Dear MES Parents,

The PTA is so excited to announce that the Boosterthon ‘Dolphin Dash’ will kick off on Monday, November 7th. Expect your student(s) to come home ready to gather pledges. By now, you've received a flyer outlining the fundraiser in the Wednesday take home folders. You can sign your student up today to start gathering pledges!

This is a long message but it has everything you need to know in one place, so please keep reading...

What: The Boosterthon Dolphin Dash is the number one fundraising event that the PTA operates at MES. This single event raises the money used to power most of the PTA’s initiatives each year (see details below). The kids will have an active part on helping raise funds for the school and will spend the next few days learning about gratitude, stewardship, bravery, perseverance, and wonder through the 7-day character-building program themed ‘Grand Land Adventure’. The program will conclude with the FUN RUN!

When: Now through Tuesday, November 15th!

• Pledging – From now through Tuesday, November 15^th 
• Fun Run- November 15^th - 8:00am-2:15pm (see grade level schedule below)

Where: Morningside at Inman Fields of Dreams located at 743 Virginia Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 (across from the Inman school building)

What do Parents Need to Do? The ‘Parent Action Steps’ are simple:

1.     Register your student on FUNRUN.COM. Your student(s) will receive a free gift just for being registered. Registration is open now!

2.     Reach out to sponsors (family and friends) anywhere in the world by sharing your pledge link. Sponsors can make a pledge per lap or a flat donation.

•  Please get your kids involved with this if you can, as it helps build engagement in the program and it’s great for them to understand that we’re doing all these activities to raise money for our wonderful school and the programs that they will benefit from.
•  A fun way to ask for pledges is to create a Student Star Video by uploading your student’s picture and sharing it on Facebook, through email, or text.

3.     Come cheer on your student at the ‘Dolphin Dash’ Fun Run on Tuesday, November 15th. All students are included in the Fun Run, regardless of financial participation. Fun Run Schedule:

• Kindergarten - 8;00 - 8:45
• 1st Grade - 10:00 - 10:45
• 2nd Grade - 12:30 - 1:15
• 3rd Grade - 9:00 - 9:45
• 4th Grade - 1:30 - 2:15
• 5th Grade - 11:30 - 12:15

Refresh me - how does it work again?

For those families who are new to MES, check out this “Boosterthon Overview” video. To enable us to achieve our goal, we have partnered with Boosterthon, who will bring their energy and spirit to MES to run a program that makes it EASY on everyone involved – including you!  

What’s our goal and what are funds spent on?

Our last event in 2021 raised over $129,000 from our generous donors! Thank you for your continuous support! For the 2021/22 school year, our goal is to raise $100,000 for all of the amazing programming we have planned for our students and staff. This includes:

• Community Building, including outreach support to our families in need, community-building programs (such as No Place for Hate, the Monster Bash Halloween Carnival, and grade-level social events), and community service initiatives.
• Student Enrichment, including events such as Family Science Night, the MES Talent and Arts Showcase, the International Festival and Cultural Arts performances, and Book Fairs.
• Teacher Support, including helping provide classroom supplies and books, teacher appreciation lunches, morale-boosting tokens of appreciation, funding for specials’ classroom needs (such as musical instruments, P.E. equipment, art supplies, and library books), and funding for Support Staff needs (like play therapy toys and intervention materials).
• Sustainability and Wellness Promotion, including school-wide initiatives like Earth Week, smoothies at recess, Global Handwashing Day, and an epic Field Day experience for all students.
• Technology Innovation, through PTA Grants that are available to any teacher or student with an innovative idea, and providing equipment and tools for efficient dismissal procedures and on-campus communication between administrators and staff.
• Facilities Enhancements, including upgrading and creating learning spaces via improvements to the auditorium, and planning for and re-establishing the MES garden.

What to Expect? 

• No laps will be recorded to avoid congregation. All runners will be pre-set in the system for 35 laps.
• Each grade will run laps around one of two Boosterthon tracks set up in the Field of Dreams during their designated time.
• Simultaneous tracks will be utilized per grade level to provide double the fun and ample space for our runners.
• Students should wear comfortable shoes and plan to bring their water bottle to the field. Extra water will be provided if needed. 
• The class with the most pledges in each grade will win a Pizza party! 
• If we hit our fundraising target, Principal Sofianos, Assistant Principal Dr. Sinclair, and Business Manager, Mr. Baron will engage in an epic inflatable animal costume race through the school.

Additional Information

At times we have students in our community who are unable to financially participate in the pledging/prize aspect of this event. If you’d like to pledge on behalf of these students so that they receive a prize during the program, please click here. The Boosterthon Team will be confidentially handling distribution of these prizes. 

Volunteers Needed!

If you can, please sign up to volunteer on the day of the Dolphin Dash. We cannot do this without help from our parents! 

The program will officially kick-off with the Pep Rally on Monday, November 7. But you don't have to wait until then, family and friends anywhere in the world can support our school NOW by giving pledges toward the number of laps your students will complete on the day of the Dolphin Dash – Tuesday November 15. We have 11 short days to hit our goal!

Happy Pledging,

Fabricio Moraes, Zach Juno and PTA Board 

Questions – Fabricio Moraes, Zach Juno