WHAT WE DO

Friends of Skinner West (FOSW) was launched to support the school through volunteerism and fundraising. It’s mission is to help meet and exceed the needs of the school improvement plan, while nurturing students through extracurricular activities and educational opportunities.

The spending priorities of FOSW are set through a cooperative relationship with the school administration, which determines the needs of the school and requests the funding from FOSW. FOSW's main fundraising event is the annual Walkathon that occurs in the Fall.  In addition, FOSW accepts donations from local developers and businesses.  FOSW occasionally participates in shopping days at stores or restaurants with a portion of the profits being donated back to FOSW.   Lastly, we regularly accept donations from parents and employer gift-matching programs. 

Since its inception in 2011,  FOSW has brought in over $850,000 to the school. Funds raised have been used to purchase: 

• 1:1 chromebooks for each student in the school and chromebook carts
• Interactive screens for each classroom to replace previously-funded Promethean Boards
• Creation of outdoor garden
• Refresh of chromebooks each year to replace broken items
• iPads and carts
• $75,000 for a new STEM lab and Northwestern FUSE curriculum.
• Book Vending Machine
• Trophy Case
• Equipment to add a  play room and library at the branch. 
• classroom libraries
• classroom furniture and rugs
• interactive projectors for the new annex
• interactive Promethean boards in each classroom of the original building
• Several copiers in each building and copier maintenance contracts
• Laser jet printers and toner to replace  ink jet printers as a cost cutting measure
• Laminating machines
• Items for the care and maintenance of the school facilities and a carpet cleaner for each building. 
• Classroom sets of Kindles and leap pads. 
• Subscriptions to Time Magazine, Quizlet & Brainpop. 
• Many, many more items from teacher wishlists and requests such as classroom manipulatives  & materials, rewards, and Spelling Bee entry fees.