As all of our Montessori families know, our teachers have been working hard to prepare the best distance learning option we can during the COVID19 pandemic. The Montessori philosophy traditionally places less emphasis on technology and more on hands-on work, in-person collaboration, and dynamic problem-solving; however in this current age, we’ve all been forced to be flexible and learn new ways of doing things. This includes how we engage our community of families and how we provide opportunities to support the school. Unfortunately, this year we will be unable to host our Annual Fall Carnival Fundraiser. In the past, this fundraiser provided the additional resources needed to offer students an exemplary Montessori education. In addition to cancelling our major fundraising source, we also have a new host of needs stemming from the pandemic. As a result and in response to the enthusiasm and support we felt from parents at the Town Hall meeting last month, we humbly announce the Montessori School of Flagstaff COVID Fundraising campaign.
COVID Fundraiser Goal
The goal of the fundraiser is to raise emergency funds to meet our COVID-related needs, including improving our technology infrastructure (maintenance, software, service, and memberships), providing computers for teacher and student use, and making COVID-related improvements to our campuses. The money raised during this campaign will not go into our general fund, but instead will be kept in a separate account for these COVID-specific needs. We want to assure potential donors that 100% of money raised will directly benefit the students, teachers and classrooms. We will be recording and making public our expenditure report, so that donors can see how the money has been spent. The items on our wishlist will benefit the school and its students for years to come.
After consulting with teachers regarding their individual needs, brainstorming what demands a potential in-person start would incur, and cataloguing our current technology resources, we have determined a goal of $33,120. Because the donations are contributing to improved distance learning in the coming weeks and an optimal in-person approach once the school reopens, we have set a deadline of September 4, 2020 to make your donation.
How to Donate
Families wishing to contribute have several ways to do so:
1. Mail or bring a check made out to Montessori School of Flagstaff to our Switzer Mesa campus at: 850 N. Locust Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
2. Send us your donation electronically via Zelle. Montessori School of Flagstaff is registered on Zelle with the following email address: donations@flagmontessori.com
Please fill out the attached donation form found by clicking here to inform us how much you’re pledging and by what means. Then mail, drop off or virtually transfer your gift. Please feel free to send information regarding our fundraising campaign to family, friends and neighbors who are interested in supporting your child’s education. We will be sending weekly updates of the progress made towards our goal until the close of the fundraising campaign on September 4th, 2020 at 3:30 PM.
Donor Appreciation
In order to thank our donors, we will be creating a permanent Donor Appreciation Wall at each of our four campuses. We have created giving categories with names that reflect the kind of person a Montessori education aims to inspire:
· Critical Thinker – up to $250 (Recognition on our Donation Newsletter)
· Creative Innovator — $250-$499 (Recognition on 1 campus Appreciation Wall)
· Citizen of the World — $500-$999 (Recognition on 2 campus Appreciation Walls)
· Life-Long Learner — $1000-$1999 (Recognition on 3 campus Appreciation Walls)
· Cosmic Explorer — $2000 -$2999 (Recognition on all 4 campus Appreciation Walls)
· Enlightened Visionary — $3000 and up (Recognition on all campus Appreciation Walls, a donor appreciation dinner with the school staff, and a free pass for one after school club per student for the 2020-2021 school year)
We recognize the pandemic has been hard on many families physically, emotionally and financially. More than ever we want to support our families in the best way we know how: providing a quality Montessori education to your children. We have never been through a situation that has required as much patience, flexibility, understanding and hard work from our parents, students and staff alike. We want to thank you in advance for your contribution to your child’s education.