Countryside Carnival

 

 

The Carnival is one of the most anticipated events of the school year for our students. During this event, the school will be transformed into a carnival with games and activities played in the classrooms, food options in the cafeteria and a ‘you don’t want to miss’ raffle* in the gym.


And it’s also one of the biggest fundraisers for the school. Funds raised go directly to the school to support our Instructional Grant, classroom needs, scholarship support, staff appreciation and other PTO sponsored events such as the All School Party and the Celebration of Cultures. 
 

*We Need Carnival Volunteers!*

We are looking for several team members to help organize Carnival this spring.The Carnival chair(s) organize and manage the event with the help of subcommittee chairs (Food, Volunteers, Games, Prizes, Raffle Baskets), acting as overseers and advisors for the event. Over 100 volunteers are needed the week and the evening of Carnival to handle ticket sales and staff all of the games and stations of the Carnival. If you are interested in taking on a role for Carnival, please email pto.countryside@gmail.com.

 

*We need to secure a team before January 2025 in order to ensure a fun, successful event. If we do not have a full team committed, we will need to cancel this student favorite fundraising event. 

 


Questions About The Event? We Have Answers (And Some Tips)! 

 

What tickets do I have to purchase? 
The following tickets will be available for purchase:

- Unlimited play wristbands* (children 3 and younger are free): $15 before event, $20 at the door 

- Food tickets: Range from $1 to $3 items)
- Raffle tickets: $1 These must be purchased in cash, by an adult, 18+ years or older per state law.

 

This is a cash or check only event. There are ATMs located near Jerry's. 
*New this year, our wristbands are reusable! They will be a great way for students to show their Countryside pride! 

 

Highly recommend pre-ordering tickets!
Here's where you can find the pre-order form, which is due by EOD Wednesday, April 24th. You can pick up your pre-ordered tickets during the following times:

- Thursday, April 25th 2:30-6:00pm (Door 1) 

- Friday, April 26th 8:00am - 5:30pm (Door 1) 

- Friday, April 26th 6:00-7:30pm (Gym) 

 

Be ready to play games!
Many of the classrooms will include either a game such as putt putt, plinko, a cereal walk, ball drop, ping pong toss and more! There will also be  a quiet room for those that need a break. Did we mention there will be a room sponsored by Code Ninjas? 

 

Hot tip! Be sure to bring a bag from home to carry around all the prizes. 

 

Come hungry!
The food is available starting at 6pm and is served in the cafeteria. This year's menu includes:

- Domino's Pizza (both cheese and pepperoni) - 3 tickets

- Domino's Pizza GF crust (cheese) - 3 tickets

- Chips (assortment) - 2 tickets 

- Pop, water, juice boxes - 2 tickets 

- Cotton candy - 3 tickets 

- Cookies - 1 ticket

- Apples - 1 ticket 


We try our best to accommodate those with food allergies - nothing in the menu includes nuts, but may be processed in a facility with several different allergens.  If you find yourself in the cafeteria and wishing you had bought more food tickets, don’t worry, there will be a table in the cafeteria where you can buy more. 

 

Hot tip! Snack (you and) your kids beforehand. There will be plenty of food to purchase, however to help combat those overstimulated meltdowns, a snack beforehand will go a long way! 

 

Food line info... 

We will have 2 lines this year... one line that enters the kitchen (to grab everything on the menu) and a second line that will just be dessert, drinks and chips. You will also be able to snag more tickets if needed in the cafeteria. 

 

Play the raffle! 

There will be 50+ AWESOME raffle baskets this year in the Multi-Purpose Room!  There is definitely something for everyone...
- Squishmallows

- An electric scooter

- An aquarium, with a fish!
- Harry Potter themed basket

- An iPad
- A sleepover themed basket
- NERF, Pokemon, gift cards and SO MUCH MORE!!

The process is much like a traditional raffle where you put your tickets in buckets at the event. You can purchase as many raffle “tickets/chances” as you like for $1 each. Before you drop them in the box, we ask you to add your contact information on each ticket (at least your name and phone number). Be sure to keep the bigger portion of the ticket, this allows us to match the winning name/number. The more entries, the better your chances… And remember each ticket purchase goes back to the school! 

Hot tip! Raffle tickets are for everyone! Your Countryside student can enter the raffle, your middle schooler, and even you.


Don’t forget to place your ticket into the container before 7:30pm, when the raffle closes. Winners will be announced during the live drawing starting at 7:30pm. You do not have to be present to win - we will contact you to coordinate your prize pickup. Prizes must be picked up by an adult (18+) starting at 8:00pm. A list of winners will be available online during the event. 


Hot tip! Pre-purchase your raffle tickets so you have time to fill them out legibly. Another seasoned parent prints out labels / stickers at home with their contact info on there so the tickets are easier to fill out.


How can I help? 

We’d love your help! Carnival takes over 150 volunteers to ensure a safe and smooth event for all our attendees.  We will need volunteers to run the games or help with various areas of the event.  Grab a friend, sign up a caregiver or grandparent... and we love to see middle school or high school alumni help too!  

 

Hot tip! The games are broken out into several shifts. It’s easy to spend time with your family for the first part of Carnival and then send them off with one parent while the other parent grabs a shift. You can also grab a buddy and sign up for a shift together.

 

Can I let my child go off on their own?
This is your own call but it is not unusual for children to be seen on their own at Carnival. If you feel comfortable that they know their way around the school and have a buddy or two to go with then go for it! 


Can I bring a stroller?

Carnival is CRAZY fun but also CRAZY busy and can get crowded. If possible, we highly recommend leaving the stroller at home.


Where do I enter and park?

All lots will be open for parking, including the streets (both sides). You may also park to the west of the property, along Arbour Avenue. Overflow parking will be located at the Good Samaritan United Methodist Church (access from Groves Street).  Please be mindful and try not to block anyone in - this has happened before and last thing we need are parents melting down. You can enter through the main door, Door 1. 


Any additional questions?

Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions. We were once in your shoes and are happy to talk through any questions or concerns you have. You can email pto.countryside@gmail.com with any questions!