“We must act as if our institutions are ours to create, our learning is ours to define, our leadership we seek is ours to become.”
-Peter Block, Philosopher

Together for Trillium is our answer to a traditional PTA. Somewhat non-traditionally, since the fall of 2007, we include students as members of the TFT. So all students, parents, and staff at Trillium are automatically members and have a vote in all meetings. There are no forms to fill out to join, no dues to be paid; the only requirement is your willingness to participate in creating a wonderful educational community. Meetings happen once a month: check the calendar here on the Trillium website for meeting dates and times. WE are TFT.

TFT’s mission is to support teachers, staff and parents. We do this in a variety of ways, such as:

Actively striving to meet teacher and staff needs and requests;
Encouraging and arranging volunteer activities;
Providing support and resources for the parents of Trillium students;
Offering scholarships for activity fees and other requests; and
Providing community-building activities for the Trillium community.

Our children’s academic success depends very much on our commitment to Trillium’s success.

Volunteerism is an important component in the success of every charter school, and we encourage you to become a part of the wonderful volunteer community at Trillium. Volunteering is also a great way to meet other Trillium families and to keep in touch with the school’s progress and current events. Committees have already been formed, and you are welcome to pick any area in which you have an interest. Many great ideas have been suggested for fundraisers, community involvement, and social events. We look forward to implementing as many of them as possible–but we need you!

Year at a Glance: Calendar of Events for Families

TFT has organized a few fundraisers each year to raise funds for the scholarships and grants we provide, for the social activities that we organize, and for the school in general. We have had wonderful and dedicated volunteers who have enabled us to focus on a very successful annual auction as our primary fundraiser for several years now. The auction helps us to reach out beyond our family community and raise funds for our amazing school.

Our few TFT fundraisers have enabled us to provide:

classroom materials funds for each staff member
activity fee scholarships
grants for Trillium community members (see more below or the TFT grants web page-for more info on how this works)
grants for senior projects, specifically-application process will be announced to seniors soon!
scholarships for activities such as ski trips
funds for the community-building events that we organize
and additional funds (via the annual auction) for special projects such as the rooftop garden, the capital campaign for the new building, etc.

TFT Grants

The TFT has a grant process in place to assist members of the Trillium Community when funds are needed for various projects. Grants are considered three times a year in October, January, and April. A request will be approved or refused by vote of the TFT members present at the meeting when the request is made. A grant request must be made in writing. The Request Form must be filled out, including the signature of the school Director, and turned in to the TFT mailbox behind the Trillium front desk at least a week before the meeting when the request will be considered. See the TFT Grants page for more advice and details about this process. A few examples of projects funded by the grant process in the past include:

The bioswale project on the Interstate side of the school
Basketball hoops for the playground
Drums for the African drumming program
Software and equipment for the student newspaper and yearbook classes

TFT Events

Some of the community-building events we have had in the past and hope to have this year (we need your help for some of these to happen) include:

Back-to-school potluck and ice cream social
For all Trillium families, a chance to see old friends and meet new community members-you bring a dish to share (and dishes with which to eat) and TFT provides the ice cream.

Back-to-school Coffee/Tea for parents
At this event we celebrate the start of the school year for our kids and hear a bit more about plans for the new year from the TFT Run for the Arts–this year, Friday, October 3rd, during the school day–this is really a school fundraiser but one for which the TFT helps provide volunteers and which really is fun to help with–parent Marie Taylor is our experienced organizer of this event but we’ll need lots of volunteers to help that day.

First Friday Coffee Klatch
On the first Friday of each month, starting in October this year–for staff at 8:00 am and for parents at 8:30 am, in the garden room–this is a chance to hang out with other parents, hear a bit about what’s going on with the TFT and at the school in general, and relax (or not) with some coffee or tea and maybe some starchy goodies.

Movie Nights
This laid-back family event will happen on weekend evenings every other month–exact dates to be announced later–there will be a movie projected in the multipurpose room for younger students and one upstairs for older students; people bring snacks, blankets, even pajamas;

Swim Party
Family event, usually in the evening, often with a snack-oriented potluck–we hope to move this to the Mt. Scott swimming pool this year–volunteer organizer needed and date to be determined.

Snacks for staff meetings
This event happens each week–for this we’ll have more info soon and sign-up sheets to ask folks to bring some yummy snacks in for our wonderful staff members–to keep them fueled during their important staff meetings.

Classroom Liaisons

The TFT also coordinates classroom liaisons (aka “room parents”) for each advising group. The goals of the Liaison program are to build community from the classroom out, maintain and encourage communication, and to support our teachers. The role of class liaison is a dynamic one since the needs of a 1-2 teacher are very different from the needs of a HS advisor. If you would like to be more involved with TFT and helpful to your teacher, this is the job for you! It is a fun way to get to know the parents in your advising group as well as have a better understanding of the way our school works.

TFT Leadership

Currently, elections for leadership positions within the TFT happen at the October meeting and you are very much encouraged to get involved. With the exception of the Student Representative position, only parents and staff members are eligible for holding elected office within the TFT. The positions (and names and emails for folks currently in these roles) are:

President
Co-President
Communications Specialist
Treasurer-parent
Volunteer Coordinator
Teacher Representative-teacher
Board Representative
Student Representative
Classroom Liaison Coordinator