Harding Avenue Elementary PTA

Raising the Sign

2008-04-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Raising the Sign!
Did you know that Harding Avenue is the only elementary school in Blacksburg without a marquee? One of the PTA’s priorities for spring/summer is to help the school purchase and erect our own school sign for announcements. Two fundraising events will take place this spring to help raise the projected $4,000-$5,000 the sign will cost.

1) Fun Run: The Lightning Panthers, HAE’s Running Club, invites all students to participate in the Fun Run on Thursday, May 1, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at HAE’s track. Students will log laps by walking or running and raise money through pledges.

2) Spring Fling Basket Auction: New this year for Spring Fling will be a silent basket auction. Each grade is collecting items to create themed baskets, which will be auctioned during Spring Fling, Friday, May 23, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Thanks very much for your donations, and we hope you will engage in a little friendly bidding to make this a successful event.

The Big Event at HAE

2008-04-08T18:32:00.001-07:00

Under cloudy skies, the Big Event came to HAE on Saturday, April 5. Two groups from Virginia Tech, including a dance ensemble, were prepared to weed the gardens, mulch the beds, and rake the leaves. A Brownie Girl Scout Troop that included several HAE students planted pansies and mulched around the swing sets. An ambitious group of 8th graders did a lot of the heavy lifting, and several HAE families also participated. Students from Scholastic Painters spruced up the drab doors with bright colors. And after several hours of hard work, pizza and some play, the HAE gardens looked beautiful. Thanks to everyone!

Save the Date!

2008-02-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, March 26—Friday, April 4—Scholastic Book Fair
All funds raised from the PTA’s spring book fair are given to the school library, so plan to schedule your book shopping during this week.

Monday, April 14, 6:00 p.m.—HAE-VT Lacrosse Game Night
The Virginia Tech Women’s Lacrosse Team has invited our school community to attend their game vs. Duke. The team supports HAE by helping with some of our events, such as Fall Festival when they dress up in costumes and help with the games. They would love to see the kids, so plan to come out and support our team!

Friday, May 23, 6:00-8:00 p.m.—Spring Fling
Spring Fling continues to be a great HAE event, bringing many families to the school for a few hours of fun. In addition to regular activities such as the Moon Bounce, Obstacle Course, and Cake Walk, there will be a few new games, a great new prize and a special fundraiser—the Spring Basket Silent Auction.

Each classroom will be putting together a themed basket, such as “Summer Fun,” “Virginia Tech,” or “Game Night.” Money raised from this auction will go toward the purchase of a new HAE sign with marquee. Please keep an eye out for a request for an item to contribute to your child’s classroom basket and for other ways you might be able to help with Spring Fling.

Next Meeting: Monday, Feb. 11, 7:00 p.m.

2008-02-04T13:23:00.000-08:00

At our next general meeting, we will be welcoming guest speaker Michael S. Rosenzweig, co-founder of the non-profit community education organization SEEDS (Seek Education, Explore, DiScover). SEEDS provides discovery-oriented learning experiences in ecology and cultural awareness for very active and curious children. SEEDS offers after-school programs and summer field camps. Mike is also the director of the Science Outreach Program (SOuP), which supports K-12 outreach education and encourages the growth of K-12 participation in research. All are welcome to attend this presentation, and free child care is provided.

Next Meeting: Monday, Jan. 14

2008-01-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

Please join us for our monthly meeting on Monday, January 14. We will conduct a short business meeting from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Following this, Meggan Marshall and Carol Jennings, from SBO, will facilitate a discussion about the MCPS 6-year planning process. What are our existing strengths? What are our most promising opportunities? What are our hopes and aspirations? What are the specific results we want to achieve?

We will begin the session with an overview of the SACS standards, the visioning work done by the district’s leadership last spring, and the Commonwealth’s six-year plan requirements. Our discussions will be used to help develop goals for the Six-Year Plan. We want to hear from many voices, so all are welcome to attend and participate.

Free child care is provided.