Connecting Schools With Great Fundraising Ideas.

At the stroke of midnight tonight (Thursday May 8, 2008), the voting period for the Top School Fundraiser blog contest will expire.

So, please make sure to squeeze in all the votes you can for your favorite entry. Remember, the writer that gets the most votes will win a $50 prize, while the two runner ups will each get $25.

Each one of these links below will open in a new window to make for easy reading:

Six months later, or Time goes by so fast by Ana at My adventures through life

My Favorite Teachers by Angela at Mommy Bytes

My Favourite Teachers by Veronica at Sleepless Nights

The prizes will be awarded on Friday.

This poll has ended.

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If you are reading this blog, chances are you are a pretty involved parent in your child’s education. You are most likely involved in fundraising activities, field trip chaperoning, room mothering (or “fathering”), and the countless other opportunities to play a vital role in your child’s education.

I would also guess that you have a pretty good relationship with your child’s teacher. After all, the teacher sees your child for six or seven hours a day for 180 days per year. That’s a lot of influence he or she can have on your offspring. Of course, it’s a good idea to know who that person is.

As a former elementary school principal, I witnessed the spectrum of relationships that parents have with teachers, and I’ve heard the “secret” teacher lounge chatter about those relationships. Therefore, I think I can offer a few suggestions on ways for parents to say thank you that will be truly meaningful to and appreciated by your child’s teacher.

1. Volunteer in the Classroom
Most classrooms are overcrowded. That is to say that the ratio of teachers and aides to students is higher than anyone would want. This isn’t only distressing to the parents, but it is also a source of great concern for the teachers. By and large, teachers really do desire excellence, but many times, the numbers make that an elusive goal.

Therefore, I would find a way to volunteer your time as a part-time classroom aid. I’ve seen a mom volunteer one hour per week to listen to students read. The teacher really appreciated that, because the kids got more individualized instruction.

Maybe it’s something you can only do once per month. However, if you pool your time with three other parents, that’s a once-per-week help the teacher is getting, and that’s significant. continue reading

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Last week, I began a multi-part investigation on how to raise money for your high school study abroad adventure. I concentrated on methods that would prove the student’s desire and commitment level. Foreign exchange programs can be very expensive, so the student must really have it in his or her heart to go. I wrote about things like controlling spending habits, selling personal items, trading personal items for more valuable items that you can sell for cash, blogging for money, and lastly, getting a job.

Today, I am going to focus on asking others to help finance your experience. The first part of this process involves your local community. The second part involves looking for scholarships that support such trips, and I will tackle this in a subsequent entry.

Local

Appealing to Your Friends and Family for Cash
A study abroad experience falls squarely into the category of “personal development”. In some programs, you may be doing a portion of service work, as well, which is great. However, it is likely that you will have your best shot of raising money for your trip from the people who love and care for you already. These are the people who will be most likely to make a contribution to your journey.

If you do decide to try this route, I would recommend being extremely honest and polite in your approach. Clearly define what your plan is for the trip and what you expect to get out of it. Be armed with information, facts, and testimonials from past participants in the program. The more answers you have prepared ahead of time, the better your chances for a gift.

A personal meeting works better than a phone call, and a phone call works better than a letter when making your appeal. Be sincerely grateful for any amount you receive. Remember, it all adds up. Also, be sure to make it known to your relatives that if they can’t help out, you totally understand and are fine with that. You don’t want to alienate anyone by your query. continue reading

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Today I would like to take a shot at the blog contest we’re running here at Top School Fundraisers. I won’t officially be entering the contest, as I am an “employee”, but the topic itself is just too good to pass up. So, here is my “un-official” post on “My Favorite Teacher”.

I had heard about Mike Smith long before I was ever old enough sit in his class. Sophomores and juniors and seniors at Saline High School in Saline, Michigan, talked proudly about hanging out with him, about the projects they completed for him, and how cool he was as a teacher.

Whenever I would pass him in the hallway between classes, there was always a group of kids following along behind him. He was the only male teacher who had long hair, and in our school, which was fairly conservative, that gave him a real cache. continue reading

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I just wanted to take a moment to remind folks that we are currently running a blog contest with the topic “My Favorite Teacher”. This is a wide-open topic with lots of ways to approach the theme.

The rules are simple. Just write a post about this topic on your own blog. Paste a link to TopSchoolFundraisers at the end of the article and encourage your readers to vote for your entry. Be sure to send me an email, so I know you wrote it and I’ll check it out!

Winners will receive cash prizes. First place is $50, second and third are $25 each. All prizes are paid through PayPal.

To qualify, you must post your blog entry by Saturday May 3, 2008. The final list of entries will be posted on Monday May 5 and voting will begin. The last day to vote will be Thursday May 8 and we’ll announce the winner the next day on May 9.

Good luck and keep writing!

Jim Berigan

Note: This contest has now ended.  You can see a list of the winners here.

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I am very happy to announce that Top School Fundraisers is holding its very first blog contest.

Topic
In honor of National Teacher Appreciation week May 4 to May 10, we invite you to write a blog entry on the topic of “My Favorite Teacher”. This is a broad topic, meant to include a wide variety of educational experiences and relationships. Also, this could apply to a teacher you once had or one that your child has had.

How it works
Anybody with a blog can participate. Just write a post on your own blog about the topic of “My Favorite Teacher”. Once you have published your new post, contact me to let me know about your entry. We will then place a link on our site to your post. Only one entry per person.

We would greatly appreciate it if you would likewise link back to us in your blog post. You can link to this contest page or just link to our homepage: TopSchoolFundraisers.com.

Prizes
Best Blog Post: The winner will receive a $50 cash payment via PayPal. Second and third place will receive a cash payment of $25 each, also via PayPal.

Entry Deadline
Post your entry and email us the link by Saturday May 3rd at Midnight CST.

How to Vote
Click here to see the list of all of the entries, check out their sties and then vote. One vote per person, but writers be sure to encourage your friends to vote for you too!

Voting Deadline
Thursday May 8th, Midnight CST. Winners will be announced on Friday May 9th.

If you have any questions, just post a comment below or contact me. I’m looking forward to reading some of the entries. Good luck to everyone!

This contest has now ended.  You can see a list of the winners here.

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2008 Mary Lou Anderson Reflections Arts Enhancement Grant Program

Here is a great opportunity that came to my attention recently for a $1,000 grant. There is an application deadline of May 1, 2008, so if you are interested in pursuing this possibility, keep that in mind.

This grant originates from the national offices of the Parent-Teacher Association- The PTA. The program is designed to help local PTAs develop student-centered programs focused on arts education. Schools that have large populations and a significant number of “at-risk” students are given special consideration. Areas of study could include: visual arts, photography, music, dance, literature, and theater.

The award may not be used to cover overhead expenses or capital improvements. The funds must be spent on the actual development and implementation of the proposed program.

For more information, including a printable application form, please visit the PTA website.

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