We know parents have many questions about the auction! Before bidding begins, review the questions & answers below. If you still have questions, feel free to e-mail the Auction Committee at auctions@neweaglepto.org.
What’s NEW about the auction this year?
The auction will be held completely online from February 5-11. Only the classroom art projects will be available for bid at the Parent Social (February 22). All other items – including New Eagle Experiences for children and adults – must be bid on during the online auction.
Registration for the auction is also different this year. If you are signed up as a PTO volunteer, you’re already registered to bid at the auction. You will not have to provide your credit card information to register. To register ahead of the event or for more information, visit the how to register page.
The auction will be accessible via the PTO website. The link will be published on the main auction page once the auction goes live on February 5.
How much of the money goes to New Eagle?
ALL OF IT. All proceeds from the auction go directly to the PTO’s Cultural Arts Committee with the goal of providing engaging and inspiring arts opportunities for our children. This is the only fundraiser for Cultural Arts programming.
How do I register for the auction?
If you’re signed up as a PTO volunteer, you’re already registered to participate in the auction. If you’re not, visit the how to register page for more information. Do this now so you will be ready when the auction opens on February 5!
What is available for bid during the auction?
The auction features items such as gift cards from local businesses (restaurants, salons, fitness), sports tickets and memorabilia, NEES Experiences, home design services, health and wellness packages, entertainment tickets and opportunities, gift baskets, and birthday party packages. Go to the auction now to see all of the items up for bid!
How do I bid and pay for auction items? What is “Proxy Bidding?”
To bid for items, you must be registered and logged into the website (see above question for instructions). Once logged in, you will browse the list of auction items. If you see an item that you are interested in, click it to view the details. We offer two types of auctions: Buy it Now, and Proxy Bidding. Buy it Now items are limited-quantity items for New Eagle Experiences; these have a fixed price, and are first-come, first served. When you click “Buy it Now” you will immediately be redirected to pay for your item.
Most of the items in the auction are up for bidding. Anyone interested in an item can click Place Bid, and enter a bid that is higher than the current bid amount in the pre-set increment. In the example below, the current bid amount is $30, and the bid increment is $5 — this is known because it says “Enter $35.00 or more” under the bid field. If the auction were not Proxy Bidding, you would enter your amount, and that would become the new high bid. You would need to then wait and watch if someone outbid you before you could place a new, higher bid.
With Proxy Bidding, however, you can enter the maximum bid that you are willing to pay for an item, then let the system do the back and forth bidding for you. In the example above, the current bid is $30. With Proxy Bidding, if the top amount you’re willing to pay for the item is $50.00, you can enter $50 as your bid, but the actual bid will only increase to the next bid increment (i.e., $35). If the current bidder did not set a proxy bid higher than $35, you will now be the top bidder, with a bid of $35 showing publicly. Nobody will know that you have a proxy bid of $50 entered. If someone then bids $40, they will immediately be outbid, because the system will proxy bid for you, to $45. This will continue until someone outbids your maximum bid – your proxy bid.
This allows you to set your bid and forget it — rather than having to watch the auction like a hawk to make sure you can remain the top bidder.
At the close of the auction, you will receive an email with instructions about how to pay for and pick up your items. If you have bid on and won numerous items, you may prefer to visit the Auction Dashboard where you can view your winning bid items in one place, with a link to pay for each. Please note: Buy it Now items are NOT displayed in the Dashboard. You will receive an email confirmation of your Buy it Now purchased items as a receipt.
What payment methods are accepted for auction items?
Buy it Now items are purchased immediately and must be paid for online by credit card. Auction items won through bidding may be paid for at the close of the auction online by credit card, or you may pay by check when you pick up your auction items. Detailed information will be provided in the e-mail you receive when you win an auction.
What programs are provided by the New Eagle PTO’s Cultural Arts Committee?
The Cultural Arts Committee handles the majority of the assemblies and visiting artists that come to NEES throughout the school year. Parent volunteers help to coordinate events and artists to enrich the current curriculum. Without the CA volunteers and fundraising donations, these assemblies and events would not be possible. Events include the following:
- All-School Events – the Fall assembly this year was “AudioBody” a popular national performance artist group tying music and science together through their own musical inventions, Visiting Author (March), Artist in Residence (4th grade intensive but all school participation) this year will be the Walnut Street Theater (May), Science Explorers assembly, and Art Goes to School (March).
- Kindergarten – Mother Goose, Beekeeper.
- 1st grade – African Drummer, Weather presentation by the Franklin Institute, Japan Day (February) – Kimono, Karate, and Origami artist.
- 2nd grade – Immigration Assembly, Johnson-Matthey Science Presentation, Chinese Festival – Calligraphy, Paper Cutting artist, and Tai Chi, Discovering Dinosaurs via the Academy of Natural Sciences.
- 3rd grade – Beekeeper, Historical Figure (changes yearly), Tipi Building, Johnson-Matthey Science Presentation, Soil Erosion.
- 4th grade – Artist in Residence intensive with the Walnut Street Theater, Immigration/Colonial Showcase, Historical Figure (changes yearly).
If you would like to get involved, or find out more information about any of the events or open volunteer opportunities, please email Amy Terlecki and Maggie Johnson at vpculturalarts@neweaglepto.org
What if I have other questions about the Auction that are not listed here?
No problem! Just e-mail the Auction Committee at auctions@neweaglepto.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible.