NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 2, 2014

TEAM Up - we're in the home stretch!

Giving Fund drive to the deadline is March 31st

Do you remember the happy & excited feeling you had last week when you heard about the school board vote??

The school board has restored smaller classes at 25:1 for 1st through 3rd grades for next year, with Kindergarten following in 2015-16!

Let's TEAM Up and lower the ratio in 2014-15 for Kindergarten too! Our excitement and gratitude can turn into a BIG WIN for our 5 year olds!

The deadline is just a short 4 weeks away!

With the $161,000 PPIE has raised for Smaller Class Sizes so far, here's how PPIE could help reduce class sizes in Kindergarten for the upcoming 2014-15 school year:

If we raise an additional $60K, the PUSD could lower the class size from 30 to 28 students
If we raise an additional $170K, the PUSD could lower the class size from 30 to 27 students
If we raise an additional $392K, the PUSD could lower the class size from 30 to 25 students

New Technology Initiative! With the new Common Core State Standards and Smarter Balance assessments, each school site could really use more mobile Chromebook carts. The Chromebook carts can be used in classrooms - especially while the computer labs are unavailable during testing. PPIE and our donors are very supportive of technology and we would love to help with this initiative. Each cart costs approximately $16,000. Can you help us reach the goal of a new cart at each school? At the elementary level, we would need another $100,000 in Tech donations to fund it for each school!

You can donate at the Elementary Level to Smaller Class Sizes and/or Technology - and don't forget about our middle and high school students - the Giving Fund also includes donations for Technology, Student Support, and additional Class Sections at the Middle & High School levels.

2nd Annual Pleasanton Run for Education

Don't wait to register - the price goes up March 11th!

Last day for early bird registration is March 10th! That also happens to be the last day you can personalize your race bib.

Get Creative! Want your group to be able to run as the Foothill Track Team? or the Rotary Speed Racers? or the Clorox Bleacher Bums?? ;-)

Don't delay - head on over to PPIERun.com and register!

Wonderful idea! Mrs. Morrell, a 4th grade teacher at Hearst Elementary, is encouraging all her students to run the 5K with her as a class! This year the students are competing with the other classes in 4th grade on running laps around the blue line at school to complete their journey across the Oregon trail. The miles they run in the fun run will be added to their total miles for the Oregon Trail tally. Great idea Mrs. Morrell, and we can't wait to see you & your students!

We love enthusiasm! Here's a reminder of what the Tri-Valley Triathlon Club put together at their water stop last year - you remember the silly Harlem Shake craze, right??

TVTC Harlem Shake Water Stop

Ten Car Train & Handles

Preliminary report shows approx $2,000 for PPIE

Many thanks to local band Ten Car Train and Handles Gastropub for the very successful event last Saturday. Receipts at the door garnered nearly $2,000, and Handles is still tallying the dinner receipts - so more info to come! It was a terrific night - good music, good food, great fun!

Save the date! for Toasts & Tastes of Fall

September 26, 2014

We just want to make sure you save the date for next year's Toasts & Tastes of Fall - the premiere culinary event of the season! We have a new date and a new venue, plus some very exciting updates planned. Put the date on your calendar and stay tuned...

How your dollars are helping students

$600,000 working in our classrooms THIS YEAR!

Just a quick reminder...we raise money during the current school year to help with programs for the following year. So, where are your last year's donations now?? The schools have now reported back to us how they are spending the funds, and we couldn't wait to share it with you! Check out the details for your school at our Giving Fund 2013-14 Site Expenditure Report.

FAQ Corner - do you know?

Everything you always wanted to know about LCFF, but were afraid to ask

For 30 years, EdSource has developed a stellar reputation as a highly respected source of education information, research and analysis. They have put together a great primer on California's new school finance model, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). See why although the budget news from Sacramento is good for education, Pleasanton Unified will not return to the 2007 historical funding level until 2020-2021! This is why PPIE and YOU are so important!

Susan Hayes, Executive Director