Dragon Fire — Douglas Elementary PTA’s annual no-fuss fundraiser — runs this year from Nov. 1-30 and we’ve got our sights on raising $17,500! Your donations will go toward: maintaining our teacher grants, ongoing staff appreciation efforts, support for cultural arts programs, family nights, campus beautification, and new equipment and materials for our specials teachers.
And the best part is, since Dragon Fire is a no–fuss fundraiser, 100% of money raised goes right back to Douglas; no kids or parents selling coupon books, wrapping paper, raffle tickets, or magazines to family and friends.
Any amount you’re able to contribute makes a difference. The PTA pools these funds together to make a bigger impact than any of us can do alone. Increase your impact by asking your employer if they’ll match your donation (our tax ID is 56-1644792)!
Thank you in advance for supporting our mission of enhancing the educational experience of each and every student at Douglas Magnet Elementary!
Here’s a summary of what’s headed your way from the school — and the PTA!
It’s Spirit Week!
October marks Bullying Prevention Month. So far throughout October, Douglas has been not only raising awareness about bullying — but has also placed a strong emphasis on cultivating positive behaviors. In support of bully prevention, students can participate in a spirit week from October 23- 27.
KilwinsSpirit Night on Wednesday
Don’t forget: Head to Kilwins Raleigh between 4-9 p.m. on Wednesday for a sweet treat! Here are some tips:
Usually there’s a big crew of Douglas kids who head over right after school for a sweet treat and a hangout by the amphitheater.
Take a treat to-go for your child’s teacher(s).
Mention Douglas at checkout!
Also on Wednesday: Walk or Roll to School Day!
Have your walking shoes and helmets ready for Wednesday, October 25. Find a starting point in the neighborhood that works for you or join one of the two meet-ups happening:
Lakemont Pool: Meet at 8:25 a.m. and begin walking/rolling at 8:35 a.m. There will be a couple parent volunteers at the pool and stationed along the route. It’s approximately 0.6 mile walk with sidewalks the whole way.
Quail Hollow Pool: At 8:35 a.m., another parent volunteer will lead a group in a walk/roll to school.
Parents are encouraged to walk/roll with their children, if possible. If you’d like to volunteer to help support students along the way, please email Bette.
There will be a Pedestrian Safety Bingo page going home in folders this week. Students may return their completed Bingo to the office for a small prize or sticker (while supplies last)!
Need a little safety inspiration from our beloved Ms. Teressa? Watch her being interviewed in this Spectrum News 1 news piece from a few weeks ago!
The following event is not sponsored by the PTA, however, we would like to support a future Douglas Magnet Elementary Artists in Schools author.
Michael Beadle is a poet, author, and writer-in-residence living in Raleigh. Since 1999, he’s taught thousands of students in poetry and creative writing workshops and performed poetry at schools, churches, and festivals throughout North Carolina. A former journalist and English teacher, he is the author of 11 books, including the poetry collections What Makes a Giraffe Laugh?.January 8-12, Michael will come to Douglas Magnet Elementary School as part of an Artists in Schools poet residency for the third grade — funded in part by the PTA!
You can catch Michael sooner than that this coming Saturday, Oct. 21, 10:30 a.m. at Quail Ridge Books for a special, spooky Saturday morning storytime of Does Your Goblin Have a Problem?. You’ll take a trip with hungry mummies, glamorous ghosts, and mischievous monsters in this Halloween-inspired collection of rhyming poems written by Michael Beadle and illustrated by Arianne Hemlein. Meet Skeleton Jones, Cemetery Larry, the Shoeless Horseman and a cast of devilishly delightful characters who share thrills, chills and silly skills. These tales from the grave and beyond are sure to tingle the spine and tickle the funny bone for children of all ages.
From Apex to Zebulon and everywhere in between, The United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County (United Arts) partners with businesses, individuals, foundations, and government to reach over 1.2 million people across Wake County annually through its grants, programs, and events. United Arts, a nonprofit organization, has worked for more than 30 years to build a better community through the support of and advocacy for the arts.
Their flagship program,Artists in Schools, places professional teaching artists in K-12 schools for curriculum-based performances, workshops, and residencies. These programs help students learn to problem-solve, work together, and seek creative means toward common goals. Thanks to the Artists in Schools program, more than 130,000 Wake County school children experience arts programming in a school setting each year.
The United Arts Council awards noncompetitive grants to Wake County schools to help provide the Artists in Schools programs for staff and students. The funds support performances, writer residencies, and workshops that are geared toward the school curriculum. This year, Douglas has been awarded $1,800 in grant funds, with our PTA funding the balance of the costs to bring in several artists right to our wonderful school! This is just another reason why your PTA membership (only $12!) and donations (tax deductible!) are critical to bringing a broad range of talented artists in the disciplines of visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, and interdisciplinary arts to our deserving students.
Our first artist arrived on campus on Wednesday, Oct. 11. Didgeridoo Down Under. The Didgeridoo Down Under (DDU) Show is an energetic fusion of Australian music, culture, comedy, character building, anti-bullying, storytelling and audience participation. The didgeridoo has been played by Aboriginal Australians for at least 1,500 years, and is known for its otherworldly sound. During the show, DDU performer Rob Thomas played a variety of exotic didgeridoos and worldly percussion instruments, demonstrating various playing styles and upbeat rhythms. Rob also uses a multitude of props — puppets, artifacts, artwork, motivational signs and more — to deliver educational lessons and empowering messages. The program was very participatory, and several segments involved students playing instruments, dancing or acting out a story. DDU motivated our students to appreciate world music and art, respect multiculturalism and diversity, get excited about learning and reading, think creatively and imaginatively, act with kindness and acceptance, stand up against bullying, protect the environment, and become better global citizens. The DDU Show was interactive, educational, motivational and super fun for all ages!
Stay tuned for more United Arts Council programming throughout the year! There will be an additional performance, a writer residency for the third-grade classes, and a fifth-grade art project — all scheduled after January.
If you’ve been part of the Douglas family for a little while, you may remember our monthly enewsletter called The Dragoneer. Due to volunteer constraints and communication reorganization school-wide, we were discontinued that publication in the 2022-23 school year. Instead, we began to incorporate weekly announcements in Principal Faison-Bullock’s Sunday email as well as update the PTA community via our Facebook page. Knowing that not everyone is on Facebook, this year we’re taking a blog-first approach to communicating our updates. If there is something new to report, we’ll still incorporate updates in Principal Faison-Bullock’s weekly email and on Facebook — but we’ll be utilizing this space more than we have in previous years. The best way to stay informed of PTA happenings is by subscribing to our blog at douglaspta.com! On the upper right corner of our website, enter your email address and you’ll receive notifications of new PTA blog posts via your inbox or the Reader app.
With that said, here’s a summary of what’s headed your way from the PTA!
PTA General MeetingSlideshow
In case you missed the PTA General Meeting at the Back-to-School Open House, here’s a link to our slideshow. It’s never too late to join the PTA (it’s only $12 per family for the year and there are no volunteer requirements of members!). Membership simply shows your support and keeps you in the loop for volunteer opportunities, if you’re interested! Click here to join the PTA.
October 9-15: Quail Ridge Book Fair
Support Douglas Elementary October 9-15 at Quail Ridge Books! Just mention “Douglas Elementary School Book Fair” at checkout or use the coupon code “DOUGLAS1023” at online checkout. Quail Ridge Books will donate a portion of the sale to our wonderful school!
United Arts Artists in Schools Grant Awarded to Douglas, Plus Oct. 11 Didgeridoo Down Under Performance!
The United Arts Council awards noncompetitive grants to Wake County schools to help provide the Artists in Schools programs for staff and students. The funds support performances, writer residencies, and workshops that are geared towards school curriculum. Douglas has been awarded $1800 in grant funds, with our PTA funding the balance of the costs to bring in several artists.
Our first scheduled artist is Didgeridoo Down Under, a fusion of Australian music, culture, comedy, character building, anti-bullying, storytelling and audience participation. There will be two performances on October 11 for staff and students to enjoy!
There will be an additional performance, a writer residency for the third grade classes, and a fifth grade art project — all scheduled after January.
We’re entering the third week of the school 2023-34 calendar year and your PTA Board is rolling up our sleeves to:
Support children’s health, well-being, and educational success
Build strong parent, family and community involvement
Provide funds for teacher and classroom resources
Support school volunteers
Support our school’s Cultural Arts programs
and so much more — but we can’t do it without you! We pay for these initiatives and programs through membership fees and fundraisers.
Action Item #1: Join the PTA
First and foremost, if you haven’t already, please join the PTA! (There are no volunteer requirements of members. Membership simply shows your support, and keeps you in the loop for volunteer opportunities, if interested.) PTA membership supports vital programs at Douglas that enrich your child’s education and help our talented teachers deliver the best classroom experiences possible. We are dedicated to creating the kind of school community where children can thrive and teachers and administrators can do their best work. Just by paying your $12 membership fee (tip: you must renew every year!), you can make a difference. We understand that money can be an issue, and we don’t want this to be a barrier to joining the PTA. Please reach out to your child’s teacher and let them know that you are still interested in joining.
Action Item #2: Vote at the First PTA General Meeting
Secondly, we are ready to present our proposed budget for this school year to meet the needs and ambitions of the PTA’s planned programs and activities. You can view the proposed budget here. In addition, we also have a proposed slate of 2023-24 PTA Executive Board positions that will fill current vacancies. Scroll down further in that link and you’ll also see other committee and open role needs that we need your help with. We will formally present both the budget and proposed executive board slate on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the Open House Night and PTA General Meeting. We’ll need PTA members (see action item #1!) to vote on both of these items.
With your membership and support, our school can thrive. We’re looking forward to getting started together!
Usually there’s a big crew of Douglas kids who head over right after school for a sweet treat and a hangout by the amphitheater.
Take a treat to-go for your child’s teacher(s).
Mention Douglas at checkout!
douglaspta.com 