Via Erin on the mailing list:

The kids at Beacon Hill International School (BHIS) need your help! As you all have heard, the Seattle Public School is facing some challenging times with their budget and many of our programs are being let go due to limited resources. Seventy-five percent of the students at BHIS are either on free or reduced lunch. Many of our families are bilingual and English is not their first language in the home. BHIS PTA pride itself on actively engaging communities and families to support and provide programs to our elementary kids that they would not otherwise have the opportunities to participate. For example, after school choir and cooking classes for the Kindergarteners.

You can help BHIS kids in several ways in your normal day-to-day purchases. The BHIS PTA funds many school extras such as the 4th grade music program, after school sports, and much more. There are many retailers who will make donations to BHIS PTA, with just a few simple steps taken by BHIS families and friends. Please share this information with grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors and other friends whose purchases may also be able to benefit your student’s school. You can start now and have your purchases benefit the school even over the summer time and then through next year!

Safeway Club Card
Log on to www.escrip.com and go to “Sign up” to register your Safeway Club Card number to benefit Beacon Hill Elementary PTA (8560956). You have the choice of registering 3 organizations, and if you do choose 3, then the donation made will be split between the 3, thus each would get just 1/3. If you’ve lost your club card you can call Safeway at 1-877-723-3929 to get your club card number using your phone number, and then enter your phone number at the store credit/debit machine to get your club card savings and earn a percentage for your school each time you shop. You can also register major credit cards with Escrip when you sign up. A percentage of all purchases made using your registered cards will be remitted to BHIS PTA, ranging from 1% to 3% depending on your shopping volume.

Office Depot
Use BHIS’s School ID #70107436 every time you make a purchase at Office Depot and a percentage of your purchase will be emitted to BHIS. This offer only works for purchases made at a store, and does not work for on-line orders.

Red Apple Grocery on Beacon Hill
Save and turn in all of your Red Apple receipts, and 1% will be donated to BHIS. The total donation by Red Apple to the school maxes out at $500 per year, but we have been far from achieving that goal for the past several years. We will be sure to let you know if we get there so you’ll know to stop saving receipts. This is only valid for receipts from the Hilltop Red Apple on Beacon Avenue. Be sure to keep saving receipts over the summer, and give it to Nancy Fujimoto at Beacon Hill International School, 2025 14th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144.

Box Tops for Education
Each Box Top for Education (the small pink symbol found on cereal, cracker, and other boxed products) is worth $0.10 to the school. If you’re buying products that have this symbol, please tear off the pink box top symbol and turn it in to Nancy Fujimoto at Beacon Hill International School, 2025 14th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144.

You can send your Red Apple receipts and Box Tops weekly or monthly – whenever they start to build up. Find a spot on the fridge or window sill to save them, and just staple or clip together. These are easy ways that your usual shopping habits can help earn money for our school without asking you to make any extra donations!! The PTA greatly appreciates your effort to take advantage of the opportunities above, so that your purchases can benefit BHIS kids through the programs funded by the PTA. Please also remember to share this information with friends or family who may be willing to do the same for BHIS.

Every penny you spend in your day to day purchases supports programs and services that help our kids reach their potential and build a stronger community. Thank you in advance for helping your school!

From Hazel (in response to a question from Quinton):

Yes, your donation is tax deductible. PTSAs are 501 c 3s

From Shelly, clarifying:

If you do choose to make a donation to BHIS, you should be clear on whether it is a donation to the school itself or the PTA at the school. It’s confusing, but they have their own individual tax ID numbers that are used for donation purposes. As current treasurer for the BHIS PTA, I’d be happy to answer any further questions regarding donations.

If you do have questions for Shelly, drop us a line and we’ll put you in touch.

Thanks Erin, Quinton, Hazel, and Shelly!