Each PTA success is a building block that enables students, parents, and faculty and staff to reach even greater heights in subsequent years. We hope these highlights of 2005-2006 will remind everyone who is a part of the Newberry family what we can achieve together!

• About 100 parents were welcomed at the First Day Coffee in the Newberry Garden.


• We revamped the New to Newberry event in September 2005 to include ALL Newberry families and renamed it the Gold and Silver Fest. It was more like a carnival and it was tons of fun!


• The PTA sponsored a Hurricane Relief Fund and encouraged students to make donations to benefit children in the Gulf States. The Newberry Community raised $744.12 that was donated to Save the Children.


• The Annual Spring Benefit in March 2006 raised over $41,000. The funds raised at the Spring Benefit are used to enhance the educational experience for all our students in ways that go beyond the school budget.


• Our fabulous School Spirit Committee put together three great social events for kids - Fall Festival in October 2005 and for grades K-2; Movie Night for grades 3-5 offered student a chance to see "The Shaggy Dog" before it was released; and the Winter Dance in February 2006 for grades 6-8. PTA also supported the Student Council's Field Day - a fun-filled day at the end of the academic year which, in addition to many games and activities, gives Newberry students a chance to dunk their principal!


• Through Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), we provided three free books to every student to bring home and keep - a total of nearly 2,500 books.


• We sponsored the school yearbook. The PTA's contributions included funding to cover all upfront costs and parent volunteers to work in partnership with a student team to put together this project that the entire Newberry community cherishes.


• The faculty outdid themselves in supporting parent and family-initiated activities. They contributed regular columns in the Newsberry newsletter. Their classroom projects for the annual benefit brought in over $15,000. They participated on the PTA and LSC boards, joined monthly PTA meetings, were tremendous allies for the annual benefit committee, and played a key role in all kinds of special projects outside their classrooms schedules.


• We dressed more of our community in Newberry Apparel by decreasing prices!


• In 2006 the PTA brought back the populare Taste of Newberry - a potluck dinner which encourages ethnic dishes from the many cultures that make up our Newberry Community.


• At regular monthly meetings we invited speakers to introduce various topics including College Savings, Speaking to your Child about Sex and Other Important Topics, Bullying, Internet Safety, and High School Preparation.


• We introduced a new, easier-to-use Teacher Grant Program which gave teachers money to use in their own classrooms on items they felt were important in enriching our students educational experience.


• We thanked the outstanding faculty and administration with at the Annual Teacher Appreciation Luncheon in April 2004 that included a catered meal and highlighted specially made desserts from Newberry families.

Parent Zone

Committees

PTA : The Newberry PTA normally meets on the first Wednesday of each month, at either 2:30 P.M. 6:30 P.M. in the school library. Complimentary childcare for school-aged children is always available, and light refreshments are always served. Please plan to join us! See the calendar on this site for exact dates and meeting topics.

LSC: The Newberry Local School Council generally meets the Third Monday of each month, at 6:30 P.M. in the school library. Please plan to attend a meeting.

Magnet School Application

Want to apply to Newberry Academy? Need to apply to a Magnet High School? Prospective Newberry Parents can click on the link below to find out more about CPS Magnet School Programs and how to apply.

www.chicagomagnetprograms.org

Parents, we welcome your feedback and comments. Please feel free to send us your thoughts via our online feedback form.

Ongoing School Fundraising

The following programs are sponsored by Newberry Academy directly and are not PTA-related. Where PTA fundraising supports PTA-sponsored activities, the funds raised with these programs go directly to the school.

Target's "Take Charge of Education"  

Take Charge of Education, launched in April 1997, brings the Target tradition of giving to the heart of communities. Since the program was launched, Target has donated over $154 million through fundraising dollars, including more than $14.7 million during the recent September 2005 donation.

Through the Take Charge of Education program, Target donates an amount equal to 1% of REDcard(SM) (Target Visa and Target Card) purchases made at Target and Target.com, and 1/2% of Target Visa purchases made elsewhere. For some schools, that’s over $10,000 a year.

View the Totals for Newberry Academy

General Mills: Box Tops for Education And Campbell's Labels for Education

Both of these activities involve parents saving product labels or UPC codes from products as listed on sheets sent home at the beginning of the school year. Campbell’s allows the school to order items from a catalog, and the Box Tops program sends a check directly to the school. Product labels and UPC codes are collected in special drop boxes located outside the school office. This is a simple, cost-free way to support Newberry! Click on the logos below for more information regarding each of these programs.