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Spending Funds
Before you begin any type of fundraising, you should know exactly 'WHAT' you are fundraising for. Only once you know 'what' you need to purchase, and research how much this will cost, can you then proceed to set up an Events Calendar which describes how you will raise the funds.
All PTO purchases should benefit the students in some way*. Following are some projects, products, & programs to consider purchasing with PTO funds. We hope you'll also share your own ideas.
How to Spend PTO Money
Art Exhibit
Create an area where student art can be displayed museum-style. Choose a long hallway and hang similar, matted frames. Rotate artwork. Place plaques underneath each frame that allow you to label the artwork and the artist. Let students name their creations.
Reading Program
Up until grade 3, children 'Learn to Read'. From grade 4 and up, they 'Read to Learn'. This is why it's so critical to give students a solid reading base during their first few years in school. Use PTO funds to offer an after-school Reading Program where students can work in small groups and get extra help from certified teachers.
Electronic Equipment
- Projectors
- Classroom Sound Systems
- Microphone & Speaker System for the auditorium
- Laptop computers for use with overhead projectors
- Smart Boards
Classroom Area Rugs
Area rugs in classrooms provide comfort, warmth, and climate control, absorb light, reduce glare, protect from slips & falls, and is the preferred flooring of teachers (3 to 1). But most importantly, area rugs reduce noise levels. They improve classroom acoustics by acting as a super sound absorber.
There is a distinct connection between environmental quality and comfort and higher levels of educational performance. Comfortable classrooms contribute to better concentration, better performance, better attendance rates, retention of teachers, positive attitudes, enhanced productivity, and the potential for higher test scores.
It's important to keep the school environment clean and dry regardless of flooring type. Carpet has attributes and environmental benefits that far outweigh any conceivable environmental health risks; which are minimized as long as the rugs are clean and dry.
Sound-Absorption Materials
In addition to carpets, other materials can be added to a school to absorb sound, thus reducing noise levels. Line cafeteria or gym walls with pads/exercise mats, or install sound-absorption pads and acoustic tile ceilings in classrooms.
Create a small cubicle space in each classroom with the portable walls typically used in office cubicles. These absorb sound and create a quiet space for teachers to work with students in small groups or individually.
Lighting
Proper lighting is essential to student productivity and comfort in a classroom.
Educational Field Trips
- Science, Outdoor History, or Art Museum
- Nature Walk
- Career Tours - each month visit a different company so students can learn about diffent types of careers:
- Political - City Hall, State House
- Engineering & Manufacturing - Lego Factory, computer board manufacturer, automobile plant, computer hardware manufacturer
- Legal - law firm
- Accounting - accounting firm
- Entertainment - movie studio, advertising firm, film production, radio or TV station
- Farming - local farm, greenhouse, nursery
- Fashion - magazine, clothes or furniture designer
- Water Treatment & Distribution - town water treatment plant
- or any of the thousands of career opportunities
Library Updates
Update your library with:
- new books
- bookcases
- tables
- chairs
- lighting
- a new rug!
Computer Lab
- Computers
- Printers
- Monitors
- Scanner
- Power strips, speakers, printer paper, printer ink
Science Lab
Hands-on science labs typically aren't available to students until at least grade 6. Consider setting up a mini science lab for use by by teachers during school or as an after-school program. Visit a science teacher in your local middle school for tips on what basics are best to include (i.e. microscopes, slides, worm farm, plants, etc.).
Engineering Lab
For younger students, set up a Lego Engineering lab where students learn to design & build cars, buildings, etc.
Garden or Greenhouse
A horticultural experience! Create a place where the students can grow their own flowers, trees, fruits, and vegetables. Use the foods in cooking projects or sell the starter plants, flowers, and trees for a profit.
Courtyard & Reading Garden
Turn an outdoor courtyard into a place where students can sit and read outdoors. Include benches, grassy areas, shade trees, flowers, walkways, and a water fountain.
Walking Trails & Exercise Areas
Promote the importance of health & fitness as well as education by creating clearly marked walking trails around the school grounds. Include signs marking the trails, native plants, or other historical points of interest, trash cans, exercise bars, and benches along the way.
Parent Center
Turn an unused classroom or corner of the school into a Parent Center. The more parents are involved in the school, they more they will be involved in their child's education. Create a place parents can gather for casual coffee or lunch or more formal meetings. Include table & chairs, lounge furniture, bookcases with books, coffee maker, refrigerator, storage cabinet for supplies.
Peer Tutoring Center
Similar to the Parent Center, create a place where students can work one-on-one.
State Test Prep
Whether it's MCAS, ISATS, or SATS state testing, students benefit from after-school test prep classes taught by certified teachers. Set aside funds to run these additional classes for the weeks prior to the tests.
Playground
Improve the playground or build a new one. Include climbing structures, ground covering, benches, trees, shrubs, paintings on the pavement, add handicapped-accessible structures, and trash cans.
Enrichment Programs
Enrichment Programs are educational programs that go beyond the scope of the typical classroom. These may include hands-on science experiments, creative writing, learning to write poetry, Lego engineering, career introductions, an afternoon with live animals, or viewing a large-scale model of the earth. Click here for our directory of Enrichment Program Providers.
* This can include saying Thank You to the students' teachers during teacher appreciation week. Perhaps with a luncheon or a small token gift.
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