Did You Know?

 

DID YOU KNOW...PAES Booster officers Carri Russell, Laura Nelson, Holly Triplett and Carri Madison are pictured prior to their October meeting.  Do you know anything about the Booster Organization?

 

What is the Booster Organization?  The Port Allegany Booster Club is the PAES version of a Parent/Teacher Organization.  The purpose of Boosters is to enhance the education of the children by providing activities and programs that are outside what the school's budget or time would allow. 

 

The Booster Club is made up entirely of volunteers; parents, teachers, administrators and community members all working together to give the children the best school experience possible. 

 

While some members have the ability to devote a great deal of time to the Booster Club, the Boosters understand that not everyone has the opportunity to do so.  All who wish to participate are welcome. 

 

Among the activities and programs that are made possible by the Boosters are:  Class Field Trips, the yearbook, Family Fun Night, Santa's Secret Workshop, The Academic Fair, Seuss-abration, Classroom Celebrations, Teacher Appreciation, Student Rewards and Assemblies. 

 

For those who would like to help but don't just have the time, please know that becoming a Booster couldn't be easier.  Simply contact any Booster or attend a monthly meeting.  There are no requirements on members.  Members are not expected to be at every meeting, donate to every cause or volunteer for every events.  Members are asked to come when they can, donate if or when yhou choose and volunteer when your schedule allows.  Whether a member can make one meeting or every meeting, donate frequently or seldom and volunteer their time or a dozen cookies, the Boosters welcome any and all participants.  Just offering a good idea can make a world of difference to the children. Meetings are held in the Blue room of the Elementary School.

 

What are some of the activities sponsored by the Boosters?  Santa's Secret Workshop - The 2012 Santa's Secret Shop was transformed into Santa's Secret Workshop.  In past years, students enjoyed shopping for small gifts to give family and friends.  Rather than simply buying gifts, the children took on the role of Santa's elves by creating handmade keepsakes to give.  Activities included button wreath ornaments, Christmas cards, rag wreaths, snowman and glitter ball ornaments, recycled Christmas card ornaments, custom plates and bowls as well as finger print Christmas art. 

 

The materials for the event were almost entirely donated by teachers, parents and community members keeping the cost extremely low.  With the hold of Booster members, some volunteer high schoolers and many, many parents, the event was a smashing success.  Plans for the 2013 workshop are underway.  New ideas are always welcome.  An invitation to participate on the Santa's Secret Workshop Committee is extended to anyone who is interested.  Family Fun Night - Family Fun Night is a favorite for both students and their parents at PAES.  Hosted by the Boosters, Family Fun night is an entirely free event open to all PAES students and their families.  From brothers and sisters to aunts, uncles and grandparents, everyone is welcome to join in the fun.  Some of the activities offered were tug-of-war, bowling, hula hooping, volleyball, basketball and dancing.  On the quieter side, families could choose from the many board games donated for the evening by students and their families.  Healthy snacks were also provided.  SUESS-ABRATION/Reading Night - Family Reading Night, also known as Seuss-abration has been celebrated at PAES for many years.  Students and their families celebrated the joy of reading and the wonder of books at another totally-free Booster event.  Among the many activities offered were Bingo for Books, a used book sale a life-sized Dr. Seuss game and a book mark craft.  Participants also enjoyed listening to community volunteers read their favorite Dr. Seuss books.  As a keepsake of the celebration, students could get their picture taken Dr. Seuss style, balancing books and a fishbowl atop an umbrella.  A Seuss-themed cake topped off another wonderful family evening.  Academic Fair - The annual Science Fair was stretched to include all academic areas.  Boosters invited all students in grade K-6 to participate in another free activity designed to spark students' imaginations and creativity by encouraging them to dig deeper into an area of interest.  Students were asked to pick a topic they found interesting and explore it a little further.  The night of the fair students were asked to bring in and display or demonstrate their findings for all to see.  Projects included demonstrations on making butter, ice cream and how to make a pretzel.  History projects included the history of a famous civil war general as well as biographies of Jewish children of the Holocaust.  Other projects focuses on information gathering such as how much sugar is in our breakfast cereal and how to play the game Yu-Gi-Oh.  With over 30 displays, the event was deemed a huge success.

 

Fundraising:  What is the money used for? - The PAES Boosters is an entirely volunteer organization.  They receive no funding from the government or the school district.  Everything that is done comes through charitable donations and fundraising.  The Boosters have a wonderful parent base and

excellent community support.  Without the help of all those who give their time, money and donations, the Boosters could not offer this wide variety of services to the children.  Teacher and Staff Appreciation - The Boosters know that the heart of the school is the faculty and staff of PAES.  This dedicated group of people not only educate our children but also guide them on the path to becoming caring, responsible and successful people.  To show them just how much we appreciate extraordinary job they do, so the Boosters poured on the pampering.  Boosters sponsored a number of luncheons for faculty and staff during the past school year including a standout favorite - a chocolate fountain for Valentines Day.  The Boosters also recognized the hard work of the teachers by holding monthly raffles for various items donated by the Port Allegany businesses.  Since everyday is Teacher Appreciation Day, the Boosters surprised the faculty throughout the year with tokens of appreciation.  The Boosters are always looking for new ideas for Teacher and Staff appreciation.  These ideas can be brought to any booster meeting or suggestions may be dropped off in the new suggestion box. 

 

The Booster sponsor the Box Tops for Education collection.  Would you believe the simple act of cutting out a box top could pay for a trip to a museum, a class room party or a school assembly?  It's true!  Last year parents clipped and donated more than $2,000 worth of box tops to the Port Allegany Elementary School.  At 10 cents each, the box tops can add up quickly.  It's an easy way to make a big impact on our children's education. Whether you donate one or one hundred, every box top counts.  Box-tops can be sent in with PAES students.

 

Committees for the 2013-2014 school year, formed through sign-up sheets, are as follows:  Family Fun Night - Chris Fillhart, Jessica Clark, Crystal Thomas and Kristi Barber; Teacher Appreciation - Janine Sauers, Mandy Boorum, Krystal Meade, Carri Madison; Art Show Setup - Janine Sauers, Chris Fillhart, Mandy Boorum and Carri Madison; Santa's Secret Workshop - Carrie Russell, Steph McNeil, Crystal Thomas, Jessica Clark, Janine Sauers, Chris Fillhart, Mandy Boorum, Kristi Barber, Erica Petruzzi, Nancy Osani, Carri Madison and Holly Triplett; Fundraising - Erica Petruzzi, Crystal Thomas and Krystal Meade; Family Reading Night - Steph McNeil, Carrie Russell, Crystal Thomas, Jessica Clark, Chris Fillhart, Mandy Boorum, Kristi Barber, Krystal Meade, and Carri Madison; Academic Fair - Stephanie McNeil, Carri Russell, Jessica Clark, Janine Sauers, Mandy Boorum and Kristi Barber; and Yearbook - Kristi Barber and Kim Ball.

 

Contact Booster Officers pictured above or talk with any Booster for further information.  Pam Fischer Photo