Momentum

Quickly -
We are ON OUR WAY!
This morning's meeting proved successful! As always there were more new parents wondering what they can do to participate in the improvement and acceleration of our children's experience here at Gardnerville.  Again, I heard a parent say that their life experiences have taken them from Gardner St. Elementary and on their return were grateful for this charming school.

GARDNER ST. ELEMENTARY is a special place. Our kids are LUCKY to go here!

Through the donation of materials and time of our parents, caregivers, and staff at Gardner we are covering the costs of becoming a non-profit. We are able to receive donations and offer a tax write off for all contributions. 
Money
Goods
Skills
are all tax-deductible.

I'll see if Susan Penevolpe - Secretary, can get the minutes to me to post here for all the details!

We are also ready to start making some concrete goals. 
You know, "We need X amount to fund X project." Complete with fund raising 'thermometer' (or sunflower or pot of gold, etc) that keeps our awareness up.
This is where we need you!  We need a survey of what we as parents and caregivers want to see for our kids here at Gardnerville.  Something will be coming in a Thursday notebook in the new year. But I am asking you to begin thinking about it now.  What do you dream for this school and the kids?  What do you have to give toward these goals? Do you have 10 minutes - to an hour to help before, during or after school, perhaps in your child's classroom? Do you have a skill? Do you know someone in the community that can donate toward Gardnerville events? Perhaps time and money are both on short supply? Pick some of the items in your home that you are not using, write a list and give it to Friends of Gardnerville - we'll see if we can find a need for your items here in the school. You will get a tax write off as well!
Half day today - got to go get Iris!
Oh! I volunteered to Chair the Mardi Gras Fund raiser!  You're going to help - right?!

Elevate

Ever wish you were in inner circle inciting progress, you know, making things happen?  Here we are in 2010 nearly 2011 and the media doom and gloom - got you down? Where do you start?  Well guess what, getting together as parents is one of the most powerful and uplifting things you can do.  OUR kids ARE the future, there is no more noble cause.  Do you want to have coffee? Do you have time for a cocktail?  If we make time for these events, we will find out that tardiness costs our school a lot of money (in the range of $100 per student per tardy) from the district. That our participation in the calendar events have a huge impact on the school operations. The STAR enrichment program has a mind boggling array of programs IF we could just get enough kids (5) in a group! As parents of Gardnerville students, we need to obligate ourselves to four tasks during the calendar year.  This year, as our inaugural year, we need to commit ourselves to the idea that WE WILL hand in hand with EACH AND EVERY parent or caregiver, participate in our students education.  WE WILL understand that it is our obligation to give to this school.  WE WILL announce our participation and we will request, nay expect that our peers do the same.  Nothing is too heavy if the weight is spread among a group.  Gardnerville can elevate beyond our greatest dreams with this effort - and our children are the beneficiaries.  Is it time? Is it money? Donations? Ideas, skills?  Think about it, what do you have to contribute? Don't be bashful, step up, and ask your friends to do the same. Please consider it part of the front doors of Gardner St. Elementary.  Then write back and tell me what YOU want.  Friends of Gardnerville will meet - if you cannot be there, send an email and tell us what are your concerns, or request the minutes.  We will have meetings with Principal Urbina - be there.  Talk to Lali, Maria Elena, Christina Bulbenko, or Lesley Holmes, to name a few. Ask them how you, your child, and your involvement effect Gardnerville.  In  10 minutes or less you will find out that SOMETHING you are capable of changing will bring revenue to this school.  Asking for something AS A GROUP OF PARENTS, can actually get you something. 
I hope to bring you information, and will do my best, but a quick conversation with some of the heavyweights in this forum will bring you right to the core of understanding.  Take this to a Friends of Gardnerville meeting and we have elevated from 'kids at school,' to making things happen. This is already a great school, just watch it take off with parent involvement!! Create Elevate!
Do me a favor, send this to any parent you think might not be receiving this letter.  I have only the addresses I collected at the Halloween Carnival.  I am just one parent. I need your help to network to the entire parent community!  Do you have a great idea how I can get each and every parent's email?  It is an honor, Lesley Sue