Home & School Association

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H&SA runs three general fundraisers each year in which the funds raised are used to pay for our programs, services, publications and communications, and to support the schools and community with our grants and awards. If you would like to help us with fundraising or to learn more, please email mlhsamember@gmail.com.

General Fundraisers

• Back to School Supplies
  • Let H&SA take care of your back-to-school supply shopping! Orders placed in the spring will be ready for your child to pick up the week before school begins. 
• Bake Sale
  • This is a bake sale like no other! Started in 1959 by 7th-grade moms who raised $150 for their library, today's bake sale is bigger and better than ever! Choose from a delicious assortment of appetizers, soups, dinners and desserts. Orders placed in September are created during workshops every day in October and delivered daily to your door.
• Portraits by the Lake
  • Treat your family to a professional photo session at beautiful Birchwood Lake! Choose from a wide variety of sizes and finishes, perfect for holiday cards or for hanging over the mantle. This event runs during 2 weekends selected in late September and early October when the autumn colors at the lake are beginning to peak. 
• Amazon Smile
  • Amazon Smile is a simple and automatic way to support our schools every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the same prices and selection as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the Home and School Association when you select it as your current charity.

Fundraisers for Specific Programs & Schools

• Wildwood Cultural Arts
  • For over a decade, Wildwood Cultural Arts has been able to bring artistically rich performances to each grade in Wildwood. Throughout the school year, the Wildwood Cultural Arts programs enrich the core curriculum with music, dance, performance, writing, storytelling and other art forms. The Cultural Arts program at Wildwood is funded entirely by our fall and spring fundraisers: Art to Remember, David's Cookies, and Paint-a-Block Workshop.
• Briarcliff Fundraisers
  • Briarcliff holds several fundraisers throughout the school year which go toward the 8th-grade trip, a true highlight from the Middle School years. Funds raised for the 8th-grade trip go to defray each individual child's cost and follow your child throughout 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Fundraisers include: Car Wash, Charleston Wrap and Kid Stuff (which funds all students).
• Box Tops
  • This is a simple program where families and members of the community work together to clip box tops and labels from hundreds of participating brands of food and non-food items. Earn cash for our schools through the everyday activities of buying groceries, shopping online, and making purchases with a credit card. Simply cut box tops off participating items and drop them off in the Wildwood lobby, the ML Library or ML Post Office. To learn more about the program, visit the Box Tops website.

H&SA is proud of its tradition of providing grants and awards to our schools and students. These items serve as extras that enrich the school experience for our children.

Principal's Wish List Grants

At the end of June, the H&SA gives our three public schools a check to be applied to that individual school’s particular "wish list" as approved by the Superintendent of Schools. The amount of the check depends on how successful our fundraising efforts have been throughout the year. These may be items that are needed but are outside of the regular school budget. Some past "Wish List" items have included lobby and guidance room furniture at MLHS, iPads, Chromebooks, robotics equipment and in-wall water filtration systems.

Scholarship Fund

Awarding financial scholarships to MLHS students wishing to continue their education has been a primary focus of H&SA from the beginning. In the past 13 years, the H&SA Scholarship Fund has helped nearly 60 students pursue their academic goals.   

Any MLHS seniors interested in learning more about applying for the H&SA Financial Aid Scholarships should contact the Guidance Department. All information is kept strictly confidential.

To those in the community, please consider making a tax-deductible donation directly to the H&SA Scholarship Fund. Your contribution, in any amount, will make a meaningful difference in helping MLHS seniors in financial need to continue their education after graduation. 

High School Volunteer Award

This award is presented annually to a high school junior who has exhibited the spirit of volunteerism and who has dedicated him/herself to helping others in need.

Project Graduation

Project Graduation is an all-night, alcohol and drug-free celebration for the MLHS graduating class. The event provides a fun-filled evening, with non-stop activities, food, and prizes. The H&SA is proud to support this event for our seniors with a generous grant every year.

Wildwood Art Room

Each year, the Wildwood art teacher selects three outstanding works of art created by students. These students are honored at the Wildwood Back to School Night, and their artwork is framed, mounted, or otherwise prepared for display in the Wildwood Art Gallery, located in the main hall near the office. H&SA supports the achievement of these students by paying for the professional framing of their artwork.

Programs

Throughout the year, H&SA sources assembly programs to augment curriculum and discuss current issues that affect our student and parent population. Programs are advertised via the Virtual Backpack and may take place at any time during the year. Previous Program topics have included, becoming a champion in both sports and life, fostering your child's emotional intelligence and improving teens success with social media.

Services

H&SA provides funds and or volunteers for the following: 

Wildwood

Art Show, Book Fair, Class Parents, Cultural Arts Program, Family Nights, Holiday Shopping Spree, Library Volunteers, Next is Briarcliff, PAC Representatives, Popcorn Fridays, School Supplies Fundraiser

Briarcliff

7th and 8th Grade Dances, 8th Grade Trip Fundraising, Book Fair, Completion Ceremony, Family Math Nights, Filed Day, Grade Coordinators, New Student Social, PAC Representatives, Pops Cafe

MLHS

College Admissions Panel Welcome Dinner, Freshman Orientation, Grade Coordinators, Graduation, NHS Reception, PAC Representatives, Recognition Events, "Thanks for Being You" Reception, Volunteer Awards

District Programs and Fundraisers

Bake Sale, Box Tops, Parents Appreciating Teachers and Staff Breakfast (PATS), Portraits by the Lake, Superintendent Brown Bag Lunch Discussions, Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

Wingman Program

Mountain Lakes School District is entering its third year of Wingman training for students in grades 4-12. The Wingman program is part of the Dylan's Wings of Change foundation, an organization created in memory of Dylan Hockley, a six year old who lost his life on December 14, 2012, at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Wingman refers to the "Butterfly Effect” -  how just small changes can accumulate with massive effect, like the flap of a butterfly’s wings. 

The Wingman program leverages peer to peer learning to encourage empathy, inclusion, and respect for one another. Students can apply to be Wingman Ambassadors and receive training to lead their peers in fun and engaging activities, with adequate adult supervision. The goal is for all students to feel a part of their school culture and to teach that kindness matters.