SOS Campaign

Staff Our School Month

September 7, 2007

Dear Murch Family,

Our children are enrolled in one of the best elementary schools in the city.  A key reason Murch excels is the additional staff hired with your financial support by our Home and School Association (HSA).  Your SOS contributions go directly to supporting the salaries of these additional staff members.

This year, we are employing six full-time classroom aides and a part-time guidance counselor aide, and funding a full-time reading specialist.  The reading specialist was increased to a full time position based on widespread support from the Murch community due to the impressive results of the program.

The total HSA personnel cost this year is $160,000.  Based on enrollment of 495 students this comes to $323 per student. 

The return on this investment is tremendous.  As Kindergarten teacher, Sarah Bickart explains, “the HSA-supported staff enables small group work in the class, one–on-one attention, and more productive and experiential classroom activities.  Ultimately, having aides enables the teachers to be more effective.”  

Without the collective contributions of Murch families, our children would not benefit from the additional staff we have long supported through voluntary, tax-deductible gifts.  Our goal is to raise the entire $160,000 by the end of October: Staff Our School Month.

We ask that you contribute at least $323 per child you have at Murch.

This may be too much for your family.  If so, we ask that you give what you can.  If your family can give beyond its share, we ask that you consider contributing enough for an additional child or two.

Like you, we believe DCPS should meet our school’s entire staffing needs, but we must meet our commitment to excellence today.

Please take a moment to make your contribution or pledge.  Fill out the blue reply form you received and return it to us by mail, in your child’s school folder, or by placing it in the Staff Our School box located next to the library.  Or contribute on-line via the PayPal Website below.

Federal Employees can contribute to Murch via the Combined Federal Campaign; the new number is CFC # 97151. All CFC donations are tax deductible. The campaign is from September 1-December 15. For more information go to http://www.opm.gov/cfc/ or talk to your agency CFC representative.

Please contribute to the Murch SOS and make a great investment in our children

Thank you very much,

Karen Beiley and Jennifer Closser

	Students at Murch	Personnel Fee	HSA Family Membership
	1 child	$323	$15
	2 children	$646
	3 children	$969
	4 children	$1292
	5 children	$1615