Since the 1970s education spending in California has decreased significantly and programs, events, supplies, and facilities improvements that many of us took for granted as children are no longer funded. The Manor PTA, along with the YES foundation (see below), works to fill in some of the gaps left by the lack of state funding.
The Manor PTA helps Manor School through funding and volunteer hours. The money we raise funds all manner of projects and events, big and small: We provide emergency supplies and equipment to the school, professional development for our teachers, classroom supplies, facilities improvements, playground and PE equipment, and much more. We also fund community-building events like the Back-to-School BBQ, the Holiday Craft Fair, the End-of-Year Fiesta, and Parent Education nights. Our volunteers organize safety equipment, put on talent shows, create yearbooks, run book fairs, encourage green transportation, flip burgers and, of course, raise funds. Most of all, our volunteer efforts focus on building school community, because a strong community translates into a fantastic educational experience for our kids!
What it comes down to is this: Your Manor Elementary PTA is about parents, staff, teachers and caregivers working together to create a better school and the best educational experience for our kids. We strive to create an atmosphere where teachers and administrators can do their best work — and so can our children.
The vast majority of our funding comes from our two annual fundraisers: the Spring Faire and the Lap-a-thon. Winter Faire is a magical day with crafts, creative games, a giant slide, local live music, scrumptious food, bounce houses, a silent auction, delicious baked treats, and even giant slide! (In addition to being a big fundraiser, the Spring Faire is also one of our biggest and funnest community events.) For the Lap-a-thon, students ask their community for donations to run laps around our field. It’s an all-day event with music, snacks, giant bubbles, and parents with water sprayers spritzing the runners to keep them cool. There may even be popsicles involved. (Shhh!)
Of the total amount we raise, our school keeps $130 per student after we cover the expenses of the events and scholarships we provide to families in need. Any excess funds raised go into a pool of funds (along with excess funds raised by other district schools) that is managed by the RVSD Roundtable to support equitable improvements across our schools. In many cases, Manor will be the recipient of a portion of these dollars for improvements we cannot cover with our own budget.
Here is a partial list of what the Manor PTA funds (in whole or in part)
- $400 or more annually to each teacher to help cover the costs of classroom supplies
- $500 annually for each teacher’s professional development
- Emergency Preparedness Supplies
- PE Equipment
- Technology improvements, in the classroom and throughout the school
- Funds to build and maintain our Manor and Kindie Gardens
- Site Improvements
- Insurance for on-campus, extracurricular events
- Science Fair
- School Clubs such as the Green Team and Children for Change
- Library events
- Back-to-School BBQ & End-of-Year Fiesta
- Holiday Craft Fair
- Manor Family Dance
- Advocacy for green transportation & safe routes to school
- Staff Appreciation Lunches, and staff support throughout the year
- School assemblies such as the Banana Slug String Band, Wild Care Associates, and others
- Field trip scholarships for families in need