We are seeking your support for John Muir Elementary through the John Muir PTA 2011-12 Annual Fund Campaign. Muir plays an essential role in the lives of our children, and is an important institution in our community. Our goal is to build on the past contributions of faculty, families and neighbors in order to strengthen Muir. We hope you will help.
Muir Matters. The dedicated faculty and staff at Muir provide our children formal instruction and create an atmosphere that is safe and supportive of the daily successes and failures that they experience as they grow-up. Through countless experiences and interactions gained in and outside their classrooms, Muir becomes a doorway to the world beyond their home and family. That world includes new people, ideas and stories, and exploration of that world today will be essential to how Muir students approach the world tomorrow and beyond.
Given the profound role Muir plays in our children’s life, it is important that that students and teachers not only have basic needs and resources, but enjoy the sense of support and possibility that encourages their imagination. Our goal is to galvanize the sense of possibility at Muir.
Help is Needed. Public schools are asked to do more at a time when public resources for education are increasingly scarce. At Muir this has meant difficult choices: For the 2011-12 school year, Muir has spent its “rainy-day fund” and in order to retain essential staffing elected to cut numerous items including: Class-room enrichment resources, supplemental materials, teacher development, field trip subsidies, nursing hours, and after-school tutoring.
You Can Help. The Muir faculty asked the PTA to help fund three programs which had been de-funded: Explorations In Math, Powerful Writers, and Powerful Readers programs each provide in-class teacher development and student instruction. These program were cut from the school budget, but were identified as the top “wish list” items by Muir teachers. Through the generosity of the Muir community, the PTA Fall Stewardship Event raised over $18,000 in support of these and other programs.
Through this year’s Annual Fund, we have set-out to raise an additional $10,000. That money will help meet additional needs and reinforce for John Muir families, faculty and students the sense of possibility. The possibility that a need will be met, and an idea can work; that faculty or families can raise a hand and ask for help when needed; that it’s OK for a teacher to make a suggestion; that it’s OK to look to build and grow despite the challenges Muir and our public schools face.
The Muir PTA adopted the following goals for the 2011-12 school year:
Goal 1 - Provide generous support for our teachers and their classrooms.
Goal 2 - Promote health and wellness.
Goal 3 - Promote and diversify PTA participation.
Goal 4 - Encourage a positive and supportive culture for student success.
With your help the Annual Fund will build on the success of the PTA Walk-a-thon, the PTA Playground fund-drive, and the PTA Fall Stewardship Event, in order to support the PTA goals and fund PTA commitments, including providing student directories, field-trip subsidies, hosting all-school events, food assistance for needy families, and reimbursing teachers for personal expenditures on class-room supplies.
Annual Fund. The Annual Fund represents an appeal for financial support from current, past and future families, friends and neighbors of John Muir. It is important to remember there are countless ways to support John Muir Elementary:
• Join. Join the Muir PTA. Your membership is important. Registration forms can be obtained online at www.themuirpta.org or in the Muir office. The cost is $10 for an individual or $20 for a family, but scholarships are available.
• Participate. Attend monthly PTA meetings or events, join a committee.
• Volunteer. To support John Muir by volunteering your time and energy, please contact Karen Wernli (listed in the Student Directory) or available at volunteer@themuirpta.org.
• Contribute: Financial contributions of any amount will help John Muir—and many local employers will match the contributions of their employees.
Please Give What You Can. As you look at the attached contribution form, please don’t give more than you can, but give what you can. Not everyone can give financially; not everyone can afford a $50 donation; not everyone can afford to contribute $100 per month.
If everyone gives what they can, we’ll exceed our $10,000 fundraising goal. With everyone’s support, we’ll reinforce for faculty, families and students that John Muir will continue to thrive because the Muir community is here and will do what it can, and do what it must.
Please take the time to do one of the following; for your convenience a contribution for is attached, or you may make a contribution online:
• Mail payment to John Muir PTA 3301 S Horton St Seattle, WA 98144
• Donate online at www.thejohnmuirpta.org
Thank you for helping John Muir PTA support our students, faculty and families.
Sincerely,
Marni Seneker & Josh Williams
Fundraising Co-Chairs
P.S. Bottle Caps(!) During the campaign students will be encouraged to collect and bring clean plastic bottle-caps to collection sites at John Muir. The caps will be used in displays around John Muir to track progress toward the Annual Fund goal!
