The mission of Slavens School is to educate and enrich the academic, social, physical and emotional lives of our children. Core funding for our school comes from the Denver Public Schools. This funding does not support or sustain a quality education that includes art, drama, sports, gifted and talented programs, athletics, STEM or in classroom computers. In order to reach our full potential as an educational institution, we have developed a culture of giving at Slavens School. We encourage parents to give of their time, money and talent every year.
Fundraising is an essential part of what makes Slavens such a high performing, award winning, and sought-after school. DPS funding covers only a portion of the diverse programming that is available to students. The very important giving of the Slavens’ community allows our children to benefit from items like the STEM lab, paraprofessionals at every grade level to give teachers more time for student interaction, Chromebooks and iPads for student use, current, high-quality learning materials, and cutting-edge teacher training. These critical elements, and many more like daily PE, arts, and music education, help drive excellence at Slavens and cannot continue without your generosity.
Why Is this Necessary?
Many parents ask why additional funding is necessary. Budget cuts over the last few decades have placed the State of Colorado 42nd out of 50 states in per pupil spending. Parents at Slavens have decided that items cut by budget shortfalls are indeed necessary for education. Together PTA & FOSS raise over $300,000 annually to cover the gap. If fundraising goals are not met there is no safety net. Items paid for by PTA and FOSS will not be subsidized by DPS in the event of a budget shortfall. Those items will disappear.
In order to get help in our fundraising from outside organizations and foundations, we must be able to show that a high percentage of families are giving to Slavens. Our goal is to achieve 100% participation. Your support of the culture of giving at Slavens will enrich the education and lives of your students.
Please note that there are many opportunities to volunteer throughout the school year. This is just as valuable as any monetary donation so please consider lending your time. If you have any questions about when or how to volunteer you may contact your student’s teacher or a member of the PTA or FOSS.
With so many public schools experiencing severe budget cuts, giving to FOSS is more important than ever. Your tax-deductible donations ensure our children continue to receive important “extras,” including art, music and STEM programs. Our suggested donation is $150 per student (but no gift is too big or too small!), and we need the participation of all families—both new and established—to get there. The FOSS Campaign runs each October/November.
To participate in the FOSS Campaign, refer to the FOSS donation website.
Having neighborhood businesses donate is critical to our school’s success. Slavens is home to over 400 Southeast Denver area households. Becoming a Slavens School Corporate Sponsor is a great way to gain exposure for your business and support our school at the same time. Please review the package information and choose your level of sponsorship. Tax deductible donations can be mailed to the school at 3000 South Clayton Street, Denver, Colorado 80210.
Held each April, this is the largest fundraiser of the year and provides various opportunities to support Slavens through an online silent auction, staff donations, live auction, paddle raise, and party signup. If you are new to the event, we’ve got you covered.
The Slavens Fun Run is an annual Community Building Fundraiser, held each September to kickoff the school year.
Grab three friends and create a foursome to participate in the annual Golf Tournament, held each fall. Don’t have a foursome? You’ll be paired with other amazing parents! Parents, staff, friends, co-workers and family members are all welcome.
Local restaurants donate a percentage of sales to Slaves (20-50%) if families mention Slavens when ordering at the specific location on a designated day.
FOSS sponsors Grandparents Day in November so that your parents can experience being a part of the Slavens community. They attend an assembly with their grandchildren and are given a tour of the school, including classroom visits. We invite everyone near and far to join us and help support our wonderful school and experience what it means to be a part of our community.
T-shirts, Sweatshirts, Hats and other items are sold periodically to promote school spirit. Typically items are pre-ordered to reduce costs and prevent a surplus of inventory.
Link your King Soopers Card to Slavens School and earn money for the school with your regular shopping! Any transactions using the Shopper’s Card number associated with your digital account will be applied to the program, at no added cost to you! Link your card and read all the details here: https://www.kingsoopers.com/i/community/community-rewards
Select Friends of Slavens School (FOSS) as your charity of choice (only necessary the first time) when you shop at Amazon Smile. Use this page for all of your Amazon shopping and a percentage of eligible purchases will be donated back to Slavens.