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The PTO funds and supports programs and materials above
and beyond those funded by the City of Newton education budget,
supplementing and supporting our children's curriculum and cultural
growth. Each year the Countryside PTO needs to raise over $50,000
(slightly more than $100 per student!) to pay for essentials
that the City of Newton doesn't fund. These include Creative Arts &
Sciences enrichment programming, professional development for teachers,
equipment and supplies, and popular PTO events and programs that
enhance student life and make Countryside School a better place. You'll
be surprised to learn just how much the PTO does for our school.
Annual Fund
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The Annual Fund is the single largest
fundraiser for the PTO. In response to feedback from the
Countryside Community at last year's PTO Forum, this year we
have sharply reduced the number of fundraisers to cut down on
"fundraising fatigue." Because there will be fewer fundraisers
this year, and because city-wide budget cuts have directly
affected our school, we are counting on the Annual Fund is to
raise twice as much as in previous years. Please give
generously!
We are asking families to make a
contribution of $100 per child for the year. Less is welcome;
more is appreciated! If you are able, please consider making a
larger donation to help support a child from a Countryside
family in need. If we all work together, we can meet our goal.
So far, we have raised more than $21,000 with the help of 39%
of our Countryside families. That's great participation so far,
and we hope to keep up the effort!
If your company offers a matching gift program,
your contribution to the PTO can be worth even more. Employers
who have already matched gifts this year include Fidelity, GE,
VMWare, Merck, Waters Corporation, Novartis, and Thermo Fisher
Scientific. Other Massachusetts employers who match gifts
include Bank of America, Gillette, Verizon, and many more. See
our list of
Massachusetts employers that match donations [PDF] or check
with your company's HR department to see if they offer a
matching program. If you need to register the PTO with your
company, our official name is "Countryside Elementary School
PTO Inc.," and our tax ID number is 201-936-829. Countryside
PTO is a 501(c) 3 organization and contributions to the PTO are
tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
Make your donation by credit and debit
card online using the PayPal donate button to the
right.
Make your donation by check or money
order by following the simple instructions on the Annual Fund Form
[PDF].
Your generous contribution will help us
get the task of fundraising out of the way so we can focus on
the fun and popular programs that we do best. Thank you for
your generous support of Countryside kids!
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Everyday
Shopping
You can help support Countryside, at no
cost to you, when you start your everyday shopping by clicking
the links below.
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Amazon.com If you use
the link to the right to go to Amazon.com every time you shop,
Countryside will receive 4%-8% of your purchase
price.
Note: On Amazon.com, you will not see
anything specific to indicate that the purchases will be
credited to Countryside.
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 Box Top Campaign
Drop those General Mills box tops in the
collection box outside of the main office.
Want to save while helping the school?
Sign up at www.boxtops4education.com. You will receive
coupons and see the current funds raised through this effort.
You can also earn eBoxTops for the school by shopping at online
retailers through their site.
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 Labels for Education
Clip Labels for Education from participating
products and send them to school. Brands include Campbell's,
Post, Pepperidge Farms, V8, and Pop Secret. Look for the
collection box outside the school office. Visit the Labels for
Education site to get a list of participating products and
to find out about bonus offers.
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MyCokeRewards for Schools
To help Countryside buy supplies from a wish
list, look for codes on bottle caps and boxes of Coca-Cola
Company products, including Minute Maid juices and Dasani
water, in addition to their sodas. You can either drop them in
the PTO mailbox or visit MyCokeRewards.com to
enter codes online. After you enter codes online, just pick
Countryside School from the list of participating schools and
donate your points.
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OneCause Earn
money for Countryside while you shop online at hundreds of the
web's most popular retailers. Just use the link to the right to
sign up at OneCause and then be sure use the links on their
site when you shop.
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Target When you
sign up for the Target
Take Charge of Education® program, Countryside receives a
percentage of each purchase you make with your Target REDcard®
including the Target Credit Card®, Target Debit Card®, and
Target Visa®. You can go directly to the enrollment
page, where you can search for Countryside by name or use
the School ID number (59740) to link Countryside to your card.
If you prefer, you can also enroll by calling 1-800-316-6142.
Registering costs you nothing and earns money for our
school!
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| Events and Fund Drives |
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A-Cappalooza
Annual concert featuring a capella groups from area high
schools and colleges.
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Birthday
Books
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Faculty Appreciation Fund
The PTO Teacher
Appreciation Fund is a wonderful option for parent gift-giving
in honor of individual teachers. Donations to the Fund can be
made in December (in time for the holidays) and in May (for the
end of the year). Teachers receive individual notes stating
that a donation was made in their honor and by whom. Each year
the PTO designates a specific way in which the money will be
spent.
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Raffle
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School
Musical
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Technology
Drive
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Grants
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 Countryside is grateful to the Massachusetts
Cultural Council for awarding us a STARS Residencies Grant
to help support the Creative Arts and Sciences 5th Grade
Poet-in-Residence program. |
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Countryside Community Offers
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 Whose Game Is It Anyway? How
can sports be beneficial to my child? How much should I push my
kids in sports? Is specialization a must these days?
Countryside parent Richard Ginsburg, Ph.D. and his co-authors
answer these questions and more.
For more information, visit WhoseGameIsItAnyway.com.
If you purchase a copy of his book through the Countryside PTO,
a portion of the sales price will be donated to us. To make a
purchase, please email Yun
Saksena.
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 The
Makers of the Mold Countryside parent Jerry
Reilly has been involved in publishing an in depth history of
Newton Upper Falls. Ken Newcomb’s “The Makers of
The Mold” is a 200-page history of the village, full of
old photos and rich historical details. $5 will be donated to
the Countryside PTO if you buy a copy ($17.95) on-line at PowerOfUpperFalls.org
and enter the discount code 6TLU8E97. It’s a great
way to learn about more than 300 years of Upper Falls history
while helping out the Countryside PTO.
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Smile!
Countryside
Photographer and parent, Sallie Delaney, is offering special
Family Portrait photography sessions to Countryside families,
with 10% of the proceeds going to the Countryside Playground
Fund! Enjoy a relaxed one-hour photography session in the
location of your choice (home, backyard, or local park). The
sitting fee for these special sessions is $95 for up to six
family members, and portrait print packages range in price and
selection from small gift prints and mini albums to custom
holiday cards and impressive wall art.
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Forms
Reimbursement Form
[PDF]
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page
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