PTO Profile: Dawn Voyce Begins Final Year as West Middle PTO President

Dawn Voyce joined the West Middle PTO six years ago when her daughter reached West Middle as a sixth grader. 

“I got involved in the PTO because I enjoyed being around my children and I enjoyed helping the school and seeing the fun things that we could do for the students,” Voyce said.

With her youngest child in the eighth grade this year, this will be her last year as co-president of the PTO.

Voyce did not start out as the PTO president. She began as treasurer and also chaired five committees. When the PTO president stepped down, the vice president, Lori Dematrakis and Voyce agreed to share the responsibilities as co-presidents.

Dematrakis’s child graduated to ninth grade this year so an election is being held in the next weeks to elect a PTO co-president for the remainder of this school year. 

The PTO president's primary responsibilities include conducting monthly meetings and helping with school functions, fundraisers and family fun nights.  To communicate with teachers and parents they often coordinate with the office administration to send out emails and fliers. 

While the position is not always demanding, the start and end of the school year and holidays tend to be the busiest, Voyce said.  When times do get busy, Voyce said she turns it into a family project, and her kids help her count fliers and prepare materials.

Voyce revealed what is often the PTO’s biggest challenge:

“Getting parents to stay involved in their child’s life and in middle school, and getting volunteers to help chair committees.”  

She feels the economy plays a role though, making it difficult for working parents to participate in their children’s and PTO activities while also making it difficult for teachers to get the ‘extra’ supplies they may need.

In her roll as co-president, Voyce said she likes seeing the kids enjoy themselves at the eighth grade dances and the overall pleasure of the teachers when the PTO is able to help them purchase new programs. 

In her roll as a mother, Voyce helps with her daughter's marching band and enjoys hiking with her children. 

Voyce said she looks forward to this school year and encourages other West Middle parents to join the PTO.