Exploris PTO News

12/3 Monday Minute

Announcements for the week of December 3, 2018

  1. It’s Spirit Week! 

  2. Parent University: Equity & Diversity Conversation- December 6
  3. Dine-in Night at City Barbecue this Wednesday
  4. Exploris Capital Campaign
  5. What does the PTO do?
  6. Middle School Dance- December 14
  7. Exploris Admissions window- open now
  8. Winter Thanks – a great way to give! 

  9. Upcoming Events

1. Spirit Week 2018!   December 3-7 spirit-week-

  • Monday, December 3: PJ Day
  • Tuesday, December 4: Favorite Thing Day (dress like your favorite character or sports team or book, etc)
  • Wednesday, December 5: Wacky Wednesday
  • Thursday, December 6: Decade Day (Dress like a certain decade of your choice!)
  • Friday, December 7: Crew Day (Dress up together with a theme decided by your crew)

2. December 6 – Parent University: Equity & Diversity Conversation

Screenshot (24)Do you have questions about the recently
approved weighted lottery? Are you wondering
how Exploris will continue to strengthen diversity
and improve access?

Join the Exploris Conversation
Thursday, December 6, 2018, 6:00-7:30pm
Elementary Campus @ 17 S. Swain Street

The school’s Equity and Diversity Committee invites you to a Parent University meeting to learn and engage in discussion about the school’s on-going work to support equity and diversity in our school community. The meeting will take place at the elementary school on Dec. 6 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. and will be facilitated by Adrienne Davis from the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity at NCSU.  

3. Dine-In Fundraiser- Wednesday, December 5, City Barbecue Raleigh

45343158_1119626968197384_9137302876517826560_nThank you for everyone who has participated in dine-in fundraisers thus far!  Your participation is key to this effort.  Many restaurants require a minimum before they donate anything to us, so we really need as many people there as possible.  Allie would love to hear ideas for other dine-in fundraisers, so if you have favorite restaurants or contacts, or if you’re interested in helping coordinate, please reach out to allie.lindahl@gmail.com
 
Come support the Exploris PTO on December 5 and get a great meal! When you order in-store at City Barbeque on Falls of Neuse, Exploris PTO gets 25% of your bill back! Help us to support our amazing students, teachers, and staff! Be sure to show the photo or flier to give us credit!
 
 
We also have a new, ongoing Fundraiser that is super exciting!  All Papa Murphy’s Take ‘n’ Bake Pizza locations in Wake County are offering us 25% back on online orders.  All you have to do is add the Promo Code “Creative” when checking out at http://order.PapaMurphys.com.  There are no specific dates or times – anytime your family has a pizza night, Papa Murphy’s will give back to the PTO!
 

We hope to see you at City Barbecue this Wednesday. Please RSVP on our facebook page, and share with your friends!: Dec 5- Exploris PTO/City Barbecue Dine in Night

 

capcam-12.5.2017-285h-e15124892122484. Exploris Capital Campaign

It’s Spirit Week at Exploris! A great way to show your school spirit is by making a contribution to the Exploris Capital Campaign! This new building will allow us to expand our local and global reach, while also reducing our environmental footprint. For more information about how your contribution will make a difference, check out this flyer: www.exploris.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Capital-Campaign-Brochure.pdf
 
To make your donation, visit: www.exploris.org/capital-campaign-giving/. 
 
Stay tuned for a class competition during the month of January! Followed by our wrap up event for this year in February where we Show our Love for Exploris!
 
 
What’s the Difference between the Capital Campaign and the PTO Fundraising?
Throughout the year you’ll see lots of opportunities provided through the PTO to raise money for Exploris. These include linking your grocery cards to the school, box tops, and more. We’ve also started hosting fundraising nights at local restaurants as an easy way to raise money for the school. The money raised through these PTO efforts is used to fund a variety of activities throughout the year to make sure that all of our students, teachers, and families feel welcome and loved. 
 
Contributions to the Capital Campaign, and later on to the Annual Fund, are used to help offset building and maintenance costs. As a charter school, we do not receive buildings and facilities funding like the county schools do, so we are on our own to make up this difference in funding. The Capital Campaign funds are specifically targeted to furniture, outdoor equipment, and technology for the new school! 
 
If you have any questions about the Capital Campaign, contact Kristi Pettibone at kristipettibone@gmail.com
 
If you have questions about the PTO, contact Kimberly Harris at kimberlyannharris@yahoo.com.
 

exploris_ptologo35. What does the PTO do? 

Hi everyone,
 
I’m the PTO President this year. Recently, I’ve had several people ask about PTO fundraising and what we do! I’ll try to keep this as brief as possible.
 
We were funded by the school the last couple of years, but are only partially funded this year and won’t be at all next year. We need to NET about $17,000 to do everything we want. Here are some highlights:
 
FOR TEACHERS/STAFF:
Classroom fund ($100/teacher): $3600
Birthday baskets: $1770
Coffee supplies: $1000
Appreciation week: $1500
Hospitality (breakfast at school start; lunch in October, etc): $1000
 
STUDENTS:
Crew activities: $1800
Graduation: $800
Backup lunches: $800
Club grants: $500
Calming corners: $370
Poe Sex Ed: $2000
Dances: $500 (above what we charge to attend)
 
FAMILIES:
Kindergarten Tissues/Tea: $100
Fall Picnic: $200
Spring Family Day: $1500
 
So, in addition to our mission of “Supporting our teachers, supporting our students, and building our school community”, we fund raise.  It’s fun and feels like a good way to contribute to the school. We have a lot of little fundraisers, but need one BIG one. We are looking into a silent or online auction in the spring to get the rest of the funds we need. 
 
In the meantime, the little fundraisers help, which include: 
 
-Spirit Wear sales
-Art by Me
-Linking amazon smile, Harris Teeter, etc
-Box Tops
-Dine In nights
 
PLEASE know I am always open for questions, suggestions, brilliant ideas, etc. 
 
Kind regards,
 
Kimberly Harris

47162490_10218245911764141_4497210897877434368_n

7. Middle School Dance- December 14

The next Exploris Middle School Dance will be held on December 14, 2018.  Info here:
 https://www.facebook.com/events/338682540070672

Sign-up to volunteer:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f054baaae2c7-starry

7.  The Exploris School- APPLY NOW!

The 2019-2020 application is online now! Help spread the word. 

Please remember that even if you have a student at Exploris, you need to APPLY FOR SIBLINGS! 

More info here: https://www.exploris.org/2019-2020-admissions/

8. Easy and Generous Teacher Gift Giving at Exploris- Mug Free!

41V7ZsFPkFL._SX425_If your family plans to participate in gift giving at school this year, the PTO would like to offer you the chance to contribute towards a MUCH-APPRECIATED cash gift for our teachers and staff.  This collection ensures that all fifty-five teachers and staff members receive the recognition they deserve! To participate, you can simply send in a check (or cash) to the PTO, or donate by credit card ONLINE.  This will then be divided among the teachers and staff.If you would like to participate:

  • Please send in cash or a check (made payable to Exploris PTO) or make your donation ONLINE.
  • Place your donation in an envelope marked “Winter Thanks” or “Teacher Gift” with your name, your child(ren)’s name(s), and grade(s).  It is important to label the envelope with “Winter Thanks”  or “Teacher Gift” so that it is not confused with school care, spirit wear, or field trip payments.
  • Give it to Mary Margaret or Carolee (either one is fine if you have children in both schools; it is not necessary to provide separate donations per child).
  • If donating ONLINE, please include in the “Notes” at checkout, your name, your child(ren)’s names(s), and grade(s).
  • Complete all donations by Wednesday, December 19th.

For additional information please read our EXPLORIS THANKS FAQ’S. If you have any questions, please let us know by emailing Brooke Somers (brooke_davidson@yahoo.com) or Cheryl Rodgers (cheryl.l.rodgers@gmail.com).

9. Upcoming Events

Thanks for reading the “Monday Minute”!  We publish this Exploris PTO blog post each Monday. If you would like to include information, please email your text (copy ready), photos, and links to Dana Deaton at explorisptonews@gmail.com by 8pm Sunday evening.

47052443_10215544167191434_1187735122233786368_n
Photo of the Week:  Elementary Explorations kids on the “Bakery Bus” visited Anisette Bakery on November 30. Thanks to Cris Preble for leading this fun class!