Year's Biggest Castro PTA Fundraiser Highlights Fitness and Fun

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA (October 3, 2006)—The PACT School, an alternative, public K-5 school in the Mountain View-Whisman School District, announced today that the Castro school community would continue the tradition of the Slater School Walk-a-thon by holding the popular fundraiser on Friday, October 6 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., to raise funds for the Castro PTA.

The Walk-a-thon was an annual tradition of Slater Elementary School, whose campus closed after the 2005-2006 school year. When PACT moved from the Slater campus to the Castro campus, the leaders of Castro Elementary, including both the English-only strand and the English/Spanish Dual-Immersion Program, welcomed PACT and sought out ways to build an inclusive community.

"We're thrilled to see the whole Castro community coming together to support this event," said Jenny Murray, a PACT/Castro School parent who is one of the event's organizers. "Everyone is excited to continue the Walk-a-thon, especially the kids."

The theme for this year's event is "Fitness & Fun." Castro students will walk laps at the school field, earning money pledged by their sponsors for the Castro PTA. Kids can earn prizes for reaching various milestones, with healthy snacks provided along the way. Many of the lap prizes and refreshments have been donated by neighborhood businesses.

"The support of local businesses has been critical in continuing this event's success at Castro," said Michelle Perry, another PACT/Castro parent and organizer. "It's nice to see how important the well-being of our schools is to so many members of our community."

The following Mountain View-area businesses have donated snacks or prizes to support the Walk-a-thon: The Better Bagel, Diddams, The House of Bagels, Michael's, The Off Ramp, Round Table Pizza, Sunnymount Produce, Trader Joe's, Wal-Mart, and Walt's Cycle & Fitness. The Mountain View Police Department is also contributing giveaways for the walkers.

About the PACT School

The PACT School is an alternative, public, parent-participation K-5 school in the Mountain View-Whisman school district, located on the campus of Castro Elementary School. PACT's developmentally-oriented educational philosophy emphasizes hands-on experience and guided discovery within a compassionate, creative environment. Because PACT parents participate in the classroom, the students are provided with small-group learning opportunities and high adult-to-child ratios.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Addison Snell, PACT School Publicity Committee; asnell@idc.com; 408-306-2926.

Carmen Mizell, PACT and Castro School Principal; cmizell@mvsd.k12.ca.us; 650-526-3530.

PACT School website: www.pactschool.net.