Avondale School District Students Raise more than $10,000 during Annual Fun Run
Avondale School District’s Woodland Elementary students in grades Kindergarten through fifth-grade laced up their sneakers to participate in the school’s 6th Annual Fun Run that raised more than $10,000 to help fund assemblies and family events throughout the school year. During a school-wide assembly after the run, principal Arryn Schneider was met with cheers from the entire student body, staff, and parents when she announced the amount raised and thanked all of the student for participating. “I’m proud of our students,” she said later, “they took part in the event, they showed their school spirit, and they accomplished something pretty amazing by raising over $10,000 in a single day!”
Woodland Elementary students run around the playground during the school’s annual Fun Run
Andrea Yamarino who is the Woodland Elementary PTO president, echoed Schneider’s remarks. “There is a lot of school spirit here at Woodland,” she said, “Many of the students have some level of understanding that the purpose of the fundraising is to support their teachers and their leaning. Involving them in the fundraising gives them some ownership. They are proud of what they and their classmates have done. They are proud of their school.”
Yamarino listed some of the activities and events that the PTO funds throughout the school year including paying for classroom subscriptions for Time for Kids; school-wide events like Field Day and assemblies; and community events such as the Annual Art Show, Family Picnic, and Popsicles with the Principal. In addition, the PTO also plans to give each teacher an amount to purchase supplies for their classroom that may not be covered by the school’s budget. “We know that teachers everywhere spend a lot of their own money on things they need for their classrooms and for their lessons. One of our goals is to help them with that – to help them help our kids. Helping our kids is always the focus of fundraising,” she added.
The Fun Run is the major fundraising activity for the Woodland Elementary PTO this year with other events including a Family Bowling Party and Chuck E Cheese Nights. In addition, the group plans to host a Babysitting Night to raise money specifically earmarked for the purchase of classroom Tablets. “We try not to do too many events,” Yamarino said, “we don’t want to overwhelm our families – they are so supportive and I am constantly reminded of what a great community I get to be part of.”
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