The Earth School

July 26, 2010

Welcome to Earth School year 2010-2011!

The Parents Association is a great group of reliable, friendly people who offer humor, information and comfort to each other throughout the school year. Yes, that's us. That's you. We're all members of the ESPA.

Parent involvement isn’t just a nifty catchphrase at Earth School – it’s a necessity. In the past two years, the Department of Education and the state have cut $400,000 from our school's budget. Last year, the ESPA's fundraising efforts raised $97,000 and paid for:

• two teaching assistants for large classes;
• outstanding music and dance education through Third Street Music and Dance for Life;
• partial camp tuition for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders;
• a consultant for staff education in Special Needs;
• allotments to each teacher for special projects.

Our parent volunteers created several community events and fundraising activities including:

• a Fall Fair in Tompkins Square Park that the neighborhood is still talking about;
• Earth School Goods (beautiful gifts, jewelry, and household items hand-crafted from donated and recycled materials)
• Friday Morning Coffee: the best coffee and the best conversation in the East Village!

The Earth School provides such an extraordinary experience for our children. This year, our goal is 100 percent participation from our Earth School families. Whether you can offer your time, money or talent, there are many opportunities to contribute!

Can you give $500? Great! Can you volunteer for five hours a week? We’d love it! But if you can only offer help for fifteen minutes a week, and can only afford $5 for the PA, you’ll still be golden. As long as everyone participates, our school will continue to be a special place for high quality education.

Have a great summer.

Sincerely,