FF2010

Thanks for your interest in our Fall Festival!

Fall Festival 2010

 Friday, October 22nd

5:00-8:00 pm

sponsored by  Grace B. Luhrs University Elementary School

(with great support from the university community)

@ the Shippensburg University Student Activities Field

 (that's the area at the back of campus by the big parking lot, with the hockey rink, and all the sports fields/courts)

oh! the autumnal goodness!

carnival games*hay maze*free wagon rides*nature crafts*relay races*zip line*pocket fairy*good fortunes*adventures*science zone*good clean fun*scarecrow making*educational prizes*cupcake walk*bake sale

$5 wristband for unlimited games & adventures

$3 wristband for crafts

(gourd painting, leaf prints, cornhusk dolls, burlap embroidery & wood medallions)

Inexpensive & delicious food:  soups, BBQ sandwiches, baked potatoes, breadsticks, cocoa, and hot & cold cider

plus an extraordinary bake sale.

extra details you may be interested in:

*Our festival is only possible in its current form with the generous service of our GBLUES parents and so many university groups:  SU Education Association, Kappa Delta Psi, Alpha Phi Omega, the Human Communications classes of Felicia Shearer and Dr. D, the SU Adventure Club... Thank them when you see them!

*Scarecrows!  All Supplies will be ready for some fine scarecrow stuffing.  You can take one home for $5.

*Your $5 green wristband gets you full access to 15 carnival games and all of the activities.  Games earn tickets, which children can exchange at our prize store:  we have prepared great prizes, above the usual little plastic junky carnival fare:  donated books and games, craft kits, nature treasures, art and writing supplies, and (can't help it!) glowsticks.

*A $3 purple craft wristband allows one each of the 5 autumnal-themed craft offerings (they'll each have a unique hole punch to mark your participation).  Because of limited supplies, if you want to do multiples, you many only after purchasing a second wristband (just try to beat that price at any other festival!).  Making the crafts unlimited sometimes leads to more reckless work, and we want our carefully-prepared projects to be as special as possible. 

*Curious about the science zone?  This year, our mad scientists have prepared great learning adventures like making slime, a giant bubble, and mentos/coke rockets.  

*The adventure zone will train kids on rock climbing safety, and the zip line is run by certified belayers with child-sized harnesses generously loaned

*giveaways! Certificates to the Clymnasium, mums, and other decorations will be given to lucky attendees.  Watch for drawing tickets near the cashier's table.

*the pocket fairy and good fortune teller are exciting new additions this year:  be sure not to miss them!

Full menu and prices: coming soon!

Fall Festival Buttons!

Oh no!  I forgot to set a deadline.  So that I can order them in time, I need all button design submissions by Wednesday, October 6th.  Midnight, let's say, for you creative night owls ;).

a reminder of "what-the-hoot-the?" (Marian used to say this when she was 5 and I still think it's really funny), from the parent newsletter:

* FALL FESTIVAL BUTTONS! We will be selling small pin-on buttons featuring original student art this year.  Any student may submit (to the office) a 4” square two-dimensional artwork to be considered We will choose the 5 designs that best fit the Fall Festival’s autumnal theme, and print 40 of each design in a full-color limited edition button to sell for $1 each at Fall Fest.  Keep in mind that the finished products will be round and 1.25” diameter as you plan your design.  We’re all excited to be your collectors!

***edit****

I've received a few buttonly queries, and thought I'd answer them here on the off-chance that anyone's reading & has the same concerns.

Q1:  Does this mean that only the middle circle of 1.25” diameter of the design will show, so the design should focus on that area?

If so, why does the artwork need to be 4” square?

 

Or does it mean that you’ll be scaling down the designs?  Say, by a factor of 2 perhaps?

A1:  Hi, thanks for your button interest :).  I hope I can clarify.

The finished button will be 1.25" diameter, and show a scaled-down version of the entire artwork.  I rather arbitrarily asked for 4" submission, a size I have worked with before in making buttons from my children's artwork.  It's easy for me to work with:  I can scan the art & send to my button woman, who then scales it down for me.  It's hard for most young children to do fine work that might be appropriate for the size, but  their drawings look great on wee buttons when shrunk.  I have observed that starting with a smaller-than-standard 4" keeps kids thinking small, but also keeps them from adding the kind of detail that would be lost when miniaturized.

 

Q2:  Do you know if the teachers are telling kiddos about this or are we (as parents) to work with the kids/tell them about this?  I am happy to do the latter, but just wasn’t sure if they were working on it at school at all…  Thanks – hope you are having a (rainy) good day!

A2:   It's just a home project; there was some concern about the perils of competition, so I'm keeping it low-key.

Q3:  I hope that you are all doing well.

[My girls] are beginning to work on designs for the Fall Festival buttons. Should I give them a 4x4 square piece of paper that they fill in with their own design? Do they need to worry about the button being a circle?

I am deficient in artsy things and can't figure out how a 4x4 square turns into a button:)

Thank you!

A3:  I think that starting with a 4" square piece of paper is a great idea.  I'd suggest that they think of a rounded design, but their precision isn't necessary, and starting with a square will likely keep their design close to the desired parameters.    I have an excellent button gal who does quick graphic work, and will add margins as necessary.  I explained the 4" decision above; it's a bit arbitrary, but has worked for me in the past.

Fall Festival Bake Sale, 2010

Want to donate baked goods for the Fall Festival?  Bring your autumnal lovelies anytime Friday, October 22nd.  Items that can be wrapped individually (the committee will do this for you) often sell best, but there are exceptions (ie, muffins don't sell and whole pies do).  As with anything you bring to the school, please label accordingly if any item contains peanuts, tree nuts, or coconut.

Of course your goods will always be welcome, but we'd love you to sign up so we have a good idea of what to prepare for.  You may either sign up in the lobby, with Mrs. Howland or Tonya Green (bake sale mavens this year), or by commenting HERE.  Thank you!

for the September school newsletter

Welcome to the GBLUES PTO!  (everyone reading this is a member and we are delighted to include you).

I subtitled our new blog (gbluespto.blogspot.com) “Coordinating parent, teacher, and school efforts to nurture our really fantastic children,” and that’s what we do.  PTO funds field trips, camp, school programs, and family & teacher support, facilitates communication between teachers and parents, and occasionally puts on a pretty great party.  The first of those already happened:  thanks to all of you who came to the Back to School Picnic and brought fantastic food and good company.  We tried something new this year, and it was a great success (thank the Cornell family when you see them for their excellent coordinating).

Our next party:  October 22nd brings the Fall Festival, which is both good fun and brings in a little money, too.  You’ll be hearing plenty about Fall Festival in the coming weeks (how to help and why to be excited), but please mark your calendars, invite your best friends, and plan to COME for reliably good food, an excellent bake sale, and lots of autumnal-themed crafts, games, and activities for children.  It always makes my heart happy.  5-8 pm at the Student Activities Field on campus.

A regular thing: throughout the school year, please come to the school lobby at drop-off on First Fridays for coffee, treats, and a bit of a chat with other parents and teachers.  The PTO board meets after First Fridays, about 8:15 am, and all are welcome to attend that meeting.  We particularly hope that you will come to our general evening PTO meetings; the next one will be held on November ******** at **** in the multi-purpose room, in conjunction with a Math Fun Night for 3/4/5^th graders sponsored by Dr. Janice Minetola’s  elementary math methods course.  Childcare and an alternate activity will be provided for younger children.

And, inevitably: to pay for all of this goodness, PTO also fundraises.  Packets for our AGI sale will come home with your child on September 24^th, and we hope you will participate.  Each year, we get significant checks from  two “free”, simple fundraisers:  Boxtops for Education and Giant grocery store’s Bonus Cards; please turn in your boxtop and link your shopping cards each year to our school. 

Questions or comments?

Gbluespto@gmail.com

Gbluespto.blogspot.com

http://www.ship.edu/Labschool/PTO/PTO_Information/

Valerie Goates, currently coordinating

Fall Festival "Sign-ups"

 Michaux State Forest, the week of my First Fall Festival, November 2007

We are lucky to have many of our activities staffed by Shippensburg University students, who use our festival to fulfill class requirements, but we do need parent/grandparent/older sibling help as well.

**NOTE:  our current interpretation is that the new school volunteer regulations DO NOT apply to PTO events off-campus. You do not need clearances to volunteer for Fall Festival.**
Sheesh--thanks for taking away my excuses!

At our last PTO meeting, parents expressed that it would be useful to have sign ups available in places other than our lobby, particularly for parents (most of us!) that don't come in each day.  I hope this helps meet that need (suggestions welcome!).

I'll try to synch this sign up with the one in the lobby so both portray actual needs; you may sign up via a comment here, on the lobby board, or by e-mail to gbluespto@gmail.com.

THANK YOU!

Food Servers, 5:00-6:30
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Food Servers, 6:30-8:00
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Prize Table 5:00-6:30
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Prize Table 6:30-8:00
1.Lisa Johnston
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Food Cashier 5:00-6:30
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Arm Band Sellers 5:00-6:30
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Craft Cashier 5:00-6:30
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(plus!  the more the merrier.  And quicker.)

Upcoming: Fall Festival

The next big GBLUES PTO event is Fall Festival.  Resurrected 3 years ago after a decade's hiatus, Fall Festival is a GBLUES tradition that gets better every year as we finesse our vision and orchestration.  We do make a bit of money, and proceeds happily benefit the school camp fund, but Fall Festival is primarily a big party that you don't want to miss.

Mark your calendar with the basics:

Friday, October 22nd

5-8 pm

at the Student Activities Field on Shippensburg University Campus

Excellent food, carnival-style games, autumnal-themed crafts, and activities that in past years have included wagon rides, rock climbing, a science zone, a hay maze, and relay races.

How you can help:

We are lucky to get a lot of university student support, but we need the support of GBLUES parents in planning, donating baked goods and gently used games & books for the prize store, and working shifts that night, especially in the food and cashier lines.  More details will be coming home with your students in the next couple of weeks.

Ready to dive in?

3 ways:

(1) mornings:  Fall Festival planning meeting start this week!  All are invited to come Tuesday morning, 8 am, to the first official meeting in the school conference room.  We'll meet together for some overall planning, then split into Food and Activities Committees.

(2) evenings:  Fall Festival will be a main discussion topic at our first general PTO meeting on Thursday evening, 6:30 pm.  As an added attraction, the art room will be open for accompanying children to start work on Fall Festival decorations (materials & supervision provided).

(3) e-mail (gbluespto@gmail.com) or comment below:  

*ideas:  If you cannot make either meeting, please feel free to contact us with your ideas.  We're open to everything, but of course implementation will depend on volunteer availability--if you really believe in your idea, go ahead and offer to lead the charge!  

*willingness to help:  we'll be happy to find you a place to help before, during & after the event.  Many hands are needed, and it's a great way to meet other GBLUES parents.

 More information coming soon, but in the meantime:

photos from Fall Festival 2009:
(2 weeks & one Daylight Savings Time change earlier this year=warmer!)

A popular craft option:  acorn folk

acorn toss

small children's area

Prize table