PTA - Richard Gordon Elementary

Richard Gordon Elementary School PTA (Parent-Teacher Association)

"Supporting our student's roots, so they may reach for the stars."

For the official (and regularly updated) Richard Gordon PTA website, go to http://richardgordonpta.ourschoolpages.com

Welcome, friends. We are glad that you are here!

Who is the PTA?

It is us. All of us are here and invested at Richard Gordon Elementary School. Whether a formal member (paid and voting on membership spending and activities) or informal member (unpaid, therefore non-voting). Why be a paid member? It helps fund our school activities and student advocacy on the state and national levels.

We are all PTA - simply by having children here at the school.

Let’s learn, work, and play together!

What is the Goal of the PTA?

We strive to enrich each child’s experience at Richard Gordon Elementary School. This is done with purpose and heart, collaborating with families and friends, teachers and staff, and our greater community. We do this because well-supported children can grow in their confidence and capabilities. With this, we joyfully support each child as they continue to learn and discover - beyond Richard Gordon Elementary School to their own greatest galaxies.

What does the PTA do?

Provide education enrichment – online enrichment of math and reading, STEAM nights, Passport Club, Project Linus, Clubs
Support our teachers and staff - grants for classroom supplies and experiences, art docent funding and support, work committees, Coffee with Christine, Lunchroom Superheroes
Volunteer- in the classroom, in the lunchroom, on the playground. During school and after school. The need for and appreciation of volunteer support cannot be understated (!). There are so many ways to get involved.
Provide activities that enrich the school experience for children and families – by funding and sponsoring field trips and school assemblies, activities such as Back to School Celebration, Tears and Cheers, Fall Carnival, Field Day, Family Fun Nights, Free Family Movie Nights, Popcorn Fridays, and the 5^th Grade Graduation.
Create and cultivate community - involvement, and relationships. Perhaps a bit awkward at first to figure out how to get involved, but once you get started, Some examples of our work include ongoing Kingston Food Bank donations at every PTA event and Care and Share clothing bins.
Fundraisers - integral in helping accomplish these other goals. We work to encompass fun with fundraisings, such as with Bulbs, the StudentRead-a-thon, Turkey Trot, SmileAmazon, Box Tops, the Annual Auction and Fundraiser, and the Run-and-Fun-a-thon.

PTA mailbox- in the staff workroom. You can give any letters/forms to the staff at the front desk or to your child’s teacher.
PTA Bulletin Board- main lobby at the school.

We encourage you to reach out and attend our meetings if you can. There are PTA General Membership Meetings every two months- via zoom if school is not in person. If you are unable to attend these meetings, please email for information.

Volunteering

Whatever energy, time, and support we can offer to our kiddos, teachers, and staff at Richard Gordon – the positive effects will come back in spades.

When, where, and how to get involved in PTA? It is up to each of us to figure this out. Whether you can help in the classroom or with daytime activities at the school- or if you prefer to help at the occasional PTA-sponsored evening event and activity. Or if it’s easiest for you to help with the fundraising for the school – by working on it or contributing to it.

All help is greatly appreciated. Our collective support is integral to a joyful and successful experience at Richard Gordon Elementary School.

Support the children
Support our teachers and staff
Share a skill or talent
No skill or talent? Then share enthusiasm and patience!
Fill a gap
Have a positive impact
Give time instead of money
Get in the know
Grow camaraderie
Grow community
Make a difference

We use Signup Genius as our volunteer support/organization tool. Note that there are several tabs for ongoing volunteer opportunities and tabs that “date out” once the activity is over. If using the link on your phone, roll the bar at the top where it says “SignUps” before hitting “go.” If using a home computer or laptop, scroll to the right side of the bar for more signup.

The fine print ...

To volunteer for school and/or school/PTA-related activities, please ensure that you have completed the volunteer packet (available at the front office of the school) and submitted it to the front office. It is a bit of a hassle, to be honest- but let's face it- let's keep our kids safe!

Thank you (in advance) for supporting our students, teachers, staff, and community at Richard Gordon.

To sign up for volunteer opportunities- http://richardgordonpta.ourschoolpages.com.

Fundraising and Fundraisers

Why is fundraising so important?

At Richard Gordon, we fundraise throughout the school year with various activities to appeal to the most. Some fundraisers are relatively simple, such as selling Flower Bulbs, or more student-oriented, such as collecting Boxtops or the Read-a-thon. Others may be more work and adult-focused, such as the Auction. Whatever they are- big or little, the fundraisers all matter. Whatever funds are raised during this school year sets the budget for the next school year. So with this, we are perpetually working forward to meet budget needs.

Did you know?

The PTA (you and I) sponsor MANY of the programs and activities at Richard Gordon. This includes Passport Club, STEAM nights (science, technology, engineering, and math), School Assemblies, Field Day, Online math and reading programs, Family Fun Nights, Family Movie Nights, Fall Carnival, Project Linus, and Fifth Grade Graduation, name a few (!). We work hard with fundraising to ensure that these activities may continue. The support of our fundraising efforts is integral for our children at Richard Gordon Elementary School.

To be sensitive- if funds are tight- as we can all appreciate- volunteer your time as you can, in lieu of the money. Your time and energy are also invaluable resources at Richard Gordon Elementary School.

You can tell you are shopping from the correct page if you see the AmazonSmile logo in the top left corner of the page and "Supporting: Richard Gordon Jr PTA” just below the search bar. When you hover over the name of the charity, you can see additional information about it and track the donation amount you generated through your purchases.

AmazonSmile - a great way to take advantage of a service you might already be using.

Thanks for your support!

Boxtops

Have a look at the products you buy- is there a “Box Top for Education” on it to scan? Or, in using the app, scan every receipt and see what BoxTop is eligible for.

Scan

The Box Tops program is becoming digital-only. Participating brands are changing their packaging from a traditional Box Tops clip to the new Box Tops label. If you see this label, use the new Box Tops app to scan your receipt. The app will find participating products purchased at any store and instantly add cash to your school’s earnings online.

How the Box Tops mobile app works https://www.boxtops4education.com/en/About

How to scan Box Tops https://www.boxtops4education.com/en/About

Find the app on Apple https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1150038564

or Google Play store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.generalmills.btfe

Thank you for helping raise this “free money” for our school.

For the official (and regularly updated) Richard Gordon PTA website, go to http://richardgordonpta.ourschoolpages.com.

Thanks for checking in - we look forward to seeing you!