| Ok, the title of this article might be a little | | | | their children, what terminology is being used, and |
| misleading, because, of course, we want to raise | | | | the logic behind the approach. Armed with this |
| as much money as we can for school programs | | | | knowledge, parents are better able to help their |
| in 2009. But, hear me out on the zero dollar part. | | | | students with homework, but they are also more |
| I have been very interested, as have many | | | | likely to get involved in the overall educational |
| others, in the historical developments surrounding | | | | process, which could even include volunteerism or |
| Barack Obama and his journey to the White | | | | financial donations. (Personally, I wonder if the |
| House. I'm not only intrigued by the political and | | | | Commander-in-chief will be attending multiplication |
| policy aspects, but I'm also curious about his | | | | night.) |
| personal story. | | | | I believe that there is a profound impact that a |
| So, I was naturally drawn to the news | | | | healthy school spirt has on a school's fundraising |
| surrounding the Obama's decision to send their | | | | success. Any type of activity that gets parents |
| daughters to a private school in Washington DC. I | | | | into the school and engaged with their child's |
| have no problem with this decision; I was the | | | | educational experience will have similar results. |
| principal of a private elementary school myself, so | | | | These math nights don't cost the school much. |
| I respect the decision the Obamas made on this | | | | I'm sure the teachers are volunteering their time, |
| particular question. | | | | which is valuable, I admit, but budget-wise, I'm |
| The school they choose is called Sidwell Friends. | | | | sure the events are negligible. Maybe some coffee |
| This particular school has a history of presidential | | | | and cookies? But the long-term benefits for the |
| children attending. Both Amy Carter and Chelsea | | | | school are huge. |
| Clinton were enrolled there, for instance. I wanted | | | | I mentioned this idea of math night to one of my |
| to learn more about why this school attracted | | | | own child's teachers, and she said that she had |
| such an elite student body, so I recently visited | | | | worked in another district that did the same thing. |
| their website. | | | | So, I'm guessing that these math nights go on all |
| Of course, with a tuition approaching $30,000 per | | | | over the country, I just hadn't come across the |
| year, the school can afford to provide a superior | | | | idea myself until now. |
| education in many areas. When I started thinking | | | | But this is what I would like to hear from you, the |
| about this, I was immediately a little jealous. I tried | | | | readers of this blog. Are you involved at a school |
| to think about everything I could have done at | | | | that has done something that has provided a |
| my school with that kind of a budget. But then I | | | | great value but has had very little or no cost at |
| started to wonder about all the things that Sidwell | | | | all? What can we learn from your experience? |
| does that don't cost any money, but still add to a | | | | Please send me a comment below so we can talk |
| sense of excellence there. | | | | about this question. |
| For example, I read on the Sidwell website that | | | | There's that old expression, "A penny saved is a |
| they are hosting a series of one night seminars | | | | penny earned." When it comes to school |
| for parents of enrolled students called "Math | | | | fundraising, this mindset could be a great one to |
| Classes for Parents". There's a night for addition, | | | | adopt in the coming year. |
| one for subtraction, and one each for multiplication | | | | How can we accomplish our goals without having |
| and division. The purpose of these evenings is to | | | | to work so hard at fundraising? |
| explain to parents how math is being taught to | | | | |