Just Think Campaign
DONATE NOW! By Check
Please complete the Sponsor Form and return it in an envelope to your child’s teacher or the office.
DONATE NOW!By PayPal
As the summer draws to a close and we prepare for another year at Castlebay, it’s time that each of us renews our commitment to our wonderful children’s programs. Last year, we achieved record success raising our API from 928 to 940, raising over $90,000 in our Just Think program. This year, we hope to do it again, and with your help we can make it happen. Below is our letter. PDF version of Letter.
Dear Fellow Castlebay Parents,
Welcome back to an exciting, new school year! Castlebay Elementary, a California Distinguished School, offers an excellent education for our children with experienced teachers, staff, and committed families.
Part of our children’s educational enrichment is directly funded by Castlebay families through the P.A.T.H. (Parents And Teachers Helping) organization. Castlebay’s Just Think Campaign is our largest, direct fundraiser for the year. Last school year we stepped up our efforts and we raised $95,000 for the 2010-2011 academic year – a tremendous success! If every Castlebay family contributed to the Just Think Campaign, we would not need other fundraisers. This would allow us to focus our volunteer efforts directly on our children in the classroom, rather than on additional fundraisers.
P.A.T.H. provides our children with the following educational opportunities, not provided by LAUSD:
• Art once a week for half the year, including hands on lessons about artists and techniques keyed to classroom curriculum.
• Music once a week for half the year, introducing beats, rhythms, and composers; and using musical instruments to hear musical elements more clearly.
• Computer class once a week to learn typing, office software techniques, and multi media presentations.
• Classroom Aide for 4th-5th grades 3 hours a day, providing pull out teaching and fluency tests to help with higher student / teacher ratios.
• Classroom Aide for Kindergarten 3 hours a day to allow teachers to conduct special projects with our youngest students.
• Full-Time Work Room Assistant making over one million copies per year to provide classroom assignments, laminating classroom work, binding projects, and tracking the school’s inventory of textbooks - so our teachers can stay focused in the classroom, doing what they do best – inspiring our children.
The salaries for these staff members plus classroom and workroom aides total $119,000. The entire P.A.T.H. budget paid for by Castlebay families is $148,950. There are no other funding sources. If we are not able to raise the money, we will not be able to fund these essential programs.
This year, as part of our 100% Just Think Campaign, we are asking that Castlebay families consider a Family Sponsorship of $500, which includes one free yearbook per student (limit 2) and other incentives outlined on the contribution form. All Access Sponsors [$1000] will receive an invitation to a Special Recognition Dinner with our new Principal, Ms. Victoria Littlejohn, and LAUSD Board Member Tamar Galatzan.
We are looking for 100% participation with a donation that is “meaningful to you.” Please remember, every amount helps.
We need your 100% participation in order to sustain our school’s tradition of educational excellence.
Because P.A.T.H. is not a PTA, all funds raised stay at Castlebay. All monies donated to P.A.T.H. go directly to our kids. And your gift is tax deductible!
Please complete the contribution form and return it to the Main Office by September 16, 2011. Just Think what we could do if we achieved our goal in this campaign!
On behalf of Your Just Think Committee,
Durre Rizvi-Syed, Sumi Alhadeff, Sandy Dorfman, Gayle Grech, Lori Kalman, Cameron and Kate Kelly, Joe Kwan, John Lee, Renee Missakian, Jeff and Wendy Moore, Marie Pitrat, Laurel Tidemanson, and Mienah Yoon.
