Lend a Hand, Build a Smile

A great big thank you to everyone who baked, cooked, decorated, helped and came to have fun at the Boo Bash!

Our Pocket Change buckets were collected in October. Together all the classes raised $561.79! Way to go kids!

Mrs. Jordan's class and Mrs. Howard's class had the most money. Each class earned an extra recess! Keep sending in your money. We will be collected the coins again in November.

For two years now, the PTO has worked to raise the funds necessary to replace pieces of our aging playground. Some of the playground pieces are original to the school which was built in 1980. This fall, one of the original pieces became severly damaged and had to be removed. It is our hope that with the support of our families and the community we will be able to purchase a new piece of equipment this spring. So far we have raised just over $13,000. Although this sounds like a lot of money, many pieces capable of supporting at least 40 children cost between $25,000 and $30,000.

Last year we held a fundraiser dinner and auction at Elements in Antioch. This year we are planning a family dinner at Antioch Upper Grade School. There will be a chili cook-off, dinner, games, prizes and a bonfire with hot chocolate. The dinner is open to everyone. The cost is $6 in advance and $7 at the door for everyone 13 and older. Children 6-12 will cost $5 and children 5 and under are free. There will also be a "family pass" for immediate families with more than four members. The cost of this pass is $25. Please watch the newsletters and Friday folders for more information.

Another fundraising opportunity we have implemented is our "Pocket Change for Petty Playground" buckets. There is a bucket for collecting change in each Petty classroom. The students are encouraged to earn money to place in the bucket. Once a month, just before our PTO meetings, we will be collecting the coins. The class or classes with the most money will win an extra recess and bragging rights. It is our hope that by doing this the children will feel a sense of ownership in their new playground.

Our current committee members are:

Jennifer Salmi - Chair

Kim Balleza

Sue Johnson

Kris Keeler

Carla Martinek

Tamara Neumann

Gina Wolf

If you would like to volunteer or have questions, please contact Jennifer Salmi at salmi6@comcast.net or 847-838-5622.

Thank you to everyone who has donated their time and money to keep our kids playing.