This year’s Art Walk event, our school’s annual walk-a-thon fundraiser, is all about returning to our beautifully renovated home campus, with a theme of ‘There’s No Place Like Home.’  Art Walk will be held on Friday, October 13. The Art Walk is our school’s main fundraiser and fall party—students, teachers, and parent volunteers will spend the day of Art Walk having fun walking laps around the campus earning money for the school. The Wizard of Oz theme will be present in decor, costume, and class banners. The community will enjoy walking laps to the beat of fun music carefully chosen for the festivities.  Of course, the Art Walk is not all business, and the kids are treated to fun activities along the way! Students will earn a ticket for every lap they walk, and can redeem the tickets for basket raffle tickets, penny prizes, face painting by Clementine the Amazing, snacks (donated by Trader Joe’s and Safeway) and other surprises.     

All students should have received their pledge envelopes. This envelope is really important because students are requested to ask parents, family, and friends to pledge money to sponsor their participation in the event.  All of the pledges are donations to the school and will be spent this year making great things happen. People can sponsor your student by donating money for each lap they walk, or by donating a set amount.  Every pledge helps support events and arts activities throughout the 2017-2018 school year.

The School for the Arts Community Organization is able to provide every student, teacher, and 50 volunteers with a free event t-shirt thanks to generous sponsorships from local businesses. Thank you to our wonderful sponsors: Anchor Rose, Beck Law, Clementine the Amazing: Face Painting and Entertainment,  J. Christopher: The Rub, Junior Gym, McCoy Fire Protection,  Pedersen’s, Second Wind, SLR Financial, Silkies Screen Printing, and Theta Wave Float Spa.

Volunteers are key to making this event successful and we are looking for 50 volunteers the day of the event!  Volunteer who can help all day, from 8:30 to 2:30, are the most helpful and this is a great opportunity to earn volunteer hours while seeing our school in action and cheering on students and staff.  Half-day volunteers (9:00 – 12:00, 12:00 – 2:30) are also very welcome. The first 50 volunteers will receive a free Art Walk t-shirt, and a light lunch generously donated by Whole Foods.  The volunteer sign up sheet is online (http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090e4aacaf23a0f85-artwalk) and in the office. Please email Sheri with questions at sheri_emerson@nullyahoo.com.  In addition to more volunteers, we are in need of folding tables and pop-up tents.

Please support Art Walk by donating to your child’s classroom raffle basket. Each classroom is currently working on a themed prize raffle basket. These baskets serve as fun motivation to walk laps, and generate a lot of community excitement for the event. All families are asked to donate an item or cash for their class baskets to ensure fantastic prizes for the kids. If you have yet to donate to your student’s class basket, contact the classroom teacher or classroom parent in charge of the basket to find out how you can help. The basket winners will be identified at the Art Walk assembly following the event.

Every year, the teachers at SRCSA do a fabulous job supporting the Art Walk event. We are looking for donations of prizes for the teachers who compete the most laps. It is a spirited competition each year! If you can donate restaurant gift cards, wine or other treats, please let SACO know.

The friendly competition extends to the student walkers, as well, and medals for the most laps and most money earned will be awarded to individual students. In addition, one classroom will earn the highly coveted Class Spirit prize. Each class earns spirit points by completing a class raffle basket, making a class sign, showing team spirit and BEST behavior the day of the Art Walk, and turning in their pledge envelopes. The Class Spirit winners earn a trophy for their classroom and bragging rights for the year!

Art Walk, coupled with SEED, are the two main ways in which SRCSA families can financially support the school. We ask our families to focus their donations on these two fundraisers instead of multiple product driven sales (e.g. cookie dough and wrapping paper sales) throughout the school year. By having these two events early in the school year, SACO is able to get as much money as possible into the classrooms as early as possible, and create a budget to fund events, activities, and site improvements.

Lastly, please make sure to locate your student’s pledge envelope as soon as possible and get those pledges. More envelopes are available in the school office. We are hoping everyone will participate—no donation is too small.  Please list all the pledges on the envelope and be sure to bring the envelope to school on the day of Art Walk, so that SACO can note the total number of laps completed.

Questions? If you have any questions about this important and fun community event or you would like to help, please contact Art Walk Co-Chairs: Judy O’Donnell (judithkod@nullyahoo.com) and Sheri Emerson (sheri_emerson@nullyahoo.com).