WRE PTA 2024-2025 Recommended PTA Disbursements

  

 

The 2024-2025 WRE PTA Disbursements Committee met numerous times over the past few months to gather and review input from both parents and staff in regards to disbursing funds raised from the very successful November 2023 WRE Auction. Many thanks to Mandy Collins, Lindsay Evans, and their auction committee for doing such an outstanding job. Thank you to the Disbursements Committee: Baylie DeJean (President), Genna Thomas (1st VP-Aide), Gloria Savatsky (Treasurer), Meredith Neff (4th VP), Mandy Collins & Lindsay Evans (Auction VP), and Diana Hunter (member-at-large) and Sarah Hefton (Chair) for all your time and consideration as we make the recommendation to our PTA general membership. Also, a huge thank you to Principal Stevens along with the staff for their input and guidance. A big thank you to parents for sending recommendations and ideas throughout this process. Thank you also to the generous WRE community for donating these funds to our school. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please contact Sarah Hefton at SarahHefton@hotmail.com.

 

One For All Fund

$26,000 will go toward paying for each student to attend field trips like the PTA One for All Fund has done for the previous 6 years. This money will cover field trip entrance fees and any other curriculum related costs. This money will also cover recorders for 4th graders and the skating curriculum in PE for upper-level grades. Additionally, PTA provides $50 for each 5th grade student that attends Sky Ranch.

 

Part Time Math and Reading Specialists

$60,000 will be allocated to continue to provide a part-time Math Specialist and part-time Reading Specialist at WRE. These content specialists are master-level teachers who work with the WRE Instructional Coach to assist and coach grade level teachers with planning, instructional practice, content, curriculum, and classroom environment. They also work with students on specific skills in small groups to help bring them up to grade level performance or to provide enrichment opportunities.

 

Iron Fence around Perimeter of the School

The Auction Raise the Paddle opportunity was to raise funds to replace the aging chain link fence around the school with a 6 foot iron fence.  This project was overwhelmingly supported by the community.  We are planning to spend $38,000 on this improvement to our school campus.  This fence will not only be an enhancement to the grounds, but most importantly, it will also strengthen safety and security to the playground area. 

 

Garden Staff Member

$30,000 will go toward providing a part-time Garden Specialist for year three in the WRE Learning Garden. The Garden Specialist will plan and teach lessons to all grade levels in the WRE Learning Garden. This person will manage the garden’s maintenance to ensure that it remains an excellent learning environment, organize community/parent volunteer opportunities in the garden and provide ongoing enrichment to our science program.

  

Enrichment Specialist

$30,000 will be allocated toward a part-time Enrichment Specialist at WRE. The Enrichment Specialist will work with all teachers and students at WRE to provide meaningful enrichment opportunities and enhance our STEM lab and programming. This specialist will work directly with teachers in planning engaging lesson plans, teach STEM lessons in our lab, and meet with small groups of students to provide higher-level academic enrichment opportunities. Additionally, the Enrichment Specialist will manage and coordinate WRE’s UIL+ competition teams for the 2024-2025 school year.

 

Staff Wish List - $400/Staff Member

$30,000 will be allocated to help teachers pay for classroom supplies throughout the year. This is a highly requested recommendation each year and we gladly set aside these funds to ease the burden of teachers paying out of pocket for supplies.

 

Front Entrance Outdoor Improvements

Plans have been developed to enhance the outdoor area at the front entrance.  $21,700 will be utilized to install turf, holly plants, landscape mix, and edging to the front entrance to provide a welcoming and beautiful front entrance to our school. 

 

Tutor

$20,000 will be allocated to continue to provide a part-time reading and math academic tutor at WRE. Our tutors work with students on specific skills in small intervention groups to help bring them up to grade level performance or to provide enrichment opportunities. 

 

Outdoor Tables/Benches/Trash Cans

As a part of the plans to improve the WRE campus, $20,000 be will used to replace aging outdoor tables, benches and provide additional trash cans.  This will include areas at the front of the school, in addition to the playground area. 

 

Staff Team Building

The heart of WRE are the 115 staff members that teach, serve and help our 1,000 students.  $8,000 will be used for staff team building events to further develop the WRE teamwork culture. 

 

WRE Care Closet

$7,500 will be allocated to maintaining a campus clothes closet and food pantry.  These funds are used to support our WRE community families with clothing and food assistance.

 

Teacher & Staff Continuing Education and Development

$7,500 will go toward teacher and staff development. As teachers attend conferences or continuing education programs, PTA would like to ease the financial burden. In order for a teacher or staff member to receive these funds, they will apply for “Teacher Development Grants” through the PTA.  Funds will also be available for speakers and special programming for staff meetings.

 

Seahawk Share Donation

$6,800 will be donated to our feeder Middle School and High School.  We will be donating $2,000 for Fresh Fruit Fridays, which provides fruit for students at LHHS.  $800 will be donated to the Wild for Cats Academic Booster Club, and $4,000 will be allocated to Lake Highlands Middle School. 

 

Classroom Instructional Fund

$6,500 will be allocated to the Instructional Fund. These dollars will be used to purchase materials, manipulative, books and items that enhance, enrich or support classroom and small group instruction. These materials are requested for shared used by WRE teachers and are managed by the Instructional Coach. 

 

School Supplies Assistance

There is an increasing need each year for school supplies for the first day of school for many WRE students. This fund of $6,000 will allow the PTA to purchase extra school supply kits so that each child in the classroom has a pack on the first day.

 

Subs during Parent/Teacher Conferences

$5,000 will go toward providing subs during parent/teacher conferences. In previous years, PTA paid for two conference day subs. Next school year, one of the conference days will be a student holiday, allowing teachers to meet with parents without needed a substitute in their classroom.

 

STEM Programming and Supplies

$5,000 will be allocated to STEM Programming to support and enrich curriculum and instruction in science and technology at WRE. These funds also provide “STEM Lab Field Trips” where classes come to the STEM Lab to learn from various outside organizations and programs, such as the Perot Museum, Dallas Arboretum, and Mad Science.

 

Scholarships

$4,000 is allocated for 2 scholarships given to 2025 graduating seniors (former WRE students). We are currently reviewing applications and the recipients and winners will be announced in May at the Senior Awards Ceremony at LHHS and announced in the Seahawker. The two scholarships are in memory and honor of Austin Silva and Julian Kampfshulte.

 

Grade Level Subscriptions

$2,500 will allow grade levels to purchase and share subscriptions to programs that support and enrich curriculum and instruction. These engaging programs include student favorites like Flocabulary and the live learning game show GIMKit, as well as Brain Pop Jr. and Generation Genius.

 

Grade Level Chair Scholarship

$2,500 will go to recognize the additional time/work of our Grade Level Chairs. This money will go to 9 Chairs (one per grade including PreK, Specials and SPED).

 

Garden Instructional Supplies

$1,000 has been allocated for WRE Garden needs over the course of the school year. Examples of garden needs are mulch, garden tools, compost, etc.

 

Outdoor Preschool Toys

We will purchase outdoor preschool toys such as tricycles, games, balls, and picnic tables in the amount of $1,000 to be used in the courtyard areas of WRE for our preschool students. 

 

Special Education Supplies

$1,000 will go toward our special education programs to provide supplies and fill any gaps in this program. This “scholarship” has been given to the department since 2017 and is in memory and honor of Griffin Shaw.

 

This recommendation will be voted on at the May 3rd PTA General Meeting at 8am.

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