Alpharetta Elementary PTA

2010-2011 PTA Endowments to AES

Congratulations AES and many thanks to our supportive AES community for making this possible!!

One of PTA’s primary goals is to fund raise to provide Alpharetta Elementary tools and curriculum support that is not provided by Fulton County schools.  91.5 cents of every net dollar raised by PTA goes right back to the school and its students.

This year, the PTA Officers worked with the AES admin team to determine a more stream lined and equitable way to use PTA funds in the school.  A chunk of available grant money is normally carved off the top to be used for “school wide” projects.  The remaining funds are then awarded directly to every teacher at AES.  It was determined that all the teachers in the school would be divided into 10 functional groups (determined by the principal and CST).  All 10 groups are awarded the same specific amount of money.  Each group worked together to determine how they would like to use the funds.

Keep in mind, PTA still hopes to award more money to AES based on funds raised at Spring Carnival and also based on the frugality of our committees this year.  A huge round of applause for our PTA committee chairs that really worked hard to save money.  Those monies saved will go straight back to the school in the April time frame.

See also our Where Does the Money Go document.

Here is a brief outline of the new process:

PTA Curriculum Project Fund Proposal

• CST and principal will create faculty grouping for funds.
• PTA Executive Board will allocate all available/awarded funds to Alpharetta Elementary.
• Principal and CST will collaborate with PTA Officers to determine funds for school wide projects and faculty groups.
• Principal and CST will meet with faculty to notify faculty groups of their budget.
• Each group will meet and submit a yearlong projection of expenses using the  PTA Curriculum Project Proposal Form and all members of each group will sign off on their proposal.
• Proposal forms due to CST by January 4, 2011.  Next year, we hope to have goals set before the beginning of the school year.
• At the January PTA Officer Meeting, Officers received a copy of faculty proposal forms to use for approval and stakeholder communication.
• Teachers order through school bookkeeper.
• Expense reports for PTA Curriculum Project purchases will be kept by the school bookkeeper and PTA will be able to review expenses.
• Monthly spending updates will be given at the monthly PTA Officer meeting.
• All funds will be spent by March 31^st or PTA may combine remaining funds for other school purchases.

At anytime, a parent or PTA member can ask the AES book keeper for a list of awarded grants, and then the funds were issues.

Summary of School Wide Initiatives Funded:

*** $8000 was awarded for school wide initiatives.

• A school-wide license for IXL Math, which is a Web-based math learning tool.  To date, AES has not had a school-wide license, but the school’s limited use of IXL has been successful. The cost of this school-wide license is $2,500.
• “Type to learn” keyboarding software (also for school-wide use), at a cost of $700.
• Magnetic Whiteboards for eleven (11) classrooms that did not have them, at a cost of $6,400. (AES paid $1,600 of this total cost)

Summary of Classroom (spread across 10 functional teacher group) Curriculum Initiatives Funded:

***  Each functional teacher group was awarded $1000 (please see note below):

• Kindergarten - TV Teacher AlphaBeats and NumberBeats DVDs , whiteboards,  exercise DVDs
• First Grade – SRA Reading Lab Kits, Simon Sounds It Out Phonics reading program
• Second Grade -Admission fee for Field Trip to Fernbank Museum; parents only donate for transportation
• Third Grade -Safety glasses, Writing Traits posters, Economics posters, scanner, Active Slate, Exploring Earth Science books,, Math minutes
• Fourth Grade – Write Time for Kids Kits for 3 classrooms
• Fifth Grade – Edugloster.com subscription, edublogs.com subscription, iknowthat.com subscription,  three novel sets
• Wing Teachers – Interactive books, headphones, weighted blankets, TV Teacher program, Picture Math, Volcano model, Jigglers (oral motor)
• Specialist – Rattlestix, Keyboarding books, headphones, Note Battleship, Note Name Bingo, air pump, jump ropes, stop watches, floor tape, clay, Bella Bend, Lizella
• Faculty Support Group 1 – Food items for snack based language therapy activities, Jeepers Peepers, Functional Communication photos, jumpolene, tactile step & stones, stability pads, bilateral rebound racquet,
• Faculty Support Group 2 – We’ve Been Framed software, ELL reader’s theater books, Ortin Gilllingham materials

NOTE: One exception of 4th grade mini-grant of $1,000 would be used to buy two (2) “Write Time for Kids” kits at a cost of $500 each; however, the grade really needed a third kit at a cost of $500. PTA Officers voted and agreed to raise the mini-grant for 4th grade to $1,500 to accomodate this request, with the understanding that the additional $500 would be deducted from future funds available for the fourth-grade class).