Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Rain, rain go away...

This weather is certainly putting a damper on our walk-a-thon plans! This fundraiser has raised more than $10,000!  Thank you for your support!  Hopefully the weather will cooperate on Friday!

The candy sale is still going strong.  Please remember to request extra boxes in writing.

Bingo night tickets are now on sale!  For an order form, please see last week's Thursday Memo.

If you know someone who might be interested in renting a space for our annual Christmas Boutique, please contact us.  This year's event is on November 16th.

Tickets for our first annual Christmas Club Raffle will go on sale at the end of the week-you can't win if you don't play!

Thank you for your continued support of our efforts!
-Erin

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Candy Sale begins this week!

Good morning, everyone!  Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and enjoying this delightful weather!  Just a reminder that candy is scheduled to be delivered to the school on the 16th.  If you would like to request boxes to sell, please print and send in the form that was included in Ms. Lepore's Thursday Memo (it should also be available on the school website under "Thursday Memo Attachments.")  The times available to pick up your boxes are also indicated.

Thank you! 

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Thank you!

     Last night's Open House was a wonderful beginning to our school year!  It was so nice to connect with both new and returning families!  I hope that everyone enjoyed visiting the childrens' classrooms and is excited about the year ahead. 

     If you didn't get a chance to sign up for a committee, please email one of us and let us know what you'd like to help out with.  

     If you have any suggestions for fundraisers, please contact us-we are always open to new ideas!  

     Congratulations to Lisa Colantonio-the winner of our 50/50 raffle prize last night and to Deb Stravato who won the wine raffle!  

     Thank you to the board members and parent volunteers who organized last night's refreshments and raffles, etc.  If you were unable to attend, the blue family folder will be sent home by the end of the week.

Thank you, again, for a great start to the school year!

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Welcome Back to School!

September 8, 2014

Dear Families,

     Welcome to the Saint Mary's PTG blog!  On behalf of the Executive Board of the PTG, we would like to extend a warm welcome to both new and returning families.  We have an exciting year planned, filled with many events and fundraisers to benefit our school community! 

     An organization like the PTG cannot be successful without your support.  We have always been blessed at Saint Mary's to have a wonderful group of volunteers for any event or fundraiser we plan.  Sign up sheets will be available at Open House-please volunteer to help with an event or fundraiser if you are able to.

     As you are aware, each family at Saint Mary's has a $700 fundraising commitment to meet.  It is one of the responsibilities of the PTG to plan and implement fundraisers to help families reach that goal.  It is important to note that tuition plus fundraising balances does not cover all of our expenses.  That is why some fundraisers go directly to the school and are not applied against fundraising balances.

     The following fundraisers and events are currently scheduled for this year:

       
           September 8, 2014    Candy Sale begins
                             Pick up and sign for your boxes of candy at Open House.
                             For each box sold, $24 will be credited to your fundraising balance.

           September 25, 2014     Annual Walk-a-Thon
                             Children collect sponsorships and walk in the cemetery.
                              There is a $5 entrance fee for all walkers.
                              This fundraiser is "dollar-for-dollar."

           October 2, 2014          Christmas Club Raffle Tickets on sale.
                             New this year is our "Christmas Club Raffle!"  We are asking families to commit to selling 5 raffle tickets at $20 each.  Each ticket is a chance to win one of 36 monetary prizes (Drawings will be Nov-Dec).  For each ticket sold, $5 will be credited to fundraising balances.  The profit from this raffle is earmarked for the school's technology development.

            October 9, 2014            BINGO!
                                                        The PTG is hosting a Bingo night at the Saint Mary's Feast Society Hall on Phoenix Avenue.  Join us from 6-9 for bingo, refreshments, and fun!  More details to follow.

            October 20, 2014         Candy sale ends.  All monies are due in the office by this date.  Opened boxes of candy cannot be returned to school.

            October 24, 2014          Christmas Club Raffle ticket sale ends today.  Drawings begin in November.

                                                TRUNK-OR-TREAT 2014!
                                                             This event was quite successful last year!  Families decorate their trunks and the children dress up and trick-or-treat from trunk to trunk.  More information will follow.  Rain date is Oct. 25th.

            November 3, 2014          Christmas Club Raffle begins!
                                                               Drawings are weekdays until December 12th.  Good luck!

            November 7, 2014            Movie Night (grades K-5)
                                                                6-9 PM
                                                                Children come to school and have pizza and watch a movie while parents are free to do some early Christmas shopping (or go out to dinner...).  

             November 16, 2014          Christmas Shopping Boutique
                                                                 Come and browse among over 30 vendors to find unique gifts for everyone on your shopping list.  We feature a fabulous food court, raffle prizes donated from all our vendors, a bake sale, and a separate kids' room with activities and prizes for the children to enjoy! This event funds our annual Olympic Day in May.

             November 17, 2014          Enjoy the City Coupon Book
                                                                   Purchase one of these fabulous coupon books and save!  Each book contains coupons for local stores and restaurants, etc.  Books are $20 each.  For each book sold, $5 is credited to your fundraising balance.  These make awesome stocking "stuffers" for Christmas!

             December 2, 2014               Milk and Cookies with Santa
                                                                    Enjoy treats and activities and have your child's photo taken with Santa Claus!

            December 10-11, 2014         Rudolph Gift Shoppe
                                                                      Children have the opportunity to purchase gifts for family members.

             December 11, 2014               Christmas Caroling
                                                                       Join us as we carol through the neighborhood and return to school for cookies and hot chocolate.

              January 31, 2014                    Mini-Golf Tournament

              February 25, 2015                  Lego Night
        
              March 2015                           Macaroni and Meatball Dinner
                                                                         Our yearly family dinner is always a huge success!  The food is fabulous and the raffles are plentiful.  There are also opportunities to earn fundraising credits by placing ads in our ad book.

               March-April 2015                  Big 50 Raffle
                                                                        Our most successful fundraiser, the Big 50 Raffle has been a St. Mary's tradition for over 25 years.  Each ticket purchased is an opportunity to win one of 50 fabulous prizes!   For each ticket sold, $.90 is credited against fundraising balances.
   
               April 10-12, 2015                 Peter Pan, Jr.
                                                                        This is the third year that our students will work together to produce a school musical!  In the past two years, we have successfully raised over $10,000 to benefit our students!

Ongoing Programs
                                                     Stop and Shop A+ Rewards Program: Register your Stop and Shop card for St. Mary's to earn a percentage back on qualifying purchases.  The funds from this program are earmarked for technology development.

                                                       Box Tops for Education:  Save your Box Tops!  We earn ten cents for each one submitted!  Funds from this program are also designated for technology.

                                                        Target Rewards Program: Designate St. Mary School and earn a percentage back when you shop at Target with your Target credit card.

                                                         Coke Rewards
                 
                                                          Dine Out for Drama: Each month, join us for a night out at a participating restaurant.  A portion of the bill will be donated back to our school.  Children will receive a dress down pass for participating.  Funds generated through this program are earmarked for our Drama Department.

     Again, welcome back to school!  Please attend our monthly PTG meetings, listed at left.  If you have any questions or concerns, please email or call one of us and we will be glad to help.  If you have an idea for a fundraiser or event, we'd like to hear it!  Our blog will  be updated regularly with important information, so bookmark us in your browser!

We look forward to working together for a fantastic year!

Executive Board
Saint Mary School Parent Teacher Guild