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BEAGLE BUGLE
Newsletter
Tuesday Bugle - September 6
IN THIS ISSUE

  • Message from the PTA President
  • What is Rockwell PTA?
  • Become a PTA Member
  • Donate to PTA through ABC
  • Rockwell needs Volunteers
  • A Note from the Health Room
  • Shop for Rockwell - Amazon Smile


IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

  • Sep 6 - First day of School, grades 1-5
  • Sep 6-8 Kindergarten WaKids Family Connection Meetings
  • Sep 7 - No Wed early release, 3:20PM dismissal
  • Sep 9 - First day of Kindergarten
  • Sep 9 - Welcome Back Coffee (8:50AM - 9:30AM)
  • Sep 19 - Volunteer Info Session (6:30PM - 7:00PM)*
  • Sep 19 - Recess Wranglers Training (7:00PM - 7:30PM)*
  • Sep 19 - Room Parent Training (7:30PM - 8:00PM)*
  • Sep 23 - Back to School Picnic
  • Sep 26 - Art Docent Training (7:00PM - 7:45PM)*
  • Oct 6 - Vision and Hearing Screening
  • Oct 6-12 - Scholastic Book Fair*

*more information coming soon
Message from the PTA President

Dear Rockwell Families,

Welcome to the start of a new school year! I would like to quickly introduce myself. My name is Stephanie Wagner, and I'm the incoming PTA President. I have a daughter (Izzy) who graduated from Rockwell's 5th grade last year and a son (Austin) who will be entering the 4th grade. It was great meeting so many new families last week at the Kindergarten and New Family Playdates, and I look forward to seeing more of you at the upcoming Welcome Back Coffee this Friday after school starts near the flag pole.

I have been a proud PTA Member and Volunteer at Rockwell for the last 6 years in various capacities as VP of Fundraising, E-Prep Chair, Room Parent and (close to my heart) last year's Play Co-Producer. We are very fortunate to have a vibrant PTA because of the tireless support of our parents, teachers and staff.

I know that the idea of PTA can be confusing. It's hard to understand the full scope and depth of what PTA does, why and its relevance for you and your child's elementary school experience. I, myself, have only begun to understand the full impact and importance of PTA on school life in the last 10 months of my 6 year tenure at Rockwell. While I have always known that PTA does "great things" for our school, being on the Board last year gave me a tangible and inside view into the nuts and bolts of just how valuable our PTA is. In the next several articles, I hope to explain how Membership, Fundraising, Volunteering and Corporate Matching are the four biggest ways to support Rockwell through the PTA. I hope you will join me in choosing two or more of these ways to give!

Best,
Rockwell PTA President '22-'23
What is Rockwell PTA?

The Rockwell Parent Teach Association is a non-profit organization run by dedicated Rockwell parent volunteers in collaboration with Rockwell staff. We organize to make Rockwell a better place for our students by bridging the gap between what the school district provides and the enriched academic and social opportunities we want for our students.  

Why do we even need a PTA? Faced with shrinking budgets and growing class sizes, not to mention high standards for teacher and student performance—schools today NEED the financial and volunteer support of families and the community. For the 2022-2023 school year, the PTA has a $70,000+ budget that goes into vital grants, programs and events at Rockwell. Visit Rockwell’s PTA Programs webpage to find out how exactly your contributions are used throughout the school year. 
Become a Member of our PTA

Don’t have time to spare? Don’t worry – NO TIME is required to be a PTA Member and anybody can be a member for just $18. You are invited to attend quarterly General Membership Meetings but not obligated. With your membership you have a voice and a vote on what programs and enrichment opportunities we provide and how we spend our budget. You are joining a community that encourages student achievement and works to enrich every student's learning environment. Also, you receive discounts at businesses such as Avis car rental, FedEx Office, Great Wolf Lodge, Office Depot and more. Our goal is always to have 100% parent participation and representation in our PTA. Join today! Or reach out to membership@normanrockwellpta.org with questions. 

Top 5 Reasons to Join PTA: 

  1. My child benefits from all the programs and events that PTA runs. 
  2. PTA is a member-based organization and wouldn’t exist without Members. 
  3. Parenting is not easy, and with PTA I get a built-in network of friendly parents and educators to share ideas, concerns, resources and experiences. 
  4. I’m not able to volunteer at this time but want to show my support. 
  5. I can be a role model to my child. By becoming a PTA Member, you’ll be demonstrating to your child the importance you place on education. 
Donate to the PTA through the Annual Beagle Contribution (ABC)

The money we request from families during our ABC (Annual Beagle Contribution) fundraiser is separate from your PTA membership. Did you know that you can donate to ABC without even being a Member? Your extended family and friends can also help Rockwell PTA. Membership is not required. It’s important to receive your donation before September 30th so we adjust our annual budget and get it approved at the October General Membership Meeting. 

WHY DONATE? PTA is entirely funded by donations. This year our PTA plans to spend over $70,000 alone on dozens of programs, events, grants and supplies that enrich the lives of our students, teachers and staff. Instead of asking parents and students to buy or sell cookie dough, wrapping paper or raffle tickets, we ask you to simply donate directly.  

Your generous suggested contribution of $125 per student helps us reach our goal of raising $34,000 by September 30, 2022. Donate online here or with cash/check via a special ABC envelope going home with your child during the first week of school. Have any questions? Email fundraising@normanrockwellpta.org. Please visit Rockwell’s PTA Programs webpage to see how your contributions are used throughout the school year. Rockwell PTA is a 501(c)(3) organization and donations are tax deductible. We appreciate your generous support!
Rockwell Needs Volunteers

Please consider donating your time by volunteering. Research shows that students perform better when parents are actively involved at school. Whether you're a stay-at-home parent, work full-time, are an extended family member or a community member, we have a volunteer opportunity for you! Some roles are as quick as 30 minutes of your time, and some roles require a few hours a month of ongoing help throughout the year. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to help! Your current board will train and support you in any role.  

Volunteers must be both background checked AND vaccination status approved (per state mandate) before they can volunteer. More information on how to do both can be found here: https://www.lwsd.org/get-involved/volunteering-in-lwsd. 

Helping Hands Volunteers to help Bus Students: Parents are needed for 30-minute time slots in the morning or at dismissal of the first few days of school to help kids get off buses and get to the right classroom, and at dismissal get back on the right bus. School will provide volunteers with lists and colored bracelets to get the kids to the right place. Sign up HERE

Experienced "Recess Wranglers" are needed ASAP: Parents who volunteered last year as "Recess Wranglers " are asked to Sign Up Here for a slot in the first few weeks of school. Volunteers help coordinate recess activities, games or crafts for kiddos in a certain area or just monitor play for an area of the playground. Kids love having parents join for recess. Anybody who has not been a Recess Wrangler yet will be asked to wait until we host a Recess Wrangler Training on September 19th at 7:00 - 7:30 PM in the Library.  

Planter Boxes Help: Do you have a green thumb? We are looking for someone to water and prune our 7 planter boxes at school and occasionally switch out seasonal plants
Time commitment: 1-2 hours per month. 

Spirit Wear Chair: A parent is needed to help coordinate with a vendor to produce Rockwell t-shirts for sale. Chair would also manage orders in the fall.
Time commitment: 1-2 hours per month. 

Graphic Designers: Can you easily whip up a cool flyer or sign? We’re looking to have two graphic designers on “volunteer retainer” throughout the year to help with a variety of graphic design needs like program flyers, posters for the school or spirit wear t-shirt design. Time commitment: 2-3 hours per month.  

If you can fill one of these roles, email president@normanrockwellpta.org or use the Sign Up links if available. 
Corporate Matching for your ABC donation OR
volunteer hours

You can DOUBLE your donations if your company offers employer matching! Don't forget to go to your company's giving website to make your donation or report your PTA donation. Many local companies like Microsoft, Boeing, Google and more match employee donations AND volunteer hours to non-profit organizations like us, Norman Rockwell PTA (Lake Washington Council) 2.8.47.

ï»żCheck with your employer to see how to easily provide extra funds to our school’s PTA. Last year we raised over $17,000 in matching funds!! It makes a huge difference! Thank you! 
A note from the Health Room

Dear Kindergarten and 1st grade parents,

Spills and accidents can occur in school every day. Please send in extra pants, underwear and socks in a Ziploc bag and keep it in your child's backpack. Be sure to write the student's full name on the bag so we can find it quickly.

Thank you very much, and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Shop for Rockwell

Did you know that your purchases can make a difference?

You can help raise school funds by simply shopping through Rockwell's Amazon Smile Link. Be sure to bookmark this link for all of your shopping year-round!

AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of purchase prices (of eligible purchases) to Norman Rockwell PTA (Lake Washington Council) 2.8.47 when you do your shopping. It's that simple!
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Thank you for your support!
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