2009-2010 Campaign
Letter from Suz Howells, President
Santa Cruz Education Foundation
Dear
Families and Friends of Santa Cruz City Schools,
As
school opens for the 2009-10 school year, we continue to face an un
precedented California budget crisis with more cuts looming. It
will take all of us, working together, to ensure that our students
continue to receive all that they deserve. The Santa Cruz Education
Foundation is hard at work protecting the classroom experience for every
child in our schools.
How
does the Education Foundation differ from your PTA, Home and School Club and
Booster Clubs? While we lend our support to these organizations
and efforts like the Sports and Arts Telethon, the Foundation focuses on
the educational experience of all of
our 7,000 students, pre-school through high school. Our recent efforts
resulted in class size reduction in English and Math for every 9th
grade student, Life Lab science programs at all four elementary
schools, Outdoor Science School for Westside 5th graders and
Eastside 6th graders, support for arts programs at every district
school – to name just a few of our successes.
This
year, the Foundation seeks to support the work of the district’s
Wellness Committee as they bring healthy food to our cafeterias and a
renewed focus to physical activity. We are also working to expand the
Advancement Via Individual Achievement (AVID) program, putting first-time
college-goers on track in our middle and high schools and creating a
college-bound culture for all students. The Foundation will continue to
support district visual and performing arts, Life Lab, Outdoor Science
School and bring you the award-winning Eddy
news blog as well as an expanded Eddy Awards recognizing our
outstanding SCCS individuals and schools.
By
becoming an annual supporter of the Foundation today, you can ensure that
these valuable programs carry on for all our students.
The news from Sacramento indicates that deeper cuts are coming; your
tax-deductible support today will allow us to respond to at-risk programs before we lose them. Since February 2009, our schools have
lost over $800 per student in funding from the state; further reductions
will put class size, counseling, arts programs and more at risk. You
can make a difference. Giving just $1/school
day/student for the 180 day school year – that’s only $20 per
month – will protect the classroom experience for our deserving
students. With 7,000 students in our district, if every family gave,
the collective power of your support will go far to protect public
education in Santa Cruz.
I
hope you will join us in supporting our wonderful schools. To show
our appreciation, donors contributing $180 or more will receive a
complimentary Santa Cruz Education Foundation coffee mug and become a
Friend of the Foundation. To learn more about the Santa Cruz
Education Foundation and stay connected to the latest news, please visit www.sceducation.org
and sign up for The Eddy. For your convenience, you may also
donate online.
P.S.
You can also assist the Santa Cruz Education Foundation through eScrip, by
registering your Safeway card and credit/debit cards and adding our group
ID number (500001205) to your membership.
It’s free!
|
