ESTES HILLS PTA

Donate Online Here!

Welcome to the Estes Eagles Fall FUNDrive!

If you're ready to donate, here's how you do it:

Donate online at esteshills.givebacks.com.
Send a check payable to "Estes Hills PTA" in the green folder or by mail. (Checks avoid app fees!)

If you need a little more convincing, no worries! Read on.

The Fall FUNDrive is underway and we need your help to make it count. The clock is ticking: the FUNDrive closes at the end of October.

Here's the truth: we're not even halfway to our $25,000 goal. That means we need a serious push from this community over the next few weeks. Here's why it matters:

The PTA runs on donations. Every year your generosity funds cultural arts performances, classroom supplies, teacher support, our spring book giveaway, the school garden, community events… and more. This year we're doing things differently: one ask now, so we don't have to keep asking all year.

We are bugging you intentionally, enthusiastically, and with full awareness that your inbox does not need another ask… so that we don't have to do it again. No pledge drives. No passive-aggressive emails in February. Just this, and then we leave you alone. (Volunteer opportunities excluded, because those are fun. Right?!)

But here's the catch: if we don't hit our goal by October 31, we'll have to bring back the fundraising activities nobody wants. Think: pledge drives. Bake sales. More asks.

Here's what hitting our goals actually means:

$25,000 — no more general fundraising asks for the rest of the year.

$40,000 — that AND we cover Winter Gifts for every teacher and staff member in December. A holiday gift directly from our community to the people who show up for our kids every day.

Three easy ways to give before October 31:

Donate online at esteshills.givebacks.com.
Send a check payable to "Estes Hills PTA" in the green folder or by mail. (Checks avoid app fees!)
Grab a postcard from the front office and send it to a grandparent, neighbor, or anyone who loves kids. Big stack waiting for you.

We have a month. Let's make it count. Go All-In. Go Eagles!

Questions? Families are always welcome at PTA meetings to hear how every dollar is spent. Our Treasurer Emily Moorefield carefully plans every line of the budget.

HEAR FROM OUR STAFF HOW YOUR DOLLARS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

"The PTA has supported me and all of my co-workers in so many ways. This support has not only been in the classroom, but as well as outside of the classroom.

Every year, I continue to be grateful for the monetary support they provide for teachers and staff to buy items for our classrooms. This is a huge help and very appreciated. We all know that teachers spend so much of their own money turning their classroom into successful learning places for the students and often use their own personal money, and so, this monetary support is huge.

The PTA has also taken the time to absolutely spoil our school employees with monthly themes. By filling the workroom with goodies, they put a smile on everyone’s face. The PTA collects money for various reasons in which it will be poured back to the staff and employees of the Estes Hills Community. I am, we are, so very grateful for that. The teachers and employees of our school truly feel loved and appreciated by our PTA.

The PTA also helps our school run various drives which teach important lessons to our students, such as the Food For Friends Drive. These lessons go right along our school lessons of including and caring for each other.

The PTA helps run the Book Fair program. By giving money into this program, this allows for every child at our school to get a book. No child goes without.

The generosity of our PTA is beyond. Our PTA not only has the teachers and employees in mind, but our students. They do so much to support the entire school."

-Myriam Deschamps, 2nd Grade Teacher and Estes Parent

"This is my 30th year at Estes Hills as the school social worker, and the financial support of the PTA is essential to my role. I begin the year by providing school supplies to children whose families need assistance. Throughout the school year, I support families with emergency food and other resources. I also keep a well-stocked clothes closet for all our students who have accidents at school and buy additional classroom snacks for teachers so all children can have a snack during the school day. These are just a few of the ways we can support students at Estes Hills through the financial support of the PTA and the Fall Fund Drive."

-Betsy Booth, School Social Worker

"PTA funds are crucial in helping us replenish, update, and diversify our school library and classroom library collections and keep our art classrooms well stocked. As a teacher and as a parent I can testify to the learning opportunities and joy that children get through taking field trips with their classmates. The PTA funds help keep the costs of these trips affordable and equitable for all of our Eagles. Every year I ask my kindergarteners their favorite highlight from the year and the most popular, by far, is Fun Days. It’s such a wonderful way to end the year by connecting through fun physical activities."

-Kris Swanson, Kindergarten Teacher and Estes Parent

"The PTA plays an important role in supporting our school library. Thanks to their generous funding, I can purchase new books and gain access to innovative digital tools such as BreakoutEDU and NovelEffect. PTA funding also supports our library book clubs and reading celebrations. Beginning this year, PTA contributions are helping to update our nonfiction collection as part of a multiyear project. The goal of this project is to ensure our students have access to the most current, engaging, and relevant nonfiction titles. I appreciate their ongoing support in enhancing our students' learning experience."

-Laura Fox, Librarian

"Your donations to the PTA are an important asset to my work. Last year I used the funds to purchase materials for creating hands-on activities for the Brain Stretching activities I use in K-3 classrooms. I brought PTA-funded puppets into the classrooms and fun, yet challenging, critical thinking activities to your child each week.

Your donations also helped me purchase materials I used with gifted 4th and 5th graders. This year, I have already spent some money to create hard copies of many of those materials. I will make those available to classroom teachers so they can use the lesson extensions with any student in the room.

This year, I am also investing in program materials to include our pre-K students in the brain-stretching lessons. Our district provides many great materials for us to use, but your funding allows me to be creative with how they are used and shared. Thank you so much!"

-Sharla Coleman, Gifted Specialist

FAQ

Q. Why should I give to the Estes Hills PTA? Don’t my tax dollars pay for my child’s education?

A:  The PTA helps bridge the gap between what the state and school district provide and what students actually need. While we wish our tax dollars could stretch far enough to support our schools fully, they cannot. The PTA pays for additional supplies for all of our classrooms including art, music, PE, french, and the library. In addition, the PTA supports the school and children in other ways, including Fun Day, the free Book Fair, cultural performance assemblies, technology, beautification, and more. PTA funding strengthens and enriches the students’ experience at Estes Hills.

Q:  How much should my family donate? 

A:  EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS! Please give whatever you can, whether big, small, or somewhere in between. And, if you can give more, please also consider giving enough to cover for families who cannot.

Q:  How does the PTA decide what to fund? 

A:  The PTA works with the principal to identify areas of need and interest to our students, staff and families. Each spring we hold a budget meeting where PTA members vote on the budget for the next year. Want to have a say in our funding decisions? Be sure to join the PTA!

Q:  Is my donation eligible for a corporate match? 

A:  Yes! The PTA is a 501(c)3 and eligible for corporate matching programs. By applying for a match, you can double the impact of your gift! Many generous employers offer matching funds. We are registered as a cause with Benevity. Thank you for taking the time to explore if such a program exists with your employer. https://benevity.com/

Q:  Is my donation tax–deductible? 

A:  Yes. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible.

Q:  More questions? 

A:  Contact Becky Zornick at becky.zornick@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Mary Hauser and Meredith Niess, PTA Co-Presidents,

and Becky Zornick, Fall FUNDrive Lead Volunteer

Fall Fund Drive Donations

100% of donations goes directly to the PTA

Spirit/Restaurant Nights

Make a donation while you save yourself a mess in the kitchen for lunch, dinner or both join the Estes Community for dining on:

Merchandise Sales

A small profit is raised from sales of merchandise to help fund PTA activities.

Teacher Appreciation Brunch

Keep an eye out here for ways we can shower our awesome teachers with things like flowers, breakfast and lunches. Donate HERE

5k for Education

This is an event hosted by Chapel Hill Carrboro Public School Foundation. Our school will receive $5 per entry for the school. The CHPSF is where teachers go to receive grants for their classroom projects. It is also a really fun event.

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