2023-2024’s Cascadia PTA “Fly High, Give Big” Red Envelope giving campaign will kick-off on Thursday, October 12. Students should receive their Red Envelopes in their school cubbies and families will have their first chance to return their envelopes during Curriculum Night that evening. This year’s giving campaign aims to raise $358,000 (or $747 per student) which amounts to 6-8% of this year’s school budget. Donations can be returned using the paper Red Envelope and donation form sent home or 100% online by using this donation form and online donation opportunity. Please return your envelopes by October 31, 2023.
As a thank you for your participation, students are entered into a weekly raffle to win prizes (like Lego kits, Squishmallows, glider kits, and more) and have the chance for the Cascadia Dragon to become their class pet (complete with short-term naming rights)!
All funds collected this year will be applied to this year’s school budget.
One frequently asked question is why the amount we are fundraising increased from last year. The district instituted BIG budget cuts in the spring of 2023. This meant $150,000 less in funding to Cascadia. The PTA is hoping to fill this gap in district funds so we can maintain the services we believe our kids need. This includes a full time librarian, a nurse, counselor, art, music, instrumental music for grade 5, garden and ilab and an assistant principal. We don’t see this as ‘cherry on top’ funding, we believe this level of staffing is needed for the school to run safely (i.e., enough adults in the building) and for our children to get the intellectual and creative stimulation that they need. Our school is not perfect but right now it offers quite a lot to our students, and we don’t want this to change.
