the Selection Committee interview panel and partnering with the next RISE President, supporting parents, and helping families feel welcomed and engaged.
RISE Liaison
FAQs
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For the past ten years, the PTCA has played a pivotal role in the life of the school. So many individuals have been involved in so many ways.
In the early days, an independent PTCA was absolutely indispensable. The school simply lacked the staff to manage volunteers or plan events or fundraisers.
Now, in our 10th year, we want to create something that takes into account the growth of the school. It is now possible for the school to relieve the parent association of the administrative burden of running an independent 501(c)3, allowing a network of volunteers to focus its energies on direct support of the school community and mission.
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RISE will have similar officers, committees, and activities but…
RISE will operate within the leadership structure of the school.
People must opt in to membership. It will not be automatic.
To build a healthy spirit of competition, to better honor volunteerism, and to make it easy to know what volunteer opportunities are available, we will use a platform called Helper Helper (coming soon!)
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There are many other ways to serve through RISE—from helping on committees to volunteering at events. The best way to get involved now is to fill out the interest form.
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Officers and chairs will serve 2-year terms, with a limit of 2 consecutive terms in any given leadership role. There must be a one-year hiatus before serving in the same leadership role again.
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You may nominate yourself or someone else for any position. The nomination window for 2025 runs from September 25- October 3 at noon.
Over the week of October 6-10, interviews for the president position will be take place. The interview committee will consist of:
the head of school
school board president
RISE liaison
an outgoing member of the RISE executive team (in the future)
The RISE President will then spearhead selection of the remaining members of the executive team and committee chairs.
Looking back with gratitude
For the past 10 years, the Seven Oaks Parent-Teacher Community Association has been at the heart of our school. In the early days, there was only a handful of staff, and little capacity to coordinate the “extras” that enrich a school community.
Under the leadership of founding president Nikki Wolf, and with the help of many dedicated parents, the PTCA stepped in to plan events, organize fundraisers, and foster community spirit. It is thanks to the efforts of the PTCA that we have, over the years, enjoyed the girl’s choice dance, the nerf battle, used uniform sale, teacher appreciation luncheons, chili cookoffs, skate nights, book fairs, hot lunches, back-to-school celebrations, and so much more.
For ten years, the PTCA has embodied the spirit of partnership between families and educators. Its legacy, woven into the history of Seven Oaks, laid the foundation for a future filled with even more opportunities to enrich the lives of students and families.
