Lilja PTO Newsletter (01/17/23)

UPCOMING EVENTS

January

  • Thu 1/19: Summer Camp Fair at Brown 7 - 8:30PM

  • Fri 1/20: Deadline for Early Bird Auction Tickets

  • Wed 1/25: Early Release

  • Sat 1/28: Lilja Auction

    February

  • Wed 2/1: Lilja PTO Meeting (zoom)

  • Wed 2/8:  Early Release

  • Mon 2/20 - Fri 2/24: No School - February Break

  • Mon 2/27: Classes Resume

NPS School Calendar

LILJA AUCTION - NEXT WEEKEND!

Yes, we are STILL talking about the auction and the Lilja Ranch party! As a reminder, tickets for Lilja Ranch (1/28/23, 7-11 pm, at Brae Burn Country Club in Newton) are on sale through this Friday, January 20, for the early bird price of $55. Head to our website to get yours ASAP! www.ourschool.auction/liljaranch

Also on our site are more details about both events if you still have questions.

 

So how about some NEW information? This stuff is important y’all. We’ve had a lot of questions about 1) ticket prices and 2) what the proceeds are going to be used for. To be completely transparent:

 

  1. We do not make money on the Lilja Ranch event itself. After Brae Burn’s cost per person, as well as the Auctria and Stripe fees, there is about $5 remaining per ticket that belongs to the PTO. That $5 helps to cover the cost of the Auctria platform ($750), DJ ($1,500), mechanical bull ($1,000), and all the other expenses that go towards execution. Even if we sell 200 tickets, we will not come close to breaking even. So why host it? The most successful fundraisers come from getting people excited about an event! And bringing a community together for a common cause. The auction committee is completely dedicated to making this an over the top, exciting experience. The ticket price does reflect the incredible food and entertainment we will have there. We hope this helps you consider buying a ticket (and inviting your friends!) if you haven’t already.

    TL/DR (too long/didn’t read): Lilja Ranch is not about the money :)


 

2. The PTO has spent more than $30,000 this year on the new picnic tables, Cultural Arts, literacy materials, classroom support, teacher appreciation, field trips and the list goes on. We have brought in $4,000, so there is a considerable gap to make up. But, we have some very exciting ideas in the works about how to utilize the auction proceeds. We would like to support two major things: A) transforming the courtyard into a zen garden space that could be utilized by teachers for SEL/meditation/community building. The space could really have a greater purpose. B) A huge wall mural by Joshua Winer, which will be collaborative with Sepi Golestani AND all the students, and is planned for the exterior gym wall. Those two things alone are more than $25k – we are working with NPS Facilities and researching grant funding to assist, but these would be the big, visible improvements. We’re also planning to fund teacher mini grants ($10k) and some new additions to the playground and recess equipment.

TL/DR: We’ve spent far more than we’ve made this year, but still have great projects we are looking forward to supporting.

 

And you can support us. We have over 150 items that are going live next week! Our WISH LIST contains items that we still need to complete everything on our bid sheets. Thank you!

One last hurrah…

★ ★ www.ourschool.auction/liljaranch ★ ★

See you there!

GLOBAL CHILD LANGUAGE CLASSES

Registration for the spring session of after school language classes at Lilja is open! The spring session starts in February, visit globalchild.com for more information.

BOKS WINTER SESSION SIGNUPS

What is BOKS? BOKS is a before-school physical activity program that prepares children for a day of learning, and helps them gain an appreciation of the benefits of exercise and healthy choices that will last a lifetime.

BOKS will run every Monday and Wednesday morning from 7:40 - 8:20am at Lilja. The next session starts on Monday February 27th and ends Wednesday, May 24th, and the cost is $60 for the session. The BOKS program allows students to participate in breakfast and transition into the classroom.

How do I sign up? Visit this link to download the registration form and find out more information.

NATICK BEGINNER SOFTBALL LEAGUE

Are you a parent of a 1st or 2nd grader who might be interested in softball? Join the Natick Beginner Softball League! Practices on Wednesday evenings and practice + games on Saturday afternoons. We encourage children of all skill levels to join us! There is a heavy emphasis on skills development and fundamentals with a focus on introducing the game and just having fun.

2023-2024 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

If you or someone you know has a child who will be five years old by August 31, 2023 and is a resident of Natick, please complete this google form to be added to the enrollment list for for the 2023-2024 school year! Please email lilja23-24@natickps.org with any questions.


Contact us at pto@liljapto.org
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