(NEW)
November
15, 2012
Dear
PS 321 Families:
I feel so grateful to be part of a school and neighborhood
community where people are concerned about the welfare of not only
their own families, but people throughout the city. Park Slope as a
community and PS 321 as a school have already done a great deal to
support New Yorkers who lost so much during the recent
storm:
·
Our
PTA decided that all of the proceeds from the Election Day Bake
Sale would go to PS 15, an elementary school in Red Hook that has
been relocated due to damage to their building from the hurricane.
The Election Day bake sale earned more than ever before -- $5,967.
And, an anonymous donor came forward to match that amount. As a
result, the PTA will be giving PS 15 approximately
$12,000.
·
We
are gathering books to donate to PS 317 in Rockaway, a school that
has been displaced by the hurricane.
·
Money
collected through our Penny Harvest Campaign will go toward
Hurricane Relief Efforts.
·
From
November 20-30, the first $10 of any donation to the PTA Annual
Appeal over $20 will go to the three organizations described
below. Look for a PTA flier with more details.
·
And,
our school has decided to do a school-wide
Read-a-thon
on Thursday, December 6, to raise money for three organizations
involved in Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts. In selecting the
organizations, we wanted to be able to support several
communities
in our city, to find organizations whose work would make sense to
children, and to target organizations who have the ability to use
funds effectively.
IN
OUR READ-A-THON ON DECEMBER 6, our upper grade students will be
reading for 2 periods; lower grade students for 1
period. By getting sponsors
for this sustained silent reading marathon, children will be able
to see in a concrete way that they have the power to do something
positive to help others in need. I encourage you to go
on line and read about the organizations, as their accomplishments
and their missions are very impressive and will resonate with our
children:
·
New
York Says Thank You Foundation (http://newyorksaysthankyou.org)
. Founded in 2004 by a
family inspired by the generous impulses of their 5-year-old, this
7,000 person strong volunteer organization has offered aid to
disaster-stricken communities throughout the country. In the aftermath of Hurricane
Sandy, they have started a First Responder Rebuilding Fund to help
rebuild 200 primary homes of under-insured active New York City
Fire Department, Police Department, and Sanitation Department
members.
·
Red
Hook Initiative (http://rhicenter.org)
. Celebrating its
10th Anniversary this year, RHI was instrumental in
coordinating hurricane relief efforts in nearby Red Hook, from
serving hot meals to collecting supplies, to providing warming
centers, and helping with physical cleanup. Since its inception, this
organization has focused on youth, and part of its mission
statement says, In partnership with community adults, we nurture
young people in Red Hook to be inspired, resilient, and healthy,
and to envision themselves as co-creators of their lives,
community, and society.
·
Rockaway
Waterfront Alliance (http://rwalliance.org) Community residents
founded this organization in 2005 to ensure the health of the
Rockaway waterfront.
They have worked with a wide range of organizations to raise
environmental consciousness, develop a park, and address health and
social justice issues.
RWA was one of the first organizations to respond to the
devastation from Sandy in the Rockaways, serving hot meals and
providing emergency supplies.
On
the back of this letter is a sponsor form, and we are hoping that
children will collect money from family or friends to sponsor them
in this READ-A-THON FOR RELIEF EFFORTS. Any amount is welcome, and modest
cash contributions $1.00, $5.00, $10.00are fine, since we want to
make sure all children can participate. Children may want to sponsor
themselves or friends from allowance money or money they have
saved. In a
school with over 1,400 children, even the smallest contributions
add up. Larger
checks are also welcome of course!
We
encourage you and your child to participate in this fundraiser by
collecting money, completing the sponsor form on the back, and
returning the form and money to the teacher by Friday, December
7. Remember, no
amount of money is too small. If you can get 5 sponsors
greatone is fine too!
Those sending checks can decide which organization you want to
make checks payable to: New York Says Thank You Foundation; Red
Hook Initiative; Rockaway Waterfront Alliance. Cash that we collect
will be divided equally among the three organizations. All contributions are
tax-deductible. Thanks
so much for your support.
Sincerely,
Liz
Phillips, Principal
Marge
Raphaelson, Parent Coordinator