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Dear Murch Families,

What makes Murch Elementary one of the finest elementary schools in the city? Reasons why Murch is so desirable have to include superior educators, fine facilities, and the commitment of every adult in our community to the educational success of all of our students.

The Murch Home and School Association (HSA/PTA) brings families and educators together to identify ways that additional funding can significantly enhance the learning environment that Murch offers our kids. The HSA’s Support Our School (SOS) Campaign raises funds to employ personnel assisting teachers in the classroom as well as other initiatives that benefit students from Pre-K to 5th grade.

This year, your SOS contributions will pay the salaries of six classroom instructional aides (twice what the HSA funded last year). Instructional aides provide an extra set of hands in the classroom, allowing teachers to maximize lesson time and small group instruction. Four recess attendants are provided to supervise student recreation daily so that teachers can meet with their peers, make midday curriculum adjustments, and eat lunch. In addition, innovation grants to teachers, field trips, programs like Peer Mediation and Responsive Classroom, and specialized materials for resource teachers are funded by your SOS campaign donation.

Without the voluntary, tax-deductible contributions given by Murch families and their employers, our children will not benefit from the additional staff and support the HSA deems critical. The total HSA personnel and educational support budgeted this year is $200,000, and with your generous support we can raise all of the money by the end of October’s Support Our School Month. This expense, the lion’s share of our total budget, is paid for by contributions in this fiscal year. Thus SOS 2011 is our most decisive fundraiser of the year.

To achieve our need while contributing equitably, we ask each family to contribute $355 for each child at Murch. If your family has the means, will you please contribute more? If you are unable to contribute the suggested amount, please consider a different amount to help reach our goal of 100% participation. No contribution is too small, and participation has its benefits: a sense of community. Also, let us know if your employer has a matching program so we can help you tap additional resources for the benefit of our students.

Please take a moment now to make your contribution. An easy way is to go online at www.murchschool.org and click Support for the link to the credit card donor form. If you prefer, please complete the blue form and return it to us with your check by mail in the enclosed envelope, or save a stamp and drop the form and check made out to “Murch HSA” in the specially marked SOS box located next to the school library. We would like to hear from all families by October 31. For more information, please contact us. Thank you for your steadfast support of our school!