Dear Brown School Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! On behalf of the Brown School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), we welcome back our returning families and extend a warm welcome to all new families joining us this year.

We are looking forward to a year filled with fun community events and opportunities for all to participate. In past years the PTO has budgeted and spent approximately $100 per student per year; that’s $50,000 to host community events, fund field trips, bring cultural arts and science programs into the classrooms, provide teacher supplies, and more. This year the district is fully funding field trips for all students for the first time, so we anticipate spending approximately $75 per student, or about $38,000.

This September, we ask that you consider donating directly to the Brown PTO to support these programs and supplies for our children and for our school. We thank you in advance for contributing what your circumstances allow to this effort. Any amount is welcome. Please consider the following when choosing your donation amount:

A $35 donation per child funds cultural arts programming for one student for the year.

A $75 donation funds cultural arts as well as teacher supplies, our community events, and PTO admin costs (insurance, for example).

This direct donation drive allows us to do fewer fundraisers, which means that 100% of your donation goes directly to the programs funded by the Brown PTO.

All those who donate $75 by October 11th will be entered into a raffle to win one of two spirit wear bundles including a Brown school blanket, T-shirt, and hoodie.

Donations accepted via Venmo (@BrownSchool-PTO), online credit card payments via the “donate” button at brownptonatick.org, or cash/check made out to Brown School PTO and sent to school in your student’s folder. Please note in Venmo or on your envelope that the payment is for the PTO Direct Donation Drive.*

We cannot do this without your support. Please contact us if you have questions or would like to get involved. Together we are creating a better experience for our children at Brown School!

With sincere thanks,

2023-2024 Brown Elementary PTO Board

Bethany Baldwin, Beri Bergez, Sara Fitzpatrick, Ken Jenney, Cici Liu,Marianne McGarrity, Sarah McNeeley, Corinne Peck, Haritha Srivinasan, and Hillary Zhang.

*check to see if your employer matches donations! You could double your impact!

How do we use the funds?

2023-2024 Budget Estimates - top expenses

• Cultural Arts: $14,000

• Teacher and classroom supplies $7-9,000

• Mini Grants: $3,500

• Community Events i.e. Family Dance Party, movie nights, ice skating: $2,600

• Teacher/staff appreciation and recognition: $2,600

• Brown Alumni Scholarship: $1500

• PTO liability insurance/tax preparation/supplies: $1750

Visit www.brownptonatick.org to learn more about our budget and to make a donation online via credit card, or you can donate via venmo @brownschool-pto or send a check in your child’s folder.

Your donation helps fund the programs listed below and more:

Bringing arts and science to the school and into the classroom; traveling science workshops from the Discovery Museum, dance and musical groups, Wingmasters, Pumpernickel Puppets, Paul Revere House, author visits, and more.

Community events for students and families, providing opportunities for connection. Events include movie nights, Fun Run/Fall Festival, the pancake breakfast, a community ice-skating event, our family dance party, ice cream socials, and more!

Hundreds of new books through the years: to enhance our Learning Commons and classroom libraries, supplemented by donations from our Fall and Spring book fairs.

Generous stipends for teachers and staff to defray the costs of classroom materials and supplies. We provide funds to update classroom organization systems, provide students with individual supplies, educational games, online learning tools, and more. These stipends reduce the burden of the out-of-pocket expenses that the teachers cover with their own money as well as providing musical instruments and sound equipment; art supplies and materials for the year; and P.E. equipment.

Welcome back breakfasts, lunches, coffee and treats for our teachers and staff; and goodie bags during busy conference weeks and teacher/staff spirit wear!

Mini-grants for teacher projects as proposed: this year we will be supporting our courtyard garden and the 4th grade classroom libraries and in the past we have funded muralist visits, cafeteria wall decals, and other projects and programs large and small proposed by our teachers and staff.