About the FOR Club

The FOR Club is Richland Elementary's PTO.  FOR Club is an acronym for 'Friends of Richland".  A PTO is a 'Parent Teacher Organization’.  

The FOR Club is a non-profit organization made up of parents who volunteer their time, services, or provide monetary donations enhance the learning environment for students and teachers. All monetary donations are tax deductible with the majority of funding spent in the same school year.  FOR Club works with administrators to support the arts and science programs and necessary tools that enhance our Mustang's educational experience!

The FOR Club raises money to support programs that are no longer supported by the state.  FOR Club fully funds Richlands STEAM, VAPA, and Luminary Arts along with additional programs.  FOR Club provides family fun and community building events throughout the year. We provide extra opportunities our students and teachers need to continue enjoying the outstanding learning environment here at Richland.

There is no fee to join the FOR Club.  In fact, as parents, family members or community supporters of Mustangs, you are already a member!

The FOR Club runs many fundraisers throughout the year to support the programs at Richland Elementary. Below is a list of fundraisers we have run in the past:

Major Fundraisers & Events

• Raise Craze (Acts of Kindness): A fall fundraiser where students collected pledges for completing acts of kindness. It featured a Family Service Night, a Week of Service, and incentive assemblies like the BMX stunt show.

• Halloween Carnival & Haunted House: A large fall festival that featured inflatables, game booths, food trucks, a cake walk, a plant walk, a raffle, and a 5th-grade student-run Haunted House.

• APEX Fun Run: A multi-week spring leadership and character-building program that culminated in a campus fun run.

• End of Year Bash (EOYB): A celebration that featured a DJ, inflatables, food vendors, and a "Golf Ball Drop" with prizes such as Sea World or Disneyland tickets.

• Golf Tournament: A spring adult event that featured 18 holes of golf, dinner, a wine tasting "19th Hole" social, childcare, and auctions.

• Family Dance Night: A themed dance (such as "Glow with Love" or a Valentine's theme) that featured a DJ, bake sale, glow accessories, and photo booths.

• Social Hours / Parent's Night Out: Adult networking events hosted at local venues like Local Roots and Orfila Winery to build parent community.

• Passive Fundraisers & Spirit Sales: Mustang Market (spirit wear), Student Store, See's Candy sales, and kickbacks from Ralphs Community Contribution, Box Tops, and Farm Fresh to You.

FOR Club meetings will be held every second Tuesday of the month from 4:30-5:30 pm in the Teacher Development Room.  Expect updates from the principal, the FOR Club Executive Board and Event Committees.  Childcare provided.

While budget items and funding priorities shift year to year, below is a a list of items that have been supported in the past.

Academic & Enrichment Programs

• STEAM/STEM Program: Has fully funded instruction and materials for hands-on science units aligned with state standards. Funded items have included iPads, coding robots, snap circuits, and dissection specimens like owl pellets, squids, and frogs.

• VAPA (Visual and Performing Arts): Has provided funding for the Luminary Arts Spring Play (such as Annie Jr. and Jungle Book) and the Winter Holiday Choir.

• Art Program: Has funded art instruction and curriculum, including programs like "Meet the Masters," as well as art supplies and carts.

• Instructional Aides: Has subsidized salaries for Kindergarten, reading, and math intervention aides to facilitate small-group learning.

• Math Support: Has funded a math docent/interventionist salary and helped support professional development like "Number Talks" training.

Extracurricular Clubs

• Running Club: A morning fitness club that provided students with exercise before school.

• Pickleball Club: An after-school sports club held on the blacktop.

• Chess Club: Offered instructional and gameplay sessions for students in grades 1–5.

• Cheer Team: Provided stipends for the instructor and purchased supplies like cheer bows.

• Ukulele Club: A before-school music club.

• Student-Led Initiatives: Supported clubs focused on campus positivity and improvement, such as the Kindness Club and the Beautification Club.

Causes & Community Support

• Scholarships: Covers t-shirts, field trips, play participation fees, and yearbooks for families in need.

• Teacher & Staff Appreciation: Funded monthly catered luncheons, back-to-school breakfasts, the "Pony Pals" secret gifting program, and stocked the staff snack cabinet/vending machine.

• 5th Grade "Sailing On": Coordinated end-of-year promotion activities, graduation walks, 5th-grade t-shirts, and parties.

• Campus Enhancements: Provided pass-through funding for the school library, Scholastic Book Fairs, and Mr. Nash's Science Garden.

• San Marcos Christmas Parade: Designed and built a holiday float for the school to participate in the local parade.

Specific Items Funded (via Teacher Grants & Programs)

• Field Trips: Admissions and bus transportation for trips to the Safari Park, Agua Hedionda Discovery Center, Fleet Science Center, Palomar College Planetarium, CSUSM campus tours, Legoland, and the Woodland Park Pool.

• Educational Assemblies: "History Brought to Life", EcoVivarium, and Anti-Bullying presentations (like Jon Pritikin and Cory Greenwood).

• Flexible Seating & Organization: Wobble stools, seat sacks, adaptive seating chairs, floor cushions, and storage bins.

• Sensory & Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Calming corner supplies, fidget boxes, sensory rings, weighted blankets, magnetic drawing boards, kinetic sand, and slime.

• Curriculum & Tech Subscriptions: Subscriptions for NEWSELA, Scholastic News, and Benchmark decodable book sets.

• Classroom Tech & Supplies: Laminators, printers, ink, dry-erase wipeboards, headphones, pencils, and mathematical manipulatives.

What are the volunteer opportunities with FOR Club?

The FOR Club is always looking for volunteers!  There are a variety of committees that help run different events or areas.  You can fill out a volunteer form and we will contact you about different volunteer opportunities. You can also help by contacting your mustang's teacher and either signing up as a Room Parent or asking what you can do to support the room parent. Click here to explore how to Get Involved!

We understand that some schedules do not allow for much time to volunteer.  If you can not volunteer for fundraisers or events, you can can support us by attending any of our upcoming events, such as the Halloween Carnival, Golf Tournament, Family Dance or Bingo De Mayo.  We also offer sponsorship opportunities for many programs we support as well as sponsorship opportunities for the golf committee.

Expect to find handouts from the FOR Club in your Mustang's Wednesday Envelope.  You can also find FOR Club information included in the weekly e-blast.  Also you can find us on the following; 

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