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PTO Community Grant Program Funds Nine Projects in 2022-23
Tumwater PTO’s Community Grant program funded nine projects this school year, supporting the science, technology, art, band, library & after school club programs of TMS.
In total, Tumwater PTO awarded over $18,000 to support these specific asks of Tumwater staff:
C02 Probes ($3492): 16 Vernier CO2 Probes for 7th Grade cellular respiration & photosynthesis labs
MYP Drone Design ($2776): x4 DJI Mini 3 drones & accessories to support 8th grade orthomosaic mapping design unit
Physics Supplies ($4240): 10 force & acceleration sensors, 10 motion sensors & 10 sensor carts to support the TMS Science Department
Library Literacy Incentives ($300): Incentives to support literacy passports in the TMS library
Classroom Band Tuners ($1632): One set of 40 tuners & 40 microphones (with batteries) for TMS Band program for classroom use
Temp & Gas Pressure Science Supplies ($3060): 18 temperature probes & 18 gas pressure sensors to support the TMS Science Department
Clay ($1900): Clay for Art Department for use in 7th & 8th grade units
D&D Minifigures ($750): Funds to support the design & creation of personal character minifigures; additional fundraising through BEF
CoSpace Licenses ($550): 100 CoSpace licenses to support design & coding in 3-D environments to support TMS’ Technology department; licenses to be rotated through the units/students as necessary for maximum efficiency
Note: The $500 unused science fair line item was absorbed into the community grant budget.
Special thanks to our staff reviewers this school year: Ben Lloyd, Laura Hoffar, Rob Hillhouse & Kristin Hayward.
None of this support would be possible without the generosity of our Rising Tides donors. THANK YOU to all who donated to our students’ success.
Upcoming Deadline for Intel Employees to Submit Volunteer Hours
The deadline for Intel employees to submit 2022 volunteer hours or monetary donations for Matching Funds is Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 3:00pm. If you work for another company that matches hours and donations, please check for their deadline!
To log your hours, you will need the dates that you volunteered, which can be found in the district’s volunteer system. Just log in to myimpactpage.com, and click on the Hours tab at the top of the page to see your most recent volunteer activity.
If you’d like a more detailed report, click on the Reports tab (along the top) and enter your date range in the Detailed Hours Report section at the bottom of the page.
Head to https://intel.benevity.org/ to submit.
To log monetary donations, you will need to submit a copy of your donation receipt.
Questions? Hannah (president@tumwaterpto.org).
2021-22 Community Grant Program Funds Eight TMS Projects
The Tumwater PTO fulfilled eight community grants in 2021-22, totalling $12,564 of direct support of the students & classrooms of Tumwater Middle School.
This community grant program is roughly just over 30% of the Tumwater PTO budget and provides funds to enable purchases that inspire, inform, and support educational inquiry and innovation at Tumwater Middle School.
Huge thank you to every staff member who applied for funding, Tiffany Lace & Janay Cookson, our TMS Staff representatives who helped the Board review the applications, and of course, every single Rising Tides donor. Your contribution made these innovative projects possible.
2021-22 COMMUNITY GRANT PROJECTS
Rental fees & performance rights to “Matilda” were provided by TMS PTO.
TMS Onstage ($2400)
Seed money to begin the TMS after school theater program; a supplement to the $3500 in funding from this summer's BEF Choice project. Applicant: Mikaela Gladstone-Saucedo
Wind Turbines ($1057)
7th Graders in Mrs. Tran-Parta's science class had the opportunity to build wind turbines; remains a resource to all students to use Vernier measurement equipment and the turbines for future science inquiry labs. Applicant: Tiffany Tran-Parta
8th graders taking shots of the Space Station using PTO-funded tripods.
Night Sky ($950)
An 8th grade project to support the Astronomy unit; tripods facilitated students in taking photos of the night sky. Applicant: Brian Torres
Book Clubs ($3750)
Supported all Language Arts classes in expanding their selection of fiction & non-fiction titles for book clubs and helped build our fledgling collection, impacting every student in the school. Applicant: TMS Language Arts Department
D&D Club added collaborative, hands-on & screen-free gaming & design experience after school.
D&D Club ($750)
Supported a dice-making project for the students of the Tumwater MS Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Club to design and cast a set of gaming dice using safe, professional quality materials. Applicant: Rob Hillhouse. **Additional funding for this project was provided by Beaverton Education Foundation.
Temperature Probes ($2400)
32 Go Direct Temperature Probes for data collection and graphing over time; initially for 7th grade science, but will remain a resource for all TMS students in the future. Applicant: Patrice Lampkin
Japanese Chop Design ($107)
A cross-curricular activity between 7th grade social studies and technology where students designed and created their own Japanese chop (signature stamp) for use during the Japan simulation. Applicant: Heather McCollum
6th graders building their solar-powered car.
Solar Sprint ($1150)
A hands-on engineering project for all 6th graders that includes designing, building and testing a car made using a solar panel. Applicant: Jen Brooks **Additional funding for this project was provided by Beaverton Education Foundation.
More info regarding the Tumwater PTO community grant program can be found at https://tumwaterpto.com/grant-request.
Tumwater PTO Receives 501(c)3 Status
We are proud and excited to announce that Tumwater PTO has received 501(c)3 status from the IRS, after a months long wait.
Huge thanks to Rachel Arnold, our parent volunteer who did the heavy lifting in submitting the initial IRS application last summer.
What does this mean for TMS PTO? Now that we are officially recognized as a 501(c)3, we will be registering with Benevity and other matching fund programs as soon as possible. Look for more info soon as we complete that process.
Why is this a big deal? Having a 501(c)3 status is necessary in order to take advantage of many nonprofit discounts & programs, such as Benevity and Google for Nonprofits. Additionally, it allows us to take advantage of our donor base’s employee matching fund programs, which is a huge boost in our fundraising process.
What took so long? The IRS receives over 95,000 applications a year. With COVID-19 restrictions & delays, the backlog was especially high this past year.
Is my Rising Tides donation from last fall now tax exempt? Yes. All donations are retroactively tax-exempt. Please email Hannah (tumwaterpto.president@gmail.com) if you are in need of a donation receipt.
Thank you to all our donors for your patience these past months. We are excited for this awesome step in developing this organization.
SAVE THE DATE: February Community Meeting to Include Vote to Amend 2021-22 Budget
SAVE THE DATE: Join us for February’s Community Meeting on Thursday, 2/10 at 6:30pm via Zoom. Pop in to hear school & PTO updates with principal Jill O'Neil and your Tumwater PTO Board. The tentative meeting agenda can be found HERE.
VOTE TO AMEND 2021-22 BUDGET: This meeting will include a community vote to amend the 2021-22 budget. Check out this comparison to see the proposed changes.
This amended budget would move $2000 out of School Socials and Science Fair (both impacted by Covid restrictions) and into the Community Grant budget (see blue highlighted line items).
SPECIAL GUEST: Sunset High School Principal, John Huelskamp, will be joining us for a 20 minute presentation and Q&A regarding the transition to high school and what parents can expect this spring. To maximize efficiency, please submit any questions you may have for Mr. Huelskamp in the form below.
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS: In an effort to communicate effectively & efficiently, the Tumwater PTO will be taking questions BEFORE our community meeting on 2/10. This will ensure that our meeting agenda and topics will clarify any lingering questions for our parent community.
You can submit your questions at https://forms.gle/JPNSHmo6p6FKZ4eH7
Zoom info will be sent on 2/10.
All parents are automatically members of the Tumwater PTO and all are encouraged to attend.
Questions? Email Hannah (tumwaterpto.president@gmail.com)
Rising Tides Raises $33,400
Impressed. Grateful. Thrilled.
We are feeling all the feels this week as we proudly announce that this Tumwater community has raised over $33,400 in our first annual Rising Tides campaign.
Just... wow.
We are honored & thankful to have 254 individual donors put their belief in this organization and we will spend all year ensuring that your dollars are SPENT WELL on our 900+ students.
Huge shout out to our VP Kelly McLoughlin Kinzer and Ava Palmquist for being the wind in this ship's sails. Bravo.
Miss the boat on donating? (See what we did there) Our goal is to raise $35,000 and we are THIS CLOSE. Head to www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising to help take us over the top of this already incredible effort.
Rising Tides Fundraiser Finds 144 Donors
THANK YOU to the 144 donors who have stepped up to donate over $19,000 for our 900+ Tumwater students.
EVERY donation, regardless of size, is gratefully received and collectively takes us one step closer to reaching our base goal of $25k.
However, here at PTO HQ, we are DREAMING BIG & we recognize that donations die in darkness.
See our proposed budgets at various income levels and to learn more details about our four major areas of support:
ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT: Our PTO programs are open to every student at Tumwater, from Art Lit to OBOB. The bulk of our proposed budget supports our Community Grant program, where Tumwater PTO funds innovative and hands-on learning, crafted by our own students and staff.
STUDENT EXPERIENCES: As we move forward, we hope to provide positive & unique experiences to our student body, including semester-end student socials, grade-level field trips, and compelling student assemblies.
FAMILY EVENTS: Engaging as a community is a priority. As a brand-new middle school, our event traditions are yet to be forged. We look forward to working with Tumwater staff to support annual TMS events, such as Welcome socials, Science Fair and other community-based experiences.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Tumwater PTO will always support BSD’s Clothes for Kids, as well as our staff appreciation efforts.
As our Rising Tides income increases, so does the breadth and scope of our PTO impact.
Any amount donated is gratefully received. It is the power of our collective effort that will make this fundraiser successful.
However, for those looking for more direction, we suggest an initial donation of $100-$150 per student, if that’s a reasonable possiblity for your family.
Dive deep into the details at www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising
105 Donors Buoy Rising Tides Fundraiser
Building an organization from scratch is nerve wracking & unpredictable. Thank you to the 105 donors who have joined the waters and raised an incredible $14,185. Keep it going, Tumwater community!
Above all, we value participation in this foundational year and are reaching out with a goal of finding 200 donors to fully support our 900 students. If achieved, our students will enjoy a school-wide celebration. Every donation, big or small, is gratefully received.
If you haven't yet given, please consider becoming our 106th donor to help us RAISE THE TIDE. We humbly ask you to please donate as generously as possibly, and as early as possible.
WHAT THE MONEY PROVIDES: As our Rising Tides income increases, so will the breadth and scope of our proposed PTO impact. Our initial goal is $25,000, but our dreams are much higher! Head to www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising to review the proposed budgets at various income levels and to review our four major areas of support: academic enrichment, student experiences, family events & community support.
PAY ONLINE: Donate directly via PayPal.
MATCHING FUNDS: Due to our still-pending 501(c)(3) status, our fundraising capacity is slightly diminished this year, as we are currently unable to receive corporate matching funds. Please see our Matching Funds FAQ for more info & hold onto your receipt!
FOLLOW ALONG: You can find Tumwater PTO on facebook, instagram or via our website.
QUESTIONS: Email Hannah (tumwaterpto.president@gmail.com) or check out www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising
57 Donors Boost Rising Tides Effort
Thank you to the 57 donors who have generously given to our Rising Tides campaign. We are proud and excited to support Tumwater’s 900 students through academic enrichment, student experiences, family events and community support this school year.
Any amount donated is gratefully received. It is the power of our collective effort that will make this fundraiser successful. However, for those looking for more direction, we suggest an initial donation of $100-$150 per student, if that’s a reasonable possibility for your family. But any amount, regardless of size, moves us closer to our goal.
WHAT THE MONEY PROVIDES: As our Rising Tides income increases, so will the breadth and scope of our proposed PTO impact. Our initial goal is $25,000, but our dreams are much higher! Head to www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising to review the proposed budget at various income levels.
Intended line items include our Community Grant Program, Art Lit, Staff Appreciation, evening events & much more. We humbly ask you to please donate as generously as possibly, and as early as possible.
PAY ONLINE: Donate directly via PayPal.
MATCHING FUNDS: Our fundraising capacity is slightly diminished this year due to our current inability to receive corporate matching funds (due to our still-pending 501(c)(3) status). Please see our Matching Funds FAQ & hold onto your receipt!
FOLLOW ALONG: You can find Tumwater PTO on facebook, instagram or via our website.
QUESTIONS: Email Hannah (tumwaterpto.president@gmail.com) or check out www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising
Tumwater PTO Launches Rising Tides Campaign
Your Tumwater PTO Board is excited & proud to launch our 2021-22 fundraising campaign, Rising Tides. This effort is about coming together, forging a community, building new traditions, & giving what we can to raise all kids.
We began this organization with exactly $0. Our dreams are big as we brainstorm ideas to bring vibrancy & energy to Tumwater’s halls in this new normal. As we start this organization from scratch, the more successful our fundraising, the greater our impact on every student.
Any amount donated is gratefully received. It is the power of our collective effort that will make this fundraiser successful. However, for those looking for more direction, we suggest an initial donation of $100-$150 per student, if that’s a reasonable possibility for your family.
Our fundraising capacity is slightly diminished this year due to the ongoing Covid impact on families, as well as our current inability to receive corporate matching funds (due to our still-pending 501(c)(3) status). We humbly ask that families donate as generously as possible, as early as possible.
It's time for Tumwater to show up for each other & to build something from nothing. Please join us in that effort.
Donate now or learn more at www.tumwaterpto.org/fundraising
Questions? Tumwaterpto.president@gmail.com