2009 Magazine Drive totals for student orders are 3082 orders for $72,179 and 228 MagNet books turned in! Since we do not yet know the price of the prizes we have given away, or the value of the orders that will be placed through the MagNet books, we cannot say for certain at this time what the PTAC will ultimately receive from the drive. It looks like we will fall short of the PTAC budget goal of $40,000. The total orders was a reduction from last year by about 9%.

Thanks also to all the families that participated in the drive, either by turning in a Postcard Booklet, purchasing orders, contacting family and friends, or coming in to help us process the orders and give out prizes. Thanks also to the teachers for helping us get the paperwork back and forth for two weeks, and the added distraction of it all. The results of your support make this a phenomenal fundraiser! We know of no other way to support the PTAC that would yield these results. Thanks again - we could not do this without you!  

 

We have already received notification from the bank that a few checks have been returned for various problems with the accounts. We will contact you if that has been the case and ask that you send in a replacement check so that we can finalize the accounting process.   We want to ensure that you will receive your magazines, so please work with us to clear up any outstanding payments. We are all uncomfortable about being in this position.

 

 

 

Most magazine subscriptions will start by January. Orders placed on – line may start as early as November! If you have any problems with your subscriptions, please call QSP directly at 1-800-678-2673 Monday-Friday 7am-6:00pm. It will help if you have the pink receipt from your order, but QSP will be able to help you without it if you have the zip code and last name on the subscription. Your pink receipt also has the QSP phone number, address, and a TDD# for hearing and speech impaired customers on the back.    If QSP is unable to help you (or you have lost your pink receipt), PLEASE CALL Betsy Manteiga at 978 681 8033 so we can look at the yellow order copies, which will hopefully shed some light on the problem.   

 

 

 

NAMS Magazine Drive 

 

This is THE MAJOR fundraiser of the PTAC, and it kicks off on Thursday, September 24th! It is our hope that the magazine drive is not a burden to your family, and that you use the drive to renew magazines you are already receiving or to try out ones that you were planning to get anyway. Please ask your family and friends to renew their subscriptions also, since it is not like asking them to buy something they neither need nor want. If you have any questions, please call Betsy Manteiga at 978-681-8033 or email at jmanteiga@aol.com. This is a terrific fundraiser and we hope we can count on your support this year.

 

How does the Middle School benefit from the drive? The magazine drive supports enrichment programs, team activities and supplies, the NAMS News, 8th grade year-end activities, after hours programs, purchasing agenda books, school plays, and much, much, more! The school keeps 43% of the subscription price (a little less for music/software). Many of us have found over the years that the prices were the same as, or less than, the renewal price we had received in the mail. QSP, the company that we’ve used for more than 10 years for the magazine drive, is able to negotiate good deals with the magazine publishers due to the volume of magazines it handles. QSP also has a great service policy, dealing with problems quickly and efficiently. 

 

How does it work? Every student will attend a kick-off assembly at school on Thursday, September 24th to learn everything they need to know to make the magazine drive run smoothly. At the end of the day, they will be given a packet of information to take home with the magazines, music and software available, how the prize promotions work (the kids love this part) and how to fill out the order forms – please watch for it! Remember, you can order new subscriptions or extend the subscriptions you already have. Ask your friends, family and neighbors for their support – and be sure to ask anyone whose children no longer attend the Middle School- chances are, all their subscriptions are about to expire!! Just remember, we do not want the students going door-to-door, only to people you know!

 

Orders will be turned in during morning homeroom on Thursday October 1, Tuesday October 6 and Thursday October 8. Volunteers are needed to process the orders and payments from 8:00 – 2:00, definitely later on the first and last day. For every item ordered, the student will receive one ticket (two on the first turn-in day) that may be redeemed for “prizes”. There are other promotions as well, which the students will learn about at the kick-off assembly. The turn-in envelopes with the tickets will be returned to the students the next morning. Students can redeem their tickets at lunch during Prize Days, which will be Friday October 2, Wednesday October 7, and Friday October 9.   Volunteers are needed from 9:30 – 1:00 to set-up and give out the prizes, and we will need extra volunteers on Friday the 9th, so please help us if you can. 

 

 

Can I renew my magazines that I have purchased prior to the magazine drive? You can renew any magazine that you are currently receiving if that magazine is listed in the magazine drive booklet that will be sent home on September 24th. It doesn’t matter when your subscription ends, since by renewing through the magazine drive you will be extending your subscription by the number of issues listed in the booklet. The most important thing when renewing subscriptions is to copy the name and address exactly as it is printed on a current mailing label.  If the order form and mailing label are different, the company will treat it as a new subscription, and you will get two copies of the magazine, instead of extending the subscription. QSP, the company that we use for the magazine drive, provides great customer service, and will be able to correct the problem, but it would be much easier for all of us if the labels were copied exactly! So that you have all the labels on hand for the magazine drive, start collecting them now (and please tell your family and friends to do the same). We know from personal experience that you will have a hard time finding them when your child is standing there on September 30th at bedtime with the order form in hand!! 

Can I order online? Yes, you can order or renew online at any time! If you order online anytime from NOW through the end of the NAMS magazine drive (October 8) your child will get the credit for the sale and receive the tickets that he/she can use to purchase prizes on prize days. For any orders purchased online after midnight on October 8, the school will of course receive the profits from the sale, but your student will not receive the tickets for prizes. The website is www.qsp.com, and our account number is 425007139. The student name and grade are required to assure your student gets the tickets for the purchase, and his/her homeroom teacher and homeroom number are helpful to the volunteers processing the orders. More details to follow as we get closer to the actual magazine drive!

 

What is a “Weepul”? Part of the promotion of the magazine drive involves “weepuls” – little pom-pom creatures that are given to anyone who turns in 2 or more orders on turn-in day. There is a different one given each day. It doesn’t matter how many orders (over 2) you turn in, you can only get one weepul per day. On prize day, students should wear their weepuls to school, since the “Weepul Watcher” gives everyone with a weepul a chance to win more tickets for prizes. The kids get quite a kick out of it! Any questions about this, or anything else about the magazine drive, please call Betsy Manteiga at 978-681-8033 or email at jmanteiga@aol.com.

 

 

 

 

 

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