Buffalo Ridge Elementary promotes literacy
by Carin Kirkegaard
Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE) is promoting literacy throughout the school and tying in a fundraising component through learning.
With budget cuts looming across the Douglas County School District, the parents from the parent/teacher organization, the Buffalo Ridge Educational Alliance (BREA), decided to be proactive and start raising money for the coming year with a spring fundraiser. Rather, than run another fundraiser selling items, the BREA decided to have the kids learn a little while raising money for their classrooms.
During the month of April BRE students will be asking family and friends to sponsor them in a Spelling Challenge. Each grade will be given an appropriate list of words along with some challenging words and will be asked to spell them during a school wide spelling test on April 24. Prior to the test, students will be acquiring pledges. For every word spelled correctly the pledged amount will go directly back into the classrooms at BRE. The BREA has a goal to raise $7,000.
“We as parents need do what we can to help our teachers, whether it is in the classroom or by fundraising so they can have what they need to start their year with. All the proceeds earned from the Spelling Challenge will go directly into the teacher’s start-up funds for the 2009-2010 school year,” said Tricia Wackerly, Spelling Challenge chair.
“The Spelling Challenge is a unique, yet very purposeful way of raising money, while focusing on academics,” commented BRE Principal, Ally Berggren.
In addition to the Spelling Challenge, BRE will promote literacy by having Dictionary Day, a day where students choose a word and come to school dressed as the definition of the word. A family night with a showing of “Akeelah and the Bee” will be an opportunity for families to return to school for a community event. The spring book fair – Lights, Camera Book Fair will also be held to give students the opportunity to stock up on summer reading.
