You walked through the doors at 121 East 3rd Street. Your kid learned to read there, made their first real friends there, maybe cried on the first day and didn't want to leave by the last. TNS shaped your family — and it's still shaping families today.
This page is for you.
TNS Is Still TNS
The school you remember is still here — collaborative classrooms, narrative reports instead of letter grades, the opt-out ethos, Ashokan camp, teachers who know every kid by name. What's changed is the math. With 44% of families qualifying for Title I but below the 60% threshold for federal funding, the PTA covers the gap. That means:
- Teaching assistants in every K-1 classroom — funded entirely by parent donations, not the DOE.
- Ashokan camp for every 4th and 5th grader — bus, lodging, and scholarships so no family is left out.
- Class trips, arts partnerships, and community events — the things that made your kid's experience unforgettable.
What's Happening Right Now
The school is in a leadership transition — Principal Dyanthe is departing after 13 years, and the community is working to ensure TNS's progressive identity survives. The PTA exec board is turning over in May. And the Spring Fling & Auction on May 7 is the single biggest fundraiser of the year — the night that makes next year's budget.
It's a moment where alumni voices and alumni support carry real weight.
How Alumni Can Help
You don't have to write a big check (though we won't stop you). Here's what actually moves the needle:
- A one-time gift of any size. $25 covers a class trip. $50 sponsors an Ashokan scholarship. Donate via Zeffy — 100% goes to the PTA (zero platform fees). It's tax-deductible.
- Ask your employer for a corporate match. TNS PTA is registered on Benevity. If your company matches (Google, JPMorgan, most big employers), your $50 becomes $100. EIN: 13-4033837.
- Share this page. Forward it to another TNS family you're still in touch with. The alumni network is 1,600+ families strong — if even 5% gave $25, that's $2,000 toward teaching assistants.
- Donate a DAF grant or stock. Have a donor-advised fund with Fidelity, Vanguard, or Schwab? Search for "Parent Teacher Association of The Neighborhood School Inc" (EIN: 13-4033837). Appreciated stock transfers also accepted — contact ptapresident@tnsny.org.
The Experiment
Full transparency: this page is part of a small experiment. Over the past six years, the PTA has emailed alumni families four times and received zero donations. Zero. We think the problem wasn't you — it was the approach. Generic blast emails to 1,600 people don't work. So we're trying something different:
- A small, personal outreach to recent alumni families — not a mass blast.
- Leading with a story about the school, not a donation ask.
- Testing what actually resonates — subject lines, timing, message — and learning from the data.
Our goal for this round is simple: one donation. That's it. If we can get from zero to one, we can learn what worked and scale it. If you're reading this because of one of those emails — you're the experiment. Welcome back.
Stay Connected
Want to hear how TNS is doing once or twice a year (not a fundraising ask — an actual update)? Email ptapresident@tnsny.org with the subject line "Alumni update" and we'll add you to a low-volume list. We're building something the school has never had — a real alumni community, not just a mailing list.
TNS PTA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. EIN: 13-4033837. All gifts are tax-deductible.