An army of PLFASA volunteers have been hard at work planning senior events, building community, and supporting our students, teachers and staff. In November, we will start helping with LASA’s recruitment efforts and application process to bring in new Raptors for next year. Here are a few notes about what we’ve been working on. Thanks to everyone who donated to PFLASA’s No Hassle Fundraiser, we have the financial resources to get it done!
This coming week is Bus Driver Appreciation Week. PFLASA will be showing our appreciation by handing out cards and treats to our hardworking bus drivers. Remind your kids to thank their bus driver. They work hard to get our kids to and from school safely.
In November, PFLASA will be organizing our annual Giving Thanks Pie event where parents donate lots of pies, and teachers and staff can come choose their favorite to take home for the fall break. Sign up to bring a pie (or two!). A SignUpGenius form will be coming out in a few weeks for this. It will contain information and signup options to accommodate various dietary restrictions. Teachers and staff absolutely LOVE this event.
Many PFLASA volunteers have been hard at work planning, booking, and getting contracts lined up for end-of-year events including Senior Salute, Project Graduation, and Coffeehouse. These events all happen at the end of May, but planning starts in the fall. These are all big events that require a lot of planning, hard work, and volunteer time and talent. Coffeehouse is LASA’s yearly music and talent festival – three hours packed with amazing student entertainment. It is quite the show! Senior Salute is the ceremony where our graduating seniors receive their hard-earned Magnet Endorsements. Project Graduation is the senior lock-in on the night of graduation where our graduating seniors go to have a blast with their friends and more importantly stay safe on graduation night (one of the deadliest nights of the year for teenage drivers).
Project Graduation is such a large event that it has its own supplemental fundraiser — the Project Graduation Auction — which raises funds specifically earmarked to help make Project Graduation a success. Historically, close to 100% of our seniors participate, and we would like to keep it that way by continuing to make it an awesomely fun event. The Project Graduation auction team is still accepting donations. So if you have any items like gift cards, experiences, or really cool objects that you would like to contribute, now’s the time. The Auction will open on Friday, November 7th. Get ready to bid on some great stuff!
Master Classes and Great Gatherings have begun in earnest. Master Classes are zoom-based mini-lectures that anyone can sign up for to learn about anything from Yoga to College Admissions, to how AI works. Great Gatherings are fun, community-building, micro-events like happy hours, crafting, special tasting sessions, and other group activities where folks can meet other LASA parents and have lots of fun. Some are grade-specific, and some are for all grades. Both the Master Classes and the Great Gatherings are fundraisers for PFLASA. Tickets for Master Classes and Great Gatherings can be purchased in the PFLASA online store (https://pflasa.org/store/).
The first Master Class was this past Thursday and was well-attended. “Inside the Admissions office” had great info about how to get ready to be able to tell a good story on your college application. Lots of great Master Classes are coming up. Registrations close at 10pm the night before the class, so make sure to register before the deadline.
Did you know that PFLASA organizes the after school science study groups and provides tutors to answer questions and help students at those study sessions? Students who need extra help in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics can attend after school study group sessions to get the help that they need. Did you know that PFLASA also provides subsidies for AP testing fees? PFLASA’s Raising Healthy Raptors committee also hosted a timely talk this past Sunday about “Supporting Students Through Academic Stress.” These are just a few of the many ways in which PFLASA directly supports our students in their academic pursuits.
PFLASA helps to recruit each new generation of Raptors and mentor them through the application process. We’ll be on-hand at Showcase (Thursday, November 13th from 6-8pm) to answer parent and student questions. PFLASA also provides a meal for the teachers who come in on their off-time to help out. Showcase is our open-house for prospective parents and students. Help get the word out! We also mentor students through the application process, including outreach sessions at Title 1 schools and zoom-based sessions to help any prospective student with their application essays. Volunteer training sessions are coming up soon. If you are interested, please fill out this form. Contact Emily Robson at mentoring@pflasa.org with questions.
All of this is only possible because of the heroic efforts of our amazing No Hassle Fundraiser team, from which a large portion of our funds come. I know you’ve heard it before, but I’d like to say it again… Thank you to all of the folks who donated and contributed to making this year’s No Hassle Fundraiser such a success. Your money is hard at work improving the LASA experience for everyone.
– Angela Graveline, PFLASA Vice President