But they really aren't aiming at being the opening act for the next Rolling Stones tour.

On Sept. 2, the principals of the three schools put on silver-colored wigs and strummed fake guitars at their respective school assemblies as they announced the start of the Saratoga Educational Foundation's gift wrap campaign for this year. Students at the three schools have until Sept. 19 to sell as much gift wrap as they can, all to raise money for the foundation. The students who sell the most gift wrapping paper could walk away with prizes ranging from a portable DVD player to an iPod shuffle.

The theme for this year: Rock 'n' roll.

"The rock theme is to get the students motivated. We try to get as many students involved as possible," Nancy Ondrejka, principal of Foothill, said.

She said that the fundraiser helps students understand the concept of raising money to help the school. "We try not to hype it too much, but it is still important," she said.

The students use a catalog to show potential buyers the range of choices they have. Most of the gift wrap orders are delivered before Christmas.

The money raised by the foundation is used by the elementary schools in the Saratoga Union School District to fund music, physical education and multimedia teachers. "It also pays for the school library," Sue Brooks, principal at Argonaut, said.

Brooks said that the gift wrap campaign also helps build community spirit among children. "Every class has a certain goal and we keep track of how much they are selling," she said.

Sometimes the parents also get involved in the spirit of things and help their children sell the wrapping paper, according to Brooks. She said that students who sell a certain amount are recognized at school during lunch break.

The foundation was started in the aftermath of Proposition 13 that restricted funding to public schools. The gift wrap event, an integral part of the foundation's fundraising, raised $67,000 last year. "We aim to match that goal at least," Terrie Creamer, the president of the foundation, said.

"We're always looking at ways of expanding our reach. We try to fund things that are important," she said. The foundation also raises money through a jogathon at Redwood Middle School, a golf tournament and a direct appeal to parents and other likely donors. It raised $1.1 million last year, according to Creamer.

She said the gift wrap being offered for sale has found wide appeal because of its high quality. Creamer, whose daughter Christina is a fourth-grader at Foothill, said the children tend to get really excited about the event because they can win a lot of little prizes.

"There were a lot of screams and yells when the prizes available this year were announced," Monique Hunt, the chairwoman for the event at Argonaut Elementary, said.

Creamer said that both her children had benefited from the work of the foundation. "My son, Mark, who is now in high school, taught me how to use Powerpoint. He learned it from his computer teacher at elementary school who was funded by the foundation," she said.

If the foundation does manage to raise $67,000 or more, Superintendent Lane Weiss will dress up as a rock star and sing along with the three principals at a future date.

The little ones will surely love that.

For more information on the Saratoga Educational Foundation, visit www.saratoga-sef.org. To see a selection of gift wrap being sold, visit www.inisbrook.com.