PTO Annual Fund

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Where does your Annual Fund Donation money go?

The following is a partial list of items that the PTO Annual Fund paid for last year, many of which are also planned for this year:

K-3rd grades

• Materials for teaching resilience to K-2nd graders
• Outdoor explorations supplies for kindergarten
• Chinese Ribbon Dancer to complement the 1st grade Social Studies curriculum
• Starlab Portable Planetarium, a visiting program from the Museum of Science for 1st graders
• Taiko drumming performance for 2nd grade in conjunction with Japan Studies
• Eating through cultures to complement 2nd grade Social Studies
• The Techsploration Structures workshop for 3rd graders, designed to introduce technology, science, and problem solving
• A visit from author-illustrator Giles LaRoche to the 3rd grade
• Time timers to help 3rd graders manage their time
• Playaways (individual audio books) for the library for student borrowing
•  $175 subsidy per classroom for field trips
• Recess equipment
• Professional development for our educators
• Teacher stipends

4th-5th grades

• Native American Tipi Construction exhibition to complement the 4th grade Early American Studies unit
• Wingmasters “Native American Artifacts and Birds of Prey,” with live birds, for 4th grade
• Techsploration: Simple Machines show for 5th grade
• Homework Centers, which support 4th and 5th grade students with their work in a guided after school setting, up to 3 days each week
• Student Organizers/Planners for every 5th grade student to help them prioritize class assignments and practice time management skills
• IXL mathematics software
• Document Camera and In Focus projector for 4th and 5th grades
• A visit from best-selling author Tim Green to 5th graders
• Playaways for the library for student borrowing
•  $175 subsidy per classroom for field trips
• Recess equipment
• Professional development for our educators
• Teacher stipends

6th-8th Grades

• A visit by scientist and author Dr. Loree Burns to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. (Her book The Hive Detectives is about the unexplained disappearance of managed honey bees populations and the scientists working on this research area.)
• A hands-on Techsploration: Electricity workshop for 6th graders, reinforcing much of what they are learning in the Science curriculum
• “Day of the Dead” trip to Harvard Peabody Museum for 7th and 8th grade Spanish class students
• Award-winning performance from The Cashore Marionettes
• A visit from best-selling author Tim Green to 6th graders
• Homework Centers, which support 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students with their work in a guided after school setting, up to 3 days each week
• Student Organizers/Planners for every 6th, 7th, and 8th grader to help them prioritize class assignments and practice time management skills
• A talk on eating disorders for 8th graders
• Green Globs software for math enrichment
•  $175 subsidy per classroom for field trips
• Recess equipment
• Professional development for our educators
• Teacher stipends

PTO Annual Fund also subsidizes new teachers setting up new classrooms; contributions to the Library Fund; office laminating machine supplies; and community events including Math and Science Night, Astronomy Night, International Night, Gingerbread House Decorating, Runkle Book Swap, and Ice Skating Night. (Events such as Halloween Fair and Bingo Night pay for themselves.)