Our biggest fundraiser of the year is right around the corner! Are you excited to get your fundraising form?
Before I joined PTA I often wondered why PTA was necessary. As a busy mom I was already juggling a thousand things, and worrying about what I thought were "silly fundraisers and parties" did not appeal to me. I had enough to do! When flyers for PTA came around I'd think, "Aren't I paying taxes for schools already? Why do they need more funds? What are they doing with that money? Do we really need fundraisers? I could do without the ice cream socials and silly meetings."
I would not be surprised or upset if you told me you'd had the same thoughts! To put my own mind at ease, and to answer your questions and concerns, let me share with you some things I've learned over the last year of volunteering with our PTA.
Did you know that the PTA organization has been around for 119 years? It was founded in 1897, back when women did not have the right to vote, and social activism was unpopular. Wanting to advocate for the safety of their children, two women came together to create PTA. It was immediately succesful! On February 17, 1897, more than 2,000 people attended the first meeting in Washington, D.C. Now, almost 120 years later, it is the largest volunteer child advocacy organization in the nation. PTA has been responsible for many programs and legislation that are now standard in our children's lives, such as:
- Creation of Kindergarten classes
- Child labor laws
- Public health service
- Hot and healthy lunch programs
- Juvenile justice system
- Mandatory immunization
- Arts in Education
- School Safety
Our local PTA also provides our school and community with so much. Here is a short list of what Cherry Valley PTA does in our community.
Provides Educational Programs such as:
- After School Enrichment
- Pacific Science Center Van Visits
- Classroom Enrichment Grants
- Cedarcrest Scholarships
- Read-A-Thon Medals
- National PTA Reflections Program
- Classroom Art Docents
- Arts Alive
- New Library Books
- Field Trip Scholarships
Events that bring our community together and provide opportunities to meet your neighbors and other school families:
- Dance Dude classes for a week
- Dance Dude Dance Event
- Student Directory
- Family Movie Nights
- Family Bingo Nights
- Yearbooks
- Jump-a-thon
- Cheetah Walk
- Popcorn Fridays
By enriching your child’s school experience with:
- Playground Equipment
- Track & Field Maintenance
- School Flag
- Laptops & Laptop Carts
- Ipad Mini’s
- Defibrillator & CPR training for teachers
- School Wide Sound System
And lastly, Child Advocacy:
- Power Packs for students who need additional nutritional needs to be filled at home.
Additionally, each year our PTA chooses to gift something larger to the school with the money raised from our two fundraisers during the year. This year, here are just some of the things we are looking at purchasing:
- A Buddy Bench for the playground (This is a Buddy Bench)
- A new set of Guided Reading Books for the teachers & students. These books have not been replaced in over ten years, and many are missing or damaged. Guided Reading
- Blackout Shades for the Gym so that slideshows during assemblies can be seen.
- Outdoor water fountains for the playground
As you can see, the funds from our yearly fundraisers are very important! We aren't just spending funds on silly parties and meetings. We truly are enriching our children's school experience in many ways. This year, when you see that fundraiser form come home, we hope that you'll allow your child to get excited about raising money for their school. And as always, if you'd like to get involved in PTA we would love to have you!
