What Fundraising Buys at TOPS
By Elizabeth Dickinson
From the September 2003 issue of TOPSNews.
Families and staff contribute a lot of money each year to enhance our children’s education. Last year, $130,276 was raised through the “No Bake” Bake Sale and the spring auction. This money supplements the funds available to TOPS through the Seattle School District.
Each spring, the contributions raised in that year are budgeted for the following school year by the Friends of TOPS, a non-profit organization managed by the Site Council. In this RFP (“Request For Proposals”) process, proposals for curriculum enhancements, communitybuilding, or other projects to improve the school are solicited from staff, families, students, and TOPS committees. These proposals are discussed and evaluated by the Site Council, acting as the “Friends of TOPS,” and those who have submitted a proposal are requested to answer questions at a budget meeting. A final budget is recommended and adopted.
For the 2003-04 school year, Friends of TOPS had $145,185 available to spend on proposals. This money came from the “No Bake” Bake Sale ($46,821), the spring auction ($83,455), matching funds from the previous year’s “No Bake” that came in after the previous year’s RFP process ($8,065), and unspent money from the 2002-03 year ($6,844).
Here is how that $145,185 will be used throughout this school year:
Curriculum Enhancement: The Arts
Art for Every Child at TOPS—Special Auction Item: $17,545
This money was designated by contributors at the spring auction. It will fund the middle school Artist Presentation Series, which brings in three artists from the broader community each year to share their work. It will also augment grant money for salary and supplies for the elementary art program, and fund an intern to work with middle school students in the ceramics studio. Finally, this money will be used to acquire permanent wall display surfaces as well as mobile display boards for the Art Walk and other school events.
Visual Artist: $10,000
These funds will supplement a grant for artist-in-residence Cynthia Livak to provide weekly visual art instruction for students in grades 1 through 4, the Deaf and Hearing Impaired program, and special education classes. In addition, the art committee plans to acquaint teachers and parent art helpers with the excellent art curriculum materials purchased by the school district last spring. Art Supplies: $2,000 This money enables art teacher Luzita Roll to buy art supplies for students in grades 5 through 8.
Cell Portraits: Science Through Art: $100
This will fund art supplies for a fifth grade project in which students create three-dimensional representations of cells, integrating art and the “Microworlds” microbiology unit.
Music Program: $10,000
The music program, initiated with the spring 2002 auction special item, will continue this year with Friends of TOPS funding. It provides for the elementary and middle school choirs, as well as in-class singing experiences for kindergarten through second grade. Along with some school district money, it will also fund the instrumental music program for fourth and fifth graders. Money pays for music instructors, the choir director, the choir accompanist, and sheet music.
Drama—Elementary and Middle School Plays: $2,500
The elementary and middle school plays will take place again this year, using this funding for director stipends, play rights, and costume and set supplies. Ticket, video, and concession sales also go toward the cost of producing these plays.
Drama—Third Grade Workshop: $1,000
This money is used to hire directors for drama performances by third graders.
Other Curriculum Enhancement
Literacy Block: $16,500
Two part-time teachers will be hired with this grant to work with staff to offer literacy instruction in small groups to first and second graders for one hour each day. Small fluid groups and “best practices” in literacy instruction are resulting in enormous gains in performance and confidence for these early readers, and will, we hope, enhance academic achievement for all children throughout their lives.
Technology and Curriculum Integration: $9,000
These funds will help maintain and upgrade technology, especially computers, in the building, and enable students to use innovative technologies—PCs, digital video equipment, cameras—for learning. Staff plan to acquire three new computers, hardware and software necessary for the full functioning of four computer labs, and a portable audio system for the lunchroom. This budget also pays an outsider consultant to maintain TOPS’ network of computers.
Multicultural Education: $4,900
The staff and parent multicultural committee hopes to enrich existing curriculum and field trips with diverse cultural perspectives and experiences. They plan to invite artists-in-residence ($3,200) and authors ($700) to the school, and to create multicultural assemblies ($1,000) that help students to explore and understand how our differing cultures influence our history, our social and political relationships, and our ways of seeing the world through art, math, and science.
Oral History Project: $4,000
With a matching grant and production services from Jack Straw Productions, this project offers eighth grade students the opportunity to write and produce radio scripts as part of their study of Washington state history. This past year, students interviewed community members while exploring the theme “People Make a Difference.”
Spanish Language Scholarships: $1,500
This grant provides partial scholarships for students in the elementary before- and after-school Spanish program.
TOPICS Coordinator: $500
This money is available to reimburse TOPICS leaders for supplies, in order to enable more families and staff to teach TOPICS.
Supplies and Resources
Certified Teacher Learning Materials: $5,400
This budget item provides 26 full-time teaching staff with $200 each, and 2 half-time staff with $100 each, to purchase learning materials for students. These may include classroom supplies or curriculum materials.
Communal Supplies: $5,000
This enables the purchase of such supplies as paper, colored pencils, paint, and glue to be used in any classroom. The Building Leadership Team, in choosing to prioritize staff support in their allocations of school district money, budgeted almost $5,000 less for supplies than was spent in 2002-03. This grant replaces that deficit.
Science Materials: $3,200
This money buys science materials, mostly for the middle school but also for elementary school units. Materials include air rockets and hot wheels tracks and cars for physics, glassware and chemicals, and more.
Library Resources: $3,000
This money is used to expand and update the library collection, which at about 8,500 volumes is small for a K-8 school. It also replaces lost books.
Multicultural Resources: $3,000
Books, curriculum guides, and other resources for the library and individual classrooms are purchased with this money. Many of these resources are requested by teachers to enrich curriculum units and literature groups. They reflect the diversity of cultural experiences in the US and world today, and add an understanding of multiple perspectives to our children’s education.
Physical Education Equipment: $1,500
Supplemental Teacher Supplies: $1,000
This is money available to teachers whose needs exceed the $200 provided in the certified teacher learning materials budget. New teachers or teachers introducing a new curriculum study may have extra expenses for materials.
Middle School Supplies: $600
This buys supplies for middle school math, social sciences, and language arts.
French Program Materials: $100
These funds buy recordings, books, and games to supplement the textbooks for the French language program for seventh grade students.
Community Building: Staff Support
Extracurricular Sports Stipend: $1,500
This grant pays Don and Eric to coach and teach extracurricular sports.
Elementary Curriculum Stipend: $1,500
This funds Steve Haines to keep the library open for students after school.
Staff Appreciation: $500
This facilitates staff appreciation events such as latte days, lunches, and treats.
Community-Building: Family Involvement
Volunteer Coordinator: $8,000
This money funds the volunteer coordinator, who is present at TOPS one day a week and who coordinates tutoring and other volunteer activities by families and community members. The coordinator also works with classroom representatives in the communications committee.
School Directory/Newsletters: $4,000
This grant supports the publication of the school directory, the monthly newsletter, and other communications.
Inclusive Strategies: $2,140
This money seeks to provide all families with access to school meetings and events. $1,440 is designated for childcare for events, forums, study circles, and committee and Site Council meetings. $500 funds the translation of important letters or invitations. $200 would provide bus transportation to the Taste of TOPS and other events if other transportation cannot be arranged. In the past, this has enabled the attendance of many BOC/ESL families.
Eighth Grade Passage: $2,000
The celebration of eighth grade passage is supported through this funding for food, memory pictures and books, and printing and mailing expenses.
Emergency Assistance: $1,500
This money is available to the family support worker to provide emergency financial support for families in need.
Translation: $1,000
This funds interpreter services during parent-teacher conferences and other times when communication with families is needed.
Volunteer Appreciation Fund: $300
This buys snacks for communications/room reps meetings, and small gifts/treats for volunteers at the end of the year.
Lunchroom Loans: $200
These are money loans to children who have forgotten their lunches.
Fundraising Expenses
No-Bake Sale: $2,000
This money will go for advertising and postage for the “No Bake” fundraiser, as well as supplies for a kick-off carnival.
Auction: $12,000
This provides advance money for spring 2004 auction expenses.
Other Site Council Contingency Funds: $5,000
This holds $5,000 in reserve for unanticipated needs and requests from the school community during the 2003-04 school year.
Finance Committee/Site Council Expenses: $1,200
This funds insurance and non-profit registration for Friends of TOPS and the Site Council.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to TOPS with their money, time, and/or energy this past year!
