2011 Annual Fund Drive
Read the 2011 Annual Fund letter
The George Watts PTA Annual Fund Drive is on! Now through November 30, 2011, we aim to raise $12,000 with the help of at least 50% of our George Watts families. That’s about 150 families.
No donation is too small (or too big)! Please make your TAX DEDUCTIBLE contribution today. Two easy ways:
1) Donate online through PayPal:
or
2) Write a check to “George Watts PTA,” with “Annual Fund” on the memo line. Bring it to the school office, put it in your child’s folder, or drop it in the mail to:
George Watts PTA
700 Watts St.
Durham, NC 27701
All donations are 100% tax-deductible. No matter how little or how large, your gift is important.
THANK YOU for your support!
The PTA is always eager to hear what YOU think about how our funds are spent. Please take some time to give us your feedback: contact Karalyn Colopy (karalyncolopy@gmail.com, 956-7875), Liz Healey, PTA Fundraising Chair (redhead27701@yahoo.com, 688-7546), or Sabrina Lamar, PTA President (sabrina.lamar@gmail.com, 225-0226).
About the Annual Fund Drive
The George Watts PTA Annual Fund Drive provides the single largest source of funds to the George Watts PTA. Where does the money go? The PTA focuses on programs and initiatives that enrich our children’s academic experience and build community in our school. Through our annual fund, you will be providing critical teacher training in the Lucy Calkins Writers Workshop program. You will be sending children on valuable field trips. You will be sponsoring in-class cooking demonstrations with the school nutritionist, so that every child learns how to prepare delicious and healthful recipes with fresh ingredients. You will be helping our community celebrate its heritage and roots, while giving teachers and administrators flexibility to buy new and worthwhile materials that make learning fun and accessible to every child.
For more information, read our 2011 Annual Fund Drive letter. (Para más información, lea la carta acerca del fondo anual de 2011).
Open House and Food Drive: Monday, August 22, 2011
- * Monday, August 22, 2011
- * 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
- * Bring non-perishable food items
- Suggested food items: peanut butter, pasta, rice, soups, beefaroni, beef stew, macaroni and cheese (the “deluxe” version that doesn’t require milk and butter), cereal (healthful varieties, not overly sugary), popcorn, granola bars, raisins, canned fruit, canned vegetables, 100% fruit juice, crackers, trail mix, tuna fish, *plastic* jars or cans of tomato sauce, oatmeal, powdered milk, ready-t0-drink milk boxes, pudding cups.
Spanish Immersion Classes at Watts This Summer!
New at George Watts this summer…
Spanish Out Loud
“SOL”
Language Immersion Program
Registration form – English
Formulario de inscripcion – espanol
In an effort to create tighter bonds between the different segments of our school population and to provide enriching experiences for our students, this summer our school will offer a Spanish Immersion Program. Classes will be offered in weekly thematic units. All sessions run for 1.5 hours, three times per week at your choice of morning or noon. The weekly rate is $55 dollars per student and siblings receive a $10 discount. Students currently in Pre-K through 5th grade may register. The program will be held at our school site and led by our Spanish speaking teachers. Classes are conducted totally in Spanish!
Our program offers your child the chance to:
- Be immersed in a second language through active learning
- Learn basic Spanish vocabulary
- Experience Latin culture through games, food, literature, music and art
- Empathize with non-English speaker’s experiences in all English speaking classrooms
- Have fun with familiar faces!!
Classes will be held 3 days a week, 1.5 hours per day. You may select the morning (10:30-noon) or afternoon (noon-1:30) session. Register for any number of weeks:
Week 1: Games – June 28,29,30
Week 2: Visual Arts – July 5,6,7
Week 3: Theater – July 11, 12, 13
Week 4: Dance/Music – July 18, 19, 20
Week 5: Cooking- July 25, 26, 27
Proceeds from SOL will help support G.R.O.W, a reading program for students struggling in reading. Make checks payable to George Watts Montessori.
For further information please contact Carolina Musawwir at carolina.musawwir@dpsnc.net
We Love George Watts Teachers!
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week at George Watts!
Parents, grandparents, families: Please take a moment to reflect on the many ways that your students’ teachers enrich their lives. Show your appreciation with a quick email, using this link (provided by DPS): http://www.dpsnc.net/forms/teacher-appreciation-week-email
In addition, the George Watts PTA Family Involvement Committee, with your support, has planned a week of ways to show your appreciation of your teachers. Here are things you can bring in:
Monday 5/2: Paper chain links with your teachers’ names and an adjective to describe them. The chains will be displayed throughout the school.
Tuesday 5/3: Flowers
Wednesday 5/4: Letter or poem written to your teacher. Also, food for the teacher luncheon.
Thursday 5/5: Your teachers’ favorite school supply.
Friday 5/6: Fruit
Don’t forget to show thanks to your favorite specialists, too! (art, music, PE, library, EC, ELL, AIG)
Vote on Monday at Last PTA Meeting of the Year
Monday, May 9 is the last George Watts PTA meeting of the 2010-2011 school year. Please help us finish strong and show your support with your presence!
Monday, May 9
5:30 pm in the gym
This is an especially important meeting because PTA members must have a quick vote on 2 important subjects:
1) Electing PTA officers for the coming school year (2011-2012). We will elect a PTA President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Teacher Liaison.
2) Adopting new Uniform Bylaws. We will be present and then vote on the new bylaws during the meeting. These bylaws were developed last June by the North Carolina PTA. Every local school’s PTA that is affiliated with the North Carolina PTA (like George Watts) is being asked to adopt these Uniform Bylaws so that we are operating consistently with the rest of the PTAs in our state. This set of bylaws are intended to be very clear and easy to understand, presenting all the information our PTA officers need to know in an easy to use format. What are bylaws? A document containing the rules and policies for PTA. Having good bylaws that are easy to use helps the PTA officers do their jobs and helps the PTA achieve fairness, order, and structure.
Parents Needed to Help School Improvement Team
The School Improvement Team (SIT) is a representative body that provides collaborative leadership to the whole school.
More about the team here: http://watts.dpsnc.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=24&Itemid=56
The team has 15 members, and seven of those are parent reps. Since several parent reps are rotating off the committee at the beginning of next year, we will need to elect a few NEW parent reps.
Are you interested in helping the school move toward its vision? Are you collaborative by nature? Are you looking for a way to lend your talent to the school?
Consider becoming a parent representative on SIT! A term is two years. Parents serving on the School Improvement Team should reflect the diversity of George Watts students.
If you’re interested in being a candidate or hearing more about the role of the SIT, please contact Alice Bumgarner, PTA Liaison to the SIT.
PTA Silent Auction Saturday April 9, 2011, 11am – 3pm
Vacations * Summer camps * Restaurant cards * Kids’ outings * And SO much more!
Auction catalog in English | in Spanish
George Watts Montessori Spring Carnival and Silent Auction: Saturday, April 9, 2011, 11 am to 3 pm (auction closes 2:30pm) on the George Watts playground, 700 Watts St.
The Silent Auction is your chance to get a great deal on valuable and amazing UNIQUE items while supporting George Watts. The items up for bid have been generously donated by our school’s families, community businesses, and our teachers and staff.
How it works: Read over the list of auction items to see what you might like to bid on. The brief list is below – more details about the items are in the catalog. Read all the way to the end – there’s wonderful stuff all the way through! Come to the Carnival on Saturday. The auction tables will be open from 11am to 2:30pm. You write your bids on the bid sheet attached to the items you want. The bidding continues, going higher, until at 2:30, auction officials will circle the winning bid for each item. Payment is due by April 23 – cash or check preferred (PayPal is also an option). For the complete rules, please see page 1 of the catalog. The rules will also be on display at the auction on Saturday.
Questions? Contact Liz Healey, PTA Fundraising Chair: redhead27701@yahoo.com or 688-7546
AUCTION ITEMS OFFERED BY OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY BUSINESSES
1. Week in an Oak Island Ocean Front Beach House, sleeps 10-12
2. Suite at the Durham Bulls Baseball Game
3. Weekend in Virgilina, VA, cabin, sleeps 5
4. Suite at the King’s Daughter’s Inn
5. Birthday Party at the Fun Zone
6. Summer Day Camp at the Durham YMCA
7. ½ off Sew Crafty Summer Day Camp
8. ½ off Sew Crafty Summer Day Camp
9. One pair Maui Jim Sunglasses for Women
10. One pair Maui Jim Sunglasses for Men
11. $20 Gift Certificate to White Star Cleaners
12. Posh Gift Tote
13. 3 Car Washes at Bunkey’s
14. Bull City BBQ Sample Box
15. $20 Gift Certificate to Elmo’s Restaurant
16. $50 Gift Certificate to Piedmont Restaurant
17. Painting by Kathleen Batson
18. 12 X 17 inch Photo by Susie Post-Rust
19. 12 X 17 inch Photo by Susie Post-Rust
20. 12 X 17 inch Photo by Susie Post-Rust
21. Five hours of tutoring from the tutordoctor
22. One-time General Pest Control Service from Cleggs
23. One-time General Pest Control Service from Cleggs
24. One-time General Pest Control Service from Cleggs
25. 2 hours of Professional Organizing
26. $20 Gift Certificate from Snarks
27. $25 Gift Certificate from Home Depot
28. $25 Gift Certificate from Home Depot
29. $20 Gift Certificate from Stone Brothers & Byrd
AUCTION ITEMS OFFERED BY OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF
30. Face Painting at Birthday Party by Ms. Baker
31. Healthy Meatballs from Ms. Gonsalves
32. One Hour Session of Basketball Training with Pro Basketball Player
33. One Hour Session of Basketball Training with Pro Basketball Player
34. Picnic at Eno River for the Winner and 2 Friends with Ms. M. Davis
35. Lunch out with the principal
36. Dessert Made by Mr. Reynolds
37. Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Made by Ms. Brogden
38. Babysitting by Ms. Fisher and Ms. McGrogan
39. Babysitting by Ms. Carinder and Ms. LeSueur
40. Art Lesson with Ms. Purple
41. Art Lesson with Ms. Purple
42. Art Lesson with Ms. Purple
43. Ice Cream and Stories with Mr. Rogers
44. Walk around UNC campus or Craft Lesson with Ms. Vejvoda
45. Terra Cotta Pot Decorated by Ms. Faggart’s Class
