This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

Jones Elementary School Launches PTA Website

This Maryland Green School is keeping their school community in the loop with a website while saving paper and resources.

When became a certified Maryland Green School in June 2010, it was on the "to-do" list to create a website that would be the communication link among parents, teachers, and students in place of the traditional paper flyers.

This fall, the Jones PTA website launched, thanks to the hard work and efforts of PTA President Bonnie Levin and CAC Chairperson and website creator Jessica Farrar.

"Jessica and Bonnie have been the driving forces behind JonesPTA.com," said Principal Sara Pickens. "As a Maryland Green School, we try to be very cognizant of how much paper we use and have been working to streamline electronic means of communication."

Find out what's happening in Severna Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The school has been successful in significantly reducing paper consumption, in turn reducing the amount of energy to run the copiers along with the man-hours put into making and distributing hundreds of fliers daily and weekly.

The new website is a one-stop-shop for joining the PTA, filling out classroom volunteer forms, enrolling students in after-school enrichment programs, staying abreast of the latest school-related news, and ordering the popular Jones Fox spirit wear.

Find out what's happening in Severna Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Our plan is to be able to pay your membership dues, order spirit wear, and sign-up for PTA-sponsored activities all through our website," said Levin.

The website's appeal, ease of use, and relevancy is in large part due to the efforts of Farrar, who updates the website frequently.

"We use ours to comply with green school standards and keep all stakeholders in the loop. It's also a great way for working families and non-traditional family groups to stay on top of school happenings," said Farrar.

For the Jones community, the website is an invaluable tool that has brought them up-to-date with many other local schools. Not only are the copiers relieved, but so are the parents of students who may not have been the most reliable message-carriers!

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?