FAQ
What/Who is HOPE?
HOPE is Hawthorn's Organization for Parents and Educators. It is a PTO for all parents/guardians who have students at the school. There are not fees to participate. We work to provide a better learning environment for the students and raise funds to help supplement the state income. Nobody is paid for their positions. It is run strictly off of volunteer hours. We do what we can to give what we can.
How can I help?
The best ways to find out how you can help is to attend a General HOPE meeting (they fall on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, see the meeting tab for additional information). There are also several events that offer volunteer opportunities, click on the volunteer tab or click on the Volunteer tab above. There are many things you can do to help at school, after school, or from home.
Can I bring my kids with me to volunteer?
Yes! In many cases children can come with you to help out. This is a school that has a lot of children in it, and we hope that your children will be comfortable being present and learn to follow school rules to the best of their ability while they are here. They are never too young to start learning the rules of respect and we have confidence that everyone will benefit from you coming to help out, even with your young ones.
What does a Room Parent do?
Room Parents help the teacher coordinate the classroom events, such as the Halloween Party, Christmas Service Project, Valentine Party, and Field Day in May. They also help with Teacher Appreciation week in May. Planning and communicating will be the majority of what a Room Parent does. How much time a Room Parent spends in the classroom will vary on how much support the teacher receives from other parents, but it is typical to plan on attending the events. Please click on this link to see room parent responsibilities and guidelines: Room Parent
Where does the fundraising money go to?
Money that HOPE collects from our fundraisers goes back into the school. There are some basic costs in running a fundraiser that must be covered, but HOPE donates money directly to the school to be used at their discretion. Last school year, they bought new computers, increasing how many mobile computer labs they have, and this year they were able to pay for a replacement to the wood chips under the playground. If you haven't stood on it yet, you need to! It is so soft and comfortable for playing.
Why do I need to volunteer 30 hours?
Our volunteer time is monetarily valuable. Hawthorn Academy receives grant money if we get enough volunteer time. The preceding Lead Director, Dr. Deborah Swensen has confirmed, "We have gotten materials for STAR tutoring - training materials, books for use in the program - because of the volunteer hours. Additionally, we were able to get our on-line math program grants for grades 6 - 9, reading K-3." Unfortunately, Dr. Swensen mentioned that when we don't get enough volunteer time we also lose grant donations. "...We did not get the grant for the work with kindergarten kids between sessions. I will still do this program, but we don't have grant funds to help us." That is money that could go elsewhere in our school if we had all our families volunteer their 30 hours for the year and/or enter the time that they have volunteered. It is also a great way to earn more from our fundraisers when families donate their time to help it succeed.
Why is it important to track my volunteer time in HelpCounter?
Our volunteer time is monetarily valuable. Hawthorn Academy receives grant money if we get enough volunteer time. The preceding Lead Director, Dr. Deborah Swensen has confirmed, "We have gotten materials for STAR tutoring - training materials, books for use in the program - because of the volunteer hours. Additionally, we were able to get our on-line math program grants for grades 6 - 9, reading K-3." Unfortunately, Dr. Swensen mentioned that when we don't get enough volunteer time we also lose grant donations. "...We did not get the grant for the work with kindergarten kids between sessions. I will still do this program, but we don't have grant funds to help us." That is money that could go elsewhere in our school if we had all our families volunteer their 30 hours for the year and/or enter the time that they have volunteered. It is also a great way to earn more from our fundraisers when families donate their time to help it succeed.
What are Box Top Dress Downs?
Box Tops are collected throughout the year as an ongoing fundraiser for the school. When a student turns in 10 to their teacher (or to the collection box at the North end of the Middle School hall) with all the defining information on it, they can have a day to dress in their choice of pants and a Hawthorn shirt. T-shirts are not allowed unless they are Hawthorn approved t-shirts. Box Top Dress Down Days fall on the last Friday of the month.