We're back at it

End-of-Year Giving Campaign

Thanks to your generosity we raised $66,630 from 70 families during our "One and Done" campaign this fall! Now that our newest families have been with us for a year and understand the importance of giving, they have asked for us to relaunch the campaign.

Please donate what you can:

You can pay all at once or in interest-free installments.

Want to donate a specific amount not listed above? Our website cannot handle that request, but you can still give any amount via a one-time donation or a recurring monthly donation at coloradogives.org.

Want to know your family's giving for the year? Email cochairs@polarispto.com.

1 1

Polaris Elementary PTO

One and Done: $700 per Student

$700.00 USD
$700.00 USD
Sale Sold out

You will need to "Add to cart" for each of your Polaris Students.



Your donation helps pay for a full-time social worker, paraprofessionals, student programming such as Electives, classroom supplies for teachers, staff appreciation activities, and much more!

Why We Need to Raise $700/Student

Polaris receives annual funding of $8,264/student, the lowest per student reimbursement rate in DPS, despite needing to fund more extensive supports for our HGT learners.

If our community wants to maintain many of the supports and enriching activities that our children rely on, the PTO needs families to donate an average of $700 per student to make up the gap in funding.

Your donations pay for:

Staff ($180,000)

  • A full-time social worker specifically trained in meeting the social-emotional needs of HGT children.
  • Paraprofessional staffing across all grade levels.

In-School Support ($26,000)

  • STEAM grants, classroom supplies for teachers, Friday electives, integrated fine arts and SEL programming, and more.

Staff Appreciation ($13,000)

  • Monthly meals, birthday gifts, Appreciation Week festivities, and more for all teachers and staff so you don't have to worry about it.

Overhead ($36,000)

  • Hosting the Auction, providing prizes and shirts for events like Read-a-thon, CMAS, and Field Day, sourcing Gear, coordinating volunteer events, and much more.

Why did we ask for it all at once?

Based on a survey last year that we recapped via email, 84% of our families preferred to donate the entire amount up front and never be asked for money again. To support that request, we launched an NPR-style campaign in August where we asked you to give early and 23% of our families gave. That early giving allowed us to eliminate the Colorado Gives campaign in December 2024. After a wildly successful Auction and reaching 68% of our Read-a-thon goal, we are on our way to hitting our annual target, but we need the support of 100% of our community.

Why does it cost so much?

We recognize that $700/student per year is a lot of money and may not be accessible for all of our families. If you cannot afford the full donation, we understand and appreciate your commitment to give what you can.

That said, we are confident that our collective community can come together to hit the target because you have told us that in-classroom supports and enrichment opportunities are vital to your HGT children's wellbeing, and coordinated teacher appreciation efforts and a centralized teacher supply fund help reduce your mental load.

To put the cost in perspective, $700 is:


Polaris strives to provide our HGT students with the wraparound services, in-classroom supports, and engaging opportunities that you simply cannot find in any other public school environment.

Our goal this year is to raise $265,000 with 100% family participation. No amount is too small.

Ongoing Smaller Fundraisers

Past Fundraisers

Best Party in Town

Auction

On Saturday, October 5th, the Polaris community came together in a stunning setting overlooking Colorado’s colorful Front Range to celebrate our students and their families with hors d'oeuvres, an open bar, music, and a silent and live auction! Check out the photos.

We are happy to announce that we raised $103,449 and counting! There are still share parties available. Join us if you can!

Reserve a Spot at a Share Party

Love of Reading Month: February 3-23

Read-a-thon

Our love of reading month was a great success!

The Scholastic book fair ran from 2/3 - 2/6 in the Auditorium and raised more than $2,700 for our library program.

Our students read up a storm during our Read-a-thon from 2/7 - 2/23, with over 265k minutes read and $40,563 raised for the PTO. Thanks for your dedication and generosity!

See Classroom Stats

Thank you to our generous Corporate Sponsors for the 24-25 school year!

Platinum

1 3

Gold

1 4

Silver

1 4

Polaris PTO is a parent-run, volunteer organization whose mission is to provide financial and volunteer support to Polaris Elementary School. 501(c)(3) EIN 27-0042254