PLAYGROUND UPDATE AND FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES: UNITED WAY! DIRECT APPEAL! FUTURE EVENTS!

PLAYGROUND UPDATE AND FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES: UNITED WAY! DIRECT APPEAL!  FUTURE EVENTS! 

 

Big Playground news! WE ARE HALF WAY THERE!!!

 

With the Playground fundraising from last year, together with contributions by parents in the past, and our top-up from this year’s budget, our Playground Fund has reached the milestone of $100,000!  Congratulations to Bliss, Dave, and all the volunteers who have worked so hard to reach this fundraising goal. 

We are planning a Playground Open House and Information Night for January/February, as well as the launch of a Playground Blog to provide you with the details of the revised plan, but we know your might have some questions now:

Q -- “HOW MUCH MORE MONEY DO WE NEED, AND WHAT’S THE DEADLINE?”

Two big changes from the original plans that have dropped the price tag significantly:

1. the TDSB has acknowledged that we do not have to pay for infrastructure such as asphalt, and

2. The TDSB has committed to pay for turf on the field.

What these changes mean is that the price tag for the Playground Revitalization has dropped significantly, and is now in the $200,000 to $250,000 range.

We need to raise another $100,000 by October 1, 2019 to keep our spot on the priority list.

 

Q – “WHEN WILL WE SEE THE PLAYGROUND?”

Construction is anticipated to start summer 2020.  We are also in discussions with the TDSB to determine whether a portion of the playground could be built as early as June 2019, but that’s still a work in progress. But, as above, to keep our spot in line, this timing depends on raising funds by October 1, 2019.

 

Q -- “I HAVE NO TIME TO VOLUNTEER, BUT I’M HAPPY TO THROW MONEY AT THE PROBLEM.  HOW CAN I HELP?”

We will be launching a Direct Appeal campaign in January/February together with the launch of our new blog, and Playground Open House and Information Night, but if you want a tax receipt for 2018, here are some ways you can donate to the Playground right now:

n  UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN

Does your employer have a United Way campaign? Did you know you can direct your United Way to Fern? Wait? What?

It’s true! If you donate to United Way via your workplace/employer, you may have the option to direct your donation to Fern Ave PS! (and it’s even more effective if your employer matches donations, as many do.)

 

How to do it:
-  On your company’s online United Way donation/pledge page, select the option to “DESIGNATE TO ANOTHER UNITED WAY OR CANADIAN CHARITY”.
-  Enter the Toronto school board’s CRA number 895788222 in the field; click 'search'.

Select "Charity not found; enter charity details". Then:
-  In 'Charity name' field, start typing "Toronto District School Board" and select the name when it comes up. Then type/select Fern Ave PS.
-  Allocate your donation amount to Fern and Click Save

*NOTE: Your company may have a slightly different process for pledging donations; ask your United Way captain to find out how to designate your contribution to a specific charity.

 

n  DIRECT DONATION

If you don’t wish to donate through the United Way, but still want to get a tax receipt for 2018, you can still donate directly to Fern Ave P.S. through the blog.

Go to the home page of the blog, and click the “Donate” button located immediately under the heading “Fern Avenue Public School.”  You will be redirected to Fern Avenue Public School Giving Page where you can donate directly to the Playground.

We will relaunch the Direct Appeal in January/February once we have our new and improved Playground Blog.

Q -- “I DON’T HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA CASH FOR THE PLAYGROUND, BUT I HAVE A BIT OF TIME. HOW CAN I HELP?”

We are planning a bunch of great fundraising, community building events at Fern.  Some of them will be directed at the Playground, and some will be directed at our traditional programming fundraising.  We will need people to help us run these events, and whether you have one hour, or twenty, we can put you to work.  We also need people to show up and spend money at these events, so if that’s what you have the time and energy for, we’ll take it. 

Here’s a list of things we’re working on (some of these dates are TBD, and not yet set in stone):

n  Family Games Night at Fern P.S. (TBD – aiming for end of November or mid-January)

n  Fern Fun Flicks Holiday Movie – December, TBD

n  Community Walk to Holiday Concert – December 13

n  Playground Open House/Information Night (TBD – January)

n  Parent Pub Night – January 25 (location TBD)

n  Fern Fun Flicks Movie – February, TBD

n  STEM Night – March 27 (to be confirmed)

n  Eco Day Yard Clean-up, Yard Sale, Clothing Swap – April TBD

n  Spring Fling – May 25

n  Fern Fun Fair – June TBD  

If you’d like to volunteer for any of these events, or have any other ideas for events, fundraising or otherwise, that you’d like to see at Fern, please email us at fernaveschoolcouncil@gmail.com.

Q -- “I’M WORRIED THAT WE AREN’T SUPPORTING OTHER INITIATIVES AT FERN LIKE THE ARTS AND STEM.”

School Council is committed to funding other program enhancements for your children.  We posted the details to the blog on October 28, but in case you missed it, we agreed to the following for 2018/2019:

n  Arts Collective, to provide an artist in as many classrooms as possible, with a goal to provide an artist in all 30 classrooms: $6000

n  Scientist in the School to provide an external science facilitator in all 30 classrooms: $4000

n  STEM Junior and Senior Club, volunteer-run, after-school science and tech clubs for junior and senior divisions: $2000

n  STEM Day/Night for the whole school: $2500

n  Grade 8 graduation/Grade 8 trip, to subsidize the grade 8 grad to make it accessible for everyone: $2500

n  Food Committee, to replace plates, utensils, and other equipment associated with the Food Program: $500

n  Library for Forest of Reading Program: $2600

n  Holdback for next year’s programming: $9430

To maintain this funding for 2019/2018, we will need to raise $11k in Programming funding.  We’ve already raised over $2500 towards this goal.

We’ll keep you updated on these events and others. 

As always, if you have questions, concerns, comments, complaints, please email School Council at fernaveschoolcouncil@gmail.com.

School Council Executive