A great big thank you!

plus, the cutest & easiest Halloween costume we could think of

Dear Frog Troublers, we appreciate you so much! Last Monday, for the kickoff Support Our Students fundraiser, we had already raised $2500—that’s 25% of our total fundraising goal! Frog Trouble Times subscribers were responsible for a good chunk of that, and we’re so grateful. The money will be used for smart screens, which Bea’s beloved kindergarten and first grade teacher told me the other day are so useful. She used one teaching summer school this year, and said it was “awesome.”

As of this morning, less than one week into our official start, the students, parents, teachers, and staff have raised more than $8500! Even though our goal is $10,000, that won’t be enough to get smart screens for every classroom—we set a modest (but still significant) goal because this was our first time trying a new model of fundraising. So maybe we’ll raise even more!

This is a pretty big accomplishment for our “little school that could” (as Julie calls us). We don’t have a glossy catalog of prizes, hyped-up outside visitors, or pre-made videos people can post on Facebook. Here’s what we do have:

-A great team of parents, teachers, and fifth grade students who formed a fundraising committee. This committee started working over the summer to decide which elements of the past fundraiser we wanted to keep and adapt, and how the fundraiser would reflect our school’s values. The fifth-grade students have been making posters with our art teacher, going class to class to explain the fundraiser, and helping to give updates on the morning announcements.

-Donations from some favorite local businesses, like McIntyre’s Books, Pittsboro Toys, and Ali Cat Toys. Kids can win gift certificates to these shops, a chance to assist favorite specials teachers, or “principal for the day.”

-Speaking of our wonderful principal! When the kids got to 25% of our goal, they earned the right to duct-tape her to a pole in front of the school (those are her Chucks, above)! She was so game and funny about this (“I thought you were my friend!” she play-yelled at Bea), and we agreed that it was a somewhat more dignified twist on the “turn your teacher into a hot dog” stunts that Boosterthon encouraged.

-The main prizes are not individual, but earned by classes based on percent of participation, or by the whole school based percentage of the goal. Most of these are experience-based prizes, which build community the way that getting some toy never could. Classes can earn prizes like a pizza party, extra recess, and a trip to the book room where they get to choose a new-to-them book (these gently used books were collected by the PTA). The final prize will be a big fall festival, where we’ll screen-print fall-themed T-shirts designed by the kids.

If you’re on a PTA or public school fundraising committee and would like more information about shifting away from corporate fundraisers (which take such a big chunk of your donations and rely on plastic, junky prizes that stress everybody out), please email me (belleboggs@gmail.com). I’d be happy to tell you more—maybe we’ll even make a PDF “how to build a green, DIY fundraiser” for interested schools?

As a thank you, we have something really cute and fun to show you… it’s Harriet’s Halloween costume (so far), and it might be my favorite costume we’ve ever made. It was inspired by our super-talented friend Paul and by Banned Books Week. And we’d be excited to see this take off as a costume, so feel free to adapt it! It’s easy to make and requires no sewing skills or fancy supplies.

Ready?

Okay, here goes…

Harriet says when people see Bea’s costume (to be revealed) they will pee their pants in fear, but when they see hers they’ll “pee their pants for cuteness.” All you need is a box (we got a wine box from Weaver Street), some paint, scissors, a little more cardboard and paper, and plastic wrap for the window.

We’re planning to make one more component: a T-shirt Harriet can wear that will be the “books”—spines out, showing a shelf of her ideal Little Free Library (some Frog and Toad, some Little Witch Hazel and Mog, etc). For this part we need a blank T-shirt and some fabric markers, which I think we have already. The T-shirt will be re-wearable. We’ll post again when we have things more gussied-up and finalized. (And prepare to be terrified by Bea’s costume!)

What do you want to be for Halloween? Have you planned a costume yet? (You can see last year’s Ancient Egyptian-themed costume design here.)