Report From Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 PTA - Participatory Budget Green Roof And Computer Carts Voting, Silent Auction Fundraiser And Amazon Shopping Supports The School

Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 PTA representative Erin Olavesen spoke during the March 2 Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Public Session. Ms Olavesen described the upcoming March 19 PS/IS 217 PTA Silent Auction,

Image From Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 PTA

PS/IS 217 Participatory budget projects (Green Roof and Computer Carts) and ways to support the school when shopping on Amazon..



Ms Olavesen adds:

Our families have been working on soliciting Silent Auction donations in our community, throughout Queens, as well as in Manhattan. All donations will be listed in our auction catalog, with the name of the company or individual who made the donation prominently displayed.

The catalog and a list of donors displayed at the auction will be viewed by hundreds of members of our school community and attendees at the auction. If anyone in the community is in a position to donate to our auction, please contact our auction committee at pta217auction@gmail.com.

Here's the link for the ticket portal. Folks can also pay admission at the door.

Also:

City Council Participatory Budget Voting dates finalized - SAT 3/26 - SUN 4/3 2016

There are 1 million dollars available for District 5 projects. Residents vote on which projects to fund at voting sites throughout the district. There are 14 projects, 2 for Roosevelt Island.
New this year, request your absentee ballot today and submit or mail in before April 2, 2016.

Computer Carts for 10 Schools Cost: $350,000

Description: 32 computers per cart for: PS77, PS198, PS290, PS/IS217, M225, Eleanor Roosevelt, Urban Academy, Vanguard, Manhattan Intl, & Life Sciences, serving over 5000 students.

STEM Green Roof for PS/IS 217 Cost: $500,000

Description: Finalize funding to build a STEM Green Roof atop PS/IS 217.

Transform 6,750 square feet of unused PS/IS 217 school roof into an outdoor learning hub for science, math, nutrition and the arts. Location: 645 Main Street (Roosevelt Island)

The STEM Green Roof total cost is 1.5M, $500,000 was won last year from PB 2015 and an additional $250,000 was awarded from Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer’s capital funds. PB 2016 is a tremendous opportunity to finalize the funding to transform 6,750 square feet of underutilized riverfront school roof into a Green STEM learning hub with views of Manhattan.
Spread the word and vote. Show our elected officials the island has a powerful voice.

SAVE THE DATES: Several opportunities to vote on or near the island.

Manhattan Park, 20 River Rd.
(During Egg Hunt)
SAT 3/26 | 11 am - 2 pm

F Train @ Roosevelt Island
TUES 3/29 | 4 - 7 pm

Tramway Plaza at 59th St.
WED 3/30 | 4 - 7 pm

PS/IS 217, 645 Main St.
THURS 3/31 | 7:30 - 10:30 am

Eligibility: Anyone living in District 5 (Roosevelt Island, Upper East Side,Midtown East) who is 14 years or older can vote. You don’t need to be a US citizen or a registered voter.

You can also vote in Ben Kallos’ District Office on Upper East Side - District Office, 244 East 93rd St. 3/28-4/1 (Mon-Friday) | 9 am - 6 pm
3/26-27 (Weekends) | 11 am - 5 pm
4/2-4/3 (Weekends) | 11 am - 5 pm

The PTA was so honored to have the overwhelming support of the entire community during the last Participatory Budget cycle, and we are hoping for a repeat this year.

and:

Help the PS/IS 217 PTA when you shop on Amazon!

Just click the unique link  BEFORE you add items to your Amazon shopping cart. Bookmark it! Share it with friends, family, and neighbors!

A few things to note:

• Order matters: You need to click the link first, shop, and check out. You have to click our link before you put anything in your cart. Items added to your cart without using the link do not earn money for the PTA.
• The clock matters: After clicking the link, you have 24 hours to check out for your purchase to count. If you leave the site, or 24 hours pass after clicking the link, you must enter again using the link for the 217 PTA to earn a percentage of the sale.
• One purchase per session: If you link, complete a purchase and then need to make another purchase, you have to link again.
• You won’t see anything that identifies you as a 217 shopper.
• The amount our school can earn ranges from 4% to 10% depending on what is purchased and how much is purchased. The more you shop, the more we earn.
• PS/IS 217 PTA does participate in Amazon Smile. Purchases through Amazon Smile earn 1⁄2 percent.
• PS/IS 217 PTA earned $3,000 from Amazon shopping in 2015.

The money the PTA is earning from Amazon shopping is steadily increasing as word spreads in the community about how to use the link and help the school. Amazon makes an amazing amount of money from our community from what I can tell when watching those Amazon boxes being delivered along Main Street each day. It would be great to get a percentage of that money back into our neighborhood and into our school.

Click here for more information on the Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 school and PTA.