ALAPTO Newsletter - Spring 2024
Letter from ALAPTO
Aldo Families,
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Spring is in the air, and for some (of my kids) the countdown until summer break has started. I hope the school year has been full of exciting activities and opportunities for the students, with more yet to enjoy as warmer weather settles in.
I had an opportunity to teach a woodworking class to a group of middle schoolers this winter, and wanted to share some of the outcomes from that great experience with you. The students got to learn about and use a variety of tools and techniques from cutting to wood burning, and pouring epoxy. We built a backyard-getaway themed Yard Games Table for the Brown County Home Builders Association.
Because of their effort, the school received a total of $1250 in monetary donations, and a gift of 2 new woodworking tools valued over $1400!
This year, ALAPTO’s goals are:
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To ensure experiential learning is available to every student at Aldo
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To expand our fundraising skills
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To communicate clearly and frequently
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To load the school staff with appreciation
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To expand our diversity and inclusion
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To foster a sense of belonging in the families of Aldo by holding events that celebrate our community
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To earn a new bench for the playground through the TREX program
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To get more male role models involved
How are we doing? Let us know! Reach out at alaptofriends@gmail.com
The donations were used towards the table we built, and we will use remaining funds toward materials for our next class. That class will make items for use around the school. A big THANK YOU to all who participated and voted! We are already planning for next year’s contest.
I also wanted to thank some of our recent supporters and sponsors; Gallagher’s, Green Bay Packaging, and Capital Credit Union. With support from these organizations we are able to help fund more experiential learning opportunities for the students.
Robert Pries, President
ALAPTO
TREX Program
Plastic No Longer Needed!
Families! THANK YOU so much for your participation in our NexTrex Recycling challenge! We have met our goal of collecting 1,000 pounds of stretchy plastic to be recycled into a bench for our playground! We will be working on sorting and submitting our last load and ordering the bench for the spring.
It is always important to instill the value of recycling in our community, even at an early age. While we no longer need any extra support in bringing in plastic, we will continue to recycle small Ziplock bags from lunch and snack times to reinforce the habit for our students at school.
Thank you again for your support in keeping our planet a cleaner place for future generations to live! Continue to recycle these plastics by dropping them off at a local store that collects them, like Festival Foods, Fresh Thyme, Hyvee, Kohl’s, Metro Market, Meijer, Pick ‘n Save, Piggly Wiggly, or Save-a-Lot.
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Volunteers
Would you like to lend a hand? We need people to…
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Help in a classroom or field trip
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Help with events
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Help prepare for Exploratory Week in May
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Help with Legacy Day in June
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Help with our Letter Writing Campaign
If you can spare time or materials for any of these areas, please reach out to alaptovolunteers@gmail.com
ALAPTO Board Positions
We will have three open positions on the ALAPTO Board for the 2024-2025 school year:
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Fundraising Coordinator
This role is responsible for seeking out donations for Experiential Learning, and working closely with the Events coordinator to hold fundraising events throughout the year.
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Events Coordinator
This role is responsible for working closely with Facilities, the Treasurer, the Fundraising coordinator, and the Communications coordinator to set up and execute events for ALAPTO.
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Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator
This role is responsible for bringing awareness to Aldo’s diversity, to respectfully include everyone at ALAPTO events, and to target groups who need connection.
Upcoming Events
MARCH
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20th - 1:45 - 2:30PM Science Fair @ Aldo
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21st - Rock Your Socks day @ Aldo - donate $1 to Miracle League and wear mismatched or crazy socks to join the sock parade!
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22nd - 4:50PM Movie Night @ De Pere Cinema (Kung Fu Panda 4) - Tickets available after school and at the Science Fair
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25th - Spring Break week
APRIL
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12th - 5:30-9PM Trivia Night @ The Depot - $30 per ticket. Watch your email or follow our Facebook or Instagram for upcoming details.
MAY
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17th - 3:20-4PM Lemonade Stand on the Playground, provided by ALAPTO
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22nd - 3:00-9PM Pints for a Purpose @ Zambaldi - They will donate a portion of sales back to Aldo
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28th - Exploratories Week @ Aldo
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28th - 6PM concert
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30th - 6PM concert
JUNE
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1st - Sting Cancer walk (morning)
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1st - 11:00-2PM Legacy Day @ Aldo
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5th - 3:00-3:30 Popsicles on the Playground, provided by ALAPTO
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5th - 3:30-5PM Portfolio Night @ Aldo
Experiential Learning
ALAPTO provided the funds for our students to learn at the Building for Kids, Bubolz Nature Preserve, the Freedom House, and Barkhausen along with the younger kids holding their annual Friendship Feast and the older kids getting to go tubing and to a basketball game.
Shaking this all out in the budget, we are doing pretty good - as a quick overview, our funding gap is the space between the yearly experiential learning program costs and the actual fees collected from families. ALAPTO works throughout the year to fill that gap.
The funding gap has gone from about 37% in December to about 8% through generous donations from families & local businesses! We hope to meet the programming budget by the end of the school year.
Looking forward, we have so many more events for spring. See the Events calendar on page 2 for a rundown!
We hope we have provided you with the opportunity to make connections with other Aldo families at these events. If you haven’t paid your ELF yet, visit www.alapto.org/donations.
New Sponsorships
We are very excited to announce that we have received sponsorships this year! The sponsorships will be used to pay for admission and transportation to and from learning experiences for Aldo Leopold students.
We want to thank our sponsors and express our gratitude to those that made the sponsorships happen. We have many families that struggle to pay for the experiential learning program, and these donations ensure nobody is left out, no experiences need to be canceled, and no educators are paying out of pocket!
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Our sponsorship levels range from $125 to $5,000 and sponsors receive recognition in a variety of ways, from being listed on our t-shirts to an oversized silly check presentation! If you or someone you know is interested in supporting Experiential Learning and in a position to sponsor us, please check out https://www.alapto.org/donations.
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$125 – donor receives name and logo on all printed materials & t-shirts
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$250 – donor receives all of the above, plus name and logo listed on our website.
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$500 – donor receives all of the above, plus social media posts throughout the school year.
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$1,000 – donor receives all of the above, plus 10 tickets to our events
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$5,000 – donor receives all of the above, plus a check presentation
Community Building and Fundraising
Although the winter seemed short, it sure was cold. With only a few event cancellations due to weather, we still managed to have fun, build our Aldo community, and raise some money!
In December, we completed our Luna Coffee sale and got coffee to the families before the holidays! We had a Smart Cow night that raised a little bit despite the cold weather, and we had a Happy Joe’s restaurant night where they donated a percentage of their sales back to Aldo.
January’s weather was tricky, with our first annual ALAPTO Town Hall and Chili Cook Off being rescheduled and our sledding day canceled due to weather. Our Chili Cook Off was a success with lots of people attending, 9 yummy entries, and very full bellies by the end. Can’t wait for next year!
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Our Read-a-Thon was a hit! Our families and friends turned out with donations, and we crushed our fundraiser goal! The culmination of the Read-a-Thon was the Book Fair and then Literacy Night, which was jam-packed with our students showing off their literacy skills and spending some money buying new books, journals, and other doo-dads.
In February, Family Game Night had a respectable turnout. Lots of families played board games in the cafeteria and in the gym, parents and kids played the longest (*probably) game of line tag to ever be played. Chipotle Night was hopping, and after they donated back to Aldo, we surpassed our restaurant fundraising goal for the year (and nearly doubled what we raised last year in the same category)!
Thank you for catching up with us!
ALAPTO Newsletter - Winter 2023
Letter from ALAPTO
A sincere thank you for joining us at this year’s Fall Fest! We had an amazing turnout, and it was a great opportunity to meet more of our Aldo families. Participation in events like Fall Fest support ALAPTO’s goals of bringing together our Aldo community and making a positive financial impact on the school. Funds raised from events like this help bridge the gap between our budget for experiential learning costs and what is raised from ELF participation. We really appreciate that support, and look forward to seeing you at future events!
The ALAPTO board has a few new members this year, some familiar ones as well, but we still need a few more. ALAPTO is a group of parents,caregivers, and staff committed to supporting the students, staff, and community of Aldo Leopold. We have a variety of ways to get involved.
Volunteering for events and committees is a great way to help without requiring a significant commitment of your time.
This year, ALAPTO’s goals are:
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To ensure experiential learning is available to every student at Aldo
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To expand our fundraising skills
-
To communicate clearly and frequently
-
To load the school staff with appreciation
-
To expand our diversity and inclusion
-
To foster a sense of belonging in the families of Aldo by holding events that celebrate our community
-
To earn a new bench for the playground through the TREX program
-
To get more male role models involved
How are we doing? Let us know! Reach out at alaptofriends@gmail.com
We also have board roles to fill that are a bit more of a time commitment as we meet monthly, and have a direct impact on the financial success of ALAPTO. If you’ve ever wanted to get more involved with the school, these are great opportunities. Connect with us for more information via email at alaptofriends@gmail.com or stop by one of our tables at any event.
Finally, we want to give a hearty THANK YOU to all the people who have volunteered and assisted in making these events, and the day-to-day at school so successful. Many hands make light work!
Thank you for supporting the Aldo community!
Robert Pries, ALAPTO Board President
TREX Program
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Curbside recycling has its limits! Plastic bags and films are abundant, but they get stuck in the machinery at the materials recovery facility, so curbside recycling does not want them. Thankfully, there are other recycling programs like NexTrex, that turns these materials into benches and decking.
Aldo is participating in the NexTrex challenge to collect 1,000 lbs. of “stretchy” plastic before April – if we achieve this goal, we will qualify for a new bench for our playground. Last year we were SO CLOSE to the goal, and we know we can do it this year!
As of this writing, we have collected just over 500 pounds of plastic so far! Please continue to bring in your stretchy plastic. Donations are collected in large cardboard boxes outside the main office.
Volunteers
Would you like to lend a hand? We need people to…
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Help run games at the Winter Party
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Help set up for Literacy Night
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Help in a classroom or field trip
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Help set up for Family Game Night
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Help with Math Night in March
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Help with Family Movie Night in March
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Help with Trivia Night in April
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Help with Lemonade on the Playground in May
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Help prepare for Exploratory Week in May
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Help with Legacy Day in June
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Help with our Letter Writing Campaign
If you can spare time or materials for any of these areas, please reach out to alaptovolunteers@gmail.com
ALAPTO Board Positions
We have two open positions on the ALAPTO Board:
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Fundraising Chair (vacant)
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Treasurer (2024-2025 school year, training provided by current treasurer, Kristy Krautkramer)
We also have several subcommittees that need volunteers:
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Gardening Committee (Vacant)
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Events Committee (Chair Rosemary Kennedy)
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Diversity & Inclusion Committee (Chair Monet Bastia)
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Communications Committee (Chair Evie Saharsky)
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Staff Appreciation Committee (Chair Kristen Hanson)
Upcoming Events
December - January
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December 20, 2023: Here is an easy way for you to help raise money for experiential learning. Dine in, call in, or order on-line for carry out or delivery. Mention the fundraiser, present this flyer, or put in the online order comment box and Happy Joe’s will donate 20% of the sale.
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January 14, 2024: Winter Fun Day - details TBD
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January 16 - 25, 2024: Read-a-Thon Fundraiser - Combine your love of reading with your love of Aldo by participating in the Read-a-Thon!
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January 25, 2024: Literacy Night - To celebrate the culmination of the Read-a-Thon
Experiential Learning
ELF and ALAPTO - an Explainer
Parents, we know experiential learning is important to you because you chose to send your kids to Aldo Leopold Community School. One big difference between Aldo and other schools in the district is that our kids are movers and shakers; they are out and about a LOT!
What you might not know is that Aldo does not get money from the school district for experiential learning opportunities or for transportation to and from these outings! These trips are paid for by you, through the ELF (Experiential Learning Fee).
ALAPTO requests ELF contributions per student each year. With 100% of participation, we’d collect MORE than enough to pay for each year’s programming. The reality is that we collect, on average,only about 55% of the funds – sometimes people forget; other times, they simply don’t have the money. This results in a gap between the money we HAVE and the money we NEED.
ALAPTO’s mission is to ensure experiential education to every student at Aldo. So, how do we fill that gap and fulfill our mission? Easy (hah)! With a series of fundraisers and donations from our students’ families, alumni, and the community.
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Where does the money go?
Last school year, our experiential learning fund topped out at just over $40,000, but our planned programming for the year was budgeted for about $52,000, leaving the gap at about 23%. Although we did have to cancel a few plans, ALAPTO, together with the Aldo community, were able to fill the gap enough to provide admission and transportation for nearly 30 experiences!
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Reminders
Drop Off Reminders
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The crossing guard and pedestrians always have the right-of-way.
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Traffic on Eliza St & Emilie St do NOT have a stop sign.
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Don’t block intersections – if there isn’t room for you to turn into the drop-off lane, please wait.
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Keep your kids in your car in the RED ZONE.
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Let your kids out in the GREEN ZONE.
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Once your kid is out of the car, be patient. Pulling out to pass people almost always results in a near-miss! If you get bored, yell compliments out your window to the traffic attendants – they are all teachers volunteering their morning time to keep your kids safe!
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Help your kid out of the car, if needed, in the BLUE ZONE
Pick Up Guidelines
We stagger release times to avoid crowding at pickup times, but we do have the following suggestions:
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Arrive at the scheduled pick up time.
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Arrange for your child to walk to meet you a block or two away.
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Park a block or two away and walk to the school to pick them up.
Release times are based on an oldest sibling’s grade. All of your children are dismissed at the time designated for your oldest child.
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2:50 PM for students in kindergarten – 2nd grade
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3:00 PM for students in 3rd– 5th grade, and YMCA program students.
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3:10 PM for 6th – 8th
Students going to daycare are dismissed per arrangement (check your daycare if you aren’t sure)
Community Building and Fundraising
Autumn saw us through many back-to-school traditions of Aldo Leopold Community School – the Pool Party,
Back to School Night, our …on the Playground series, and of course, the kids’ favorite party: Fall Fest! During
this season, our fundraising efforts normally take a backseat to our community-building activities and back to
school celebrations (if we end up with money left over, though, all the better).
Although our Spooky Cider & Coffee on the Playground event in October was canceled due to weather, we had a
great turnout for Popsicles on the Playground! We appreciate so much those caretakers who took a few extra minutes after school to hang out, chit chat, and eat a popsicle. It really contributes to the sense of belonging for our new students and families.
Fall Fest was a huge hit! The turnout was nearly a thousand people, WAY up from last year! We are already pouring through feedback to start planning for next year – let’s hope next year the weather is cold!
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Pints for a Purpose at Zambaldi’s is a parent-favorite event and we always have a good time getting to know the other parents. This activity is great because it serves as a fundraiser AND a community-building activity! If you missed it, not
to fret - we will be holding another one in spring.
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The Luna Coffee fundraiser is underway right now! Make sure you order some Aldo Leopold blend coffee or cocoa from your student and contribute to experiential learning!
Thank you for catching up with us!
ALAPTO Newsletter - Fall 2023
Welcome Back!
We have so much to catch up on…
First thing’s first – we need you!
ALAPTO’s role is to ensure that the students and faculty at Aldo Leopold Community School can fulfill its vision of experiential learning. How do we do that? With volunteers, of course!
We have open seats on the board, and committees that could use some help. If you have interest, please email alaptofriends@gmail.com or visit https://www.alapto.org/volunteer
Open roles:
Fundraising/Grants Chair
Treasurer for 2024 (training provided)
Garden Committee
Second, get to know the events that we sponsor
*Tickets, registration, or fees required
Fall Fest* – an evening of fun and food (with a little bit of spookiness). Wear a costume!
Freedom Fridays* – We watch the kids; you get some freedom!
…on the Playground – Free treats on the playground after school!
Family Game Night – A night of strategy; interactive games with friends and family.
Family Movie Night – Watch a family-friendly movie with the kids or hang out with the adults.
Trivia Night - An evening for Aldo grownups to get together and have some fun.
Exploratory Week – The kids go beyond the classroom, engaging in special interest activities.
Legacy Day – The festival celebrating the end of another great year at Aldo.
Plastic Recycling Challenge - TREX Program
We got SO CLOSE to winning a bench for our playground during our last plastic drive!
Let’s try again! Bring in your plastic film packaging for donation – we will take care of weighing and delivering it all to our local partner for recycling. If we can collect 1,000 lbs. of plastic film before April, we will be gifted a cool bench for our playground!
Collect all the plastic bags, film wrap, bubble wrap, and any other “stretchy” plastic, clean all the food off of them, and leave them in our bin by the office.
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Bags: produce, ice, bread, plastic shopping bags
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Food packaging: Ziplocs, cereal bags, plastic overwrap
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Mailing material: Newspaper bags, bubble wrap, plastic mailers
For more info, visit https://nextrex.com
Dads!
We are hoping to get dads involved more this year. While we love all of our volunteers, we would love to see more men leading and volunteering! Please reach out to alaptofriends@gmail.com to learn more!
Aldo Family Businesses
Do you own or run your own small business? Would you like to be linked on the ALAPTO website so that other Aldo families can give you a call when they are in need? Visit the ALAPTO website at https://www.alapto.org/familybusinesses
Call for Nominations
Do you know an educator, principal, or building administrator who exhibits leadership in an awesome way? Consider nominating them for a Kohl Award, funded by the Herb Kohl Foundation.
The Principal Leadership Award recognizes the contributions of school building administrators, principals, assistant principals, administrative roles, and supervisory roles such as Dean of Students. Nominations are due October 3, 2023.
The Teacher Fellowship program recognizes teaching excellence and innovation in the classroom. Nominations are due October 3, 2023.
Recipients of the awards receive a $6,000 personal grant and a $6,000 matching grant for their school.
For nomination forms, see https://www.kohleducation.org
Box Tops 4 Education
The Box Top$ for Education program looks a little different – no longer do you need to cut apart your boxes, no longer do we need to enter little codes.
Download the app, add Aldo Leopold School, and click Scan with your receipt - app does all the rest! Order online? No problem! Click Scan to get your digital receipt counted.
This program has brought in over $15,000 to Aldo Leopold.
See https://www.boxtops4education.com/ for more info!
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