On your mark, get set, go!
Students at Thomas Prince School (TPS) are familiar with these commands as this will be the third year they’re participating in the annual fundraising Boosterthon Fun Run to be held at the school on October 12.
According to its website the Boosterthon Fun Run company is the number one fundraiser for America’s top elementary schools, serving 1.8 million students and 2,800 schools in the 2018-19 school year. The company helps facilitate the fundraiser by setting up the track for the students to run laps around and provides online support for students and their families to gather pledges.
The TPS Parent Teacher Association (PTA) hopes to reach the $18,000 goal set this year to be raised via donations.
“Because this is our primary fundraiser we try to raise most of our annual budget through this exciting event,” says PTA Chair Lindsay Lucarelli, whose two sons attend the school. “The entire school community looks forward to it. It’s fun-filled with amazing efforts to highlight character, citizenship, and community.”
Allocation of the funds raised through the Boosterthon event are dispersed amongst the K to 8 student body.
“We work closely with the school administration and teachers to ensure the money is spent on technology, classroom resources, school spirit and identity, and enrichment programs that complement the curriculum for the entire student population,” Lucarelli says.
Last year’s Boostherthon funding was spent on making technology investments in the school’s communications center, and the purchase of two Chrome carts with Chromebooks. It was also used to develop a Warrior identity for the students. The new Warrior logo appears on TPS spirit t-shirts made available to every student each year at no cost through company sponsors. The logo is also painted in the cafeteria, installed on the gym floor, and has recently been installed on the side entryway that serves as the school’s primary entrance.
“This year the current PTA board is continuing to foster the school spirit and strong sense of identity of school pride and school community, along with the need to leverage the “A” and “T” in our STEAM curriculum,” Lucarelli says. “In addition, we’re committed to the continuation of resources in the art department and propelling the music department.”
Lucarelli says that after this year’s Boostherthon the PTA hopes to fund three additional Chrome carts, which will ensure that every classroom in every grade level at TPS has tablet and Chrome cart technology available.
“It’s a lofty goal, but one that we feel is imperative to leverage our entire K to 8 student body to be on par with the technological standards of today’s learning environments,” Lucarelli says.
The PTA also wants to continue to bring in engaging enrichment programs for the students. As such, PTA members are working closely to plan the school’s enrichment programs for the entire school year.
“We want to have interactive programming to bring the science part of our curriculum alive in the minds and eyes of our students,” Lucarelli says.
About 30 percent of TPS students come from neighboring towns throughout the Wachusett Regional School District and beyond. The success of the TPS Boosterthon has inspired other schools in the district, such as Houghton Elementary School in Sterling, to adopt the fundraiser.
“Parents like this fundraiser, and teachers like it because they’re not burdened by administering it. They look to the PTA as a partner to keep the school’s technology and resources on par with the classroom operational standards that make students great learners,” Lucarelli says.
Local business sponsors from the five towns in the school district have stepped up to support the TPS PTA.
“In turn, our TPS families notice and work to support our local sponsors,” she says. “When the holidays come around, I know I have personally gone to our local sponsors to purchase gift cards for the teachers rather than going to a big box store. We all appreciate each other and believe in the 360-degree relationship that makes this entire district unique and nurturing.”
Lucarelli says she enjoys helping to organize events such as the Boosterthon and other PTA happenings because of the community spirit that springs from it, from both inside the school amongst teachers and students as well as beyond the school to the outside community.
“This fundraiser is truly a celebration of wellness, academics, and character in individuals and as a collective community.”
For more information, follow ‘Princeton PTA’ on Facebook or email tpsprincetonpta@gmail.com.