The QAE Jog-A-Thon is on Thursday! So much of what we love about our school and school community is supported by PTSA resources and funds raised through the Jog-A-Thon. Did you know the PTSA has been behind the funding of so much good stuff? See some of the great things below. And if you've already registered to support our online donation system in PledgeStar thank you! Please consider sending a few additional emails this week. If you have yet to do so, just log on to www.PledgeStar.com/qae and register - it's really easy and will take less than 10 minutes of your time.

MISSION #1: TEACHERS

• Supporting teachers to get their National Board Certification (by subsidizing their testing)
• Training for all new staff and annual refresher courses for the entire staff in Positive Discipline
• Project Based Learning professional development
• Support for training including skill sets such as working with gender diversity, cultural competence, and mindfulness in the classroom

MISSION #2: CLASSROOM & ACADEMIC SUPPORT

• Kindergarten aide for each class
• 1st grade aide shared across classes
• Resource room tutors
• Reading and math specialists

MISSION #3: COMMUNITY

• School opener BBQ
• Family Game Night
• Back to School Night
• Winter Celebration
• Summer playdates
• First Day Welcome Coffee

MISSION #4: CURRICULUM & CLASSROOMS

• Kelso’s Choice, Zones of Regulation, & other positive discipline curriculum
• Readers’ & Writers’ Workshop
• Calm Body Spots and materials to support self-regulation

MISSION #5: EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS

• Whale Watching field trip scholarships
• World Peace Game in 4th Grade
• IslandWood expedition in 5th Grade

​Jog-A-Thon fundraising is building steam as more families get registered with Pledgestar, our online fundraising platform. If you haven't signed up yet, please take a few minutes (it only takes 10) to get your child registered. If you have any questions about how to sign up you can find answers on the Jog-A-Thon site.

If you are already signed up, consider sending out more requests. The more emails sent, the more funds raised. Currently, Ms. Belcher and Ms. Goldman have the most students registered in their classes. To date we've earned just under $8,000. We would love to see 100% participation. The money raised by the PTSA goes into many important programs that our school would not be able to afford without their help. But, that requires you! We need your help getting the word out and gathering donations so we can meet our goal of $40,000. Mission: Possible is the theme. Let's show these kids what's possible.

Quick ask: we need a few pop-up tents to use at the Jog-A-Thon. If you have one we could use, please write to jogathon@qaeptsa.org

Now that school is underway, let’s get ready to help our students support the things we love about QAE! The Jog-A-Thon, our only student-driven fundraiser of the year, is just around the corner! Next week in your child's orange folder, look for a flyer with details about the jog-a-thon and easy instructions to get your student started with online fundraising in 10 minutes or less.   

If you'd like to volunteer on the 11th, an online signup sheet will be coming soon! 

Parents and family can purchase adult size jog-a-thon t-shirts for $10 each to show their QAE spirit while supporting the PTSA.  As always, each student will receive a Jog-A-Thon t-shirt at no cost, celebrating their efforts. Purchase your shirt on the Jog-A-Thon page by Wednesday, 9/20.
 
New this year: 
*New school = new course! 

*We are looking for QAE parent-run businesses to sponsor this year's Jog-A-Thon. As a thank you for your support, you’ll get your business’s logo on this year’s Mission: Possible t-shirt. Contact Nicole Forrest at nicolekforrest@gmail.com

Some photos from the Queen Anne Elementary Jog-A-Thon, 2017 edition! Thanks to everyone who took part! Photos by QAE parents: Mike LaRocque and Christa Winquist!

The Jog-A-Thon is tomorrow! Can't wait to see the kiddos run, run, run (and maybe walk)! A couple notes:

*Donations* - keep them coming! We're just $6,000 from our goal. Pledgestar donations will remain open for a week or two after the Jog-A-Thon, so it doesn't hurt to reach out to family and friends: https://www.pledgestar.com/qae/

*Weather* - As you've probably heard, rain will return tomorrow, just in time. We know this won't dampen the kids' spirits (and may actually keep them cool!), but we'd like to make sure that everyone is comfortable. Feel free to send a raincoat, in case your child would like to stay dry while running. We also recommend an extra pair of dry socks be added to backpacks so that kids can change after they run, in case we get some soaking rain/puddles.
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All the details on the Jog-A-Thon site:
http://www.qaeptsa.org/jog-a-thon.html

The weather was perfect on Friday for what turned out to be an amazing Jog-A-Thon! with many changes to the district budget, the PTSA was counting on $40,000 in donations, just to maintain our level of support staff and other essential programs. Our Jog-A-Thon saw students focused on their running goals as they reached out to friends and family. Thanks to the generosity of QAE friends and family we exceeded our fundraising goals and had a record year! These contributions help support programs from tutoring to art to teacher training. 

Thanks to all the parents and families who helped organize and make the the Jog-A-Thon run smoothly. And to all those who were kind enough to donate. And especially to all the kids (and staff) who ran their hearts out! Our 5th graders worked extra hard: serving as running mentors, course monitors, water helpers, lap markers, and more. We saw students finding their own pace, encouraging one another, recovering from setbacks, and celebrating goals hard-won.

We also couldn't have done it without the generous donations from these local business who believe in support our community:

Some photos from the Jog-A-Thon below! If you have any others you'd like to share, please send to communciations@qaeptsa.org

It's Sunday... Take 5-10 minutes TODAY to help your student register with PledgeStar, our new Jog-A-Thon online fundraising platform. It's SO slick and easy.

Each student who has signed up and entered email addresses to request pledges from friends and family by Tuesday, Sept. 20th will receive a cool QAE prize later this week! It's going to be fun to see these prizes clipped onto backpacks and in kids' hands. Don't miss out!

It's easy and will only take a couple minutes:
http://pledgestar.com/qae

Questions? Visit the PTSA Jog-A-Thon page or email jogathon@qaeptsa.org

Now that the school year is up and running (zing!), it's time for the annual QAE Jog-A-Thon. The kids will be doing laps on Friday, Sept. 30th at the lovely Queen Anne Elementary. It's our only kid-powered fundraising event of the year and it's a ton of fun for everyone involved.

New this year: Families will be able to reach out to friends and loved ones through an online system called PledgeStar. Each student will have a private online page (only accessible using your unique private link) where friends and family can learn about our amazing school and how they can encourage the student’s Jog-A-Thon efforts. The system makes it easy to ask and easy to give.

Getting pledges before the event is serious business, but the day of will be fun. Every student at QAE, the teachers, and staff and a bunch of parent volunteers will be out there moving - there will be music, snacks & drinks, some friendly competition, prizes and a lot of fun and enthusiasm!

Learn more about the Jog-A-Thon and set up your student's personalized page. 

The students had a blast running laps in the rain for the Jog-a-Thon! A big thank you to all of the volunteers who put their time and energy into making this event such a huge success! For those of you who sponsored a runner, your financial support enables us to fund our music program as well as other vital PTSA programs for our students - if your employer sponsors a matching program, increase your impact by requesting a matching gift today! Thank you!

We are grateful for your support - what a great way to Blast Off into the school year!

QAE PTSA

Come by tomorrow to cheer on our runners as they Blast Off to raise funds for our beloved school. The Jog-a-Thon will kick-off at 1:00 and will end at around 3:30 after a performance by Ms. Stone. You can find your classroom run time on the updated schedule below. Please remember to return your sponsorship form tomorrow morning if you haven't already (extra forms can be downloaded here). Our financial goal is $125 or more per student, but our other very important goal is 100% participation – every sponsorship form and every student who contributes an effort counts! Funds raised through the Jog-a-Thon will help pay for our music program and other vital PTSA programs!

Schedule – Day of the Event  (Rain or Shine!)
1:00-1:15pm - Kick-off  (All grades on playground)
1:15-1:40pm - Kindergarten, Ms. Diller's Class, Ms. Kiley's Class
1:50-2:20pm - Ms. Meck's Class, Ms. Smith's Class, 2nd Grade
2:30-3:10pm - 3rd-5th Grades
3:15-3:30pm - Celebrate (with a performance by Ms. Stone) and go back to class

Thank you for your generous support!
Kristi Barnes & Karen Lonergan 
QAE PTSA Jog-a-Thon

One more week until our kids Blast Off for the 2014 Jog-a-Thon! Students should start getting their sponsorship packets ready to turn in next week, Monday, October 13 - Friday, October 17 (the earlier in the week, the better). To reduce the amount of cash at the school, we ask that you encourage sponsors to donate by check (payable to QAE PTSA) or PayPal. Prizes will be awarded to the classes with the most participation, students with the most sponsors, students who run the most laps, and students who raise the most dollars. Thank you to everyone who as has already donated and shared the link to Sponsor a Runner - your support is greatly appreciated!

Schedule – Day of the Event - Rain or Shine! Wear Running Shoes!

• • 1:00-1:15pm        Kick-off  (All grades on playground)
    
  • 1:15-1:40pm        Kindergarten, Ms. Diller's Class, Ms. Kiley's Class
  • 1:50-2:20pm        Ms. Meck's Class, Ms. Smith's Class, 2nd Grade
  • 2:30-3:10pm       3rd-5th Grades
  • 3:15-3:30pm        Celebrate and go back to class

Thank you for your support! 
Kristi Barnes & Karen Lonergan 
QAE PTSA Jog-a-Thon

QAE's only kid-powered fundraising event of the year is coming soon!!  To find out more about the day, sponsoring and how you can help out click here.

Thank you!
Kristi Barnes & Karen Lonergan
Jog-A-Thon organizers