WOH For Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016
What if PTH went away? By Heather Paar, Hope parent and PTH board member
Before my first child went to kindergarten, I talked to a lot of parents. Time and again I heard some version of this statement: “What makes a school great is how involved the parents are.” You likely groaned, “fundraising, ugh, here we go again” on that first day of school when the Chinook book sales information came home. Well, good news. We are not asking our kids to sell any more “stuff” this year. No wrapping paper, no cookie dough, no magazines, no candy bars, nothing. However, PTH still needs to fundraise, because PTH (Parents and Teachers of Hope) directly funds programs that enrich our kids’ school experience.
So….coming up……..
Orange Ruler! I promised no more sales, and Orange Ruler is FUNdraising that also builds teamwork and school spirit! This year, funds will be allocated to our general fund and towards refreshing our playground. We count on Orange Ruler as our major annual fundraiser. It is a great way to get out-of-town friends and family involved with your kids’ school because they can easily donate online. The kids love it because there are prizes, the pig race, and of course the whole-school Fun Run at the end!
What does PTH do, anyway?
You may or may not know that the PTH is a separate division of Hope School and Hope Church. It provides funding for tangible goods such as classroom supplies and extras such as new cameras for the yearbook elective and much more. Funds raised by PTH helped purchase our new school bus last year and remodel the boys’ bathroom two years ago. PTH also organizes and funds events for Hope families such as the Back to School BBQ, Fall Frolic, Middle School Dance, Grandparent’s Day, Family Movie Night, Dads & Donuts, Teacher Appreciation Week, and the 8th Grade Graduation party. Our current PTH president, Sonjia Barker, has consciously shifted the efforts of the PTH away from “just fundraising” and towards offering more programs and social events.
Can’t they just raise tuition?
Mrs. Okabayashi does a dynamite job with the school budget. Our tuition, and the subsidy from Hope Church, is carefully allocated and distributed to cover the essentials for educating our kids. Thankfully, the church and school are committed to keeping the tuition at a rate that makes private school accessible for so many families. In order to cover just the expenses of tangible supplies PTH provided for classrooms and kids last year, tuition would need to go up by at least $500 per student. This doesn’t include any of the events, or volunteer hours put in by parents to make these events possible, which are priceless.
What can I do to make a difference?
Get involved! Be one of those parents who make our school amazing. Here are a few ways:
1) Attend the PTH General Meeting on October 5 at 6pm.
2) Support our Orange Ruler FUNdraiser by spreading the word among your family, friends, and colleagues.
3) Volunteer your time. Help plan, set up, clean up or attend one of the many PTH events
4) Sponsor an event. You can donate to the PTH (a non-profit) personally or from your business. Event sponsorship defrays the cost of the event, so any donations made at the event directly benefit our kids! Ask your employer if they are interested in sponsoring a school event. Contact Heather Paar (heatherpaar@yahoo.com or 206-300-5233) if you want to learn about this option.
Calendar of Events – Click Here
Tues. 9/27: 2:15 PM Fun Run Kickoff
Wed. 9/28: 8:40 AM Chapel led by Mr. Meyer, Principal of Seattle Lutheran High School, The Call of Abraham
Fri. 9/30: 1:00 PM Fall Olympics Grade K-8 / 4:00 PM Bowl-A-Rama
Mon. 10/3: Student Council Applications Due
Wed. 10/5: 8:40 AM Chapel led by Miss Clark – The Girl No One Wanted / 6:00 PM PTH General Meeting
Chapel Talk Sheets – Click Here
This year in chapel we will be studying Bible stories by using The Storybook Bible. Each week parents can download a “Family Talk Sheet” to discuss the chapel topic of the week. Parents are encouraged to use the talk sheet as a resource to discuss their beliefs as a family after dinner or before bed time. The talk sheets will also be available on the school website chapel page.
School Athletic Calendar of Events – Click Here
School Clubs – Click Here
Family Friday Bowl-A-Rama – September 30 – 4pm to 6pm
It isn’t too late to sign up for bowling on Friday after Fall Olympics! Look in your Tuesday envelope for sign up sheet and information on all the fun RAFFLE PRIZES we have available. You DO NOT have to be present or bowl to win these fun items, so turn in your sign up or raffle sheets by this Friday at 3pm to participate! See you there!
Student Council Announcement
Attention all students in grades 3-8! This is your chance to shine in a leadership position as a student council member at Hope Lutheran School! The role of student council is to foster school spirit, raise funds to benefit the school, and aid our community through service projects. Please see Mrs. Hartley in the 1st grade classroom before or after school any day this week to pick up an application (due Monday, Oct. 3rd.) Meetings will be held at 7:45am on the 1st Tues of every month. All students in grades 3-7 are eligible for class representative, and 2 will be elected from each class. Students in grade 8 are eligible for officer positions: President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Posters may be hung on Oct. 5 and short speeches will be given the morning of Oct.12 with elections later that day. More details can be found on the application. Please contact Mrs. Hartley @ jhartley@hopeseattle.org with any questions.
Parent Involvement Program or PIP Opportunities – Click Here
Job Opportunity at Hope School – Click Here
Parking Reminders
When dropping off and picking up your student(s) from Hope School, please remember that cars cannot be left unattended out front on 42nd Ave. When dropping off, please pull as far forward as you can, drop off your child (if possible on the curb side), and pull away. Try to have your student as independent as possible at getting out of the seatbelt or car seat. At pickup time, again please pull forward as far as you can, and remain in your car to continue to pull forward as other cars pull out. Following these important guidelines will help keep our cars and most importantly, our students, safe.
Uniform Guidelines
In the Tuesday envelopes today, you will find the most current uniform and personal appearance guidelines. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for your attention to this.
Part Time Job Opportunity
A West Seattle resident is looking for an in-home part-time caregiver on Mondays and Fridays from approximately 9:00/9:30am to 4:00/5:00 pm. Transferring and caring for wheelchair bound lady (training provided) and light housekeeping and cooking. This is a great part-time opportunity for a caring Mom while the kids are in school. For more information call Julie at 206.234.2698.
Hope Church Events – Click Here
Hope 101 – New Member Class Begins Wednesday – October 5
This class is led by Pastor Peter and is designed to inform you and welcome you to Hope! Contact Patra at patramueller@hopeseattle.org or call 206-937-9330 for more information and to sign up. We are excited to make Hope your church home!
Save the Date – Free Screening of Screenagers – October 6
Seattle Lutheran High School invites you to a free screening of Screenagers. This documentary highlights the ever-present impact of technology on our youth, and provides encouragement and strategies for finding a balance in your own household. Based on feedback from our students and families, and others in the community, we know this is a “hot topic” for many. We’d like to respond to your “call for help” by coordinating this time to gather, share, and learn.
Come join us! Thursday, October 6, 2016 @ 6:30 PM, Seattle Lutheran High School Gymnasium, 4100 SW Genesee Street, Seattle, WA 98116. Please RSVP at 206-937-7722 Ext. 18 or rbigliardi@seattlelutheran.org.