Hickory PTA Roundup

November 2024

Hickory PTA Roundup November 2024

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From the PTA President

As we head into November, I want to express my gratitude to our Hickory volunteers, donors, and community partners who have supported the PTA so far. It is with a lot of help that we’re able to provide enrichment programs and free community events for all of our Hounds and their families.


This month, we will launch our annual Direct Donation fundraising campaign, aiming to raise $22,000. While this is a significant goal, I am confident that, with the generosity of our community partners and our dedicated Hound families, we can achieve it. As most of our returning families know this is our first of two fundraisers this year. Our Direct Donations funds our expenses through the spring when we launch our second fundraiser of the year, Jog-a-thon.


Overall, we aim to fundraise $93,600 to support all of our programs. Once again, that seems like a big number - but with 850 students and 98 faculty and staff, that’s less than $100 per person that we’re trying to raise. In the spirit of giving and gratitude, we hope that every family can contribute, no matter the amount. We appreciate all donations, big or small!


With Gratitude,

Amy Brownstone

Calendar at a Glance

November 5, 2024: Make-up picture day

November 11, 2024: No School

November 14, 2024: PTA Board Meeting

November 25-29, 2024: No School

Direct Donation Campaign

This month we kick off our Direct Donation fundraising campaign. This is our annual Fall fundraiser and supports all PTA enrichment programs and community events through the winter. Our goal this year is $22,000 in Hickory donations, corporate matching, and community partner donations. Thank you to the Hounds that have already donated this year:

How can you make your donation? The easiest way to make your donation is by visiting hickorypta.net/donations and clicking on the yellow “Donate Now” button. If you prefer to donate by check, you can drop one off in the front office. Please make all checks payable to Hickory PTA.


How can your donation have more of an impact? Employers may match donations dollar for dollar! Check with your employer or HR department to see if they offer a donation matching program. All matching donations should be issued to Hickory PTA. Please email fundraising@hickorypta.net for our Tax ID.


How can my business support Hickory? This year all corporate donations will be recognized with every Direct Donation social media post and our November, December, and January Hickory PTA newsletter. Let the Hickory community know your business supports our Hounds!

Movie Night Recap

We were blown away by how many Hounds, families, and friends attended our annual Movie Night! It was a treat to watch Inside Out 2 on such a big screen under the stars. Thank you to all attendees for supporting our 5th grade committee with concessions and Wetzel’s Pretzel purchases. Wetzel’s generously donated $122 towards 5th grade programs. Thank you to our 5th grade committee and parents for volunteering your time to run the concession stand and clean up after the event. Thank you to Movie Night Chair, Amy Brownstone for planning the event.

Red Ribbon Week Recap

Thank you to our Red Ribbon Week Chair, Deputy Sheriff Brittany Fraser, for planning Hickory's Red Ribbon Week activities for our Hickory Hounds. The Red Ribbon Campaign is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of young people during Red Ribbon Week, October 23rd - October 31st each year. We'd also like to thank Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi for providing our students with Red Ribbon Week bookmarks which were available to students in the Hickory Library.

Fund Photos Fundraiser

Support Hickory Elementary PTA through our photo fundraiser with Fund Photos! There are still slots available in November 2024 for a classic family photo session in the South Bay.

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For $50 (plus a processing fee), each family or group of up to 6 people will receive a 15 minute portrait session and 2 digital images of their choice and Hickory PTA receives a $50 donation!


Additional digital images and prints available for purchase.


BOOK YOUR SESSION:

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/0d47938e/appointment/65130862?appointmentTypeIds[]=65130862

Yearbooks ON SALE NOW

Yearbooks are now ON SALE, earlier than ever before! The price is just $20 and will remain so until Jan. 13, 2025 (when it will go up to $24). Don’t forget and don’t fret - just purchase one today! You can also upload photos for a chance to be featured in the yearbook. Currently collecting photos for: Back to School, Skechers Walk, Halloween, H.O.U.N.D. Awards, Restaurant Fundraisers, and more! Contact Sunny at yearbook@hickorypta.net for questions.


BUY NOW: https://link.entourageyearbooks.com/my/HickoryPTAYearbook

Reflections Update

We had a record 112 entries in all six categories for Reflections this year! Winners will be announced in November. Let’s wish all our participants good luck and thank you to everyone who submitted an art entry!

Library Update

It's been a month since the library started. Checkout for class libraries will end the week of November 12th. When returning books, please place them in the class library box or the library box in the office. A book fair will be held from December 9th to 13th. Regular class libraries will resume in January.

Adventures in Art: Project 1

Adventures in Art is a volunteer run and PTA funded fine arts program that provides 5 projects to all our students each year. Last month our volunteer docents attended their first workshop and have started teaching Project #1: Proud as a Peacock to all of our students.


If you are interested in volunteering as an AIA helper for one of our amazing docents, please contact your child's teacher for more information or email aia@hickorypta.net. Please make sure to include your name, best contact information and teacher’s name.


If you would like to donate to our program, here is our Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/27T9KGNR30M3Q?ref_=wl_share

5th Grade Committee

Thank you to Amy Brownstone, Felicia Chen, Xindy Holliday, Keri Kaba-Dien, Amanda Kirsch, Diana Limón, Robert Orinion, Carol Shin, and the 5th graders for running the movie night concessions stand! We would still love for more parents to join our 5th Grade Committee! We’ll be working throughout the year on fundraising and planning 5th grade exclusive events. If you’re interested, please email 5th Grade Committee Chair Amy Brownstone at yay5thgrade@hickorypta.net.

PTA Committees Need You!

All Hickory PTA programs rely on volunteers for planning and executing. The following committees are looking for volunteers to serve:


Direct Donation: Our Direct Donation campaign runs through December 31, 2024. We need volunteers to help plan Giving Tuesday and the prize structure.


Honorary Service Awards: Each year, Torrance PTAs recognize outstanding volunteers within our community for their service to children and youth. This committee identifies deserving individuals, presents the awards, and coordinates with the Torrance Council of PTAs. This committee will be forming in October to present awards in January.


Nomination Committee: This committee will seek candidates to serve on the Hickory PTA Executive Board for the 2025-2026 school year. The committee will be elected at the December 2024 Association Meeting.


Winter Festival Committee: The Hickory Carnival/Festival is one of our largest community events for students, families, and neighbors. We need multiple volunteers for various subcommittees, including games/prizes, entertainment, silent auction/raffle, food trucks, and arts & crafts. This committee will begin meeting in October, with the event tentatively scheduled for February.


Please email volunteers@hickorypta.net for more information. Thank you for considering volunteering!

Fundraising Updates

Hof's Hut Fundraiser

Thank you to everyone who dined at Hof’s Hut during our October restaurant fundraiser days. We received a donation from Hof’s for $699.65!


Membership:

Did you know...PTA membership is open to everybody: parents, students, teachers, staff, relatives, community supporters, and local businesses! It's a great way to support Hickory PTA and be a part of making decisions and voting on what matters to you! Please help us to meet our membership goal of 425 Hickory PTA Members by renewing or joining for the 2024-2025 school year.


Join online today: https://jointotem.com/ca/torrance/hickory-pta.

Volunteers

We welcome any amount of time and effort that you have to offer! Our school events, programs and activities would not be possible without our amazing volunteers.


Please fill out this volunteer interest form and email Hickory PTA Volunteer coordinator at volunteers@hickorypta.net if you have any questions.

Ralph's Donation Program

Support Hickory just by shopping at Ralph's supermarket! Enroll in Ralph's Community Contribution program and automatically donate every time you shop.


1. Visit https://www.ralphs.com/i/community/community-contribution-program


2. Search for Hickory PTA or find "Hickory Elementary School PTA" (organization number: VF854).


3. Make sure to press Save or Enroll... It's that easy!


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