Supporting Clifford During the Holidays

November 23, 2015 Clifford School PTO Leave a comment

The holiday season is upon us, and since this is prime shopping season, we thought we’d provide a round-up of ways you can shop AND raise funds for Clifford at the same time! Here’s a handy reference for you — after all, we know how hectic things can get this time of year!

GROCERIES – For those holiday meals

eScrip for Groceries – as you plan your holiday gatherings, don’t forget these simple ways to raise money for Clifford. Make sure to register for eScrip (Non-profit: Clifford School, ID: 118392687). The following are a few (of many) grocers that will donate a percentage of your purchase back to Clifford.

Bianchini’s
Raley’s and Nob Hill Super Markets
Lucky S.H.A.R.E.S.

Box Tops for Education

Speaking of shopping for groceries, please save your box tops and turn them in!

RETAIL – For deals and gift shopping

Amazon Smile

Whether you’re shopping on Amazon for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, or buying gifts for all your family and friends, be sure to go through the Amazon Smile link and choose Clifford School as your organization.

eScrip Mall

Another reason to register with eScrip–hundreds of your favorite retailers are committed to giving dollars back to Clifford! A portion of your purchases from the most popular department stores and brands will be donated to our school, so start by logging into the eScrip Online Mall to shop your favorite stores.

Honey Bear Trees

The Honey Bear Trees Fundraiser Program allows our school to earn 15% (shop at one of the 3 HBT lots: Redwood City, San Carlos and San Mateo). When you purchase a tree or wreath from HBT, be sure to mention Clifford School.

DO GOOD – Give back to the community

One Warm Coat Drive

The Clifford School Government is partnering with One Warm Coat to collect clean, new OR gently used coats. Donate your extra coats and turn them into your student’s teacher starting November 30, 2015 to December 11, 2015.

Direct Donation

We have a mighty, thriving school community, and the PTO-funded programs are a big part of that. Some of the wonderful programs we support are: PE, Marine Science Institute programs, Art in Action, class supplies, school play, community events and dances, 8th grade graduation, books, and technology.

Please consider providing a tax-deductible donation. If your employer has a charitable match program, utilize it to increase giving even more!

Community, Volunteering

One Warm Coat Drive

November 23, 2015 Clifford School PTO Leave a comment

Our Clifford Student Government will be coordinating a One Warm Coat Drive this season from November 30th to December 11th! Clifford is registered with “One Warm Coat” and will be giving the coats to a local charity in need.

There will be a class competition, so in order for a student to get credit for the coat they have brought in, they will need to turn it in to their teacher (homeroom for middle school) who will email the count to the council. Each Friday the Student Council will pick up the jackets from each classroom at the end of the day. Prize for competition is a class pizza party!

Community

PTO Meeting & Budget Vote – Thusday, Nov. 12

November 12, 2015 Clifford School PTO Leave a comment

Our next PTO meeting is Thursday, Nov. 12th at 7pm in the Library. A light meal will be available for everybody, and children are welcome to come and hang out quietly.

At the meeting we will have an important vote to fund an additional $33,500 of items for the school. Here is a quick description of the items and an overall financial picture. More detail will be provided on the PTO website and will be presented at the meeting.

PTO Financials: The PTO ended last year with $162,000 of cash. This year we planned on funding $109,000 of programs and ending the year with $166,000 in cash before this proposed spending. Currently only 5% of the budget is dedicated to middle school programs.

Requested Items to fund:

2 Chrome Book Carts for Middle School $26,000
Middle School Math Technology (tablets & projector) $2,500
Healthy Cities Tutoring (in addition to $2,500 already budgeted) $2,500
Copier for Middle School (estimated lease payments to district) $1,500
PE equipment for Middle School $1,000

More details are provided in this document.

Reunión del PTO Y Presupuesto Voto – Jueves, 12 de noviembre

Nuestra próxima reunión de PTO es Jueves, 12 de noviembre a las 7 pm en la Biblioteca. Una comida ligera estará disponible para todo el mundo , y los niños son bienvenidos a venir y pasar el rato en silencio .

En la reunión que tendremos una votación importante para financiar un adicional de $ 33.500 de artículos para la escuela . He aquí una breve descripción de los elementos y un panorama financiero global . Más detalles se proporcionan en el sitio web de PTO y será presentado en la reunión .

PTO Financials La toma de fuerza terminó el año pasado con $ 162,000 de dinero en efectivo . Este año se planificó en la financiación de $ 109,000 de los programas y terminando el año con $ 166.000 en efectivo antes de este gasto propuesto. Actualmente sólo el 5 % del presupuesto se dedica a los programas de la escuela intermedia.

Artículos solicitados para financiar :

2 Cromo libro Carretones de la Escuela Intermedia $26,000
Tecnología Matemáticas Middle School ( tabletas y proyector) $2,500
Ciudades Saludables Tutoría (además de $ 2,500 ya presupuestado ) $2,500
Copiadora de la Escuela Intermedia (pagos de arrendamiento estimados al distrito) $1,500
El equipo de Educación Física de la Escuela Intermedia $1,000

Más detalles se proporcionan en este documento.

Community

Soul Surfer Bethany Hamilton’s Message to Clifford School

November 8, 2015 Clifford School PTO Leave a comment

If you’re familiar with Bethany Hamilton’s story, you know she’s overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges and uses her experience to help others. An avid surfer, Bethany at the age of 13, lost an arm when she was attacked by a tiger shark. Though she suffered trauma at a young age, she was back in the water only three weeks after the incident and has since inspired a countless number of people. She currently supports other shark bite victims and a portion from the proceeds from her brand of flip flops and eyewear sales goes to the nonprofit organization Friends of Bethany Hamilton.

Bethany was recently in the bay area for a speaking engagement and Clifford parent Lisa A. had a chance meeting with the extraordinary role model! Not only did Lisa walk away completely awestruck by Bethany’s message, but when it came to having a memento from the experience, Lisa had Clifford on her mind. Bethany’s signed photo with a personalized message of encouragement is in the office for all to see, and to remind us that we can push beyond our limits to achieve great things.

We asked Lisa what made the biggest impression on her when meeting Bethany, and she said this:

“Knowing Bethany is passionate about overcoming obstacles, keeping your mind open, and continuing to move forward in the face of adversity. Who knew that getting “back in” would be something so relatable like school, water and the like. The inspiring message she wrote for our school holds more weight with our youth today, more then you can believe.”

Bethany is a shining example demonstrating the strength of the human spirit. Thank you, Lisa, for being so thoughtful in sharing the message, photo, and inspiration with Clifford School and our students in particular!

soulsurfer1 — See the actual photo at Clifford!

Community, Fundraising, Social

Clifford Auction 2015 Recap: Masquerade

November 8, 2015 Clifford School PTO Leave a comment

Many weeks have passed since the glamorous Fall Dinner Auction, but we’re still basking in the glow of that fantastic evening! Thanks to our fearless committee chair Trina Licht and many, many members of the auction team, the whole evening was buzzing with great energy and excitement. From the pre-event planning to procuring awesome donation items to setting up the beautiful event space to the fun VIP Waiters, there was so much hard work dedicated to making the event a resounding success. The final tally of the night: over $45,000 was raised to support Clifford students’ enrichment and educational experiences!

Reminisce with us as we enjoy highlights and photos from the memorable evening!

From the very start, guests were welcomed by friendly, smiling faces at check-in. People were decked out in finery and many wore mysterious masks that set a festive tone.

Upon entering La Honda Winery, guests were treated to a feast for the senses. The elegant space was transformed for the masquerade theme. Tables were filled with beautifully packaged baskets for the silent auction, while the VIP Waiters did an amazing job with their tablescapes. Masks, feathers, beads, and twinkle lights are but a few of the embellishments spotted at the tables.

003 — A few of many silent auction baskets

One of the greatest highlights was having our VIP Waiters — including Principal Josh — who took care of guests and provided entertainment! They impressed everyone with their hard work and charm.

068 — All money raised that night is for student enrichment at Clifford School. Go team!

The VIP Waiter conga line was definitely one of the best parts!

049 — Some of our teachers found the conga line irresistible and jumped in! Woohoo!

The live auction was action-packed, and the bidders were generous. The bidding war for the parking spot between teacher Miss Smith and PTO President Roy Dorling got heated, and in the end Roy won the prize! Those were some tense few minutes and it seemed everyone was holding their breath for the outcome.

In addition to the VIP Waiters and live auction, there was never a dull moment thanks to some fun games and even more opportunities to win. The Wine Cork Game, Heads or Tails Game, and Diamond Necklace Raffle kept the energy levels up!

The Heads or Tails Game was won by Carol Donnelly, who generously donated her portion of the cash winnings back to the school! The gorgeous bauble donated by Geoffrey’s Diamonds & Goldsmith [http://geoffreysdiamonds.com/] was won by our lovely Art in Action Chair, Aoife! Well done, ladies!

Now, there was a lot of fun stuff going on, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that aside from the night’s program, our awesome Clifford community of teachers, staff, and parents had a ball simply by being their sparkling selves. If all the laughter and shenanigans were any indication, these people know how to have a good time!

We have many people to thank: the Auction Committee for putting on a flawless event; our sponsors who’s generosity helped make this event a huge success: Davies Appliances, Rim Orthodontics, and Mixbook; and La Honda Winery and California School for the Deaf for making a magical evening. When all’s said and done, the point really is supporting our students and helping to provide the best education possible — why not have a good time while we’re at it? See you at the next one!