Food Drive Was an Over-the-Top Success!

Second Harvest Food Drive was a huge success! Our goal was to collect 500 pounds of food in less than two weeks. We blew that out of the water and raised 2,228 POUNDS OF FOOD! The driver said he had not seen a pick-up that big in his three years of driving.

In addition to the 2,228 pounds of food, the WP community also gave $360 in donations. Second Harvest can stretch each dollar donated to purchase about $9 worth of food. That means we were able to give an additional $3,249 worth of food.

Congrats to Mrs. Wyatt's 3rd grade class. They brought in the most items -- over 200 pieces!They had the honor of helping load up the truck on Monday. The kids had a great time and (in their words) said that being the top classroom was ...

• Winning the Superbowl
• Winning American Idol
• Getting a new puppy
• Winning the lottery
• Getting a new baby brother or sister
• Meeting Adrien Peterson
• Having a snow day!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU to everyone who participated! Our WPPA Vice-President, Julie Pierce headed up this project and did a fantastic job making it come together. Board members Teri Anderson and Sheila Grand, as well as WP staffers including Kari Page, Anna Nelson, Cindy Ridge and the always-wonderful custodial staff all pitched in to help. And of course, each and every one of the fabulous WP students who collected food and donated money! Because of these efforts, so many people will benefit this holiday season!

Have you seen this article yet?

If not, check it out.

Bulletin Board

Have you checked out the super-cool bulletin board outside the volunteer room? It is updated often and always has information on WPPA news and events, the most recent copies of WPPA meeting minutes, as well as fund requests and thank you notes from staff.

Make sure you take a look!

New Dell Computer!

In the market for a brand-new Dell Inspiron 537 ST computer with Windows 7? We'll have one at Silent Auction. Come bid on it!

Thanks to parent Robert Scott, and his company T4 Technologies, for the generous donation of the Dell computer!

Thank you Matt Lundgren!

How in the world did we forget? WPPA forgot to thank Matt Lundgren in the list of Movie & Bingo Night volunteers. Matt, once again this year, was our audio-visual rock star, running the movie and setting up the equipment .... not to mention keeping order in the gym while the movie was on. THANK YOU MATT!

Food Drive

The Second Harvest Food Drive is going on now for grades 1-5. Don't forget to send in non-perishable goods. Items will be collected through December 18. Most needed items include: Meats, Fish and Protein: canned tuna, ham or chicken, beef stew, chili, peanut butter, canned/dried beans :: Fruits and Vegetables: 100% fruit juice, canned fruits & vegetables, instant potatoes, fruit preserves :: Complete Meals: pasta & sauce, boxed meals, hearty soups :: Grains: cereal, rice :: Hygiene Products: shampoo & conditioner, deodorant, soap, diapers, toilet paper, toothpaste, feminine hygiene :: Cleaning Supplies: laundry detergent, paper towels, kitchen and bathroom cleaners

Please do not send glass containers, perishable items or home-canned food! Cash donations are also accepted. Every $1.00 donated buys $9.00 in food. Checks can be made out to Second Harvest.

Thanks for participating as we work to show our kids the value of giving and community!

Community Event: Carseat Safety

Did you know that 80% of car seats are misused? Could yours be one? Hennepin County Medical Center, together with New Brighton Public Safety, will be conducting a car seat clinic at the New Brighton Fire station (785 Old Hwy 8) on Thursday 12/17/09 between 2-4 pm

The inspection is free, but please call 612-873-7378 to get a time slot. Tell your friends, everyone who attends these clinics are always so glad for the help! (it is helpful to have the kids along, but not required) Contact Julie Philbrook (WP mom) and Child Passenger Safety Instructor with questions juilek@usfamily.net

Silent Auction News

Yet another reminder to save the date for the WPPA Silent Auction on Friday, March 19. This will be a very fun night, plus you'll have the chance to bid on some fantastic prizes .... including a four-pack of one-day Disney Park Hopper passes -- valued at over $500!

Stay tuned for more information on the many great items available!

Giving

WPPA is very excited about two upcoming service projects that we will be sponsoring!

Going on now -- a food drive for Second Harvest. We are encouraging families (with students in grades 1-5) to work together to donate 500 pound of food! See the Worlds From Wilshire this week for more details.

Coming this winter, we will be working to raise funds for Heifer International, an organization that focuses on fighting poverty on a global level, and gives families and communities self-sustaining gifts.

Volunteer Appreciation

Next week is VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION WEEK! If you're at school, make sure you stop by the volunteer room for treats -- provided by the staff as a thank you to those who give of their time and energy.

Save the Date

Coming up in January .... Coffee With the Principal. Kari Page will be hosting an informal time of coffee, treats, questions and focused discussion. January 22 from 10-11 a.m.

More information to come!

From the Star Tribune

Article mentioning the SANB district. Check it out.

Meeting Next Week

Just a reminder, the next WPPA meeting is coming up. Monday, December 7 in the WP Multi-purpose room at 7 p.m. The agenda will be sent out this week ....

Hope to see you there.

Tyson A++

Our newest save-and-send fundraiser, saving these labels gives the school $.24 per label. That's a huge return that will add up quickly .... so save those labels!!

Check out the program here.

Thank You Volunteers!

It took many hands to help make Bingo and Movie Night a success! In addition to the Event Chairs and Bingo Coordinators, Connie Berquist headed up the efforts at the concession stand -- including purchasing, delivering the snacks, picking up and returning the popcorn machine and setting up the stand! Thanks Connie!

Each and every parent who helped supervise in the mobie room, monitor the hallways, sell concessions, set up and clean up after the event ensured that the night went smoothly!

Thanks to: Mary Gutierrez, Jodi Dean, Cheryl Deiman, Julie Philbrook, Neil Carlson, Jean Lynch, Alan Kremer, Jean Marie Sales, Meredith Peterson, Penny McDonough, Angela Garrett, Sara Bristol, Kelli Kern, Jennifer Brown, Kelli Moen, Bob Goldstein, Mary Ward, Tara Halverson, Barb Mathieu, Robert Anderson and Katie Anderson, Greg Mantras, Bill O'Brien, Andie Scamehorn, Amy Friebe, Jacqueline Ballot, Gen Kewatt, Marianne Richmond, Jan Campbell and Eva Grooms.

Movie & Bingo Night

Movie and Bingo Night was well attended and garnered rave reviews from families. Great night! Thanks to all the volunteers who helped out (full list coming soon)! Thanks to Event Chairs Tessie Henry Rodkewich and Shiela Peterson Grand, as well as the people who headed up Bingo: Kari Stolt Tholkes, Michelle D'Agositino and Mary Stoekel.

Conference Meals

Parent-Teacher Conferences started last Thursday. This year, as we usually do, WPPA is providing dinner for the staff on these days. The staff truly appreciates these efforts and we've already heard many enthusiastic thank yous!

Thanks to all who volunteered to help with conference meals by either picking up and setting up for the meals, cleaning up after the night or baking goodies for dessert: Jan Campbell, Colleen Christenson, Julie Philbrook, Shannon Geier, Amy Stegora-Peterson, Tami Hodgkins, Marianne Richmond, Amy Friebe, Tami Felling and Tessie Rodkewich

Thanks also to all the restaurants who donated the meals! Please consider patronizing these restaurants who give so generously to Wilshire Park!

Barley John's Brew Pub

Famous Dave's (St. Paul/Highland Park Location)

Sarna's Grill

November Meeting Minutes

Check out the minutes from the November meeting here.

A Note from the Nurse's Office ...

The Nurse's Office needs volunteers to help with vision screening. No experience necessary!

• Tuesday, Nov. 3 9am-12pm and 1pm-3:15 pm (Need one more in morning and three in afternoon)
• Wednesday, Nov. 4 9am-12pm (Need two more)
• Wednesday, Nov. 11 9am-12pm and 1pm-3:15 pm (Especially short this morning!)
• Wednesday, Nov. 18 9am-11:30am & 1pm-3pm (Need both morning and afternoon)

If you are available to help please email or call the Nurse’s Office at 612-706-1205.

Draft of November Agenda

Here is a draft of the November meeting agenda. Please note, last-minute changes might be possible.

Fund Request

This fund request will be on the agenda, and voted on at the November 2 meeting.

Movie Night

Family Movie Night will be Friday, November 13. Pack up the family, bring a blanket to sit on and join us in the school gym for a free showing of Ice Age 3, Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Concessions will be available in the cafeteria.

This is always a fun night that the kids love. Hope to see you there!

Conference Meals

Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up November 12, 17 and as always, WPPA will be providing meals for the staff on these evenings.

Volunteers are needed to pick up and set up meals (after school), clean up after meals and to bake a treat for dessert. We are also looking for companies who might be willing to donate a meal for one night of this event.

Contact Melissa at president@wilshireparents.org to volunteer or for more information.

Latest Meeting Minutes

Check out minutes from the October WPPA meeting here.

October Update

Candy Bar Sales: This year’s candy bar sale has been a huge success! Thanks to all the families who have donated money and worked hard selling bars! We still have a few cases available for those who would like them. Contact Tara Halverson at dustintara@msn.com by the end of the school day on Thursday, October 8, if you would like to order. Please note, after October 8, no additional cases will be available. A reminder, we have extended the due date to turn in money until WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15. Please turn in your money on or before that date. (Note: Please be considerate of the volunteers counting money. Send bills and checks only – please do not send in coins).

Silent Auction 2010: Silent Auction surveys were sent out last week with students. Big thanks to all who took the time to fill them out and turn them in. We got over 200 surveys back and the response was OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE! The chairs are working hard to create an event that will be a great experience and most importantly, will raise money for our school! Stay tuned for more details. Also, there are LOTS of opportunities to be involved. If you would like to help out on one of the committees, please contact Shannon Geier at shannongeier@q.com or Carolie Carlson at carls139@umn.edu. Just a reminder, Silent Auction will be March 19. Save the date!

SPIRITWEAR SALES: As you might know, students and staff are encouraged to show their school spirit every Friday. WPPA facilitates the sales of Spiritwear every fall, as a community builder. This is not a fundraiser, and every effort is made to keep prices as affordable as possible. Watch for order forms to come home with your child for this week. Orders will be due Wednesday, October 21. Any questions can be directed to Judy Flett at flettfarm@msn.com.

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: WPPA will be hosting a Family Movie Night on Friday, November 13. There will be a free family movie shown in the gym and time for kids and families to connect. More details will be coming home with your child soon. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please contact Shiela or Tessie at volunteering@wilshireparents.org.

APPLEBEE’S DINING TO DONATE: A reminder that every Thursday in October is WPPA night at the St. Anthony Applebee’s. Bring in your flyer between 4-9 p.m. and 10 percent of your total (dine-in orders only) will be donated to WPPA. A reminder that you must have the flyer for WPPA to get the credit. You can download and share additional copies of the flyer at http://wilshireparents.org/applebees.

Silent Auction Update

Silent Auction surveys are coming home in Friday folders today!

As many of you know, in the past Silent Auction has been a family event and was combined with Movie Night. This year, we are trying something new. Instead of a family event, this year's Silent Auction will be a parent event. It will be held off-site (still making the final decision on venue). We hope that an event without kids will give parents the opportunity to connect with one another, and also offer more time to peruse all the fabulous baskets available without distraction.

Silent Auction Chairs and WPPA board members have already met several times over the summer and fall. We value your feedback as details for this event continue to be finalized. The Chairs have been hard at work planning and will continue to do so for the next several months. Please take a just few minutes to read fill out the survey.

Thanks to Shannon Geier and Carolie Carlson, this year's Chairs, who have already put a ton of time and energy into planning. Silent Auction is an important event, it's one of WPPA's biggest fundraisers ... last year, it brought in over $7k! Please make sure to thank this year's Chairs for stepping up to fill this role, and for all their hard work!

Just a reminder, Silent Auction will be on Friday, March 19.

Candy Bar Sales

An exciting day at Wilshire Park -- the beginning of Candy Bar Sales! Lots of kids walking through the halls with their briefcases of chocolate bars!

More information on the Candy Bar Sales should have come to you via email today. If you did not receive, the information is below:

***********

Hello Wilshire Park Families,

The GOOD news is that we need to place a re-order for additional Candy Bars. This year we ordered candy bars based on the information that came to us on or before the permission form deadline. We had some order forms come in late, so if you did not receive your case or cases of candy bars TODAY we will have additional cases delivered on Tuesday, September 29th. We will be finishing our distribution on that day. If you would still like to participate in the Candy Bar Fundraiser there is still an opportunity to do so! We have extended the date to order until: Monday, September 28 and the due date for the MONEY will be Friday, October 9th.

Again, if you did not receive your candy bars today, the re-order will be delivered to Wilshire Park on Tuesday, September 29. If you are interested in still participating or have any questions of concerns please contact Tara Halverson at: dustintara@msn.com or 612.408.0140.

Sincerely,

Tara Halverson
Candy Bar Chair

*********
Thanks to everyone who is participating in this fundraiser. The kids have fun and we raise lots of money to help supprt Wilshire Park!

A HUGE thanks to this year's chair, Tara Halverson. Tara has spent countless volunteer hours coordinating all the details of Candy Bar Sales and has done a great job! Thanks also to Jan Campbell, Rick Ballot, Sue Kalenze and Jessica Hoylo for their help sorting, labeling and delivery bars to the classrooms!

Welcome Wagon

The first day of school is so exciting! Hope everyone had a great first day back! There are so many new families and Wilshire Park this year. We are hoping to connect with as many as possible.

Mark your calendars and spread the word to new Wilshire families about the WPPA New Parent Welcome. It's on Friday, September 18. We will have a morning event (9:15-10:15 a.m.) with coffee and donuts, and an afternoon event (2:15-3:15 p.m.) with cookies and lemonade. Hope you can come to learn more about WPPA, talk with some WPPA board members and Mrs. Kari Page, and also connect with other new families.

While we don't have an evening event scheduled, we hope the first WPPA meeting will give parents who may not be able to come during the school day, the opportunity to learn more and connect. Just a reminder, that is this coming Monday, September 14 at 7 p.m. in the multi-purpose room. Hope to see you!

Happy New Year!

New school year, that is.

There is lots going on! Meet & Greet is September 8. WPPA Board members will be at school all day. Stop by our table in the cafeteria to ask questions or just to say hello!

September 9 is the big day for all of us -- the first day of school. Always an exciting time. The first couple weeks back to school will be very busy for WPPA. Important events coming up include:

• Friday, September 11: Order forms for Candy Bar Sales go home with students grades 1-5.
• Monday, September 14 at 7 p.m. in the Multi-purpose Room: First WPPA Meeting of the year. This is the meeting where we will review and vote on the yearly budget. Don't miss this meeting!
• Friday, September 18: New Parent Welcome for families new to Wilshire Park. Watch for information on this event coming soon.

This blog will be updated regularly with new information. Sign up to receive email updates so you don't miss a thing!

Summer Days ...

Fall is just around the corner. Don't forget these important dates:

• Tuesday, September 8: Meet and Greet
• Wednesday. September 9: First Day of Classes
• Monday, September 14: First WPPA Meeting of the year: Important! We will review and vote on the yearly budget at this meeting!

The board has been meeting over the summer planning for the upcoming year. As always, if you have any questions or constructive feedback we would love to hear it! Send an email to president@wilshireparents.org.

New Web Site + Blog Posts by Email ....

Working on a new WPPA Web site ... wilshireparents.org is coming soon. Hoping to have the site ready to roll by early August. Also working on a WPPA packet of information that will go out in the back-to-school mailing.

Would love to know your thoughts and feedback! What would be helpful to have on the site? Please send your comments and feedback to president@wilshireparents.org.

Also, we are attempting to send out blog posts by email. If you want to subscribe (or re-subscribe) to the WPPA blog, please send an email with BLOG SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Getting the Ball Rolling

As the school year finishes, WPPA's work for next year is just beginning! Thanks to everyone who filled out surveys and volunteer forms last week. Kids will be enjoying their Popsicles on Thursday afternoon!

Here's an update on what's been happening with WPPA:

1) We have a new, expanded Executive Board next year! The board will be:

President: Melissa Gutierrez Nelson
Vice-President: Julie Pierce
Treasurer: Kim Nogosek
Secretary: Teri Anderson
Volunteer Coordinators: Shiela Grand and Tessie Rodkewich

Giant props to the new board members .... thanks for being willing to take on these new roles! With a larger board and new energy, I'm so excited for what WPPA will be able to do next year!

2) We have Silent Auction Chairs! They are Shannon Geier and Carolie Carlson. There were LOTS of people who felt strongly about continuing this event. But these fabulous two actually stepped up to make sure we could keep it going!! THANKS!! For those who are interested in helping, but didn't want to chair ... now is your chance. We are looking for Silent Auction committee members who would like to help plan and organize this event. Contact Melissa for information.

3) We have a Chair for the Bunny Clogs Concert/Fundraiser: Kate Hillsheim (And yes. For those of you who know Kate, she doesn't have a child starting at WP until the fall. I DID ask for permission before I started stalking her for her mad event-planning skills). We are so excited and lucky to have Kate's talents and energy as we launch this brand-new event. We are hoping this concert will be in the fall. Planning will happen this summer. Stay tuned for more details!

Email Subscriptions No Longer

So, I didn't read the fine print. FeedBlitz, the service that provides email subscriptions for this blog, only provides it free for a little while. After that, they start to charge. Apparantly FeedBlitz needs to make money, which proves quite unfortunate for us.

So, for now (unless anyone can point us towards a free service, which would be great!), you can no longer get updates to your email account. Please check back often for news and updates.

Above Resorting to Bribery? Nope.

Make sure to check your kids' Friday folders today! You will find three things:

1) WPPA Survey : An opportunity to give general constructive feedback about WPPA.
2) Candy Bar Survey: An attempt to gauge participation in next fall's Candy Bar Sale.
3) Volunteer Information: We will use this to develop a Volunteer Database with contact information, availability, etc. This will be used for all WPPA events/activities.

I know, this is a super busy time of year. It's gorgeous out. And no one wants to fill out a survey. So, in an attempt to sweeten the deal, WPPA will treat every classroom that returns more than half of their surveys to popsicles during the last week of school.

And if your kids are anything like mine, they may help ... um ... remind you to fill out the forms and turn them in so they can get their treats.

All shady tactics aside, I hope you will look at the information and take the time to fill it out. Hopefully it will help WPPA know what we've been doing right and what we can do even better next year! Thanks for your help!

Moving Muscle Needed!!

Jolene Hodson is still in dire need of MANY able bodies to help pack up and move at school. As you know, every single thing -- down to the last sheet of paper -- needs to be boxed up and moved out of the school for the summer due to construction. Many of the teachers need help in preparing their rooms for this huge endeavor.

So please!! Volunteer to help. Times available include:

Wednesday, May 27 : 4-9 p.m.

Thursday, May 28 : 4-9 p.m.

Tuesday, June 2 : 4-9 p.m.

Thursday, June 4 : 4-9 p.m.

Friday, June 5: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ANY amount of time would be greatly appreciated -- even if you cannot stay for the whole shift. If you are able to volunteer, or if you have any questions, please contact Jolene at jhodson@stanthony.k12.mn.us.

May Meeting Minutes

The minutes for the May WPPA minutes are posted on the WPPA web site. Check it out!

At the risk of sounding redundant ....

There's been great feedback about Silent Auction. Here's what we know: some people love it, some people hate it, it's a ton of work and it makes a whole lot of money.

Looking forward, the ideas for what it could be next year are wide open. We could do it exactly as we've done it before. Or, we could mix it up.

A lot of people seem very enthusiastic (based on our completely unscientific, talking-to-people-in-halls-and-volunteer-room kind of poll) about shaking things up a bit. Could we make this an adults-only event? Could we have it off site? Could we have music or entertainment? Could we find a way to provide child care while parents enjoy a fun night out? Other schools nearby have gone this route and had great results.

No decisions have been made . These are simply questions that have been asked. But without chairs of this event, we can't really move beyond the questions to creating a plan.

So, um ... at the risk of sounding horribly redundant ... anyone wanna chair?

Blog Propoganda

Thanks for checking out this blog! We think it will be a great way to keep people connected. Please help us out by spreading the word. Send this link to all your Wilshire Park friends and tell them to subscribe!

http://wppa.blogspot.com/

Silent Auction Reminder

The school year is quickly rolling to a close ... can you believe it?

Just a reminder: we still need Silent Auction Chairs and we need them before the end of this school year.

As you know, without chairs, we cannot have this event. And since we set the budget over the summer, we need to know whether to plan for this revenue ... or not.

Now, this is not meant to be all gloom and doom ... the sky isn't falling or anything. If we don't have Silent Auction, we will just have to make adjustments to the budget. It's not ideal, but it's not the end of the world.

There were many people who gave enthusiastic feedback that they wanted to see Silent Auction continue. So if you are passionate about this event, and want to see it continue, know that we need chairs to make it happen.

Please contact Melissa with any questions or for more information.

Get Your Culver's On

Don't forget to head to Culver's tonight! They are hosting a fundraiser for the school's STEM program from 5-8 p.m. Skip cooking, see friends and help school. It's a win-win-win kind of situation (and who doesn't love those!?!).

Yearbooks

Have you seen the Yearbooks? They look fabulous! Make sure to thank Kari Tholkes and Shiela Grand for their months of hard work on this project, and Steve Campbell who designed the beautiful cover.

Did you forget to order one? Or are you realizing perhaps, that you might need one per child in your family to squelch the arguing over whose turn it is to look at it?

Don't forget ...there are a few yearbooks left and available for purchase for $15 in the school office!!

Staff Appreciation

This week (week of May 5) is Staff Appreciation week. The Staff Appreciation Committee has worked hard to put together all kinds of fun treats for the staff ... something special planned for each and every day of the week:

• Monday: Treats and Caribou coffee in the staff lounge; lotions/soaps/towels for lounge and staff bathrooms
• Tuesday: Hershey's Treasure chocolates with a note saying: You're a treasure to us.
• Wednesday: Wildflower seed packets that said Thanks bunches.
• Thursday: Water bottles with lemonade packets that say Thanks for quenching our students' thirst for knowledge.
• Friday: Homemade cookies wrapped three in a pack.

THANKS to the committee for all their efforts in making the staff feel appreciated! This group includes Kristin Anderson (Chair), Amy Friebe, Shannon Geier, Tami Hodgkins and Julie Pierce. Thanks also to the parents who brought in treats for -- or helped clean up after --Monday morning, including Teri Anderson, Nancy Burns, Julie Miller, Mary Stoekel and Tessie Rodkewich.

I Scream, You Scream

May 5 was the Art Fair/Book Fair and Swap/Ice Cream Social. What a fabulous event ... with a lot going on!

The Book Fair (which raises a ton of money for our library!) and Book Swap are organized by the WP Media Center. Mrs. Frudden (the art teacher) coordinates all the beautiful student artwork for the Art Fair. And of course, WPPA provides the ice cream as a fun treat and community builder. Thanks to Ruth Forsline, who chaired this effort, and to all the parents who helped scoop the 625 cups of ice cream we gave away!

Culver's generously provided the cups, spoons and napkins and use of the cooler for free, and offered the ice cream to us at cost.

And speaking of Culver's, mark your calendars for Monday, May 11 from 5-8 p.m. Culver's is hosting another fundraiser for Wilshire Park to raise money for the STEM program. During that time a portion of all sales goes back to the school. At the first event last week about $400 was raised!

So come if you can. Not only is an easy way to help raise money for the STEM program, but it makes for a cooking-free night and gives families the opportunity to connect with one another outside of school. Hope to see you there!

No!

Many of us are familiar with Dr. David Walsh (author of No -- Why Kids of all Ages Need to Hear it and Ways Parents Can Say it), as he has come to speak to parents in the district a few times.

Here's an opportunity, passed on to WPPA by one of the teachers, to take part in a parent workshop, led by Dr. Walsh. It's local, it's free and you get to be on Public Television. Spots are limited. Check out this page for more information.

Cheating, or Perhaps Multi-tasking ....

This is the blurb that will be in this week's Words From Wilshire:

***************
Last Monday, WPPA had our final meeting of the year. You can check the WPPA web site soon for the full meeting minutes, but until then here's a few of the major points:

We received a check for $2,140 for Box Tops for Education. Thanks to everyone who took the time to snip and save those box tops. Every single one helps, and as a $2,140 check demonstrates, it adds up to a significant amount of money for the school! Thanks especially to Karolyn Busacker, the Chair who coordinates this fundraiser.

• We approved the following fund requests: $2,750 for the Leveled Reading Room, $200 for the Young Author's Conference and $1,500 additional STEM funding.
• We voted to expand the Executive Board beginning Fall 2009.
• We approved a Direct Giving Program for the upcoming year.
• We discussed the budget and the Silent Auction for 2009-2010.

As we look towards the upcoming 2009-2010 year, we are looking for a few people willing and enthusiastic to step into leadership roles for WPPA. These roles include:

• Vice-President
• Secretary
• Volunteer Coordinator
• Classroom Coordinators
• Event Chairs for several new fundraising events (ask for more details).
• Fifth Grade Recognition Chairs
• Silent Auction Chairs
  

While we got overwhelmingly positive feedback about Silent Auction, we do not have chairs for next year. In order to keep this event going (which raised approximately $7,000 this past year -- about a third of the entire WPPA budget), we need enthusiastic, energetic and organized people who will step us as chairs before the end of this year. Without event chairs, the event will not be able to happen.

Last year's chairs did an unbelievably fabulous job. They have a wealth of resources and information to pass on to the new chairs, and will be available for any questions along the way. Please consider stepping up to chair this event. I will do everything I can to support you along the way!

If you would like more information on any of the positions, or have any questions email me.

I also want to take a second to thank the parents who chair WPPA's Collect-and-Send Fundraisers. The work they do can easily go unnoticed. But it is often a lot of work (and sometimes messy, tedious work at that!) and it raises a lot of money for WPPA.

Please make sure you say thanks to these parents for their efforts:

• Karolyn Busacker (Boxtops for Education)
• Tami Felling (Ink Cartridges)
• Jodi Bradt (Milk Caps)
• Kari Tholkes (Nabisco Cookie Wrappers and Drink Pouches)

So, that's the skinny on all that! And just because WPPA is done meeting for the year, doesn't mean we'll be resting on our respective laurels. There is A LOT going on. So keep checking back for news and updates. And did I mention that you should subscribe? Well, you should.

PS: For those that were wondering, when you subscribe you will never get more than ONE daily email with that day's posts. So you don't have to worry about your inbox being flooded with each post and each comment on the blog. It won't be. Plus, knowing how many subscribers there are will help us know how many people we are reaching with this site ... So help us out, won't you please?

Tonight

Quick note: the last WPPA meeting of the year will be tonight at 7 p.m. Hope to see you there! You can check out the meeting agenda (updated today) by clicking here.

Subscribe to this blog. All the cool parents are doing it.

Yeah! First post! Thanks for checking out the WPPA blog. It's shiny. It's new. And it's a great way to stay in the loop about Wilshire Park and WPPA happenings. So bookmark this page, check it obsessively and tell all your friends how fabulous it is.

Oh! And make sure you enter your e-mail address to subscribe. That way, even if you forget to check the blog, you'll receive all the important news and updates via e-mail. And we won't even send you any spam. Promise.