QUILCHENA PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC)
04/05 DIRECT APPEAL FUNDRAISER LETTER
ANNUAL
QUILCHENA APPEAL
Your Response
As of Wednesday, December 1, we had 56% participation and raised $18,500
from the Annual Quilchena
Appeal (the “AQA”). Thank you to every family who has given!
While the campaign activities will be wrapped up by December 1, the need
is still there. Your contributions
are more than welcome! Please leave your envelopes or donations in the PAC
box. Cheques should be
payable to “Quilchena PAC”. Don’t forget to let us know to whom the tax receipt
should be sent.
Remember that all funds donated go directly to your children’s education
and education environment.
Thanks to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly on all our behalf, no
monies are lost to administration.
Thank you tireless volunteers, and particularly to Heather K, who spearheaded
this year’s terrific
campaign!
AQA Rewards
We are pleased to announce that with the financial support the parents and
guardians have provided, the PAC
will be allocating the money raised to obtain the books, supplies, computer
equipment and other supplies that
the teachers and parents have indicated we need. Your contributions should
be put into effect well in time
for the benefit of this school year.
To celebrate the generosity and spirit demonstrated by the school parents
and guardians, no doubt assisted by
your children, we are having a movie day this Friday, December 3rd.
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of form
Quilchena Elementary
School
Parent Advisory Committee (PAC)
5300 Maple Street
Vancouver, BC V6M 1Z1
November 9, 2004
Dear Quilchena Parents:
Re: Quilchena’s Annual Direct Appeal
On behalf of the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), welcome to the 2004/2005
school year at Quilchena Elementary. Whether this is the first year
for you and your children or you are a returning family, we hope that this
year is full of exciting and enriching learning experiences for all of us
at Quilchena.
This year, the PAC is building on our success of the past few years with
the Annual Direct Appeal for funds. As parents, you have consistently
told the PAC over the years that you prefer to write a single cheque in one
major fundraising campaign rather than buying a variety of products that are
brought home as ‘fundraisers’ throughout the year.
Last year, Quilchena families generously contributed almost $15,000, and
100% of this money was used to purchase reading and resource materials, library
books, computer resources, the Safe Arrival phone line, and important student
activities. Last year also saw the completion of a major project
– the relocation of the computer lab from a small, closet-sized space to a
full classroom. Parents contributed $6,000 towards the overall costs
of this project.
Surveys show that the kids at Quilchena benefit from superb teaching and
rich learning experiences. Yet the Annual Direct Appeal becomes more
important every year, as tax dollars provided by the Vancouver School Board
become tighter, and needs in the school become larger. We are once again
seeking your support for this year’s Annual Direct Appeal.
The needs of the kids at Quilchena are significant. Over the past
few weeks, the PAC has surveyed all of the teachers and some parents, and
found that the most important needs this year are:
• Classroom and library resources, including textbooks,
workbooks and readers, both English and French;
• Information technology such as computers, printers and
software, both for the Computer Lab and classrooms;
• Art and science programs, supplies and equipment;
• Equipment to improve the school, including a new set
of risers for the gym (to be used in concerts and presentations), white boards
and overhead projectors;
• Sports and gym equipment, for lunch hours and after
school programs; and
• Guest speakers and visitors on a wide range of topics.
All of these needs are in addition to the annual ‘basic’ funding the PAC
gives to the school to pay for things such as the Safe Arrival program, subscriptions
for the Library, Grade 7 Graduation, Fine Arts programs and an annual allocation
to each teacher in the school.
PAC is hoping to raise $35,000 in the 2004/05 Annual Direct Appeal – approximately
$100 for each child in the school – in order to fund the priorities for this
year.
Other highly popular programs will continue to run this year as they have
in the past. There will be Hot Lunch days twice a month and popular
community-building events such as Family Bingo Night, the International Dinner
and the June Family BBQ. And, of course, the popular Book Fair, which
directly benefits the Quilchena Library, was held just last week.
The more funds we receive through the Direct Appeal, the less we will have
to raise money in other ways. There is no maximum or minimum donation amount.
We are asking families to contribute $100 for each child. Mostly, however,
we hope that all families will participate in the Appeal by contributing a
gift that is meaningful for you.
A Reply Form is enclosed with this letter. We hope you will
complete the Form, and send it with your cheque (payable to “Quilchena PAC”)
in the enclosed envelope, back to the school with your eldest child.
This year’s campaign will end on December 1st. If it is more convenient
for you, please contribute what you can at this time, and send a second, post-dated
cheque dated February 15, 2005. Official Tax Receipts will be issued
for all Annual Appeal donations.
Every day, all of us see the difference that the goodwill, time and financial
support offered by parents bring to the quality of life at the school.
Thank you for all that you do in making this happen, and for participating
in this year’s Annual Direct Appeal.
Yours sincerely,
John M
Barbara G
PAC Chair
PAC Vice-Chair
QUILCHENA PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC)
Annual Direct Appeal 2004/05
Question and Answer Fact Sheet
This Question and Answer (Q & A) sheet has been developed to help parents
understand the Annual Direct Appeal and its importance to their child’s experience
at Quilchena Elementary.
What is the Annual Direct Appeal?
The Annual Direct Appeal is a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) sponsored
fundraising appeal. Once a year we ask families to donate money in
order to support a number of programs within the school that are not funded
by the Vancouver School Board (VSB).
What is the money raised through the Direct Appeal used for?
Thanks to the support of hundreds of Quilchena parents, PAC has been able
to provide funding for the following programs over the years:
• Library resources including books, encyclopedias and
magazine subscriptions
• Books for the Reading Programs
• Playground equipment and the outdoor classroom
• Information Technology resources and equipment, including
computers, printers and software
• Teacher’s classroom funds
• Safe Arrival Program
• Performing/Fine Arts Program, and
• Sports Equipment and team uniforms.
In addition to the programs that PAC funds on a regular annual basis, there
are specific projects that parents have funded over the past two to three
years and that continue to be high priorities for PAC funding, including:
• Primary Home Reading Program – for English and French
Immersion students. Many studies have proven the benefits from
having a well-developed home reading program. We are working towards
the goal of having a comprehensive Home Reading Program at Quilchena and in
order to do so we need more books;
• Library/Reference Center – Again many studies have demonstrated
that a comprehensive and well-stocked library provides students with an invaluable
resource and contributes greatly to their overall learning;
• Computer Lab - We were very fortunate to complete a
brand new computer lab in 2003/04, with twice the space we’ve had in the
past few years! There are still many items required to make our lab
complete including such things as additional software, printers, and scanners;
• ESL Resources – Our ESL population at Quilchena is rising
and the resources available to meet this demand are not adequate to meet our
needs for appropriate reading materials, workbooks, etc.;
• Sports and Gym Equipment– The staff at Quilchena is
committed to coaching and supporting various sports teams. New sports
equipment for both team and gym class use, team uniforms and other items
for active living are high on the priority list; and
• Music/Fine Arts – PAC sponsors at least four to six
Fine Arts events per year for students at Quilchena. These events are
well received by students, staff and parents and we would like to continue
this program and further develop it as funds allow. In addition, the
school is in need of “choir risers” (used for choir performances).
In summary, the money we raise through the Direct Appeal contributes in
a very substantial way to making Quilchena the excellent learning environment
it currently is. We support every child in the school with our donations.
Will I be asked to donate again during the school year?
Over the years, Quilchena parents have consistently told the PAC that you
would rather write one cheque near the beginning of the year rather than be
asked to support multiple numbers of fundraisers throughout the year (such
as the sale of coupon books, wrapping paper, poinsettias, and so on).
One of the key goals of the Direct Appeal is to therefore reduce the number
of times you are asked for funds to support the school. The more money
we raise through the Direct Appeal, the less we have to raise in other ways.
Traditionally, there is a separate campaign to raise money for the Grade
6/7 French Immersion trip to Quebec. The next trip will take place in
the spring of 2006.
Why don’t we raise money through other ways?
Generally, a small percentage of the funds raised through these kinds of
programs actually ‘comes back’ to the school, thus meeting the needs of the
kids. The Direct Appeal is the most cost-effective way of raising money,
in that it maximizes the use of volunteer time and has the lowest cost per
dollar raised, compared to other ways of raising money.
Why does Quilchena need to raise money?
Unfortunately, our tax dollars only go so far. Teachers and the School
Board work within limited envelopes of funding, and many things that used
to be ‘taken for granted’ are no longer covered through government funding.
All of the things listed above are paid for by parents.
How much do we need to raise?
This year, we are hoping to raise $35,000 in order to meet all of the needs
that have been identified in our survey of teachers and parents. At
the October 2004 PAC meeting, the parents agreed to overall priorities, and
these will be determined in detail once we know how much money we have raised
through the Direct Appeal. You may direct your donation to a specific
program or priority. The PAC web site (http://quilchena.vsb.bc.ca/,
click on “PAC”) provides budget information for the past few years.
The 2004/05 budget will be posted on the web site once it is approved at the
end of November.
How much should we donate?
We realize that different families have the capacity to give different levels
of gifts. We are hoping that families will be wiling to give $100 for
each child in the school, which would enable us to meet the goals and priorities
for this year. However, our most important goal is for every family
at the school to donate a meaningful gift, regardless of the amount, so that
100% of Quilchena’s families participate in the Annual Appeal. That
will be our true mark of success.
What about the other fundraising and fun events in the school?
Our popular community building events will not change. The International
Dinner, Bingo Night, and the June Family BBQ are fun evenings for our students
and their families. The Hot Lunch program is fun, and raises funds for
the school. The Book Fair will continue to raise money for the Library.
Do we get a tax receipt for our gift?
Yes. Tax receipts are issued for all donations over $25. Donations
dated in 2004 will receive an official 2004 tax receipt early in 2005. Donations
dated in 2005 will receive an official 2005 tax receipt in 2006. Please
note that tax receipts will bear the same name(s) as those that appear on
the cheque (personal or business).
Do I need to write a cheque for the full amount now, or can I spread out
my donation?
You can make your donation in 2 payments. If this is your preference,
please write a cheque for one half of your total gift dated November 15, 2004
and a second cheque for the other half of your gift dated Feb 15, 2005. We
would like to receive both cheques by the December 1, 2004 deadline so that
we can plan for this year, and can project our overall revenue.
What is the deadline for donating?
We are asking parents to send in their donations, including post-dated cheques,
by December 1, 2005 so that we can plan for the rest of the year. However,
please remember that you are welcome to donate at any time during the year.
Thank you for your support!
November 2004
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