All parents are members of AISV Parent-School Association (PSA). PSA Board members are elected during the Annual General Meeting held each school year in spring. PSA supports AISV with volunteer programs, special after school events and social activities, as well as fundraising. Parents are encouraged to become actively involved in the PSA; the synergy among staff, students, and parents often yields exciting results! Active membership in the PSA is an excellent way to meet other parents and members of the international community.
PSA regularly sponsor a "Back-to-School Night", Scholastic Book Fair, volunteer appreciation tea, Green Lakes picnic, school community social events and assist teachers in organizing special school events. PSA welcomes the involvement of parents - whether in the form of ideas, contributions or active participation - in all our activities.
Among different committees formed within PSA one of the most active is The Giving Tree Committee. In 1999 a group of AISV parents wanted to give something back to the community in Vilnius and decided to adopt a local orphanage. Those parents tried to find a children’s home that had about the same number of children as AISV. The home they found is the Vilniaus 3-ieji Vaikų globos namai (Vilnius Children’s Home No. 3) on Grybo st. in Antakalnis. It houses about 80 children between the ages of 4 and 18. They live in small groups and go to nearby schools in the area. The staff consists of 45 workers and the atmosphere is very caring. The rooms are clean and tidy and they manage their limited funds well. The children’s home receives some help from the government of Lithuania and from Poland, but it is not enough.
For the past years, AISV children, parents, teachers and staff have collected school supplies, winter boots, jackets, duvets (comforters) for their beds, hygiene items and used clothes and toys to give to the children at 3-ieji Vaikų globos namai. AISV has also helped by donating food from the school's food drive sponsored by the Student Council. Some families and individuals have made private donations of used playground equipment, curtains, washer and dryer and other items.
The relationship with Children's Home No. 3 is growing on a personal level as well. On different occasions AISV children go to the children's home to perform or share songs, dances, activities and treats with the orphanage kids. For three years, once a week some AISV Grade 9-10 students go to perform their Community Service work at the orphanage. AISV students help orphanage kids do their homework, teach them English, play and talk with them while in turn they receive much positive emotions and valuable social experience.
The Giving Tree Committee hopes that this relationship will continue to grow stronger throughout the years and we continue to look for new ways to strengthen the friendship between us