Ballard High School PTSA Direct Appeal

12/02/2019

$10K CHALLENGE MATCH THIS WEEK ONLY!

Three BHS families have generously agreed to match DOLLAR for DOLLAR every donation we receive this week up to $10,000!

That means you can DOUBLE your impact if you donate this week. But, we have to reach $10,000 in donations THIS WEEK or we lose the match!

We have raised just over $40,000 towards our goal of $100,000. Thank you! But less than ten percent of the BHS community has donated so far. Say what?! Let’s get that percentage up there and show our students and faculty that we value academics.

No amount is too big, no amount is too small, EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS.

DONATE HERE: http://www.ballardhighschoolptsa.org/donate

11/14/2018

Ballard High School PTSA Direct Appeal donations go to the BHS PTSA General Fund. where we try to use your dollar wisely. We think we do OK!

11/04/2018

Last Spring as part of the Ballard High School PTSA Grants Program, we gave the Science department $3100 for a new set of analytical balances. The ones they had were worn out and old. Barely working, they had to be handled with kid gloves just to keep them working.

What a nice surprise to find these thank you letters in the PTSA mailbox. Drafted by students and teacher who made this grant request, this makes the work we do in our Grants Program even more fulfilling.

Ballard High School Direct Appeal funds the Grants Program. Read more about Grants here: http://www.ballardhighschoolptsa.org/ballard-high-school-ptsa-grants/

11/03/2018

Wondering how the money raised in Direct Appeal is used? Read on and find out!

10/29/2018

Check your mail- Look for an envelope with "Ballard High School PTSA"
as the return address!

You should have received your 2017-2018 BHS Direct Appeal letter by now. Maybe it's sitting in a pile in the hallway, waiting to opened when you have a few minutes. Or, maybe its securely in the "To Do pile". Don't put it off too long! Go ahead and send in that donation today. Remember, any amount helps!

What's this all about? Are you wondering how you can help make an impact at Ballard High School? Requests for your funds can sure be tiring. But you can make an impact right now with your donation to Ballard High School PTSA Direct Appeal - Money For Academics.

10/11/2018

Direct Appeal- Money For Academics for 2018 will kick off soon!

Ballard High School PTSA Direct Appeal is the primary fundraiser used by the Ballard High School PTSA to raise funds in support of our mission to create an excellent educational environment for all Ballard High School students. It is a no-nonsense, no event to attend, direct mail and online ask for donations.

Direct Appeal raises funds that go toward the PTSA General Fund general expenses and operating costs, and in support of grants to BHS staff that are used to support the infrastructure and provide the tools required to provide the best education possible to our Ballard High School student population.

Soon, you will be getting mail from the Ballard High School PTSA. Don't throw this away! Open it, and donate what you can- remember, any amount helps! Check http://ballardhighschoolptsa.org/direct-appeal-program/ for more information, and to find examples of how we use money raised in Direct Appeal- Money For Academics

11/29/2017

We said a big "yes" to a grant request from our Library staff this Fall, for a huge collection of graphic novels. Another great use of your donations.

Graphic novels are a great way to supplement the existing English Language Arts curriculum and enrich, motivate, and encourage independent reading with high interest books. They enhance the BHS academic program by making it easier for low readers to access vocabulary with context clues and build confidence in reading. It will also support advanced readers by encouraging a different type of reading experience while modeling concise language usage.

Meryl Jaffe, an instructor at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, Online Division, and the author of several books on using comics in the classroom states, "pairing words and images give learning a boost by creating new memory pathways and association."

Ballard PTSA has committed to enhancing and expanding the reading culture at Ballard High School by purchasing graphic novels. These books will supplement the English curriculum and encourage independent reading. It will make it easier for ALL readers to access amazing stories and encourage a different type of reading experience. Pairing words and images gives everyone a boost by creating new memory pathways and associations. The books purchased will enrich, motivate and encourage for everyone at our school!
- TuesD Chambers, Teacher Librarian

Visit www.ballardhighschoolptsa.org/direct-appeal-program and donate today, so that we can supply the BHS Library with more of these wonderful materials!

11/24/2017

Botany and other science classes have good use for up close photography!

We could not resist saying yes to a grant request from the Science Department, for these super cool macro lenses that students can attach right on to their own phones. The Science teachers brought in a couple of them when they were presenting this grant request, and some us took super-close up photos of our fingertips with them! Such a good value, because they allow the student to use their own device, perform such a unique and cool task, and are very affordable.

Our Botany teacher says "Thank you so much for grant to buy macro lens for science students. Students can use them with any electronic device and take beautiful close up photos or plants or other organisms. These will be used across all science classes to learn more about the tiny world around us.".

You can help fund grants for great materials like this by donating to the Ballard High School PTSA Direct Appeal fundraiser at http://www.ballardhighschoolptsa.org/

11/22/2017

This Fall, your Ballard High School PTSA funded a grant, made by the World Language Department, to pay for college credits for World Language students. This means that these BHS students will receive college credit for their high school classes, giving them a nice advantage going into college. We love doing these targeted sorts of grants because of the high impact they provide, for a relatively small investment.

A couple weeks after we gave out that grant, we were so excited to find thank you letters from one of the World Language teachers, as well as a couple of the students that got these college credits paid as a result of this grant, and we thought we'd share them.

How gratifying it is to see such engagement from students and staff, just to know that your Direct Appeal donations are so appreciated.

You can help fund grants for great materials like this by donating to the Ballard High School PTSA Direct Appeal fundraiser at http://www.ballardhighschoolptsa.org/

11/18/2017

Students are able to get a more hands-on experience with replica primary sources. These resources really do bring history to life. The level of interest and engagement is exponentially higher than teaching with traditional work-sheets or textbook. This also allows students the opportunity to more authentically practice the skills of historical analysis. By engaging in this rigorous work, students are able to use these critical analysis skills well beyond high school to become savvy consumers of news, articulate debaters and thoughtful citizens of the world.

Your Ballard High School PTSA funded several of these primary source kits this last funding round, and we encouraged teachers to request more. What a great and wide impact for so many Ballard High School students!

You can help fund grants for great materials like this by donating to the Ballard High School PTSA Direct Appeal fundraiser at http://www.ballardhighschoolptsa.org/

11/14/2017

Makerspaces are emerging at many high schools and colleges as a different way to teach students the practical application of math and science. Definitions may vary, but in general, makerspaces are places for students to build things with their hands that combine technical and non-technical tools. Makerspaces are often considered a great way to expand interest in science and engineering in our youth because it helps students apply a hands-on application of science in a fun way.

The Ballard High School PTSA recently provided funding for equipping a makerspace in the Ballard High School Library. This is just the start, and more community help will be needed to make this a great resource for students. You can help fund activities like this by donating to the Ballard High School PTSA Direct Appeal fundraiser at http://www.ballardhighschoolptsa.org/

https://www.educationdive.com/news/the-future-of-many-school-libraries-is-anchored-to-makerspaces/445541/

A New Jersey media specialist says makerspaces have changed the face of libraries, and the Future Ready Librarians initiative aims to structure that transformation.

11/14/2017

Direct Appeal is the Fall and Winter fundraiser for the Ballard High School PTSA.

Are you curious about where the money you donate goes? Most of it goes to funding of grants to Ballard High School Staff. Here are a few examples of grants that we funded October 24th, 2017:
* $11,000 to the Science Department for brand-new microscopes with rechargeable batteries, a new set of laptops (and we threw in a cart for them too!), and super-cool macro lenses that Botany students can put on their phones–as well as other needed supplies
* $3,500 to the Special Education Department for new laptops, education assessments, and other supplies
* Over $3,500 to Health and Fitness for new weights and other items
Look here for more examples, and read more about Direct Appeal: