Give to Grow

Hello to All Red Oak Families, 

Welcome all new and returning families to the 2024-2025 school year! We hope this summer was amazing and you are ready for the transition back to school. We are excited to focus on the future and what we can do for our staff, students, parents, and families! We know this letter is lengthy, but we promise it’s packed with important information, so please take a few minutes to read it in its entirety.


With the support and guidance of our district Superintendent Mrs. Anais Wenn and school Principal Mrs. Jackie Longo, who are working diligently to guide us towards our educational goals, Red Oak Parent Faculty Association (PFA) has strengthened our relationship with Oak Park Education Foundation (OPEF) to provide financial support to many of the costly positions and programs that enhance our elementary schools educational experience.


We ask you to GIVE because while a public education is free, an enriched public education is not. The quality of education our students receive to GROW relies upon additional funding. This year the PFA will continue “enriching the enrichment” of our students, school and staff. If you want to understand more about OPEF and PFA, please review our Guide To Understanding OPEF and PFA/PTAs. The PFA, together with OPEF encourages you to participate in financially supporting BOTH organizations.


We are excited about advancing our relationship with OPEF as they strive to provide a great and successful elementary school year and presence in the district. Please consider contributing to Oak Park Education Foundation. CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OPEF.


Red Oak PFA will continue to fund programs that your student directly benefits from, such as; Art Trek program, Innovation Lab/Stem program supplies, music curriculum support, BrainPop and IXL educational resources, physical education and recess equipment, art and music supplies, classroom school supplies and materials for students and teachers, Run Club, and various PFA funded events (i.e. Trunk or Treat, Jog-a-thon, school dance, and many more).


Donations to Red Oak PFA will be some of the most important fundraisers to meeting our goals. We hope you will see the value of investing in your child’s education and the programs we support. Every donation counts, so please give what you can. If you are able to donate at a higher level, thank you in advance for your generosity! For more information about Red Oak PFA, please browse our WEBPAGE.  Donations are tax-deductible as permitted by law, please consult with a tax advisor. Red Oak PFA Tax Id: 95-4422443.


Red Oak PFA offers a variety of ways to make donations and/or payments. Credit card payments can be made within the Parent Square Post by clicking the “Pay Now” Button (may be located at the top or bottom of the post depending on the viewing device; i.e. mobile, tablet, computer, etc). We also accept Personal Checks made payable to “Red Oak PFA”; please include details of payment (student name, donation, etc) in the memo. Credit Card payments and Personal Checks will be accepted at Registration Day on August 1st. Checks may also be dropped off in the school office anytime throughout the school year.


We also offer a 5-month installment plan for those wishing to break down their credit card payments for Give to Grow and classroom supply donations, and PFA membership fees. Please CLICK HERE for INSTALLMENT PLAN SIGN UP.

 

Give to Grow Donation

We feel the inclusion of a bit of “Red Oak Swag” should be an added benefit of donating. All donations above $250 will include a Red Oak beach towel. Also, all donation levels will include our Red Oak car magnet. As always, the PFA appreciates your support at any level. This school year our suggested donation is $250 Rattler Level donation (per family). At this level, students will get 1 car magnet and a towel. We also offer a variety of other donation amounts:


Classroom Supplies Donation

Please consider a suggested donation of $75 per student for classroom school supplies. In an effort to streamline and simplify the school supply process, the three Oak Park USD elementary school parent organizations have come together to offer a single program for school supply acquisition. We are able to order in bulk and prevent parents from feeling they need to go on the grueling shopping search to purchase supplies. For more information CLICK HERE. 


Red Oak PFA Membership

Join today with a $15 Annual Membership Fee. The Red Oak PFA is comprised of people just like you that want to be involved in your child's school and education. We are all volunteers. We assist the principal, teachers, staff and students through our efforts. As a general member, you will also be able to vote on ongoing topics, on the PFA budget for the school year, as well as the slate of officers for the following year's governing board.


Corporate Matching

Many companies offer Corporate Matching and will match their employees charitable donations dollar-for-dollar. This gives a boost to our fundraising efforts by raising thousands of extra dollars for our school. Please CLICK HERE for more information and a list of companies we already know match. Inquire with your employer HR department to ask if your donations are eligible for matching. When requesting a match, please make sure you select, Red Oak Parent Faculty Association.

 

We thank all the families in advance for Give to Grow and classroom supply donations, PFA memberships, and corporate matching efforts. Throughout the school year you will receive weekly newsletters posts from the Weekly Rattler. This weekly communication is provided by the Red Oak PFA and will always have the most up-to-date happenings!


Red Oak PFA Volunteers

We are a non-profit organization that is thrilled when new Volunteers want to join our efforts. Throughout the year, we will post volunteer opportunities to help with events, fundraisers, etc.  You can also join us for our monthly PFA meetings which are held every 3rd Friday (dates can change). We look forward to getting to know you all and having you join in any meetings or opportunities to connect with Red Oak and its families!



All in-classroom volunteer opportunities will be announced by classroom teachers, typically at Back-to-School night. This includes but is not limited to; room parents, in-classroom volunteers, copy room volunteers, etc.  


2024-2025 Red Oak Yearbook Information

The Yearbook Committee will post information in Parent Square and the Weekly Rattler in mid/late August with details about how to purchase a yearbook. Yearbooks are no longer included in give to grow donations because they will be purchased directly from the vendor website. Please direct any questions to roesyearbook@gmail.com.


Thank you for supporting Red Oak Elementary, PFA, OPEF, and our students!


Warmest Regards and Much Appreciation,


Red Oak PFA and President Heshanthi Federer

redoakpfa@gmail.com


In order to deliver a high-quality program for our students, we depend on voluntary donations from parents. Please know, however, that ALL students will receive the same opportunities, experiences, and/or materials regardless of whether a contribution is made. Please also know that if we do not raise the anticipated amount set aside for the budget this year, the supported programs will have to cut back on extra opportunities for our students in the future. For further information and legal references, you can visit this website: http://www.oakparkusd.org/donationsguidelines.