We want the students to benefit as well, so we provide opportunities for enrichment, like after-school courses, and occasions for fun, like Fall Carnival (October 29, 2005). For all these reasons and more, ACS relies heavily on parent volunteers, more so than other public schools.

You will receive a newsletter from the PTO about every two weeks. It will keep you up-to-date about upcoming events, fundraisers, school issues, and PTO meetings.

Each family at ACS signs a contract, part of which is an agreement to give at least 20 hours of volunteer time per school year. PTO is great for helping you there! (See our checklist of planned activities.) Even apart from PTO, there are volunteer help opportunities in the classrooms, in the office, with “Friday Folders”, watching preschoolers of other ACS parents, etc. It really is important that we receive your PTO Volunteer Checklist (distributed at registration; also available at the front office; alternatively, you can contact Misty O’Leary directly). Once we have your checklist, we can match your volunteer activities to your preferences. Currently, 30 families have returned the paper. Please help us so we can all help our school in ways you would you would prefer.

The first fundraiser is selling “Entertainment” or “Gold C” books (kickoff is today, August 26). Our goal is $15,000 in net earnings. This translates to each student selling 2 Entertainment books, with 1 in 5 selling 3 books. We will be one of a very few organizations selling Entertainment books in Castle Rock this year, so it should be fairly easy to sell to neighbors and friends. If you’d like to sell at a storefront sometime during the Labor Day weekend, please contact Kate Fischer (see above). Alternatively, if you’d like to contribute directly without selling books, we respect that. The direct donation equivalent to ACS is about $28 per student.

Other fundraisers will be the “Believe” catalogue items (September 16), and a promotion card for 4 automobile oil changes at $35 (September 10), as well as sales of tee shirts ($13), sweatshirts ($23) or other ACS spirit items currently available at Sports, Skates and Boards (203 – 5th Street in downtown Castle Rock, 303-660-6067.

We are trying to limit our fundraisers, hoping for fewer, but with better earnings for our school. We have also “front loaded” our schedule, being busy this fall, and leaving the Holidays and most of winter free of PTO fundraisers.

Our first general meeting will be on Tuesday September 20 at 6:00 PM at ACS. This will be an important one for the board to hear your input, and to provide you with details on plans for the rest of the school year. The second general meeting will be on a Tuesday in November (date TBA). Other general meetings will be Tuesdays January 17, March 21, and May 16 in 2006.

We look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you may have. We are here to help you and our school. We greatly appreciate your help and communication in making this a wonderful year. Have a marvelous weekend.

With many thanks,
Victoria Arnett