The Appreciation Fund
In 2019, we launched the Appreciation Fund, recognizing that we were making many requests for specific appreciation efforts, such as gift cards for support staff at the holidays or luncheons during teacher appreciation week. It was confusing to get so many different requests for money, so we created the Appreciation Fund. Donations to the Appreciation Fund are appropriated throughout the year to all members of the Davis and Lane faculty and staff.
You can give to the Appreciation Fund at any time, but we hope you will consider doing it early so that we can confidently plan activities for the year—and so that you only have to pay once. We will also ask for contributions at certain times during the year for those who would prefer to make smaller donations towards each initiative. When and how much you give is up to you. If you'd like to donate to the Appreciation Fund, please click HERE.
- Winter and End of Year Gifts for School Support Staff: Formerly called “Good Cheer”, this program shows appreciation to the “behind the scenes” support staff at our schools (office staff, nurses, custodians, cafeteria staff, crossing guard, educational assistants, etc.) by giving each a small gift during the winter holidays and again at the conclusion of the school year. These gifts are for staff that are not part of a specific classroom. Classroom staff and teachers are recognized through gifts organized by Room Parents. Money collected through the Appreciation Fund will help us make these meaningful gestures of appreciation. We budget about $5 per student at each school.
- Hospitality and Appreciation: Our hospitality committees plan a number of meals for the staff at our schools throughout the year. Our Teacher Appreciation Week (TAW) committee helps BEST show gratitude to the teachers at Davis and Lane schools by treating them during TAW in early-May. They decorate the teachers lounges, provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout the week, and provide gifts for the teachers. Our Hospitality and TAW committees ask parents to contribute home-made or store-bought foods (salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, soups, sweet treats, etc.) for catering these luncheons, breakfasts, etc.. There are times where in-kind donations are not enough to cater the entire event, and we need to purchase additional foods. The Appreciation Fund will offset additional costs, and help our hospitality committees to continue to put on these fabulous events for our schools’ staff!
Any funds raised above what is needed for these Appreciation fund programs will be used by the PTO General fund.
The BEST PTO General Fund
In addition to collecting for the Appreciation Fund, BEST/PTO also welcomes donations for its General Fund. This is the pool of money that funds school improvements and supplies, field trips, and events for Davis and Lane School. The majority of our fundraisers are raising funds for these activities. If you would rather support these activities with a direct contribution, it is always welcome, and you can donate through this LINK.
Classroom-Specific Gifts and Activities
There are times when you will be asked directly by the Room Parents of your child’s class to donate to your class specifically for winter and end of year gifts for the teachers and staff that serve your class, or to help fund a class activity. Please note that those donations are not to BEST/PTO, and are not tax-deductible. These gifts and activities are not supported by the Appreciation Fund or the BEST General Fund. Please follow the guidance outlined by the State Ethics Commission on gift giving to public school teachers and staff found HERE.
